The Ramblings of a Cycling Addict: Beautiful Day, Great Ride After Work!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Beautiful Day, Great Ride After Work!

When I woke up this morning I thought the weather people on my local news station were wrong again. It was gray and gloomy. I was hoping to see sunshine when I woke up this morning but instead I was greeted with mist and grayness. But it did not stay this way. By the time I got off work at 2:30 the sun was shining brightly, the sky was the bluest blue, and there was not a single cloud in the sky! It had turned into a pretty awesome day after all. With this great weather waiting for me after work I did not waste any time getting home. I pulled into my garage, ran into the house and got into my cycling clothes, filled my water bottles, and out the door with my bike I went. I pedaled past Lake Tapps and headed down into the valley towards Orting where I picked up the Orting Trail. The trail ends at South Prairie. By the time I reached South Prairie I had covered 18 miles. Before jumping onto the road I stopped at Jump Start Espresso for a nice cold green tea ice tea. It hit the spot. I filled my water bottles and was ready to continue my ride.

After my rest I jumped onto the back country roads of South Prairie and Buckley. The scenery was magnificent! Mount Rainier was out in all its glory! The mountain was white from the winter snows. The pastures were green and alive with birds, cows with their new calves, horses, sheep, and farmers cutting hay. I felt wonderful! My legs felt strong and I climbed every hill with ease.

I got 35.73 miles in today. Not bad for an after work ride. I look forward to tomorrow and the weekend. The weather is supposed to be even better than it was today, if that is possible.

I took along my camera and shot a few pictures. To give you an idea of what kind of day today was just take a look at my pictures.