Shredding the Expressway
Today was an early meeting day at work, which meant that I got to leave at 3:30. Waiting for me at the post office in Menlo Park was another package from my friends in Canada. I snagged it, headed home, and found my new shell, socks, jerseys, and shorts.
After eating at 4:30, I headed out on my ride about 6. Yesterday’s single-ride after-work stomp (because I had a sore throat in the morning, but I medicated myself enough to feel good enough to ride by afternoon) was good and the usually gale-force winds were a little more gentle. Today, I got a trudgy start around the Watkins-Middlefield-Glenwood spin, but started to feel the kick a little more as I scrambled up Valparaiso. I charged down Junipero Serra, meeting and passing a group of cyclists as I thumped toward the southeast.
At my turnaround point, Bicycle Outfitter, I ate a Clif Shot, refilled my water bottle, and hit the Expressway back. My average speed was about 19.9 then, so all I wanted to do was not squander what must have been a good tailwind thus far. Fifteen minutes later, I set the first personal best of the day—fastest twenty mile sprint ever (59:33), fastest hour (20.15), and fastest 25 miles (1:14:15). Despite a slight breeze in my face, I kept my head down, started my count, and chugged the miles away.
When I rounded the Atherton Avenue corner and began my last three miles, my cyclometer read 20.1 mph average. With a slight downhill left but the headwind-prone badly-worn Encinal to close out my day, I glugged more water and leaned further down into my drops, counting the alphabet and the beats.
“Alpha 2 3 4 Bravo 2 3 4 Charlie 2 3 4 Delta 2 3 4…”
Personal bests today: fastest 20 miles, best hour, fastest 25 miles, fastest single ride, fastest day (4:37 faster than the same distance yesterday). Maybe having those cheese enchiladas an hour before the ride did the trick.
Today: 28.54 mi; 1:24:25 (20.3 mph avg; 35.5 mph max)
May : 286.08 mi; 15:02:24 (19.0 mph avg; 46.0 mph max)
2005 : 2716.75 mi; 145:57:28 (18.6 mph avg; 46.0 mph max)
Goal : 5000.00 mi (2283.25 mi to go : 54.34% complete)
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