Witches at Soledad??

Followers!  What a week.  I am burnt out from work and working out!  Spent M-W of this week working 12 hours shifts at work, Dolphin was down for rigging maintenance and just keeping as best I can up to date on my work duties.  But Thursday came along and I had a great day!  I went out to lunch with friends for Dining Out for Life. After work, I met up with Jose for Dining Out for Life at Ponce's.  Remember, the money goes to a good cause, but I will agree with Jose that the food was not that great, Minus the guacamole enchilada.  I like that!  Then a fun date night out to see Totem, Cirque du Soleil traveling show.  And let me tell you it was the best touring show I have seen to date, and Jose's first Cirque show!  It was a blast and lots of fun.  (Crazy hydraulic stage, RFID lights, digital projection.... super cool) Friday, I was to meet a few ALC peeps after work for some Fiesta Island ride time, but it turned out to be just Dave and I.  And that was fine.  We opted to go up to Mount Soledad and back.  Hills suck.  But the payoff at the top of the hill is always worth it.  The view up top was wonderful.  It was crystal clear.  I confided in David when we were up there that I was nervous.  The ride is so close and I am concerned about if I will make it.  I am just done. Tired. I really don't want to ride.  He kicked me in he ass and reminded me that this is hard, but that the training I do now will pay off for the ride.  He also talked to me about closing day and those emotions that go into it!  It re-excited me!  We also met another fellow rider up top.  It is cool that the riding family is a small family, and though there are the bitchy ones out there, there are also nice ones.  What goes up, must come down!  And I clocked 40 MPH!  Super fun.

Off to Fiesta Cantinas for margaritas and food.  Jose met up with us and Mike as well, my boss from work.  A pleasant night and full of fun times with good people.

 The Three Witches.

Do I really want to ride. No. I am beat. But I woke up early and decided to just do it.  Unfortunately, David cant make it out.  We were going to carpool together.  But I met up with the ALC Team at Fletcher Cove.  Met a new rider. Well new to me.  He has done a few rides before.  And were off!  I keep a good pace with Jen, Rob, Angela and nameless person whose name I cant remember right now.  But the hills were OK, steep (maybe not, I think I was just too tired).  To be honest, I was just peddling.  I was tired so my concentration was not the best for feelings or taking it all in.  It was pretty though.  We get to rest stop one, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf!  Yay! Not Starbucks!  I LOVE CBTL!!!!

Off again and here is what I do remember.  We are on a stretch of road where I can see easily two miles ahead of me.  There were a few riders in front of me.  But it clicked. This sucks.  This peddling, legs cramping, tired and moody, sucks.  I am done.  But wait, Ricky, you are doing this for 7 days straight here very soon!  What are you thinking??  I know this is going to be great and is right for me.  But still, it was a moment of exhaustion talking and it freaked me out a little.  I just need to get back into my life flow and I will be fine.  But it was a moment.  And I am doing this for the right reason and I am excited for that.  Just need to remember what my friends and loved ones tell me about this ride and why I do it.

Rest stop two (Starbucks) and then off again.  Peddle peddle peddle.  I will be fine.  It is Jen Angela and I and I like that.  They peddle fast so there was motivation there to keep going.  I kept up and we turned right.  Wait, where are we?  Lost!  Yay!  It wasn't bad, just turned too soon.  But we quickly got back on track and on route.  Scary moment came though when we needed to turn left.  Angela started to go into the left hand lane.  There was a car back but a ways off.  I followed suit.  However, I swear he speed up on purpose and then blared his horn as I see him barreling towards me.  I will say I hesitated to go into the left turn lane, but jackass did speed up.  It was a scary moment, well, nerverwracking.  Only because his horn blowing.  But whatever, it wasn't that dramatic, he was though.  Then of course we turn left on the light, which was a short light and the person going straight honks at us as the light turns red before we clear the intersection so we held them up.  Meh, jerks :)  Route 56 bike path is a nice bike path.  Easy and pretty.  We had fun, until I fell over while standing.  Nothing bad, just some scrapes. 

It was a good ride.  I am tired, and feeling weird still.  I need to organize my life and ride life so I feel more prepared and not so  out of sorts.  I have good friends and loved ones who are helping me out though.  And you followers, make this ride fun too as I get to tell you all about it. 

Oh yeah, and I am always thoroughly amused at how dirty I am after a ride.  I took a shower and the water was brown from dirt stuck to my body.  So crazy!  Also, on the way home I brushed my face with my hand and dried salt came off my face.  Crazy!!  I am an athlete!!

I am off to a fundraising BBQ for my tent mate now.  More rides tomorrow! 
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Two pics on the bike path under I15.  Who knew there was one there!

Till next time

Peddle on!