The Gray Ride

A couple snapshots from my bike ride along the Pacific Coast Highway this morning are peppered through this post.

The Churning Waters of Malibu, CA

Got myself up at 4:30am to head out to Malibu for a 6:15am start time. It was a chilly 61 degrees at the start of the ride, and that definitely affected my mood. I was riding solo, a little tired from two Friday workouts where I pushed my pace. I wanted to ride, but the reality of a long day was dawning on me...appropriately at dawn.

From Big Rock, looking south toward Thornhill Beach in the distance. Mile 24.6

To step back for a moment. Had you asked me 4.5 years ago what I'd be doing with my life, "biking Malibu at sunrise" would not have made the list. As an east coast transplant and someone who hates the timed mile, it's still a wonder to me that I am here in Los Angeles. That I am challenging myself to long distances. That I am actually pursuing that Hollywood dream.

These thoughts cropped up during the first 25 miles of the ride, and made it a challenging one. Any time you question your potential and ability/ambition to live up to it, you open a can of worms. Big can. Lots of worms.

But at mile 24.78, I packed away the can. I decided to embrace the life I had laid out in front of me today. All 56 more miles of it.

Marine Layer over the Mountains of Ventura, CA. Mile 55.

I completed a couple loops - along one of the most beautiful stretches of highway in the country - in 4hrs and 41mins. I went almost 82 miles. And then I swam 3K. Because I could. Because this is my California life. Some days it's gray and I question how the heck I end up here. But most of those days, I can pull my head from the clouds with some affirmation that the marine layer of life will burn off, and I will truly find my place on the road.

Finish Line of Today's Ride

Final Thought:

"Even when it's raining, it's still fun." -Stone Gossard