The Hills Are Alive!

I have 21 days until my San Francisco to LA bike tour, so I'm ramping up my training this week and next before I start tapering down the last week. My plan was to ride 30 miles today after work on the river trail, but after talking with Eric, my unpaid cycling coach, I decided to try the hills in Signal Hill. For some reason I haven't ridden my bike there before, and always opted for Palos Verdes instead. Maybe I just forgot that I could train there, or that they were of any significance. Boy was I wrong! I did not realize the level of difficulty of these hills! I rode for 1 hour and 25 minutes and only went 10.38 miles! There were no flat roads anywhere, just hills! I was either going down or up!

I started my training out by locking my keys and my Camelbak in my car. Of course it was cold and windy and my jacket was in my Camelbak, in my car. Fortunately I had my cell phone and sleeves in my pockets, so I called AAA, put my sleeves on a went for a ride before they came to rescue me. How did I end up choosing the second most challenging hill to start on I don't know. But I started going downhill, which is the funnest part of the ride for me, then I began the climb up Hill Avenue. I started my ride out by getting my butt kicked. And it didn't stop until I got off my bike 1 hour and 25 minutes later. Skyline Drive is no friend to me! I went down the west side of the hill toward the end of my workout and began the climb back up. A guy i passed going down, who looked like he was training for a hiking trip because he had a huge hiking backpack on, asked me as I was beginning my climb "You're going to do that?" I replied "yes", laughed and began the challenge. On the way down I did not realize just how steep this hill was. I focused on my breathing, held on, made sure my toes were pointed up throughout my rotations, prayed, and kept it to moving. There were a couple of times I thought I was going to have to stop and wasn't sure if I was going to make it to the top. But I kept reminding myself my car is at the top of this hill and I'm almost there. All of this worked! I made it to the top and did a few more repeats of the hills before I called it quits. My 30 miles on the river trail would have been a whole lot easier, but instead I chose to live it up in the hills! LOL!

Enjoy the journey!

Where Are You Going?

I came home from climbing 5 sets of the stairs in Santa Monica yesterday and my great-nephew Jaiden asked me "Auntie Liz where are you going? China?" LOL! I got the biggest kick out of that, especially since I barely made it in from a serious workout! Little Jaiden just turned 7 years old a few weeks ago and he already knows Auntie Liz is a traveler on a mission to discover the world :-) Out of the mouths of babes!



I was actually trying to get some food in me before I passed out from exhaustion and starvation. Well, that is probably a bit dramatic but I was very tired and hungry.



China happens to be on my list of places to visit within the next year. I will be shopping, cycling and eating lots of Chinese food. It's amazing how the view of the world can be so different from a bike, or just being outside of a car. You have the opportunity to take in more of your surroundings and appreciate the small and large things that God has so meticulously created. I plan to ride in every country I visit in the future so that I can make sure I absorb as much of its beauty as possible and carry it with me throughout my journeys.



Enjoy the journey!

Who's Crossing Your Path On The Journey?

That's a really good question! I think of people I'd like to have cross my path, but tonight while I was out cycling I decided to ride along the bike path on the beach because it's summer, warm outside, lots of people. Yeah! Lots of people, especially on the bike path. I was just enjoying the ride and not thinking about the crowds. Bad choice! I crashed my bike and fortunately it was into the sand and not the concrete, avoiding a couple all in love riding a four wheel bike on the wrong side of the path and a little boy who just stopped in the middle of the path. I tried to maneuver around them both, and I was successful, minus the crash landing off to the side of the bike path and into the sand. I didn't get injured, but my left gear looks a little busted up, so I'll have to get that checked out before my long weekend ride. I'm glad I landed in the sand and no one got hurt, but I am starting to feel my body and hopefully I'm not all sore tomorrow. My body may be trying to reminded me that I am 39 and not 21 anymore. LOL! The recoveries are a little different these days. :-)

Today's journey reminded me to stay off of the beach bike path in the summer if I really want to ride and to pay closer attention to who's crossing my path so I can respond accordingly.

Enjoy the journey!

Recooping...

...From My Vacation & Training

I'm tired! How can that be when I just came back from vacation a week and a half ago? Now I feel like I just need a vacation to not do anything! LOL! Maybe not getting enough sleep and riding 80 miles on Saturday didn't help either. But now I really need to regroup and focus on training for my San Francisco to Los Angeles ride that's rapidly approaching in 35 days.

I'll update my blog with vacation photos and more about my road trip soon. I've been thinking about Brazil this week, so I'll have to dig out my photos and reminisce about that adventure soon as well.

Enjoy the journey!