Marsh Valley Road to Brentwood

This Saturday took me on a route I have ridden before, well at least most of it. Basic route was Marsh Creek Road on the North side of Mt Diablo. Ride through the foothills out to the flats of Brentwood. Gorgeous rolling California hills with Mt Diablo rising to the South - once out in Brentwood, pretty much flat, ugly suburbs, but, that offers some flat lands to get some basic mileage in. Route is here.

Got on the road around 10:00, a bit late, but felt good to get out the door at a comfortable hour. It took about an hour to get really into the groove of the ride. First hill is significant, but not anything as bad as I remember from riding it in October. Guess I'm getting in better shape! Hills were super green and creeks were flowing, although not with raging water.

Plaque and my transport

Last time, I turned up Deer Valley Road - this time, I decided to go a bit further east, to the completion of Marsh Creek Road. And, I am glad I did! Discovered a really cool historical landmark with a plaque telling about Dr. Marsh, first doctor in California, who settled this area. Guess that is who the creek is named after.

Hot dogs!

Worked my way up Walnut Ave., which is interestingly, still lined with orchards, cherry I believe. A nice site to see in the suburban sprawl of Brentwood. Rode through Brentwood and stumbled onto a hotdog stand - thought I died and went to heaven - I LOVE hotdogs. Good dog, iced tea and some cookies for dessert. I noticed a few questionable stickers in the window, "Freedom does not come free" and another one, but didn't think much of them until I stepped away from the stand to take this picture. Notice the cross on top of the building - now it all fell into place. Interesting to me that the woman and the two teenage girls working with her (probably her daughters) were incredibly nice - very tempted to strike up a conversation and see where it went, but alas, gotta ride. I love stumbling onto stuff like this!

My ride continued out Lone Tree Way, way too many cars on that road, but it's tolerable. Then back to the countryside on Deer Valley Road. I was apprehensive about the ride back, knew I'd have wind in my face and 1000' of climbing, but it went faster and easier than I thought. Nice to see!

Ride Statistics

• Mileage: 50
• Time Riding: 4:00
• Avg Speed: 12.2
• Avg Cadence: 76
• Physical Feeling: Tired at the end, but not extremely so. No pain or bad aches. Did Ibuprofen before the ride, stretched and iced afterwards. Felt fantastic at the end, not too wiped out that evening and next day, all was fine. Minimal to no leg sensation and energy was good enough to do 25 min of rowing on Sunday.

Lucas Valley Road to Pt. Reyes Station

This ride was on Saturday May 8. Started on Lucas Valley Road, near Hwy 101. The route is here. A clear and windy day - somewhat apprehensive of the wind, which was out of the West, meaning in my face as I rode out to Pt. Reyes. But, apprehension not needed, the wind was a challenge, but not that bad. I'm a sailor, the wind is my friend.

The ride along Lucas Valley was serene and incredibly scenic. Green carpeted hills, blue sky, trees and few cars. Ideal riding conditions. The hill getting me up and over to the Nicasio side was significant - had to take a few rests, but did it fine. Great vistas from atop the hill! Nice downhill, into the redwoods and then, off to Nicasio on Nicaso Valley Rd. Short stop at the grocery store to take a bio break and rest a bit.

Looking E from atop the hill

Looking E from top of the hill

I love Nicasio - it's an incredibly small and old town, hard to believe it is just a hop away in Marin County. The church is always a treat, as is the school house. Once out of the town, the reservoir opens up to provide more incredible scenery. Look closely and you'll see the rough water the wind was working up. Wind in my face, but it was enjoyable!

Nicasio Church

Nicasio Reservoir

 The ride around the reservoir was super nice. Felt good, decent energy and soaking up the scenery. Making pretty good time to get to Pt. Reyes Station by lunch time. Just after the turn to head out to Pt. Reyes Station, I saw this boat in someone's yard - had to grab a picture!

Decent lunch in Pt. Reyes station at the I forget it's name cafe. Saw a group of ALC riders also having their lunch - must have been 20-30 of them. Nice to see. Rested about 45 minutes with my lunch, then headed off on my return. Nice climb back up Sir Frances Drake - a hill I have driven many times in the past and always commented on bikers pedaling hard to get up the hill - now I am one of the bikers! Overall, great ride back with the wind at my back for most of the ride. Picture below is atop the Lucas Valley Hill, on my return. Boulder pretty much marks the crest of the hill.

Crest on Lucas Valley Road

Date: 5/8  Saturday

Ride Statistics

• Time: 3:50
• Dist: 46.5
• Average Speed: 12
• Avg Cadence: 75
• Feeling: Good overall. No aches or pains, decent energy. Some lower back pain on left side, usual, but walking it out helped alot. Ibuprofen in the morning, ice afterwards. Felt fine next day.

Tiburon Loop and Belvedere

What a day! First very warm weather of the year - great excuse to take my hubby Ross and close friend Steve out for a ride. No more beautiful place to ride than the Tiburon Loop. Route is here.

We met up with some of Steve's coworkers in Larkspur, rode the usual loop, with no wind and 75 luscious degrees of warmth. A nice stop at Cafe Acri for some pastries and then, over to Belvedere for some incredible views of the bay and San Francisco. This was the first ride for Ross in many months and he did super - a new ride for Steve, he had never ridden here and, it was a treat to experience it through his 'virgin' eyes.

Ross and Steve

Ride Statistics

• Distance: 22 miles
• Time Ridden: 1:50

Day on the Ride - ALC (Saturday April 23)

What a day this was! This is an event that ALC puts on to give us an idea of what a typical day on the ride is like. It's a fully supported ride - rest stops, lunch, marked route, maintenance help, sag wagon - it's all there, including the people and the lines! The route is here. Was to be my longest ride yet and, with more hills than I have done, period. Over 4000' total climbing, yikes!

Inside Mike's Bikes

The ride started at Mike's Bikes in downtown San Rafael. Fantastic support from these guys, basically lend their store and parking lot to ALC for the day. Lots of people, food, and starting speeches to get people going. We took off around 8:20, in waves.

Rest Stop One

Nice ride through San Anselmo, then out Sir Francis Drake Blvd. First significant hill was, well, significant. Quickly peeled off all extra warm clothing - leg warmers and coat. Quickly adopted a good strategy to keep me safe, injury wise that is. Would stop on hills when I felt tired - just rest for 3-5 minutes, walk it out. Then continue riding. Seemed to be a good strategy. Rode out past Woodacre - past Spirit Rock Meditation Center, then up Nicasio Road to the reservoir. First rest stop just past Nicasio. Got some chow, drink and got to talk with some of the Poz Peddlers - I am curious to learn more about them and look forward to talking with some members during the ride.

Some Different Spokes Friends

Cheese Hill

Out on the road again, it's around 10:30. Off to the Cheese Factory, which means climbing the Cheese Hill. Pretty long and challenging, but again, with a stop midway, not too bad. Besides, the green carpet that spreads in every direction, the singing birds and sweet air - well, they all are a great motivation to just keep peddling. Absolutely stunning countryside.

Atop Wilson Hill

The most significant hill of the day was Wilson Hill, about 1/2 way to lunch. Killer steep hill and pretty long. But, with a rest midway and motivation of a coworker, Steve, made it to the top! Felt very good to get up this hill.



After lunch, was starting to feel the tiredness. Slow pace for a while. Some hills to climb, but I knew we were headed home. Rest stop 3 was a charm - by Stafford Lake near Novato, very pretty and very relaxing. Nice to sit down for a while, stretch, eat and relax. Ride from this point, back to San Rafael was pretty easy, pretty flat too. Pulled into Mike's Bikes around 5. Not a super fast pace, but I did it - my longest ride so far and other than very tired, felt fine. Happy to know my back/leg were able to take it.

David, checking us in at the end

Ride Statistics

• Distance: 65 miles
• Time: 5:50
• Rest stops: 3 including lunch
• Avg speed: 11 mpg
• Avg cadence: 67
• How I felt: very tired, but no undue pain. Lower back pain for sure, tight and sore quads, but not overly so. Took ibuprofen before and during the ride (2 pills). Stretched before and after ride and iced after ride. No bad affects on Sunday nor Monday, seems like my body took to it pretty well.

Contra Costa County Ride with Low Rollers

I continued to introduce rolling hills on this ride. This ride was on Saturday April 16. It was roughly the same distance as the previous week, 48 miles, with more total climbing. Ride is here.

Rode with Larry, a friend of Steve, my friend who inspired me on this whole adventure. Larry is also riding the ALC ride in June. Early meet at the Orinda BART - 7AM, ouch. But, it sure is beautiful at that time! I could actually hear the birds singing as we rode down Moraga Way, or was I in a sleepless stupor just imagining it?

Larry

The ride took us out through Moraga, past St. Mary's College. Incredibly green, incredibly pretty. Worked our way through Lafayette to the south end of Walnut Creek. Not my favorite roads to this point - pretty, rural, but no shoulders and feels a bit scary. But it's worth it and better early in the morning when there is less traffic.

Continued down Danville Blvd, which has a GREAT shoulder. Nice flat ride for a bit. Turned east on El Cerro, which turns into Blackhawk Blvd. This skirts the south side of Mt. Diablo, nice rolling hills, nice open, green countryside. Joins in with Camino Tassajara, which we rode as a nice several mile downhill. All feeling good to this point.

Quick return on Danville Blvd, through Lafayette. Skipped the short, but wall of a hill on Reliz Station Rd, taking the Lafayette-Moraga trail instead. Good choice, still trying not to overdo it with hills.

Finish up with a filling lunch of greek food in Orinda, good chat, then back to the cars to head home. One nice thing about a 7AM start is that we were finished by 1PM. Overall, not too tired, minimal aches. Next day, Sunday, was pretty tired though.

Ride Statistics

• Distance: 48 miles
• Time riding: 3:50
• Average speed: 12.5
• Average cadence: 69
• How I felt after the ride: Minimal achiness, a bit of tingling in the leg. Definitely tired, but not overly so. Took Ibuprofen before I rode and perhaps that helped, especially for the day after the ride.

Jersey Ride with DSSF

Rode with the Different Spokes club on Saturday April 9. This is their monthly Jersey Ride. It was pretty much perfect for me - 47 miles, mild hills, some of them significant, good lunch spot and INCREDIBLE scenery. The ride is here.

Rode out from Peet's in the Castro, through Golden Gate park, through the Presidio to the Golden Gate Bridge. First time I have ever ridden over the Golden Gate - been under it many times (in a sailboat), but never over it on a bike. It's a great experience, incredibly pretty and, requires alot of attention. Pathway is not that wide and there are plenty of other bikers on it. Getting around the towers is an 'interesting' experience! But, I did it fine. Followed the group down over the bridge, down the hill into Sausalito. Then, along the bike path towards Mill Valley. Love the path, good riding. Have seen it for years from Hwy 101 - now, finally rode it. Up over Camino Alto - long hill, but not a bad climb. Felt good to make it to the top, then a nice downhill. Gotta thank Joseph from the club for being the BEST sweep ever - guy just watched out for me, knowing I'd be going a bit slower and did not know the route that well. Super guys in this club!

Lunch at Cafe Acri

David - One of the ride leaders

Evan - Performed my
wedding

A short ride now to the Tiburon Peninsula. Rode this with my hubby Ross and friend Pete in October of last year, nice ride. No flat this time and, I was more warmly dressed. Incredible ride - views are killer. On the way, get passed by a woman in a DSSF jersey - imagine that. It was Nancy - she was catching up with the group, started late. We chatted as we rode and it wasn't long until we pulled into Tiburon to eat at Cafe Acri. Good lunch and good rest.

Resting in Sausalito

The fountain in Sausalito

Then, off to ride the hills (gentle ones) of Belvedere. Another place I have sailed around and seen for many years, but have never been on the peninsula. Love my bike - it's gets me to places I have never been to before! Continue riding and soon pull into Sausalito. Catch up with Roger and Frank and take an ice cream break with them - well, they had the ice cream, I had a Cliff Bar (forever being healthy!). Then, we mozie across the street and lay in the grass, by a fountain and rest/nap for a bit over 30 minutes. Just what the doc ordered - perfect! Felt so good and gave me the energy to ride up Alexander, a significant hill up to the Golden Gate Bridge. Nice ride across the bridge with an INCREDIBLE cross wind - I was really surprised how strong the wind was, probably 25-30 knots and at a cross angle. Made for some interesting riding!

Back to the car around 4, ahh, tired but felt good to have ridden this far. A nice goal to have achieved.

Ride Statistics

• Total Distance: 50 miles
• Time Riding: 4:20
• Elevation Gain: 2380 
• Average Speed: 11.5 mph
• Average Cadence: 70 rpm
• How I felt: Good steady ride. Felt a bit tired after 20 miles. Good rest at lunch. Some minor lower back pain, left side, as usual. Did Camino Alto hill slowly, but no problem. No severe discomfort. Did Belevedere hills fine. Decent speed on flat lands - around 13-15 mph. Took a long rest in Sausalito (30-45 minutes), ate Cliff Bar. Was able to make it up Alexander Ave. fine - slowly, but did it. Some climbing too in the Presidio. Lesson for next time: walk bike around towers on Golden Gate if windy or crowded. Next day, just tired and sore muscles, no problems though. 
• Definitely tired the next day, sore legs, both of them. Noticeable increase in tingling on Monday. Remember to take Ibuprofen before I ride to keep inflammation down.

Canada Road (Sunday April 2)

Today's ride was a perfect increment for me. Rode with the Different Spokes bike club from San Francisco. The ride was a decent amount of mileage and, the introduction of some real hills. Nothing major hill-wise, but some decent hills nonetheless.

Rest Stop at Arastradero Park

We started at Gunn High School on Arastradero Road in Palo Alto. Rode through Woodside, past Robert's Market (more on that later), onto Canada Road. The ride was gorgeous, few cars, lots of trees and good people to ride with. I've never really ridden through Woodside - it's an experience. Feels so far away from the urbanity of the Bay Area and yet, you are right in the middle of it. Great place to ride.

A few miles up Canada Road, at Edgewood Road, cars are blocked off on Sunday. Well, it was Sunday and yes, NO CARS. That freedom starts just past Filoli Gardens. Wonderful to ride freely on the road. We got up to Hwy 92, our turnaround point. Rested a bit, chatted, took some pictures and rode back, with a stop at Robert's Market for lunch

Crystal Springs Reservoir

Canada Rd from turnaround

Robert's Market - well it's as upscale as it gets. Incredible selection of foods, which is really dangerous when you are hungry from a ride. Got a great turkey sandwich, pint of milk and stationed myself outside, in the sun, next to the other riders also eating their lunch. Nice, relaxing time. Only hard part is getting back on the saddle to finish the ride - body really enjoys the rest!

Ride back was mostly downhill, the ride over to Sand Hill and along Sand Hill was in open fields. Really pretty this time of year - felt like the hills of Ireland it was so green. Got back to Gunn High School somewhere around 1:30, said goodbye and then, off to see my brother at Stanford Hospital. Very nice to be so close to him on this ride.

Ride Statistics

• Total Distance: 35 miles
• Time Riding: 3:00
• Average Speed: 13.5 mph
• Average Cadence:
• How I felt: No problems with leg or back. Hills were no problem. Did eat every hour, did try to get off bike periodically - walk it out for a few minutes. Tired the next day, but nothing major.

Iron Horse with more mileage and hills

Sunday, after many days of relentless rain - I got to sneak out and ride. Much needed since I was rained out the previous weekend.

My goal today was to ride the Iron Horse again, a bit further and, to add some hills by riding a few miles to the East. Noble goal! My ride is here.

I started my ride earlier in the day, got on the trail around 11 AM. Weather was cloudy with a stiff breeze out of the South. Pretty much a headwind for much of the early part of the ride, which was a nice challenge. Riding felt good, no pain nor numbness, just felt good. Got to a waterfalls that I recognized and WOW, much more water flowing over it now. Check out the picture from my earlier ride on the Iron Horse - quite a difference.

Cherry Trees at Happ McGee Park

Continued the ride at a moderate pace, about 12 mph. Got to the Happ McGee park where I turned around last time. Took a nice rest there this time. Water, rest, carb goo and bio break. Took a picture of the cherry trees which were just coming into full bloom. Very nice!

Continued the ride on Danville Blvd. Wow, why wasn't I riding this from Walnut Creek - great bike path on the side, few lights, few dogs and people and not many cars. Parallels the Iron Horse, but many less stops and cross streets. Great ride into Danville.

In Danville, I texted my friend David, who was riding with Different Spokes. They were riding Morgan Territory Road behind Mt. Diablo - a bit too hilly for me right now. They were about 30 minutes out, so I decided to get my missed hills in by riding up Camino Tassajara. Nice, slow, steady incline - just perfect. Did 5 more miles round trip and back to Danville, where I texted David again and I met up with the group at a nice deli a few blocks from where I stopped. Good to catch up with everyone. Nice leisurely 45 minute lunch.

Took about an hour to ride back on Danville Blvd and the Iron Horse to North Concord, my start/end point. I put a few extra miles in at the end, to bring my total to 38 miles. Great ride and overall felt great - no pain, no strain, no problems that night or next day. YES!!

Ride Statistics

• Total mileage: 38
• Time riding: 3:00
• Elevation gain: 600'
• Average speed: 12.8 mph
• Average cadence: 68
• Wind: Headwind of 10-15 mph. Heaviest wind I have ridden in, could feel it move the bike as I rode.
• Practiced fast pedaling as well as high gear riding on the flat parts
• Overall, felt great. No pains at all, no numbness, cramping. Slight pain in the left hip as usual. Was careful to rest every hour or so.

First Hills - Monday March 21

Took an afternoon break while working at home. Wanted desperately to catch some decent weather after getting washed out over the weekend. Decided to ride into the Crocker Highlands area of Oakland, where there are some mild hills.

Total ride was just shy of 9 miles, with some mild hills. I was careful to stop at the top of some hills, walk it out. Stopped a few other times just to be sure to take it easy. Took the hills slowly, and they were fine. No bad feelings or soreness afterwards, altho sure did get warm. Did not keep any real statistics on this ride.

Ride route is here.

Building Up - Riding the Iron Horse Trail

Beat the rain again! Rode the Iron Horse trail, which runs from North Concord all the way south to Pleasanton. It runs along the right away of a petroleum pipeline. Great easy ride, which was a perfect next step for me. Slight elevation gain - 300 feet over the 13 miles I rode south.  You can read some about the Iron Horse trail here and see my ride here.

I was aiming for 30 miles round trip - got to 28 easily. The trail starts near Hwy 4 in North Concord, very non-descript beginning, to the east of Buchanan Field. It follows the Walnut Creek (the namesake of the town for sure) to downtown Walnut Creek. Took a picture of a small water falls on the creek, somewhere in Concord. There was a significant amount of water flowing, no surprise.

Danville Park - Turnaround point

Riding through downtown Walnut Creek is a bit hairy, many streets to cross, but only for a few miles. Once I reached Rudgear Rd., the trail crossed under I-680 and follows Danville Blvd. south. Very easy to ride, no big streets any longer, just short side streets coming off Danville Blvd. Very green and peaceful. I felt a little tingling in my leg and promised myself I would not push too hard, so decided to turn around a few miles early. Good turn around point at a Danville city park - bio-break, rest, water and some Goo (yum!). Figured if I still wanted a bit more riding, could add a few more miles at the north end. 

Ride back seemed easier - once I saw the ride profile, I realized why. Slight downhill the whole way. Ride went quickly. Just into Concord, I passed this garage and turned back to get a picture. The bright colors drew me in at first - then I notice the saying on the upper right side - wow, blew me away. "If you want to see a miracle, be the miracle." Really touched my heart.

If you want to see a miracle, be the miracle!

Continued the ride north, did an extra 2 miles at the north end by the airfield and then, back to the car, loaded up the bike and drove home. Stopped in Orinda for a Casper's hotdog and some chocolate milk - my riding friend David would appreciate the food ending! I sure did.

My wheels

North end of the Iron Horse Trail

Ride Statistics

• Distance: 28.5 miles
• Time riding: 2:15
• Elevation Gain: 300'
• Wind: Minimal
• Physical Feeling: Some tiredness in legs by 12 miles or so. Some tingling in left leg too. Decided to turn around at 13 miles, instead of 15. Ride back was easier, did some higher gear riding - did all low gear, high cadence on way down. Felt fine, but tired, by end. No pain afterwards nor next day. Rolled out and stretched both before and after the ride.

Alameda Redux - Building up the Miles

Snuck a ride in on Saturday, before the predicted rains of Sunday. Started the day by hosting the Different Spokes ride from our house - a bunch of wonderful bikers, mostly from San Francisco, took off for a great ride over the hills to Contra Costa County, to do the 3-Bears ride. Not able to do that ride yet, so my hubby and I did a 20-miler in Alameda. Ride is here.

Did much of the same ride as last week, and added on Bay Farm Island. Great, easy ride. Definitely felt decently tired by the end, but no bad feeling nor pain. Very happy about that.

Look forward to a ride of 25-30 miles next week.

Ride Statistics

• Total Distance: 20.5 miles
• Total Ride time: 1:45
• Average Speed: 11.5 mph
• Average Cadence: 66
• Physical Feeling: Good overall. Definitely tired by end of the ride, legs (quads) also somewhat tired, but no pain, no discomfort. No additional numbness either.

Back to it - Alameda Ride

It's been six weeks since I've had a decent ride. Am feeling much better now, leg and back almost mended. Did a short ride last Sunday - it was decent, but I wasn't quite there yet. I am incredibly grateful to be riding again.

Did a flat ride today, in Alameda. Rode through the former Alameda Naval Air Station - what a place for incredible views of the San Francisco Bay and the city of San Francisco. I pinch myself when I see views like this - do I really live here? Incredibly beautiful ride, weather was perfect, albeit a bit cool, gentle breeze, mid-50's, crystal clear. See the ride here.

I rode by the Hornet ship which is now a museum. Have never been aboard, but have been by it many times, both on land and on the water. Pretty amazing ship to see. The picture actually shows some of the ships next to the Hornet. If you look closely, you can see San Francisco in the distance, between the ships.

From there, rode along the Alameda Beach, then across the island and back to my starting point. Nothing amazing, but a great short ride to get back into my training routine. Well, now that I think of it - yes, there was something amazing - being able to ride again. Sweet and wonderful!

Ride Statistics

• Distance: 13 miles
• Time riding: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Physical Feeling: WONDERFUL! Some tiredness in leg, but not bad. Leg felt almost like it used to before the injury.

San Bruno Mountain Ride

Felt so good to get back in the saddle and ride, ride, ride. Did this ride with the Different Spokes group, a gay cycling group in San Francisco. Great group of people. This ride was a food experience, disguised as a ride. The route is here. We did this route with a minor change, did not do the short jog to the airport.

We started the ride at food stop #1: Destination Bakery on Chenery Street. What a perfect place to start the ride. On the road at 10, the leg warmers were off instantly - it was truly balmy, felt so good after all the cold we have had. Nice ride out Alemany Blvd to Daly City. Only fell once - ugh, another fall while standing still - feels so stupid. Luckily, neither me nor bike hurt.

Soon enough, we are climbing the mountain. Pretty easy climb for the first 2 miles, then, it's significant. Really felt it in my legs, but focused on steady, deep breathing and steady, strong pedaling. No real discomfort, other than a bit of soreness in my left rear hip area, typical. Slowed down to 4-5 mph on the steepest parts, but that was fine. Making it to the top was friggen fantastic - amazing panoramic views of the Bay Area and it was super clear! What a sight and what an accomplishment!


Pictures show a view out over the Pacific, looking West. One of me, and one of my coworker David and of the man who married my husband and me, Evan. Small world it is!

The jacket came off at the top of the mountain, still learning just how much warm clothing I need to bring. Ride down the mountain was superb - rough pavement for the first mile or so, but smooth after that and got up to 35 mph, fast enough for me!

Rode by the Colma cemeteries - very beautiful area. Another first for me, I have never driven or ridden on Hillside Ave. Another new experience on my bike - gotta love it!! Another food stop - a Brazilian lunch hut, that's the best way to describe it. Truly hut-like. Great savory pies, cheese rolls, coffee. I had a pig in the blanket - very yummy. Felt good to rest a bit.

Return trip to SF was through Oyster Point, another area I have never really been in. Sort of like a Silicon Valley north - all Biotech. Wiggled by the lagoon off Hwy 101, then up into the City on San Bruno Ave., eventually to Bayshore and to our end point for the trip - yes, another food joint, a very neighborhoody, wonderful ice cream joint (Humphrey Slocomb) at 24th and Harrison. What a fine way to end the trip, eating ice cream and catching up with friends.


Statistics

• Total Distance: 24 miles
• Time riding: 2h, 15m
• Average speed: 11.5 mph
• Average cadence: 66
• Total Elevation climb: 2000'
• Physical feeling
• Felt in legs, minor ache in left rear hip. Definitely felt winded by the time I got to the top of the mountain. Did see max heart rate around 168, but screwed up the monitor, so I did not get overall statistics. Was tired by the end of the ride, mostly in legs. 
• Drank 3 bottles of water, used electrolyte tabs in 2 bottles.

Alameda Ride

I took advantage of a break in the rain (I've seen more rain here in 10 days than I saw in 21 days in New Zealand, where it is supposed to rain all the time) to take my first ride since getting back from New Zealand. Decided to do a flat ride in Alameda (ride is here) - 20 miles total, good chance to practice good form on the bike. Rode around the old Naval Air Station a bit, discovered the Hanger 1 Distillery and Rosenblum Cellars - hell, have to go back and sample the goods next time. If you haven't been to Alameda, specifically the area that was the old Naval Air Station, you really should go. It's an amazing area - rather in disrepair now, but amazing views of the Oakland Estuary, SF Bay and of course, San Francisco. It's really quite desolate and that has a charm and allure in itself.

I rode along the beach, then over the bridge to Bay Farm Island. Dummy me - I kinda knew that this was a drawbridge and you do NOT want to ride a bike over the grate of a drawbridge. Luckily, there was a walkway on the right so I could stop, just before the grate and gracefully lift my bike over to the walkway and less than gracefully, get my bod over there. Unfortunately, caught my brand new leg warmers on a piece of metal fence, but such is life. The good news is that only the bike warmers and not my leg, got a hole in them. Got over to where it was safe and continued my ride. Alameda is a really cool place to ride if you want a flat ride - not many cars nor traffic lights. Nice riding, nice scenery too.

On Bay Farm Island, I rode just up to the airport, then looped west to the Bay, then back to the bridge to Alameda. Little did I know there is a separate bridge, next to the car bridge, just for pedestrians and bikes - imagine that! I was delighted! Much safer and no more holes in my leg warmers.

Got back to the car, just before the rain. Good ride, definitely felt it in my legs. Kept my pace where I could breathe normally (a goal for my endurance training) and kept the cadence around 90 for much of the ride.

Ride Stats

• Distance: 20.5 miles
• Time: 90 minutes
• Average Speed: approx 14 mph
• Average Cadence: 80

Holiday Post

I wish you all a warm holiday season filled with love, friends and family! Enjoy the time. A big wish for a happy and healthy new year - live it to the fullest.

I've been on a vacation for a few weeks, back now and ready to dig into more dedicated training for the ride. Fundraising is kicking up too, so let your friends know about a great opportunity to help out by sponsoring me on the Ride.

More fun accounts of my rides to come soon. In the meantime, I'll be enjoying the holidays too.

Be well.

Sunol Ride

Saturday ride with my hubby, Ross. We decided to try southern Alameda county - Sunol area. First thought was to ride Niles-Canyon Road, which I've always heard is a beautiful ride. My question was traffic, so decided to drive it first, over to Sunol. If it looked good, we'd ride it, if not, planned an alternate ride from the Sunol area. Good thing we planned an alternate ride. Niles Canyon Road is a gorgeous drive, but the traffic is heavy and, the shoulders are minimal. Not a good biking road.

The alternate route is here. My thought was to park at the Sunol Wilderness Area parking lot and bike from there. Almost a good idea - it was already 2:30 and the park gate closes at 5. Ross correctly pointed out if we get a flat or any other problem, we would be hosed. So, out we drove to a nice parking spot on Calaveras Road.

The area is behind the Fremont hills and south of Pleasanton.  Gorgeous area, pretty undeveloped, few houses, lots of cows. Angle of the sun in late afternoon made it especially beautiful. There was a headwind, but it wasn't too bad. Road North, under I-680, to Pleasanton-Sunol Road. Noticed that much of the land on the East was San Francisco Dept. of Water land - did not register what that significance was. At least, not until the end of the ride.

Turned right on Pleasanton-Sunol Rd. and rode parallel to the freeway - really pretty ride, albeit a bit of noise from the freeway. Lots of cottonwood trees, a surprise. Cottonwoods like water and they frequently mark a creek - which they did in this case. Made it up to Castlewood Drive, where we turned, drove by the country club and then turned right onto Foothill Road. Very tony suburb, southern end of Pleasanton. Pretty, but a bit scary if you ask me - many gated communities - not my taste. Turned around at Bernal Road to head back. Nice midway point. Sun getting even lower and the angle, and shadows, were especially nice. Soon we hear the rumble of motor cycles and a troop of perhaps 30 cycles came roaring by us on the other side of the road - man were we happy to be going the opposite direction.




The ride back to Hwy 84 was uneventful, except when I asked Ross how he felt. He said his left hand was getting numb - as was my right hand - and I said it might be due to our riding slowly. Well, that's not the way to encourage your riding partner to go on more rides - he thought he was hoofing it and here I come along and say we were riding slowly. OOPS.


At Hwy 84, we noticed a gate across the street. Curious as we normally are, we rode across and discovered that it was the gate to the Sunol water temple, part of the Hetch Hetchy Water project from San Francisco. WOW! Great find. There is another water temple on the Peninsula, near San Mateo, called the Pulgas Water Temple. There is also a third I believe somewhere in the Bay Area. These structures are really cool - shaped like a small Greek Temple and if you look into it, or down it I should say (like a well), you see the water flowing. This is the fresh water system that supplies much of the Peninsula and the city of San Francisco. What a find. We could not go in, but the picture shows the temple in the distance and the plaque is on the gate into the property.

Statistics

• Distance: 18 miles
• Time: 1.5 hours
• Average Speed: 12.5 mph
• Wind: 10-15 mph. Headwind, for perhaps 50% of the ride.

Physical Feelings

• Definitely kept breathing almost normal, so pace was for endurance
• No hip achiness. Riding a bit slower than I would normally ride and no significant hills.
• Some hand numbness, not sure why.
• No arm, shoulder or neck achiness
• Legs a bit tired, no burning.
• Good energy during and after ride - no feeling of being wiped out.
• Split a Cliff Bar with Ross at halfway point and again, at end. Drank one bottle of water.

Moraga Ride - St. Mary's College

My Saturday ride to beat the Sunday rain was in Orinda and Moraga, on some fairly flat roads. Flat to start to build more endurance - goal was to ride with faster cadence for an extended period of time. I was frequently able to keep my cadence above  90 - very good pace for me and I really felt it in my hamstrings.

The ride started at Orinda BART. You can see the route here. The ride was made up of 4 five mile blocks: Moraga Way to St. Mary's Rd. to Moraga Rd. and then back on Moraga Way to the Orinda BART station. Much of the ride is relatively flat, which allowed me to really start working on pedaling technique. I focused on faster pedaling as well as effective pedaling - practiced some drills I've been reading about. The roads were in great condition - my only complaint is that there is much traffic and the shoulders are small to non-existent. I'd recommend this ride early in the morning, before traffic gets bad. Nice country feeling though.

The early highlight was a quick visit to St. Mary's college. Here's another example of a place I have known about for the 30 years I have lived here, but have never seen and it was biking that got me to see it. Gotta love this sport!

St. Mary's is a very small college in Moraga. Nice mission style architecture, gorgeous setting too. The church dates from the mid-1800's if I remember correctly. Here's a shot of the church. I did not get a chance to go inside.














To the side of the church is Galileo Hall. I had to get a picture of that - how ironic that a Catholic institution of learning would name a hall after Galileo - who the Church excommunicated. Nice to know that however things are at any one time, they will change. Anyone see gay marriage in the air?











From St. Mary's college, I rode the remaining 5 miles up St. Mary's road to Lafayette. Pretty, but non-spectacular ride. The thin to non-existent shoulder on the road was a bit hairy. I'll do this ride, in the future, earlier in the day, before traffic gets too thick. In Lafayette, turned onto Moraga Road. Funny, I totally forgot the climb on Moraga Road - 400 feet over 3 miles, not too bad, just a surprise. No problem doing it though. 5 miles on Moraga Rd., past a place that I have swum at, Campolindo High School (Soda Aquatic Center) - great memories and great pool there! Turned onto Moraga Way to do the last 5 miles back to the Orinda BART station - really started to feel my hamstrings at this point - the faster pedaling and pedaling drills were doing their thing - obviously works the hamstrings more than I was used to. Nice to know I was building up some new fitness!


Statistics

• Distance: 21 miles
• Time: 1.5 hours
• Average Speed: 14 mph
• Average Cadence: 75 (not certain)
• Wind: 10-15 mph. Some headwind, for perhaps 15-20% of the ride.

Physical Feelings

• Definitely kept breathing almost normal, so pace was for endurance
• Some achiness in left hip again
• Soreness in hamstrings from new work, nothing bad, just new
• No arm, shoulder or neck achiness
• Good energy during and after ride - no feeling of being wiped out.
• Ate big pasta meal the night before, may have been a good meal pre-ride.
• Ate single bar afterwards, drank one bottle of water.

Killer Climb in Redwood City

This was my first mid-day ride from work. A fine Tuesday afternoon it was! My coworker, who is also riding the AIDS Lifecycle ride in June, David, led the way. Goal was to ride for about 1.5 hours, up into the hills, possibly down Canada Rd and then back. Stop along the way to eat our lunch. As usual, forgot my phone, so no camera. Oh well.

Our ride route is here. We left Oracle headquarters around 12:30, gorgeous sunshine, light breeze, about 65 degrees outside, perfect riding weather. I still had a cold, but was feeling good enough to ride. The climb was much steeper than either of us figured - David was embarrassed because he didn't warn me of the degree of climb - he didn't know himself. No problem - this is what I love about my bike - I just slow down and peddle, it gets me where I need to go and I am not bushed doing it. The climb was hard for sure, 12-15% grade, but I did it with a small rest and no pain. Practiced some standing pedaling and some focused pedaling drills and relaxed arms and shoulders. Certainly some heavy breathing after the climb - maybe it's a good thing I did not have my phone.

The killer part was 42nd Ave. Once we made it to the top, some fairly level riding. All this through the residential areas of Belmont. We found a great overlook (would have been spectacular pictures), rested, drank lots of water and ate our lunches. Great views over the Bay, towards San Francisco and Coyote Point. Nice to see how high we had climbed.

Return trip was downhill much of the way. A few miles on Ralston, then off to side residential roads, then back to Ralston, via a wrong turn I made. Back to Oracle office by 2, just in time for a decent shower. No pain after the ride, felt great and the cold seemed to be better too.

Statistics

• Distance: 9.5 miles
• Time Riding : 1 hour
• Average Speed: 10.5 mph
• Max Speed: 30 mph
• Temperature: Mid 60's
• Wind: Approx 10mpg, mild breeze

Physical Feeling

• Good going into the ride, some burning thigh feeling on the steepest climb, but not too bad
• A bit of left hip achiness, probably from the climb
• No other aches or pains
• Not wiped out after the ride, but very tired later in the day. Thinking I need to eat more after the ride.
• Ate a turkey sandwich during the ride and a bar afterwards and a bar a few hours later. Still doesn't seem like enough.

Tiburon Loop

Ahh, the pleasure of a ride with my husband, Ross and friend Pete from Sacramento. We decided to ride the Larkspur peninsula on Saturday the 16th. The ride is here. And, again, I forgot to take pictures - ugh, the mind of a 50-something.

Given the fact that my stomach comes in only second to my gonads to totally controlling me, I decided to start the ride in Larkspur at Emporio Rulli, a fine Italian bakery. The goal was to have a nice food joint to end the ride at. And guess what, it worked!

We got on the road around 10:00, nice ride through downtown Larkspur. In the 30 years Ross and I have been in the Bay Area, have never been to Larkspur. Go figure! It's a charming town, lots of old Victorian buildings, great tiny park with huge redwoods and, you can actually park your car and not have to pay. Nice option when you cart your bikes on the car. The ride took us over to Hwy 101, over the highway and then, to the peninsula. It's hilarious how many bikers there are in Marin county - no kidding, more bikers on this road than cars. And, not just bikers, but fully garbed, color coordinated bikers - packs wearing the same colorful clothing. Damn I wish I had taken some pictures.

We don't get too far onto Paradise Drive before I get a flat. No big deal, small puncture and we are right by a Country Day school, so I get to change my flat on a nice wooden deck fully equipped with a picnic table. Made the job easier. I also got to test out my worthless bike pump - hey, it's stylish and fits into my saddle bag, but it only has 4" of play, so it would have taken me all day to pump up the tire. Luckily, other pumps on Ross' and Pete's bikes did the trick. Off we go, about 20 minutes lost.

Paradise Drive is gorgeous - many trees and terrific views of the San Francisco Bay. We passed by a marina filled with boats of all kinds, then past many homes built into the hill, with spectacular views of the bay. It was pretty cool - actually, I was freezing in my light jersey and shorts. Another lesson learned - as the weather cools I need to bring along some warmer clothes. Hey, it's all a learning process. After about 10 miles, we pull into downtown Tiburon and stop for a bio break and some coffee/hot chocolate. Great rest stop! And, I got to put on Pete's long sleeved shirt - what a god send. Just a bit more clothing made so much difference.

Spent about 30 minutes relaxing and sipping the hot drinks, then off we went to ride back to Larkspur and a potentially terrific lunch. Easy ride back, except that Pete forgot his backpack by the chair. I was leading the pack and at some point, no longer saw Ross and Pete in my mirror (ah, love the clip on mirror, makes it so much easier to see behind me!). I stopped, waited a few minutes, still no Ross or Pete. Hmm, the bad thoughts come - did they go down? I backtrack and as expected, soon find them. Pete had high-tailed it back to the cafe to get his backpack and was just catching up to Ross when I got to them. Nice to have remembered the pack!  Uneventful ride back to Larkspur.

Lunch was well, friggen fantastic. Great panini and cookies for dessert. So nice to sit inside, where it was warm and look outside to see the throngs of bikers passing by. Relaxing way to end the ride.

Statistics

• Time: 2 hours riding
• Distance: 22 miles
• Avg Speed: 13.5 mph
• Max Speed: did not record
• Temperature: low 60's
• Wind: bit of a breeze in places, 10-15 mph

Physical Feelings

• easy ride, no aches or pains, barely felt tired. No tired legs afterwards. Ate well afterwards, Cliff Bar with hot chocolate in Tiburon. Not a great night sleep prior night.

Riding the 3 Bears

Today's ride - do the 3 Bears. A ride I have been thinking about for a while, but have patiently waited until I had built up some fitness. So what the heck are the 3 Bears? Here's a picture, and I'll tell you - riding them was so much fun.

The 3 Bears

Actually, it's a great ride around 2 reservoirs east of here - the San Pablo Reservoir and the Briones Reservoir. See details here. Part of the ride is on Bear Creek Road, beautiful countryside and 3 large hills - thus the 3 bears name.

My favorite rest stop

San Pablo Reservoir

I started at the Orinda BART station, right at 10:00. All fired up to go and a bit unsure if I'd be able to do the ride. I've driven Bear Creek Road many times and gotta say, since I've started riding, feel very sorry for the bikers slogging up the hills - they are long and moderate grade, but there are 3 of them. I was willing to try it - overall fitness has been good, so definitely time to try. The ride starts pretty flat for 8 miles, good way to warm up. Nice views of the San Pablo Reservoir. Road is a bit hairy - areas with minimal shoulder to ride on, but overall, not bad, especially with my new rear-view mirror, which Ross says makes me look like a BORG alien. Once I got to the north end of the reservoir, turned right at Castro Ranch Road. Ahh, found a nice rest stop - how thoughtful of these people to build a special rest stop for bikers. 

Vineyards in Contra Costa County!

Soon, I get out into the countryside, rolling hills covered in the orange dried grass of the California autumn. Beautiful contrast with the green live oak. Ahh, love this countryside! Nice ride up Alhambra Valley Road to the junction with Bear Creek Road. Very different to see a vineyard here, had no idea there were vineyards in Contra Costa County! Wonder what the wine is like? Time for a break - nature stop, water and the lifeline of a biker, a Cliff Bar. This is the first point where I feel any tiredness, 1 hour in. Not sure if it is because of the stop and rest or really the tiredness. But, I push on and it is fine. Still trying to keep the pace to the point where my breathing is not too fast and I can talk (talk with myself that is!).

Top of the First Bear

Not long until I get to the first bear - long hill for sure, but not so bad. I got to the top, and, not too winded nor tired. Very happy, very surprised. Took a short stop to take a photo and drink more water. Tried hard to keep hydrated, fed and rested. Trying to build endurance and some reading has clued me into riding slow to get the body used to burning more fat than carbs and building the ability to ride for a long time - definitely worth a try. Will need endurance to ride 6 days, 80-100 miles a day.

Nice downhill, not too steep. Ride past the entrance to Briones Park, one of our favorite places to hike. Always amazes me how great this park is and how few people hike there. Second bear is just past the park entrance. This is a long, steady hill. Steep enough to be in the highest gear, but not too steep. Kept a pretty steady 5-6 mph as I did on the first bear. Reach the top soon enough, another water stop and take a picture. Then, off to the next and last bear.

The last bear was not bad - mostly because the downhill from the second one is not much, so not too much new hill to climb. Up, over the top and down, down, down. The downhill from this last hill is awesome, long and steep. Just about at my limit for an enjoyable downhill. Some gentle pumping of the brakes to keep me from going too fast. I make it to about 35 mph, fast enough. I'm really glad I have my rear-view mirror - I can easily spot any traffic behind me - when the coast is clear, I can ride in the middle of the lane and take the downhill nicely.

I finish the ride with the short trip down Camino Pablo back to the BART station. Great ride, happy to be finished earlier than I thought.

Statistics

• Time: 2 hours
• Distance: 24 miles
• Max Speed: 35 mph
• Heart Rate at 1 hour reststop: 120
• Average Speed: 13 mph
• Wind: Gentle
• Temperature: Low 80's

Physical Feelings

• No aches, not even in right side of waist. Legs a bit tired, but no burning feeling. Breathing steady but not out of breath. Kept well hydrated (2 bottles), ate 2 Cliff Bars (one after 1 hour, one at end). Ate big lunch right afterwards. Focused on relaxed arms and shoulders and good pumping action with legs while pedaling.