Here in the eastbay, 3 Bears is a legendary bike route. This ride has daunted me all summer. Today would be my first time tackling it. Tracy arrived at my door all little past 8 am and I have to mention that she was a little hungover......however despite this fact she was ready for a long ride.
As we mosied down my street we debated on Old Tunnel Rd. or 3 Bears. Being the considerate training partner that I am I let Tracy decide ....I was sure that she'd pick the easier ride....but the girls is a ravenous rider and 3 Bears was on the menu .
From my house we rode to Cedar turning left on Spruce toward Tilden Park. Spruce is a decent climb and was a sign of things to come. Easy ride through the park....er, if you don't count my wipeout. As some of you other heavybottomed cyclist have noticed, we're fast on the downhills. I was quite a ways ahead of Tracey, and when I lost site of her for too long I slowed and turned around...as I attempted to do this I cut the turn too sharply and landed in the ditch....a stellar landing I have to say, I managed to land in a nice pile of leaves avoiding tree branches, rocks, glass bottles or other potentially dangerous debris. Quite a bit of laughing ensued as Tracy pulled up "are you okay?" All that falling as kid has come in handy, my shoulder is a little sore today but nothing remarkable. After regaining my composure we continued down the backside of Tilden then left on San Pablo Damn Rd....yes that would be the same rd. my AAA driver got lost on a couple of weeks back.
Grey and cool the ride along this rd. was still quite nice. the resevoire on our right and fairly wide shoulder for the most part traffic was sparse at 9 am. We noticed quite abit of road kill on this ride, the usual possum, skunks, and two large deers over the course of the morning in fact....pew! Despite roadside carnage the ride was revealing to this newbie what all the hoopla was about.
I want to say we turned right off San Pablo Damn Rd...was it Creekside Ranch? This rd was residential and intersects with the more rural Alhambra Rd. At this point Tracy said, "this is where it gets interesting" The first of 3 consecutive hills, Tracy said that each climb would get harder than the last....I wasn't asking too many questions...I wanted to avoid dreading anything and to be surprised...Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
We saw a few TNT riders, their sag wagon reminded me to Gu and hydrate as I was riding on an empty stomach so far. As we approached the first hill, I began to trail behind, Tracy is a commuter cyclist, lugging her 3 y.o son around in a side cart daily to school so this hill sans the kid was cake ....albeit soaked in rum!
I'd catch up on the downhills and then we seperate again as we approached another hill. Briefly I found myself struggling to keep up and than I told myself to STOP! I needed to find my pace and settle in. This was a hard ride and pushing too hard would not be smart. I let go of trying to keep up and that's when I started to enjoy myself.
I remember at one point my legs felt like rubber as I pressed on....holy crap this was a long hill....with no end in site! The shifting problems I always seem to have continued and I had to work on finding the right big ring little ring combo....this ride gave me plenty of practice for sure and towards the second half I started to see some improvement.....though I still think I need a tune up.
We took a break at the crest of the last hill on Bear Creek Rd. and then were rewarded with a long killer stretch of downhill. Just when you think your home free the ride down slows and turns into a nasty little reminder of what lies ahead on the otherside of San Pablo Damn Rd....the backside of Tilden!
That nasty little climb out of Bear Creek Rd. fatigued my legs to the point of pain....yet another sign that I was reaching further. The climb up the backside of Tilden was taking it's toll....even Tracey who had confessed to feeling "queasy" during the break on the crest was begining to slow...abit....I could see her up ahead still...whearas before she was mostly off in the distance. Her cell phone rang and I could hear her saying .."the zoo?...COME GET ME!!" She's amazing, tired, hungover and talking on the phone while riding up the backside of Tilden. Do I know how to pick a training partner or what?
The climb up Inspiration Point was harder than it had been on previous rides. Usually I come from the Moraga/Orinda way and it's a long flat ride before the climb. Today the climbs were much closer together and I could feel the lactic acid build-up and fatigue at the start of the climb towards IP. At one point I howled...in attempt to psyche myself up...a little auditory motivation if you will. IP felt further away than normal, in fact this ride was taking on a "Twightlight Zone " feel..........it seemed like we would never get there. Finally will arrived at the parking lot and I let out another "woohoo!" and was greeted by that knowing smile of other riders in the vicinity.
I waited with Tracey until her ride showed up, I declined the ride home and continued on down the rd. Total saddle time 4.0 hrs and I'm sure we covered 35 plus miles....long hilly miles including the portion from my house.
Got home, fetched T and we hit the fleamarket and a couple of yardsales . I got a good deal on some small loaf pans...perfect for gift giving. I want to make cherry chocolate bread this year....do I sense a Goldilocks metaphore?
Monday, October 02, 2006
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Live at the Improv
5:30 am and I feel unusually rested.......up and out of bed coffee already brewed (thanks T) I'm surprised at how dark it is. I have no plan....I need a plan.....too late to catch Cheryl's spin class ( Cheryl was the sweeper during the practice tri and helped me with my flat, remember?)
Still dark at 6pm...more searching the Y for a class.....no tri/masters swim (I washed and blow dried my hair lastnight....you women of color out there understand).....so on with the running shoes and out the door . Walking down the block until I decide on a route.
I decide to head towards the Berkeley Marina. I make my way to the bicycle bridge that crosses HWY 80......past Seabreeze market and over to the shorline nature center.....when nature calls.....I luck out here as the nature center has well lit facilities with flush toilets. ...it's the litte things that make me happy......... then onto the pier near Skates....the visibility out on the bay is poor but I can see a small boat cruising along off in the distance.
I spot another runner and she gives me a thumbs up as we pass eachother in silence on the foggy pier.....smile on my lips. On the turn around I notice a few men on the pier carrying fishing poles ...what on earth do they catch I wonder but don't ask...
I cut across the new portion of the bay trail then over to Gilman and it's the homestretch. This is the first "early" longish run before work in sometime, keep it up kid!
Still dark at 6pm...more searching the Y for a class.....no tri/masters swim (I washed and blow dried my hair lastnight....you women of color out there understand).....so on with the running shoes and out the door . Walking down the block until I decide on a route.
I decide to head towards the Berkeley Marina. I make my way to the bicycle bridge that crosses HWY 80......past Seabreeze market and over to the shorline nature center.....when nature calls.....I luck out here as the nature center has well lit facilities with flush toilets. ...it's the litte things that make me happy......... then onto the pier near Skates....the visibility out on the bay is poor but I can see a small boat cruising along off in the distance.
I spot another runner and she gives me a thumbs up as we pass eachother in silence on the foggy pier.....smile on my lips. On the turn around I notice a few men on the pier carrying fishing poles ...what on earth do they catch I wonder but don't ask...
I cut across the new portion of the bay trail then over to Gilman and it's the homestretch. This is the first "early" longish run before work in sometime, keep it up kid!
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Effort
I recently posted an ad on craigs list looking for training partners. I've recieved a few responses but nothing has materialized yet. It's occured to me recently that finding friends and more importantly maintaining friendships in your 40s is alot like dating...people seem nice, interested and you may even have a great time together initially but before long things "cool off" and your left wondering what happened?
All I know is that I'm engaging in activities I like alot, I'm being proactive and instead of reverting to my "fuck it" way of thinking I will be patient, continue to train and put myself out there.....just not all out there you know what I mean?
Like I said, I recieved a few responses from local women, some with tri experience and some just wanting to train with other active folks. So far one woman was a "no show" or rather didn't call back when she said she would and then slipped me an e-mail the next day stating that she was sick...hence the no call.....ok whatever I'm just some anonymous on-line contact....why would she need to extend me the courtesy of a call letting me know she wouldn't make it, right?
(truth be told I was slightly annoyed) Heard from a couple others and I have replied (promptly) and am waiting for follow-up.
Seems I'm always in the position of "doing all the work".....I often put forth quite a bit of energy early on in the relationship and am left feeling a bit short changed in the end.
On a more positive note , I hit the pool at the Y yesterday morning....7:30 am....early for me....I like being back at the Y !
Over the weekend I went to IKEA and bought some more baskets for the storage wall we purchased awhile back. A nice 12x12 basket costs 12.99....so I've been slowly adding to my collection.......everything is really coming together and I'm feeling all kinds of better about the living room....finally.....as its been a veritable dumping ground...for like the past 6 months.
All I know is that I'm engaging in activities I like alot, I'm being proactive and instead of reverting to my "fuck it" way of thinking I will be patient, continue to train and put myself out there.....just not all out there you know what I mean?
Like I said, I recieved a few responses from local women, some with tri experience and some just wanting to train with other active folks. So far one woman was a "no show" or rather didn't call back when she said she would and then slipped me an e-mail the next day stating that she was sick...hence the no call.....ok whatever I'm just some anonymous on-line contact....why would she need to extend me the courtesy of a call letting me know she wouldn't make it, right?
(truth be told I was slightly annoyed) Heard from a couple others and I have replied (promptly) and am waiting for follow-up.
Seems I'm always in the position of "doing all the work".....I often put forth quite a bit of energy early on in the relationship and am left feeling a bit short changed in the end.
On a more positive note , I hit the pool at the Y yesterday morning....7:30 am....early for me....I like being back at the Y !
Over the weekend I went to IKEA and bought some more baskets for the storage wall we purchased awhile back. A nice 12x12 basket costs 12.99....so I've been slowly adding to my collection.......everything is really coming together and I'm feeling all kinds of better about the living room....finally.....as its been a veritable dumping ground...for like the past 6 months.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Yeah, I'm a Bonehead!
I've been too embarrassed to post about what happened last week at Briones, but enough time has passed that I feel I can spill the beans. I can only think of a few things worse then the horror one experiences when you realize that you've lost your keys ............in a remote place.
Yep, that's right, while up on the ridge somewhere between the first and second GU, I failed to clip in my key ( uhuh, yeah you know that clippy thing inside your hydration pack, it's there for a reason!!!) and I lost it on the trail. I realized this at approximately 11:30 am, as I approached my car and in utter disbelief (Though, I don't know why considering my history with keys) I ran back to the trailhead and searched in vain for about a 1/4 mile. I asked every hiker/biker I came across to keep an eye out, I heard lot's of "oh man, what a drag" and "that happened to me before...bummer!" The kiosk attendant was less empathetic and said "yeah, someone will turn it in, in a few weeks!! than laughed when I asked him if I could use his phone...."if you can find the right spot you might get a signal" I was able to leave a message at home and then I stood there like an idiot....problem solving abilities nowhere insight.... not sure what to do next.
My phone and money were in the car on the side of Bear Creek Rd. in front of the park entrance (which is about 4 miles off San Pablo Damn Rd) I went back to my car crossed the street and stuck my thumb out. A couple from Danville who were leaving the park gave me a lift to the Orinda Shell station and they insisted on giving me $5.00 dollars to get something to drink. I kept saying "No, really it's okay. My husband will be here soon" But they wouldn't take no for an answer. People Rock I tell Ya!!
It took awhile to get ahold of T. When I finally did I asked him to bring my mountain bike so I could return to the trail for another look. It took even longer getting ahold of roadside assistance. The policy at AAA is "no key no tow"....the only exception being unless you can prove that you are unable to obtain a key. It was 1pm on a Sunday in Orinda....and apparently know one locks themselves out or loses their key in Orinda because they don't have a locksmith. Then there was a lot confusion regarding my whereabouts. I was in front of Briones Staging Area, 4 miles off of Camino Pablo....unknown to me at the time Camino Pablo turns into San Pablo Damn Rd at the Bear Creek Intersection.
It took longer that it should have for T to find me and when he finally did arrive it was going on 2 pm. I was growing even more appreciative of that $5.00!! We drove back to the car, luckily I was parked in the shade where T would wait next to the Element and I headed back to trail on my bike to see if I had any luck on the other end of the trail....though I'm pretty sure the key fell out when I GU'd high up on the ridge....it was getting hot and I stopped looking after 1/2 an hour confident that the tow truck would be arriving soon.....little did I know that we were in for a 4 plus hour wait!
We waited and waited and waited. T needed gas and in our haste to get back to my stranded vehicle he forgot to gas up at the station where he picked me up. I told him to drive back into town get gas and try to call again (as we had no signal either) while I waited for the tow....apparently my problem solving abilities were returning.
Another 30, 40 minutes went by and no tow truck or T! T finally pulled up and had decided to get a carwash at the gas station while he was there!
When he pulled up I was relieved because you know by this time I was really agitated. The idea of leaving the car was completely unacceptable...broken glass in the same spot we were parked, signs of an obvious break-in.
T must've spoke with every AAA roadside service agent that was working that day, each giving a different storey, one said the driver was lost, another said they didn't know which tow service to dispatch, and then the another said they were on their way...would be there soon. We hoped the later was true.
Around 4 pm a tow truck arrived, however he pulled over and parked far away. The driver was talking to someone and didn't step out of his vehicle for several minutes. Turns out he wasn't going to tow us, he had missed his turn and it was purely accidental that he happened along. He proceeded to recite the "no key no tow policy" There was no way in hell that driver was not taking us and it was T being the diplomat that he is that convinced the driver to tow us back to Berkeley. Because of the numerous calls T had made he was able to convince the powers that be that we were in fact the owners of the vehicle, that we had made a reasonable effort in obtaining a locksmith and we should NOT be charged the $120.00 tow fee. The tow guy got us into the car and I was able to retrieve my belongings. Once we arrived back home he asked for ID, license and registration, proof of insurance. 10 minutes later he came back and asked for our phone number.....this guy was beyond thorough!!!
So, what started out as a pleasant 2 hour run turned into an all day ordeal. The whole day was shot. By the time we got home it was after 4 pm! The funny thing was we had tickets for Bonnie Rait and Keb Mo that night and I wasn't really feeling up to it by the time we got home. But there was no backing out. A couple of big-ass beers, Bonnie and Keb singing the blues I was in good company.
Monday was spent getting duplicates made (you may have wondered why their wasn't one already, the Element is a pre-owned vehicle and it came with only one key....I know I know I know I should've made one earlier, I told ya I was embarrassed!!!!) I won't even say how much it cost to replace that key................ and yes, we sprung for a spare. Needless to say I was extra careful to clip in my key for this morning 's run.
Today I discovered East Bay National Trail. After a fair amount of climbing under a canopied firetrail, things leveled off ...a bit ...as I headed into the open full on sun around 10 am. I saw a few runners...not too many going my direction as they no doubt got an earlier start....geez by the time I got my act together at home I didn't get to the trailhead until after 9:30.
As I mentioned things leveled off ....and as they say "what goes up must come down". I practiced more backward descents and was a bit disappointed to arrive at the end of the trail within 40 minutes. Per usual for me, I have no idea how far I went, I wanted a trail with hills and that's what I got. The temps were rising and I was a little worried about the climb back up but it wasn't so bad, an occasional breeze would take the edge off and before I knew I was back to my car. Total run time 1.25 hrs
I drove back towards Skyline Blvd. and decided that I had some energy left for a bit more running. I noticed a couple of people, an adult male and a younger girl stepping off the trail and the guy was shaking the dust off his shoes, it looked like they had been running.
I parked on the side of the rode and found another sweet canopied trail....this one was a mostly level, windy single track. I came across several Skyline Cross Country kids and would scoot to the right when packs of three would zoom by. One kid must've been new to running and attempted to pass on MY right....I was startled and not-a-little-annoyed and let him by on the left side...remember this is a single track trail ....with hikers and other runners coming from the opposite direction.......I don't know what he was thinking trying to pass on my right. I let him pass me from the left but the kid just ran directly in front of me. I thought, "hmm...ok I'll hang out in his draft for awhile and if he doesn't pick up his pace I'll demonstrate the proper way to pass." Impatience got the best of me and I made my move and got a little distance from him when more kids coming from the opposite direction came towards me. I moved over to the right as far as I could....and I'll be damned if that little turd didn't pass me again....the thing was he looked like he was really struggling....just shuffling along. It's was that look I'd learned about from reading race strategies, reading your opponents body language really can give you an edge. I picked things up again got around him and made for a strong finish to the end. Total run time 40 mins.
So humor me a little. I don't know how long that kid had been on that trail, he looked pretty tired and probably outran my old ass self threefold....still I'm not gonna lie and say that I didn't get a little satisfaction re-taking the lead. Give it up for the old chick!
*********************************************************
I am beyond frustrated with my daughter at the moment. Her enthusiasm for swimming has waned and it is SOOOOO disappointing. It appears that my interest in it was the beginning of the end for her. Last time I had to drag her there and she wouldn't even go in. She's into bike riding more now and I should be happy with that but right now I want and need to swim and T is at work.
Let the pre-teen rebellion begin!
Yep, that's right, while up on the ridge somewhere between the first and second GU, I failed to clip in my key ( uhuh, yeah you know that clippy thing inside your hydration pack, it's there for a reason!!!) and I lost it on the trail. I realized this at approximately 11:30 am, as I approached my car and in utter disbelief (Though, I don't know why considering my history with keys) I ran back to the trailhead and searched in vain for about a 1/4 mile. I asked every hiker/biker I came across to keep an eye out, I heard lot's of "oh man, what a drag" and "that happened to me before...bummer!" The kiosk attendant was less empathetic and said "yeah, someone will turn it in, in a few weeks!! than laughed when I asked him if I could use his phone...."if you can find the right spot you might get a signal" I was able to leave a message at home and then I stood there like an idiot....problem solving abilities nowhere insight.... not sure what to do next.
My phone and money were in the car on the side of Bear Creek Rd. in front of the park entrance (which is about 4 miles off San Pablo Damn Rd) I went back to my car crossed the street and stuck my thumb out. A couple from Danville who were leaving the park gave me a lift to the Orinda Shell station and they insisted on giving me $5.00 dollars to get something to drink. I kept saying "No, really it's okay. My husband will be here soon" But they wouldn't take no for an answer. People Rock I tell Ya!!
It took awhile to get ahold of T. When I finally did I asked him to bring my mountain bike so I could return to the trail for another look. It took even longer getting ahold of roadside assistance. The policy at AAA is "no key no tow"....the only exception being unless you can prove that you are unable to obtain a key. It was 1pm on a Sunday in Orinda....and apparently know one locks themselves out or loses their key in Orinda because they don't have a locksmith. Then there was a lot confusion regarding my whereabouts. I was in front of Briones Staging Area, 4 miles off of Camino Pablo....unknown to me at the time Camino Pablo turns into San Pablo Damn Rd at the Bear Creek Intersection.
It took longer that it should have for T to find me and when he finally did arrive it was going on 2 pm. I was growing even more appreciative of that $5.00!! We drove back to the car, luckily I was parked in the shade where T would wait next to the Element and I headed back to trail on my bike to see if I had any luck on the other end of the trail....though I'm pretty sure the key fell out when I GU'd high up on the ridge....it was getting hot and I stopped looking after 1/2 an hour confident that the tow truck would be arriving soon.....little did I know that we were in for a 4 plus hour wait!
We waited and waited and waited. T needed gas and in our haste to get back to my stranded vehicle he forgot to gas up at the station where he picked me up. I told him to drive back into town get gas and try to call again (as we had no signal either) while I waited for the tow....apparently my problem solving abilities were returning.
Another 30, 40 minutes went by and no tow truck or T! T finally pulled up and had decided to get a carwash at the gas station while he was there!
When he pulled up I was relieved because you know by this time I was really agitated. The idea of leaving the car was completely unacceptable...broken glass in the same spot we were parked, signs of an obvious break-in.
T must've spoke with every AAA roadside service agent that was working that day, each giving a different storey, one said the driver was lost, another said they didn't know which tow service to dispatch, and then the another said they were on their way...would be there soon. We hoped the later was true.
Around 4 pm a tow truck arrived, however he pulled over and parked far away. The driver was talking to someone and didn't step out of his vehicle for several minutes. Turns out he wasn't going to tow us, he had missed his turn and it was purely accidental that he happened along. He proceeded to recite the "no key no tow policy" There was no way in hell that driver was not taking us and it was T being the diplomat that he is that convinced the driver to tow us back to Berkeley. Because of the numerous calls T had made he was able to convince the powers that be that we were in fact the owners of the vehicle, that we had made a reasonable effort in obtaining a locksmith and we should NOT be charged the $120.00 tow fee. The tow guy got us into the car and I was able to retrieve my belongings. Once we arrived back home he asked for ID, license and registration, proof of insurance. 10 minutes later he came back and asked for our phone number.....this guy was beyond thorough!!!
So, what started out as a pleasant 2 hour run turned into an all day ordeal. The whole day was shot. By the time we got home it was after 4 pm! The funny thing was we had tickets for Bonnie Rait and Keb Mo that night and I wasn't really feeling up to it by the time we got home. But there was no backing out. A couple of big-ass beers, Bonnie and Keb singing the blues I was in good company.
Monday was spent getting duplicates made (you may have wondered why their wasn't one already, the Element is a pre-owned vehicle and it came with only one key....I know I know I know I should've made one earlier, I told ya I was embarrassed!!!!) I won't even say how much it cost to replace that key................ and yes, we sprung for a spare. Needless to say I was extra careful to clip in my key for this morning 's run.
Today I discovered East Bay National Trail. After a fair amount of climbing under a canopied firetrail, things leveled off ...a bit ...as I headed into the open full on sun around 10 am. I saw a few runners...not too many going my direction as they no doubt got an earlier start....geez by the time I got my act together at home I didn't get to the trailhead until after 9:30.
As I mentioned things leveled off ....and as they say "what goes up must come down". I practiced more backward descents and was a bit disappointed to arrive at the end of the trail within 40 minutes. Per usual for me, I have no idea how far I went, I wanted a trail with hills and that's what I got. The temps were rising and I was a little worried about the climb back up but it wasn't so bad, an occasional breeze would take the edge off and before I knew I was back to my car. Total run time 1.25 hrs
I drove back towards Skyline Blvd. and decided that I had some energy left for a bit more running. I noticed a couple of people, an adult male and a younger girl stepping off the trail and the guy was shaking the dust off his shoes, it looked like they had been running.
I parked on the side of the rode and found another sweet canopied trail....this one was a mostly level, windy single track. I came across several Skyline Cross Country kids and would scoot to the right when packs of three would zoom by. One kid must've been new to running and attempted to pass on MY right....I was startled and not-a-little-annoyed and let him by on the left side...remember this is a single track trail ....with hikers and other runners coming from the opposite direction.......I don't know what he was thinking trying to pass on my right. I let him pass me from the left but the kid just ran directly in front of me. I thought, "hmm...ok I'll hang out in his draft for awhile and if he doesn't pick up his pace I'll demonstrate the proper way to pass." Impatience got the best of me and I made my move and got a little distance from him when more kids coming from the opposite direction came towards me. I moved over to the right as far as I could....and I'll be damned if that little turd didn't pass me again....the thing was he looked like he was really struggling....just shuffling along. It's was that look I'd learned about from reading race strategies, reading your opponents body language really can give you an edge. I picked things up again got around him and made for a strong finish to the end. Total run time 40 mins.
So humor me a little. I don't know how long that kid had been on that trail, he looked pretty tired and probably outran my old ass self threefold....still I'm not gonna lie and say that I didn't get a little satisfaction re-taking the lead. Give it up for the old chick!
*********************************************************
I am beyond frustrated with my daughter at the moment. Her enthusiasm for swimming has waned and it is SOOOOO disappointing. It appears that my interest in it was the beginning of the end for her. Last time I had to drag her there and she wouldn't even go in. She's into bike riding more now and I should be happy with that but right now I want and need to swim and T is at work.
Let the pre-teen rebellion begin!
Sunday, September 17, 2006
It's Official
I'm addicted to the ipod. I went totally mental looking for it this morning....it had slipped off the trunk I place my running junk on ....the wave of relief that I felt once I found it was no less satisfying than any junkie jonesing and then scoring!!!.....I couldn't fathom the idea of a long run without it. How sad is that?
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Hurricane Christine
I hadn't been running here in awhile. After 2 loops I'm usually pooped.
Not today, I could of kept going.....wretched time restraints prevented me from going longer....
Oh well a little something is always better than nothing. I think I tend to forget that if there's not time for a longer workout that even 20 minutes is keeping me consistent.....this level of fitness I'm striving towards is an accumulative thing and consistency is key.
I've been feeling a tad bit unsteady lately, a barrage of bullshit challenges one after another has rocked my reserve a bit ...when that happens I clean house. It's a way to get focused and it calms me down. T was a big help this week and I'd be remiss to overlook his ability to give me shelter from the storm so to speak....the self induced storm I can conjure up when I feel overwhelmed.
The clouds have parted, I see the blue on the horizon.
It's all going to be ok.
Not today, I could of kept going.....wretched time restraints prevented me from going longer....
Oh well a little something is always better than nothing. I think I tend to forget that if there's not time for a longer workout that even 20 minutes is keeping me consistent.....this level of fitness I'm striving towards is an accumulative thing and consistency is key.
I've been feeling a tad bit unsteady lately, a barrage of bullshit challenges one after another has rocked my reserve a bit ...when that happens I clean house. It's a way to get focused and it calms me down. T was a big help this week and I'd be remiss to overlook his ability to give me shelter from the storm so to speak....the self induced storm I can conjure up when I feel overwhelmed.
The clouds have parted, I see the blue on the horizon.
It's all going to be ok.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Riding and Running
Got together with Arthur and Emily for a long ride this weekend...35 miles (3.5 hours in the saddle!), my longest ride to date. It wasn't the nicest day for a ride, gray with poor visibility. Starting my period the day before didn't help much. Let's just say it wasn't the most comfortable ride of my life. But so as not to be a total bitch bucket, there were some nice moments, the fast descents, feeling strong on the hills despite being tired...
We took Grizzly Peak to Redwood Regional Park. A detour on Pinhurst (will be in place through November) but a good portion of it was accessible from the south side. From there we headed over to Moraga, Orinda and up the backside of Tilden.
I just saw the film Prefontaine this weekend and really liked it, the soundtrack rocked! Man what an athlete! It's not unusual for me to watch a movie a couple of times in a row if I really like it. I watched a little of it again this morning while getting ready to run. My computer has been in the shop since Saturday and I needed help getting motivated. A "swift"
(ipod induced) 40 minute run in the surrounding neighborhood and back home taking time to stretch. I love me some Black-Eyed Peas in the morning.
My hair cut turned out pretty good but I'm pretty sure I'll be wearing a ponytail tomorrow. Yes, it's pretty and looks nice but it's highly unlikely that I'm going to take the time to blowdry, press and curl my hair everyday to achieve the look.
I
We took Grizzly Peak to Redwood Regional Park. A detour on Pinhurst (will be in place through November) but a good portion of it was accessible from the south side. From there we headed over to Moraga, Orinda and up the backside of Tilden.
I just saw the film Prefontaine this weekend and really liked it, the soundtrack rocked! Man what an athlete! It's not unusual for me to watch a movie a couple of times in a row if I really like it. I watched a little of it again this morning while getting ready to run. My computer has been in the shop since Saturday and I needed help getting motivated. A "swift"
(ipod induced) 40 minute run in the surrounding neighborhood and back home taking time to stretch. I love me some Black-Eyed Peas in the morning.
My hair cut turned out pretty good but I'm pretty sure I'll be wearing a ponytail tomorrow. Yes, it's pretty and looks nice but it's highly unlikely that I'm going to take the time to blowdry, press and curl my hair everyday to achieve the look.
I
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