Christmas Bike Ride

I did a 27.2 bike ride starting at Jack White Trailhead along the Salado creek as it crosses I H 35, near Splashtown. It went uneventful, and this is always good. The temperature was perfect at about 72℉ and breezy, no rain, although its was mostly cloudy. It always makes me feel good, when I'm riding my bike, but this time is was doubly good, because with the holidays comes overeating or better said overstuffing ourselves that the only ingredient missing is a suicidal note.

And I knew that there was going to be plentiful dishes and foods to eat on my way back from biking. So I tried to go as far and make the trip as long as possible. Not having traced a plan in advance, I had to do a couple of turn-arounds, one was when I encounter a construction zone near the ATT Center, and another when I reached the end of WW White Rd going westbound, although vehicle traffic is still allowed to travel in the eastbound lanes. I thought it was a little risky for me to try those lanes to reach I-H 35 and Binz-Engleman intersection, which would have allowed me to make a round trip as is now my goal for every long ride. The idea here is to not overlap the trail footprint -so to speak- and rather, make a one continuous trip. Nevertheless it was still exhausting and sure burned a considerable amount of calories. Calories that were promptly replaced two or threefold (at least) when I got back and sit with my family in celebrations of Christmas.

There was tamales, a nice salad, brown rice, guacamole and something that looked like menudo, but didn't get to try, because nobody offered to me and I didn't know it was there on top of the kitchen counter, until after I had stuffed myself with the food already mentioned. Carbo-licious!!!

Well, actually I don't remember seeing any bread, other than the desert type.

Whoa! This post is supposed to be about my bike riding and suddenly reads like a food blog.

Well, got to keep going in trying to fulfill my goal of about 100/120 miles for the month of December, I am still behind by about 35 miles. It is doable, because I still have this coming Wednesday, December 28 and hopefully Saturday New Year's Eve to accomplish it, as long as the weather cooperates, but I am committed to it. Only the rain can stop me. Cold, I can handle.

To whoever reads this, wish me good luck and as Machado said, "Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar".

Starting point of trail at Jack White Park

Jack White Park Trailhead

The Professor And The Madman

Finally, I just finished reading this very interesting book.
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester


Highly recommendable. Being both an avid reader and sort of an orthographer from my days working as a proof reader in a newspaper, I found this story fascinating. Two men connected by their passion and will to create the most complete dictionary of the english language −which is, by the way, my second language-. Tragic and harrowing but nevertheless interesting.


View all my reviews

Photos from past bike rides.

A selfie near Cathedral Rock on Leon Creek Trailway.

I had to climb this by walking the bike. Loop 410 near Culebra Rd.

Leon Creek Trail near Ingram Rd Via Bus Terminal

Near Ingram Rd 

Hemisfair Park 

Arsenal Street Bridge over the Riverwalk at King Williams

Riding along the San Antonio Riverwalk in King Williams

Downtown SA

One of the rare times that I ride my bike at night. Downtown SA

Excercising my legs after an 17.5 mile ride at Salado Creek Trail Overlook

This is near the end of Salado Creek Trail Overlook.

Meet Limbo a nice and friendly horsey on Ira Lee Rd.

Taking a break along Mission Trail at Theo Avenue

Espada Mission

Espada Mission at sunset

This is Lewis.

Southside Lions Park

Bikeway To Heaven

Sunday Dec 18, 2016 No biking weather again!

It's so frustrating! this is the second or third time that I take some time off from work to hit the trails on my bike and the weather turns on me. I scheduled myself off for five days, Saturday through Wednesday and Saturday was cold, (I can take cold), windy, (I can handle some gusty winds), and rainy, (now, that's I would not defy).  The  mercury dropped down to 30℉.
I need to ride my bike because it gets me in a better mood, and I always feel better after a 2 or 3 hour ride. Also I don't want to fall behind on my bike rides log goals. I, so far am averaging about 120 miles in a month and for December I am at . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(drum roll here, please). . . . . . . . . . . . .    a meager thirteen miles. There's some catch up to do, so We'll see how's the weather tomorrow Monday.
I once again feel hampered and  worthless and unproductive.
Anyway, I'm keeping myself busy by reading. So many book, so little time.
Well, what can I say, those are my two passions. When I am not working, I ride my bike if conditions allow it, and if I can't bike around, I pick up one of my book on the list to read this year.
Today I am reading "The Professor and the madman" by Simon Winchester. I am on page 140.
Here's the cover.

Reading now, I am on page 140.

In the meantime I am going to post photos that I have taken during my bike rides.

Bike riding

It's Tuesday, December 6, or the 6th, of the year 2016, or twenty-sixteen.
I had planned to take five days off, but as usually the case, things didn't go according to plan. I had Saturday off, went to work on Sunday to complete the Frame recall project  and got done by about 98 or 99 % complete. Took Monday off (today), well, actually looking at the time on the screen, it's Tuesday already. I will have to go to work in a few hours to comply with some requests for some "on-hand" issues as well as "deletions" not being completed.
I know it sound wrong, but partially joking and partially being serious, I really like too say that the level of incompetence in this office is staggering! But of course, I am fully aware that my staff's competence is in large part a reflection of their leader. So I will not say it then.
Also, the weather is not cooperating. The reason I wanted time off was to ride my bike, but is wet and cold. I have ridden my bike in the rain, but given the option, I rather not. I have ridden the bike in low temperatures before as well, and that, is not a deterrent, but a double whammy is not easily taken.
 I include some of my latest photos that I like to take on my travails.

Correction. I could not find the photos from about four or five days ago, but found this from when Jesus walked in Rome. Wanting to preserve them on record,  I post them here.
I will post the ones intended for the bike riding post later.