"That'll be $4.27 for 52 miles please..."

Last night I had a great ride with Lou and Dave from work...now they were on their road bikes, but try and forgive them. They are, well lets just say they are "slow" upstairs. Don't hold it against them. We headed out to the trail from work and we had a great time, me in the DG along the paved trail, then for some reason right around Watt Dave decides to pick it up...turns out we had some cling-ons he wanted to get rid of, but what really happened is he messed up the whole "casual ride" out to Folsom.

I was ducking on and off bits of trail here and there, something Dave and Lou took as a challenge for them to keep up on the pavement...ok, yes I was putting in some big efforts to get time on them, but hey we're guys.

Right before Goethe Dave takes off up the bridge, I spin like a mad man in my "pride-pull" and pass by to crest first. What Dave doesn't realize as I just about toss my lunch that I had at 1:30 (foreshadowing...its now 4:30). After Goethe there is a section that I can ride on the dirt that I thought was a short cut, but Dave and Lou end up putting a good minute on me when the dirt merges back with the trail near mile marker 15.5...now I have to haul my butt to catch them, spinning my 42x17 like a fool. Eventually I catch up with two more people on my wheel....

They suck our wheel for another few miles until Lou feels he has to drop everyone again...So I jump up and spin like mad trying not to bounce out of my saddle to catch him with 3 road bikes in tow..., once we caught Lou, Dave took over then me, then Lou with the pace up to the fish hatchery where Dave had parked.

With Dave gone, things were much more "consistent." Yes, its your fault Dave, live with it. I left Lou at Iron Point and continued on the single track around Lake Natoma.

What a night, cooling off quickly, but gorgeous and not a soul on the trail. As I ride across the Bridge at Auburn/Folsom, I eat half of a Payday bar (foreshadowing, I only half 1/2 left).

Continue along the trails under candle power. I love riding at night. I took my glasses off, they are photo chromatic but stay a bit too dark at night, and w/in seconds I take a bat in the face. No, not a Louisville, but one, it would seem, with compromised sonar...at least I am sure it is busted after it smacked me in the eye! I can deal with the glasses now!

As I drop down Hazel and along the trails below the hatchery (they are spectacular at night on a CX bike by the way) I suck down the last remaining Payday realizing, "I will be bonking tonight"....I made it to about mile marker 14 when the vision starts to get spotty and I am weaving down the trail.

I make it to Slac State where I cross Guy West and ride onto campus. Two goobers at the door won't let me bring my bike in so I can buy a piece of pizza at the Student Union...they say its too crowded - other than these half-wits, there is one girl behind a register playing with her pierced tongue stud-thingy...I'll pass on the Slac State pizza.

Sidebar: odd that the student union is empty on a Monday night...oh, Slac State, nevermind.

I crawl through East Sac and take 55th over to Folsom blvd, TACO BELL!

Now if you haven't been in this situation before, you won't understand, but I began to salivate for the Taco Bell....I park my bike and stumble through the door and begin fumbling in my jersey pockets for my ziplock with cash....this takes a few minutes....I order...doesn't really matter what, but when you are this bonked and this hungry, what you SHOULD put in your stomach at this point, compared to what you ARE GOING TO put in your stomach are two completely different things.

"That'll be $4.27"

If you truly are unAmerican and have never been blessed by Taco Bell, its cheap, REALLY cheap.

"4 twen what?" I babble...

"$4.27"

For the next minute and a half I am in heaven. Gloves on, light on, lets ride!

With 6 miles to go, in reality, I am in trouble. My stomach slowly begins to come to life, you think I am kidding...soon, my bib shorts are tighter, I can't even take in a half-breath, forget about a deep-breath. I make it to the office. I walk out to my car. Pain. I drive to Marja's house and lie down on the floor with the dogs to die.

"I am starving, lets go shopping so I can eat!!!"

Walking through BelAir I am in absolute hell. Surrounded by food, yet nothing looks remotely good. OH BACKUP, at the liquor store across the street from my office I bought and instantly consumed 32oz of Arctic Shatter Powerade.....yeah, brilliant huh....

I have been riding/racing a bike for years. I have bonked many more times than I care to remember, but for some reason I am not smart enough to resist the urge to stuff my face when I am bonked....and I mean eat something like 3 soft tacos and a bean burrito (yes with onions of course) in a bout 45 seconds total.

The funny thing, I cannot wait to go ride right now after work!!!! Maybe a quesadilla today?