Me, Myself and I Go For A Little Ride

Barely made it today. We were supposed to do our annual Roller Coaster Ride which is a 62 mile ride that starts out from the Southworth ferry with 14 miles of flats into Port Orchard. Then there is a long climb before hitting a bunch of rollers between there and Gig Harbor, where we stop for sammiches before hitting the reeeeeaaaaaaal climbs that culminate in an awesome sweeping descent back to the ferry. It literally is like riding a roller coaster. But it was raining pretty good and 39 degrees, so we just went and had coffee. Mimi came along with me and wasn't going to ride now way no how in that muck. After coffee, everybody got back in their nice warm and cozy cars and drove off, most to Bike Expo. I decided to ride home - it's only about 7 miles, and I figured I could do that and give myself a shot at keeping that consecutive days of riding active for me.

So I started up the hill and when I got to the top at 35th, I was feeling pretty good, so thought to myself, "Self, why not get a few extra miles in?"

My self thought back to me, "welp, I reckon as how we might just as well, since we're already wet."

So I says to myself, "So what do you think: distance or climbing?"

And my self says back, in a barely audible whisper probably hoping I'd chicken out, "Why not head south to Barton and do that little 1/3 mile 300' climb up Marine View Drive?"

So, I did. And I was getting sweaty inside my rain jacket. Then when I got to the top, I was nice and warm and cozy, riding along in the rain and again, in a moment of temporary insanity, said to myself, "Self, what do you wanna do now? We could go home and do laundry or maybe get a 100k in."

"SIXTY TWO MILES IN THIS SLOP???? ARE YOU INSANE???" Like myself really needs to ask me THAT! I wasn't answering.

After a little back and forth between the two remaining brain cells I have, with common sense losing out to inner child who likes to play in puddles, I continued south, thinking maybe I could ride to Des Moines for a bowl of soup, then on to Normandy Park and maybe get some really good climbing in.

After being on 16th Ave. SW and then Ambaum for a while, I didn't much like the increasing traffic, so when I got to Milam's, I turned right, knowing there is a way down to the water, but not remembering if it went north or south when I got down there. At the top of the hill, there was a sign warning of 16% downgrade.



"Do you REALLY want to go down that with a better than even chance you're gonna have to climb back?" myself said in a thundering voice.

"Well, I'm out here to do some climbing, what difference does it make which hill I tackle?", I replied. Myself called me a lying fool who should be committed.

"Go ahead" myself said, "Make more of a fool of yourself. But I want off here." So common sense waited at the top of the hill beneath a sign while the fool rode down, only to have to ascend back up the 16% grade, finding a few spots that are 19 and 20%. Fun.



Well, after all that, I was almost to Burien, and myself decided to stop and visit my friend Ken and use his bathroom. He offered me coffee, which I accepted. I called Mimi to let her know I wasn't coming straight home. "You've really gone off the deep end, haven't you?" She asked. I didn't know what she meant. Me and myself did, but they weren't talking. I think they were scared to challenge me.

Then Ken offered me myself and I a ride home. None of us turned him down.

Ended up with 12.05 miles; 1:05 ride time and 1,485' of climbing in.

So on the 75th day of the year, I kept hope alive, with SEVENTY-THREE consecutive days.