First trip on my new bike

I've never been one to pace myself - so my first venture on my new bike was a 20 mile trek along the Mt. Vernon trail in Alexandria, Virginia. I used to jog the trail, back in my running days. Of course, I never made it beyond the first five miles when I was traveling on foot. I was off to a rather precarious start - fumbling around turns, using all the wrong gears, and never missing a pot hole! The ride was beautiful. Rolling hills, wooden bridges, marshes, and the smell of sweet grass all around. Hard to believe such a scenic route could be found only 5 miles outside of DC! About 7 miles into the trail I managed to get lost...perhaps intentionally? I was satisfied with my distance and decided to head back. Nearly as soon as I turned my bike around, my shoe laces got stuck in my pedal. Yikes! To make matters worse, I nearly ran into an old gentleman as I tumbled off of the trail. How embarrassing.

.....Next item on my shopping list - cycling shoes with velcro straps!!