Saturday, April 11, 2020

Solo Mask Ride SART

47 solo miles at 16.4 average speed.  They say it never gets easier, you just go faster. That ain't true at all on the trail. Never gets easier, just gets windier ha ha! Started out pretty good, taking my time feeling good heading to Yorba. On the way back not too bad till Lincoln. Felt the wind kick up making for a tough ride to the coast today. Last week I got to Edna Park with 16.6 but today I was there with a 16.1. No way was I going to match last week thanks to the wind. By the time I got to the coast I was down to a 15.8 and trying hard no to fall too much.  So that was a pretty tough 10 miles to the coast.

Ran into Don at the coast. Talked bikes for a while then we headed out. He down PCH and I up the trail. Got a text from Alyce when I got home asking if I had seen the paramedic on the trail. Nope, hope it wasn't them but yes it was!

Alyce says they were heading north approaching a family with kids. Not real clear but she says one of the kids entered their lane so trying to avoid a collision, she applied the brakes then Herb hit her wheel and went flying and down onto the pavement. Alyce says he couldn't raise his arm and he got a trip to the hospital in an ambulance. Hope he ain't hurt too bad but that really sucks.

Of course being a cyclist, I had to ask about the new bike. He just got an Allied couple months, maybe a little more back. Nice bike. Alyce says the bike is OK, just Herb. Of course we all hope Herb is OK but I had to ask about the bike. I know I would be heartbroken crashing on a new bike. The thing that really sucks, Alyce can't go to the hospital with him because of all the virus stuff going on. She says she has his phone too so hopefully she gets some good news updates some way.

I did wear a mask today. A little surgical mask. The first 30 or so were cool. I was chilling, just riding and breathing OK. But boy I hit the big headwind and things changed. I was breathing hard so the mask started moving in and out with my breath. Not long after I felt the little fibers work loose then started getting stuck on my lips ha ha! Man, that sucked! I guess a that ain't the way to go on a longer ride. First my glasses were fogging up a bit in the morning which I can live with. But the fibers in my mouth, yuck ha ha! Also hard to take in the air I needed as well. I ended up lowering it around my chin so I could breath. Even just the exposed mouth was not enough at this point. I had to expose both nose and mouth to get enough air ha ha!

I did keep it around my chin because when you actually try to pick up the signals from others, you notice them more. Heck, I could smell women heading the opposite side of the trail. Meaning their hair product and such. So when I pulled up to another cyclist, I tried to get around. If one passed me, I backed off and let him get a good gap a little sooner than normal. You start thinking about these things and not that I am ascared of germs, just protecting my Mom from the virus.

I was still shocked though seeing a couple of good sized groups with no masks and all bunched up. Good thing none of them have to be around my Mom. ;-)

                                               Just starting out, let's see how this goes!


Of course people say I'm much better looking with a mask ha ha!


Don at the coast.



Look ma, no hands!


Nice sweet water in the river.  :-O


After the ride.

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