The Long Ride Home

My Route

I went for another ride last Saturday.  It wasn't my longest ride (only about 45 miles) nor was it my toughest.  But it was significant for me.  I rode from my house in San Clemente to the house I grew up in.  As a kid, I remember being in awe when I heard of an older boy in my ward who would ride from our town (Encinitas) up to San Onofre.  I thought it was crazy talk--that only Tour de France riders rode that far.

My ride was actually longer because I rode past San Onofre on my way south.  I may be crazy, but I'm certainly no professional rider.  This was my last ride before my big event (the St. George Ironman) don Saturday though and I needed to prove to myself that I had learned some lessons from past (bad) experiences.

The ride itself was beautiful.  I basically rode along the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) for the entire way.  Here are some of the sights from my ride:

I rode right past the front gates of San Onofre...

...down to Camp Pendleton (note the ocean in the distance)...

...to Carlsbad...

...and right past a wedding party...Mazel Tov!

By the time I got home, I was pumped and ready to eat.  Fortunately, my mom did not disappoint and had homemade tacos ready to go.  I think my mom is a little concerned about my race this weekend though.  She wanted to know how I was going to swim 2.4 miles (longer than I've ever gone in my life), then bike 112 miles (over twice as long as my Saturday ride), and then run a marathon.  Here's how the conversation went:

Mom:  "G., I'm worried and I don't think you should be doing this race next week.  Aren't these types of triathlons for people that...."
Me: "...Know what they're doing?"
Mom: "Well, yeah that too, but aren't these types of races really for people that are actual athletes who spend their lives training for this stuff?"

Gee, thanks Mom.  At least she's worried about me though.  My wife...not so much.  J. was there at the house when I showed up as well.  Her only comment was that she wanted to make sure that my life insurance was all paid up!

J., don't worry, it is and if anything happens to me during the race, you'll be able to drown your sorrows in shopping!  :)

Best Job - London 2012

If you haven't seen this video yet, you need to do so.  I love sports and the Olympic Games, but this provides a refreshing angle on the road to Olympic glory.  As I watched this, I couldn't help but think about my Mom and all the games, practices, and competitions that she drove me to and watched.  I thought it was very touching.

I also think it's a fitting tribute for J.  Our kids may never be Olympic athletes, but J. treats them like they will be someday. She has put thousands of miles on our minivan as proof of what a great mom she is and how much she loves our kids.

Enjoy this short clip!

(and thanks Mom and J.!)