But sure enough as soon as we started, Jose took the front and started our warm up at 19.0 MPH. OK, I don't warm up that fast so after 10 seconds on the trail, I'm thinking this can't be good. He finishes his turn at the front and Joaquin lifts the pace to 20, 21. Ummm No! 50 miles yesterday mostly solo and today another 44 at this pace? I don't think so! So I moved over quickly and told the guys to go on without me. Mama didn't raise no fool! I know we will regroup at Yorba Park as our turnaround point so Why kill myself? I'm smart enough to know I have to conserve for the tail end of the ride.
I see Joaquin and Mike pull away, Jose fell behind and was trying real hard to catch up. Soon I was 50 yards behind Jose but I stuck to my own ride plan which is "be smart!". As soon as we hit Kraemer, the wind is freakin' blowing hard. I'm holding my warm up pace but somewhat trying to stay in touch. After another mile or so I see someone ahead looking back. It's Mike. Jose and Joaquin pushing ahead. Mike says, "I noticed you weren't with us and figured I'd wait, you're the smart guy!". Ha ha ha, Mike knows I ain't no fool and a master pacer when it comes to riding. He says let them push ahead, it's a big mistake so he knew it was better to hold back some and conserve as we still have 35 more miles out of the 44 to go.
We ride side by side chatting a bit, figuring what will happen with the others later down the road. The wind is really blowing and we are holding about 13 at times but gaining on the other two who look as if they are putting in a real hard effort but not getting very far with this wind. They reach the park about one minute before we arrive.
The wind is blowing so I told the guys I would soft pedal as far as I could trying to conserve energy. Original plan was to take 1 mile turns at the front but with this wind, it would be hard. Jose says he will take the front but won't go over 18. A minute later we're rolling at 21. He was at the front for a good while and I will admit, I was working trying to stay up. No draft but a tailwind but I was working as I was not fresh today. Later Joaquin takes the front and is doing pretty good! Once we hit Edna Park Mike takes the front. Now the wind has shifted and it's a pretty good headwind beating on us. Mike finishes his pull and I take the front. I'm trying real hard to hold 17.5 into the headwind. I finish my turn and then Joaquin ends up at the front again. Not sure what happened to Jose but he skipped his turn somehow. Joaquin goes to the front and picks it up for a couple minutes then I look at the speed and we are down to 16.5. Thank goodness, this is what I was counting on, the early effort taking its toll. Now instead of working hard to keep up with the fresh guys, I'm relaxing.
Turns change a couple more times then Joaquin ends up at the front again. He ends up taking the long final pull. He's holding about 16 into the headwind and nobody else is taking the front. I figured I'd help the guy now but passing 3 other riders might be a tough way to take the front. But just as I am about to do so, he lifts the pace so I stay back. Minute later he fades then I plan again. But he did the same thing and now I'm hesitant as we are only 1/4 mile from the coast.
We get there and I tell Joaquin what a good job is and Jose are doing. They look very strong today. Then we head back, Jose takes first turn at the front. He holds about 18 then it's my turn. I'm all nice and warm now so I lift it to 20 once Jose is settled in line. We rotate some then Joaquin finishes a turn then pulls off leaving Mike at the front. I'm third in line now behind Jose. Mike picks it up and just then Jose turns to me and says go ahead, he's tired. Oh darn! So he doesn't move out of the way so I have to go around on the left and shoot up hard to try to catch Mike's wheel. I finally make it and figure the other two are on my wheel seeing as they looked really strong so far.
I get on Mike's wheel and a couple minutes later I look back and the two guys are about 40 yards back. I see Jose is on Joaquin's wheel. Mike keeps the pace and I let him know the other two have dropped. He asks if I want to wait. Ummm, no we can go, just keep the same pace so it doesn't look like we were trying to drop them. They didn't slow and wait for us earlier so now, why wait? Wasn't going out of our way to drop them, but wasn't going to wait either.
2 miles from the end of the ride as we were crossing the Edna Park bridge, we looked back and saw that they were now about 100 yards back. We're actually trying to figure out if Joaquin held back for Jose or did he actually just get tired.
Now at this point, the wind freakin' changes and there is a monster wind blowing against us. We're riding side by side chatting but actually at a good effort and doing about 14 ha ha! When we get to the 22, I look back and see Jose half way between us and Joaquin who is about 3/4 of the strip behind us. Now Jose left Joaquin. I tell Mike it looks like Jose is working hard to catch up. We kept the same pace and kept chatting but he never did. He got to the end of the ride about 2 minutes behind us and Joaquin about 5.
Let me tell you, I was not trying to drop the guys but with the way my legs felt at the start of the ride, I'm glad I stuck to my plan, it paid off! I think they went a little too hard out of the gate then paid for it at the end. Pretty happy with the ride today. Going from legs wanting to fall off to chatting at the end with Mike and having guys work hard to try to catch us.
I will also say, when the guys are rolling, it's tough moving out into the wind trying to snap a few pics. It seemed every time I did, they lifted the pace ha ha! Probably didn't but it sure feels that way ha ha!
First 2 pics are the same, but cropped zoomed in and zoomed out
You can tell how hard the wind was blowing by the lean on the trees!
SoCal a Christmas time!Shorts and a tank.
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