Friday, November 11, 2011

Gnat Baths and the Laws of Probability

Twice in the last eight days, I've gone for a ride in Coronado. Last Saturday, Betty and I did our first 20+ miler in lord-knows-how-long, and this morning, the herd went out for another ride on the same route. We were celebrating Clarence's Birthday...silly girl, slept in and couldn't find her riding gear. We figured she and the hubby were just snuggling. Even though the time has changed, at 6-o-dark-thirty, when I left the house, it was still pretty dark outside..
This morning's riders - Mik, Elsie, C, Alice, and Kat...with Betty acting as photographer...
This morning was Elsie's first venture out on her new ride. She did really, really, good, and only fell once.
My understanding is that this is a "staged" photograph. Nobody actually saw Elsie tip over.  (g'head, make a joke about cow tipping here...I dare ya)
Elsie is OK. We told her she was going to fall at a stop sign and she did. I thank her for proving me right.

One of the really wonderful things about riding from Coronado (nado...we learned the soccer moms call it), is that it is flat...

...like pancake flat...can you say something like a 10 foot elevation gain...so not impressive!
Also...there are also bugs, especially at the foot of the bay. Lots of 'em. They fly in the eyes and in the mouth, unless you keep it closed, which is really hard to do when you're riding as fast as you can to get through the GD EFFIN' GNAT BATH
Gnat Bath area...beware...
Finally, we ride on a fabulous running, riding, walking, stolling, in-line skating, path where inevitably if you are passing a runner (or a slow rider) and coming in the opposite direction, there is another runner or rider (fast or slow) or even better yet, a guy pushing his newborn babe in a stroller, and you are trying to pass the slow runner/rider, all three of your paths will intersect at exactly the SAME PLACE at the SAME TIME...

Here...let me illustrate the situation...
Yes, you are impressed by my mad illustration skillz, aren't you?
I mean, you would think that since that the "bike path" is nearly 10 miles long, these "intersections" would be relatively rare...however, it seems that the complete opposite is true.

Why is that?

Just wondering...I had some time to think about these things for several miles this morning.

It was a grand ride...lots of fun. Glorious weather (where IS that rainstorm that they've said is coming?)

We celebrated the ride with breakfast and mimosas and toasted the vets whose sacrifices gave us the day off and an opportunity to enjoy the ride.
Happy Vet's Day AND
Happy BDay to Clarence!!!



10 comments:

  1. Yes, we have the same meetings on the path here. Except there is usually a dog involved. On a leash. And no mimosas in sight. It's a sad situation.

    Riding outside. How lucky you are.

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  2. Is that a halo over your head in that diagram? Also, how many "guys" actually push a stroller voluntarily?

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  3. You guys always have the most fun, I'm moving to Cali and hanging with you! BTW, Can you spare a bedroom? :)

    You should get a job as a reenactment drawer for those high profile trail cases!! Love the visual...those things seem to happen to me, too; I'm always waiting for the jogger to pass from the other side!

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  4. Sorry that i missed you guys! But let me set the record straight:

    1) There was no snuggling w/Ponch. I did wake up later than my alarm and couldn't find jack. I KNEW when i got home the night before I should find what i needed but....

    2) It wasn't until I woke up Jeff did I learn that "we" now keep "our" bike helmets in the trailer. Really? When did that start? And when does my husband ride a regular non motorized bike?

    3) We snuggled this morning!

    LOVE the mug and sad that I missed you all. Sometime within the next week i'm gonna buy me some cool weather workout wear and bring my helmet inside.

    :) Love you!

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  5. Where's the hot Marine or Sailor with no shirt on in this drawing? The "view" is always better on the island!

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  6. I might've enjoyed my rides a lot better if I had a great group of girls to ride with & the promise of mimosas afterwards :)

    In the meantime, still hatin' on my bike.

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  8. Oh rats...or should I say gnats - I didn't proof that last comment before sending it. Here we go again:

    I developed a new appreciation for running on bike paths after I became a cyclist and realized how much room runners take up, especially when the path is as narrow as the Silver Strand. Great illustration, by the way.

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  9. 40! 40! Happy belated b-day to Clarence!

    FWIW, running around the backbay here in Newport I get to have gnat baths all the time. I carry a special gnat towel to wipe my face off after runs. I'm glad I don't ride. Or maybe I could use the extra protein....

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  10. I've been such a blog reading slacker! You've been busy, lady! I'm just getting caught up with all of your doings. Nice bike riding. I'm super impressed and I'm sure it's that kind of cross training that has improved your running. I keep saying that some day I'll get on the bike band wagon, but not just yet. The moon and the stars (and the cash flow) need to align.

    Ditto about the track club. I might sign up for the club but not for the RNR program. It depends. Working on Saturdays really messes up my running schedule. The RNR program keeps Hubs accountable, so that might factor in. I'm still waffling about it.

    Good luck with your professional decision!

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