Week 1 Training Recap:
Tuesday: 19 Miles (+2 miles commute)
To train – I have to do morning rides. Getting up early is simply rough. I like mornings. I like sleeping in. Peeling myself out of the sheets, I started Day 1 with the thought, “What have I done to myself?”But once I was out on the road, I’d warmed up – it felt good. The best part about morning training? Having the whole evening free! Bliss.
Thursday: 20 Miles
I had my first ride back up Hawk Hill since before my knee pain. The sun was setting over the ocean and the fog was nowhere to be found. The best part? Riding over Hawk Hill and descending over to the lighthouse. The road curves and dips along the coastline. It feels like flying.
Saturday: 41 Miles
My first solo long trip. I’ve mostly gone on long rides with Derrick. I feared boredom ahead out with all of this alone time. But I found joy in it. I didn’t have to keep up with anyone – I took my own pace. Enjoyed the scenery. Stopped when I needed or wanted to pause. It was a beautiful and warm day. I thought about going 30 miles, but ended up pushing 40 so I could take a lunch at MH Bread & Butter — a perfect San Enselmo stop for coffee and a killer breakfast salad. Derrick and his cycling friend Joe met me there. And Derrick rode back with me.
Sunday: 30 Miles
Sunday was a lesson in proper fueling…or lack there of, in this instance. I ate some gummy bears for a sugar boost before I left for the ride. Before I headed out I grabbed 1 water bottle and a gel pack. On top of Hawk Hill I felt my stomach rumble. Uh-oh. I savored half a gel pack. I didn’t eat the second half until I was over the bridge and heading down Lincoln Highway. By the time I made it past Lake, down to Ocean Beach and onto the Great Highway, hunger had hold of me. I knew this wasn’t good. I had the thought of bailing…but I didn’t. As evening turned to night, I went into autopilot mode. My legs pumped as food plagued my vision: Fries…a banana…a flat coke (a cyclist on the bridge had one tucked into his jersey pocket)…no, ginger ale. I stopped by the polo fields and downed a bottle of water to fill my stomach and numbly texted Derrick to please start dinner. I entered the apartment and immediately wolfed down food.
A lesson in fuel: If your stomach rumbles…it’s too late. I’m going to eat / nibble…something…every hour from now on. Lesson learned.
A Life of Correspondence 