+ 48 and a half mile ride
+ One awesome climb, 2000 ft., very painful, still awesome
+ One indescribable descent (4 miles, no pedalling, hit 43 mph, no helmet, you describe (please avoid using the word "stupid"))
+ Knees kill, but don't feel damaged
+ Muscles sore (they kept seizing up going from Livermore to Dublin/Pleasanton BART.)
+ Body hurts
+ Arms sunburnt, the East Bay has awesome weather
+ I tried to get rid of the mesh tan lines on my hands by riding without gloves for the last ten miles. Uh, maybe "riding" is an exaggeration.
+ After that huge descent and struggling 4 miles to Livermore, In and Out Burger was the first thing I saw, like an oasis in the desert, like the messiah in the sky, like getting to work and getting a pink slip.
+ I took pictures of cows running away from me during a rest break
+ This ride was way too hard for a first major outing.
Next week: shorter, flatter rides