Update on my life, plus an exciting bike ride

So life is getting steadily better for me. After a few awkward weeks on the new job, I finally began feeling comfortable and productive. Tonight, I joined a sailing club after going out for a test drive with them on Saturday. I've also decided to put aside my fears of a hilly 15-mile commute on my bike, and just go for it. I tried it round-trip for the first time last week, and it was one of my best and worst days -- all rolled into one -- since I've been here.

It started with a sleepless night, since a friend from out of town was staying the night and he got into close to midnight. After that, I kept worrying about getting enough sleep, since I had to get up a little earlier than usual to ride in, and then put 30 miles of biking in after not having ridden more than 8-10 in a really long time. I got out the door on time, and biked quickly bike the six downhill miles to the highway entrance. The way my route is set up, with canyons in the way, I'm supposed to take the highway one exit before taking surface streets toward a bike path into Pacific Beach.

Unfortunately, the highway entrance was closed this day, causing a lot of confusion for a few bikers and lots of cars. There isn't exactly an easy way to get out of this canyon. My two choices were to go north (away from my target) or south (toward a dead-end road that allegedly led to a dirt trail). Since I didn't know where north would lead me, I chose the latter, and before I knew it, I was on a trail fit for a mountain bike or ATV. I had a road bike. So for about a mile and a half, I labored on a slight uphill grade, unsure of where I would end up, or where to go from there (Editor's Note: Precious few roads in San Diego go straight. Many change names for no apparent reason, and others end and pick back up across the canyon.) As I was ascending, I noticed my quick release on my front tire getting loose, but I didn't stop to fix it. For this I would pay a price later on.

After a few wrong turns and lots of downhill, I found the bike path and was well on my way to PB. Once the trail ended, I had to cross a busy intersection that required me to press the walk button. When the signal changed, I clipped in and turned to cross the intersection, and then FLOP! My front wheel came off and I fell flat on my face on the sidewalk. It must be truly funny to watch a clipped-in rider fall on his face.

Fortunately for me, I had only a few scrapes and snapped a zip tie for my trip computer. The last 2.1 miles of the ride was a little uncomfortable, but by the time the day was over, I had logged about 27 miles and couldn't wait to get back on the road again!