Breakfast. It's not just for breakfast anymore?

Ride #104

Thursday, September 8th
20 miles on the ARBT

Neither I nor my friend with the trailer full of kids were feeling like superwomen today. We dragged ourselves along the trail about 2mph slower than usual. Hey, but at least we got out. We decided that we had failed to eat our usual breakfasts and that was our problem. Yeah. That's it. For sure.

I got to Wm Pond ahead of her, as usual (but slower), and waited there in the early morning quiet, people-watching.

Imagine a quiet park, cool in the shade, not quite yet uncomfortably hot in the sun, well watered green grass, shady picnic tables, cyclists coming and going.

Sometimes you are the only person in sight, sometimes there are 3 or 4 groups of cyclists, some chatting quietly about food (salad with heirloom tomatoes, jalapenos, and peaches!), the best way to wipe off grease (baby wipes), sprains vs breaks. Conversations are quiet, languid, their tempo anticipating the heat of the day.

One group is fixing their third flat of the morning, another chatting under a tree: a reflexive seeking out of shade, born from the dry hot air.

Along the trail comes a group of cyclists, whirring along. Some stop, with a  clacking of road shoes on pavement, then the snapping of cleats and the clicking of the shift into a useable gear as they continue on.

Quiet again, except for an intermittent crow.

My friend caught up, we all ate a snack, then turned around and slogged back.

My glutes were KILLING me by the end of the ride. Do I need a different foam pad in the seat? Should I tighten up the straps on the mesh? What's up!? Are my muscles worn out from the Beals climb the other day?

My theory for complaining glutes goes like this: For me, at least, the glutes (for sure maximus, but maybe medius also?) are the muscles I most use to propel myself and my trike. Speeding and climbing hills uses them up faster. Also, these poor abused muscles are what I'm sitting on when pedaling. Sitting on them squashes them a bit, depriving them of the nice oxygen-filled blood that keeps them working well. Hardworking oppressed glutes will naturally complain. Gluteal Muscles of the World Unite!

I didn't get any pictures today, batteries were flat again. Sigh. Maybe I should go back to manual-everything film? No, no instant gratification then.
I found that swapping the positions of the two AAs that run my camera will give me another shot or two, since the two batteries are not equally drawn upon. However, the nice shot of a gentleman sitting contemplatively at a picnic table with his beautiful road bike became decomposed (the guy got up and left, the nerve!) by the time I got the batteries swapped out.

I'm taking a group around Lake Natoma this weekend, and hope to get out another day as well. Yes, I'll be refilling my rechargeable battery stash.