Back on the Bike

...of course it may not last long since the rain is due to arrive any day but it had to be done. For some reason I have avoided my beautiful two wheeled living room decoration since early spring. It has sat under the stair collecting dust and mocking me while I sit on the couch and watch reruns. To avoid the guilt, I have done many things: drove tourist around the U.S., gone to Foresthill to be with the nieces, spent time in the Bay Area adventuring with friends and taken up running. So after spending the last few days thinking about what a waste of time my last month and half has been, at least while at my house, I decided I needed to start with more physical activity. I have been running but that is only 3 days a week and the beaches of Thailand are looming. So today I pumped up the tires, put on the spandex and headed out into the California sunshine. The sun wasn't as warm as it appeared but I was ready to go. It was a good ride even though technology let me down. First, I realized that my speedometer wasn't working, which I would have remembered if it hadn't been 9 months since my last ride. Second, my new toy, a heart rate monitor that I bought for running, is impossible to use while riding a bike. I should have listened to the reviews that MW read to me but I was so excited to find a heart rate monitor at Costco right when I decided I wanted one. I will be testing Costco's return policy soon. What did work for me was the one thing that is always consistent when I ride...the unbounded thinking that usually results in clarity on a topic that I wasn't concerned about. Today was no different. I also remembered how much I love to ride so watch out my lovely black and silver companion, I am back in the game. If the rain doesn't ruin my new found motivation.

Thanks for reading.

P.S. I do not have memory loss, I realize that I have casually ignored the last nine months. I will do my best to update the blog before I head out on my next adventure.

Don't Blink

I love watching bike races with people who don't understand them. Tuesday afternoon the Tour of California came to, I mean through, Davis. The route that day started in Santa Rosa, then through Napa Valley, past Lake Berryessa, into the valley, through Davis and onto Sacramento. The eta in Davis was between 12:30 - 2:30pm, yes, a two hour window. I ended up watching the race at F & Covell, about a block from my house, a great corner since after they made the turn they climbed the highest point in Davis, the railroad over-crossing. I found a spot amongst other spectators and we wiled away our time chatting. Most didn't have a clue about the race or bike racing in general, so I got to play expert from time to time. Down the street we could see that the elementary school kids were let out to watch, they were very enthusiastic whenever the cops or race vehicles went through but their energy began to wane. Fortunately at about this time the final group of cops and Highway Patrol came through confirming everything was ready and right behind them was the solo rider. He only had about a 7 minute lean on the rest of the peleton, so as he made the turn onto Covell we returned to socializing. A few around me started making jokes about how fast it was and some mumbles were heard about the length of time waiting versus time spent watching. Soon another wave of cop motorcycles went through, more cheering erupted down the street and then they came into view. It is a rush, a quick one but a definite rush watching 130 riders bunched so tightly together that one wrong move can send the whole peleton to the ground. They spin by within seconds but the sound comes first and lasts until they are out of sight. Then they are gone. The crowd around me looks around a bit, but I no longer hear comments about the wait. It was worth the wait.

Some Days Clarity, Other Days Pain

Instead of working today I went for a bike ride. Kind of ironic. Generally, I know I want to go for a ride and know that once on the bike I will be happy but the actual putting on of the gear and getting out the door can be a mental battle. Today was one of the rare days that I was extremely eager to get out and ride. The weather is beautiful, I could ride my speed on my bike, not worrying about guests that don't understand the intricacies of a hybrid bike and I could go as far as I wanted. I planned 40 miles, knowing that I would probably go 30 only. When I ride my bike, problems that I have been mulling over develop solutions with only the assistance of a familiar road and my mp3 player. Well, that is most of the time. Today, was different, today the whole ride was pain. I hit the 7.5 mile mark and was already thinking about going back, usually I have settled into a nice rhythm but I continued on anyway. At 10 miles, I needed to stretch and my saddle was already becoming uncomfortable. When I hit the turn around point in Winters, I took a short break but all that was on my mind was how much I didn't want to bike the miles back instead of reveling in the scenery. I remount and head back. The 15 long miles felt like the entire 30, all I can think about is each individual pedal stroke. I notice that my bike is dirty and the chain needs to be cleaned. Then each bump in the road is bothering me and my feet are becoming numb. I have to continuously stand up and stretch my legs. Of course, as I get back into town, all the lights are against me. I am so relieved as I pull into my house and I all I want is a hot shower. It is an extremely disturbing experience to not enjoy something I love so much so my solution...go out tomorrow and try for 50 miles. ;)

Thanks for reading.

Funny Business at Work.

Working in Napa has been a great experience all around. NBVT has tripled in growth over the last 3 years and really doesn't show signs of stopping. And though we are hiring more guides and expanding the facilities the business still feels small. In the morning everyone is joking around, making digs at each other and having a really good time. And it is encouraged. The people working there appreciate what they have and really put a lot of energy and enthusiasm into there jobs. Everyone does a little of everything. The shop guys drive the vans and lead tours during the winter or in a pinch, the guides wash the vans, change bike tires and check in guests. The supervisors do it all. In addition, the owner's parents have been around lately. Dad was painting door frames and working on bikes.
Sometimes though funny things happen to your schedule. I was originally scheduled to work Monday - Thursday and then start a W2W tour on Sunday. Last week, the Thursday was cut. Then while at work today my boss asked me to work on Saturday since he needed another guide and then I could get things together for our Sunday morning departure. Then in the afternoon he told me he didn't need me tomorrow either. So now I have 3 days on my hands to fill. I think I have some vacation planning that could use some attention.
Other days you have to be serious. On Monday, one of my guests had an accident and broke her arm. That really got my attention since that is the second trip to the hospital in 3 weeks for my guests. Let me just remind you cyclists out there, never use just your front brake, you are liable to end up on the ground. The whole group was a bit shook up about that but we recovered and vowed to have fun for our lost comrades. I love the fact that I can be outside all day, enjoying people that are enjoying life.

In other news:
Thanks to those that have left comments, I enjoy reading them. Unfortunately, not all of the names that show up are identifiable to me. So if it isn't obvious by your screen name who you are, I would love you to give me some more info, either in the comment field or e-mail me, so I know who is paying attention.
I added a link to my new Flickr account. I will still post photos on the blog but if you want to see more, check it out.

Thanks for reading.