The Green Girl and Lexa's Back-to-Back Long Rides

The Green Girl and Lexa

The Green Girl and Lexa decided to take advantage of the Fourth of July holiday weekend by going on back-to-back long rides in preparation for the three day Tour DaVita.

Sunday morning, we joined Sole Runners, Isabelle, Kathleen, and Monica, for an easy 30 mile ride on the Santa Ana River Trail.

Sole Runners Kathleen, Isabelle, and Monica

After riding every other day for a couple of months now, I am starting to feel more confident in my cycling ability.

The marine layer was absent and the weather was much warmer than past weekends.

The morning of July Fourth, I met up with another Sole Runner, Richard, at the El Dorado Neighborhood Library parking lot and we headed north on the San Gabriel River Trail.

San Gabriel River Trail

We had hoped to beat the heat by getting an early start but it was already hot. I was well prepared with plenty of sports drink and water.

I was pleasantly surprised by how good my body felt after doing 30 miles the day before.

Richard removing the flat tire

We were about halfway into our ride when I heard a pop from Richard's tire and then we could hear it deflating.

To avoid the scorching heat, we exited the river trail and set up shop in the shade of a gas station.

Neither one of us had ever changed a tube before but I assured him I was confident I could do it.

The Green Girl inflating the tube with the C02

Interestingly enough, we identified a cut in the tire itself but we could not find a tear in the tube. We even blew it up out of curiosity and it didn't lose any air.

A half hour later, we were on our way to continue our 50 mile ride in the hot Southern California sun.

The Green Girl and Lexa's First 40 Mile Ride

Santa Ana River Trail

Sunday morning, the Green Girl and Lexa went on a long ride with a one of the Sole Runners, Kathleen.

In contrast to last week's weather, the marine layer had burned off significantly and though relatively cool, the morning was dry and partially sunny.

We started off south of the Huntington Beach Pier and headed east on the Santa Ana River Trail.

Dry Santa Ana River Trail

To control flooding, the Santa Ana Riverbed has been channelized with cement embankments and is subject to varying water levels.

The Santa Ana river plays a vital role in recharging the groundwater basin. Several retention basins are formed by levees along the river help to replenish the water table.

The Green Girl and Lexa at the Honda Center.

The route took us past residential areas, a golf course, and we even went by Anaheim Angel Stadium and the Honda Center.

After seeing the potential bike muggers last week, we approached each underpass with caution and I told Lexa to cover her eyes so she wouldn't get scared.

If our initial experience wasn't terrifying enough, we quickly realized the bike muggers were also scattered along the trail and using the bushes for camouflage.

Santa Ana River Trail

At one point, there was a single female rider ahead of us and we saw one of the bike muggers come out of the bushes in her direction but when he saw us, he froze and just stared at her as she rode away.

We reached our midway point somewhere in Yorba Linda and we paused to stretch and refuel.

Lexa's first time in a bike rack

I got excited because it was Lexa's first time in a bike rack.

I must admit that I am feeling a lot more confident about Tour DaVita.

My biggest concern was the saddle discomfort but I must admit that the Pearl Izumi Sugar Shorts are amazing.

After some initial chafing, I purchased some Chamois Butt'r from RunJunk.com and that did the trick.

At this point, my main issue is tightness in my lower back. I stopped several times and attempted to stretch but it didn't seem to offer any relief. My core is strong so I am assuming my body just needs to get accustomed to the positioning.

The Green Girl and Lexa's First Group Ride

The Green Girl and Lexa

Sunday morning, the Green Girl and Lexa went on their first group ride with a couple of Sole Runners, Isabelle and Kathleen.

The morning was cool and damp with a mixture of the marine layer and a light drizzle. I was grateful for the warmth of my Zensah Compression Sleeves on my arms.

We started off just south of the Huntington Beach Pier and then we headed east on the Santa Ana River Trail.

Kathleen and Isabelle

I had concerns I wouldn't be able to keep up with Isabelle and Kathleen but we maintained a comfortable pace.

Along the way, Isabelle offered some pointers she had picked up from her triathlon classes and I shared some of the things Coach Steve had taught me.

I focused on staying in my portion of the lane so I wouldn't hit either one of the girls.

On our way back, as we were going under a wide overpass, I saw the most terrifying thing ever.

I looked up to my left and saw a number of what appeared to be homeless people perched at the top of the cement wall just below the street above. Lining the entire length of the wall were what I presumed to be stolen bicycles.

The Green Girl and Lexa with the Anaheim Angels Stadium in the background

When we were a safe distance from the scene from a horror movie, Isabelle reminded us never to ride alone on river trail alone. No argument from me.

We ended up doing a total of 30 miles.

I had a really good time and I'm definitely looking forward to future rides with Isabelle and Kathleen.

The Green Girl's First Long Ride with Lexa

Lexa on the Huntington Beach Bicycle Trail

After the success of the first Los Angeles Angelman Syndrome National Walk the day before, the Green Girl was ready to take Lexa out for their first long ride on the Huntington Beach Bicycle Trail Sunday afternoon.

I hadn't gotten a workout in since Thursday morning and I was anxious to get in a nice, long ride.

I parked my car at Bolsa Chica State Beach and headed south on the bike path.

I was pleased to see how more comfortable pedaling was after adjusting the saddle height last week.

I was looking forward to going on a longer ride sans time constraints since most of my rides so far have been in the morning before work.

The cycling experience is vastly different from running. It was good practice for me to learn to maneuver around the foot traffic, skate boarders, and beach cruisers. Interestingly enough, I found the runners and non-beach cruiser riders were more likely to have better beach path manners.

Lexa on the Santa Ana River Trail

A few miles south of the Huntington Beach Pier, I noticed a lot of cyclists branching off to a fork on the right. I decided to follow their lead and ended up on an underpass below Pacific Coast Highway.

There was a sign designating the route as the Santa Ana River Trail.

I was thrilled to have found a way to continue riding without ever getting near a road.

The Santa Ana River Trail

I've discovered I have a hard time maintaining balance if I take a hand off the handlebars. I have to pull over and stop if I want to take a sip of water.

I yearn to snap pictures like I do when I'm running but there's no way I could do that while riding. The cool part is that I can have Lexa pose for my pictures when we're out for a ride.

My knees were feeling good but my lower back was getting progressively tighter and the saddle was starting to hurt. I decided I would look for a good turnaround point.

Lexa's first ride over a wooden bridge

I saw a wooden bridge in the distance. I was wondering if Lexa could ride over wooden planks when I saw a guy on a road bike cross over it.

Excited but nervous, I gingerly rolled onto the bridge. It wasn't as bumpy as I'd expected.

Instead of crossing over to the other side, I decided this was a good time to head back since my lower back was really sore and tight.

We ended up doing 22.1 miles on our first long ride.