I got in one last ride before I head out to Germany this evening for Eurobike. What was supposed to be an easy taper-off ride turned into a full on bonking sufferfest, at least for me. My buddy Josh is recovering from an injury, so we started off with a good brisk pace. After running into a bazillion trail runners we split the group in two, those of us who had to head back home, and those that wanted more miles. I was on the fence at that point and regretfully opted for more miles.
A familiar scene, the Marin Headlands covered in fog. I've ridden by this spot countless times, and not once have I been down to the beach that's flanked by mountains.
This guy was hot on my heels. Mat, who I've seen at races and rides occasionally, joined us this morning. He crushed it up the hills and was the one who got me to do more miles than planned. Surprisingly this is only his fourth mountain bike ride of the year. Lots of trail to show him.
Slow and steady. Peter and Josh make their way up the steep climb.
The sun finally came out to play. At this point I had climbed up Deer Park and bombed down Coastal, only to suffer my way up Middle Green Gulch and crawl my way up Marincello.
On the way down to last and final climb in the Headlands I spotted a hiker picking fruit from an unsuspecting tree. I pulled aside and gobbled up three apples. What a find. I brought just enough food for a three-hour ride, not a five-hour one. I'll have to remember the location of this tree the next time I find myself on the struggle bus.
It was a great day to be out on the bike. I rode close to 60 miles and climbed over 7,000' in about five hours. It was really good to catch up with friends, and ride with new ones.