It’s been a tough, slow week. Two “easy” rides up Kings (“easy” = slow, but not actually easy), combined with eating too much at night, left me with a fat & sluggish feeling as I approached today’s ride. I thought about doing a flatter route, maybe looping down around Los Altos & back, but really, what I need to do, is confront my fears, do the ride I’d wonder why I was doing. And something different than the usual. Not Kings, not Old LaHonda, not Redwood Gulch/Highway 9. What’s left?

Page Mill. And of my gosh it was bad. Kevin had been having knee issues the past couple of weeks, but of course, not today. He wanted to move, and I wanted to find the tow rope. This was the first time I’d felt a real need for my lowest gear in… like forever? Well, at least since Redwood Gulch. And I’m thinking, a 28 on the back isn’t going to cut it much longer. Things got a little better as the climb went on; the steepest section (between Gates 3 & 4) felt a lot better than what came before. I was surprised finishing under 55 mintues; I figured I’d be lucky to break an hour.

Nice weather at least; 55 to 66 degrees. We overdressed a bit, with heavier leg warmers, and Kevin definitely could have used regular gloves. Me? No choice but to stay with long-fingered gloves, as my Raynauds has worsened considerably this past year. I even have a new secret weapon- electrically-heated gloves. They actually work. I don’t think I could have done the last couple Tuesday/Thursday rides without them.

It was time to get back to the usual Sunday ride. How long had it been? I’d assumed maybe 4 weeks, but just looked it up. Last time was November 21st. Wow. Over two months since I’ve done the reference ride, aka “the usual”. Old LaHonda/La Honda/Pescadero/Tunitas. Strava’s now doing a great job of tracking what you wish you could have tracked, so I now know I’ve done this ride, since 2008, 136 times. I’ve ridden the section shown in the photo above 197 times (the greater number reflecting variations on a theme; rides we either returned via 84 instead of Tunitas, or maybe added Los Lobitos). Those past two months have been kinda rough; with temperatures dropping and the circulation issues in my hands becoming worse, there haven’t been any “strong” rides at all. No unexpectedly-good rides up Kings, no really strong pulls across the flats, no feeling that a headwind is anything other than a nasty impediment to progress. So yes, it was time to try a “normal” ride again.

Time. Had to work it out so we got back in time for the 49er game, which I’d mistakenly thought started at 3:15. Probably a good thing; if I’d known it was 3:30, maybe the ride would have been slower! But it all worked out. Yes, slow up Old LaHonda; Kevin doesn’t kick in until Tunitas these days. Haskins was just something to get over (literally). Nice lunch in Pescadero. Stage Road… yeah, wish Strava would have a mode that cancelled the “segment PR” time, letting you know how pathetic you are compared to whenever you set that PR!

Interesting thing on Stage Road descending into San Gregorio though. First time I’ve noticed that there’s not just one patch of ocean you can see, but two. 197 times and this is the first I’ve noticed that. The thought went through my head (very briefly!) that wow, the ocean must have risen a couple hundred feet to get that view!

Tunitas. Yeah, well, Kevin did OK. Me? I watched him ride away and could only limit my losses. I’ve felt worse, I’ve felt better. I’m planning to feel better again soon.