Last two rides have been solo but I’m ok with that. I’m at an in-between stage since riding across the country. I’m much stronger and faster than I was when I left for that ride in June. I don’t want to lose the strength and speed but fear I will since I won’t be riding miles and miles/hours and hours every day.
Along Old Highway 120All that’s left of the hanging tree.
My stats from recent rides show that I’m retaining some of the speed/strength but I find I’m having to consciously think about pushing myself. It is so easy to fall back into old patterns. Trying to keep up with others is a great motivator…one that I’m missing. 🙁
New play area at Mary Laveroni Park in GrovelandLuckily, no one caught me near the play area!
Wednesday I started out with the intention of heading east. I got out to where I could see the mountains east of us and also saw SMOKE! It looked pretty dense so I decided maybe heading east wasn’t such a good idea. Change in route took me through town (Groveland) and then back home. Got in 26 miles with just under 12 mph average.
It rained overnight on Thursday. Cleared the air of smoke!
Sunday I challenged myself to ride from home to O’Shaughnessy Dam. I thought it would be about 60 miles but my buddy, Alan D., said 70. He was right. I made it even longer by leaving my water bottle at the dam and having to go back to get it. Ended up with just over 72 miles. My average that day was also just under 12 mph.
Entrance to the Hetch Hetchy area of Yosemite National ParkThe O’Shaughnessy Dam
This is what I’m concerned about…the average for my ride on the 13th was 13 mph. Only a few days and I can’t seem to keep up my speed. These three rides all have similar elevation gains/losses as they are in the same area.
Nice to see Wapama Fall is still running in October 😀
As one of my tech friends said, eventually Word Press costs $$. I had already purchased the domain name but today did the upgrade. I’m hoping for ease of uploading photos from the tablet onto the site. But first a test from my PC…
I get a kick out of this photo ’cause I never thought Dan would be one of those folks sitting in a restaurant playing with a smart phone. hee hee
Today WAS a busy day. We were up early to fly to Hayward but the sun isn’t rising as early as it used to. So we had to wait a bit before we could go.
First “appointment” was with eldest daughter for breakfast. After we left the noisy restaurant, we found a quiet city park where we had a great visit. She had other chores to tend to and we had other people to meet.
Next stop was at Dan’s parents house. Four of Dan’s cousins were visiting from Minnesota. Because of the distance, the California and Minnesota cousins have only seen each other a handful of times. All three of Dan’s sisters and two of his brothers, as well as a nephew, were there too. It was a full house! The afternoon was filled with lots of chatter and laughter. There’s now talk of another family reunion sometime in the future.
Our final stop was to see how friends who have been displaced by the wildfires in Sonoma County are doing. They are living with family in Newark for now. Their house has been spared as of today but they cannot go home yet. These fires and winds are crazy! So much loss, so much hardship. Sad.
Wow, my last post was September 13! It’s not that I’ve been terribly busy, just haven’t taken the time to write down my thoughts.
Only a couple days after the last posting, I drove to Clovis to spend the night with my ‘Possum friend Michele. We met with three other ‘Possums for dinner: Laraine, Iris and Maria. (I met these four ladies on the Almond Blossom Ride back in February. We’ve met for other rides since then and I always enjoy seeing them again.) The next day we rode on the Tour de Fresno. Laraine couldn’t ride because of hip problems and Maria and Michele did shorter rides but Iris and I did the 74 mile route, pretty flat ride with 15.7 mph average.
The next day, Dan and I flew to Oakdale to pick up his sister to take her out for a birthday breakfast/lunch in Auburn. She had just had to put her dog, Artie, down the day before so we wanted to give her a special birthday treat. Such a nice restaurant at the airport there!
On the 22nd, I met with cycling friends to work on a bike tour for next May. Looking forward to that. Plan is to ride to Tahoe and take the train back. Yes! It was such a pleasure to see my buddies and to meet a new bike friend.
The next day began the Waves to Wine weekend (a fund raiser for National Multiple Sclerosis Society). I managed the 102 miles on Saturday even though the disk brakes were making strange noises, 12.8 mph average on a hilly ride (6500 feet of climbing). Because of the brakes, I didn’t ride on Sunday. Turns out an adjustment was needed but the real issue seemed to be the wheel wasn’t seated correctly.
Then daughter, son-in-law, and the grandkids came for a weekend visit. Had fun at the beach at our little Pine Mountain Lake. The little ones (21 months and almost four) enjoyed riding around and “driving” the golf cart.
Got to ride with Wayne S. twice the following week. Unusual, as we don’t seem to connect that frequently. Both rides in areas I’m still becoming familiar with so depend on him to get me back to where we started. So far, he’s done a fine job. 😉
Chickens at one of my stopping point while with Wayne
The first Thursday of October, I went to my monthly MS coffee meet. So enjoy the folks who come together. Part of the fun is giving a ride to my neighbor. She and I get some time with just us two on the drive over and back.
Then, that same day, we flew some friends to the Oakland airport so they could catch a commercial flight to Italy. Since we were in the neighborhood, we flew to Hayward and walked to a favorite Vietnamese restaurant for dinner.
On 10/6, I drove to Ione to spend the night with my “cycle across America” friends, Mark and Rose. They put me up for the night then Rose and I met with other “cycle across America” friends Greg and Theresa so we could all ride the Sacramento Century Challenge. This was another flat ride so my average was 15mph for the 101 miles. How great to get to ride with these guys again! When Mark’s shoulder is healed, he’ll be with us next time.
Good band. Danced by myself but pulled in a couple other ladies before the song was done.
The following day Brett and Debbie flew in to our little airport and spent the day. Fun to have visitors!
Last Monday (I’m almost caught up), Dan and I took a motorcycle ride to see the fall colors along Hwy 108. We made it all the way to the top of Sonora Pass but didn’t see many deciduous trees. There were patches of mostly the yellow leaves which were pretty but we were hoping to see more trees and more variety of color.
Saw more of these views than fall colors.
When I went to finish unpacking the car on Sunday, I discovered I’d left my cycling shoes in Ione. Doh! So Dan and I took another motorcycle ride on Wednesday to get them.
Ione Post Office.
Friday I managed to get back on the bike. Twenty five hilly miles (2800 feet of climbing) in the neighborhood with a 13.1 mph average. I was very pleased with myself.
Tuolumne River above Rainbow Pool. That’s my shadow in the bottom left corner.
Today we were back in the Mooney for a flight to Modesto airport where they have a pancake breakfast the second Saturday of each month. Met friends, Brett and Debbie, there. After breakfast what’s next? Lunch, of course. The four of us flew (in two planes…not sure why we didn’t all jump in one) to Half Moon Bay for lunch at Barbara’s Fish Trap. The restaurant is famous for the clam chowder so no one ordered that. Almost everything we ordered was deep fried. No need for dinner tonight.
Masts and antennasWhere we were.
When we left home this morning, the temperature was 43 degrees but the air was smooth. When we left Modesto, it was around 66 degrees with smooth air until we got over the hills where it got bumpy. Just before landing in Half Moon Bay, we were bring tossed around in the sky but when we landed, the day was beautiful… I’m guessing 72 degrees with calm winds. Flying home we still had rough skies over the hills leaving Half Moon Bay. By the time we got to our airport, the skies were calmer and the temperature was pleasant. Huge variety in one day!
OK, been home for a week and a half. Went for a ride with Greg last Sunday in the smoke. 30 miles, over 3,000 feet of climbing. Rode easy because of the smoke. Today Greg, Debbie and I rode from Knights Ferry to Oakdale in the flatlands. Another 30 mile trek. Left early to avoid the heat of the day.
Not sure where the rest of the time went. Doing a little bit of this, a little bit of that.
This weekend is pot luck party weekend. Dinner and a movie on Friday; farewell party by a neighbor who comes every spring and moves back to the desert in the fall on Saturday; and a pool party at another neighbor’s house tomorrow. We are all very well fed!
thecyclingdiva 