Tour De Poway...

So on October 5th, 2008 I struck out on the road and headed north by northeast to Poway (about 15 miles...) to ride in the 23rd annual Tour De Poway. There were 5 options in total, 18, 26, 50, 67 and 100 miles and since I'm a relative newbie when it comes to biking and all things velo, I opted for the 26 mile course. The 67 is called a metric century (100km is about 67 miles) and the 100 mile is well a century, it is akin to running a 26 mile marathon I guess. I wasn't ready to ride the longer routes mainly due to the Poway grade that heads into Ramona. It's about 8 to 10% over 3 or so miles and with just one gear to take me where I want to go, I wasn't ready for the workout. Hopefully next year...

I hit the road at 8:10 after fueling up at Starbucks. My route was to take me past Miramar Naval Air Station along Kearney Villa Rd and I noticed some signs indicating that it would be closed to traffic from 1 to 5 because of the airshow. I thought this over and kept on going, because I had made the commitment to commute to the event regardless. This will come into play later... Then I ran into some light rain, so I just forged ahead what has rain ever hurt? It stopped before too long and I dried off quickly. So up Pomerado and over and into Poway I rode, seemed easy enough but the downside of Pomerado looked a bit long and tough for the ride back.



I rolled into the staging area, Old Poway Park around 9:15 or so, checked in and hung out waiting for the start time at 10. A friend (yes you Karen...) joked that she didn't think they'd let any Townies into the ride but I saw some, not the exact make or model but the style nonetheless. So 10 o'clock rolled around and it was go time. I started out somewhere in the middle of the crush I think and felt the need to gain some lead on the others. No it's not a race, but the competitive spirit is always hovering above these kinds of events so a little friendly challenge is present regardless of skill or training. I made my way toward the front and did fairly well considering until the first incline and I fell back some, but did my best to keep up with the pack.



All in all it was a very nice day, not too hot or too windy and I completed the course in about 1:45. Lunch was served, and well received...

After lunch and lounging around a bit and winning a Beatles name that tune contest, I decided to roll on towards home. Now I remembered what lay ahead both on Pomerado and at Kearney Villa. The first just required my resolve and energy, so I drank a Coke before I left. The second required detente, so I thought about what I might say and how I said it. With all that in mind I struck out homeward bound. Pomerado presented itself as I had thought, as bad or worse than Torrey Pines probably worse at the time as I was past my zenith by then. Fortunately the downside was a breeze and I coasted a good bit of the way before my second reckoning.

I came up to the intersection and saw a agent of some description manning his or her post on the other side. I motioned to them to find out if I could get passage but was summarily ignored, so I crossed the street (after waiting forever on the light) and asked them directly. A solid "No" was the answer, no amount of pleading or negotiating made any difference. One gal informed that there was a 15 mile detour, "Yeah I know" was my sarcastic reply. So off I went. I really didn't want to have to ride the extra miles but I had zero choice since I was the one who opted to commute. Miramar was slow going due to a nice headwind and I still had the hills of Genesee to tackle late in the day, but I continued and made it home in one piece, without incident (unlike the last ride lol!). My final mileage? 67...