Almost forgot riding!

It was busy day.  And we almost forgot riding today, but when I remembered, it was still bright outside.  So we started late afternoon riding--twilight riding, Then we noticed the moon in the twilight blue sky.

Finally my long time dream was realized.

We drove up to visit the Bicycle friendly campus, UC Davis!

I've been dreaming for a long time to see the campus.  How students and people are riding bicycle?  How cars and trucks are driving over there?  I wanted to see.

In addition we decided to get "California Bicycle License".   So after parking our car at one of parking lots.  We headed to the  TAPS office.  

In front of the office.

Unfortunately all bike racks were used, so I was standing there to wait for him to get the applications.

After we got two kinds of stickers and put them on each of our bikes, we were heading to the Arboretum which is along the long trails.  But when I saw many students lining up at the catering truck, I decided to go over there to buy our lunch.  That was a great idea.  Thai chicken tacos and I forgot...  Pork, Jasmin rice and salad.  And Thai ice tea.  We enjoyed all of them!

Unfortunately we didn't have a big map for the campus.  We took a long time to figure out which way to go.
Finally we got onto the trail around Putah Creek.

That was a wonderful atmosphere, peaceful and interesting vegetation.

Over the creek I saw students cycling.

It could have been great long ride for us, but when I saw the trail became short but very steep down slope I got freaked out.  After that no matter how my brain told my body, my legs couldn't cooperate, just got stiff.  agrrrrr....  again?!!!  Why, why!!  Poor my husband.  He had to give up with me.

We got back on the street and tried to go back to the parking lot.  Then we found the building of the welcome center which we wanted to visit.  So we dropped by.

The staff were very friendly and we could have some rest on the sofa for a while.  
We got a big map of UC Davis here.  That is very nice.  I'm happy.

Definitely I want to visit again some time in the future.

We were so busy and never checked the distance we rode until later.  We rode for 51 min. 4.5 miles during our 3 hour visiting!??  We both got really tired.....  Hope next time we visit we will be able to ride more.

Finally it came out my own riding plan.

First of all we will ride as our favorite exercise.  It should be no strain or force unless we want to do something fun for ourselves.  It should be for our health maintenance as priority, then something comes next.

We will ride every day, and it doesn't matter fast or slow, long or short.  But no matter how we feel tired, we should try at least 2 miles or for a while.  By our experiences, we were always feeling better afterwards.

No more main road riding, besides in the city which has appropriate car speed limit.

After I told myself so, I feel much more relaxed, and we had a fun ride in our community.

But even on such a peaceful community road, there was a wolf driver today.  She or He was not completely wolfish, but couldn't deal with the cyclist.  So blasting up engine noise toward me from behind.  I was going to turn right at the stop line, but I stopped pedaling before the line, and looked at the car for a turn signal, there was none?? The car speeded up and turn left.  That was a humongus old car.
Luckily that was a very wide T- shaped intersection.  I was just fine to wait and let whoever go away.

No wonder some cyclists whom I saw in our community wanted to ride on sidewalk opposite side (I guess the cyclist can see dangerous drivers to avoid the scary accident.)  For me it is very scary thing to do though.

One time some cyclist was riding on the opposite side of the bike lane, and I was very scared and freaked out.  Luckily the guy had enough sense to stop on some extra area by the bike lane to wait for me passing.  I don't feel to blame him.  It's so scary and the bike lane on the other side is skinnier than the one on this side.  And I always whined away about it in my mind, in addition the cars are passing by violently.

DMV should tell drivers how to deal with cyclists on their renewal drivers license.

Share road?! No way!!

Got flu from a friend at painting club or not, we both felt not well.  But we rode in our neighborhood.  After that, we felt much better.
Then we wanted to ride on main road with some purpose.  So we planned to go to our library to return books.

Then, I got cold feet.  
Over our garden fence the sound of traffic was awful, big trucks passing by with high speed like freeway!  That must be way faster speed than its speed limit 45 mph.

The weaker my body got, the more scary to go riding.  Maybe I read too much.  Knowing too many things is sometime interrupting and discouraging too much.

But it would be better not to hurt than to be too brave.

When I get nervous, I will loose my control, that is my big problem.

 Not While I'm Around, sung by Barbra Streisand

Changed the plan for today

There were place to go and ride.  But we changed our plan today.  Because we both felt sluggish this morning.

After all it would be the best that we ride whenever we want to ride, however we want to ride.

Instead of the adventure ride, we stayed at home to do gardening a little by little.

For our lunch:  Corn soup with fennel seeds, smoked salmon, crackers, and beer.

Couldn't ignore the signs from my body

Last Monday my right foot plantar fasciitis got really painful.  I did some massage and gentle stretches.  The most effective one was icing.  

Then after Tuesday's short ride, I got eye fatigue which was blinking too much, and I couldn't open my eyes.  

So I rested.  I hope so.

 Piazzolla: O tono porteno (Autumn)

Including two kinds of practice

When I remembered yesterday's trip, I was scared about my unstable starts on a steep bridge, and a steep intersection.  Also my slow speed turning at the intersection even though finally I succeeded to get in the shared left turn lane, because the signal changed to yellow just before I got to the bike lane on the other side.

So I practiced starting on slopes, and crossing intersection over and over.  I counted 5 seconds.

At the beginning we were both tired, especially our legs, but after 6 miles riding our feeling got better.  So we could ride 10 miles, that made us feel good.

 

No more loading bikes, let's pedal!

Arnold drive to Leveroni, Fryer creek Trail to MacArthur St, cross Broadway, turn R on Nathanson Trail.  This is familiar for us now.  Then turned left on Denmark, rode all the way and crossed a busy  St, Napa Rd,  took Burndale to Knob hill to S. Central, and crossed another busy St, Hwy 121, left on Dale and finally got onto Ramal.  When the cyclometer showed 11 miles, I decided to go back.  Because my strength will be limited to 22 miles.

Turned out that was right.  In spite of my whining sound to our home, my legs were still capable to pedal.  Thank goodness!

"Honey, we'd better turn around here."

 "OK, we can go over there next time."

"Let's go back home!"

I found the beautiful scenery over the railroad.

This is the nice trip which we both really enjoyed.

 

 22.7 miles trip ....   
 I quickly cooked Trader Joe's Pork Gyoza Potstickers.  And dipped in Kikkoman soy sauce with Herdez Salsa Verde which is my yummy discovery.  Celebrated with Belgium beer ' Fat tire'.

Hope we will not get sore too much tomorrow.

Cool morning ride!

It was 65F.  We started riding bicycle about 8:15 am this morning.  The air was quite chilly, and it reminded me to order full bicycle gloves. The tips of my fingers were cold for a while.

Well, the air was clean and fresh.  I really enjoyed the morning ride.  

My right foot toes were getting cramped at the end, but I came back OK.  A comfortable 20 miles ride!

Biking to chase the setting sun

When I saw this sunset, suddenly my brain screamed.  " Let's chase the sunset"

So we did.  Just 3.8 miles.  For 25 min.  AVS 8.7 mph  MXS 15.9 mph

I hope we will ride tomorrow morning.  Because it will be very stinky in the afternoon again from ranchers drying cow poop near by.

Wish I could have two bodies...

It's fall in spite of hot weather like summer.  We had to clean our garden.  After cleaning and trimming, we had no way to ride bicycles.  Knees hurt, toes and small back too.

I have a music session tomorrow.  So maybe after that, we might take a short ride, I guess so. Recently I feel my body's limitation.  Easy to get tired, hard to get sleep.  I can't watch TV at night so much because my brain can't switch quickly to my sleeping mode.  Everything has to be planned before, that is sometimes annoying ..... But I should be glad that I still can do something sometime, I know....

Well, maybe tomorrow....

 Tomorrow Annie (2014) 

The first trial of shopping bike trip

Finally we got guts to try.  Because the speed limit is slower and not as much traffic as Leveroni Rd, we took Watmaugh Rd, but that was bad decision.  No trucks or cars obeyed the 40 mph limit on Watmaugh Rd, they drove 50 or even 55.  In addition the road surface was cracking away so it was very bumpy so that Mr. Whp couldn't see with the vibrating mirror.  That made him very nervous.  I had to concentrate not to loose my balance which I did pretty well.

Finally we reached our first destination, Broadway Market.  I bought 2 expensive juices and we put them in each trunk.

 We crossed Leveroni Rd and got in the bike lane.  Then looked for the entrance of Fryer creek trail which we biked before.  The trail was covered with more brown leaves than before, we enjoyed the relaxing ride.  

Turned right on W MacArthur St and turned right on Broadway to the second shopping destination, Subway.  

His trunk is bigger than mine so the foot long sandwich fit in OK.

Took Broadway for a second, turned right on Malet, turned right on 1st St W, then turned right on W MacArthur St again.  Crossed Broadway and got onto E MacArthur St until the Nathanson Trail.  We took nice breath and relaxed, then turned right on Leveroni Rd, via Arnold Dr. to return home.

Leveroni Rd speed limit is 55, cars driving by the same speed as Watmaugh Rd which is supposed to be 40, and 35 around the bridge.  I thought that Mr. Whp was right.  Leveroni Rd is a little better for cyclists.

We had cooling down in our community road to add 2 miles more and finished this bike trip today.

After we got home we happily enjoyed this sandwich and 2 kinds of juice. The sweet onion and Teriyaki chicken foot-long was Delicious!

And Odwalla smoothie too!
 
Next I might think about the shopping bag to hook onto the bicycle.


Most of today's drivers were careful and kind, so we were lucky.  But I'm thinking that at the intersection sharing with cars would still be scary if we were not lucky.  

Anyway I really appreciate the people who were kind and careful driving today.

We hit slump.

We need to find the way to ride not to get tired too much. I can't get faster, or ride longer any more.  
 
When you are young, practice will bring a result that you are getting stronger, better, faster.. etc.  I can't see such a wonderful result any more.  Recently the more practice, the more getting tired, slower, and easier to get pain for me.
Maybe because I'm having a harder time to sleep.  I wonder ....

Anyway we rode at least on our community roads to keep up with yesterday.  Sep. 30th.

At least  the temperature got much more comfortable nowadays.  And it was fun to use my homemade rear seat trunk, no pouch around my waist was very comfortable!

So I decided to make his rear seat trunk too.  Fortunately we have an ice chest with a color just right for his bicycle.  
Voila!

He is happy with that.
So we had a good ride together today.

We were going to ride just 5 miles, but we noticed that we were fine if we pedal slowly.