Touring D.C. With Kona
The forecast called for a high of 39 degrees with a 50% chance of rain. I rolled over and said to my husband, “If I get out bed and our group cancels, I’m going to be so mad.” I had very little interest in another cold day of riding, but the thought of getting to do something new with Kona got me excited enough to peel myself out from under the covers and layer up.
I’ve been biking regularly throughout the winter. Our local bike club has been riding in the evenings after work and on Saturdays and Sundays. I’m not going to sugarcoat it – mostly it’s been a suffer-fest. Frozen toes, numb hands, getting home late at night and having to walk the dogs in the cold. Yuck. So why deal with it? Well, two reasons. First, biking with friends has helped me deal with the winter blues. Having something to do after work and knowing there’s a group of people to suffer with helps immensely! My second reason – well, that should be obvious – to stay strong so I can pull a bike trailer with my dogs inside!
This weekend a group of riders from our cycling club was carpooling to D.C. to ride the WO&D trail. They’re a tough group and they rarely cancel. I decided that, instead of trying to hammer out a ton of miles, I would change things up by bringing Kona and riding a different route to explore the monuments.
Our tour guide for the day was my good friend and paddling partner, Guillermo Loria, aka GMo. Kona loves GMo, and he takes some pretty awesome pictures (see below).
Kona ran alongside my bike for a few miles next to the Potomac River, but with lots of traffic, tourists and joggers, she happily spent most of the day as a passenger.
My legs held up remarkably well as I pulled the 65-pound trailer over bridges and around D.C. for several hours. We had such a great time, and I loved watching people’s reactions to Kona’s smiling face and floppy ears. Looking back at her and seeing how comfortable she’s become in that trailer made me so happy! All my winter training and suffering paid off.
If you’re wondering where Riley was – he stayed with some friends and got spoiled rotten. He’s actually doing remarkably well with his training in the Tail Wagon. He’s not quite ready for the streets, but he’s still making progress!
Photos taken by Guillermo Loria.
Snack time on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial
“Let’s Go, Human!”
Riding along the Potomac River. Kona and I have actually padded this section of river together. Biking is a completely different way to experience D.C..
Taking it all in. Kona happily chased the geese away so we could enjoy a quite spot by the river.
