Today I had the longest ride of my life (I think, at least I can remember). I met up with a friend from work and we rode from Crissy Field in San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge, dropping in to Sausalito, up the very minor hill Camino Alto, up and around to Tiburon and back. All told, it was just shy of 37 miles, only 13 less than I'll have to ride next week at the Tour de Cure.

I felt pretty good doing it. No major back pain, no shortness of breath or dizziness, no real ill effects. I helped that I stay well hydrated and that we stopped for pannini in Tiburon. There were some tough little hills, especially at the end heading out of Sausalito. And getting over the bridge in the late afternoon with all the cross winds was no picnic, but I felt I could go much further, so I think I’m a decent bet to complete the 50 miles in Napa.

The only real problem I had is that I didn’t put on enough sun block for the 3 hours or so I was in saddle so I came back with a wicked farmer’s burn. That’s something I really want to avoid again.