Ride!

My first ride!  The preparation was exhausting! Putting on the kit for the first time for a ride with some trepidation; finding the half dozen or so gels I was sure I was going to need. Wondering why I only had two bottle holders--I'm gonna need way more water than just two bottles!

After pumping up the tires, checking and double-checking everything, I was ready to go. I yelled out at my wife to shut the garage door as soon as I took off. I got on my bike inside the garage and bolted out of there before any neighbors spotted me wearing this ridiculous outfit... Oops, I mean "kit".

The first ride was about three miles. Downhill.

Boy was I tired. My legs were burning already and I hadn’t even started climbing any hills. I called my wife and asked her to come and pick me up. Not a good start! The only good news was that I could ride the car into the garage and get into the house before any of my neighbors spotted me.

There is a bike path running along state route 56 not too far from where I live in San Diego. A ride to the beach from my house runs about 11 miles or so. It’s mostly downhill. I decided to try for the beach on my next ride. I told my wife that if she picked me up at the other end, I’d take her to the little taco stand near the beach. I did not wanna do any of those crazy climbs because I was sure I'd die of a heart attack.

After a few of those one-way rides downhill, my wife was beginning to get annoyed at having to pick me up at the other end (She likes tacos, but not that much). I have to get more ambitious and plan a ride that is a bit more intense...