Pedestrian Adventures

40 miles, 2600 ft Non-commute training began on Memorial Day weekend with a delightful ride from Santa Clara to Santa Cruz via a most magnificent winery. Perilously, the Soquel-Santa Cruz road had a massive hole in it due to California's complete inability to cope with any rain. This turned out to be an unexpected benefits as riders were able to edge round the enormous hellmouth, but drivers could not so there was zero traffic on the descent.

Much of my training is taking place via bike commuting. You may be thinking "I commute by bike too - it's no big deal." But get this readers, I commute 26 miles a day! I do possess a lovely silver Honda Civic, and there is a shuttle to work albeit at an inconvient boarding location, but nonetheless the bicycle is my main mode of conveyance. For smugness reasons mostly. As car drivers sit frustrated in bumper to bumper traffic, I slowly huff and puff my way past them with a big crocodile smile. Another upside of a long bike commute is the terrific ability to combat work stress. I alternate daily from an endorphin-fuelled high, to not being able to feel much of anything at all due to sheer exhaustion. Radiating marvellous zen at my frazzled coworkers. How they must rightly dislike me.