Last Saturday I rode the Camino Real Double Century, my first double of 2013.  It was a beautiful day and the scene of it is taken from the top Newport Coast Dr at just about first light as I descend to Pacific Coast Highway.  There's just enough glimmer off the Pacific to see far-off Catalina Island in the crystal clear air.  Just later, at Dana Point, I stop at the top of Cove Rd to enjoy the broadening dawn as I am the first arrival at the mini-stop.  I only stop long enough for a hello and to shift off my windbreaker and viz vest and I plunge ahead just as the next group arrives.  Through the chill of Laguna Canyon and the winding neighborhood of San Clemente and onto the San Onofre Beach I paused, momentarily lost by the transition to the Old PCH rd, I unfortunately turn through 90 degrees and my Garmin instantly switches over to the return route, where I return through this same point.  Damn!  Now I have to stop the navigation, cycle the Garmin by re-loading the route, and re-starting from that point to put the Garmin back on-track.  So ends the dream-like ease of the ride.

I still lead into the first "official" checkpoint and gather a 4 of hearts card for my poker hand and a quick water refill, and I'm off again.  I am joined on the San Luis Rey River bike trail by a rider and we talk for a bit.  We make the transition from N. River Rd to Hwy 76 I see that the section of construction is complete, fantastic!  We ride together to the lunch stop, where we are passed along Camino Del Rey by the first of the "quick" group of later starters.  I make a quick work of lunch and head up Circle R Dr, giving Ann a quick call to let her know my progress.

Now my plan was to back off after turning onto Lilac Rd because I can't hold this pace and also can't finish before 14 hours.  So I sit up somewhat and get passed by the next "fast" group on the downhill towards the Maxwell memorial bridge, that beautiful span across I-5.  I labor somewhat along the climbs past Fallbrook because I am out of clean bottled water and have only the terrible "hose water" from the lunch stop, blech!  So I stop at the quick mart at Bonsall for fresh water and G-2, which I gulp down.  Much refreshed (but passed by several riders during the stop) I continue onward and catch some of those riders on the return trip down the bike path.  But at this point I am beginning to get a return of the asthma symptoms I remember from two years ago.

So through the mini-stop at Benet Rd, Oceanside, and the return trip up the I-5 to the CP3 stop (where I am still working on a hand of three hearts flush) I am limping somewhat on about half lung capacity.  The car exhaust will not let up over the next 30 miles as I make my way up to Trabuco Cyn.  I finally stop for half an hour at the Subway at the top of the hill after the aptly named "Hillcrest" and take a serious breather and lemonade!  This was very refreshing and I feel better as I make my way down Trabuco Cyn at sundown for the stop at CP3 and a nice cup of noodles!

So much refreshed I plunge into the dark, passing one rider and being passed by at least two, along Live Oak Cyn, Cooks Corner, and Santiago Cyn in the approaching starlight and city glow.  I really fell myself again and ride relaxed and easy into the finish with an elapsed time of 14 hrs:22 mins.  But I admit to Debra at the finish that I probably won't do the Camino Real again - it's just too urban.