mama, smitten: let's go ride a bike!

If you had asked me to step into some biking shoes, clip in, and go for a bike ride with you two years ago, I would have laughed at you (actually that doesn't sound like me). I probably would have politely told you "no, thanks" and then laughed at the situation after you left. If you had asked me to do it a year ago, I would have agreed but would have made every possible excuse in the world to not go. You see, being "stuck" to a bike as my feet are clipped into the pedals was not my view of having fun. Daniel's cousin had a very nice Trek road bike that she gave to use two years ago. Daniel didn't have a bike yet, so it neatly collected cat hair as it sat in our guest bedroom.

When we were able to buy Daniel a road bike, he was off! I on the other hand was still very hesitant about riding this bike. Road bikes are a whole different world. I was afraid of being clipped in, afraid of falling over, afraid of running into a car (yes, running into NOT getting hit). Last summer I finally went for my first ride with my brother in law and his wife and slowly become more agreeable with this recreational sport. As we have gone on more rides, I have slowly become more comfortable and YES I have not fallen over yet! (Knock on wood!)

Sadly, we don't get to ride very often because of our work schedule. So every ride feels like the first one all over. This summer we are really trying to ride more. Last week we did a beautiful ride from Del Mar up to Encinitas and back, making it a total of 18 miles. I love the fact that we can ride around, see gorgeous sites, and check out places to go. I absolutely loved that ride. Today we decided to venture out a little more, challenge ourselves, and ride for a further distance. We parked down at the Coronado Ferry Landing, rode along the strand, up into Imperial Beach, and ended up in downtown San Diego just in time to hop on the ferry! Overall the ride was very nice and smooth, however there were some bumpy parts. If you live in San Diego, I highly recommend this route!

We got up, Daniel loaded up the bikes and filled up our water bottles. I made sure we had all of our gear, and the we took a "before" shot. We were full of excitement!

Before leaving we took a look at the map and printed out directions just to be on the safe side. Luckily, the route was clearly marked and we followed the Bayshore Bike Route.

{via googlemaps}

When we got to Coronado, Daniel changed into his shorts and checked the air in our tires. The bike path is very nice and smooth, and it took us directly under the bridge. We were so happy that it was clear and sunny down by the beach, but the wind was not our friend. For the entire time we were riding along Silver Strand we were battling against the wind. When we got across into Imperial Beach we stopped (around mile 10), stretched and shared a bag of Go Raw Nuts from Trader Joes. I love these bags because they are individually packaged and you don't over-do it on the calories.

At mile 14 we were passing the Chula Vista Mirena and I decided I definitely needed a bathroom break. We rode around in circle only to find what looked like a public restroom but needed a key to get in :( We wasted a couple of minutes but it was nice to stretch and get off the bike for a little bit.

When we got to National City I had a little scare with a freeway entrance, but muscled through the intersection. Then, the road because very choppy. There were cracks everywhere and all of the bumps did not make for a pleasant ride. We finally got onto Harbor Drive! I was hoping that the roads would smooth out as we passed the 32nd St. Navy base. My expectations were smashed as yet another bumpy road made the ride not so fun.

When we got into downtown San Diego, I was relieved and excited to see a friendly face! I can't say enough how much I love where we live. We are very lucky! It was a gorgeous day downtown and I didn't want the ride to stop. But, then we finally saw the ferry landing right by the U.S.S. Midway and I knew our journey was very close to being over. I thought I would have been so relieved to be off my bike, but I actually felt great. We boarded the ferry and enjoyed the beautiful views across the bay. Just as we pulled up to the car Daniel checked his computer on his bike and it said 25.0 miles exactly! Our original route was only supposed to be 22.3 miles, but we took a couple different streets and added a little bit more mileage. It is crazy to think that we rode 25 miles today. When we got back to the car I was so ready to change my shorts and shoes, and EAT!