back in the saddle:
I went for a ride for the first time in two weeks, since before Amy left. I expected to be out of condition again, so I planned on taking it easy, but I didn't avoid hills and surprised myself a little. It feels good to be in condition. And it's shite struggling to get into condition. I took it easy by rolling on flats at comfortable speeds and not screaming down any hills.

I ended up crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and heading into the Headlands via the Bunker Road tunnel, and going all the way out to Rodeo Beach where I vegged for a while. I thought to myself that I should try avoiding meat for a while. A couple from Ottawa, Canada (yay! Ottawa, Canada) came up to me on their rented bikes, looking for directions, and we chatted while they rested. I really am a friendly mofo to strangers. They told me what they had done and what they were possibly thinking of doing, and I gave them some recommendations. I think they ended up taking Bunker Road out, the same way I came in, and then headed for Sausalito to catch the ferry back. Phil and Philomena, nice folk.

I left via climbing McCullogh Road, which I'd had trouble on in the past because of heat and dehydration. It was no problem this time, but whenever I have trouble on something, when I do it again, I remember it and there's an added psychological hurdle to get over. Is it just me? Ten miles or so later I was resting at Ocean Beach, giving an old lady directions to Fisherman's Wharf on the other side of town! I tried to keep her on as few and as big roads as possible, recommending Geary to Van Ness to Bay. I'm so good with directions, what would the world do without me.

I punctured a little more than a mile away from home *grumble, grumble*. I debated whether to patch it or walk it, and decided to patch it in Dolores Park. Either there were multiple punctures (glass) or I did a crappy patch job because I was still leaking, but made it a block from home, picking up a veggie burger on the way, before I decided I shouldn't ride it anymore. Bummin'.