All Twos

2232.0; 49.4

If I'd known I was this close to 50, I'd have gone around the block! Usually I remember the starting mileage and have it running in my head all day, but today I wasn't sure.

Another Petaluma lunch run. I rather like these, because I feel I can eat and drink whatever I damn well please after riding 27 miles over hill & dale to get there--BUT keeping in mind that I have to ride similar mileage over hill & dale to get back, so must exercise a little moderation. So, ice water and thai peanut noodles with chicken. Couldn't finish the gigantic portion. Saw the ex-boss and a couple of ex-coworkers; that was a tough one, that job, but I'm proud of having turned things around as I did in the last year, and I always like to keep the network open, so was happy to make this little connection. And it's an excuse to ride to Petaluma and back.

New speed record: 43.1 on Spring Hill Road heading into Petaluma. I had to ride the brakes when it got a little rough--still could go faster on that hill!

I passed 2222.2 on the odometer right at the Washoe House on the return trip, which in turn is apparently almost exactly ten miles from home on this route.

Wind, wind, wind, nonstop. It was bad enough to slow me down on many of the good downhills, and to actually blow the bike around a little at speed.

Some of the hills and roads on this route are really daunting: Canfield Road hills; Bodega Highway with headwind and traffic; Spring Hill Rd. going up from the west; getting out of Petaluma; the Chapman and Eastman hills in the old 'hood; Stony Point with full-on headwind; Roblar with no shoulder and 50mph cars; the Hessel hill; then 116 with traffic and headwind. A weird thing happens, though--you just keep pedaling and eventually, you're there! I geared way down a lot of times in the face of the wind, and just took it easy getting on my way, so no time records today. I have to remind myself to stop and rest, for the sake of my numb hands and wish-it-was-numb butt. But it does seem this one was a tiny bit easier than the last one (which, granted, was about 2 miles longer).

And that's a 133-mile week!