So, today was a day off, and I was determined to get my workout in first thing. It was also a gorgeous day, so I wanted to be outside. And that's how I ended up riding 19 miles on the Legacy Trail. It's a 10.6 mile trail that runs along an old railroad corridor, from just south of Sarasota to Venice.
To be honest, it's not all that interesting a trail. It is long, straight, and flat. The only change in this is a single highway crossover, which is quite steep, and a couple of bridges over creeks or bays. But mostly, it's flat. The good thing is that that makes it very easy!
There are nice little covered rest stations about every mile, with benches so people can sit out of the sun and rest. There are several parks along the way that you could peel off and explore (I didn't, this time); and a couple of times you cross water, and there are places on the bridge to pull off and enjoy the view.
I didn't see much wildlife --- mostly squirrels, a great blue heron (above), and some vultures.
I rode all the way to the end of the trail, the Venice train depot, and then turned around and went back. On the way out, I didn't stop much, just kept peddling; but coming back I was a little tired! So I took my time and took a couple of pics.
I stopped off at one of the little stations and enjoyed my snack of homemade trail mix and a pear (I needed it by then --- I'd intended to ride for about two hours tops, and it ended up being more like three).
I wasn't too tired right after the ride, but once I got home and had my shower and a big salad, it really hit me! Whew! But it didn't stop me from heading out again, this time for a walk on the beach and dinner on the water. It was a good day.
However, I have also learned a lesson, and that is that I am deceiving myself about my power to control intake of kettle corn and yogurt-covered pretzels. They are crack and must never enter my living space again. There have been Incidents this week. So they are banished from the home henceforth and forthwith. You know, I never have this kind of trouble with fruit.
Anyway, I need to find mo'betta bike trails in the area, because I could really get into doing more long rides. As dull as that trail was, it was better than working out inside on a beautiful, sunny day! However, tomorrow I will be doing just that ... long rehearsal day, which means getting up early and getting that workout in before heading to the theater.
But hey, 19 miles. I'm kinda proud.
Wow! You should be proud! And I loved those pictures...
Posted by: H. Skippety | February 21, 2012 at 06:06 AM