So Many Choices AND Sweetpea Update

Of what riding to do this weekend. I was going to ride to Canby, and pre-ride and pre-run the upcoming Gator Grinder Triathlon courses (the pool needs no pre-swimming. Won't get lost there, and the terrain is constant). That kind of fell through.

Some TBB friends were doing something around Amity... "We're not riding so fast this year, so perhaps a 19MPH pace on the flat". Mmm, yeah. Maybe not. I was still not recovered from last weekend's adventure, which included the flat parts around Amity. I am pretty sure this route included the very steep parts around Amity (Eola Hill).

There was my club ride. The route was Carpenter Creek, only one climb of note, and not anywhere near the challenge of Iowa Hill, which was ridden last week, and I just didn't feel like writing a post to say I had to stop on that hill 5 times. Had to conceal it in a longer posting.

For the uncle who I am pretty sure is reading this, Carpenter Creek is the hill we rode up last June.

And then I had this thought... Cecil has graduated to an ankle brace and is thinking about riding. Maybe she'd want to ride...

So, yesterday morning I found myself riding over the hill to Cecil's. Got there a few minutes before our planned 10:30am meetup, to find her sitting on her front steps drinking something hot. A bit of pre-ride faffing and clarifying if they were planning to attend the Portland Timbers opening game (not), and we were off. The planned route was "work our way up to Smith and Bybee Lakes and Kelley Point, maybe stop somewhere and eat, and turn back if my foot/ankle hurts".

So, a nice ride northward through Portland, at a Cecil-type pace (as opposed to an injured-Cecil-type pace). We admired all the flowering shrubs and trees and flowers, enjoyed the Peninsula Crossing Trail, the lakes, and Kelley Point ("a bit deranged..." cracks me up every time. Or, as Cecil says, wording you don't generally see. Usually you see something like "eccentric".)

Then return options were discussed. Cecil said her ankle and foot would be happier on flats, plus the Little Red Bike Cafe was on the flat return route. Well then. Off to the LRBC, where we scored the staple rack outside, and outside table, and then, while ordering, an inside table became open. VLT for Cecil, PaperBoy with additions and a side of fruit for me. Diet Cokes all around.

My still painful shoulders and back were discussed. Cecil: "have you tried muscle relaxers?" Me: "?"

Then back, except I looked at the time and allowed as how I needed to be home much sooner than riding would take me there. We stopped at the MAX Yellow Line and waited for a train, which I hopped onto and Cecil raced all the way to the Rose Quarter.

Miles for the day: 43+ The average seems low, but I think that is caused by riding around in town with all the stops and starts.

Back and Shoulders Update

Some venerable Flexeril tablets were found in the medicine cabinet. I took one. It seems to have helped. I'll have to remember that. Wonder how well one that is more recent than 10 years old might work :-)

Sweetpea Update

I think I mentioned that the fork has been built up. Now there is also a front triangle!