Beautiful Day to Bike by the Bay :)

Yesterday was a glorious day! It came on the heels of the rainiest June day in the history of my life as a northern Californian. As I had run the day before... in the dark... in the by-then-drizzle... I wasn't going to risk injury by running in all that glory. So I had to jump on my bike and get some 'alone' time... just me and the beautiful evening :)

I am finding that, as I had been told, the bike is a great cross-training tool. With the exception of how uncomfortable my seat is, I love it. I already, after only one month, can tell that my legs are stronger and my cardio base is improved. Now I just need to work on my riding facial expression...

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I'm not really going fast enough to warrant a g-force grimace. Working on relaxing the face... and even smiling. And hoping no bugs fly into my mouth.

Beginning my ride at 7:15 p.m. made for perfect temperatures and lovely light as the sun was just starting to set. There were a lot of people out on the trail... enjoying a little post-work fresh air... or perhaps an after dinner stroll.

This guy was super excited when I whipped out my camera! "Take my picture! Look! I have a drink! Did you get it?" "Yes," I assured him. And he was all smiles. I love it when something so simple makes someone so happy :) 

Behind him and across the water is the dog park ... this would be that Dream Ironman Triathlon swim course I mentioned in a comment on another blog, were they to stage one in my neighborhood.

And so I headed out for my ride...

Here you can see the fog bank hanging out just west of downtown San Francisco...

the water was so blue last night!

At the harbor near our house,

this little beach is where kayakers like to launch.

This was my farthest point northish.

For some reason I find these towers fascinating... or maybe it's the walkway out to them that fascinates me. Anyway... this was where I turned around at the other end of the ride...

so, southish.

After 45 minutes of riding, I returned to the compound at 8 o'clock.

Fortunately, the armed guards were manning the lookout...

Don't let his small stature fool you...

the dude is a terror and a madman with a Supersoaker Uzi.

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