It warmed up a bit. I got out around 9:30 in the morning, give or take. I wore the standard summer kit. The wind was from the North West, but was a bit turbulent in the last 20 or so minutes of the ride. The legs felt good to start. I made it to the summit of OTR in good time. The Banducci Wall had some traffic mitigation, otherwise went as planned. I was within myself going over the top. The Alpine Forest climb was enjoyable. The legs felt good. I was near max going over the top. And then the backside of the climb was a surprise. My left inner thigh started to act up. I’m guessing it was the sciatic nerve because it wasn’t muscular. It got to the point where I had to let up. I told myself not to give up, just let it work itself out. And that’s what I did. I let up. Interesting that standing hurt more than sitting. So, I increased the cadence and reduced the tempo. By the time I reached the summit, I was feeling better. The downhill was a treat. Minimal traffic. I was feeling much better by the time I reached the base. From there, I made my way to SS. It was mostly steady tempo. When I made it the entrance of SS, I let up a bit and tried to stretch out the legs. The leg pain was mostly gone, but I was cautious. I stopped when I reached the summit. The left cleat was making some clicking noises. I’m guessing I have to tighten the bolts. The cleat was not loose to the touch. From there, I headed down the mountain. I put in a good sprint. Reaching over 41 MPH in the tuck. I stopped at the local park to bio and got back on the road. I passed the tunnel in about 1:25-ish hours. I stopped at the local mini-mart to mix a sport drink. I had some mild signs of hunger. I kept my eye on it. After mixing my drink, I got back on the road and headed through the farmlands. It was mostly moderate tempo. By this time, the left leg was cooperating and I was able to increase my tempo slightly. I kept the cadence high and out of the saddle to relieve the glutes and muscles. I don’t recall the time at Boss Hogs, but I think I gave up about 5 minutes on the return. The last climb went well. I was out of the saddle on the steeper segments. I pushed over the top. I stopped at the summit to feed. From there, I headed back home. There was a slight headwind on my way to OTR. Route 202 had minimal traffic mitigation. The OTR descent was mostly fun and games. The legs felt good. I pushed over Mariposa and Weston, where I shut it down.
Concentration was good. The morale felt good. No gremlins today. I kept my composure through today’s ailment. Balance and form were good. Ailments, the left inner quad (sciatic nerve possibly), some hand numbness. The knees were tender on occasion, otherwise felt good. I will keep the saddle height where it’s at. Nutrition was good. Minimal hunger signs. I fed a Clif Bar at the top of the last climb and drank most of two bottles of sport drinks and some water. Gear worked flawlessly, but there was a mystery click coming from the left side. It felt like a loose cleat. So I’ll check that before the next ride. Other notes, I saw just two cyclists today.