Day 223: Back to the City

I had to wrap business errands around my ride today, so I was all over the place by bike. I of course worry about leaving my bike outside anywhere that I go, but most of the businesses that I visited today let me bring my bike in with me.

I needed to get to San Francisco before 3:00 pm, so I blasted down the bike path, and I mean blasted! The wind was behind me and I was doing 20-23 mph from Mill Valley to the south end of Sausalito. It was great to be riding that fast while not feeling any fatigue in my legs.

After a quick turnaround in San Francisco I headed back towards home.

On the way back I had to pass the construction zones that are all over the Presidio, and especially Crissy Field, which is where I was riding. As I was riding by one zone a crane was lifting one of those thick steel plates over a hole in the road. The plate was connected by a chain. Just as I was riding by, the chain snapped and it came whizzing by my head at lightning speed. I could hear it cutting through the air, but I could barely see it since it was going so fast. I was very lucky to not be killed. The plate came crashing down near a construction worker’s foot, so he was lucky too. I don’t need any other things to make might heart rate jump, but this sent it racing! ;-) Hopefully I can blame my higher power, my brother Rick, for watching after me today.

The same winds that were working for me on the way into the city, were now working against me, so I had to work hard as I pushed through them on my way home. The skies went gray again today, and I yearn for the sun again, but I know that it will be back soon, and that winter will pass soon enough. I somehow feel like I’ve turned another corner today, in the most positive sense.

While on today's ride I reflected on the past year, and about the things that are going on in my life at the moment. I thought about a U2 song that's been stuck in my head since late last night. I found a good live performance of the song, it's called “Love is Blindness:” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8oy0nR1Nhw. The makeup doesn’t suit Bono, but beyond that it’s a great performance, especially from the Edge. The lyrics are an interesting poem too: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/u/u2/love+is+blindness_20141386.html  Anyway, I've been there, and done that...

Distance: 26.56 miles
Calories burned: 1,395
Time: 1:46:56 hours
Elevation gain: 949 ft
Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23432229