I’m not sure how much longer I can pull this off, this turning-back-the-clock thing and posting times on climbs faster than I’ve done in a few years. Today, it was 22:15 on Old LaHonda, which I haven’t done since April of 2016. Too bad it couldn’t have been early March of 2016, since I could then say I hadn’t ridden that fast since I was in my 50s. 🙂

Maybe the secret is waking up way too early? Definitely would have preferred more sleep, but sleep doesn’t seem to greatly affect my climbing times. The only other change in routine was that I drank half a can of Pepsi before heading out the door. Kevin and I did attack Old LaHonda a bit differently than normal; we started up in the “big ring” and I kept it there until about a third of the way up. Kevin stayed in the big ring the entire way, and posted a mid-19 time! Here I thought it was just a fun, stupid thing to do, but who knows, maybe something to it?

We didn’t do a long ride today, just up Old LaHonda, down to LaHonda and back via West Alpine. West Alpine was pretty slow on the bottom and not too much faster on the climb; neither one of us felt especially spirited at that point. Still, at 46 something, it wasn’t like we were totally goofing off. Yet, I was able to talk pretty much the entire way. It doesn’t feel like my breathing is better, but perhaps it is? Strava doesn’t lie.

We did get pretty hungry on Skyline so stopped at Sky Londa to grab a bite and a couple of drinks. And there I found the most outrageously-huge sunflower! Yikes. I’ve made it a point of growing sunflowers at home the past few years, but nothing like the two monsters outside the general store.

So looking at the Strava details, I can do 265 watts for 22 minutes. Meaning, over the past 4 years, I’ve lost about 15 watts. Could be worse. Could be that worse is coming just around the corner! My riding has not suffered as much as I thought it might, given my mild bone marrow cancer. I am very fortunate that the meds I’m taking don’t totally sap my strength like they do some others. Hopefully it will stay that way!