Only 2 fotos (but nice ones if I may say so myself): here are Blaine and Valdez at lunch on Piedmont Ave.
I’ve been off the bike for over a week, unexpectedly, with concert business and medical appointments and just “stuff”: last ride a Saturday ago with Denise’s group. Jumped at the chance to go on a short outing with Blaine and Valdez from Lake Merritt (it was going to be Calaveras, but they had an appointment in Oakland). V. wanted to ride up Mandana, I think because he’d heard it was a challenge, so we did that, and it was steep and hard (I got onto my low gear and couldn’t spin), but not very long. We relaxed on Saint James up through Piedmont; then he wanted to try Leimert (same reason), so we did that, and it was long but somewhat easier. Again it’s hard to say “spinning” but I managed to use my whole leg (on both sides), lifting and moving them through the complete circle, and that seemed to work powerfully. I’m discovering all kinds of new physical techniques! (The other one is making “small” circles with the feet and shins, to give the big muscles a rest; and the main thing is concentrating on doing it smoothly). Valdez even asked how I was able to spin so fast up the hills. It’s hard to explain. Over to Monterey, then up Burdeck and Butters which he knows (he told Blaine he was in for a real climb, but Blaine had no difficulty and pulled ahead on the steep part, while I followed Valdez and indulged in my low gear again). We descended on Joaquin Miller, rode through Montclair and out to Lake Temescal and Rockridge, finally over to Piedmont Ave. to Tropix (a nice Caribbean restaurant) for lunch. I let them wait and watch my bike while I popped into Kaiser Optical Services to get my glasses fixed (this time the screw had come all the way out and got lost!) I left them on the way back to Blaine’s and rode home on MacArthur, another set of hills where I did manage to spin and pick up the pace some. Improved my average, from 7 point something at the top of Butters, to 9.3 mph. for 21.99 miles. Feeling it in my thighs; it was a workout. I think I’ll need at least a couple more rides before I start resting next week. The Ride is less than two weeks away!
