Going the Distance

When am I going to be fed next? This is all I think about during a bike tour. Well, besides flirting. Oh lookey, a feed station, I mean a rest stop at mile 35. Hip hip hooray!

At around mile 39 -- Not even the firemen at Hill and E. Dunne could distract me from thinking: when am I going to be fed next! Oh no, cutting out Henry Coe meant no lunch stop. And then I saw the tall, dark handsome cyclist who appeared to be waiting for me across the street.

He: You have that look on your face.
Me: Oh, and what look would that be [take your pick: where's the next feed station or naughty thoughts....]
He: You look lost. You can ride with me. [he was doing his own thing not sticking to the route]
Me: Miss out on the turkey wraps for you? I don't think so, Mister!

Well, I figured out where to go next, having cut out the hardest part of the Tierra Bella 100 mile route - the 20 mile Henry Coe loop. I usually do the 100K but I wanted to push myself and go further. Last year, I did 85 miles for the Cinderella tour. But I generally just do 100K tours.

At the mile 75 rest stop (55 miles for me), I got my long awaited prize -- the turkey wraps! And an unexpected surprise -- The Boyfriend! He was going the full distance (the 100 mile) and yet caught up to me.

Me: Guess how many men I met on the ride!

He: You're so supposed to be biking not flirting.

Me: I have to tell you one story. The farmer on the tractor with the cactus garden. That big round sucker was planted in 1962! He wants me to come back in my car so I can take some succulents home with me.

He: You're supposed to be biking not meeting succulent farmers.

Me: I can't help myself.

He: Sigh.

Some highlights of this year's Tierra Bella:

Seeing my friends AC, PP, and SG who volunteered for the event

All the other volunteers who make the Tierra Bella a wonderful ride

The ride itself -- lovely especially Llages Rd.

Little wind for once and great weather

The Boyfriend hitting 54 mph somewhere on the route

Riding the last 35 miles with a 62 yr. old woman from Lodi. She was fabulous.

Not yet posted but the free photos of the event

Riding some of the route with The Boyfriend

Stats:

81 miles

12.7 mph avg.

31 mph on a descent

6 hrs 22 min