Tale of two rides

Training has been going well. The new work schedule (32 hours of night shift/week) is making it interesting to get all my workouts in, but I am doing my best. I really like sleep, and sometimes I choose sleep over a workout. I figure my patients would prefer me awake!

Last Sunday David and I had a great ride up to Canada road. We got a later start than we were planning on, but such is life. Luckily the weather got cooler the further we rode north, so that was a pleasant surprise. We also started our ride in a head wind, which meant we had a bit of a tailwind on the way back, which was fabulous.

The reason this ride is so great on a Sunday has to do with something named "Bicycle Sunday". About 4.5 mi before our turn around, the road is closed to all motor traffic. Everyone I saw on that stretch of road had the biggest smile you'd ever seen. We were all just so happy to ride on a road without any cars. It is a bit windy and downhills on parts too, so I got to practice my descents and only had to worry about falling, instead of falling and/or being hit by a car!

I had done part of this ride back in April with my brother. I felt much better on this ride, actually staying in the correct heart rate zones, whereas before, I was all over the place. The only other time I had done this ride was a year in a half ago, in February, with Molly. It was raining. So this was much better in lots of ways!

Today David and I drove over to Santa Cruz. He's doing a triathlon there in a few weeks and wanted to swim in the ocean one more time prior. I figured this would time to ride on some new and different roads, as well as have a lovely run along the sea cliffs.

I found what I thought would be a nice, flatish bike ride that fit the training plan for the day. After we did one loop of David's bike course, we were off. It didn't go well. We were unfamiliar with the area. I had found a course but didn't realize how many lights there would be along the way. There was also a bunch of traffic, for a Monday, but perhaps this is how it is in any beach town during the summer.

At any rate, I couldn't WAIT to get off my bike and go for a run. If you know anything about me, you'd know how crazy that statement is. But really, it was a beautiful run along the sea cliffs, and really it was the best part of the day. That and the fact that I got to be out riding and exercising with my husband. It was helpful that he stayed in the car watch the bikes while I went for my run.

So that's about it from around here. The weather people keep saying our recent weather has been "unseasonably cool" and I am so okay with that. If it could stay that way until we get past my tri in September, I wouldn't complain!