Fairfax County Parkway Ride

Riding the Fairfax County Parkway isn't TOO much fun--especially at the beginning with all the traffic and trash and gravel and glass. Yeah, not the ideal riding conditions. But I do enjoy this loop because, if I do an extra loop at Mason, it's exactly 40 miles and it involves quite a few open stretches of trail.

Today I thought I wouldn't ride because it was supposed to be so hot. But the 99 degree forecast turned out to be "only" 92. I left at 4 pm with the promise to take it slow. I headed out to Mason then down 123 to burke Center Parkway. From there I caught the Fairfax County Parkway north towards Reston. Riding in the afternoon meant I had some shade which saved me. The early part of the trail is downright trashy. But there are only a few intersections until you get to 29 where you have to get on West Ox. Once I get there, I'm riding with one thing in mind:

This ride is tough because my own designated stop is 26 miles in. I don't get to the W&OD until mile 25. By that time I've been riding along the side of a highway for 15 miles. My water is low and I'm starving. Once I get here, I feel like I'm home - or at least turning to head in that direction.

But I still have one more mile to the lily pad lookout. This is a bench I've been stopping at for years. I just noticed today that it's overgrown with bushes. I used to lean my bike along the back of the bench. How did these bushes get so big? This is the same bench I've photographed before.

I like it because of this plaque. I love that this guy loved to bike; his name has "schwin" and "wind" in it and he was an airline pilot. So I always sit here and eat my snack, drink what's left of my HOT water, and look out over the lily pads and thank Joe Schwind for the place to rest - he was "a good friend."

The picture from my phone doesn't do it justice. The view isn't spectacular, but the many lily pads are. Right now they are even in bloom.

 While sitting here on this day I became chilled - a sign I was overheated. I walked around a bit, drank the last drops of my water (there is a water fountain at Sunset Hills Road around mile 30 on this ride).

On the final push into the end, I saw the weirdest dog: its body and head like a cat in shape and sheen, but its legs were those of a dog. Bizzaro.

Also, by now it was 7:30pm and the trail was deserted. It reminded me of the days when I used to ride by myself 30 years ago and the trail was so isolated feeling that it made me nervous. Not so today. It was just as quiet, but it takes a lot more to make me nervous these days.

As a final point of entertainment I happened upon the Vienna Green concert in the amphitheater in the center of town and stopped to hear an average rendition of a Bruce Springsteen song. Then I was off for the final 7 mile leg home.

Really proud of myself for getting out and riding 40 miles on this humid 90-plus degree day. Of course, dropped two tenths of a mile per hour in the final stretch home - 13.3 to 13.1 because of the hill on Picket. Darn hill. Still, I was satisfied. I'm to that point with riding this summer where I crave it. Gotta get those miles or I feel like I will pop!

First WWO Ride

I must have dreamt I wrote this post because I was sure it was done. But here I am looking for it and it's not. So this will be brief.

After months of trying, I finally made it out for a Washington Women Outdoors ride. This ride started in Nokesville and went about 35 miles. I had the cue sheet, but alas...

We stopped at about mile 20 at a pony farm.

I snuck a few pictures, but didn't take to many being in a new group. That's Barbara sitting on the grass in the yellow. She was the ride leader. Other people I met: Jessica, a just-retired orthopedic surgeon, and someone else who worked in special education, but can't remember her name (of course). They were smart, independent, career women. I feel like biking attracts those kind of folks, but perhaps that's just my bias. :)

We spent more time than expected at this grocery because the road was closed for a terrible accident. We were grateful that we weren't involved as it seemed to have just happened. We eventually worked out a detour (not always a simple thing in the country where there are fewer roads) and made our way back.

It was a beautiful day and a pleasant ride with a really interesting and friendly group of women. I hope to get out with them again soon!

Distance: 35 miles
Speed: 13.6