First Day of Riding--San Diego to Alpine, CA

Well, early this morning we dipped our back tires in the Pacific Ocean. It was 8:30 in the morning, clear, beautiful and warm. All 30 of us were down on the beach. It was awesome! I am having so much fun!

The ride started on trails and was at a moderate pace as we headed out of the city. It was a great day of biking, no wind or rain, but very warm for this Washington rider.

As the day progressed, it got quite a bit warmer (85-ish) and I did manage to get a bit of a sunburn on my right ear. We hit quite several good hills, mostly long climbs with 3 to 8% grades. There was one rest stop today, and I thought I was in the middle of the "pack" when I left the rest stop. I was quite surprised when I got to the hotel, and there were three riders sitting out front. When I asked where everyone was, I was told that this was it and I was number 4 coming in. Over the next 2 hours the rest of the riders straggled in, some in the SAG vehicle. After a dip in the pool, I did some laundry, and then we had a wonderful dinner of fish, potatoes, salad, and broccoli. I am so impressed that they feed us well.

I'm inspired by so many of the women I am riding with. One of the ladies I rode with today, had been diagnosed with non-smoker lung cancer last year. She had surgery just last December 2007, removing part of a lung lobe. She slowed down on the hills to catch her breath, but did really well. I admire her courage and tenacity to do the ride!