When Ollie invited me to the ride, I can't say I was keen on doing Pescadero Loop again after doing it last weekend but I did want to do something more intense and I knew that's what I'd be signing up for. I was surprised to see rain in the forecast last night. It was going to be a game-time decision this morning to figure out which bike to ride. When I woke up, the roads were still pretty wet so it was an easy decision to ride the Thesis. I was planning on driving to Woodside but I just washed the car last weekend after 2 years of not washing it. It was still so shiny and sparkly, I couldn't take it out in the rain. I also didn't want to start the ride with any extra miles I didn't have to but the weather was supposed to clear up and we're in drought people. Remember how I said the weather was supposed to clear up, well it didn't really. In fact it was drizzling when I left and for most of the ride all the way until we were descending Kings back in to Woodside. The sun didn't come out until Huddart Park. Up on Skyline it was foggy. I guess it was good that it started off drizzling because that meant I (mostly) brought the right gear for the ride. I actually could've and perhaps should've worn the full rain jacket. So my plan was to try and hang with the group on the climbs for as long as I could. Turns out on the very first climb, Page Mill, they were all too fast and rode away from me pretty much from the beginning. I did have Ellie to chase most of the way up. I kept a steady distance to her most of the climb but at one point after the steeps, she was just gone. But then on the flat section at the top, she was in sight again, albeit off in the distance. I somehow managed to catch her just before Skyline. We took it easy down W. Alpine as it was pretty wet. Up Haskins, I was working really hard to keep up. Honestly, I thought for sure I was getting PRs on Page Mill and Haskins... but I did not. And for those efforts, after lunch in Pescadero, I really paid for it. I couldn't keep up and going up Tunitas, I was in survival mode. I was lucky to have the gravel gears on the Thesis. Not sure I could've made it up without cramping otherwise. I've been trying to eat more and more often during rides. I brought all lots of food and ate none of it. There was never any time. But I also had a really big breakfast plus a danish when I got to The Village Bakery. By the time I got to Pescadero, I wasn't even hungry and didn't quite finish my sandwich. On the way up Tunitas, I wasn't looking forward to riding the extra 10 mi./1000' back. Fortunately, Brett was able to give me a ride and we all went to Alpine Inn for burgers. I'd say that's way better than limping home.