Team McAlister

Hey, remember when I said I was going to run 9 miles today? I lied. The opportunity arose to go for a bike ride with some friends, so I postponed the run until tomorrow. It’s probably a good thing, I feel like my knees needed the reprieve.

We went to a neat little cafe called the Velo Rouge for lunch. As you might imagine, it’s very bike-centric. Funky bike racks and a pump outside, SFBC stickers all over, and lots of old pictures of Tours de France. My favorite was of a rider lighting a cigarette for the rider next to him, that’s what I mean by “old pictures.” The coffee and the food were both outstanding, I might have to stop eating out altogether so I can make Sunday brunch there a regular thing. They have a t-shirt with a picture of a bike on it that says “53 miles per burrito.” I really need that shirt. I wear a large, by the way 

Tomorrow I will be trying for 9 miles, for real.

Tags: bicycle, bike, biking, cafe, food, health, san francisco, velo rouge

Today I started with a bike ride to the Mission. Just a short one, but I did climb the hill next to Dolores Park. According to the SFBC bike map, it’s a 10-18% grade for about six blocks. It varies quite a bit, so it’s closer to 10% at the start and maybe 15% or so at the end. I’m just getting over a cold so my lung capacity is not 100%, but I did it!

Today was also my first workout at 24-Hour Fitness. I did the elliptical machine for 30 minutes (144 strides per minute, 157 heart rate, 442 calories) and finished up with a weight circuit. I’ll start running on the treadmill when I’m in better aerobic shape and this cold is totally gone—I’m shooting for the end of next week.

Oh, and those of you who are concerned that I don’t wear a helmet when I’m riding—I won’t mention any names here—those days are over. I got a brand-spankin’-new Bell Volt off eBay, and it arrived today. Only two words to describe this helmet: Friggin’ sweet. I want to go for a ride right now just so I’ll have an excuse to wear it. Or I guess I could just wear it around the apartment…

Tags: bicycle, bike, san francisco

Perfect day to get out! Today was Schuyler’s first time climbing some real hills, and he was a champ about it. We went through the park as planned, and made plenty of stops to take in the scenery. It ended up being closer to 13 miles, expect a Google map of the ride from Schuy soon. Not what I’d call a training ride, but hey, my legs are still tired! A few pics after the jump. Continue Reading »

Tags: beach, bicycle, bike, buffalo, Cliff House, Golden Gate, park, Sutro

Today’s the day! Ok, not really, but Schuyler and I are at least gonna get out for a bike ride. The weather here in San Francisco is perfect (suck it, Chicago!) so we’d be crazy not to enjoy it. We’re planning to ride through Golden Gate Park, hopefully to the beach and back for about a 10-mile round trip. Not much, but the journey of a thousand miles and all that…

I got a membership at 24-Hour Fitness, so treadmill and weight training begins tomorrow (maybe even tonight—we’ll see).

Tags: bicycle, bike, san francisco