Belmont Park to Palomar College - 35 Miles
Over 35 miles on a kick-scooter (not electric / motorized) from Belmont Park to Palomar College. Don't miss the video below
Even in a large city like San Diego, there is still something special about the early morning hours. It's the coolest part of a hot summer day. There are less people around. It's quieter and less hectic. I started my scooter ride around 6:30AM on a Saturday morning. I had planned a route that would take me about 35 miles on a generally uphill climb. The news had predicted that it was going to be a hot day, so I wanted to get going before things started really cooking.
The night before I prepped all my gear to be ready for the early morning drive. I got food and drinks ready and made sure all my batteries were charged. The next morning, I got the food and drinks out of the fridge, collected the things being charged and pumped the tires to max press.
My starting point was Belmont Park at Mission Beach. You can see the famous wooden roller coaster in the photo above.
The first part of the journey took me through always-scenic Mission Bay. A quiet mist hung in the air, boats sitting in the bay on water like glass .
Some parts of my route were on nicely paved, well protected bike paths. As I stopped to set up this shot, several bicyclists rode by but asked if I needed help or if everything was OK? Very cool.
I was looking forward to riding through UCSD, but there was some major construction going on that thwarted my plans. I ended up riding along the outskirts to get to my next point on the route.
The cool air (before it later got roasting hot) and the smell of the local vegetation are a few of the tactile experiences you can't see in these photos. Scents of Sage, Eucalyptus and other familiar, but unidentified plants wafted by as I rode. The hill in the photo above was at the crest before I began a fast (27mph) and thrilling descent down this road. Pacific ocean to the left and a vast marsh to the right made for stunning views.
My grin after an awesome descent
This first part of my journey was rich with great sights, sounds and smells. I wanted to stop and take more photos, but also needed to keep moving as the baking sun continued to rise. The city has done a good job in some locations by protecting the bike path. In other areas, not so much. I was a little concerned in these less protected bike lanes as I've read too many stories of bicyclists being hit and often killed by cars.
This is the "Cardiff Kook". It's a statue of a surfer that is often dressed up and decorated by the locals. You can read more about it HERE and see some photos HERE.
Another art installation, this time in Encinitas. This is the "Surfing Madonna". Of course it's another surfer theme piece. It's got a controversial history of clandestine installation, removal and reinstallation. You can read about it HERE.
From this point, heading inland, it's all uphill.
Hydration is critical, especially on a hot day during the many hours of exertion. I filled my water bottle several times, once at a UCSD drinking fountain and another time at an In-N-Out where they blessed me with ice cold water. I also finished a bottle of "Vitamin Water" and found, what is now, my favorite hydration beverage "Gatorlyte" by Gatorade. Less sugar than the standard, it had the electrolytes I needed to stay properly hydrated. My hopes were to stave off not only thirst, but also the cramps that I have typically gotten around mile #25.
The two things that made this journey miserable and challenging were sweat and cramps.
I sweat like a pig and should have known better. When I run, I'll wear a Halo Headband and love it. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to wear it this time. I thought maybe it wouldn't have fit under my helmet. The CONSTANT sweat that ran into my eyes and STUNG really hampered my travel. I had to stop often to try and mop up the sweat with a bandana that I brought. It was only marginally effective.
Leg cramps have typically arrived around mile #25. This time they didn't arrive until closer to mile #29, but they were bad. Severe cramps of my quadriceps got worse and worse as I kicked uphill on the last 3rd of the route. They got SO BAD twice that I couldn't walk and couldn't even stand. Both times I sat on the curb and massaged my thighs for about 5 minutes until they subsided. Even then the cramps never completely went away. They persisted as a dull threat that I just had to grit and muscle through for the rest of my scoot. During the duration of my ride, just about everything, my hands, my calves, cramped at one time or another. I'm well aware that cramps are often a sign of dehydration which is why I tried to stay hydrated and drank even when I wasn't thirsty. Still the cramps materialized.
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| from Google Maps |
The last third of my route was all uphill, hot, uninspiring, non-scenic and just a grind. There were times when there was only a narrow, unprotected bike lane painted on the side of the road. Other times there was a sidewalk that I could ride on. Not many photos from this mundane, hot, uphill part of my journey. I just persisted, sweating and cramping, as I got closer to my goal.
My final destination was Palomar College in the city of San Marcos. I figured it would be a recognizable and reachable stopping point. This sign told me that I was at least in the city boundaries of San Marcos. Yayy!
Done, I made it! Over 35 miles, uphill in the heat I arrive at Palomar College. Across the street is a light rail station that I could hop on and get home.
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