I had planned to ride alone but as soon as I approached the trail, Mike rode by. He stopped and asked if he could ride with me. yeah sure, but I ain't cranking it up, just trying to make the distance.
Been off the bike for another month and a half. Hoping to get back on but I know no good is still on it's way. Gina's younger son was in the hospital last year for 6 straight months. But somehow pulled through. So it was a shocker that her older son passed away as he seemed in better health. So I know once I get rolling again, we may be in for another funeral.
The last couple of years has been hell, actually about the last 7. Nothing but hospitals. Trying to get on the bike has been a challenge. I have managed some but it is one thing after another. Sadly we spend so much time trying to keep up with sick family, Gina's sons, my Mom that I have this feeling I'll spend my life helping and caring for other people then when it is my time to ride, I'll have a stroke. It's been rough trying to take care of myself with all that goes on but that's life. I've been after Gina as well. I realize things are bad but if we just lay down, we'll be next, real soon! So I did manage to talk her into getting back on the bike in June but geeze, her aunt from New Mexico is stopping by Gina's mother for a quick visit so she wanted to go. Go ahead but damn it, I'm riding my bike. I'm getting tired of people getting in my way. Done a ton of construction, remodeling, landscaping, whatever you want to call it on my Mom's house. Just painted and cleaned up another room so I'm freaking riding my bike. I need some "help me stay healthy time"!
I'm either doing 44 or GMR. GMR would only be 8, maybe 12 miles depending on how I felt but after a month off, I thought that might kill me so I chose the long ride on the trail since I had a chance to ride alone at my pace. Mike did show up but we rode side by side and held the pace down so that I'd survive ha ha! But GMR, I am coming. With the time restrictions, all that is going on, I may need to do GMR getting the best workout of my time.
So Mike shows up as soon as my front tire hits the trail. He asks if he can ride along, sure! We rode side by side and chatted the entire way. Once we hit Moon Park he turned back with a plan of 62 miles or so. He already gone to Green River and doubled back when we met at the fire station.
I wanted a solo ride but kind of glad I had Mike for a couple of minutes. Near the soccer field the wind really kicked up. I don't draft much but this time I hopped on Mike's wheel for a couple of minutes as it seemed he might pull away. Matter of fact, I hopped on his wheel a second time about 1 mile later. But Moon Park was coming up so as soon as I felt good, I took the front and finished off the pull. Mike said it was good as he was heading back to Yorba Park.
See ya! I headed off alone and yeah, it got windy ha ha! But actually I felt pretty good most of the way, better than I expected. But on the return, I was tired. Not real tired but tired enough to know I had to conserve so I didn't try to push. But I'll be, the freaking wind was at my face again! Maybe it's just that I had been off the bike too long and it felt like it ha ha!
I thought I would have 44 miles so I figured that was good. But then the leg cramped! My hamstring on my right leg. Dang it! So I clicked out and pedaled one leg for a bit, wanted to keep moving.
I was still about 5 miles out from the finish. I backed off the pedals but then the left leg cramped. SHEOT! I soft pedaled for a bit figuring it would go away and it did after a bit. So I'm good as I am concentrating on my right leg to avoid stressing out the left leg. Then the quad on my right leg goes!
Crap! Bu they you know what, I once cramped at the bottom of Ride Around the Bear one year when we started with showers and I had no leg covers figuring it was Summer. Got me on that one ha ha! But that was about 10 miles into the ride that I cramped and I finished the ride just fine. So the traikl, can't be that bad and it wasn't. Sure enough the cramps went away once I soft pedaled a bit.
I had 43.6 miles at the end of the ride and dammit, I want the 44 so I kept going a little beyond my finish point to get the 44. Once I did I turned around and started to head back but my leg cramped again. I got off the bike to see if it would go away but both legs cramped ha ha! Oh well, take the pain!
Just then I saw Ron and Dixie rolling up. They stopped and we chatted a bit about our live's situations. Good little chat and long enough to allow the cramps to go away ha ha!
Well I made it, took the highroad, suffered a little but I made it!
Oh, I forgot to bitch! I really get tired of reading stupid driver posts in cycling forums. Also Drivers are out to get us threads. FTR, I follow rules, do what I can to be a safe predictable rider when I ride the streets and I have rarely had incident. SURE there are a few morons who will not pay attention and do stupid things but I get sick of cyclists whining about it because too many cyclists are just as thoughtless, inconsiderate and as stupid as the bad drivers out there.
Today I pull up and park, start getting my bike ready for the ride, at Rampart. I see this dude in a little car, bike on rack pull up. He pulls to the end of the street, angles his car to the right, then as traffic approaches, he makes a big u turn out onto the street in front of oncoming traffic. Pretty much doing a doughnut, in front of traffic, at a blind curve. Dumb lazy ass! If I screw up or need to change directions, why not turn into the parking lot or even go around the block. What a stupid lazy ass MOFO! I'd take another 30 seconds out of my day over killing an innocent family because I was too freaking lazy to correct my own mistake.
I almost went up to the guy after he parked and said,"I bet you are one of those big cry babies on the forums whining about how dangerous drivers are when you're on your bike!". But I have an aggressive nature at times and if I did, the punk probably would have asked for an ass whippin' ha ha!
Then as Mike and I rest for a second at Yorba Park, some dude pulls up, gets off his bike and freaking blocks the entire restroom door. C'mon dumb ass, take your freaking bike in or put it somewhere so other people can get into the freaking restroom. Not like it is a one toilet facility. There were 5 or 6 other people around, other cyclists who had to use the restroom. I just grabbed his bike and moved it myself. I said, "wow, block the whole freaking restroom!". He was walking out and said, "Oh!". I guess he wasn't smart enough to figure out that he didn't need to block the whole freaking door with his bike to go pee pee! Fukking cyclists!
No sweets and down to 120. Not bad not using meds. I need to ride more though!
Ran into Louie and his gang at Edna Park. Always nice to see Louie!
BTW, the chicks are out again for Summer.
Few pics of Ron and Dixie.
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