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Saturday, April 24, 2010
April 200k
Monday, April 12, 2010
Spring Break
This past involved a lot of driving... and very little riding. This was Emily's spring break and also her birthday week (I think I already covered in a previous blog how these girls end up with birthday 'weeks') so she decided that for her birthday she wanted to go to Massachusetts to spend time with her extended family up there. Included in the week, she also wanted to visit the campus of Phillips Academy in Andover, MA. Phillips Academy is a boarding high school that Emily has found and is planning on applying to for her 11th and 12th grade years of High School. Also included in the week, was a trip into New York City to visit the Museum of Modern Art. To say the least it was a very busy week. Oh yeah, throw Easter in there too... a VERY busy week.
I drove down to Virginia Beach and pick Emily up from school on Thursday (4/1) and brought her up to Maryland so that she could catch a flight on Friday morning to Providence where her grandparents picked her up. Her cousin would be with them to make the trip back from the airport less awkward. Emily was happy about that.
After a meeting at work on Wednesday, I headed up to Massachusetts to pick Emily so we could visit the other two stops on the trip. I stayed with at my Mom's on Wednesday night and picked Emily up on Thursday morning. Emily and I had bagels with Mom and Dad at Panera and then we headed to Phillips Academy. The tour was self guided, and Emily had made all the arrangements. We checked in at the Admissions building. The very nice lady there gave us a map of the campus, and circled all the buildings that we could go into and look around. We entered the English building, and looked into one of the empty classrooms. The first thing that I noticed was that there were only 12 desks and they were in a circle. Small class sizes, and in a setting where students are expected to participate. I noticed this theme in each of the buildings we went into. Emily was very impressed and excited about the open area's where several students were sitting in the grass working on school work (at least that is what they appeared to be doing). I am sure Emily would not enjoy that open space walking between classes in January. Anyway, Emily was glad that we went and she is now more inspired to work on doing all that she can to get accepted. They accept about 17% of applicants, so she has her work cut out for her.
On Friday morning, Emily and I took the train into NYC to visit the Museum of Modern Art. Emily was interested in the Tim Burton exhibit that was there, so I agreed to bring her for her birthday. Our train arrived at Penn Station in plenty of time for us to walk to the Museum, which is about 1 mile. On the way, we walked through Time Square and past Rockefeller Plaza. There were SO many people there. I can not imagine what it must be like on New Years Eve. We arrived at MoMA to see a LONG line of people waiting in line to buy tickets to get into the museum. I had already purchased and printed our tickets in advance, so we were able to by pass the line. (This is where Emily said "Dad... you're awesome!) All I will say about MoMA is that 99% of the art... I just don't get. We got into the Tim Burton exhibit and spent over and hour and a half in there. It was pretty cool. Tim Burton did movies like Beattlejuice, Batman, Sleepy Hollow, Sweeny Todd, Corpse Bride, which is done with a still camera as opposed to a video camera. The making of that movie is really cool, and if you can pick up the DVD and watch how it was made, it is worth the price of the DVD. More recently, he did Alice in Wonderland. By the time we got back to the hotel, we were both exhausted. Another full day.
Saturday morning I got up and checked out a 200k ride that I am considering doing in June. It is at the base of the Catskills and takes you on both sides of the Hudson River. I drove most of the route and it does not seem to be overly hilly, and the scenary is beautiful. That could very likely be my June 200k, provided I get one done for April and May. After checking that route out, Emily and I got back in the car and headed home to Maryland.
By Sunday morning, it had been 5 days off the bike. I had to get a good ride in to start taking off all the weight I had gained traveling. I did 46 miles on Sunday and it felt pretty good. The weather was beautiful and the traffic was light. I did my normal route with a few detours to add in some hills (I was feeling guilty about being off the bike for so long, so I figured I had to suffer. I grew up a Baptist, guilt is what I know.) Anyway, I did not ride my bike to the train station this morning. Instead, I got reacquainted with the 5:45 SPP guys and rode with them. I have replenished my supplies at work for the week, and if the weather holds up, I will ride to the train station for the rest of the week. I'll let you know how that goes.
Thanks for reading... coma back now, hear!
I drove down to Virginia Beach and pick Emily up from school on Thursday (4/1) and brought her up to Maryland so that she could catch a flight on Friday morning to Providence where her grandparents picked her up. Her cousin would be with them to make the trip back from the airport less awkward. Emily was happy about that.
After a meeting at work on Wednesday, I headed up to Massachusetts to pick Emily so we could visit the other two stops on the trip. I stayed with at my Mom's on Wednesday night and picked Emily up on Thursday morning. Emily and I had bagels with Mom and Dad at Panera and then we headed to Phillips Academy. The tour was self guided, and Emily had made all the arrangements. We checked in at the Admissions building. The very nice lady there gave us a map of the campus, and circled all the buildings that we could go into and look around. We entered the English building, and looked into one of the empty classrooms. The first thing that I noticed was that there were only 12 desks and they were in a circle. Small class sizes, and in a setting where students are expected to participate. I noticed this theme in each of the buildings we went into. Emily was very impressed and excited about the open area's where several students were sitting in the grass working on school work (at least that is what they appeared to be doing). I am sure Emily would not enjoy that open space walking between classes in January. Anyway, Emily was glad that we went and she is now more inspired to work on doing all that she can to get accepted. They accept about 17% of applicants, so she has her work cut out for her.
Saturday morning I got up and checked out a 200k ride that I am considering doing in June. It is at the base of the Catskills and takes you on both sides of the Hudson River. I drove most of the route and it does not seem to be overly hilly, and the scenary is beautiful. That could very likely be my June 200k, provided I get one done for April and May. After checking that route out, Emily and I got back in the car and headed home to Maryland.
By Sunday morning, it had been 5 days off the bike. I had to get a good ride in to start taking off all the weight I had gained traveling. I did 46 miles on Sunday and it felt pretty good. The weather was beautiful and the traffic was light. I did my normal route with a few detours to add in some hills (I was feeling guilty about being off the bike for so long, so I figured I had to suffer. I grew up a Baptist, guilt is what I know.) Anyway, I did not ride my bike to the train station this morning. Instead, I got reacquainted with the 5:45 SPP guys and rode with them. I have replenished my supplies at work for the week, and if the weather holds up, I will ride to the train station for the rest of the week. I'll let you know how that goes.
Thanks for reading... coma back now, hear!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Another 200k in the books
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.
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.
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. ;-)
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