Sunday, August 2, 2009

Coasting to the Coast



Sigh, time to get off the couch and leave the lair to do a bike ride. [photo taken at Happy Hollow Zoo, private tour]. I joined the semi secret society of cycling chickees (though we did allow some of the chickees' men folk to come along) for a ride to the coast. The route included: Mtn. Home from Pioneer Hotel in Woodside to Old La Honda East and West to Hwy 84, Haskins, Pescadero Road, Stage Rd., Hwy 1, Tunitas Creek and Kings Mtn.



The group (15 total) sped along at a pace a bit too much for me but they were a fantastic bunch who waited for me at various points along the way. A fun and funny bunch. I knew I would struggle when I started off at 17 mph on Mtn. Home and the group was barely in my sight line. Luckily, my ego is large enough (it swells on a regular basis) to accept being behind the entire trip. Our leader J was especially wonderful -- I had to walk for 10 minutes on Tunitas Creek due to a back ache and she came to fetch me, which motivated me to get it together and finish.
The highlight was stopping off at Pescadero Bakery for warm artichoke garlic bread. Delicious.
The Boyfriend planned to join us but he needed some down time after his boy bonding mtn. biking trip. He hit a pothole his first day out and split his lip (a plastic surgeon had to sew it up), got a black eye, chipped a tooth, and his body endured numerous scrapes and bruises. What a guy! Plus they had 100+ weather, which means bugs, bugs, bugs.
What a day! The stats:
51 miles
9.8 mph avg.
30 mph on a descent
5 hrs. 10 min.

1 comment:

Alison Chaiken said...

Janet truly is a generous and kind soul. I'm glad to know her.

I had a close encounter with the pavement tonight at Hellyer, so Keith and can compare bruises and scabs. Happily no tooth injuries or stitches for me this time, although I may have bent the rim of the rental bike.