parkway revisited

The American River Parkway is probably the place where I really discovered my love for road biking. I used to bike there pretty often in the summer, but in the last couple of years I hadn’t ridden out there much, preferring to ride west from Davis towards Winters instead. This year though, I’ve been riding with more people from Sac, so I’ve been splitting my weekend rides between Davis and Sac, so I’ve rediscovered how awesome the Parkway is.

Today I rode with Jeff, Jiro and Richard. We started at the Watt Ave bridge and rode to Beal’s point and back for a total of about 45 miles. It was really nice outside, but it was pretty windy.

You’d think I’d have learned my lesson about taking pictures while riding from my last crash, but nope… I’m still taking pictures while riding. The pavement out here’s really smooth though, which makes it safer.

We rode to Beal’s Point which is at Folsom Lake. There were a ton of people out there today. It looked like it was a Russian church gathering.

On our way back from Beal’s point I had forgotten that we were going to ride along the southern trail, so I got separated from the other guys. I waited for them at the Nimbus Hatchery. While waiting I saw a dad riding on a custom bike with his paraplegic son. They reminded me of the famous Team Hoyt. They also reminded me that Father’s Day is coming up.

After our ride we ate at the River’s Edge Cafe. My meal looks like a heart attack on a plate, which I probably should be avoiding nowadays, but after a bike ride is when I can sort of justify indulging myself.

I guess what I ate wasn’t all that healthy, but it’s nothing compared to this. In my younger days, I would’ve went for the challenge without hesitation, especially after a decent bike ride…

But now in my olden days, I realize I should try to eat somewhat healthier. The solution really is just to cook more, since it’s easier to control what I eat that way. Lately I’ve been trying to eat more veggies and fish along with whole grains.

Things I’m thankful for:

• Strong riders to draft behind on windy days. (I wonder if Jeff minds that I’m constantly drafting behind him but never really pulling… haha…)
• Rice cookers with brown rice setting (and my mom for giving the rice cooker to me…)
• Brocollete. I just discovered this vegetable. It is awesome. It’s like a cross between asparagus and broccoli which tastes really good when roasted with some olive oil and seasoning.