The Winds

Last week saw the herd scattered to the winds due to variously timed spring breaks this year. Some had spring break for the last two weeks and returned to work on Monday. Others started spring break on Monday and have the whole month off. Some of us (me) don't have spring break until the end of the month...in any event, we've been all over the place...and by all over the place, I mean that other people have been vacationing while I've been working...

This does NOT make Alice happy...Ah well. My time will come.

In the meantime, I did a stellar job of resting my knee last week, and for the most part, it feels about 90% better. I tried to run a bit on the 'mill on Thursday and eked out about two whole miles! The 'mill seemed especially tough on the knee. It's more difficult for me to do the lean-forward-mid-foot strike I am for because I tend to bounce up and down a lot more on the 'mill.

I was VERY proud of myself for stopping when I did. Old Alice would have gutted out another mile (because is a two mile mill run really worth anything at all?). New Alice stopped.

Writing about yourself in the third person is so very annoying.

I also decided to rest on Saturday instead of running with the SDTC. They were doing one of my favorite runs...which is from Hospitality Point to Wind and Sea Beach and back, about 12 miles. The best part of the run is the second 1/2, which winds through some of the fabulous homes in La Jolla's Bird Rock and when you get to Wind and Sea, you are rewarded with a pretty spectacular view.

Wouldn't you run further than you should to see this? (from 2009)

And while I could have turned around early and run a shorter distance, but let's face it, we all know I wouldn't have. 

I'm an all or nothing girl...so, for all of you who wondered after my last post if my last run had to be between 0 and 8 miles...uh, yes that is usually how I think of these things. Not good. I know.

When Sunday morning rolled around, I was really ready for some type of serious activity. Since Mik, Alberta and I signed up for the Gran Fondo Colnago bike ride on April 10, we thought a good ride would be in order.

Gran Fondo (Italian for "big ride." Oh stop the giggling...I know what you all are thinking), anyway it purports itself to be a bike ride and not a race. I'm not really sure what the difference is since in my case, it will still be a pretty big effort. An easy ride to me is getting on a beach cruiser and riding up and down the boardwalk on a bike that has a basket in front and probably a little bell.

Not my bike...but I like it! Thank you internets for providing pix to punctuate my lack of a point.

Anything that includes a 60 mile ride AND hills AND rest stops AND several thousand other riders is a race to me.

Yeah...60 miles. When the race was first announced, there were two options, 105 miles and 53 miles (The Gran Fondo and the Gran Medio). I noticed on Friday that the routes for both races were posted...somehow the Gran Medio grew to 60 miles. Now on a bike 7 miles isn't THAT big of an increase, but 60 miles is still pretty darn far in my book. Farther than I've ever ridden before...In fact, it's about twice as far as my previous long ride (30 miles in last year's Gran Fondo).

GRRRR...this year we are NOT going over the Coronado Bridge...I am more than a little bummed about that

Last year Mik and I did this ride in the pouring rain.

Mik and I and the non-view from the Coronado Bridge. Did I mention that I JUST DISCOVERED that this ride race ride whatever does NOT go over the bridge this year? GAH!

WET! 2010 Gran Fondo...another photo of the bridge I will NOT be riding over this year.

Anyway, on Sunday we decided that it was about time we started seriously getting ready for the ride this year, so we decided to ride 30 miles, from Rose Canyon (my bush) to Solana Beach and back.

These are the elevations from Sunday's Ride - going up and down and up and down again

Here are the elevations for the Gran Fondo. I guess this weekend's hills were good training for the Gran Medio, no?

The ride started off decently enough. It took awhile to get my legs under me as I hadn't been on my bike for a couple of weeks. This was Alberta's first ride with us. We'd gone about two miles, and I was about to show Alberta one of the MANY PLACES where I'd either fallen or had a flat tire (or both) and I heard a "clunk clunk." I wondered who brought an aluminum water bottle with them and then Mik exclaimed "My pedal fell off!"

WHAT?

WTF?

Sure enough, the clip in part of her pedal had slid off whatever the prong-thingy its attached to is called. We tried to screw it back on and ride a little further, but I think Mik knew it was futile. We were going to be riding up (and down) some pretty good hills, and doing that with one pedal? Not. So. Much.

Sadly, Mik turned around and headed back to her car.

I don't have much to report for the rest of the ride other than:

• 30 miles is far
• Riding down Torrey Pines through the park may not have been the wisest choice. My hands still hurt from all the braking.
• We did see Elsie and the BF walking into the park. I made a joke about looking for them in the bushes earlier. I'm pretty sure the BF was surprised by my willingness to go there (but I feel like I know him so well Elsie!)
• Did I mention that 30 miles is far?
• Both Alberta and I did ride UP Torrey Pines having already gone almost 20 miles, which I consider quite the accomplishment.
• My knee feels pretty good.

So...the plan is to try to ride 40 - 45 miles this weekend. Get in a good long run. I think/hope the knee is ready for it.