Normally I would have been in the pool today, soaking up the sun. But there was no sun today. Instead, it was cold and dark outside. I decided to skip the swim and spend a little time riding my bike. I need to be riding more than a hundred miles a week if I’m going to ride the double-century STP in a reasonable amount of time this summer. So I was happy to put in a couple hours on the bike.

It rained last night and the remnants of the storm were everywhere. I was getting blasted with wind in my face coming off the ocean almost from the very start. I was dodging the occasional puddle. There was little chance I would overheat today, even on the big climbs. In fact, my knees got pretty cold several times throughout the ride.

But it was still a great day to ride.

https://app.strava.com/activities/49003196

I did the ultimate out-and-back today. I headed down El Camino Real to Carmel Valley Road, then up to the 101 and straight north through Del Mar, Solana Beach, Cardiff, Encinitas, Leucadia, and most of Carlsbad. When I got to Carlsbad Village Drive, I headed east for a bit. I was looking for a good way to loop back to the 101. I didn’t find anything great, but that’s what I get for not having a plan. I did loop around and find my way back to the 101 at Carlsbad Village Drive.

Heading south I took a few minor detours off the 101. I stayed on the 101 through Carlsbad, but then moved over to Vulcan Ave through Encinitas. I dropped back down to the 101 along the strand and up into Solana Beach, but then headed quickly west to avoid all the construction they have going on that side of the street. I cam back to the 101 for the climb up through Del Mar, then headed east on Carmel Valley Road and right back up El Camino Real.

I was pretty tired by the end. I noticed that my handlebars are not aligned perfectly with my front tire. That probably happened when I crashed on the big ride last week. I’ll have to fix it. I also had my hamstrings tighten up a few times and I wondered if my seat was slightly too low.