Well, I woke up this morning at 3am with an inability to get back to sleep - ready to begin my first day with some new friends as we all get to know each other and follow a VERY complicated route - a route sheet that is 3 plus pages including columns and double sided... that is a lot of different streets!! We even had some unplanned detours, some bike paths under construction and some climbing under fences to get to the other side of roads! But I made it through day 1 - about 83 miles! And many of us stayed together so if we got lost, at least we were in a group. We had the famous wheel dipping ceremony in the Pacific Ocean about 9am and then road over the Golden Gate Bridge, through Salsalito (so gorgeous), San Rafael, and on Hwy 37 - it was a beutiful ride and the weather couldn't have been better. 
The people in the group are all super nice... most of them are retired men with just a speck of females. Sue, my roommate, and I are the only single women on the trip - Sue is 61 and is turning 62 on the ride. She is great and I really enjoy her. I am sure you'll hear more about her on the trip. I don't know who the oldest guy is on the trip but the youngest is 17 years old - he is here with his dad and they are biking to Pueblo, CO. There are many people who are just doing sections of the ride across the country and about 35 of us that are going the whole way. We will have others join us in different cities.
Enjoy the photos and stay tuned for Day 2!
5 comments:
Audrey, this is so exciting! Your first day of 83 miles was further than both my rides this weekend combined! You are so awesome. Today Jason and I went up Hwy 1 to watch the AIDS ride come through town. You were on my mind as they passed. Be safe and keep blogging. Love, Chelsea
Hey Audrey!!!!!! I am so excited for you. I can't wait to see you now. The countdown begins. 9 days!!!!!!!!!! Yay! I am so proud of you. Way to go.
I'm impressed with 83 miles. Were you mindful? Did you meditate? How many hours did it take to do the 83 miles? How your futre routes are better planned and less obstacle courses.
Hey Lawrence,
I am trying to be mindful and have done my meditation everyday so far. It is a nice after a long day of riding to meditate for 30 minutes... I feel like I am getting into a grove with it and it is becoming as much of a routine as taking a shower... so, that's good!
I am not sure how long the 83 miles really took us because we had a lot of stops for different things, such as our wheel dipping ceremony, lots of photo opportunities along the Golden Gate Bridge, lunch stops, and some flat tires! We left the hotel at 7am and I arrived there about 4:30. So, it was a long day.
Thanks Chelsea - I am having a blast.... we actually were biking by the AIDS ride as we went through San Fran - they were going the opposite way of us (obviously) - and kept yelling "you are going the wrong way!!" - we heard that for like 2000-3000 people... not sure how many there were but they were a lot!! So we can up with some smart comments back... anyway, it was fun to see their outfits and stuff... that is great that you saw them too! I'll keep on blogging... today we go over Donner Pass and I hear T-storms are in the forcast... yipee... more weather variety is more fun! :)
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