Back in the saddle

For a blog that has a name and picture dedicated to bicycling, I sure haven't done much biking or blogging about it. Other than Gerry's memorial, my bike hasn't really seen the light of day since September 23rd when I did the High Pass Challenge.

Sunday is the Chilly Hilly bike ride. It is aptly named as it is still February (chilly), and the course covers Bainbridge Island climbing 2,675 feet (hilly). So being the procrastinator/last-minute-crammer that I am, I went for my first ride today. It was just a 12 mile out and back trip with about 500 feet of climbing. I felt pretty rusty, but it wasn't too painful. Hopefully I have some leftover fitness from the marathon build up.

This will be my second Chilly Hilly ride. Last year we had the additional challenge of rain. As of now, there is a 30% chance of rain. Hopefully our luck will be a bit better this year. I am meeting a couple of friends that I met on the Big Ride Pacific Coast, so it will be a good day in any case.

The Tour of California bike race is going on right now. It is being covered by the VS (Versus) channel with an hour or so of coverage each day. The seven day tour covers some beautiful countryside along the California coast, and does a fair bit of climbing in the hills. Stage 4 is on the TV right now and the riders are heading over Bixby Bridge in the Big Sur area. Beautiful.


We spent time on Highway 1 on our Pacific Coast ride, but didn't make it far enough south to get to the Big Sur area. Friends were married there, and it is a beautiful area I'd love to see again. I am looking forward to running across this bridge some day for the Big Sur Marathon, and riding down more of Highway 1 on my bike. It is the best way to see the country.