90 Miles to Oceanside

This could have been my first imperial century (not in the Chomsky sense in which case it is my second) but I got a flat and was concerned with the time so I turned around in downtown Oceanside.  Nice to still have that milestone for later anyway.  I knew that physical training makes the miles easier on my body but it's interesting the way in which riding familiar parts of a route speed it in my mind.  When I can visualize what is coming, the mind skips past them, almost jumping me forward.  Part of the discomfort on my hardest rides was definitely the element of not knowing what was ahead.  Something to look forward to on longer tours.  The unknown ups the intensity.

Another thing I've learned is how my heart rate increases based on the length of activity.  On this ride, I had already gone 65 miles before beginning my longest climb (just a mile and half, but the longest on the coast route) up Torrey Pines.  The combination of the long warm up with the climb gave me a nice long period close to my previous max.  I'll fix that fucking ticker yet.  If the Democrats weren't such fucking corporate sucking wimps, maybe I could afford the diagnostics to find out.  As it stands, it doesn't look they'll even provide a way for people like me with pre-existing conditions (hospitalization with heart disease) to get into a plan.  I haven't been saying much "I told you so" to the people who thought Obama and Democratic majority in both houses would push "progressive" policies but I did tell you that the fix was in on health care as soon as Obama put that whore Daschle out there.  This shit was dead before it even started.  Hail Aetna.

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56 Bike Path Again-- Better Route

This was about a 62 mile ride.  Basically the same except a much more direct route down through Mission Valley.  Most of this ride is relatively Studebaker free but it gets annoying toward the end.  I am really sick of going through the Broadway/Gaslamp region.  I guess it is time to suck it up and start climbing out of the valley even after a long day.

The canyons out by the 15 are pretty hot in the summer.  Go figure.  Today, a guy on a TT bike passed me on a climb (no news there) and he was shirtless in short short tri- short/Speedo things.  At the time I was baking in my Dickies shorts and all I could think was, dignity/fashion choices aside,  he was probably more comfortable than I was.  Not in my future, regardless.  Nor fixie kid jean shorts.

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