Saturday was a wash out.  I had Marshall Wall on the Different Spokes calendar and we headed out but it started raining on us on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge and it just kept getting wetter til we turned around on the bike path.  I headed home and watched the last scooby doo episodes I hadn’t seen and a bunch of disaster movies from the 70′s.  Needless to say, I had tons of energy that night and stayed up til midnight watching TV.  Which was a terrible idea because I had a very early start Sunday.

 

Sunday we rode Lucas Valley in reverse and the riders seemed to have a really good day with it.  Once we got started.  There was a triathalon causing all sorts of drama on the Golden Gate Bridge and Crissy Field and we had a lot of trouble getting everybody assembled.  It wasn’t a very difficult ride and I think the people enjoyed it.  We’ll be revisiting this route next year.  I like it better for the group than Lucas Valley in the regular direction for a bunch of reason and I’m thinking that this is the route we’ll do if there are time constraints and we can’t do both.  Here’s the gang at the top of big rocks:

 

 

We headed down to San Rafael for lunch and then made our way back to San Anselmo.  I got a couple of pics of Ryan who’s clearly eager to show the city of Larkspur how to WERK!

 

 

We rode around Paradise Loop and then headed home.  I was home pretty early and I got a couple of pics of Mr. Poe’s prize winnin’ Wisteria that everybody’s talking about:

 

 

I made Mr. Poe some Green Chile Stew that will become enchiladas on Monday Night.  I tried to stay up late but could not.  Asleep by 9PM.

 

Bike Mileage:

Today 81.4 Week to date 178.2 Month to date 178.2 Year to date 1,938.3 To Goal 6,061.7 Over (Under) plan (253.5) YTD Mileage vs Last Year (267.0) Rolling Year 4,143.6 Since Inception 10/1/07 42,406.0

Friday I came down Market into work.  I went to the gym and took a spin class over lunch which totally kicked my ass and then I went for a nice ride after work.  I headed off Market to Haight to Stanyon to Page and into Golden Gate Park.  I headed over to Stow Lake and stopped for a pic of the Chinese Pavilion:

 

 

Then I headed MLK to Bernice Rodgers to JFK and stopped for pics of tulips at the north windmill.  Almost all yellow this year!

 

 

I headed over to the Great Highway and stopped for a pic of the beach:

 

 

I continued on the Great Highway to Lawton to 36th to Noriega to 17th to Rivera to Cecilia to Santiago to 16th to Taravel to Merced to Hernandez to Laguna Honda to Portola to Corbett to Ord and home for dinner.  We went to bed early as it was gonna be a big weekend.

 

Bike Mileage:

Today 18.9 Week to date 71.3 Month to date 71.3 Year to date 1,831.4 To Goal 6,168.6 Over (Under) plan (316.5) YTD Mileage vs Last Year (268.7) Rolling Year 3,931.5 Since Inception 10/1/07 42,299.1

Thursday I came into work yet again on Muni.  I swear that all this Muni commuting has nothing to do with all the new Scooby Doo Mysteries Inc episodes that have been coming out this week.  I went to the gym over lunch and then after work I headed off on foot to REI to pick up my Trek bike which had been in getting the fabled Gold Tune.  I got this pic looking towards the Metreon:

 

 

I picked up my bike– it looks fantastic although it needed a new cassette so it was super expensive and then I went for a little ride before going home.  I took 8th to Townsend to Kansas to 17th to Potrero to 24th to Florida to 26th to Valencia to Tiffany to 29th to San Jose to Monterey into Santa Clara to Santa Monica to Portola to Corbett and home for dinner.  Keeping with the trend, we did not stay up late.  I can’t get off east coast time!

 

Bike Mileage:

Today 9.4 Week to date 52.4 Month to date 52.4 Year to date 1,812.5 To Goal 6,187.5 Over (Under) plan (313.5) YTD Mileage vs Last Year (287.6) Rolling Year 3,912.6 Since Inception 10/1/07 42,280.2

Monday and Tuesday I came into work on the Muni and then went home the same way Wednesday it was super gloomy in the morning so I came in on the train yet again and went home mid day and then led a ALC training ride out to Tiburon.  The weather was pretty much perfect and we had an awesome and fast ride out to Marin.  Here are my riders, Pepe and Terry:

 

 

I got home at about 6PM and had dinner and went to bed shockingly early.  I think I was asleep by 7:30.  On a weeknight!

 

Bike Mileage:

Today 43.0 Week to date 43.0 Month to date 43.0 Year to date 1,803.1 To Goal 6,196.9 Over (Under) plan (301.0) YTD Mileage vs Last Year (249.3) Rolling Year 3,855.5 Since Inception 10/1/07 42,270.8

It’s been an unpleasant couple of weeks.  I headed to Florida on the 19th because I had to take care of my mom who was having a long anticipated back surgery.  I stayed in Florida for almost two weeks helping her and her pets out.  Everything went well but it was an incredibly stressful visit.  She’s doing well and the prognosis is excellent and I’m glad to be back in San Francisco.  I got back on Friday and got a haircut and took Mr. Poe out to dinner.  Saturday I did nothing but sit around and watch TV.  It was an excellent idea.

 

Sunday I led a ALC training ride out to Point Reyes Station.  The weather report was terrible and we really should have canceled but we decided to ride and by some miracle it didn’t rain on us.  I couldn’t believe it.  So despite all the hail that was falling pretty much everywhere else we had a pretty awesome day.  I got some pics in Pt. Reyes Station:

 

 

Buz looking all sorts of glam on the way home:

 

 

Ominous clouds surrounding Nicasio Reservoir:

 

 

We finished around 5 and I headed home.  I was still pretty beat from travel so I went to bed early.

 

Bike Mileage:

Today 77.9 Week to date 122.9 Month to date 758.6 Year to date 1,760.1 To Goal 6,239.9 Over (Under) plan (278.3) YTD Mileage vs Last Year (153.0) Rolling Year 3,673.2 Since Inception 10/1/07 42,227.8

Sunday was my ALC training ride out to Nicasio.  This is always a tough ride for me because I have to quick get to the front of the pack so that I can point at the entrance to the bike path in Samuel P Taylor park after we’ve ridden around the reservoir because it’s easy to miss even if you’re looking for it.  It comes late in the mileage so it’s a very, very long wait for Buz and the last rider because by then people are really spread out.  Here I am prepared to point:

 

 

I got a bunch of pics of riders as the came through.  The drama!

 

 

We headed to Lagunitas where I was served the most forgettable falafel plate I’ve ever eaten.  How can hummus be bad?  Then we headed home through Fairfax and I headed home.  Once again, I went to bed early.

 

Bike Mileage:

Today 78.0 Week to date 222.4 Month to date 584.3 Year to date 1,585.8 To Goal 6,414.2 Over (Under) plan (145.7) YTD Mileage vs Last Year (105.7) Rolling Year 3,277.3 Since Inception 10/1/07 42,053.5

Saturday I led a Different Spokes ride up to Alpine Dam, over the seven sisters, down to Stinson and then back on the 1.  The weather was fantastic and everybody had a really good time.  I love this time of year when we’re doing these crazy rides that make people question our sanity.  We had a great ride out to Fairfax and then we climbed up to Alpine Dam Lake which I hadn’t been to in a while.  It was gorgeous up there:

 

 

The riders trickled in:

 

 

Then we climbed up to Ridgecrest and rode the fabled Seven Sisters:

 

 

We headed down to Pan Toll and regrouped again:

 

 

We headed down to Stinson for snack and then came back on the 1.  I love love love riding on the 1.  It’s so pretty:

 

 

We stopped for lunch in Mill Valley.  Here are Gordon and David:

 

 

We said goodbye to Gordon and then headed back to the city.  We had a little energy left so we rode up to the top of Twin Peaks:

 

 

David:

 

 

Me:

 

 

I headed home and got cleaned up and ready for bed.  What a fabulous day!

 

Bike Mileage:

Today 71.0 Week to date 144.4 Month to date 506.3 Year to date 1,507.8 To Goal 6,492.2 Over (Under) plan (201.8) YTD Mileage vs Last Year (183.7) Rolling Year 3,199.3 Since Inception 10/1/07 41,975.5

I had training in Redwood City March 11-15.  My first thought was to commute on bike because lots of people do that.  I hated it and I only biked down and back on Monday.  It just isn’t good riding and takes forever and it was dark until I got to the airport and let me tell you that Bayshore sucks in the dark.  Some of the neighborhoods are pretty marginal but at least now I know where the San Mateo County Women’s Detention Facility so and I guess that’s something.  Tons of people ride down every day and my hat is off to them, but I guess i don’t want it that bad because i drove the rest of the week and went to spinning classes which kicked my ass.

Pics of the sunrise as I headed down the bay Monday Morning:

Training was on the bay in Redwood City and the site was really pretty.  I don’t know that I’d want to work down there but it was fun for a week.  There were tons and tons of geese which actually hiss at you if you piss them off.

 

We got out a little early and I headed back to the city.  I had to stop by Mr. Chris’s and I couldn’t resist trying on his fabulous Saint Patrick’s Day hat:

I headed home and got changed and rode out on my bike.  I got this gorgeous shot of a house down the street as I headed out:

I dropped my Trek off at REI for the glamorous Gold Service that will make everything like new.  I walked home from there and stopped for a minute in Dolores Park to enjoy the gorgeous afternoon:

Yes, I saw him too.  Here he is closer up:

I headed home and waited for Mr. Poe to call.  We met for dinner in the Castro which is pretty rare.  Here we are heading home.  He looks so happy because he’d been eating chicken:

We headed home and I went to bed.  Long day.

 

Bike Mileage:

Today 5.6 Week to date 73.4 Month to date 435.3 Year to date 1,436.8 To Goal 6,563.2 Over (Under) plan (250.9) YTD Mileage vs Last Year (254.7) Rolling Year 3,128.3 Since Inception 10/1/07 41,904.5

Sunday was my ALC training ride out to China Camp.  We had really good weather and it was a fabulous day.  Big bonus was that we didn’t have a zillion people getting lost in San Rafael on the way home.

 

Here’s some pics of the hotness:

 

 

China Camp Park is so pretty.  Evidence:

 

 

We hadn’t seen Emily this season so it was a total treat.  Here she is with Jen:

 

 

Some of the riders ate in China Camp Park.  The weather was OK for it which doesn’t always happen.  Buz and I waited for Chipotle at Northgate Mall:

 

 

Here’s the last of the group at Mike’s on the way home:

 

 

 

 

I made it home earlier than I had expected.  We had dinner and then I thought about going to bed.

 

Bike Mileage:

Today 66.3 Week to date 195.4 Month to date 361.9 Year to date 1,363.4 To Goal 6,636.6 Over (Under) plan (214.7) YTD Mileage vs Last Year (328.1) Rolling Year 3,054.9 Since Inception 10/1/07 41,831.1

Saturday was the monthly Different Spokes Jersey ride and we had a great group and fabulous weather for it.  We started off by heading up the headlands which has spectacular views:

 

 

Here’s everybody at the top:

 

 

Then we headed down the western side.  I stopped for a pic on my way down:

 

 

Then we headed down to Rodeo Beach.  Which is always beautiful:

 

 

From there, we headed to Tiburon for lunch.  I talked everybody into having Chinese food at Lily Kai in Tiburon which in my opinion is the best cheap food option in Tiburon.  Please note that I am not a paid spokescyclist for Lily Kai or the Lily Kai Corporation:

 

 

After lunch we headed around Paradise Loop and then Camino Alto and then headed home.  I had dinner and went to bed early.  Fabulous day.

 

Bike Mileage:

Today 58.8 Week to date 129.1 Month to date 295.6 Year to date 1,297.1 To Goal 6,702.9 Over (Under) plan (259.1) YTD Mileage vs Last Year (344.7) Rolling Year 2,938.9 Since Inception 10/1/07 41,764.8