46 Miles!

A friend (a veteran RAGBRAI rider) told me that among his RAGBRAI peers, it's been said that the best way to prepare for RAGBRAI is to drink a six-pack of beer and sit on a picket fence for three days--ouch!

Yesterday was supposed to be the best day this week for riding--only a 40% chance of rain. When I headed out in the morning, the skies had not yet opened up.

The first photo is one of my favorite biking vistas in Seattle--the Cascades viewed from the Montlake Bridge (although I'll admit it looks even better on a spring morning).

Next stop: the Hi-Spot Cafe in Madrona. I'd heard about this place for a while, and couldn't wait to try their cinnamon rolls (I'm definitely a believer in "Bakeries by Bicycle", in case you hadn't noticed).) Moist, delicious, cinnamon-y, and well-worth its reputation. Only problem was, I couldn't eat all of it--had to save it for later. The place itself is charming, with lots of light and friendly tables. I'm looking forward to going back, to try their scones, but it looks like the kind of place that would be pretty crowded on a weekend.

On to Lake Washington Blvd. with the idea of heading to Renton, which is the starting point of the Cedar River Trail, which I hope to ride to Black Diamond someday. Along the way to Renton, I stopped at the Rainier Beach Library, to get my library passport stamped (a Seattle Public Library program to get Seattle residents to visit all the city libraries). By the time I left the library, it was pouring.

Pouring, but not cold. That is an important point. If it were 36 degrees and pouring, I would've headed home. But it was 49 degrees and pouring, so I kept going.

Riding along Rainier Ave. S. wasn't much fun, honestly, because heading south, there isn't a bicycle lane. So I rode a sidewalk, dodging cracks and garbage cans. Once I got to the Renton Airport, the road was good, and I even rode about a mile of the Cedar River Trail--can't wait to do the whole length of that trail.

Heading back north on Rainier, there's a bike lane, so the return trip on Rainier was much easier.

On the way back home, the rain was steady, and, with Lake Washington and its birds always to my right, I grew soggy but determined to reach home before dark fell, still at about 4:45 these days. I stopped at a shelter at Seward Park for a little snack, not really hungry, but knowing that my body needed fuel.

I reached home at 3:45, wet and tired, and looking forward to next week's ride, and I hope there'll at least one dry day.

All my gear needs washing! In my many layers, I looked like a riding mudsicle.