HI ALL!!
For those of you who might be wondering whether I crashed and burned somewhere along Camino Capistrano this past Monday, I’m here to tell you – I MADE IT!!! It took me 1 hour 10 minutes to bike from my house to work at the end of Forbes Rd, all 7 miles. Have to say, it was kind of tough for the first 30 minutes. I was really huffing and puffing, wondering if I was ever going to catch my breath or maybe just keel over. Next thing I knew something wonderful happened – BAM!! – I WAS IN THE ZONE and it felt like I could ride all day (well, maybe not all day – heehee!). Glad to report, there were no accidents and no glitches with either me or the bike. Of course, when it came time to carry the bike down the stairs, through the tunnel under the Amtrak Station, and up the stairs on the other side, it was with pretty WOBBLY legs and a POUNDING heart, but I MADE THAT TOO!! From there, it was an easy ride to the office. I felt very PROUD of myself as I wheeled up to the office front door – YEAH !! I MADE IT and didn’t have a heart attack in the process, but I must admit my BUTT and other places were KILLING ME!! Places I didn’t even remember were hurting – HeeHee!!
All through the day, I kept thinking how was I going to get back on that back and ride all the way home with my bottom was still hurting!! But surprisingly, after I got going it didn’t hurt as much (actually I think it all just went numb!!). Took me just an hour to ride home, even with the walk up Dana Mesa (which is a killer, and probably where I will get most of my cardio work out). Most of the ride home is slightly downhill, but when you get onto the bike trail there in SJC you have the head wind off the ocean blowing right at you, so it’s a little slow going –downhill but heavy wind - I think it’s really a trade off, so the slight downhill didn’t seem to be that much of an advantage. Anyway, when I stepped off the bike it was with shaky legs and a really sore bottom. Lots of places were chafing and burning – geez!! I hope that part gets easier!!
The close up pics are of me after the ride to work in the morning. Red face and sweating like a ‘steer.’ My boss laughed after I took my helmet off. He said, ‘You just have to see your new hairdo.’ He called it my ‘Sweaty Ridge Head’ hairdo!! As you can see, I really need a hair cut, maybe it won’t be like that when the hair is shorter!! The pic of me outside is after work as I get ready to push off towards home. You can really see why I need to get out and get some exercise - HEEHEE!!
I came to realize after that first ride, I wouldn’t be able to do this everyday – that I needed to start slower, so I’m doing it 3 days a week M-W-F. On Tuesday, it was nice to sleep in that extra half hour and drive leisurely to work. To ease my sore BUTT, Andy suggested I look into getting a ‘gel’ seat cover, so on the way home, I stopped at BUY MY BIKES (want to keep that business local – heehee – that comes from Grandpa Ginn) and picked up a ‘gel’ seat cover and a better pair of riding gloves – WOW – I was good to go on Wednesday. While I was at the bike shop, I ran into a lady from my Ward, a new single sister convert. Her name is Lauren. She doesn’t have a reliable car, so she bikes everywhere except for picking up groceries. We talked a while, shared ‘biking’ stories (mostly hers, of course) and she offered to ride with me to work the next morning. I can’t imagine getting up that early just to ride with someone I hardly know, but she was so insistent about needing a ‘friend’ to ride with, I said sure. We met at 7am at the Kinoshita Farms and were off down the bike path. Par for those first few minutes, I’m huffing and puffing, sweating, wiping my brow, blowing my nose – she’s not even winded or breaking a sweat!! Maybe that will be me soon!! Because she was along for the ride, and I didn’t want to keep her back, I worked harder, biked faster and really made an effort to keep up. She rode all the way to my work front door, we said our ‘goodbyes’ and she was off to make the trip back home - while I was so glad to be at work where I could recuperate and sit a while in front of my computer.
Some of the things I notice as I ride along are: in the morning, other riders say HI or GOOD MORNING but as I’m riding home, everyone is tired, glum and I don’t get many smiley, happy faces when I say HI! I notice the smells and dust from the road and cars whizzing by, and I can hear the scurry of the lizards and little animals in the bushes along the road. Then there was the open door to a semi truck parked across from In-N-Out with the driver standing in his doorway pulling up and buckling his pants – and me wondering what that was all about!! Of course, I’ll remember the little Hispanic child, maybe 3 or 4 running towards me with a tree branch, wanting to poke me and his mom holding him back with dear life and him screaming all the time!! Then there was the little Hispanic guy pushing a baby stroller. As I go by, I'm thinking I'll see a cute little baby in the stroller, but instead there are 3 cute little Chihuahuas - I guess they were his babies - really cute!!
All through the day, I kept thinking how was I going to get back on that back and ride all the way home with my bottom was still hurting!! But surprisingly, after I got going it didn’t hurt as much (actually I think it all just went numb!!). Took me just an hour to ride home, even with the walk up Dana Mesa (which is a killer, and probably where I will get most of my cardio work out). Most of the ride home is slightly downhill, but when you get onto the bike trail there in SJC you have the head wind off the ocean blowing right at you, so it’s a little slow going –downhill but heavy wind - I think it’s really a trade off, so the slight downhill didn’t seem to be that much of an advantage. Anyway, when I stepped off the bike it was with shaky legs and a really sore bottom. Lots of places were chafing and burning – geez!! I hope that part gets easier!!
The close up pics are of me after the ride to work in the morning. Red face and sweating like a ‘steer.’ My boss laughed after I took my helmet off. He said, ‘You just have to see your new hairdo.’ He called it my ‘Sweaty Ridge Head’ hairdo!! As you can see, I really need a hair cut, maybe it won’t be like that when the hair is shorter!! The pic of me outside is after work as I get ready to push off towards home. You can really see why I need to get out and get some exercise - HEEHEE!!
I came to realize after that first ride, I wouldn’t be able to do this everyday – that I needed to start slower, so I’m doing it 3 days a week M-W-F. On Tuesday, it was nice to sleep in that extra half hour and drive leisurely to work. To ease my sore BUTT, Andy suggested I look into getting a ‘gel’ seat cover, so on the way home, I stopped at BUY MY BIKES (want to keep that business local – heehee – that comes from Grandpa Ginn) and picked up a ‘gel’ seat cover and a better pair of riding gloves – WOW – I was good to go on Wednesday. While I was at the bike shop, I ran into a lady from my Ward, a new single sister convert. Her name is Lauren. She doesn’t have a reliable car, so she bikes everywhere except for picking up groceries. We talked a while, shared ‘biking’ stories (mostly hers, of course) and she offered to ride with me to work the next morning. I can’t imagine getting up that early just to ride with someone I hardly know, but she was so insistent about needing a ‘friend’ to ride with, I said sure. We met at 7am at the Kinoshita Farms and were off down the bike path. Par for those first few minutes, I’m huffing and puffing, sweating, wiping my brow, blowing my nose – she’s not even winded or breaking a sweat!! Maybe that will be me soon!! Because she was along for the ride, and I didn’t want to keep her back, I worked harder, biked faster and really made an effort to keep up. She rode all the way to my work front door, we said our ‘goodbyes’ and she was off to make the trip back home - while I was so glad to be at work where I could recuperate and sit a while in front of my computer.
Some of the things I notice as I ride along are: in the morning, other riders say HI or GOOD MORNING but as I’m riding home, everyone is tired, glum and I don’t get many smiley, happy faces when I say HI! I notice the smells and dust from the road and cars whizzing by, and I can hear the scurry of the lizards and little animals in the bushes along the road. Then there was the open door to a semi truck parked across from In-N-Out with the driver standing in his doorway pulling up and buckling his pants – and me wondering what that was all about!! Of course, I’ll remember the little Hispanic child, maybe 3 or 4 running towards me with a tree branch, wanting to poke me and his mom holding him back with dear life and him screaming all the time!! Then there was the little Hispanic guy pushing a baby stroller. As I go by, I'm thinking I'll see a cute little baby in the stroller, but instead there are 3 cute little Chihuahuas - I guess they were his babies - really cute!!
Also, maybe this is just me, but as I've driven my car, I’ve never wondered how busy is the bike path? Well, let me tell you it’s really a busy 'road' with not only bikers but joggers, walkers, dog walkers, stroller walkers with babies – lots and lots of people getting out and being active. Makes me realize how much I’ve missed by being a slug and couch potato plopped in front of my TV!!
So for now, think of me on M-W-F – I’ll be on my bike and on the road!!
Love you all,
Cassy
So for now, think of me on M-W-F – I’ll be on my bike and on the road!!
Love you all,
Cassy
