Let's start with the fact it was supposed to have been 65 miles.
We met in the West Hollywood Park. Then shot out through Culver City, down the beach, through Manhattan, Redondo and Hermosa - up and all over Palos Verdes and back.
I'm still not sure how we made 85 miles out of this trip - other than the fact it was all hills in Palos Verdes.
My thinking whenever I'm on one of those unending hills is "eventually we're going to hit the sun." They seem to never end. I can't imagine living SIX MILES above sea level over a beach. But the roads wind up and up and up and around and around and around.
The one thing I REALLY don't understand is why I'm the only person out of a group of say a dozen (in a pack) that seems to scream and curse like a child with turrets. (I, however, more than make up for the rest of the group.)
I want to start my own training ride called "The Pancake." Meaning: flat as a. And at the end of the ride, we eat pancakes.
I kept asking over and over and over again (expecting to get a different answer), "so this ride today is actually harder than a day on the ride, right?" And they all said yes. So you might ask (as I did for 85 miles) why in the name of God and all that is holy, are we making it so hard on ourselves TODAY!?
It's just about impact training I guess. The harder the training ride, the easier the ride.
Now. Back to how we managed to add 20 extra miles to our ride.
The Training Ride Coordinator, (who shall remain nameless, but sounds a lot like JR BILLINGS) created a route that was 80 miles. And rather than correct his oopsie, just decided to let it fly. (85 miles with two rest stops no less. TWO. Did I mention the ride took nearly 10 hours?)
He also left off roads. Lefts were supposed to be rights. Etc. So I added five extra miles.
I also realized I left my phone behind. I remember having it in my hand when I was taking the bike off the rack, so I couldn't remember if I sat it on top of the car (which is the same color as my phone) or in my jacket pocket which was IN the car. And for 85 miles I kept picturing some twink in the Pacific Design Center hearing the beep from missed call and seeing it on the top of my car and saying, "oh look! Free phone!"
Fortunately, it was IN my car. And no one called.
After I got home and showered it was 640 and I was supposed to be back in Manhattan Beach for Marlena's birthday extravaganza. It was like A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET when I sat down to eat dinner. "Don't fall asleep... don't fall asleep... don't fall asleep..."
I stayed for about an hour. Great conversations. Came home (sitting in traffic at 11PM through downtown LA and wanted to cry because it would-not-move!) but not before stopping for a pint of coffee ice cream. I figured I HAD TO eat it, otherwise all those burned calories were going to waste!
So I feel asleep with a pint of coffee ice cream in my lap. Watching BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.
