Guest guest Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 I am so happy and so grateful. I put the bike in DH's car and headed out to find the group. I was sad because there was no parking when I got to the meeting place, and I thought I'd miss the group. I parked really far away and rode in, but they were still there. What a friendly, funny, and helpful bunch of folks! We headed out along the trail, and a very friendly guy rode alongside me, asking lots of questions, and checking out my gear and technique. He gave me some instructions about riding with the group, as in how to signal, what to watch out for, etc. The pace was easy. We rode 22 miles, and our average speed was 10 mph (per my new Polar bike computer), which felt pretty poky to me, but it was perfect for getting used to riding with others. My max speed was 19 mph. We reached the bay, and then turned back and took a couple of hills, and then rode on streets for a while. They characterized today's ride as " easy and chatty. " Boy, was it! Next week's ride is going to be faster and tougher. We're in between rain storms right now, and yesterday was absolutely gorgeous. It was about 60 degrees and sunny. The wild mustard and wild radish is blooming in the meadows and in the hillsides. It looks like a sea of green, yellow, and pink. The air smelled so good. There was a slight hint of mist and haze. I just googled Coyote Hills and found this picture. This is where we rode. This is exactly how the flowers look: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jerryting/4386082105/in/pool-ebparks/Here's the best piece of advice that I received. At the beginning, the ride leader discussed the ride options. One option included some hills. I mentioned that I didn't think I could do that, and that same friendly guy said, " Never say you can't do a hill that you haven't tried. " He was right. My first charge up the hill failed because I accidentally shifted to a tougher gear and lost momentum on the steepest part, so I doubled back with the ride leader, shifted correctly, and flew up the hill. She was so supportive! We had lunch at a Vietnamese place after the ride. I love these folks. I'm never going to forget this.Happy workouts, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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