Bicycling (Commute) 55:30 [3] 13.2 mi (4:12 / mi)
slept:5.5 weight:178.5lbs
From Northfield Rd. to Maple Ave. with Max in his trailer, then to Water St., NW, Washington, D.C. via the Capital Crescent Trail. It is Bike-to-Work Day in D.C. so even with it being damp outside and being worried about further aggravating my right knee, I made the effort to get out and ride. In Bethesda, I had to pass through the festivities at Woodmont and Bethesda Avenues twice. There was another gathering spot in Georgetown--I don't remember WABA having one here in previous years. I turned off the normal route from Water St. to try to make my way to Freedom Plaza. My route up K St. was a bit slow with lots of traffic and traffic lights. I cut off K St. at around 19th Street, rounded the southern ends of the White House and was feeling good about not having any knee pain up to this point. Just before getting into Freedom Plaza for the biggest Bike-to-Work celebration stop, I did feel the pangs that I felt the day before. Like yesterday it happened just as was pushing off and moving my leg forward on the down stroke; the resistance triggered it. In the plaza, I spotted 3 other USDA riders--they and I had on our new USDA cycling jerseys. Mine says "USDA Organic" on the back. I got a t-shirt from the Bike-to-Work Day WABA sponsors but didn't bother trying to get any of the other giveaways at the many booths. While I looked around the crowd was being serenaded by a group of women cyclists on a small stage singing made-up bicycling songs. They went to the tune of other songs like this one done in a reggae voice:
DaaaaaaaaeeOOOOhh. Daaaaaaaa--aaa--eeee-OO--oohh.
Metro, not... the only way to go home.....
I rode slowly up busy 14th St. to C. St. SW after that. Perhaps today was busier than most with cyclists everywhere, tourists and tour busses, and even a police escorted motorcade in the mix. The city streets were a mess and made me really appreciate having a nice trail to use for most of the way on my daily commute.
Bicycling (Commute) 51:51 [3] 13.08 mi (3:58 / mi)
From 12th St . SW, Washington, D.C. to Maple Ave., then to Northfield Rd., Bethesda, MD. I enjoyed the tailwind home again though it was a bit less than going home the day before. On the Capital Crescent Trail, though I didn't have the help of someone else blocking wind I was moving at a faster pace. Eventually, I passed a guy around MacArthur Blvd. and towed him up until Fall Rd. While he was thanking me and trying to explain how he was just hanging on, I slowed and then he took over for half a mile. I continued to feel knee pain in my right knee when pushing forward on the down stroke, if at the right (or perhaps more descriptively the wrong) angle. It was especially sharp when starting. Just short of home, I ran into Peggy and Max returning home from the local playground.