Ride recap!

I never realized I could drink two pints of beer so quickly. Then again, the first went down relatively easily, while Nathaniel and I were waiting for our pizzas. And yes, there were two - pizzas that is. The second pint...well...you can't exactly eat a BBQ Chicken pizza without a beer, right?

How did I arrive at this point Saturday late-afternoon? Glad you asked....

It really started Friday night, when Nathaniel and I went to a friend's house for dinner and drinks. Correction: I went for dinner, my Other Half went for dinner and drinks. The Ironman Training Thing hit me hard when I saw nearly everyone else pouring Rum & Coke or beer (and in some wild cases - both).

I got really excited when someone mentioned she was going hiking with her hubby and son the next day on Palomar.

"Really?" I cried, setting down my Sodawater (which got a few disapproving stares, I might add). "Where are you guys going? At the top?? Ooohhhhh - there are some great trails! And its just beautiful!" I continued.

And yes: for the record I got a few stares. I love that mountain in a twisted, weird way - but the fact that people would actually go to it to hike and not bike really got me excited. Hello Off-season! I think I know what I'll be doing!

I got even more stares when I said my good-byes at 8:30. Rising at 0430 for breakfast followed by a 120-mile ride is just not conducive to late-night partying.

Nathaniel - on the other hand - stayed and had a blast. And I didn't blame him, not one bit. But it was hard to deny the pangs of jealousy as I drove away from the Merry-making. Just think about running down Ali'i drive towards that finish line...it will all be worth it in the end...and this is something that they'll never do...you have to make sacrifices if you want something special...just focus on that finish... But it still hit hard. I sometimes wonder if what I miss - time with Nathaniel and having a "normal" weekend - is really worth it.

(statement, not question)

Then again...

1) What is normal 2) I really LOVE training and racing and would be extremely unhappy if I wasn't able to do it (as we all know from 2008). 3) Once I'm out and riding, there is no other place I would rather be on a Saturday morning than on my bike, enjoying the beautiful California scenery.

But I digress....

How did I find myself wolfing down two pints of beer and just over one pizza?

I short: I rode my bike a really really REALLY long time.

Here's a time-lime of my thoughts on Saturday morning/afternoon.

0430: Alarm beeps - God this is early. Just 20 more minutes, and I'll be okay.

0450: Second alarm
0451: Third alarm
0452: Forth alarm
045-- Okay, okay! I'm up!

0500: Breakfast. Ugh. Too early to drink two bottles of ensure. But at least the banannas go down well.

0530: Amazing how many people are on Facebook on Saturday morning!

0550: Good Lord - I must have used at least 1/4 cup of chamois cream in my shorts. Ugh. Cold, wet, messy...and let's hope that it lasts all day long.

0612: Kiss Nathaniel good bye and DO NOT look longingly at the other half of the bed. It is just too tempting to jump back in and snuggle under the covers....

0615: Out the door. Riding. Good morning to other rider along Kelley drive.

0630: Meet Darcy - ride partner extraordinare for our Henshaw Loop Ride.

0635: Make new friend - Norm, who is running the Disney Half Marathon tomorrow (Sunday) and 'only' riding 40 miles. Ignore pangs of jealousy.

0637: Wonder if those pangs of jealousy come from only riding 40 miles or only running a half marathon?

0655: Hello early morning fog! Beautiful draped over the valleys and hills...pouring out from the trees. I know you promise to make this day a humid one. Now - if you could please keep the desert thunderstorms away until after we've passed through the desert...

0715: Hello Elfin Forest! Hello the Smell of Dill! I LOVE dill! I love how dill smells! I love riding through Elfin Forest!

0740: Discover that Darcy is my Marathon-twin. We have the EXACT same marathon times in both our IM AND open marathon. Four marathons from two people run under extremely different circumstances and the exact same time down to the minute. I knew I liked this girl...

0755: Holy Cow! We pass two other bikers, and it turns out they are doing the Henshaw loop as well! Jump on the train Caroline and Vicki! This ride just got better!!!!

0805: Rest stop to pick up MORE people riding Henshaw. YES!

0820: Uh oh! New group of friends is going the wrong way! No no no no no! I think something is wrong.

0821: Darcy and I turn around and ride our own way on Henshaw loop and figure that we'll see the group coming from the opposite direction. Riding down the Ramona Pass at 1:00 pm on Saturday just didn't sound all that good....with wine tasters and all getting behind the wheel. Yikes! Oh well. Sianara draft from uber-fast bike guys!

0822: Shit! Where is my turn?

0823: Pretend that you're not lost... I think its the next light...?

0825: Oh good! There it is. Phew!!

0835: Hello Ostriches!

0845: Good morning Cows!

0850: Hello Ramona Pass! Let's hit the watts and GO!

0900: Tell Darcy that I'm GRATEFUL for the fact that she has a mirror on her helmet and can see cars coming from behind. I'll spot the glass and grates and debris up ahead as long as she warns of cars, trucks, motorcycles and everything else in between.

0912: Holy Cow it is HOT. Already!

0918: YEA! Gas station and conversation with another cyclist at gas station. Try not to cry when he says he's only riding 40 miles.

0919: What is it with people and their 40-mile rides?

0930: Smell BACON and SAUSAGE and EGGS and HASH BROWNS and COFFEE and SYRUP and PANCAKES at a restaurant in Ramona.

0933: Still salivating.

0940: Climbing up false flat.

0953: Still climbing up false flat.

1005: Getting sick of false flat.

1010: False flat is fill-in-the-blank with four-letter-fffff-words.

1012: F*cking fals flat. And now my water is HOT.

1015: Look! Lamas! At least I think they're lamas. What's the difference between lamas and camels?

1025: MORE false flat

1040: Passing the 3000 foot sign. BEAUTIFUL view!

1043: Even better view with the Julian Pie Shop Rest-stop in sight!

1050: Put quarter into the coolest gallon-of-water machine EVER. We managed to fill up 6 bottles for .25 cents. YES!

1055: Still climbing. Almost...to....the....top....

1100: Holy Cow - there is the dome of Palomar's peak. Seeing it in the distance from this vantage is always beautiful.

1103: Nice to descend... FINALLY!

1110: STILL descending! Beautiful!

1111: Hello SR-76 and Lake Henshaw!

1125: Wave to Caroline and Vicki coming up the opposite direction! YEA!

1130: East Grade Road and Hedwind.

1133: Headwind!

1140: HEADWIND!!!

1150: MORE HEADWIND. Can't turn..the..pedals...fast...enough...but...am...working..

1158: Holy Hell its HOT out here!

1204: Descending part of Palomar. Wind whipping by...not pedaling (finally)...but STILL windy and hot. YEA!

1211: Bump. Bump. Bump. Stupid. Bump. Cracks. Near. Bump. Bump. Harras. Bum. Casino. Bump. Double Check. Bump. On. Bump. Bottles. Bump Bump. In. Back.

1215: the BEST fire station rest stop and gas station EVER. I *heart* ice machines. And people who let me take as much ice as I need.

1217: My 5th gel of the day. Ugh.

1220: I have run out of Gears climbing the Valley View Hill. And I am roasting in the process.

1222: Scene from "The Wizard of Oz" enters my friend brain. "I'm melting, melting!" Except I'm not in a black cape or pointy hat. A broom would be nice, though. At least I could sweep up all the glass laying in wait on the road.

1229: Just make it to the top.

1230: The top! ALMOST there...

1233: Who am I kidding? Another few minutes to go.

1234: FINALLY - turning on towards Lake Wholford Road, and passing the 96-degree sign. Hello heat!

1250: Avoid the urge to jump into Lake Wholford. Damn that water looks beautiful!

1258: Descend! Lake!!! Wholford!!! Hiiiiilllll!!!! Weeeeeeeee!!!!!!

1304: Stupid right knee has decided to twinge with every pedal stroke. Bugger.

1310: Okay - mental pep talk! About 90 minutes left from this point! I am riding for pizza and beer! Invite Darcy and her famiy/friends for pizza and beer. The Pizza and beer date with Nate will get me through this ride..

1316: Successfully avoid flat tire while leaping over MONSTER pot hold.

1318: pzt pzt pzt pzt pzt.... hello flat tire!

1319-1322: Watch in amazement as Darcy changes my flat tire in absolute record time. It took me longer to pee at the last rest station. This girl is incredible. I stand and watch in amazement! I am humbled!

1323: We are on our way.

1330: Passing the El Pollo Loco shop - so I know that I'm on course...

1331: Pizza and beer sounds good... mmmmm....pizza and beer....mmmmm....

1351: Wow - lots of traffic. Pot holes. Busses. Ugh. Just get to San Marcos...just get to San Marcos...and its all downhill from there. And then pizza and beer date with Nate!

1400: Am somehow managing to not get lost as I make two lefts and a right...or was that a right and then left... hhhmmmm. Thank goodness for Darcy! To heads are better than one - and I've managed to entire her with promise of pizza and beer.

1412: Back on track! ON Palomar Airport Road and heading to the coast! Mountain thunderheads to our back, while catching glimpses of the deep blue ocean from the crest of hills. Beautiful!

1420: Watch Darcy push in excess of 400+ watts and do my best to stay on her wheel. He strength is incredible and I manage only because 1) I didn't have any Rum & Coke last night 2) we are ALMOST done.

1426: Almost to Kelley Drive...almost there...almost done....discuss the workout that Craig Walton does (a 120-mile ride and THEN 12 X 1 mile running reapeats ON the 6:30 interval. Oh MY GOSH!).

1427: Decide that instead of running something stupid at a stupidly fast pace, I will drink beer and have pizza instead.

1428: Pizza and beer! GETTING CLOSER!!

1430: Turning onto Kelly drive - the work is done, and now just an easy spin back home! Bid farewells to Darcy and ride up the FINAL little hill. Views of the condo, the lagoon, the ocean, the power plant - all marvelous. I never knew that fresh, sweet air, coming off the ocean could taste so good!

1438-1445: lay on the floor in a stupor of cond

1450: Shower

1456-1511: Lay in bed in post-shower stupor, wrapped in warm and damp towel - listening to Nathaniel reading a list, but not really hearing anything that he's saying.

1530: Pizza Port! YEA! Order some sort of Pint of Amber for myself..Nathaniel got a pint of "Pure Hoppiness" and we put in our pizza orders. Me - the BBQ pizza. Nathaniel - something with artichoke hearts, cheese, sausage...yum!

1545: Wating for pizza and watching football. With empty beer pints in front of us.

1546: Decide that another pint is in order for when the pizza arrives. This time I'll try an Oktoberfest brew of some sort. MMMmmm...

1550: Pizza arrives and I'm eating.

Eating

Eating

Drinking

Eating

Watching football

Eating

Driking

Eating.

Aaaahhhh. Happy.

Yes - other people are staring, and I would admit that seeing a small-medium-ish sized girl putting down 8 slices of pizza and 2 pints is a bit of a show....

I still did it.

Now - if only I could move. Legs seemed to have locked up... But tummy is happy and brain is slightly fuzzy.... MMMmmmmm....

Post-ride life is good!

Where was I?

At this point...? Who cares.

It was a long, long, LONG ride - made all the better with a great ride partner (THANK YOU DARCY). My legs cooperated and pushed the way they were supposed to, my head remained upbeat and true - even when the going got tough, and I didn't chuck my bike off a cliff or run headlong into a lake. Success!!!

Looking forward to the next ride...