Lazy Sunday's are meant to be lazy, right? I had raced the day before, and wanted to make use of my Sunday by going out for a leisurely stroll around the city. It was anything but leisurely. I faced a headwind that seemed to follow me in every direction. I wanted to slow my pace and get in a bit of recovery, but the wind just kept pounding me mile for mile. I won't give in! I needed to clock in a couple more hours anyway, considering most of my week was spent recovering from the last race. It turned out to be a gorgeous day in San Francisco.
I started by going up and over San Bruno Mountain, where the wind was concentrated and funneled through the canyon pass. It was a slow grunt all the way to the top. On the other side the wind was just as strong, and my legs were already feeling fatigued. I almost bagged my ride at that point, but the Marin Headlands were calling. Tt's been at least a week since my last outing, and I didn't want to put in a day's worth of riding on my mountain bike without hitting some dirt along the way.
The Great Highway was closed off, and the north section of road leading into Sea Cliff was finished with construction, featuring a new bike lane all the way up to Land's End. I waited to go out in the afternoon because of the San Francisco Marathon that started early in the morning, which put runners along the edge of the city, right where I was riding.
I miss my regular rides into the Headlands. I used to get out here at least twice a week, but now that we live further away I can't keep up with my old schedule. A friend of mine was up here earlier in the morning, enjoying the view from the top of Miwok, but was promptly escorted down the hill on foot by a park ranger. I had passed the same ranger later in the afternoon. He had stopped to talk to a group of hikers, and as I rolled by he asked "Are you heading up to the top of Miwok?". I knew my friend had been caught by him earlier in the morning, and I had no intentions of going up there on a Sunday afternoon. I replied "I can't. Bikes aren't allowed up there." One of the nearby hikers said, "Good Answer! He's got his handcuffs ready in the back." I laughed and rode on.