What to say about today's ride?
For one, it is much harder to ride a mile than a kilometer. You say, well obviously, it's longer. But also, I think that riding 8km is easier than 5 miles, even though they are the same distance. It's some strange psychological effect of watching mileage post signs as you ride. The quicker the number changes the more it does for my riding ego.
First ride entirely on American soil, was similar to the last week: rain. Got my poncho on and was out the door by 9:45 or so. Rode the first 30 miles or so in a strange moisture. It wasn't exactly raining, because there were no discernible drops falling from the sky. It was just an overwhelming mist, that got me soaked and cold. I'm glad I had my poncho to keep me dry, but my poncho also doubled as a parachute, effectively doubling my frontal surface area making forward movement near impossible into a mild headwind when I reached Port Angeles. The rest of the ride seemed to dry out a bit.
Lake Crescent was beautiful. Photo enclosed. It has some of the first real rain forest grandiose trees that I've been anxiously waiting for.
Having my family here = free food. And I couldn't be happier. 2 weeks ago I was eating 6 bananas for lunch and toting around a jar of peanut butter and jam with a loaf of bread and today I had a grilled salmon Nicoise salad for lunch and an "all you can buy at the grocery store" dinner. I've forgot what it's like to be a child. It makes me envious of my siblings still living at home.
Been thinking a lot about my 400 mile ride September 29th. It's something I want to do, but haven't signed up for yet. Two different parts of me are torn in different directions. Why do I want to do it? Because it is a ride-as-long-and-as-fast-as-you-can cause you must finish in under 34 hours event. I spend a lot of time on my bike, and am looking at an area to really push myself. To get out of my comfort zone. I've shied away from racing for reasons I'm not totally sure about, but I feel more comfortable in the endurance arena. Basically, in 60 years I don't want to have to say, man there's some things in my life I wish did but I didn't, and now it's too late. Reasons I'm shying away from it: I'm afraid of failing. I don't want to get 280 miles into the ride and have to give up. I'm noticing more and more as I get older that I am afraid of failure and content with what's comfortable. Which sucks. It is an awful way to live. For this reason I'm determined to try. I'm going to try and get in a 12 hour ride between here in Portland to gauge my fitness. Keep you posted.
Today I entered vampire country. And then took a drive over the treaty line into the wolf pack area. Some serious stuff.
About food: I, along with most people, have an interesting relationship with food. It's a bipolar one. Either way over the top (like the dozen donuts I ate in Nanaimo) or very conscientious (salad for lunch and then bananas, apricots, almonds, pistachios and a carrot) for dinner. I'm trying to move away from the social (typically unhealthy) aspect of eating and see food for what it really is: fuel. Your body simply needs food, about 2000 calories of it, every day to keep your heart beating, muscles contracting and your nerves firing. It's like oxygen, you can't get a lot of it one moment and expect it to hold you over for the future. No matter how much I eat, in a couple hours that hunger comes crawling back. The guy we stayed with in Sidney was on a green smoothie health kick, spinach and banana smoothies. He claims he's never felt better. Can't wait to come across a blender to try.
For one, it is much harder to ride a mile than a kilometer. You say, well obviously, it's longer. But also, I think that riding 8km is easier than 5 miles, even though they are the same distance. It's some strange psychological effect of watching mileage post signs as you ride. The quicker the number changes the more it does for my riding ego.
First ride entirely on American soil, was similar to the last week: rain. Got my poncho on and was out the door by 9:45 or so. Rode the first 30 miles or so in a strange moisture. It wasn't exactly raining, because there were no discernible drops falling from the sky. It was just an overwhelming mist, that got me soaked and cold. I'm glad I had my poncho to keep me dry, but my poncho also doubled as a parachute, effectively doubling my frontal surface area making forward movement near impossible into a mild headwind when I reached Port Angeles. The rest of the ride seemed to dry out a bit.
Lake Crescent was beautiful. Photo enclosed. It has some of the first real rain forest grandiose trees that I've been anxiously waiting for.
Having my family here = free food. And I couldn't be happier. 2 weeks ago I was eating 6 bananas for lunch and toting around a jar of peanut butter and jam with a loaf of bread and today I had a grilled salmon Nicoise salad for lunch and an "all you can buy at the grocery store" dinner. I've forgot what it's like to be a child. It makes me envious of my siblings still living at home.
Been thinking a lot about my 400 mile ride September 29th. It's something I want to do, but haven't signed up for yet. Two different parts of me are torn in different directions. Why do I want to do it? Because it is a ride-as-long-and-as-fast-as-you-can cause you must finish in under 34 hours event. I spend a lot of time on my bike, and am looking at an area to really push myself. To get out of my comfort zone. I've shied away from racing for reasons I'm not totally sure about, but I feel more comfortable in the endurance arena. Basically, in 60 years I don't want to have to say, man there's some things in my life I wish did but I didn't, and now it's too late. Reasons I'm shying away from it: I'm afraid of failing. I don't want to get 280 miles into the ride and have to give up. I'm noticing more and more as I get older that I am afraid of failure and content with what's comfortable. Which sucks. It is an awful way to live. For this reason I'm determined to try. I'm going to try and get in a 12 hour ride between here in Portland to gauge my fitness. Keep you posted.
Today I entered vampire country. And then took a drive over the treaty line into the wolf pack area. Some serious stuff.
About food: I, along with most people, have an interesting relationship with food. It's a bipolar one. Either way over the top (like the dozen donuts I ate in Nanaimo) or very conscientious (salad for lunch and then bananas, apricots, almonds, pistachios and a carrot) for dinner. I'm trying to move away from the social (typically unhealthy) aspect of eating and see food for what it really is: fuel. Your body simply needs food, about 2000 calories of it, every day to keep your heart beating, muscles contracting and your nerves firing. It's like oxygen, you can't get a lot of it one moment and expect it to hold you over for the future. No matter how much I eat, in a couple hours that hunger comes crawling back. The guy we stayed with in Sidney was on a green smoothie health kick, spinach and banana smoothies. He claims he's never felt better. Can't wait to come across a blender to try.
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| Happy to have some good company. |
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| Cullen Country. Also happens to be the rainiest city in the U.S. |
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| Down on the beach at La Push. |
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| Lake Crescent. This place was pretty sweet. And I can tell we're approaching the rainforest. |
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