REFLECTIONS ON JESTER (THE HILL)

     Several years ago, I posted (see April 20, 2017) about how as I got older I moved from a standard crank to a compact to a triple as I struggled to ride up Courtyard and Jester.  Yesterday I again did my hill route and my time was pretty good.  That got me to looking back over the years.  Thus this post.
     I first started recording my hill ride in 2008.  The route consists of climbs up Rain Creek, Courtyard, Jester, Bluegrass, Lost Horizon, and Fire Oak with an elevation gain of about 1575 feet over nineteen miles.  On days I really don't have the oomph, I skip Jester and go up Champion Grandview Way, but that is recorded separately.  I have a spreadsheet devoted solely to when Jester is included.
     This is always a hard workout.  Some days are better than others.  Through 2014 my average times were in the low 80's (minutes), and I still used one hour, thirty minutes as my benchmark.  The fastest time recorded was one hour, seventeen minutes, forty-eight seconds.  I don't have HR data for that ride, but my average cadence was 69, up until yesterday the fastest I have pedaled.  Fast times really depend on the wind direction and red lights, which is why I don't really fuss unless I exceed 95 minutes.   I haven't used Moving Time because the old computer only gave elapsed time and I prefer consistent data.  But I may start, adding another column to the spreadsheet.
     My fastest time, which is usually going down Rain Creek toward the golf course, is 45.3 mph.  Coming down off Courtyard is also quick, but with the stop sign at the bottom I'm usually more prudent about letting it run.  Most of the time I hit 40 unless the wind is in my face.
     In 2009 I recorded a high heart rate (HR) of 168 which was probably my absolute maximum.  Since that time I've used it as my max to set zones.  However, since then I rarely get into the 160's and for the last few years the low 150's have been the norm (not counting racing at the Driveway which has seen me top out at 163).  In setting that 168 I spent a whopping eleven minutes, eleven seconds in zone 5.  The most time in zone 5 was nineteen minutes, thirty-four seconds but my time was average.  That was in 2010 and I suspect I had a bad day and was really working hard and not getting much out of it.  My best times come when I'm between four and seven minutes.  BTW, yesterday my time was eighty-eight minutes, with five minutes in zone 5, with an average cadence of 70.
     I only did three hill climbs that included Jester in 2018, although another four were the lesser alternate route.  2013 (not 2012) was the year I did this the most, twenty-six times.  Most years were between four and eight.  This year should exceed eight.  I'm hoping to get in some faster times.  This route has lots of Strava segments, and I'd like to lead the 75+ group on some of them.  Whoever Remington Hillride is, he is my target.