Cycling Foodie

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Today 85.5 miles. I am now at 60% of my goal of 750 miles for March Madness. I highly doubt that I will be able to ride 300 miles this week when I will be working every day, including Saturday, leaving only next Sunday 3/31. Oh, well.

Hiking the Training Hill in Auburn, CA

Saturday it was too windy in Davis for me to ride. I probably should have just driven to the Napa Valley to ride the Tour de Cure route (or part of it at least!), but I went to Auburn and hiked with a friend. I haven’t seen her in a long time and it was a nice change of pace. I do need to do more cross training.

Today I rode from Davis to Winters to Vacaville to Pena Adobe Park and back to Winters and Davis. I hate to admit, but I could not get all the way up Cantelow today, either. I rode stronger up most of it today than I did last week, but I stopped at about the same place as last week. This concerns me. The Tour de Cure is just 6 short weeks away and I had to walk up that last little bit of Cantelow. I don’t understand it. I feel like I am riding stronger on the flats and rolling hills, but why can’t I climb a hill I’ve climbed dozens of times before? Am I really losing my ability to climb, or am I just not used to the “compact” and different gearing on my new bike?

It was a beautiful day for riding, lots of sunshine and not too much of a breeze. I saw a few familiar faces out there on the road.

On my way out, stopping for a quick water break in Winters. Thank you, Steady Eddy's in Winters for having a clean restroom, some shaded tables, and nice cool water for cyclists!

Feeling completely & utterly defeated at the top of Cantelow.

43.7 miles ... a quick water and snack break at Pena Adobe.

About 57 miles ... Lake Solano Park.

I am hoping to ride evenings after work this week … that will add a few miles to my March Madness and a little more Tour de Cure training.

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Beautiful day for a training ride!

I am pretty close to being on target for Davis Bike Club March Madness. As of today, day 17, I am 49% to my goal of 750 miles for the month.

Got a great training ride in today … Davis, Winters, Cantelow, Vacaville, Dixon, Davis for a total of 78+ miles. I rode pretty strong today … do I have to admit that I did have to walk up that last little bit of Cantelow? My excuse … I haven’t been doing hills and I’m not quite used to the gearing on my new bike yet. OK, lame. I know, I know.

Top of Cantelow

I’ve got a bit of work to do before the Napa Valley Tour de Cure … I have just 8 weeks left to get ready!

This is a great ride – if you’ve never done an organized ride, this is a great one to try! It is a fundraising ride – to raise money for the American Diabetes Association. To find your local tour and to register, click here. You’ll have an awesome ride, supported by amazing volunteers, and be supporting a great cause!

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May your blessings outnumber
The Shamrocks that grow.
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.

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Cauliflower & Mushroom Gratin

Tonight we’re grilling turkey breast tenders marinated in lemon and herbs de Provence. I also made a cauliflower and mushroom gratin we’re also cooking on the grill – this is a completely experimental recipe and I have no idea how this will turn out! Now it’s time to go make the tomato salad with extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs, and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

I am soo ready for summer!

If the gratin is good, I’ll post a recipe. It’s much lighter than it looks. It is made with non-fat milk and reduced fat cheeses.

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I’m not sure if I’ll get to ride after work tonight, but I am headed to the ARC this morning and will log a few March Madness miles on a stationary bike.

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I am now about 32% towards my goal of 750 miles for March Madness.  I had a very mellow 13.8 mile ride tonight after work. It’s important to do a recovery ride now and then.

Little by little I am gearing up for my Tour de Cure.
Every little bit helps!

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I am looking forward to my first of the season post-work ride tonight!

I can log a few March Madness miles and grab a little training for my Tour de Cure!

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Where the heck did the time go today? Oh, yes, that’s right … we lost an hour!

I logged at least 70 miles today. Sadly, I don’t know the exact mileage because I had a Garmin malfunction … perhaps user error … but my new Garmin Edge 500 shut itself down twice while I was riding today. I have no idea why, but I’m guessing that I probably thought I started the timer and didn’t actually start it. Bah.

I rode two rides today. The first was a warm up of about 29 miles. My cycling partner was going to join me around noon, but wasn’t up for it when I came back. So, I took off on my own again. The second ride was more than 40 miles. Winds weren’t too bad today, and there was lots of sunshine!

Almond Blossoms

There are still lots of springtime blooms and I resisted stopping for most of the ride, but there was one tree I just couldn’t resist. It was along Stevenson Bridge Road, near Bear Flag Farms.

The weather report for the week looks promising! I am looking forward to starting my post-work rides again this week. I have to log lots more miles for Davis Bike Club’s March Madness, as well as get some training in for my Napa Valley Tour de Cure. It’s 9 weeks from TODAY!

If you can’t ride, but want to be a part of this AWESOME ride, you can volunteer. Do you have non-riding family members, friends, and/or colleagues who would like to accompany you? They can help in a variety of roles, whether it’s on site at the Veterans’ Home (in Yountville, where the ride starts and ends), or at one of the rest stops. For more information, or to sign up, please click here.

This year I have pledged to raise $1,000 and I am a long way off right now. If you would like to donate to my ride, please click here.