MEGA BIKING WEEKEND!!!!

This Saturday and Sunday were bike days.

Saturday morning consisted of a jog along the beach with my husband and Oslo our dog. We jogged 4 miles which is quite an accomplishment since anything other than a brisk walk is tough for me. After a quick change we started on a bike ride from Seacliff beach navigating some hills in Aptos, through Seascape, Rio Del Mar and back to Seacliff. Route totaled 13.8 miles and took one hour and seventeen minutes- about 15 minutes faster than the last time we did that route!  The climb was 1264. That was a consolation for me since we did it after a jog and I was a bit tired. The weather was great, sunshine and blue skies.

 

Afterward we were so lucky to be able to watch the Sharks beat LA in the Shark Tank! What a great game. I lost my voice during that one. I must say that LA plays hard and dirty. At one point it looked like a wrestling match with the refs wearing blinders. I am so happy that Logan got the game winning goal. Penner is a whiner, boo hoo you lost. Can't wait for the Sharks to whip LA on Tuesday!

Sunday was a bit different. Weather was the same, warm and sunny with lots of people in the Santa Cruz area. My husband and I were joined by two friends who will be participating in the Fitness FaceOff with us on a ride.

We left Seacliff and traveled up Soquel through Santa Cruz up Highway one to just past Wilder Ranch. On the way we stopped and got some great cherries! That's the beauty of riding a bike; you can stop anywhere. A short ride through Wilder Ranch and then back to Santa Cruz first riding past Natural Bridges and down West Cliff drive watching the surfers and sail boats in the bay. We stopped at a dinner for lunch and then headed past the Boardwalk to make our way down East Cliff Drive, Pleasure Point and Opal Cliffs, Capitola and then Seacliff. It was a whopping 28.08 miles and took 2 hours 53 minutes and included 1430 feet of climbing. What a ride! Actually I'm not that tired and it was fun.

It was reassuring to know I could ride more than 23 miles without getting tired. The Fitness FaceOff Fundraiser is 23 miles and I don't believe that route has any real hills. Look out I may just might finish in a decent time.

I am looking forward to the race on June 30. It will be a challenge and such fun. I think we should design a racing jersey for our team.

Fun Weekend!!!

Well, this past weekend was Mother's Day and a chance for me to spend time with my daughter.
We did have time to exercise a bit; shopping, shopping and more shopping. It was fun!

But, seriously, I did have time to start my swimming; off Miami Beach.  What a nice way to start training in the ocean with water temperatures about 20 degrees warmer than here in California. My daughter, who is an excellent swimmer, gave me pointers and complimented me on my stroke. Now all I have to do is work on endurance. (Not to mention a wet suit).

Exercise was not my priority though, and I did have time to soak up the Miami culture. The second Saturday of the month hosts an artist walk called Wynwood. Artist studios are open for the public and there is a large congregation of food trucks for the evening as well. Eclectic would be a way to describe the evening. Various art forms to take in along with a dining experience that is unique at best. I have never eaten so much in one sitting! Another find was a restaurant called Serendipity 3. We each had a frozen hot chocolate which turned out to be quite good.



My daughter enjoying her chocolate



Looking a little guilty here.

 My visit was truly delightful and ended with a Mother's Day dinner at a restaurant called Versaille. It is a Cuban restaurant and I must say the best Cuban food I have ever had and reasonably priced as well.

Now, back to reality and prepping for my bike race in June. Not too much time to practice before the 25 mile Shark's Fitness Faceoff.

I must say that I am having a great time and can't wait to see how I do in a race situation. Should be interesting!?

Until next week, stay healthy.

Another Great Day at the Beach!

This Saturday we chose to exercise our upper bodies with a nice Kayak trip.

Davenport Landing is a short distance north of Santa Cruz off Highway 1.  A nice sandy shore surrounded by rocky cliffs. Since this area is not in the bay, the open water is a little rougher in my opinion. The weather was cool with a light breeze and pretty foggy. We had hoped for the fog to burn off but it just did not happen. There were plenty of surfers enjoying the waves and a few happy dogs running on the shore and into the water as well. 

My husband and I use ocean kayaks, the sit on top type, and haven't gotten wet suits yet.

Since we had to push off from the shore I fully anticipated getting a little wet, but in actuality I got drenched.

I waited for a relatively calm spot to try and launch and with a push from my husband made it into the water staring directly into a large breaking wave. Whoosh! Wet!, followed by yet another one. Oh, well. It's only water. Much to my surprise my windbreaker kept the water from soaking my skin.

The effort was worth it though as I paddled out to see whales! Yes, whales. They were beautiful, just skimming the water shooting water and air from their blow holes and twisting and turning. They were so very close and exciting to watch.  There were at least 3 of them by my count and we watched them for at least 20 minutes or more before they continued on north. There was a kayak group out there as well and we heard their guide say that the whales like to rest in that area, rub on the sand and play a little before continuing their journey north.

That was our only sighting on Saturday. We paddled for a while and headed back to shore. I think my husband was worried that I would tip if I got caught in a wave and he volunteered to go first to help me if I needed it. But, I felt brave and went first. It was a blast! I caught a wave and was literally lifted to shored. What fun. We had surf kayaked before and this was the closest I came to that since that adventure.

Safe to shore we carried our kayaks back to the truck and headed home. It was such a great Saturday with lots of surprises.

I hope to get back on my bike soon and take a long ride. But for the remainder of this week it will be my usual routine of walk/run and my fantastic yoga class on Thursday.  Hope to write again next week.