Cassandra: I just got back from a Saturday morning ride on the Burke-Gilman Trail in Seattle. I really didn't feel like riding this morning, especially riding outside, but I figured that I needed to get it out of the way. I rode for an hour and a half on the trainer Thursday morning (which for once seemed like an eternity), but I needed to get in a big ride for this week. To be honest, I was slightly grumpy starting out. It takes so much longer to gear up for a ride outside than it does to just ride the trainer. I had to get out all of my biking clothes - the pants with the padded seat, the cleated shoes, the jersey, and the neon jacket, among other items. Because I am still dealing with some pack issues I threw my bike lock and flat repair kit in a backpack, filled my water bottle, and attached my blinking light. It took me 30 minutes to get out the door, but finally I did make it outside.

I decided to speed down the main hill on 23rd instead of winding along the side roads on the way to the Burke. But half-way down, once I was committed, I remembered that I hadn't practiced clipping in outside for a while. That made me a little nervous so I pulled over onto the sidewalk and made sure I was still comfortable getting in and out of my pedals. When I got back on the road, the cars were speeding by me, swerving around me like they had never had to share the road with a bike before. Really, in Seattle, you think people would be more patient. This is a big biking community.

I finally made it to the Burke and was happy to part ways with my motoring counterparts. I headed out towards Gasworks Park, then up towards Fremont but stopping at Stone. And then it was time to turn around. By this point, I was still grumpy. I hadn't found my pace yet and my seat was uncomfortable and the new mirror I'd bought for my new glasses wasn't working very well. I couldn't see behind me at all, which was the whole point of the mirror. Oh, and my fingers were cold. And nothing makes me grumpier on a bike than having cold fingers.

After stopping at Stone for some readjustments, I headed the other direction on the Burke, winding through the University of Washington and along the lake near Magnuson Park and Matthews Beach. Finally, the sun started to come out and I found my pace and things started to look better. My fingers started to warm up and in trying to push my glasses further onto my nose I accidentally hit my mirror and it fell into place so I could actually see behind me.

I rode out past where the Burke had been closed for the winter and was happy to find a beautifully paved trail that was a big improvement over the bumpy, root-infested stretch of trail that the Burke can be in some areas. I was happy pedaling along, turning back when I had gone about 20 miles.

During my ride back I was pushed a little by a couple who was drafting off me. They were part of a local duathlon and must have been saving their strength for the run at the end. I felt a bit pressured to ride faster than I wanted to, but then decided that if they wanted to pass me they were certainly free to. I was going to ride however fast I wanted to ride.

My ride back home was pretty good. Unfortunately, the last mile was a giant hill, the one I have to walk up every day on my way home from work. It is so much harder on a bike! I am still nervous going up big hills with my feet clipped in to the pedals, so I took it easy and pushed my bike up the very steepest part, which was maybe 0.05 miles long.

I was a bit sweaty and definitely feeling triumphant when I rolled into my neighborhood and spotted my car. I was home! With about two hours on the bike and 28.13 miles under my belt, my Saturday was just getting started.