mmm, bikey goodness
The weather here has been gorgeous this week -- clear and sunny and in the 60s -- and I've been sad not to be out on my bike in it. Today, having been given a short (thank goodness) extension on the long-delayed project, and having been *very* productive at work, I rewarded myself with a bike ride. I'd also wanted to get a ride in before the long ones this weekend, to wake and warm my muscles up a bit. So I figured I'd just do, you know, 5 or 10 miles and call it a day.
Then I got on the bike, and the sun was shining and the lake was all sparkly, and I could smell the ocean on the breeze, so I thought...
...okay, I'll just head south a little way. South from my house means leaving San Francisco, and I live near the coast, and Pacifica (sweet little coastside town with big sweeping beach vistas from the green hills above) is the next good place south of here. The next thing I knew I was riding up this long, long hill, and then down the other side, and then up the next one (not as long, not as steep), and then avoiding the highway on-ramp... et voila, I was in Pacifica. I wasn't really sure if there was a more pleasant (i.e. less car-trafficked) way to get back, but I saw these signs for a bike route, and then for the Pacific Coast Bike Trail, so I just followed those -- oops, more steep hills!! -- northward (easy to find when the Pacific is visible and the sun is setting).
So my "little ride" ended up being 19 miles, at least 1/3 of which was up hills (and yes, I did pedal on the downhills too). It was *beautiful* and I feel really good, physically and mentally. Good thing, too, because now I have to finish that damn book chapter thingie.
Oh, and this is the route I took... I haven't figured out an easy way to get the total elevation change, which would be cool. http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=778593
Then I got on the bike, and the sun was shining and the lake was all sparkly, and I could smell the ocean on the breeze, so I thought...
...okay, I'll just head south a little way. South from my house means leaving San Francisco, and I live near the coast, and Pacifica (sweet little coastside town with big sweeping beach vistas from the green hills above) is the next good place south of here. The next thing I knew I was riding up this long, long hill, and then down the other side, and then up the next one (not as long, not as steep), and then avoiding the highway on-ramp... et voila, I was in Pacifica. I wasn't really sure if there was a more pleasant (i.e. less car-trafficked) way to get back, but I saw these signs for a bike route, and then for the Pacific Coast Bike Trail, so I just followed those -- oops, more steep hills!! -- northward (easy to find when the Pacific is visible and the sun is setting).
So my "little ride" ended up being 19 miles, at least 1/3 of which was up hills (and yes, I did pedal on the downhills too). It was *beautiful* and I feel really good, physically and mentally. Good thing, too, because now I have to finish that damn book chapter thingie.
Oh, and this is the route I took... I haven't figured out an easy way to get the total elevation change, which would be cool. http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=778593