The Ride

Today, I did my longest ride yet--33 miles in 2.5 hours.  I was so proud of myself until I stopped at the  General Store.  The General Store is a landmark in a charming little town called Nicasio Valley. Nicasio boasts a number of dairy farms, cheese factories, wineries and a magnificent view of the Nicasio Reservoir, the biggest water source here in Marin. It is a reservoir but it sure looks like a giant lake.

The Nicasio route is very popular to cyclists because of its elevation, winding roads, bike-friendly neighborhoods and wonderful views. Some riders from other cities would even drive here to ride in the Nicasio route. Luckily, I live in the area, and Nicasio is just a 30-mile ride for me back and forth.

The General Store is a very popular rest stop for cyclists.  You can buy pretty much anything from the small grocery store.  There is cheese tasting if you want to sample the local cheeses.  And there are a couple of nice restaurants next to it if you feel like stopping for lunch before hitting the road again.

Now back to my real story...

So I was beaming with pride when I stopped at the General Store for a water refill. I looked at my phone GPS and thought to  myself, "Wow! By the time I get home, I would have biked 33 miles. I feel really good right now!" But that was only until I met all the other riders who, like me, stopped and rested around the General Store.  A group of riders ranging from the 20's to the 50's came all the way from San Francisco. I spoke to one of them and learned that they were training for an AIDS charity ride that will start from San Francisco all the way to Los Angeles! And for that day alone, they need to ride 70 miles! There was also this lady who parked her bike next to mine. She looked at her monitor and said "67 miles". I couldn't believe what I heard so I asked her, "67 miles??? Where did you ride from?" She told me she lives in Mill Valley and she rode all the way from there and into San Rafael, Tomales Bay, Marshall and back.  By the time she gets back to her home, she would have biked at least 100 miles.  And oh, she should be at least 60 years old!

I felt such an amateur, but I realized that in fact, I am. I've only had my bike for less than a year now.  Who knows how long these people have been riding?  And I must remind myself that it makes no sense comparing me against riders in a different echelon.  Maybe I'll get there someday.  If I keep on riding.

I reminded myself of one of the things I believe in--that if I want to be somebody someday, I have to start somewhere. And I made myself a deal to start a commitment.  Whenever possible, I will do at least one big ride and one little ride a week.  A little ride is no more than 20 miles on a weekday, and a big ride is no less than 20 miles on a weekend.  And I will try to increase my big ride by 5 miles each week.

If I do this, I should see myself doing 70 miles for a days ride in my not so distant future.  Hopefully before I turn 60!