I'm not afraid....I'm too brave!

Some of my friends think Mike & I are crazy for undertaking a long distance bike ride.  "It's so dangerous" they say; "I know someone who was almost killed while bike riding"; etc.  Very comforting thoughts.  With much bravado, I respond:  "We'll be fine";  "It's much safer than you think"; but secretly, I'm AFRAID!  I'm afraid that, at the end of this ride, I might be DEAD.     Flattened by a semi, clipped by an inattentive driver, forced off Pacific Coast Highway & onto the rocks below.....I have a very vivid imagination!  When I was a 16 year old counselor at Camp Cadicasu in Bragg Creek, we used to sing a gory song to the tune of "Glory, Glory Hallelujiah" that was about a guy who parachuted, forgot to pull the cord, & "landed on the runway like a blog of strawberry jam".  The kids loved it!  I have a new version running around in my head (trust me:  this makes more sense if you sing it as you read):
"Flattened by a semi on the way to Monterey; 
ran into a car door as she rode through Morro Bay; 
struck down by a texting teen on the final day 
& she ain't gonna ride no more!
Glory Glory what a heck of a way to die;
Glory Glory what a heck of a way to die;
Glory Glory what a heck of a way to die
& she ain't gonna ride no more!"


So, I'll tell my girls I love them, make sure my will is up-to-date, & clean out my underwear drawer, just in case.  


My second greatest fear is the weather.  I don't do well in the heat; I sort of wilt.  Just ask my hiking buddies: on hot days, I lag behind more than usual.  I'm hoping for nice, cool overcast mornings with the sun coming out just about the time Mike & I sit down, overlooking the ocean, with our first cocktail.


My third fear is the hills.  I'm in pretty good shape but I'm still afraid there aren't gears low  enough to get me up some of the hills.  Pushing my bike through Big Sur doesn't sound like a lot of fun.  Maybe I can hang onto someone's bumper.....or call a cab....


So, those are my fears.  But like I said, I'm keeping them secret:  "I'm not afraid; I'm too brave!"

Training Rides

To prepare for the "Big Ride", Mike & I have been doing training rides around Los Angeles.  Last weekend, we rode up Pacific Coast Highway (yes, there is a good shoulder once you get past the center of Malibu) to Sycamore Canyon in Ventura.  It was a 4 hour, 40 mile ride which really gave us a sense of the kind of riding we'll be doing down the coast.  It's great to have a long stretch of road.  You get in a real rhythm - it's almost meditative.  There are lots of interesting things to see like waves crashing onto the beach or birds soaring overhead.  At the same time, you have to be constantly on the lookout for peril:  holes or rocks in the road, car doors being opened, inattentive drivers.  I'm getting more comfortable with the whole thing & am starting to get excited about the actual ride.  The hills, of course, are still a problem but you just keep gearing down & take them one pedal stroke at a time.  When we were riding in the Black Forest of Germany, I used to count in German:  ein, zwei, drei, etc. as I struggled up the hills but somehow that doesn't work in Southern California.


Today, Mike & I rode from our house, down along the beach, up Santa Monica Canyon & San Vicente to the top of Mandeville Canyon, a 3 hour ride.  San Vicente is a wonderful road for cyclists with a designated bike lane & loads of trees (and no billboards).  Mandeville is also great.  It's only 2 lanes but being a Sunday, there were very few cars.  It's 5 miles of gradual uphill & the scenery is beautiful:  trees, lush landscapes & interesting homes.  Imagine my surprise when, part way into the ride, I ran into Virginia, our younger daughter.  Mike was ahead so Virginia & I rode together & met Mike at the top.  It was great having someone else to ride with for a change (and a photographer)!  Here Mike & I are the top of Mandeville:

On our way home, we came up through Rustic Canyon, another gorgeous area.   Settled during the 1920s, it's a hidden gem with old log cabins next to contemporary homes.   With wonderful old trees & a stream running through it,  Rustic Canyon feels a long ways from Los Angeles.   And the shade makes for the perfect way to ride home on a hot day.  


Tuesday I'll do another ride, probably along the beach.  The Marvin Braude Bikeway, named after Los Angeles Councilman Marvin Braude who first advocated for a beach bike path, runs 22 miles from Pacific Palisades to Redondo Beach.  The path goes along the coast of Santa Monica & Venice, through Marina del Rey,  back to the beach along Playa del Rey, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach & Redondo Beach.  Every city has its own unique character & lots to see:  Santa Monica Pier, funky Venice Boardwalk, sailboats in the Marina, airplanes overhead in El Segundo, the beach & volleyball scene in Manhattan Beach, surfers, bicyclists, roller bladers, runners, and, if you're lucky, dolphins swimming close to shore.  Gotta love Southern California!