Rain

Well we needed the rain. It also brought an end to a spectacular week of sunshine and warmth. Hopefully we won't have a repeat of a few years ago where January and February were warm and sunny, followed by non-stop rain in March and April.

Yesterday and today I did my standard 45/35 (yes it is now 35) workout. I "ride" 45 minutes on the stationary bike and run 35 on the treadmill. I have been riding harder than before, always covering 17 (imaginary) miles instead of 15 before. I also run harder and faster, and both yesterday and today I finished 4.0 miles in 30 minutes.

All of that has been going quite well with minimal residual problems.

Speaking of problems, yesterday Alistair was hit by a car and crashed on South Pinehurst road (South of Canyon Rd) at around 4:10 PM. It was a hit and run accident on the descent, and the driver of the black sedan never looked back or stopped. Alistair is an experienced rider and a fast down-hiller so the car must have been going at some crazily unsafe speed. It is pretty hard for a car to keep up with a cyclist on that twisty descent.  

Some apparently feel they have something to prove and they try at all costs to stay with cyclists or even pass them. We received several reports from other riders who have experienced problems on that road in the afternoon, when anxious commuters are dying to get home.

In general the whole Redwood-Pinehurst area is becoming quite dangerous and unsafe. During the week, motorists try to use these roads to avoid the congestion at the Caldecott tunnel, and on weekends, tens of motorcyclists turn the area into an ad hoc racetrack.

Apart from some minor damage to the bike, and several patches of road rash and torn clothing, Alistair was unharmed. We tried to file a police report but so far that has been mired in red tape. Without a good description of the car, there isn't much we can do.