I rode another 200k on Wednesday 31 March 2010. The following is my ride report.
So, here it is.... the ride report from my solo 200k on March 31st. With commitments every weekend in March, I knew if I was going to do a 200k, it would have to be during the week. Thinking back to the last 14 miles of Ashland I decided that I did not want to "have to" do another 200k in 15 degree weather, so after an exhaustive search, I found a weekday friendly perm on the RUSA website. No Halfway Measures is an out and back from Arlington, VA to The Plains, VA. which has nearly 80 miles ridden on the W&OD trail. The ride is owned by Nick Bull, and getting cue sheets, control cards and setting up a date and time was extremely easy.
The weather on Wednesday was beautiful. The rain was gone, the pavement was dry and the sun was out for the majority of the day. This was only my third 200k and my first one alone, so I began the ride very cautiously optimistic. The first 39 miles of the ride was on the Washington and Old Dominion trail. This trail is well maintained, and very scenic. It has several bridges to get you over the major roads, like 495 and 66, and lots of secondary roads that need to be crossed with caution. Once you are further away from the beltway and the beltway mentality, you have longer stretches of trail and fewer slow downs for roads. I successfully navigated the trail (Ok, 1 quick side note here.... my other two 200k's were with Mike. We all know that he has a Garmin, and knows how to use it. I relied heavily... ok... entirely on his Garmin to get me from beginning to end of the other 2 rides. There, I said it. I feel better.) I made it to the first control, in Purcellville, VA, in 3 hours. I was happy with that, considering my normal speed and the head winds that I was fighting the entire length of the trail. I did my best "speed run" through the 7-11... water, fig newtons, control card signed, receipt. Outside, I mixed my perpetuem and heed, and away I went. Next stop, the halfway point in The Plains, VA.
Well.... the next stop was not exactly in The Plains, VA. This perm according to the RUSA website has 7,000 feet of climbing. I believe that 6,995 feet of that climbing is on Snickersville Turnpike. I am not going to complain about the hills, especially after the climbing that some of you did in Urbana. I do want to mention that I did not get off the bike and walk it up any of those climbs. I did see a couple vultures beginning to circle, just waiting for me to drop, but I made it. As I rolled into Middleburg, at mile 54 I was in serious trouble. I had the same nauseating feeling that I had towards the end of the Ashland ride. Apparently my perpetuem and Heed combination was not working. (By the way, I have half a container or Orange-Vanilla perpetuem available - free to whomever wants it) I stopped at the Safeway in Middleburg and got some real food, found a bench on the sidewalk and rested for 30 minutes. Had I not done this, this ride report would be explaining a DNF. I felt better and got on the bike and headed to The Plains. I was carrying and eating "real" food while I was riding, and drinking plain water. This seemed to work. I made it to the halfway control at 12:45. I ate a plain ham sandwich, filled up the water bottles and headed back.
The trip back was uneventful, except for Snickersville Turnpike, and I was at the control in Purcellville at 3:15. I was excited to get back on the trail, with the tail wind and no hills I was hoping to make up a few minutes of lost time. Well, that was not in the cards either. If anyone remembers Wednesday, it was the first beautiful day after several rainy windy nasty days. SO as you can imagine, EVERYBODY (yes, EVERYBODY) was on the trail. There were several times that I had to stop because I could not pass on the left due to oncoming pedestrian or bicycle traffic. What took me 3 hours to do in the morning, took 4 in the afternoon. So much for making up time. I arrived at the final control at 7:18 pm. 12 hours and 18 minutes. That certainly did not break any records, except maybe for the slowest 200k ridden by an SPP member, but the bottom line is that I finished, and the March 200k is in the books. I was happy about that.
This was the first 200k with the new bike. The carbon frame of the Roubaix was noticeably more comfortable than the aluminum frame of the Allez. Also, the bib shorts did not move or shift at all, so there were no saddle sores after this ride.
Thanks to everyone for your words of encouragement before, during and after the ride. They are very much appreciated.
I am looking forward to getting back on the bike and riding this weekend.
Thanks for reading.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Still alive and pedalin'
This post will be very short. I just wanted to do a post so that everyone that checks my blog knows that I am alive and pedalin'.
I have been commuting to work (well, to the train station, to catch the train that will take me to work) on bicycle for the past couple of weeks. I have to say that it has been pretty successful so far. I started the week before we moved the clocks ahead, so I was only riding in the dark for a little while before the sun came up. Now, it is dark when I arrive at the train station. It is getting better, as sunrise is occurring earlier now. I enjoy the ride. 95% of the 22 mile ride is on the trails, so I don't have to deal with too much traffic. Coordinating my clothes and food at the office, to be here when I arrive has worked out very well also. Like I said, the whole experience is working just as I planned it.
What I did not plan for, was having the bike in the shop for a week. Last Monday I rode to and from the train station in the rain. Well, I didn't start out in the rain, but it began raining at about the half way point of the rides. I wiped my bike down and lubes the chain, but on Tuesday I was having a hard time pedaling (yes, harder than normal) and I was hearing noise coming from the bottom bracket (that's where all the tubes come together at the bottom of the bike, and where the axle of the cranks goes from one side of the bike to the other.) Knowing that I was not going to be riding on Wednesday or Thursday of next week, due to work commitments, I took the bike into the bike shop on Tuesday evening as soon as I got home. I figured they would be able to have it done by Thursday night so I wouldn't miss any days of commuting. WRONG... I think everybody in Annapolis had their bike in the shop. They said next Tuesday... damn. So, I was dead in the water as far as commuting goes. I have the new Roubaix... but I am not leaving that in the bicycle box while I am at work. So, I have been scrounging parts to put on the Allez frame that I have sitting in the garage. I have had several packages dropped off this week and I have all the parts that I need to get that bike operational. However, just because a cook has all the ingredients to make a wonderful dish, doen't mean he has the know how to make the dish. I have bought a book (with a gift card I got from Emily on father's day last year) about bicycle repair and maintenance. I am extremely hopeful and cautiously optomistic that I will have that bike up and on the trail by April 15th (tax day). I'll keep you posted and maybe even post some pictures. Until then, I will keep riding the white Allez and hope it stays out of the shop.
For those following my weight loss, that train is moving very slowly. I have lost 113 pounds to date, which is still good, but I have not been doing as well as I would like. I have 35 more pounds that I want to lose. I am encouraged though, because through the snow storms, bicycle repairs, birthday celebrations, etc, etc etc I am still losing weight. I will keep you posted.
That's all I got for now. Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Come back again. I will be updating more often as The New England Classic ride gets closer. I am also planning to blog each day during that ride. ;-)
I have been commuting to work (well, to the train station, to catch the train that will take me to work) on bicycle for the past couple of weeks. I have to say that it has been pretty successful so far. I started the week before we moved the clocks ahead, so I was only riding in the dark for a little while before the sun came up. Now, it is dark when I arrive at the train station. It is getting better, as sunrise is occurring earlier now. I enjoy the ride. 95% of the 22 mile ride is on the trails, so I don't have to deal with too much traffic. Coordinating my clothes and food at the office, to be here when I arrive has worked out very well also. Like I said, the whole experience is working just as I planned it.
What I did not plan for, was having the bike in the shop for a week. Last Monday I rode to and from the train station in the rain. Well, I didn't start out in the rain, but it began raining at about the half way point of the rides. I wiped my bike down and lubes the chain, but on Tuesday I was having a hard time pedaling (yes, harder than normal) and I was hearing noise coming from the bottom bracket (that's where all the tubes come together at the bottom of the bike, and where the axle of the cranks goes from one side of the bike to the other.) Knowing that I was not going to be riding on Wednesday or Thursday of next week, due to work commitments, I took the bike into the bike shop on Tuesday evening as soon as I got home. I figured they would be able to have it done by Thursday night so I wouldn't miss any days of commuting. WRONG... I think everybody in Annapolis had their bike in the shop. They said next Tuesday... damn. So, I was dead in the water as far as commuting goes. I have the new Roubaix... but I am not leaving that in the bicycle box while I am at work. So, I have been scrounging parts to put on the Allez frame that I have sitting in the garage. I have had several packages dropped off this week and I have all the parts that I need to get that bike operational. However, just because a cook has all the ingredients to make a wonderful dish, doen't mean he has the know how to make the dish. I have bought a book (with a gift card I got from Emily on father's day last year) about bicycle repair and maintenance. I am extremely hopeful and cautiously optomistic that I will have that bike up and on the trail by April 15th (tax day). I'll keep you posted and maybe even post some pictures. Until then, I will keep riding the white Allez and hope it stays out of the shop.
For those following my weight loss, that train is moving very slowly. I have lost 113 pounds to date, which is still good, but I have not been doing as well as I would like. I have 35 more pounds that I want to lose. I am encouraged though, because through the snow storms, bicycle repairs, birthday celebrations, etc, etc etc I am still losing weight. I will keep you posted.
That's all I got for now. Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Come back again. I will be updating more often as The New England Classic ride gets closer. I am also planning to blog each day during that ride. ;-)
Monday, March 8, 2010
One less car...
With the onset of the warmer weather, I have started riding my bike to the BWI rail station to catch the MARC train to work. Don't be alarmed, I am not becoming a full fledge "tree-hugging", card carrying member of PETA and Green peace. My intentions, I shamefully admit, are purely selfish. After 6 weeks of not showing any weight loss (not that I was trying real hard, there was a blizzard or two, travel to NY and Chicago etc etc) I decided that I need to really get focused on riding as much as possible. I also put gas in my 4runner Saturday and noticed that they are creeping the price of gas up AGAIN. It will only get more expensive as the summer gets closer. I am not sure what excuse they will use this year to justify their raping us again. Last year it was because they hadn't upgraded their refineries, and we use too much gas and they can't keep up with the demand. Don't get me started on that. I wish they would just tell us the truth. They need to line their pockets with more money... their 3rd mistress needs a new house on the French Riviera. I work in DC and I see a lot of people asking for money, holding signs that they were homeless vets, etc. If you give these people money, you wonder if they will use it to buy their cigarettes (which are not cheap if you have noticed the prices) or their alcohol etc. I saw one guy, sitting on the sidewalk holding a sign that said "I'm not going to lie to you... I need money to buy more wine." I would MUCH rather give the money to him because he was at least honest about it.
Not sure how I got off on that little tangent. Anyway, I rode to BWI rail station this morning with my ridding buddy Mike, who happens to work at the BWI business park. We left the Severna Park Park and Ride lot at 5:15 a.m. and took the B & A trail up to where it meets the BWI trail, which takes me right to the MARC train station. The ride was very much like the normal 5:45 rides that we do in the mornings, but it was just in the opposite direction. On our way up the trail, we got to the Rusty Bridge around the time that the 5:45 group was starting to gather. We stopped and exchanged pleasantries and then we were on our way.
On the BWI trail, there is a section that over looks the airport, and with the sun just coming up, and all the activity below it was one of those "You never see this from a car." moments.
The ride took 1 hour 13 minutes of ride time, but we did not push the speed too much because riding the new sections of trail, you never know where a pot hole has been created, or a new post has been put up. We averaged just over 13 mph and the total distance was 16.3 miles. The BWI trail is a big loop. If you look at Google maps I think it is on there. The MARC station seems to be about halfway around the loop from where we get off the B & A trail. I am going to ride the opposite way this afternoon and see if it is shorter or not.
Once at BWI, I took the first couple of layers of clothing off, draped them over the bike and put it in my bike box that I have rented for the year. I then put on the sweatshirt and sweatpants that I had previously placed in the bike box so I wouldn't look gay on the train in my bike tights. I caught the train and made it to my office without a hitch, actually earlier than I do when I ride with SPP at 5:45.
The plan is to do this routine 4 days a week, using the 5th day to replenish food supplies and swap out clean clothes for dirty ones. It will be weather dependent a little bit too. I probably won't mind riding in the rain, but if it is 'cold' and 'rainy', I may pass. The BWI railstation has a indoor terminal, which is nice, because it has bathrooms and a place to get a bottle of water or coffee if I need to. I don't plan on using it much because I don't want to spend what I am saving on gas. It is good to know that it is there if I need it.
SO, I am going green, using my bike to commute to the train station. I will keep you posted on how it is going through out the spring and summer. It will be nice to get my heart rate up twice a day as a I prepare for the New England Classic in July. More to come on that soon.
Not sure how I got off on that little tangent. Anyway, I rode to BWI rail station this morning with my ridding buddy Mike, who happens to work at the BWI business park. We left the Severna Park Park and Ride lot at 5:15 a.m. and took the B & A trail up to where it meets the BWI trail, which takes me right to the MARC train station. The ride was very much like the normal 5:45 rides that we do in the mornings, but it was just in the opposite direction. On our way up the trail, we got to the Rusty Bridge around the time that the 5:45 group was starting to gather. We stopped and exchanged pleasantries and then we were on our way.
On the BWI trail, there is a section that over looks the airport, and with the sun just coming up, and all the activity below it was one of those "You never see this from a car." moments.
The ride took 1 hour 13 minutes of ride time, but we did not push the speed too much because riding the new sections of trail, you never know where a pot hole has been created, or a new post has been put up. We averaged just over 13 mph and the total distance was 16.3 miles. The BWI trail is a big loop. If you look at Google maps I think it is on there. The MARC station seems to be about halfway around the loop from where we get off the B & A trail. I am going to ride the opposite way this afternoon and see if it is shorter or not.
Once at BWI, I took the first couple of layers of clothing off, draped them over the bike and put it in my bike box that I have rented for the year. I then put on the sweatshirt and sweatpants that I had previously placed in the bike box so I wouldn't look gay on the train in my bike tights. I caught the train and made it to my office without a hitch, actually earlier than I do when I ride with SPP at 5:45.
The plan is to do this routine 4 days a week, using the 5th day to replenish food supplies and swap out clean clothes for dirty ones. It will be weather dependent a little bit too. I probably won't mind riding in the rain, but if it is 'cold' and 'rainy', I may pass. The BWI railstation has a indoor terminal, which is nice, because it has bathrooms and a place to get a bottle of water or coffee if I need to. I don't plan on using it much because I don't want to spend what I am saving on gas. It is good to know that it is there if I need it.
SO, I am going green, using my bike to commute to the train station. I will keep you posted on how it is going through out the spring and summer. It will be nice to get my heart rate up twice a day as a I prepare for the New England Classic in July. More to come on that soon.
Monday, March 1, 2010
I am delinquent... I apologize!
It has been TOO long since I have posted a blog entry. For that, I apologize. To be perfectly honest with you, I just didn't feel like doing one. BUT, after surviving a debilitating snow storm, and travel to New York and Chicago... I am back in the routine, and ready for spring.
Last weekend, members of the Severna Park Peloton set out to do another 200k ride. The original date for the ride had to be scratched, because it was scheduled for February 6, and if you look at the snowfall records, you will find that February 6 was not a good day to be riding a bike. So, the new date was February 21st. This was also the date that we had concert tickets to see Terri Clark in Annapolis. The 7:30 start time that the others wanted to do would not work for me, because it took me just under 12 hours to do the 200k in Ashland, and if I started at 7:30 I would not be able to make the concert which was at 7:30 pm. Fortunately, this ride was what they call a permanent (see RUSA website for an explanation of what a perm. is) which can be started at anytime. I decided that I would ride the perm alone, and start at 4:30 in the morning. That would give me a 3 hour head start on the other 7 riders, so if I wound up in a ditch, I wouldn't be there for more that 3 hours! Once I announced that I would be riding solo at 4:30, my riding buddy Mike asked me if I would like some company at 4:30, that he would start early so we could ride together. Of course I welcomed his offer and we met at the starting point at 4:15 a.m. on Sunday morning.
This ride from Crofton MD. to Solomons Island MD had a completely different vibe for me as compared to the Ashland ride in January. It was 26 degrees when we started, which made it 11 degrees warmer that Ashland, but I think because the area and the roads were a little more familiar, I felt more confident and comfortable. Because the temps during the days prior to the ride were above freezing, when we set out from the start we had to be cautious of black ice slicks across the road. I know, this sounds ominous and scarey, but the roads that we were on we very dark, so the lights on our bicycles caused an obvious glare on any ice that happened to be on the road. Mike and I were both able to stay upright on the bikes, and by sunrise, we were already had 20 some odd miles behind us. The rest of the ride was uneventful, with the exception of Mike having a flat at about mile 70 something. We changed the flat, but them Mike realized that the tread on the tire was going the wrong way, so we have to basically change the tire again. 20 minutes later, we were back on our way. We rode through Chesapeake Beach and North Beach to a pastry shoppe called Sweet Sue's. They have good coffee, good muffins and a nice outside area to eat. By the last 4 or 5 miles, I was pretty tired and was ready for the ride to be over. Mike and I finished in just over 11.5 hours. Which was about 30 minutes better than the ride in Ashland.
I made it home, showered and got dressed for the concert. Bev had a salad and pizza ready for me, but I was not feeling like eating. I needed to just sit and relax and let my body settle. So, we put the pizza and salad away and we headed to the concert. Terri Clark is one of my favorite female artists because she has so much personality and she shares it with the crowd. This was the third time that we had seen her, and she has been great each time. She talks and interacts with the crowd, which is what I really like. I don't care how good of a singer you are, if you just get up on stage and sing and not talk us in the audience... I won't enjoy your show. I would see Terri Clark again tomorrow if she was coming to town. That's how good she is.
I slept very well that night as you can probably imagine. I got to sleep in a little bit on Monday, because I was off to our Chicago office on Monday afternoon. Travel is something that I enjoy, but hate at the same time. Especially travel to Chicago, because I stayed in a hotel that was in downtown Chicago. I love opening the curtains just before I go to bed and letting the city lights be my night light. I enjoy walking on the streets to work in the morning and on the way home and seeing the different (and I mean different in every sense of the word) people walking here and there. It is a cool city, but it does take me out of my routine. No bike riding (except on a stationary bike, and if you've looked at my Training log you know that I would prefer to chew broken glass than ride a trainer or stationary bike.) Additionally, I don't have the normal food that I eat readily available, like I do at home. No apple just waiting to be eaten, no 100 calorie snacks nearby in case I am in need of a chocolate fix. You get the picture, it just puts me in a funk. I am back now, and looking forward to spring.
I was fortunate enough to have a bicycle box come open at BWI rail station, which I have rented for the year. This will allow me to ride about 23 miles from home to BWI to catch the train into DC for work. I am hoping to do this 4 days a week, using the 5th day to swap out clothes and necessities at work. I am sure you will hear how that is going in a later blog post. I did ride the route yesterday morning and it is an actually very enjoyable ride. I am hoping that by getting my heart rate up two times a day, I will be able to get the pounds to begin coming off again. With the snow storm and travel I have not lost any weight, but I have not packed on any significant amounts of weight either. I am in a holding pattern, and I am ready to start shedding the last 40 pounds to reach my goal. I am hoping to get that off by the end of May. I need to get peddling. ;-)
Last weekend, members of the Severna Park Peloton set out to do another 200k ride. The original date for the ride had to be scratched, because it was scheduled for February 6, and if you look at the snowfall records, you will find that February 6 was not a good day to be riding a bike. So, the new date was February 21st. This was also the date that we had concert tickets to see Terri Clark in Annapolis. The 7:30 start time that the others wanted to do would not work for me, because it took me just under 12 hours to do the 200k in Ashland, and if I started at 7:30 I would not be able to make the concert which was at 7:30 pm. Fortunately, this ride was what they call a permanent (see RUSA website for an explanation of what a perm. is) which can be started at anytime. I decided that I would ride the perm alone, and start at 4:30 in the morning. That would give me a 3 hour head start on the other 7 riders, so if I wound up in a ditch, I wouldn't be there for more that 3 hours! Once I announced that I would be riding solo at 4:30, my riding buddy Mike asked me if I would like some company at 4:30, that he would start early so we could ride together. Of course I welcomed his offer and we met at the starting point at 4:15 a.m. on Sunday morning.
This ride from Crofton MD. to Solomons Island MD had a completely different vibe for me as compared to the Ashland ride in January. It was 26 degrees when we started, which made it 11 degrees warmer that Ashland, but I think because the area and the roads were a little more familiar, I felt more confident and comfortable. Because the temps during the days prior to the ride were above freezing, when we set out from the start we had to be cautious of black ice slicks across the road. I know, this sounds ominous and scarey, but the roads that we were on we very dark, so the lights on our bicycles caused an obvious glare on any ice that happened to be on the road. Mike and I were both able to stay upright on the bikes, and by sunrise, we were already had 20 some odd miles behind us. The rest of the ride was uneventful, with the exception of Mike having a flat at about mile 70 something. We changed the flat, but them Mike realized that the tread on the tire was going the wrong way, so we have to basically change the tire again. 20 minutes later, we were back on our way. We rode through Chesapeake Beach and North Beach to a pastry shoppe called Sweet Sue's. They have good coffee, good muffins and a nice outside area to eat. By the last 4 or 5 miles, I was pretty tired and was ready for the ride to be over. Mike and I finished in just over 11.5 hours. Which was about 30 minutes better than the ride in Ashland.
I made it home, showered and got dressed for the concert. Bev had a salad and pizza ready for me, but I was not feeling like eating. I needed to just sit and relax and let my body settle. So, we put the pizza and salad away and we headed to the concert. Terri Clark is one of my favorite female artists because she has so much personality and she shares it with the crowd. This was the third time that we had seen her, and she has been great each time. She talks and interacts with the crowd, which is what I really like. I don't care how good of a singer you are, if you just get up on stage and sing and not talk us in the audience... I won't enjoy your show. I would see Terri Clark again tomorrow if she was coming to town. That's how good she is.
I slept very well that night as you can probably imagine. I got to sleep in a little bit on Monday, because I was off to our Chicago office on Monday afternoon. Travel is something that I enjoy, but hate at the same time. Especially travel to Chicago, because I stayed in a hotel that was in downtown Chicago. I love opening the curtains just before I go to bed and letting the city lights be my night light. I enjoy walking on the streets to work in the morning and on the way home and seeing the different (and I mean different in every sense of the word) people walking here and there. It is a cool city, but it does take me out of my routine. No bike riding (except on a stationary bike, and if you've looked at my Training log you know that I would prefer to chew broken glass than ride a trainer or stationary bike.) Additionally, I don't have the normal food that I eat readily available, like I do at home. No apple just waiting to be eaten, no 100 calorie snacks nearby in case I am in need of a chocolate fix. You get the picture, it just puts me in a funk. I am back now, and looking forward to spring.
I was fortunate enough to have a bicycle box come open at BWI rail station, which I have rented for the year. This will allow me to ride about 23 miles from home to BWI to catch the train into DC for work. I am hoping to do this 4 days a week, using the 5th day to swap out clothes and necessities at work. I am sure you will hear how that is going in a later blog post. I did ride the route yesterday morning and it is an actually very enjoyable ride. I am hoping that by getting my heart rate up two times a day, I will be able to get the pounds to begin coming off again. With the snow storm and travel I have not lost any weight, but I have not packed on any significant amounts of weight either. I am in a holding pattern, and I am ready to start shedding the last 40 pounds to reach my goal. I am hoping to get that off by the end of May. I need to get peddling. ;-)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
SNOW...SNOW...SNOW
I want to reassure those of you who figured I got buried in a snowdrift on my bike during the snow storm that I am doing fine. I apologize for the long period of time between entries. You would think that while we were snowed in, I could have found the time to do a blog entry, right? You REALLY didn't want me to do a blog entry on any of those days. My mother and children read this blog, so I try to keep the cuss words down to a minimum. Any blog entries, minus the cuss words, during the snow storm would have been very very short. The snow had definitely put a damper on my mood. Now that I am able to talk (write) in complete sentences (usually) without steam blowing out of my ears, I think I can do an entry.
So, in case you hadn't heard... we got some snow. From Friday evening to Saturday evening (2/5 - 2/6) we accumulated about 26 inches of snow in Arnold, MD. I went out in the blizzard (yes, we had blizzard conditions) on Saturday and spent the better part of 6 hours shoveling the driveway so that when the snow finally stopped, the John Deere would only have 8 inches of snow to plow instead of 26. On Sunday morning I began plowing the driveway with the John Deere. I added some weights to the back of the tractor, which helped with the traction tremendously, and it had no problem pushing the snow. The problem was, where do you go with 26 inches of snow? The John Deere has no capability to lift the snow, so it can only go as far as I could push it. I came up with ways to push it as far as possible, and after a couple hours of plowing... the driveway was clear. Time to relax, warm up and get ready for the Super Bowl. It was nice to watch the game with out really giving a rip one way of the other who wins. I dislike both teams for different reasons, but I was hoping to see The Colts win because I enjoyed watching them dismantle the Jets 2 weeks before. Maybe it was because I was tired, or maybe it was just me, but I thought the game and most of the commercials were very boring.
With so much snow in the area, and not nearly enough equipment to remove it, the Federal Government (which is who my employer follows in regards to Operating Status in foul weather) was closed on Monday and Tuesday while the District of Columbia tried to clear the roads. The Metro system closed all of its above ground stations, Commuter Rail service was canceled, it was a mess. NOW, to make things even more interesting, we got another 12 inches of snow on Tuesday. These are record breaking totals, and like I said in my previous entry... it's all my fault. Well, the John Deere handled moving that snow as well, and when it was all said and down, I was about ready to head to the Bay Bridge and jump. We will not see green grass until July. The bike trail is just a distant memory, and in someplaces you can not tell where it is, it is just a field of snow. The forecast has the temperatures rising above freezing during the day, and below freezing at night. That means snow will melt, causing the roads to become wet, temps will drop causing aforementioned melted snow to turn to ice. Ice + bicyle = disastrous results. I am officially depressed. Hopefully someone has taken the Viagra away from 'old man winter' and we will have no snow for the rest of the season. (By the way, i'd like to get my hands on that damn groundhog too!)
The Severna Park Peloton IS a hardy group though. On Saturday a small group of riders were out enjoying the fresh clean air that the snow brings. The ride was an impromptu event and I did not know about it, so I did not take part, but I hooked up with my riding buddy Mike on Sunday and we enjoyed a GREAT ride out to Sandy Point, Thomas Point by way of The Hard Bean coffee shop at City Dock in Annapolis. Check out his ride report here. Mike's ride report On Monday, Presidents Day, I rode alone from the Park and Ride in Severna Park to The Hard Bean and back by way of St. Margret's Road and College Parkway. I can't do the fancy ride reports because I do not have a Garmin 705 Edge GPS computer for my bike... yet!
Tuesday, there was a threat of more snow, and in the early morning hours we did get a dusting, which discourage any street riding. It was either the trainer or sleep in. When the alarm went off... I rolled over and slept in until it was time to go to work. I checked email last night to see if any SPP riders were planning to ride this morning. There were no declarations of insanity, so I figure everyone was waiting another day before braving the roads. When I check email this morning at work, 3 hearty (and slightly insane) SPP riders rode this morning and reported that the road route was passable with caution and they would be out riding again tomorrow morning. I can guarantee you that I will be out there with them. I rode the trainer for 45 minutes this morning and I would rather be cold and cautiously icy than riding on the trainer. In the infamous words of my bike buddy Mike ... "Just say NO to trainers."
So there you have it. I was depressed, and sat around the house eating bon bon's all week. But now that we are on the road to recover (pray for warm rain for a complete meltdown) I am feeling much better. Thanks for listening to my rant, and I hope you will stop by again soon.
So, in case you hadn't heard... we got some snow. From Friday evening to Saturday evening (2/5 - 2/6) we accumulated about 26 inches of snow in Arnold, MD. I went out in the blizzard (yes, we had blizzard conditions) on Saturday and spent the better part of 6 hours shoveling the driveway so that when the snow finally stopped, the John Deere would only have 8 inches of snow to plow instead of 26. On Sunday morning I began plowing the driveway with the John Deere. I added some weights to the back of the tractor, which helped with the traction tremendously, and it had no problem pushing the snow. The problem was, where do you go with 26 inches of snow? The John Deere has no capability to lift the snow, so it can only go as far as I could push it. I came up with ways to push it as far as possible, and after a couple hours of plowing... the driveway was clear. Time to relax, warm up and get ready for the Super Bowl. It was nice to watch the game with out really giving a rip one way of the other who wins. I dislike both teams for different reasons, but I was hoping to see The Colts win because I enjoyed watching them dismantle the Jets 2 weeks before. Maybe it was because I was tired, or maybe it was just me, but I thought the game and most of the commercials were very boring.
With so much snow in the area, and not nearly enough equipment to remove it, the Federal Government (which is who my employer follows in regards to Operating Status in foul weather) was closed on Monday and Tuesday while the District of Columbia tried to clear the roads. The Metro system closed all of its above ground stations, Commuter Rail service was canceled, it was a mess. NOW, to make things even more interesting, we got another 12 inches of snow on Tuesday. These are record breaking totals, and like I said in my previous entry... it's all my fault. Well, the John Deere handled moving that snow as well, and when it was all said and down, I was about ready to head to the Bay Bridge and jump. We will not see green grass until July. The bike trail is just a distant memory, and in someplaces you can not tell where it is, it is just a field of snow. The forecast has the temperatures rising above freezing during the day, and below freezing at night. That means snow will melt, causing the roads to become wet, temps will drop causing aforementioned melted snow to turn to ice. Ice + bicyle = disastrous results. I am officially depressed. Hopefully someone has taken the Viagra away from 'old man winter' and we will have no snow for the rest of the season. (By the way, i'd like to get my hands on that damn groundhog too!)
The Severna Park Peloton IS a hardy group though. On Saturday a small group of riders were out enjoying the fresh clean air that the snow brings. The ride was an impromptu event and I did not know about it, so I did not take part, but I hooked up with my riding buddy Mike on Sunday and we enjoyed a GREAT ride out to Sandy Point, Thomas Point by way of The Hard Bean coffee shop at City Dock in Annapolis. Check out his ride report here. Mike's ride report On Monday, Presidents Day, I rode alone from the Park and Ride in Severna Park to The Hard Bean and back by way of St. Margret's Road and College Parkway. I can't do the fancy ride reports because I do not have a Garmin 705 Edge GPS computer for my bike... yet!
Tuesday, there was a threat of more snow, and in the early morning hours we did get a dusting, which discourage any street riding. It was either the trainer or sleep in. When the alarm went off... I rolled over and slept in until it was time to go to work. I checked email last night to see if any SPP riders were planning to ride this morning. There were no declarations of insanity, so I figure everyone was waiting another day before braving the roads. When I check email this morning at work, 3 hearty (and slightly insane) SPP riders rode this morning and reported that the road route was passable with caution and they would be out riding again tomorrow morning. I can guarantee you that I will be out there with them. I rode the trainer for 45 minutes this morning and I would rather be cold and cautiously icy than riding on the trainer. In the infamous words of my bike buddy Mike ... "Just say NO to trainers."
So there you have it. I was depressed, and sat around the house eating bon bon's all week. But now that we are on the road to recover (pray for warm rain for a complete meltdown) I am feeling much better. Thanks for listening to my rant, and I hope you will stop by again soon.
Friday, February 5, 2010
What a bummer
Well, I got in my last ride on the roads for a while I am afraid. The impending snowstorm has definitely dampened my mood. I will be sentenced to ride the trainer in the garage until the road ways have been cleared enough for safe passage by bicycle.
Our ride this morning was well attended with 9 of us making the trek from the Rusty Bridge in Severna Park to The Hard Bean in Annapolis. Everyone had the storm on their mind, knowing that this would be the last ride on the roads for a while. The nickname "snow-magedon" has been adopted, as the weather prognosticators have forecast between 12 and 30 inches of snow. Yuck.
To make matters even more depressing for our ride, I was blessed with 2 flat tires this morning. It is funny (not funny "haha", but funny "strange") because I thought to myself as I was loading the bike into the 4Runner this morning... "I have had pretty good luck with the new tires I put on the bike. I haven't had a flat in a while." Well, I made up for it in one day. As I was coming down a hill, just about to turn onto Richie Highway, I hit a pot hole that was just big enough to traumatize my tires, causing them both to go flat. Mike, Brian and I pulled well off the road (this is the same road, and almost the same spot that Mike got hit the other day) and started changing the tire. Brian jumped right in and started removing the flat tube, while I dug out the new tube from my seat bag. I got my CO2 containers of air ready, and once we figured out how to use the CO2 device, we were filling the tire with air. I thought to myself, "wow, the rear tire went flat, but nothing happened to the front tire, and it hit the pot hole first." So, just to be sure, I checked the front tire and sure enough it was flat as well. Off the bike it came, Mike started on that one and I produced my 2nd spare tube (I am glad I had 2 of them). That one got changed and full of air, and off we went. That probably set us back about 15 minutes. Thanks to everyone that helped, it was nice to have a group of people around to help get you back on your bike quicker.
The rest of the ride was uneventful. We enjoyed good coffee, pastry and conversation at The Hard Bean, and as we headed back to Severna Park, you could just feel the impending doom of the weather. I apologized to everyone on the ride, letting them know that the weather this past winter has been all my fault. Usually, I welcome the snow. It was really not a big interruption of my life. If it snowed and I didn't have to go out... I stayed in. If I had to go out, I was confident in my abilities to drive in snow, coupled with taking into consideration the other idiots who have no clue how to drive in snow. Now, snow is the enemy. Since I started riding with the 5:45 group, there is virtually no conditions that I will not ride in, with the exception of snow and ice. I have ridden with temps as low as 15 degrees, I have ridden in the rain, in the wind, etc. but snow forces me to make a choice. Stay in bed, and get fat. Or, ride the trainer and learn to like it. I am hoping that I will choose the 2nd choice more often than the first. So, because I needed it not to snow this winter, so I can ride, we have had record snowfalls, and we are only into the first week of February. So you see, it's all my fault. Sorry everyone.
I will try to make the most of the trainer. I am going to go home, put as much weight on the John Deere as I can so I get better traction, move the cars around in the garage so the John Deere is ready to start plowing when the snow stops, and I am going to set up the laptop so I can watch a movie while I am inside riding the trainer. I guess I will make the best out of a snowy situation.
For those of you who will be affected by the snow, please be safe and stay off the roads (I don't want to have to take YOUR driving into consideration in case I have to go out). As for those of you not affected by the snow... I'm jealous.
Our ride this morning was well attended with 9 of us making the trek from the Rusty Bridge in Severna Park to The Hard Bean in Annapolis. Everyone had the storm on their mind, knowing that this would be the last ride on the roads for a while. The nickname "snow-magedon" has been adopted, as the weather prognosticators have forecast between 12 and 30 inches of snow. Yuck.
To make matters even more depressing for our ride, I was blessed with 2 flat tires this morning. It is funny (not funny "haha", but funny "strange") because I thought to myself as I was loading the bike into the 4Runner this morning... "I have had pretty good luck with the new tires I put on the bike. I haven't had a flat in a while." Well, I made up for it in one day. As I was coming down a hill, just about to turn onto Richie Highway, I hit a pot hole that was just big enough to traumatize my tires, causing them both to go flat. Mike, Brian and I pulled well off the road (this is the same road, and almost the same spot that Mike got hit the other day) and started changing the tire. Brian jumped right in and started removing the flat tube, while I dug out the new tube from my seat bag. I got my CO2 containers of air ready, and once we figured out how to use the CO2 device, we were filling the tire with air. I thought to myself, "wow, the rear tire went flat, but nothing happened to the front tire, and it hit the pot hole first." So, just to be sure, I checked the front tire and sure enough it was flat as well. Off the bike it came, Mike started on that one and I produced my 2nd spare tube (I am glad I had 2 of them). That one got changed and full of air, and off we went. That probably set us back about 15 minutes. Thanks to everyone that helped, it was nice to have a group of people around to help get you back on your bike quicker.
The rest of the ride was uneventful. We enjoyed good coffee, pastry and conversation at The Hard Bean, and as we headed back to Severna Park, you could just feel the impending doom of the weather. I apologized to everyone on the ride, letting them know that the weather this past winter has been all my fault. Usually, I welcome the snow. It was really not a big interruption of my life. If it snowed and I didn't have to go out... I stayed in. If I had to go out, I was confident in my abilities to drive in snow, coupled with taking into consideration the other idiots who have no clue how to drive in snow. Now, snow is the enemy. Since I started riding with the 5:45 group, there is virtually no conditions that I will not ride in, with the exception of snow and ice. I have ridden with temps as low as 15 degrees, I have ridden in the rain, in the wind, etc. but snow forces me to make a choice. Stay in bed, and get fat. Or, ride the trainer and learn to like it. I am hoping that I will choose the 2nd choice more often than the first. So, because I needed it not to snow this winter, so I can ride, we have had record snowfalls, and we are only into the first week of February. So you see, it's all my fault. Sorry everyone.
I will try to make the most of the trainer. I am going to go home, put as much weight on the John Deere as I can so I get better traction, move the cars around in the garage so the John Deere is ready to start plowing when the snow stops, and I am going to set up the laptop so I can watch a movie while I am inside riding the trainer. I guess I will make the best out of a snowy situation.
For those of you who will be affected by the snow, please be safe and stay off the roads (I don't want to have to take YOUR driving into consideration in case I have to go out). As for those of you not affected by the snow... I'm jealous.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
FAT TUESDAY
OK, so it's not REALLY fat Tuesday, but with me traveling the past couple of weeks, and the dumping of another 8 inches of snow on Saturday, I have managed to gain 2 pounds. Not a big deal, I am not in crisis mode... we are going to Ruby Tuesdays as planned. It just means that I need to ride a little harder and longer and faster when the snow melts enough to get back on the bike.
It is never easy to maintain a healthy eating routine when traveling. I spent last weekend in our New York office doing scheduled maintenance and reconfiguring the firewall. It was nice to work alone in the office, not because I don't enjoy the company of the guys that work there, it's just that I find I get a whole lot more done. The drive up to New York on Friday evening was very long and very slow. I was on the New Jersey Turnpike on a Friday at rush hour. I did not plan that very well.
What is nice about New York is that I am able to drive to the hotel and the office, which means that I can schlep around all the food I need to stay on track. I brought some salmon, and pork chops, already baked sweet potatoes, plenty of salad ingredients. I brought along fruit and snacks for work... so I was pretty well set. The problem was that I did not bring my bike. Sure I rode the stationary bike at the hotel, but it just isn't the same. It tells you when to increase the tempo or pedal harder, as opposed to being on the bicycle and YOU deciding how fast you want to go up that hill, or how long you want to keep the cadence above 100. You actually 'move' on a real bicycle too. The stationary bike just wasn't cutting it. I did an hour each day, and didn't have that good work out feeling that I get from riding a real bike.
From New York I headed north to see my Mom and Dad. That was another day sitting in the car. Only this trip was during monsoon weather. It was raining buckets and the wind was blowing 40 - 50 mph gusts. Going over the Tapanzee Bridge in New york, I felt like I was going to be blown over the side. There were 2 spots along the trip where I was detoured from the highway because of high standing water. What was happening was the water was eroding the embankments along the highway, loosening the dirt around the roots of the trees, and the wind was blowing the trees over into the road. The drive that normally takes me 4 hours took me the better part of 6 hours. No working out at my parents house. Not that I couldn't have... I just didn't.
Tuesday I did some visiting with a former teacher and a former sister in law. These visits were preparations for the New England Classic ride in July. My former teacher said that having me in his office was like an episode of "Cold Case". He was picturing me like I was 27 years ago when I was in high school. It was sort of surreal to walk through the high school again. The kids look so young...I was not that young when I went to high school.
Wednesday I was off again, headed home. I snuck out of my parents house at 3:45 a.m. and headed to the New York office. I had a computer that I needed to drop off there, and then I was on my way back to Maryland. Another day in the car, with no exercise... and what is there to do in the car. Driving on long trips is SO boring. It's no wonder I fell asleep at the wheel when I was younger. There is nothing to do when you are driving. Bite your nails and pick your nose... that's about it. The radio is OK for about 15 minutes, then all the songs start sounding the same. This is a perfect scenario for mindless nibbling. Twizzlers are my favorite, but pretzels work just as well, which is what I had with me.
So there you have it. Traveling, coupled with lack of bicycle riding and you gain 2 pounds in 2 weeks. I am scheduled to travel to Chicago the week of the 21st of February. I am looking for a place that rents bicycles in Chicago. I figure I can get a pretty good rate to rent a bicycle in Chicago in the middle of February.
That pretty much gets you up to date. I am very busy at work, getting ready to make the trip to Chicago. I am finishing the flyers and the web site for the New England Classic fundraising, and Emily will be here this weekend. I will post again when before I go to Chicago.
Thanks for reading.
It is never easy to maintain a healthy eating routine when traveling. I spent last weekend in our New York office doing scheduled maintenance and reconfiguring the firewall. It was nice to work alone in the office, not because I don't enjoy the company of the guys that work there, it's just that I find I get a whole lot more done. The drive up to New York on Friday evening was very long and very slow. I was on the New Jersey Turnpike on a Friday at rush hour. I did not plan that very well.
What is nice about New York is that I am able to drive to the hotel and the office, which means that I can schlep around all the food I need to stay on track. I brought some salmon, and pork chops, already baked sweet potatoes, plenty of salad ingredients. I brought along fruit and snacks for work... so I was pretty well set. The problem was that I did not bring my bike. Sure I rode the stationary bike at the hotel, but it just isn't the same. It tells you when to increase the tempo or pedal harder, as opposed to being on the bicycle and YOU deciding how fast you want to go up that hill, or how long you want to keep the cadence above 100. You actually 'move' on a real bicycle too. The stationary bike just wasn't cutting it. I did an hour each day, and didn't have that good work out feeling that I get from riding a real bike.
From New York I headed north to see my Mom and Dad. That was another day sitting in the car. Only this trip was during monsoon weather. It was raining buckets and the wind was blowing 40 - 50 mph gusts. Going over the Tapanzee Bridge in New york, I felt like I was going to be blown over the side. There were 2 spots along the trip where I was detoured from the highway because of high standing water. What was happening was the water was eroding the embankments along the highway, loosening the dirt around the roots of the trees, and the wind was blowing the trees over into the road. The drive that normally takes me 4 hours took me the better part of 6 hours. No working out at my parents house. Not that I couldn't have... I just didn't.
Tuesday I did some visiting with a former teacher and a former sister in law. These visits were preparations for the New England Classic ride in July. My former teacher said that having me in his office was like an episode of "Cold Case". He was picturing me like I was 27 years ago when I was in high school. It was sort of surreal to walk through the high school again. The kids look so young...I was not that young when I went to high school.
Wednesday I was off again, headed home. I snuck out of my parents house at 3:45 a.m. and headed to the New York office. I had a computer that I needed to drop off there, and then I was on my way back to Maryland. Another day in the car, with no exercise... and what is there to do in the car. Driving on long trips is SO boring. It's no wonder I fell asleep at the wheel when I was younger. There is nothing to do when you are driving. Bite your nails and pick your nose... that's about it. The radio is OK for about 15 minutes, then all the songs start sounding the same. This is a perfect scenario for mindless nibbling. Twizzlers are my favorite, but pretzels work just as well, which is what I had with me.
So there you have it. Traveling, coupled with lack of bicycle riding and you gain 2 pounds in 2 weeks. I am scheduled to travel to Chicago the week of the 21st of February. I am looking for a place that rents bicycles in Chicago. I figure I can get a pretty good rate to rent a bicycle in Chicago in the middle of February.
That pretty much gets you up to date. I am very busy at work, getting ready to make the trip to Chicago. I am finishing the flyers and the web site for the New England Classic fundraising, and Emily will be here this weekend. I will post again when before I go to Chicago.
Thanks for reading.
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