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| Ride to eat? |
I didn’t do STP (Seattle to Portland) this year because I felt I was already imposing on my spouse’s munificence by signing up for the five-day Ride Around Washington in August. While 8,000 riders and bandits did STP, I rode
SIR’s populaire in Olympia. It’s the same route as last year’s — Olympia to Rainier to Skookumchuck to Tumwater and back — and offered an opportunity to compare how well I’m biking relative to this time last year. (I was a worker-bee over winter and have been playing catch up the last two months.)
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I was elated when I realized I’d knocked 40 minutes off last year’s time and had enough reserve to push extremely hard the last few miles in Olympia.
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About 3 miles of our route overlapped with STPs. As I left Rainier, one of the infamous pacelines came up from behind. I’m not sure how, or why, but they slowed down and “absorbed” me. When my turn came up, I signalled and accelerated past the line to make my left. Shortly thereafter, I had a weird craving for a bacon-flavored Clif Bar.
The post-ride lunch at the Fish Bowl Pub in Olympia wasn’t as sociable as last year’s. Everyone knew everyone else except me. While I’m shit-happy because I just rode a great 100k, they’re comparing notes on the 1,200k they rode a few weeks ago. I felt like a tourist asking about the upcoming 200k.
(No bacon-flavored Clif Bars were harmed during this event.)
Just so you know… I’m reading but I’m not falling for cheap bait. I have standards. They are low, but I have them.
There’s not really a bacon, cheddar and avocado Clif Bar, is there?
If there isn’t, there sure ought to be. :-)
I think the bacon is in the bbq beef Clif Bar.
Last time I was at the Fishbowl Pub, they had a spice cake for dessert made from the “spent” grains from the brewing process. Absolutely delicious, plus you get kharma bonus points for recycling!
If they ever figured out a way to made a bacon cheeseburger Clif Bar, I’d get a tattoo of their logo.
On my face.
Jim,
See, that’s what happens when you go for a fast time …. If you had waited for us slow slackers at the back of the pack, you could have enjoyed a more sociable beer. (All the speed demons had left the building by the time us last four riders arrived, so we got Paul Johnson to join us and got to know each other). It is a great ride, for sure.
While in Peru two of us girls brought along Luna bars (Cliff’s sister bar) for a little added protein and calcium. We had every guy in the trip eatting them too. They swore up and down that they were better than Cliff bars and just hoped they wouldnt end up growing boobs!
I love Luna Bars. My friend, Rob, likes to say “Now, with 50% more estrogen!”
greetings from the msnbc kiosk at Houston Intergalactic Airport. Eventually the flight will board ;-)