Day 225: Dealing with Life's Wonders

Today I’ve been dealing with life’s little wonders, and it’s tired me out. On days like today, wherein I think that it’s going to be a day off, and it backfires on me, it simply wears me out. I tried to keep up with the influx of correspondence, but in the end there was just one more, and I decided to put it aside so that I can have a respite.

After dealing with as many of the issues as possible that found their way onto my plate today, I headed out to the mountain where I found some sun, and WOW, that sure felt good. I rode up to the inn, and unfortunately by then the rains came again, but in seeing the sun for a while today made my day!

I’m dumbfounded by the number of large trucks that the rangers are taking onto the mountain these days. They are digging huge grooves into the fire roads. What are they doing? I thought that the roads were closed to heavy vehicles during the winter? Apparently, that’s not the case anymore. Who’s “managing” these lands anyway? “Land Manager” sure has a bad ring to the title these days.
I rode up to the inn, and then over to Pantoll Station. I returned on one of my regular routes.

Life has many ways of playing games with people, and I simply refuse to play them.

Distance: 16.76 miles
Calories burned: 2,787
Time: 1:45:24 hours
Elevation gain: 4,693ft
Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23582408

Day 224; The English Beat

During the late 80’s and early 90’s I loved listening to the English Beat. A blend of Reggae and Punk, which ended up being called Ska, made for great listening. I think that I even saw one of their shows at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco in 1990, or 1991. If you would have asked me 20 years ago if I’d ever be dining with the English Beat at an Indian burrito shack, I would have called you crazy! Tonight, Tugboat and I dined with the English Beat at an Indian burrito shack called Punjabi.

As with so many things in my life, my dog Tugboat introduced me to the English Beat. I was ordering when I noticed a group of people beginning to introduce themselves to Tugboat. He’s a jumper, so I always make sure to keep an eye on him when people are nearby. He was doing his normal I-gotta-kiss-your-face routine and all seemed well. The people joined me in line and I was drawn to their English accents. I spoke with them about Tugboat, and one of them talked about missing his German Shepherd that’s back home in England, and the conversation continued.

We all sat together and I still didn’t know that I was sitting with “The English Beat.” We talked about dogs, and I mentioned a friend of mine that’s an artist from England. After a while I asked what they were doing in Mill Valley and they said that they were performing. There’s only one place to perform in Mill Valley these days and that’s the Throckmorton Theater. That’s when I asked them for the name of their band. I was embarrassed to find out that I’d been eating with one of my favorite bands and that I didn’t even recognize them!

Tugboat and I escorted them back to the theater where they walked straight in the front door and passed admiring fans that were waiting out in front. Tugboat was loved up one last time by band members before we said our goodbyes. They’re a nice group of people, and it was nice to get to meet them as just that, people, and not The English Beat. Thanks for the company tonight.

Today’s ride was dreary. The rains were back and the higher that I went on the mountain the worse that they became. The temperatures dropped too, and that made for a cold one. I spent 30 minutes in the shower trying to thaw out. Spring, can you come early this year?

Distance: 10.05 miles
Calories burned: 1,793
Time: 1:09:25 hours
Elevation gain: 2,855 ft
Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23230091

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

Day 222: Sun is Fun

The sun was out briefly today, and it was so nice to see and feel its rays. I wore dark clothes on my ride in order to soak in the warmth as I rode up Mount Tamalpais. It worked.

I took it easy for the past couple of days after feeling really tired and worn out. So today was a bit of a test to see if resting helped, and it did. I knew that I was rested as soon as I pedaled down my driveway. I felt no lactic acid in my legs, and no tightness in the tendons in my knees. I felt really good for the first time in weeks.

I rode up to the West Point Inn. I had to climb through the clouds that covered the middle mountain in order to get high enough to see the sun. At first I thought that it would be another day of gray skies while riding on the mountain, but then I began to ride through the clouds, and eventually I was saturated with sunlight. Phew! It’s about time. Tomorrow is supposed to be more of the same and I'm looking forward to more sun.

The journey on my BLT took me 59 minutes from my front door to the West Point Inn. That’s a bit faster than I’ve been doing the ride lately, but it’s a full 10 minutes slower than my fastest time during the fall. I wasn’t trying to go as fast as I could today, but I was happy to feel strong the whole way up the mountain and with gas left in my tank as I reached the inn.

I had a work issue come up early this morning and that meant cancelling my ride with a friend this morning. I’m bummed that I didn’t get to meet some of his friends that have been riding for many more years than I. Maybe they’ll do it again next Wednesday, and I'll bing out one of my vintage rigs?

Day 222 has a nice ring to it. 143 days to go, and then what? I’ve been thinking a lot about what to do on Day 366? Maybe I’ll just keep on riing?

Distance: 17.66 miles
Calories burned: 1,395
Time: 1:41:36 hours
Elevation gain: 2,083 ft
Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23366945

Day 221: Taking it Easy Today

I’ve been feeling tired lately. The stresses from the various things that are going on in my life, along with the difficulties that the winter have provided, have simply tired me out. I’m not willing to let R2R be the death of me. I have too many things to look forward to in life, like my family, old and new friends, and of course there’s Tugboat.

In order to be good to myself I took it really easy today. I was lucky to have a break from the rains, so I could ride my road bike instead of having to do another wet and heavy mountain bike ride. I really pulled back on the throttle today in order to give my legs a rest. I did a quick spin out to Sausalito on the bike path, and I then turned back and headed towards Tiburon.

I know these bike paths really well, and I knew that it would be an easy ride for me if I just remembered that I was taking it easy instead of pushing as I’ve been doing for months now. What a concept, and I already feel the benefit as I write tonight.

I ran into “J. B.” on the ride. He’s one of the founders of mountain biking, and someone that’s always good to see. He was riding a twenty-plus year old road bike that looks as cool today as it did on the day that it was built. We talked for a while, and settled some old business affairs, before parting ways in downtown Tiburon. I love the fact that cyclists can have conversations, like the one that we had today, while riding along at speed.

I returned via the same route that I’d ridden, and all of the way I reminded myself to take it easy, and I did just that! It felt odd to not be pushing harder and harder, because that’s what I’ve been doing for a long time now. I've been in the "more is better" routine in terms of my cycling. Today was a nice day of rest, and I look forward to treating myself to more rest days as I ride forward.

I’m really looking forward to tomorrow morning’s ride. I’m going to be out-experienced for sure! More on that tomorrow.

Distance: 19.83 miles
Calories burned: 1,186
Time: 1:23:56 hours
Elevation gain: 341 ft
Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23303916

Day 220: Boats are littering the Beach after the Storms

The boats that have littered the beach in Tiburon are a tribute to the power of  last week’s storms. I don’t know much about sailboats, but I imagine that these boats were tied up properly, and were literally wrenched from their moorings by the high winds and tides. I’ve seen beached boats here before, but never three at a time.

I rode through each of the storms that hit us day after day last week. I was extremely lucky to be able to plan my rides around the breaks in the storms It was nonetheless difficult to get out there during the stormy weather.

There was another storm in our area today. I found a brief break in the rains, and then headed out as fast as I could in order to miss the rains that were promised by our weather people. I chose to ride on the road even though they were still wet. I needed a break from riding on my mountain bike that weighs over ten pounds more than my road bike. My knees have been barking at me after consecutive weeks of riding the heavier mountain bikes.

As a pleasant reprieve, I did the Paradise Drive loop today. It was fun to do one of my old and favorite road rides. It’s always great to ride around the Tiburon pennisula since you end up receiving such huge and amazing views along the way. Today was no different, although the same mind-numbingly gray skies prevailed. These gray days are difficult for me. I know, I’ve said this before, this winter has been much more difficult than I'd ever expected. The day after day of gray skies, cold temperatures, and then the rains, have taken an unexpected toll on me. I’m not complaining, as this is what I signed for when I made my commitment to R2R. Instead I’m simply sharing how I feel, and just how hard this to do. One pedal stroke at a time, and one day at a time.

Distance: 23.28 miles
Calories burned: 1,473
Time: 1:34:55 hours
Elevation gain: 888 ft
Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23230091

Day 219: Visiting my Friends at Serenity Knolls

It’s been over six weeks since I’ve been out to Serenity Knolls to attend Partners in Recovery, and it felt great to be back where my own recovery from living with an alcoholic began over a year ago, although I didn't know it then. It’s hard to describe why it’s so important to keep going back there, but it has to do with reminding myself of where I’ve been, and how far I’ve come back to being me. It’s also a reminder that recovery is a process that never really ends as long as you're committed to yourself, which I am. Today was another strong reminder of that for me.

Today I was reminded about how dangerous expectations are in any relationship, and not just one with an alcoholic. As soon as there are expectations, then someone is going to be let down, and hard. Having no expectations is a difficult concept for those that haven’t been through living with an alcoholic, or for those without the tools that you receive through Al-anon, or other sources. I now see expectations as being very, very dangerous for anyone that sets them, or receives them.

It was supposed to be a beautiful sunny day today, well, that’s what the forecasters published as of yesterday morning. I had spoken with two of my friends, who also attend Partners in Recovery; we were planning to ride out to Point Reyes after today's meeting. I was really looking forward to it, but alas the weather changed, and instead of the sun being out, the rains came. I had to switch my plans of riding my road bike out to the Knolls, and instead I rode my heaviest mountain bike. It's the first time that I've ridden a mountain bike out to the Knolls, but really I had no other choice.

I pulled my mountain bike out of the rack and got it readied for the long ride. I thought that it would be a cool idea to ride on the road out to the Knolls, and then to ride home via the Bolinas Ridge fire road, and then over Mount Tamalpais. Yeah, right!

I was told to be careful, and to ride safely, by several of my friends at the Knolls. I was a bit nervous as I was leaving because the rains had started to be heavy and the temperatures were getting pretty cold (mid 40’s I’d guess). I left the facility and headed down to Sir Francis Drake Blvd. where I turned right and rode towards Samuel P. Taylor State Park.

I hadn’t been through the park on a mountain bike in years, so it was kind of fun. I used the Cross Marin Trail that runs along the side of San Geronimo Creek. I came out at the bridge where I hopped back onto Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and began the long climb up to the top of Olema Grade.

I reached the Bolinas Ridge trailhead and then lifted my 28 pound mountain bike over the fence where I remounted my steed and headed towards home. I was some 18 miles away and still needed to ride over the top of Mount Tamalpais. Within 100 yards I had already hit bogged mud, but I pedaled through it anyway in hope that it would get better as I climbed. I rode up the first hill, and then I encountered more of the same bogged mud on the next. I had a backpack filled with clothes, some wet from the morning’s ride, and some wet from being rained on, so it weighed a good 20+ lbs. Between the total weight of my "gear," and the bogged mud, my bike was going nowhere fast, no matter how hard that I could pedal. My back tire just spinned in the mud!

At the top of the third hill I realized that there was no way in the world that I could actually make it back to Mill Valley in these conditions. So I reluctantly turned back, knowing full well that there were some 24 miles to ride home. That's a long way to go on a heavy, and overlaiden, full suspension mountain bike.

I made it back home, but there were a few times when my legs, arms, and hands, were extremely cold, and they started to rebel against me. Whose body parts wouldn’t? I’ve been abusing mine regularly through my daily rides, and the winter weather hasn’t helped the situation.

I made it back home after riding for just shy of four hours in the rain and cold, and with more weight on my back than I'd ever want to carry again. My hands and feet are still warming up some two hours later.

In the end, I’m still happy that I did the ride, and that I went to the Knolls using pedal power, and not under my car's power. I got to see my friends, and that was great. I participated in the meeting, and I listened carefully to everyone’s stories, and they’re all important pieces to my own recovery process.

Early in my recovery I listended to this Pearl Jam song dozens of times. I was still hopeful back then that through recovery my marriage would be saved. I was wrong, but the song is still a great one. It's important to remember where you've been.  Required listening, and viewing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVviMkvxcKU (Eddie Vetter and Neil Young)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaNoeoyckSQ

I now ride the Long Road. Goodnight!

Distance: 48.02 miles
Calories burned: 3,929
Time: 3:53:40 hours
Elevation gain: 4,163 ft
Garmin Connect ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/23156982