Lunch Ride - NPC Double BB Bruiser

Strava:  http://www.strava.com/activities/111199864

Attendees:  Vince, Mitchell, Vin, Jaffe and Adrian

Weather:  Cool temps with moderately strong winds.

Highlights:

• Mitchell told me he missed me while I was out last week.  Awww....
• It was one of those days where when we started, people were soft pedaling down Health Sciences waiting for someone to take the lead...so I did.  It was windy though, so we didn't really get anywhere too fast.  
• Vince came around to help with the pull on Anteater and he and I would exchange all the way to NPC.  Everyone else was sitting comfortably behind us.  
• I started us off up NPC, but Vince traded pulls with me while Mitchell stood by as my wingman much to Vince's dismay.  Everyone else popped off during the climb.
• Vince got to the top first and we continued to exchange pulls on the Horseshoe and down San Joaquin subsequently.  
• With Vince, it's not a matter of if he's going to launch an attack, it's a matter of when.  On San Joaquin, I tried to amp up the pace to hopefully deter them for a bit.  I knew it would only be temporary though.
• We got a bunch of green lights and after pushing past Fashion Island, so we decided at the Jamboree light we would wait for the others after crossing the street.
• Vin and Jaffe arrived together and while we waited for them to cross, they instead took the sidewalk riding on the opposite side of the road.  They didn't say anything, they didn't signal...nothing.
• Vince, Mitchell and I took off since it seemed like they weren't going to stop, so we wanted to chase them down in case they were trying to make a break.  They got to cross ahead of us on the light and kept going, but we managed to reel them in shortly after.  It's hard to say if they were trying to get away though at that point.
• Adrian had been able to get the light and managed to get back in our draft on Jamboree, although he nearly broke his arm patting himself on the back believing he caught us. Dude...we waited for you guys.  HA HA
• Everyone was going to work on Back Bay, so we rotated out and everyone pushed up to keep the pace up showing some good pulls.
• Toward the end, I took off from the front expecting someone to pass me before the top, but I ended up gapping the group.  I contemplated trying to breakaway, but 1) it was windy and 2) it was really windy.  
• Vince and Mitchell were with me by the time I started climbing up Jamboree, and Vince and I continued to exchange pulls with him taking the later ones near the top.   There was no sign of anyone else after that.
• I was leading us toward the Back Bay Entrance and just after turning right into it, Vince launched from behind me just as I'd been expecting all day.  I took off once I saw (and heard him), and I managed to close the gap from his first attack.  Of course, I had to hold him out a little to give me a little break after the pull and then chasing him down.  He loves to attack when people are most vulnerable, but this is a good thing for training.
• We started rotating again through Back Bay with Mitchell joining once again.  
• We rolled by one rider who we reeled in, and I'm not sure if he was latched on after we passed or just hanging in the back, but he may have been interested in mixing it up...when it was too late.
• For the final charge up to Eastbluff, Vince and I duked it out and I literally gave it everything I had where my left calf blew up just as soon as I got on the sidewalk...first.  :)
• Vince must have been annoyed and told me to keep pedaling while I tried desperately not to have my left calf fully lock up.  He passed me after and kept a good gap on me where I was trying desperately to close it, making ground at one point, but running out of steam on University where he got away completely hitting the CA light first.  As I checked up to make the right turn, the guy we passed passes me.  You go, tiger.
• Climbing CA, Vince and I traded pulls and as I tried to pass him toward the end, he wasn't having any of it and stood up and made me his son as he'd like to call it.  I was done, so I got what I wanted from the ride.  

Good pace out there with a 21.8/7 avg.  I'm not digging that my calf blew up, but with my power numbers near my FTP, I suppose it's understandable.  Thanks for the workout, gents!