Time waits for no one, and it won't wait for me…

It’s fitting that this old Rolling Stones song is in my head since I’m now just over a month away from riding my bike from here to Tahoe to “celebrate” my 50th birthday and I’m in the worst shape I’ve been in over the past few years. Normally, by this point in the year I’ve done a couple of metric centuries and the Sea Otter Mt Bike race.

I realize the Sea Otter isn’t really training for a long ride, but the fact that I didn’t race this year is indicative of my current level of fitness….or lack of fitness would probably be more apt….

It’s funny that in year’s past I’ve blogged about being too busy to ride and always thought at that point, that I had never been busier in my life. And I probably hadn’t been. Unfortunately, in retrospect, those years past were actually less chaotic and less busy than the current year seems to be. I’m not sure if this is just things looking better in the rearview mirror or whether life really is more chaotic and busy than it has been.

Regardless, the reality is that I’m fat and out of shape and I have just over 30 days to get back in shape…..no problem right? My buddy Jerry has mapped out a route for us to Tahoe that will start in San Francisco and heads north…yep, north. I know, you’re thinking, like I did, that Tahoe is east, but we’re headed north to Guerneville then east to Winters, Winters to Folsom, Folsom to Blue Cyn then finally Blue Cyn to Tahoe.

I actually wasn’t too concerned figuring we only had about 350 miles to go and 5 days to get there. Average 70 miles a day. My longest ride this year is 58 miles which is almost the same as 70. And, maybe the route would start out easy and I could actually get in shape during the ride….um…yeah….not so much. Jerry’s first day is 95 miles…..the second day is 94 miles AND there are a bunch of hills in between the coast and Winters which is right on Hwy 5….

As far as days 3-5, well, I’m really not too worried about those since I’ll probably be dead by then….hopefully they donate my bike to someone deserving…