Lunch Ride - Pre-vacation Painfest

Strava:  https://www.strava.com/activities/331542035

Attendees:  Todd, Mitchell, Hiroshi, Vin and Jaffe

Highlights:

• I presented two route options today:  a long route and a short one.  Due to time constraints, we opted to due the shorter of the two.  Given how warm it was, it was the right call.
• We had a smaller group today, and although less manic as it has been recently, it was just as great of a workout as ever.  Our lunch rides never fail to do this.  
• Everyone came out in BRCM attire, but the kid missed the memo on color.  
• Todd started us off pretty quick and as second wheel, had to wave the others on by the stop light at E. Peltason since I was having trouble keeping up.  It didn't help that I'm nursing a strain on my left leg either. 
• I managed to stay with the group to the Culver intersection, but I was too tentative to push up and help out in the rotation after the light changed.  I waited until the top of the hill to finally do so, but it was great everyone else was rotating up to take a turn.
• We stayed pretty tight together as we made our way around Turtle Rock, and Todd led the climb and held us all at a good (i.e. painful) pace.  
• We made our way toward the Shady bike trail, and Hiroshi took a good pull after the second bridge.  We had to slow down some due to some pedestrian traffic...thank goodness!
• Todd pushed up again and I followed after to try to keep a good pace for the rest of the climb, but he and others decided to push the last part causing me and one other to drop a little before the top. 
• We gave chase to the 4 ahead of us, and really had to push once adjacent to the 405.  We were making progress, but Todd noticed we were off the back and slowed to help us get back up to the group.  What a guy!
• There was no sprint to the bridge, and we all made our way together to the bottom of Ridgeline.
• Hiroshi led us up on the climb and Mitchell pushed up with Jaffe in tow just before it pitched up.  I stayed behind Hiroshi knowing he was going to spin up the hill, and sure enough, his RPM doubled and he started passing Mitchell and Jaffe again.  I took over after it flattened out a little, and Todd finished the last part that pitched up towing us with a standing climb.
• We had a rolling regroup going down Turtle Rock, and on Campus had to due some car dodging due to some closed lanes just barely making the left turn together as a group.  
• We stayed together going up Culver and through Bonita Canyon holding a good pace throughout.
• We had to slow upon approaching the condo due to cars making a right turn ahead of us.  It was not the typical sprint climb, but as I held the front trying to keep a good pace for the group, Jaffe pushed ahead and pushed even harder.  Nice!  
• When we got on Bison, people took off after McArthur setting up for the sprint but had to slow for both lights.  I timed the 2nd light the best, and took off for an uncontested sprint to finish the ride.

Even though no one complained, I'm sorry I couldn't rotate to the front more and help out.  Despite this, the rest of the guys stepped up to help more and made for another great workout.  Thank you!  I hope they can manage without me for the next week and a half.  More importantly, I hope my badge still works when I get back!  HA.