Pt, Reyes Station and Grilled Cherry Tomatoes

While my knee is not yet where I want it to be, riding last week really agreed with it, so Jerry and I decided it was time to ride again, maybe even a bit further.

I'm not ready for any long climbs, so we took the tandem up to Nicasio, thus avoiding climbing White's Hill. I remember my first time going up White's Hill. We had to stop at least once for me to catch my breath and gain my composure. While my quads are getting stronger every day, I didn't think they were up to that.

We headed out and rode around the reservoir. There are some short climbs and I handled them well. When we reached the turn to Pt. Reyes Station, I thought, why not? So we continued to ride. There are a couple of climbs and again, everything went well.

So at around 10 miles, we pulled into Pt. Reyes Station, took a little break and then got back on the tandem. I diluted my electrolyte drink and stuck the bottle in Jerry's back pocket. I am tired of using a Camelbak and am looking for ways to avoid it. The bottle cages on the tandem are hard for me to reach, so if Jerry's not wearing a jacket, his back pocket works just fine.

Right out of Pt. Reyes Station there is a climb, and my knee started talking to me-- not too loud, but I definitely felt some new twinges in new places. But I figured if I don't push a bit beyond my limits I'll never get anywhere, so I continued to push hard. Coasting down a stretch was a treat, and the next little climb seemed a bit easier.

So altogether, we rode around 20 miles at about 14 mph. Not bad for the second time out. Next weekend maybe we can conquer something a bit steeper and go for some more miles.

After getting home and showering, we headed to our usual haunt, Theresa and Johnny's Comfort Food Cafe. One of the specials was a scramble with roasted garlic, grilled cherry tomatoes, basil and parmesan. It was full of both grilled and raw cherry tomatoes and it was just what I wanted. I had fruit with it and ate a share of Jerry's french fries. After all, I DID ride.

Mill Valley and Felafel

Yesterday I had my first almost real bike ride since my knee replacement surgery. Hard to call it a real ride, because it was only seven miles, but at least it was a ride. Jerry and I set out from Mike's Bikes in Sausalito and rode to Mill Valley. It's mostly trail and very quiet flat streets. It was cloudy and a bit on the chilly side which probably made me pedal faster.

As usual, I was on the back of the tandem. I am still not even close to riding my single, though I am thinking about it. At an after-ride potluck last week I spoke to a rider to ask her about coaching me. She's an ALC training ride leader and my gut tells me she'd be a really good coach, helping me get over my fears as well as helping me focus on the road. While I will never be sure, I think the reason I crashed is because I got distracted and was not focusing on what was in front of me. Being a stoker on a tandem I don't actually see the road, so I'm usually looking off to the side or at the cyclometer. Not good habits for riding a half-bike.

But back to the ride. It was not very strenuous, but felt that for the first time out, I didn't want to overdo it. And my knee was a bit achy later in the day, so I think my instinct on that was good. Maybe a bit longer ride next weekend.

I was going to go to the gym today, but somehow the day got away from me. Jerry and I did go out to lunch at Trio, which is in a strip mall not far from where we live. It's really too bad this place is in the location it is: it deserved to be someplace better. The food is wonderful-- some of the usual stuff, but lots of middle-eastern dishes. I frequently get felafel, and Jerry had a lamb and beef burger. The guys that run the place are young and energetic, and I sincerely hope they can make it work.