Today was a big one! I got up around 5:20 AM. The routine went as planned. I had everything ready. I used the checklist approach. It worked like a charm. It definitely keeps the anxiety in check. After getting ready, I shoved off. I didn't forget a thing. The commute was normal. There was a gravel truck spewing gravel on the freeway. Some of it hit my car! I was getting upset. Remembering from the last time that happened, I hit the brakes and gave him a few hundred yards of space. Other then that, it was straight forward. The parking lot was empty. After parking, I got prepared. I assembled the bike and put on the gear. I had a problem with the chin buckle on the helmet. It broke! Thoughts of scrapping the ride crossed my mind, but I wasn't going to give up that easy. I ended up using some electric tape to secure it. That did the trick. The other thing I forgot was to pull the trunk cover over the contents. The weather was ideal. It was in the 50's or 60's at the start.

I went through the checklist and then shoved off. The first few miles was mostly assessment of the legs. They felt pretty good. No sore knees or muscles. A good sign. I was thinking about the landmarks days leading into the ride. It definitely helps the morale. It took about 15 minutes to make it to the fork. The initial gradient was around 6 to 8%. It gave me time to settle in. The legs responded well. After the first 15 minutes, I was able to settle into a “zen” pace. Mostly out of the saddle efforts. The 34T gear proved its worth! No doubt made it more manageable. I was going mostly by the minutes then distance. I knew the climb takes over an hour to the summit. I kept that in mind. After the half way point, the morale felt better. I stopped once or twice to take quick photos. I checked my smartphone. I had a signal near the summit. I was able to lock and locate my car. I was assessing my provisions, trying to judge if I brought enough to last the entire ride. After cresting the summit, I pulled over to feed a Clif Bar. It took all but a few minutes. Shortly after, I got back on the road starting with the descent into the Walker Basin. I was mashing the brakes just to keep the speed safe. The trek through the meadows went as planned. There was a tailwind as far as I can remember. I had bio signs at this point, so I found a suitable place to conduct business. Climbing out of the Walker Basin went without a hitch. When I saw the fire station sign, I was feeling better in the morale. I pulled over when I reached the summit and fed a Clif Bar. I ended up feeding about half of it. I took the time to mix some powder drink with my third bottle. From there, it was a long downhill segment. At this point, the wind was mostly head or cross. I was feathering the brakes on the way down to keep things safe. As I was approaching the café, I checked my provisions. I was borderline safe. I decided to stop and get a refill just to be on the safe side. That took all but 5 minutes. The attendant was kind enough to refill an empty bottle. From this point, it was mostly downhill by a few percent. The wind continued to be a headwind. I was covering ground fairly quick. Averaging over 15 MPH, probably closer to 17 or 18. I stopped twice to take photos and once more to bio and to mix one last bottle of powder drink. The legs were starting to feel fatigued. I could feel the soreness in the quads. I was able to keep it under control by stretching, changing cadence, and riding out of the saddle. The traffic was cooperative. No offenders today. Quite the opposite. I was getting encouragement. This is how I remember the ride from years past. I continued to concentrate on the landmarks. After reaching the fork, I knew I had it made. I kept the tempo going. I kept hydrating. When I reached the train crossing, there was a train passing by. I was trying to get a visual on my car but I couldn't. So, I whipped out the phone and checked the FordPass app. Sure enough, it was right where I parked it. It took a few minutes for the train to pass. Eventually it did and I made my way back to the car. I threw on some clothing, washed up a bit and grabbed a bite to eat. Of course, I was thinking of this moment for a while. Such a treat! Another successful Caliente ride. I think I got it right, from the preparation, the training, diet, checking the weather report, etc. Well done, indeed!

Concentration was good. Patience was good for the most part. Minimal gremlins or lapses. I had my moments where I was suffering a bit. That and the usual anxiety. But, my tenacity prevailed. Balance and form was good. Nutrition was good. I drank about 2 and a half powder drink bottles, and most of the water in my other bottle. Ailments were minimal. Just the usual soreness in the legs in the last hour or so. Some sit bone soreness mitigated by standing every now and again. Gear worked flawlessly, other than the faulty helmet buckle. Other notes, no cyclists to be seen today, but lots of friendlies out there!