A Turn for the Wet in California

Things have gotten damp in Palm Springs, and I don’t mean like going for a dip in the hot tub! There’s this huge storm front boiling off the coast, which is wreaking havoc as far inland as New Mexico. We’ve ridden everyday despite the precipitation, but today we’re just not gonna do it. It rained all night and it is still coming down. Now you may be wondering: how is it so different from riding in the rain at home? I should be used to it, right? Well, here’s the thing: I’m not prepared for riding in cold, rainy weather. I came south specifically to get away from the winter and to log some long, dry training miles. I didn’t bring warm riding clothes - no leg warmers, booties, or winter gloves! Maybe poor planning on my part, but this is really not typical of the area. The funny thing is, the current conditions are calling this “heavy rain mist.” Now in my experience, “rain” and “mist” are quite different and can’t really be used in the same phrase, especially not related to one another with the word “heavy.” And let me tell you folks, right now, it is anything but misting out. In Vancouver, we would call this “Rain at times heavy.” The pool level is honestly rising and I’m afraid it may overflow!

Okay, enough griping about the weather. We’ve still managed to fit in some good, dry rides, including intervals up Highway 74 on Monday. This is a super long, switchbacking climb that goes on forever. I’ve ridden up it for 1.5 hours in previous years and not reached the top (and it wasn't because I was leaning back, drinking peppermint tea and eating crumpets either). Cool huh? This time, I only did a couple of 20-minute intervals and met up with Ann and Leah at the first viewpoint.

Feeling Zen at the Highway 74 viewpoint.

Great views from the Highway 74 lookout.

We’ve been pretty good at balancing our lives between riding, working, napping, strength training, eating healthfully, and having fun.

Multi-tasking...


Eating well!

Yesterday we went for a three-hour ride, and the entire time we could just watch a grey wall of cloud and rain advancing from the west. Funny thing was, the wind was blowing quite prominently from the east. Leah and I did a team TT interval up Thousand Palms, which was pretty fun, but Leah was killin’ it! Ann stuck to whoever was back wheel the entire time, but I’m convinced she was working harder than the two of us, because every time I saw her, she was just a bit off the back out of the draft. Jean Ann, there may be a new Annimal in town! (I’d like to see that showdown.) We turned back and got smacked in the face with a brutal and relentless headwind all the way home. Boy is that mentally fatiguing, having to battle the wind constantly. Leah and I treated ourselves afterward with hot beverages (a very tasty Americano - 12oz cup, 2 shots, 2/3 full - just the way I like it!) and a banana walnut muffin at Just Java.

Yogi Ann displays proper posture for working at the computer. (She is working on her PhD - seriously.)

After the requisite nap, Leah led me through a very challenging strength/core/stability routine and I discovered I’ve been cheating with the plank. Apparently holding your hands in front of you is easier than not. Darn! We were still feeling pretty antsy afterward, so we headed out into the dark and rain to… Target! Cruised the clothing, shoes, DVD’s, chocolate (found a new flavour of Lindor truffles - dark chocolate raspberry - just finished the bag off), snacks, and vitamins. Back home, we made a big salad for dinner and then watched “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” on DVD, which we had bought for $5 at Target. Score!

My personal trainer, Leah, showing us how it's done.

WEATHER ALERT - It looks brighter out, but still raining. The forecast is better for tomorrow - only 50% chance of precipitation, and by Saturday it should be dry again. I sure hope so! We still have big hopes of doing some epic rides like Idyllwild and Joshua Tree. And most importantly, I still need to get a tan! I don't have a midriff swatch update for y'all, because there is no change due to inclement weather.