Folks, I’m finally back in Delaware after 10 days in California. It seems like ages since I arrived in Santa Cruz. Along the way, I shared some of the sights (i.e. pictures of Santa Cruz but mostly food), but so much has happened since then.
Training
The overall purpose of this trip was to train and train we did. Eran kicked my butt pretty much every day but we both were able to get in a seriously large load of training in. Over the course of 8 days I rode 373 miles over 20.5 hours. I used protein powder for the first time, taking a couple scoops after every ride to speed along recovery. Even then, in wasn’t until after my only rest day that I was able to really get (temporarily) near 100%.
Traveling
We took a red-eye plane back to Philadelphia this morning. I’ve not traveled much by plane in my life; something like 5 times I think. The last time I was on a plane, I was coming back from Cimarron, New Mexico out at the Boy Scout ranch, Philmont. The thing was we were required to travel in uniform, so when walking through the airport people were openly staring at us like we were out of this world. Back then I got uncomfortable about that sort of thing but looking back I guess it was a bit comical how alien others perceived us. Here’s my favorite picture from that trip:
Sunset on the Tooth of Time Ridge
Back to the present: When we headed out to San Francisco, there were quite a number of small children on the plane. A few were pretty loud in the early stages of the flight but ended up quieting down for most of the duration. I can’t imagine trying to travel with kids. Must be a nightmare.
Santa Cruz
Being in a beach town during the “winter” is weird. It’s not a tourist dump during January, pretty much just people who live there year round. A lot of surfers. A lot of leathery faces. A lot of hipsters.
I’ll continue this tomorrow when I get over this crushing jet lag.
I love riding in Santa Cruz. It’s beautiful there, especially during the winter when it’s not crowded with tourists!
I’m really jealous of their roads and bike lanes. It was so foreign to me that while stopped at lights, people would actually talk to me from their cars. Back in Delaware only once has someone spoken (nicely) to me from a car haha
Haha well I wish I could say that same kindness is the same throughout all of California. In the central valley of CA where I’m from it’s more likely to get honked or yelled at then to have a nice conversation.
oh that’s a shame! I guess Santa Cruz is just way more laid back
Traveling with kids is not tough at all – mine are incredibly well behaved… And it has nothing to do with putting foot to a$$ (that’s the backup). They were brought up to respect people. Not a lot of that going around lately.
That’s great to hear! Apparently there were kids on my return journey but I didn’t hear a peep out of them the whole trip! Wish it was more like that when we went out there haha
what hipsters did you see? we went out 1 night!! haha
I saw nothing but hipsters the first night we went out!