BRCM Lunch - As Mellow as it Gets

GPS stats:  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/91078364

On the scale of cycling intensity (spinning > sprinting > climbing > Tues/Thurs ride), today's ride would definitely fall in the category of spinning.  Given past rides, it was rightfully questionnable as to whether today would actually fall within this classification.  However, Vince and Todd actually held back making for a perfect pre-Big Bear ride today.  You may want to go buy lotto tickets, because days like today are far and few.

Hiroshi and David led the group out pretty much all the way to Anteater.  They actually broke away with Peter for some time while the rest of us kept a fairly moderate pace spinning until we met up with them at the Bonita Canyon light.

Going up Shady, Hiroshi led us out and Todd (yes, the instigator) at one point jokingly yells out, "Come on, Hiroshi.  Pick up the pace!"  I was hoping to stay behind the whole time, but Todd got up front and pulled as most of the way through Shady.  With momentum carrying me past them at one point, I did have to call out that I'm not trying to pass aggressively to keep the natives from getting riled up.  I was up front as we were starting to reach the crest of Shady and Todd just couldn't let me get to the top ahead of him.  Type A at its finest.

On the bike path, we still kept a moderate pace and started to take turns even.  With a loose dog, a lady wanting to cross in front of us, and other traffic on the bike trail, it was good that the pace was calm enough where it remained incident free.

We did run into Peter and David once we were close to University as I suppose they had taken the Jeffrey bridge after coming down Shady.  They latched on for a bit, but Jamboree was just a little too much.  Hiroshi started to charge up Jamboree but got back in line as we spun up toward Bison.

When we were all on McArthur, Todd was saying it was nice to have a mellow ride and he thought we still did a 19 mph average or so.  Looking down at my GPS, I said "I got as AT 19.5."  Vince thought I was saying "I got us TO 19.5," and jokingly said all by yourself, Rich?  I guess I'll need to be more selective with the words I choose so as to not try and take credit for such a blazing pace.  Geez, Louise.

When we got to the stop sign before the gate, I asked Hiroshi what he had, and he immediately bolted off for a sprint finish to the gate.  I couldn't resist, so.... 

We'll need to spin more often.  I may actually have lost fat on the ride today rather than muscle.  Woo hoo.  Thanks, guys!