Cycling Foodie

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California Crepe

Side of Banana!

Saturday we ventured to Davis, exploring the route to the Causeway. This will be a fun commute to work someday! For a break, we stopped at Crepeville, one of my favorite breakfast stops in Davis. A crepe is a bit much for me to eat mid-ride, so I just snuck a few bites along with my side of banana.

I do miss cycling in the Davis area, but it’s good to explore new rides.

Sunday I just grabbed a quick morning ride before a family visit and trip to Napa for a little wine tasting fun!

A splash of bubbly!

Here’s hoping you had a great weekend and got to enjoy some fun outdoor activities. If you’re in an area with lots of smoke (way too many fires burning in the area right now), be careful exercising too much outdoors right now, especially if you’ve got any sort of respiratory troubles. It’s important to have a back up plan for these bad air days.

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Let the planning begin! The 2015 Napa Valley Tour de Cure will be the best yet! Check out this video to learn a little more about the Napa Valley Tour de Cure.

I am striving to be a Champion again in 2015, so if you would like to donate to my ride, please click here to help me reach this goal!

Today also marks my first official training ride for my 2015 Tour de Cure century. After the meeting, I enjoyed a 32-mile spin on the Silverado Trail. I started near Luna Winery and rode to St. Helena and back. The ride up the Valley seemed such a breeze! When I headed back down Valley, I understood why. That sneaky wind … Let’s just say it took a bit longer to get back to my car than I expected.

After my ride, I stopped by Luna Vineyards. As I had just cycled and it was hot, hot, hot outside, so I tried to avoid other guests as much as possible. However, the staff member who helped me was very hospitable. I was especially appreciative of the nice, chilled water he gave me … aaahh … I (finally) joined their wine club, which I have wanted to do for a long time. I sampled their Sangiovese and Bordeaux Blend. I am looking forward to making a special pizza for the Sangiovese, and either a perfect steak or lamb with the Bordeaux Blend.

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The Emigrant Trails Bike Trek is three day cycling event that raises funds to support clean air, healthy lungs and a tobacco-free tomorrow. The ride was in the Lake Tahoe area this year.

Overall, the ride was a great experience. Wonderful, fun-spirited volunteers. Beautiful scenery. Friendly riders. I wish that I could say that Tahoe had friendly drivers, but, alas … I may never cycle in Tahoe again. These were some of the rudest drivers I have ever encountered. My hope is that ETBT will be in a different location next year!

Fresh, hot breakfast each morning.

Each rest stop had a different theme.

Peppers & Onions

+ Chicken =

Chicken Fajitas!

Warm Peach Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream

Post-Ride Beers!

There was no shortage of food, that is certain. Rest stops were well stocked and with some of my favorites – lots and lots of bananas, fig bars, and Honey Stinger gels, bars, waffles.

The ride was a weekend of firsts for me.

First time participating in Breathe California of Sacramento’s Emigrant Trails Bike Trek.

First time riding at altitude …

Lake Tahoe, Emerald Bay

First time camping & biking together …

Camp Richardson, Lake Tahoe

First time having to bail on an organized ride … I rode very well on Friday, however, on Saturday the altitude got the better of me about 9 miles into the ride. I was very disappointed to have to abandon the climbing part of the ride. Luckily, I found a group of other cyclists who decided not to attempt this particular climb and headed back to camp with them. I ended up splitting off from this group with one of the riders. We got lost in Tahoe on our way back to camp. That was an adventure in and of itself! I ended up with almost 35 miles on Saturday, but it wasn’t nearly the ride I had hoped to accomplish.

First time ever having to SAG … Sunday was the short ride, but it had a difficult climb on a single lane, steep, twisty-turny road. I was doing OK on the climb, but then a car wanted to get past me, so I got off my bike. There was no restarting for me on the hill. So I walked. And I walked a little more. I finally got restarted, but only made it maybe 1/4 mile before it just got too steep and I got off my bike again. The SAG crew offered me a ride, and told me the rest of the hill to the rest stop was at least as steep. So, I gave up. First. Time. Ever. SAG.

Sad. Very sad. So very disappointed in myself that two days in a row I did not meet my goal. Even though I made it up more than half of the climb, I did not make it all the way on my own.

It was the altitude. That is my story and I am sticking to it.

First time ever being the last rider to finish. I was so very thankful that my riding partner stuck with me for the entire ride on Sunday.

The wisdom in this is that I knew when to stop on Saturday before ruining not only my own ride, but my riding partner’s ride.

The wisdom in this is that now I know what it is to feel this disappointment. I now know what it is to be on the receiving end of, “Don’t worry! It happens to everyone! Just have fun.”

The wisdom in this is that now I know it is OK to be disappointed and sad and frustrated and upset with yourself for not meeting your goal.

It really is OK. So the next time I encounter a cyclist who is upset about having to SAG, or having to quit, I’ll probably still say, “Hey! It’s OK to SAG!” I will, however, have a lot more empathy when the cyclist looks at me with that pang of disappointment that says, “Yeah, but it doesn’t happen to me.”

Sometimes you just need to …

Stop and enjoy the view.

… and then …

Jump in a cold lake to cool your muscles after a big ride.

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I just returned from the Breathe California of Sacramento Emigrant Trails Bike Trek. Let’s just say it was a weekend of firsts. Some moments were triumphs; some were not.

I have to get back to the “real world” and head off to work super early this morning, but I hope to be able to post about the trip by the weekend.

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Breathe California of Sacramento Emigrant Trails Bike Trek.

Sure hope I can do this!

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Here’s another great ride to check out: Emigrant Trails Bike Trek

It’s coming up soon – the first weekend of September!

I am going to do my best to finish this ride. The altitude and hills combined may be a bit of a challenge.

The American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure has “Red Riders” … their designation for riders who have diabetes. I’m wondering if Breathe California has “Blue Riders” … to designate riders who have asthma or other respiratory challenges? Hmm … then I’d be a Blue Rider!

If you would like to make a donation, please click here.

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Well, here we are … halfway through August already?!

I’ve gotten some good cycling in so far this summer, but not nearly as much as I would like to for lots of reasons. Making some adjustments and wanting to do more cross training.

A few foodie explorations here and there.

It’s looking like I might finally get to ride Foxy’s Fall Century this year!

Speaking of riding, it’s time to get ready for my morning ride.

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Do you ever feel so far behind that it seems you’ll never get caught up? I’m there. Life has been a roller coaster, full of ups, downs, twists and turns lately, but I’ve been getting some cycling in most days before work, weekend rides, and have been able to do a few new rides …

A rare afternoon relaxing in Carmel.

17-Mile Drive, Carmel – beautiful scenery, rolling hills, and fresh, clean ocean air.

Ride Ataxia NorCal – a ride to benefit FARA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to researching a cure for Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), a degenerative neuro-muscular disorder. We rode the 60-mile route from Davis to Vacaville, Winters, and back to Davis. The ride is sponsored by Outback Steak House so the post-ride meal … the ribs, oh the ribs …

Sacramento Delta Area – I’m beginning to explore this area again with a friend.

Cantelow – revisiting a hill I “conquered” several years ago which has defeated me this year until last Saturday. Finally up and over Cantelow again without any walking!

I’ve also gotten a few foodie explorations in, especially in Carmel. One of these days I will blog about the food … especially about La Bicyclette.

One of these days … I will get caught up.

Sunflowers!

It's another amazing sunflower year in and around Davis. They're just starting to bloom.

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A lovely little ride along the Central Coast from Carmel to Monterey.

More soon … there were some awesome foodie adventures in Carmel.