First ride down to Mt. Vernon Estate

Went on the longest ride I've done yet on a bike today.   I rode 23.65 miles in just over 4 hours, with several breaks to catch my breath, drink water, etc., which is ok for someone who never successfully rode a bike before May 10 (about 3 weeks ago).  Most of the ride was on the popular Mt. Vernon Trail, with the Mt. Vernon Estate being the destination.

I noticed my tailbone/butt area was sore on the way back. I wore my Zoic shorts with the removable liner that has a built-in chamois pad. I can only imagine the soreness would have been worse without the liner. Apparently you're supposed to wear a chamois liner like underwear, though I don't know if it would have made much of a difference. I also did not use DZ Nuts or Butt'r. At any rate, I found I could relieve pressure on my tailbone by putting a little more load on my legs and using the legs to push my butt back on the saddle.  My only goal on this ride was to get to the destination, then return home without any accidents or further injuries.  I wasn't thinking about speed or otherwise "getting a workout".  I did the ride just for the pure joy of pedaling on a bike, while also enjoying the scenery and a breeze in my face.  However, I did get a workout on that climb up to Mt. Vernon Estate.  By the time I approached home, my exhaustion and soreness made even the slightest incline feel like a climbing challenge.  I nearly got into an accident with another cyclist as I was trying to maneuver around a couple of pedestrians in an ill-advised manner (not that recklessly, but still it wasn't smart).

I was glad I practiced for at least two weeks before attempting a ride of this length on a popular bike trail.  This area is thought of as relatively flat, compared to, say, Alaska or Colorado, but there were some tricky twists and turns to the trail, combined with ascents/descents, that I would not have been able to handle without the practice, especially while sharing the trail with other cyclists and pedestrians.

Despite the minor mishaps and it was a fun and beautiful day.