Day 190: The Rain is Back and Meeting a New Riding Partner

I don’t know what I was thinking today. I knew that the rains were on the way, but I just kept getting distracted by one thing, and then another. When I left the house this afternoon it was still dry out, but I could literally feel the rain that was on the way. I was also working against the restricted daylight since I didn’t drag my lazy butt out the door until 2:38 pm. That gave me two hours to get my ride in before dark.

As I reached the trailhead, which is about 1.5 miles from my home, the drops began to fall. They were heavy drops, and they meant business, if you know what I mean. I had enough cold and wet weather gear on to get me through the ride, but it was going to be cold and wet. I pressed on.

About two-thirds of the way up the Blithedale Canyon portion of Railroad Grade, I heard someone approaching from down trail. It’s not too often nowadays that riders are catching up with me while riding up Mount Tam. When I do get caught it's usually by people that I already know. Not today. Today I was greeted by “E” (no my young friend "E," or my other friend "E." I'm keeping a side record of all of the initials...) who’s a local. As it turned out, he knows many of my friends, but for some reason we’d never met before; Odd.

Given that we have so many friends in common, it was easy for us to slip into conversation. By the time that we'd reached Double Bow Knot he asked me if he could join me on the rest of my ride. I was happy to have another person along for the journey. I do worry about riding solo on days like today. All that it takes is one mistake, on a cold and wet day, and that can cost you your life. I'm not being dramatic either. Hypothermia can kill one very quickly, especially if they're injured, and can't find shelter.

We rode over to the Marin Headlands via Gravity Car and the Panoramic Highway, and by that time the rains were heavy, and we were soaked. My feet were sloshing around in my shoes, mud was flying into my face, and my bike was making noises that are simply not good. The good news is that I was riding and socializing with someone that I never would have met if I hadn't gotten onto my bike today.

We had fun. “E,” let’s ride again soon.

Last night was a blast. Having “orphans” over for Christmas dinner was so nice. I worked hard to get everything prepared, but it was worth it. Everyone brought a side dish including carrots, brussels sprouts, and a fantastic lemon pie.

It was hard to do my ride and writing, and then to cook and clean, but I pulled it off! We had fun, and I feel so lucky to have these wonderful friends. “J,” I’m going to get you back for giving me such a wonderful gift! You’re the bomb! You are too "C."

Distance: 17.53 miles
Calories burned: 1,555
Time: 1:32:28 hours
Elevation gain: 2,175 ft
Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/21052060

Day 189: Merry Christmas

I’m going to be brief today since I have a lot of cooking and cleaning to do before my guests arrive for our “orphan’s dinner.” I’m really excited to have friends over for Christmas dinner.

I was up really, really late last night. I got home from my family’s home in Davis, CA well after midnight, and then I still needed to finish writing yesterday’s posting. I think that I ended up getting to sleep a little after 4:00 am. Ouch! So today I’m going to take it easy. I even cut my ride a bit short in lieu of coming home to start cooking.

It was great to have bumped into “E.” on the trail today. He and I met on a ride a couple of months ago and have stayed in touch via Email ever since. Today he was riding an old cruiser that’s absolutely stunning. I think that it’s really cool that he not only owns vintage bicycles, but he also rides them! We’re going to try to set up a ride for this coming week, and if we do I’ll either be riding my Bon Tempe, Phoenix, or possibly my steel OX prototype that was built by Bernie Mikkelsen. It’s rigid and has a Titanium front fork.

OK, I need to get to work. Merry Christmas to all of you that have been following my recovery, and a special thanks to all of you that have been my support system during the past year! I'm very grateful to all of you.

Distance: 10.39 miles
Calories burned: 965

Time: 1:01:29 hours

Elevation gain: 1,368 ft

Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/20981568

Day 188: The Christmas Spirit

It was three years ago today, and almost literally to the hour, that my father passed away. He was 84 years old and had lived an extraordinary life by any person’s measurement. He passed away shortly after finding out that he had cancer, and to this day I feel that he was lucky to have gone so quickly.

My father and I had grown very close during the years after my mom had passed away. We became good friends. I know that might sound a bit strange, but there’s a big difference between being a father, and being a friend. In the end he was obviously still my dad, but he was much more of a friend, and frankly, he was a much better friend than a father. I know, that doesn’t sound very nice, but here’s why. My father’s father died when he was only 12 years old. My dad literally started working at 12 years of age in order to help his family survive. He had no father figure as a role model and I’m convinced that is why he wasn’t able to be a good father to me in the traditional sense of the word. He was a provider, and a good one at that, but he wasn’t the type of father that played ball with me, or took me to a baseball game. That never happened.

The above stated, I feel that my father was a great man, and one for whom to this day I hold great admiration. He provided for his mother, his brothers and sisters, and then he spent most of the rest of his life providing for my mother, my brothers, and me.

It was my pleasure to take care of him during the final years of his life. Every time that he needed something, and each and every time that I helped him, I remembered that he had been there for us during our entire lives. It was through my dedication to returning a small portion of the gift that he gave me during my life, that he and I became close friends. I never, EVER, would have guessed that he and I would become so close. I feel so fortunate to have had a relationship with him, albeit very late in my life. “Better late than never,” as they say.

it was 10:12 pm on Christmas Eve of 2006 that I got the call from Marin Convalecent Hospital telling me that my dad had “expired.” What a word to use in telling a son that his father had passed away. To this day I can hear that word coming through the telephone clearer than day. Dead, died, Passed away, would have been my word choices, but no, “Your father expire.” That’s not a typo by the way. Expire is not a word that I’ve ever attached to death, but if you look at the definition it’s actually very accurate, and the Asian woman that delivered the news was probably trained to use the word.

Dictionary.com’s definition:

1. to come to an end; terminate, as a contract, guarantee, or offer.
2. to emit the last breath; die.
3. to breathe out.
4. to die out, as a fire.

So how does this apply to today? I don’t know. I spent the evening with my remaining family, and that was so wonderful for me. On the drive there and back, about three hours total, I was thinking about my dad and mom. There’s so much that they would have loved about the day today. The stories that were shared, the laughter, the food, and the love that flowed within our family was quite extraordinary. My remaining family is quite splintered in a way, but it’s strong and loving nonetheless. It’s amazing to me that “blood” is not what keeps us together anymore, it’s simply the love and respect that we have for one another. The best part is that the family is growing.

As I write this I’m thinking about how I miss my former in-laws. I hate the word in-laws, but that’s the proper distinction. They were, and are good friends, although there's been a huge fracture in our relationship, and one that wasn’t caused by either party. It's the nature of the beast, as they say.

My writing is spilling over into Christmas as it’s now 1:11 am. Merry Christmas to all of you. OH YEAH, TO THE ELF THAT SET UP AN OAK TREE IN MY LIVING ROOM, TUGBOAT HAS A FEW THINGS TO SAY… THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME TO EMBRACE CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR.

Distance: 17.70 miles
Calories burned: 1,534
Time: 1:35:09 hours
Elevation gain: 2,164 ft
Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/20956259

Day 187: Riding with the Boys

I was running errands on my bike today, including going to the bank, and then getting a haircut. While at the downtown Bank of America ATM I was surprised to see “J.” He is one of the people that inspired me to do Riding to Recovery. It was a pleasant surprise, and it was even better for me to see that he’s doing really well. After one has been inundated with information about AA/AL-anon, it’s easy to see if a person is OK, or not. “J” is doing fine.

We talked for a while and exchanged some contact information. We’re hopefully going to do another ride together soon!

After picking up some cash at the ATM I headed back towards the local barber shop for a haircut. Along the way a half dozen of my friends from WTB passed on the other side of the street. They heckled me to join them. I kept going because I had a self-imposed “tight schedule.” When I arrived at the Barber shop there was a line out the door. Within two seconds I was back on my bike and chasing down my buddies that I’d past a couple minutes beforehand.

I really laid down some effort in order to try to catch up with them. With each corner that I’d round they wouldn’t be there. I kept on pushing hard to catch them. I finally reached the entrance to Railroad Grade where there’s a clear visual up the first 500 yards of trail, and yet there was still no one in sight. I used my big ring and fourth gear to push even harder. Finally, and as I reached the turn off to Tank Turns, I saw them climbing up the trail. I first whistled, and then yelled, “Slow the hell down!” I was the oldest guy there by at least 10 years…

I was happy to have caught up with them, and then to have a great ride on the mountain with these guys. I’m so appreciative to have my fitness back to a level at which I can keep up with most riders. I could have used some new tires today as my NanoRaptors are worn to the bone on my SuperHeavy, and the trails that we were riding were not even conducive to a brand new set NanoRaptors. ;-) I could have used a serious set of tires, and frankly, a totally different bike, but hey, I hung with youngsters today, and that was really great.

Thanks for the ride guys!

Distance: 13.21 miles
Calories burned: 1,313
Time: 1:25:18 hours
Elevation gain: 2,229 ft
Garmin Connect ride details:  http://connect.garmin.com/activity/20916416

Day 186: Christmas is in the Air

It’s taken me a while to get into the Christmas spirit this year, but today I could feel the spirit creeping in as I rode through Mill Valley on my way to my favorite mountain. In a way I had better get into the Christmas spirit since I’m hosting a dinner for a half dozen of us orphans. I started thinking about the things that I need to do between now and Christmas Day, and that got me into the mood for the holiday. It’s been very hard for me to get behind the Christmas holiday since my Dad passed away on Christmas Eve of 2006. That night was so incredibly intense. He spent hours and hours struggling with his impending death, and I sat by his side and watched hour after hour. I couldn’t leave him, but then I remembered hearing something that a Hospice care worker told me. She said that sometimes those who are about to die may wait until they’re alone to pass on. So I went over to my father’s bedside and gave him a hug and then literally yelled into his ear, “I love you!” He jolted around a bit as if to acknowledge that he'd heard me. I then all but ran from the room. I drove home knowing that was the last time that I’d see him alive. An hour afterwards I got the call. He was gone. He was a great man that I miss to this day. After writing this passage, and reflecting on the events of three years ago, I’m realizing precisely why it’s hard for me to embrace the Christmas season.

I guess that I just got distracted… Wow!

I rolled out the door for a nice ride today. The weather was cooperating albeit it was a bit chilly. It was a beautiful winter’s day with crystal clear blue skies, and views from the West Point Inn to the city that were extraordinary.

I rode my SuperHeavy up the mountain today. “She” has become a good friend over the course of the last year. I wasn’t very fond of her at first. I didn’t even understand her at first. You see, I’ve been a hardtail rider since 1991, if not earlier. It’s so corny to personify a bicycle, and to use words like “her” to describe it, but it is what it is.

I had a good day of riding. I could have enjoyed it more if I had more time to ride, but I didn’t. The winter months have really put a damper on things for me in terms of doing long rides. I’m going to need to make use of the spring in order to get my mileage back up. You know what (?), I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. I’m actually doing really well given that it’s winter… Bye for now.

Distance: 17.61 miles
Calories burned: 1,528
Time: 1:41:45 hours
Elevation gain: 1,965 ft
Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/20879427

Day 185: Lunchtime means that it’s Time to Ride

It’s become pretty normal for me each day to ping my friends at WTB about doing a ride. We’ve been stringing together the rides as best we can given the nasty weather conditions, business meetings, and life’s usual commitments. Luckily for me, I’ve gone on most of the lunch rides that have left WTB’s world headquarters. ;-)

Today I heard from my buddy “B,” and he wanted to do the lunch ride even though it had been raining all morning long. I’m always happy to have someone to ride with when the weather is bad. “B” and I headed out to do what’s become a bit of a “usual” lunch ride. It includes riding up the first third of Mount Tam, and then over to the Marin Headlands where we can ride up the Coyote Ridge fire road. From there we typically head down the Miwok fire road into Tennessee Valley.

Today the National Park Service had apparently decided to do some trail maintenance on the Miwok Trail. I have no idea why they’d be out there on a such rainy day while doing this kind of work, but they were. The new troughs that they were cutting in the trail left huge amounts of exposed dirt that was basically dangerous for cyclists. The loose and mud-stricken dirt was like cement for our tires. At one point, and in a steep section, I had to remember way back to the days when I played hockey in CT in order to “skate” my bike through the muck. I was laughing as I descended, but then I started to worry about falling and injuring my freshly (almost) healed ribs. “B” and I fortunately made it through the gauntlet of rangers and trail muck. When we made it down to the road I think that we both sighed in relief.

Thanks for the great ride “B.” How about riding tomorrow?

Distance: 16.79 miles
Calories burned: 1,468
Time: 1:44:45 hours
Elevation gain: 1,893 ft
Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/20843621

Day 184: Making it Over the Hump with Friends

Today I celebrated making it past the midway point in Riding to Recovery. I was fortunate enough to be riding with friends that have known me for a total of over 45 years combined. That’s pretty amazing given that there were only three friends that made it out for the ride. I may have been celebrating the halfway point in R2R, but I should have been celebrating the fact that I’ve kept these wonderful friends for so many years. I need to think more about that, because that's a really worthy milestone on which to reflect.

Today’s ride took place at Anadel State Park in Santa Rosa, CA. It’s a beautiful park that has embraced the idea of sharing the trails for all purposes. So you’ll have runners, equestrians, and cyclists using the same trails at the same time, and while most everyone gets along famously. We rode by people on horseback today that waved us on by after we had courteously stopped to let them pass. We had runner after runner come by us while delivering a friendly hello each time. It’s so refreshing to ride in a friendly and basically unrestricted environment. Marin is arguably the birthplace of mountain biking, and yet it's one of the most highly volatile mountain biking regions in the country, if not the world. It’s sad at one level, but on another, I think that things are changing albeit slowly.
 

I’d guess that of the 22 miles that we rode today, that 80 percent were on single track. There were technical sections, rock gardens to pick through, and sections of high-speed singletrack that could only bring smiles to everyone’s faces. We faced sloppy adobe clay, solid rock formations, wet roots covered in Coastal and Valley Oak tree leaves that have fallen for the season, and just about every other form of trail conditions. It was beautiful. The trees had moss growing on them, and the rich smell of organic materials permeated from the ground.

After circumventing much of the park we headed to the back side where we caught the singletrack trail that runs alongside the creek that flows from the lake’s dam that's in the belly of the valley. I wish that I knew the name of that valley. Does anyone care to answer that question? Once at the dam, we all took a break after what was a challenging climb. I even stopped for about 10 seconds to catch my breath. “C” passed me as I rested, but I wanted to get back on the bike so that I could catch up with him. I ultimately did catch up, but only after he fell onto some of the local rocks while riding a very costly carbon fiber Scott mountain bike. Phew! There was nothing broken on his bike…”C” was OK too.
 

Once that we all felt rested and had refueled on one thing or another, we headed towards my favorite trail that’s appropriately called the Cobblestone Trail. All of the trails at Anadel are named as they are. The Marsh Trail, Rough Trail, Cobblestone Trail, etc., they’re all named for what they represent. The Cobblestone Trail is nothing but fun and excitement. I was riding my full suspension bike today, and I’ve never ridden these trails with an FS bike. So where I used to carefully guide my bike through rocks and roots, today I just rolled right though them. I followed “C” who’s been riding FS bikes longer than I have, and he was flooring it, so I followed when I could and all the while constantly reminding myself that I need to let the bike do more work than I’m used to. I had a great time blasting down this trail today. We respectfully slowed for all of the hikers that we encountered, and yet we had a fun and safe descent back to our cars.

“M,” “C,” and “G,” thank you so much for sharing the day with me. I ride alone a lot, so it’s always a treat for me to ride with a group, and especially a group of people with whom I have a rich history. I met “G’ in Santa Cruz in 1983, “M” at WTB in Mill Valley in 1998, and “C” at the California Pedaler in 1999, so you can do the math on that. I’m fortunate to have so many people that have remained my friends throughout my life.

On a personal note, today marks the first day that I’m on the backside (halfway point) of my commitment to ride every day for one calendar year. The weight of the day required me to do some reflecting. I looked very carefully at where I’ve been, and what I’ve been through during the course of “N’s” alcoholism, and also all of the tragic family losses that I’ve sustained during the last decade. I looked at everything from my role in ‘N’s” alcoholism, to my loyalty and commitment to marriage, and then to my selfless commitment to my father during the last years of his life. I can see many things so clearly now. I couldn’t do that before, so I guess that I’m growing as I trudge through all of the “gifts” that I’ve been delivered during my life.

When I started my rides I was worried about even reaching 60 consecutive days of riding. I worried each time that I shared my riding commitment with others. I fretted over failure. “What if I don’t make it?” After four months of riding daily I was feeling pretty confident in terms of putting in a solid effort, but I was still wondering, and even doubting if I could make the whole journey. It was then that I broke my ribs in a random crash on a trail that I know like the back of my hand. And then there was the evil cold that’s been going around tha took a hold on me. I renjued my ribs twice, once during a couching attack, and once during another fall, and that made me wonder once again if I could make the whole journey. I ended up riding through while having broken ribs and the evil cold, and now I’m nearly full strength again. I couldn’t have done any this without the support that I’ve received from friends and family during the past year, and especially during the past six months. Thank you to all of you that have propped me up, and pushed me on to the next step. I have some dark winter months ahead of me, but for me, knowing that I have all of you along for the ride means the world to me!

Required listening for tonight is a song that appropriate sums things up for me as I'm writing my "personal note." Ironically, I never listen to these guys, and yet “N” loves them, but thanks to iTunes shuffle I heard this song tonight: Queens of the Stone Age: This Lullaby. This tune would have been an appropriate tribute to my marriage well over a year ago, so please read it’s lyrics with that in mind, or better yet, listen to the song. I've come a long way since those darks time...

Queens of the Stone Age, This Lullaby:

Where, Oh where have you been my love?

Where, Oh where can you be?

It's been so long, since the moon has gone

And oh what a wreck you've made me

Are you lost, over the oceans?

Are you there, up in the sky?

Until the return of my love

This lullaby

My hope is on the horizon

Every face, your eyes I can see

I plead and pray though each night and day

Our embrace is only a dream

And as sure as days come from moments

Each hour becomes a life's time

When she'd left, I'd only begun this lullaby

 

Distance: 22.64 miles

Calories burned: 3,470

Time: 2:20:58 hours

Elevation gain: 3,286 ft

Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/20796676