Back in the day I used to do intervals as part of my training. This usually involved something like climbing a steep hill over and over (the famous puke loop!), or perhaps some sprint repeats, or sitting at 90% of max heart rate for five minutes with one minute of rest in-between. Over and over. They were painful but effective training tools. I do not miss them, though.
Today, however, I experimented with intervals. On my camera. It didn't hurt at all.
I set my GoPro to take a photo every 30 seconds on our ride today.
It's a wide angle lens, so there is some distortion, which isn't great for general use.
Sometimes the wide angle works out like in the photo below.
Or this one.
Passing lane only.
Speaking in Italian.
Overall it was a fun experiment, but combing through 300 pictures with similar perspectives was a bit monotonous. Perhaps if I mounted the camera on my helmet instead of the handlebars that might yield more interesting compositions.
Today I went for a mountain bike ride from the house. Normally this is a fun day, but it was more frustrating than anything. Every time I felt like I was getting into a rhythm, something stood in my way.
This tree fell across a trail. With poison oak lining both sides of the trail, I didn't attempt to go around it. My momma didn't raise no dummy. Alternate route.
The state is making levee improvements. Trail gone. Alternate route.
Found an alternate route. No bikes. With three hikers giving me the hairy eyeball, I moved on. Alternate route.
This continued to happen for one reason or another for the entire ride. I was so frustrated I even stopped taking pictures. Me. No pictures. I know, right?
It's enough to make a guy scream. Sometimes you just gotta let it out.
Today we went to Tahoe for the day to do a little riding and have lunch with my folks. I picked out Sugar Pine Point State Park on Highway 89 as our starting point. We have a Golden Poppy day pass, and this was one of the state parks we can visit for free.
We first rode north to Tahoe City. The West Shore Trail meanders through the woods and sometimes along the lake. Unfortunately it crosses the highway four times, which can be a nuisance. For the most part drivers were courteous and stopped for us at the crossings.
The main reason we like bike trails is having the ability to relax and focus on riding and not worrying about cars. This trail does a reasonable job at that, but there are numerous side street crossings and even a few places where the trail stops and you use residential streets to connect to the next trail section.
Any time the trail passed near a pine tree, there was a good chance we would hit root bumps. There were hundreds of them. Because trees also make shade, sometimes they were hard to see as you exited the bright sunlight. Even with our fat three-inch tires it was a bumpy ride at times.
When we hit Tahoe City we turned west and rode on the Truckee River Bike Path for a bit. The river is running high and clear, which is nice to see.
We were running a bit late due to Highway 50 construction on our way up, so we turned around at the 12.5 mile mark.
The water is as high as I can remember.
In places it is lapping right up to the trail.
Currently the lake is just under (6228.94) the 6229 flood pool level, which is the maximum they allow for flood protection.
We finished up with a little over 25 miles on the day.
After cleaning up and changing into fresh clothes, we drove to Incline Village where we enjoyed a late outdoor lunch with my dad and stepmom.
The drive home on Highway 80 was a long one due to construction that narrowed the highway down to one lane. Well, technically zero lanes since we drove on the shoulder for quite a while. This added almost an hour to the drive home.
Except for the driving it was a nice day, and I already want to go back and explore the area more when we don't have time constraints.
We returned from five days in Monterey earlier today. It should have been a great getaway, but it seemed to fall a little flat. What used to be a magical destination for us now feels like just another place. And after thinking about it for a few hours, I think it's mostly our fault.
The first day started well enough. We arrived a little before check-in and went for a ride along the coast.
It was overcast and windy.
Still, how can you complain?
We had a stiff tailwind the whole way back to the hotel, and that was pretty awesome.
As I post the pictures, the one thing I notice is all were taken on the fly. We didn't stop once in the 20 miles. Go, go, go.
We arrived back at the hotel, the Holiday Inn Express on Wave Street, and checked in. Our room was newly renovated and immediately I experienced my first aggravation of the trip. They replaced the two nightstands with floating tabletops. Those nightstand drawers were where I used to dump all my cameras and electronics so I can use my backpack for walking. Instead all that stuff stayed in my backpack for the entire trip. They also replaced the dresser with a TV stand. It still had two drawers, but there wasn't nearly enough space for all my clothes, so I lived out of my duffel bag. Small issues, but the first dominoes of the week.
For dinner we went to one of our favorite places, the Alvarado Street Brewery. Like many restaurants lately, we found that they scaled back their menu. There wasn't much to choose from, and what we ended up with was not great. The portions were small and the prices high. We ended up ordering the calamari appetizer AFTER our meal because we were still hungry. Unfortunately it was undercooked and mushy. Anyone who knows me will say that I don't complain about food often. Stick it in front of me and I will consume it without a peep. But this time I felt compelled to make my feelings known on the credit slip, something I haven't done in at least a decade. We had zero complaints about the beer, though.
The next day we rode up north and did a short loop in Fort Ord. I really enjoy riding in there. I shot nothing but video on this ride, so here you go.
That evening we dined outside at Louie Linguini's. Although a bit cool and breezy, we enjoyed a great meal. The only downside was the big, creepy rat in a Hawaiian shirt.
Thursday morning we walked to the Red House Cafe in Pacific Grove for breakfast, which was delicious as always.
After breakfast, Jenn opted to do one of her MegaUltraWalkabouts ™ up to Seaside. I opted for another ride in Fort Ord.
The Fort Ord National Monument is 15,000 acres of awesomeness. The roads entering the area are gated off, so with the exception of the occasional government vehicle, you can enjoy a car-free experience.
There is something for everyone—paved roads, dirt roads, gravel trails and lots of singletrack trails.
Road intersections are well marked and all trails are numbered.
It's amazing how desolate it feels only a few short miles from civilization.
That evening we had a beer at Fieldwork and dined at Peter B's. Like many places, they have scaled back their hours (and menu). They are closed Tuesday and Wednesday, so this was our first opportunity to go there. Although I really miss the tri-tip chili they dropped from the menu, we were still pleased with our dinner.
The next day we rode north to the end of the trail.
It was cool and we battled a strong headwind for the entire 13 miles back to the hotel.
Later in the afternoon we went for a walk and watched the wildlife for a bit.
We ended up at Dust Bowl where the beer was really good but the scenery was even better. Seeing this handsome bastard was definitely the highlight of the day.
The unique combination of a mustache, sideburns, earrings and a greasy mullet was simply exquisite. The skin-tight slacks and Hawaiian belt really completed the look.
Wow. What a beautiful man. If Kentucky had a god, it would look a lot like him.
We had a light dinner at Peter B's again, and it was fine. We did a little shopping and walked back to the hotel. The sunset was nice.
The next morning we awoke to a little rain and wet roads. Neither of us seemed motivated to ride so we packed up and left.
Towards the end of our long drive home, Jennifer said we probably shouldn't go back to Monterey unless there is a compelling reason, such as escaping 110 degree temperatures at home. And I have to admit I was thinking the same thing. And that made me sad. The magic seemed to be dying.
When we first started vacationing in Monterey, our life was drastically different. We had jobs and responsibilities we needed a break from. We lived high in the foothills with narrow, hilly roads, and we often went weeks without riding together. The closest restaurant was over two miles away, and we had no brewery to walk to. It always felt like such a treat to roll out of our hotel room and have a bike trail literally 50 feet away, riding along the water and enjoying the fantastic scenery. Afterwards we could walk to any number of breweries or restaurants. Magic.
I guess we liked that lifestyle so much that we simply duplicated it to a certain degree when we moved to Folsom. Substitute a lake for the ocean and that very similar recipe bakes up into a satisfying and enjoyable lifestyle. It's been over a year and we still often can't believe our good fortune. Not every day is like vacation, but there are definitely days that feel like it—a long bike ride, a walk to the brewery, a walk to a restaurant. That's a pretty good day.
The reality is that Monterey is probably still the magical place it always was. We are the variable in the equation, and it is our new value that is now unknown. The X factor is the retired couple whose expectations have not changed in the 20 years we have been vacationing there. We need to find the value of "X" that still makes Monterey magical. The relaxation that used to be a downright necessity is not so valuable after retirement. Now we need something different. The value of X now should be adventure.
Another thing Jenn mentioned was that Monterey doesn't offer us anything we can't do at home now. That is true to a certain extent, but only because we made it that way. I think our initial excitement with living in Folsom quickly evolved into a bit of a rut. We ride a lot, and there are definitely days when the joy is lacking for me. It feels like riding is just about the number. The miles. The exercise. Getting out for a workout in an effort to live a healthy life is important, but I don't know if I am dealing well with the monotony.
On this trip I packed hiking shoes and hat, a frisbee and bocce balls. None of these were used.
We have been to Monterey countless times, and we have never gone kayaking, hiking, played disc golf, gone to a museum, or had a picnic on the beach. There are countless parks we have not explored.
As a lifelong bike nut, I have to wonder if some of life is passing me by as I stare at the road in front of me. Knocking out those miles. Go, go, go.
Kids will fall for the simplest of deceptions. Pull a quarter from behind their ear, and they will look at you with wide-eyed amazement. As we age, we have seen it all. A simple sleight of hand will not amaze us anymore. Make an elephant disappear? Sure. That would be something.
At the same time, we also don't seem to seek out any new tricks. We are too content with nodding our head politely at the same old rabbit-in-the-hat routine, and that is the problem. The secret to still believing in magic is continually pursuing it. Be your own magician and constantly strive to amaze yourself and your loved ones.
Learn the elephant trick. Make some wide-eyed amazement. Make that magic.
The Folsom South Canal Trail has somewhat secretly existed for decades. There's really no reason for most people to know of its existence unless you participate in the Tuesday night time trials (which are now on Wednesdays this year). It's pancake flat and runs over 15 miles along (wait for it) the Folsom South Canal, from Nimbus south to Sloughhouse Road.
Jennifer and I started riding on the trail a few years back. I think it just started as an option to mix things up a bit, or to recover from one of our very hilly rides in Shingle Springs, but Jennifer took a liking to the trail.
I found it terribly boring, and I often tried to suggest alternate routes.
Fast forward to last year when we moved to Folsom, CA. We now live less than a quarter mile from an awesome trail system. And it's really great. And people know it's great. And that can be a problem.
On weekdays we ride with few issues. The trails are lightly used, and most of those users are bike trail veterans, meaning they don't do stupid shit. But on the weekends . . .
All hell breaks loose. There are runners, walkers, dogs, kids, skateboards, strollers, scooters, onewheels, e-unicycles, wobbly tourists on e-bikes, and weekend warrior road riders trying to set Strava PRs. It can be complete insanity.
Enter the canal. The boredom that I once considered a bug turned out to be a feature.
Once we navigate about 4.5 miles of craziness from our house, we are rewarded with miles and miles of serenity on the little-used stretch of pavement. I now appreciate the beauty of boredom a little more than I did a couple years ago.
It was a pretty good year in many respects. We were very busy early in the year with renovating the old house, buying the new house and moving. We started settling in around June and you can see the results of "real life" slowing down and cycling life heating up.
Some statistics:
5917 miles is the most since I started keeping stats in 1995
914 miles more than last year
Seventh straight year increasing annual mileage
261 total rides
22.67 miles per ride average
The 214,000 feet of climbing was 50,000 less than last year
There is no doubt that riding down here in Folsom is easier than up in Shingle Springs, and the mileage numbers reflect that. The increase occurred organically, meaning I didn't intend to ride more this year; it just happened. In fact, I think I said last year that 5,000 miles was too much, and here I was flirting with 6,000.
In 2024 I don't expect anything to change. It's pretty easy to ride 500 miles a month here, so I expect to be around 6,000 miles again.
