Biciclista
03-28-2011, 07:16 AM
I had so much stuff to do yesterday and it was raining. The weather report sounded like it was just going to get worse, so as the sky lightened I figured it was just a hole in the clouds and that i was going to get drenched. I continued to try to get stuff done around the house, really wanting to tell my husband FORGET IT, but not having the courage.
The time came, I was supposed to leave the house at 1130 and ride north to meet my husband who was going to be coming back south from a meeting. I got out of the garage with my bike and it was raining and 40 degrees. Cold icky rain hitting my face. Cold icky rain seeping through my wool knickers. I was glad I had put the booties on. I rode slowly towards the switchbacks behind my house, worrying about slipping and sliding on the wet steep ridged pavement.
It continued to rain as I headed towards Seward Park and Leschi, on the road where I was supposed to meet my husband. i formulated a plan, I would suggest we go to Pert's deli for a hot drink and then go home, jettisoning our plan to do the 45 mile ride around both Mercer Island and then around the south end of Lake washington.
I met Donald about 1 mile south of Pert's deli.. He turned around ahead of me (so I am now behind him). The sun came out. It was still raining. He shouted with glee "Isn't it a beautiful day???" I was not impressed. I had not yet caught up with him when he turned LEFT up the hill (instead of continuing along the lake to the Deli) and I was too far back to let him know of my plan... so defeated, I committed to the ride.
Riding in rainglow is very hard on the eyes. My untinted safety glasses were all covered with rain drips which multiplied the glare. By the time we got to Mercer Island, my eyes were really hurting, so I started alternating the glasses on and off depending on whether i was going up or down hill. We circumnavigated the island, me pushing myself until i had side stitches, then I slowed down a bit.
On the east side, it started raining in earnest for a while and then the spitting kind of rain would return in fits. There are several little hills we had to climb honestly, this is the best part of the ride, no traffic, lake views and lots of birds and Bald Eagles. I did the best I could, until we finally got to The Landing in Renton where there is a little shop called "Caffee Felice" where we finally got our hot drinks. We sat there long enough to drink our drinks and hopped back on our bikes and did the last leg, a 7 mile swing northward around the lake, up Rainier Avenue and then back up Beacon Hill. This was the best part of the ride, after all that, I had a tailwind! and as tired as i was, I found myself going 15-16 mph.
I never took off my raincoat and I had two layers underneath. I was covered in a base layer of wool. Good thing. I ended up riding 44 miles yesterday and was pleased with myself when I was done.
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/190144_1830395592200_1009659155_32144045_4331795_n.jpg
The time came, I was supposed to leave the house at 1130 and ride north to meet my husband who was going to be coming back south from a meeting. I got out of the garage with my bike and it was raining and 40 degrees. Cold icky rain hitting my face. Cold icky rain seeping through my wool knickers. I was glad I had put the booties on. I rode slowly towards the switchbacks behind my house, worrying about slipping and sliding on the wet steep ridged pavement.
It continued to rain as I headed towards Seward Park and Leschi, on the road where I was supposed to meet my husband. i formulated a plan, I would suggest we go to Pert's deli for a hot drink and then go home, jettisoning our plan to do the 45 mile ride around both Mercer Island and then around the south end of Lake washington.
I met Donald about 1 mile south of Pert's deli.. He turned around ahead of me (so I am now behind him). The sun came out. It was still raining. He shouted with glee "Isn't it a beautiful day???" I was not impressed. I had not yet caught up with him when he turned LEFT up the hill (instead of continuing along the lake to the Deli) and I was too far back to let him know of my plan... so defeated, I committed to the ride.
Riding in rainglow is very hard on the eyes. My untinted safety glasses were all covered with rain drips which multiplied the glare. By the time we got to Mercer Island, my eyes were really hurting, so I started alternating the glasses on and off depending on whether i was going up or down hill. We circumnavigated the island, me pushing myself until i had side stitches, then I slowed down a bit.
On the east side, it started raining in earnest for a while and then the spitting kind of rain would return in fits. There are several little hills we had to climb honestly, this is the best part of the ride, no traffic, lake views and lots of birds and Bald Eagles. I did the best I could, until we finally got to The Landing in Renton where there is a little shop called "Caffee Felice" where we finally got our hot drinks. We sat there long enough to drink our drinks and hopped back on our bikes and did the last leg, a 7 mile swing northward around the lake, up Rainier Avenue and then back up Beacon Hill. This was the best part of the ride, after all that, I had a tailwind! and as tired as i was, I found myself going 15-16 mph.
I never took off my raincoat and I had two layers underneath. I was covered in a base layer of wool. Good thing. I ended up riding 44 miles yesterday and was pleased with myself when I was done.
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/190144_1830395592200_1009659155_32144045_4331795_n.jpg