A Tale of Two Rides

If first you don’t succeed, ride ride again. My friend Carl and I were to ride our annual birthday ride on Tuesday. Our birthdays are eight years and eight days apart and we usually combine our birthday rides into one event. My birthday is October 30 and Carl’s is November 7 and we try to choose a decent weather day some time in late October or early November. This year we chose Tuesday, October 26. Unfortunately Carl, who is also an avid runner, twisted his ankle the Sunday before while on a run in the hills of Brown’s Woods. So on Tuesday I rode my birthday (I just turned 65) with my friend Jeff. The mileage was actually 70 miles but I always capture the mileage when reaching the required distance. 

Saturday was my actual birthday, and it turned out to be a beautiful day, with mild winds and a clear sunny sky, albeit a bit chilly at 35° when we started at 8 am. Carl said he was up for a ride, having cleared it with his doctor. So on Saturday we rode Carl’s birthday.

Each day included lunch at the wonderful La Ventura Panaderia & Restaurante Salvadoreño.

Tuesday, we rode from our place to Perry and back, exactly 70 miles.

Carl wanted to do a loop from Waukee to Panora to Perry and back to Waukee, so that is what we did.

Photo taken at Herndon, about 7 miles past the halfway point. Naturally, Carl knew the group of Des Moines cyclists also taking a break at Herndon, and hence this pic.

Our wonderful lunch spot in Perry. The immigrant  Latino has saved this small town of about 8,000 folks.

I had two bean and cheese pupusas and a half-liter Mexican coke. 8 bucks. Ridiculous.

Carl used his usual brazen charm to convince a passerby to take this pic.