Renton to Alki for Lunch

On Tuesday, July 12th, I joined Marizel on her posted ride "TREATS: Spinning to Alki for Lunch".  We had a total of 15 riders on this beautiful July morning.  We began our ride from the Renton Community Center and headed north towards Alki.  It turned into a beautiful day.  Big puffy clouds and the perfect temperature for a summer ride.  

When we arrived at Alki we stopped at Marination Ma Kai for lunch.  Their tacos were delicious.  I had three (they are small but tasty), a chicken miso taco, spicy pork taco and a fish taco.  And the view across the water of the Seattle landscape was gorgeous.  Filled with delicious food, awesome views and friendly riders we headed back to Renton.  All in all a great day on my bike.

Busy Spring With Training Series

From April 9th through July 9th I helped with the Cascade Bicycle Club's CTS (Cascade Training Series).  This is a 13 week course that helps cyclist prepare for a big ride, i.e. a century ride like the STP (Seattle to Portland bike ride).  Cyclists are trained in a group environment and are taught safe riding skills that are essential for all cyclists and very helpful in a large event.  

Our first ride was on a beautiful spring morning in April and it was only 26 miles long.  For most of the riders it might as well have been a century.  Each week we increased the mileage and elevation until by week 12 our ride was a century long.  For our cyclists the century was like a 26 mile ride.  How much they had progressed!  Amazing!  From a struggling 26 miles to 100 miles with ease.  And our last ride of the series, ride number 13, was a 50 mile loop around Lake Washington.  More of a celebration ride than a training ride with a party at the end.  

I was very happy to have been part of the series.  I got to see the improvement over the last three months of the riders.  From their struggles on a 26 mile ride to their strength on the century ride.  Having completed the series our riders are now ready for the STP, RSVP and any other organized long distance ride this summer and fall.

Great Year So Far!

So far this year I have been riding in some awesome rides!  I rode the Chilly Hilly on Sunday, February 28th with two good friends,  Marizel and Wendy.  Though we started together we soon separated into our own paces.  We met after the ride and enjoyed a delicious meal at the Crab Pot.  Our day began early on a ferry ride from Seattle to Bainbridge Island on a blustery, wet, cold and windy day.  Our bike ride around Bainbridge had everything.  Rain, wind and even sunshine.  It was as hilly as I remembered.  But I had a blast!  This ride is the official start of the cycling season in the Seattle area.  

The next great ride was the Emerald City Bike Ride on Sunday, April 3rd.  This year was the first.  We actually got to ride across the brand new 520 floating bridge.  It wasn't opened to traffic yet and the city put on a fantastic weekend to celebrate the new bridge.  On Saturday there was a run across the bridge and on Sunday, Cascade Bicycle Club had the ECBR which I participated in with my friend Candice.  Besides riding across the new bridge we got to ride on Seattle streets and highways without car traffic.  It was totally awesome!  A once in a life time ride and I got to do it!  Sweet!

The next ride that I did this year that I feel was pretty darn exceptional was the Flying Wheels Century Bike Ride on Saturday, June 4th.  The weather for the day was a record breaker.  We reached the mid 90s with plenty of hot sun and wind.  It was a tough but fun ride.  I also rode this one with my friend Candice.  This was her very first Flying Wheels.  Even though it had a few very steep climbs, was hot and windy we both had an awesome day on our bikes.  We celebrated when we got back to the finish eating gyros and drinking chocolate milk underneath the shade of a big tree.  We saw friends come in and chatted with many.  It was a very celebratory atmosphere.  I wish I had done the century (I usually do) but bowed out due to the heat.  I wasn't sure how well I would do riding it.  I was fine in the end but my friend Candice got a bad sunburn.