60 minutes...

Always an hour short! That seems to always sum up my weekend long ride cross training (although if you were to ask my wife it would be always 2 hours too long), this weekend was no different. With friends in from the UK it was a case of multi-tasking and with brunch organized for Sunday morning the plan was to ride through to the coast meet for brunch (refuel) and ride back.

I set off early and soon found I was over dressed with arm-warmers and a vest, after stripping them off I made my way through Malibu Canyon; one of the more gentler canyon rides, hit PCH and headed south towards Santa Monica. I arrived in good time and so did a few hill laps and a little spin along the beach path while everyone else arrived finally sitting down, after throwing the bike into the back of the car for safe keeping, with 45 miles on the clock. I forgot to stop the Garmin and so it merrily chirped away for ninety minutes or so while I devoured a large stack of pancakes and washed them down with coffee and Nuun. We said our goodbyes and I left my wife and two boys to visit the pier and local aquarium while I headed back.

A solid headwind for 15 miles up the coast killed my average MPH which up until that point had been 16+, I cut back through Malibu Canyon and was left to decide which was worse; the cooling wind or the torturously hot canyon temperatures, I reached Calabasas and dove into McDonalds to liberate some ice! The thermometer on the outside wall said 112f! Calabasas is always hot; it’s like a bowl that retains the heat. I headed further north and finally arrived at home for a quick turnaround. We were in and out again like greased lightening and headed to a local silent auction raising money for Hurdle Jumpers a local cancer relief charity and promptly bought a Manhattan Pink cruiser for my mother in law; she’s just had a replacement knee and has another scheduled and is a keen cyclist but can’t swing her leg over a top tube so this step thru was a great buy for her and all in a good cause.

And so this was my last long bike ride; scheduled 100, miles 85 on the clock when I finished, like I said always an hour short…bring on the long runs!