Recreating Rock Creek

I miss my friends, and I miss Rock Creek. Rock Creek Park in DC is my favorite training location (and one of my favorite, period); countless hours have been spent there on long rides with the girls, runs/therapy sessions with the girls, various dates with past fellas (including one brief participation by me on the weekly Goon ride), walks with Mom and Dad, picnics with friends, napping and stretching under trees, hiking, I could go on. There have also been moments of self-realization, self-immersion, and self-healing on the bike or in running shoes (including one memorable moment on the bike after a snowfall, when the park was nearly all mine). It seems summer weekends were not complete without at least one day in Rock Creek.

So what now? I got in one incredible ride on a DC visit earlier this year that really kicked off my interest in training again. I know I can't find an equivalent, but have found a pretty good stand in. If you can't be with the one you love, honey, love the one you're with.

I had seen cyclists turning onto Riverside drive from my recent run turnaround along the river, and Saturday opted to get in a good long hour-plus out in the fall air. John had to study, so I set out on my own. I was admittedly a little bummed-I just miss riding with my peeps. Or, lately, people at all. I struck out along Azalea drive down to Wileo, down past the Nature center, and back to Riverside. I was winding along the river and looked to the right and saw the river where it narrows and goes over some rocks. Total flashback to Rock Creek. I closed my eyes for a minute and it was close enough :)

Up the road coming in the opposite direction I saw a guy checking me out and I thought, nice! He slowed down and began to turn in the road to catch me, and I was like, oh my. I thought for a second, does he need directions? Then I thought, wait is this guy like hitting on me? Finally he got close enough for me to focus and then I realize, I am a dipshit, it's my husband!! He said he wanted to ride with me and felt bad I had to always go out alone. What a hero, huh?

So we rode out the rest of Riverside, totally beautiful river views and some sweet houses. We did a few little hills in the end neighborhood, then came back to Martin drive, where there's a bike lane for a bit leading to niiiice wiiiiide streets going up some little tiny rollers on and on and on....just a beautiful ride. So much so that after the turnaround I came up behind John and said, "Enough of this Sunday Stroll, Let's Hurt A Little Bit!" Well that was short-lived. A quick burst and then I was like ow. Hey, my moments of sass and trash-talk on the bike aren't terribly long-lasting just yet... but at least I am starting to have them!

All in all a great ride...looking forward to exploring back off Martin some more...there are some serious hills on the topo, will have to start adding those into the mix just for fun.

:D