March Madness, Days 8 & 9
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Day 8 … 81 miles – Davis, Winters, Vacaville, Winters, Davis.
Day 9 … 21.1 miles – an easy loop from Davis to Woodland and back.
Saturday, March 8th
I rode pretty hard, enjoying the rollers between Winters and Vacaville on Pleasants Valley Road. I really need to build up to hills again, so this is great practice. I love cycling Pleasants Valley Road – it’s beautiful, rolling hills, and usually it’s pretty well protected from wind when it gets very breezy. Yesterday the weather was perfect for cycling – not too cool, not too warm, not too breezy, not too sunny, not too cloudy. It was just about perfect.
I had a couple of quick rest stops at Steady Eddy’s in Winters. My first stop was just for water and a couple of Sports Beans, then I headed back out on Putah Creek Road with the intent of doing just my Lake Solano loop, but I was feeling so good when I got to turn, that I headed out Pleasants Valley towards Vacaville. Traffic was light (always nice when you’re cycling!) and there were quite a few other cyclists out (also very nice when you’re cycling) enjoying the day. I road out to Vaca Valley Road, then turned around to head back. I hadn’t really planned on this long of a ride and got kind of a late start in the morning, so I didn’t want to risk not getting back at a decent time. I was focused on cycling, so I didn’t stop to take any photos, but it was glorious out there!
Oat Cake - this will get you through a few miles
On my way back through Winters, I stopped again at Steady Eddy’s for a snack. I am quite happy to report that they do still have oat cakes. I filled up on water, half the oat cake, and headed back out. I chatted briefly with a group who was also headed back towards Davis. They were from Davis and Sacramento. I took off a few moments before they did, but they caught up quickly and then invited to to join them. They pulled me all the way down Putah Creek Road. It was nice! It was work to keep up, but it was worth it. I’m not sure what the correct cycling lingo is, but they were steady riders and rode in a straight line, not wambling all over the place, so I felt safe trying to draft off them.
By the time I got home, I had hit 75 miles. I needed some more water and was hungry again, so I filled up with water at home and snacked on the rest of my oat cake. I wanted to do a few more miles and my legs were feeling a bit tight, so I did a little loop just to spin and loosen up my legs. My total for the day was 81 miles. I made some good progress on my March Madness and training for my 2014 Napa Valley Tour de Cure. I felt good about that.
I was pretty hungry last night, and must confess to having a total “guy” dinner.
Steak and baked potato.
Steak
Potato
Of course, my steak was a lean cut and my potato had a little light Havarti cheese & fat free Greek yogurt, so it was really not too bad. Lots of protein and that’s what I needed. My eyes were bigger than my stomach, though. I had about half the potato and about 2/3 of the steak. I was going to have salad, but I was too full.
Sunday, March 9th
This morning a gentle recovery ride was in order. It was a beautiful morning for cycling – the air was deliciously clean and cool, very little breeze, with a nice cloud cover. I headed out towards Woodland, Road 102 to Road 25, then looped back Road 103, and back towards Davis.
Looking towards Sacramento
Looking towards Winters
I have spent the rest of the day …
Hanging with Tiger
Admiring my lavender.
Smelling the roses.
Checking other blooms
... and more blooms ...
Checking for a 4-leaf clover
Making a few new friends …
Luck be a lady tonight!
These ladies were very active ...
... exploring ...
... trying to hide ...
Camera shy?
Very happy for these visitors.
Oh, yeah, and a bunch of chores in there, too, not just play. I should probably get back to a few of those things that really need to get done today.
The rains are supposed to start again tomorrow, so I’ll pack up for the gym in the morning just in case. But if it’s nice … I’ll be … oh wait … time change … sunrise at 7:26 am? I’ll be at the gym in the morning, but maybe I’ll get to ride tomorrow after work!