Now that I've been updating this blog for a few weeks I'd appreciate a little feedback.
Is this format a good way to keep you current on progress?
Would you prefer to get emails rather than using this blog?
Too much or too little information?
Topics OK or is there something else you are looking for?
Your feedback - either via the blog or directly to me at kwalter30@tx.rr.com would be very much appreciated!
...Keith
Sunday, May 31, 2009
40 in spite of myself
Probably just old age but I don't remember training being so complicated. It used to be I'd get on my bike and ride. Now I probably need a checklist for all the gadgets.
I was disappointed when I didn't complete the 40 mile loop yesterday so today was going to be the day.
Of course there was the issue of my back tire. And the new "clipless" pedals and shoes. You see after my Dad talked about finally giving up my sneakers and toe clips I ordered a new set of pedals and shoes.
The new toys showed up while I was out riding yesterday so on a hunch I tried putting them on my 37 year old bike and was not surprised to learn the "standard" for pedals had changed.
Fortunately a few years ago we bought my son a new "hybrid" bike in the hopes it would get him outside and away from video games once in while. I think he used the bike once but I can't be sure;)
Needless to say I commandeered his bike and sure enough the new pedals fit. Of course things like my mirror and handlebar bag wouldn't fit on his bike but I was able to move the GPS successfully.
So it was that with a new bike, new shoes, new pedals, and an old water/backpack combo Vicki found in the back of a closet I was ready to try the 40 mile loop again.
The good news is I successfully rode at least 40 miles today and have lived to tell the tale. The bad news is I forget to push the start button after telling the Garman to run the route so I'll never now how far I really rode.
I'm reasonably sure it was well over 40 miles however as once again I managed to get lost, hit multiple detours, and discovered a couple of miles of dirt road.
All this "sweat equity" will no doubt help once the trip starts...right?
By the way Dad, assuming you are reading this, Jeff's bike is a 21 speed that is probably more similar to the Miyata you have waiting for me so not to worry about my ability to adjust...you will need to find another excuse to delay our start;)
I was disappointed when I didn't complete the 40 mile loop yesterday so today was going to be the day.
Of course there was the issue of my back tire. And the new "clipless" pedals and shoes. You see after my Dad talked about finally giving up my sneakers and toe clips I ordered a new set of pedals and shoes.
The new toys showed up while I was out riding yesterday so on a hunch I tried putting them on my 37 year old bike and was not surprised to learn the "standard" for pedals had changed.
Fortunately a few years ago we bought my son a new "hybrid" bike in the hopes it would get him outside and away from video games once in while. I think he used the bike once but I can't be sure;)
Needless to say I commandeered his bike and sure enough the new pedals fit. Of course things like my mirror and handlebar bag wouldn't fit on his bike but I was able to move the GPS successfully.
So it was that with a new bike, new shoes, new pedals, and an old water/backpack combo Vicki found in the back of a closet I was ready to try the 40 mile loop again.
The good news is I successfully rode at least 40 miles today and have lived to tell the tale. The bad news is I forget to push the start button after telling the Garman to run the route so I'll never now how far I really rode.
I'm reasonably sure it was well over 40 miles however as once again I managed to get lost, hit multiple detours, and discovered a couple of miles of dirt road.
All this "sweat equity" will no doubt help once the trip starts...right?
By the way Dad, assuming you are reading this, Jeff's bike is a 21 speed that is probably more similar to the Miyata you have waiting for me so not to worry about my ability to adjust...you will need to find another excuse to delay our start;)
Saturday, May 30, 2009
17 is the new 40
The weather is nice so I had planned to get in 40 miles this morning on a route around Grapevine lake.
Last night being poker night, I was a little slow getting out of bed and on the road this morning. I probably should have viewed it as a "sign" when it took me 3 tries to gather everything for the ride.
The first part of the route is one used by the local bike club. Another one of those "signs" was when one of the riders passed me for the third time and commented about it being like the "tortoise and the hare".
I can understand why the route is popular. It winds down the Eastern edge of the lake before crossing the damn and then meandering near the marina. Watching the sailboats as I was riding I couldn't help but wonder if I'd be preparing to sail around the world if Dad had decided to sail rather than bike.
Without knowing it I had selected a route that took me through the Vineyards Campground. This was really pleasant until I hit the tall fence at the other side of the campground 5 feet from the road I needed to get to.
Turns out the fence was well timed because as I started to ride out things got a little bumpy. Seems my back tire had decided enough was enough. Given the tires I've been riding on are probably 20 years old I've been really lucky to get this far.
While I had a spare tire with me the tools I was carrying were pretty limited so when my wife agreed to come rescue me the 17 miles I had already completed seemed like a good way to end the day.
Last night being poker night, I was a little slow getting out of bed and on the road this morning. I probably should have viewed it as a "sign" when it took me 3 tries to gather everything for the ride.
The first part of the route is one used by the local bike club. Another one of those "signs" was when one of the riders passed me for the third time and commented about it being like the "tortoise and the hare".
I can understand why the route is popular. It winds down the Eastern edge of the lake before crossing the damn and then meandering near the marina. Watching the sailboats as I was riding I couldn't help but wonder if I'd be preparing to sail around the world if Dad had decided to sail rather than bike.
Without knowing it I had selected a route that took me through the Vineyards Campground. This was really pleasant until I hit the tall fence at the other side of the campground 5 feet from the road I needed to get to.
Turns out the fence was well timed because as I started to ride out things got a little bumpy. Seems my back tire had decided enough was enough. Given the tires I've been riding on are probably 20 years old I've been really lucky to get this far.
While I had a spare tire with me the tools I was carrying were pretty limited so when my wife agreed to come rescue me the 17 miles I had already completed seemed like a good way to end the day.
another 26 miles
When I started training my hope was that all this riding would allow me to eat anything I wanted and lose weight. Unfortunately I have discovered that my ability to consume calories per unit of time far exceeds my ability to burn them;(
Friday was a better day with the Garmin. I downloaded a 26 mile loop that took a particularly winding set of tiny roads. What I'm learning is that no one view works for all situations and that I need to switch between compass and map views with different levels of detail to really understand some of the turns that come close together.
Friday was also the first day out with a new set of bike shorts. Slowly but surly I'm accumulating the clothing and gadgets that hopefully will make this trip not only possible but enjoyable.
By the end of 26 miles it was clear I'm getting stronger but not nearly as fast as I'd like to be. With cycling you are supposed to maintain a high cadence but I have some bad old habits of running in a higher gear that I'm finding hard to break.
Friday was a better day with the Garmin. I downloaded a 26 mile loop that took a particularly winding set of tiny roads. What I'm learning is that no one view works for all situations and that I need to switch between compass and map views with different levels of detail to really understand some of the turns that come close together.
Friday was also the first day out with a new set of bike shorts. Slowly but surly I'm accumulating the clothing and gadgets that hopefully will make this trip not only possible but enjoyable.
By the end of 26 miles it was clear I'm getting stronger but not nearly as fast as I'd like to be. With cycling you are supposed to maintain a high cadence but I have some bad old habits of running in a higher gear that I'm finding hard to break.
Cliburn - Good; P.F. Chang's - Bad
Vicki (my wife) has agreed to drive my parent's motor home as our "sag wagon/motel". Needless to say this has created a huge husband-point deficit for me. Therefore when she hinted that she really wanted to attend the Van Cliburn competition this year it was hard to say no.
Thursday evening we made our first trip to the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth. The Bass is a beautiful building and sits in an entertainment district called Sundance Square. We decided to make it a date night and take advantage of a P.F. Chang's gift card we had received as a gift.
Probably should have brought the GPS with me as we circled Sundance Square a couple of times working up both an appetite and blisters before finding the restaurant.
While the meal and service were good I won't be heading back to any P.F. Chang's again. You see when it came time to pay they explained out gift card had "expired".
Am I the only one who finds it crazy that a compay will take your money and then tell you sorry - you didn't spend it with us fast enough?
OK the secret is out...I view gift cards as one of the greatest scams since AIG.
By the way, while our local newspaper critic didn't think much of the perfromances we say I was impressed. These kids (15-25 years old) play almost non-stop for an hour mostly from memory musical numbers that make my fingers hurt just watching them.
Thursday evening we made our first trip to the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth. The Bass is a beautiful building and sits in an entertainment district called Sundance Square. We decided to make it a date night and take advantage of a P.F. Chang's gift card we had received as a gift.
Probably should have brought the GPS with me as we circled Sundance Square a couple of times working up both an appetite and blisters before finding the restaurant.
While the meal and service were good I won't be heading back to any P.F. Chang's again. You see when it came time to pay they explained out gift card had "expired".
Am I the only one who finds it crazy that a compay will take your money and then tell you sorry - you didn't spend it with us fast enough?
OK the secret is out...I view gift cards as one of the greatest scams since AIG.
By the way, while our local newspaper critic didn't think much of the perfromances we say I was impressed. These kids (15-25 years old) play almost non-stop for an hour mostly from memory musical numbers that make my fingers hurt just watching them.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
new toy...not perfect
Having spent a fair amount of time over the years "lost" when I set out on bike rides getting a GPS for this trip seemed like a good idea.
After reading numerous reviews I settled on the Garmin Edge 205 GPS unit and BikeRouteToaster.com for creating the routes.
I've been using BikeRouteToaster.com for about a week now and it does a really nice job of letting me select the roads I want, calculating distances and climbs, and providing printed directions.
Having ordered the Garmin online it took a few days to get here and showed up right after my ride (where yes, I did get lost again) on Wednesday.
The good news is, like the reviews said, the unit is small, reasonably light, and seems to be well built.
The not so good news is taking it out for an 8 mile test ride I learned the screen can't be seen with sunglasses on, the route data points and reality are often off by as much as 100 feet, and from time to time the Garmin seems to lose its way as the naviation arrow swings from one direction to anther.
I also found when trying to load street names rather than turn right, turn left directions the download program stops working.
Hopefully some of this issues will sort themselves out as I become more familar with the unit and the software. The other functions such as speed, time, and compass all seem to work fine and the included software seems to do a good job of uploading history so I can better track my progress.
After reading numerous reviews I settled on the Garmin Edge 205 GPS unit and BikeRouteToaster.com for creating the routes.
I've been using BikeRouteToaster.com for about a week now and it does a really nice job of letting me select the roads I want, calculating distances and climbs, and providing printed directions.
Having ordered the Garmin online it took a few days to get here and showed up right after my ride (where yes, I did get lost again) on Wednesday.
The good news is, like the reviews said, the unit is small, reasonably light, and seems to be well built.
The not so good news is taking it out for an 8 mile test ride I learned the screen can't be seen with sunglasses on, the route data points and reality are often off by as much as 100 feet, and from time to time the Garmin seems to lose its way as the naviation arrow swings from one direction to anther.
I also found when trying to load street names rather than turn right, turn left directions the download program stops working.
Hopefully some of this issues will sort themselves out as I become more familar with the unit and the software. The other functions such as speed, time, and compass all seem to work fine and the included software seems to do a good job of uploading history so I can better track my progress.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
does cross-training work for cross-country?
For anyone who knows me I get bored easily. The idea of training for this ride by riding the same route over and over again simply won't work.
What I'm currently trying is a mix of rides (every other day, each different), running (mostly treadmill), swimming, and the Wii.
Yesterday was my first day back on the treadmill in over a year and it was not a pretty site. By the end of a 30 minute "run" I was wondering if I was going to die.
The treadmill experience did help motivate me get back on the bike this morning and get another 30 miles in. I often tell people that when you ride daily you get stronger each day. While I still believe this is true, the ride this morning also reminded me that as I get older the progress is slower;)
What I'm currently trying is a mix of rides (every other day, each different), running (mostly treadmill), swimming, and the Wii.
Yesterday was my first day back on the treadmill in over a year and it was not a pretty site. By the end of a 30 minute "run" I was wondering if I was going to die.
The treadmill experience did help motivate me get back on the bike this morning and get another 30 miles in. I often tell people that when you ride daily you get stronger each day. While I still believe this is true, the ride this morning also reminded me that as I get older the progress is slower;)
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Dad is training
Yesterday was a good example of why I ordered the bike-GPS. After laying out a nice 20 mile loop on Google Maps I was about 8 miles out when the instructions and reality no longer matched. As it turns out I only ended up going a few miles out of my way, which is good for training, but something I'd like to minimize when traveling cross-country.
My Father an I finally managed to catch-up by phone yesterday. He has been out riding, and like me finds that other than his legs and lungs is ready to go;)
We talked about bike gear and how things have changed since his ride 25 years ago. I've been playing with a site called BikeRouteToaster.com that uses Google Maps to let you plan your route and then send it to Google Earth. It also shows you elevation change and a climb graph. While I find all of this fascinating my Dad suggested it was easier when all he had to do was ride.
Need to decide if I'm going to stick with my toe clips or move to the "new" clipless type. Probably time to visit a bike show and see all the new toys!
My Father an I finally managed to catch-up by phone yesterday. He has been out riding, and like me finds that other than his legs and lungs is ready to go;)
We talked about bike gear and how things have changed since his ride 25 years ago. I've been playing with a site called BikeRouteToaster.com that uses Google Maps to let you plan your route and then send it to Google Earth. It also shows you elevation change and a climb graph. While I find all of this fascinating my Dad suggested it was easier when all he had to do was ride.
Need to decide if I'm going to stick with my toe clips or move to the "new" clipless type. Probably time to visit a bike show and see all the new toys!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
how it all started
It was 1984 when my father decided to take a month off work to ride his bike cross country. In some small way I may have contributed to this quest by asking him to help me pick out a new bike.
You see about 15 years before this I had saved enough money to get a "real bike" While I had always enjoyed riding, the bikes of my childhood were typical of that period - i.e. heavy and poorly made, and as a teenage boy I was looking for something "fast". My dad offered to help and eventually we settled on a Peugeot PX-10..that I still ride today. Much to my surprise my father also bought a new bike that soon became his preferred mode of transportation.
Dad was a bit ahead of his time riding to work each day. He and I also did a multi-day ride to Philadelphia staying in hotels before I left for college.
While I did limited cycling in college and my early career Dad continued to ride almost every day. It only seemed fitting then he would ride cross country to mark his 50th birthday. Traveling from his home in Binghamton NY to my home in Huntington Beach CA he covered 3,058.8 miles averaging 87 miles each day. I rode with him the last two days discovering that wind can trump elevation in the pass near Twentynine Palms CA.
Dad turned 75 this year and now living in Santa Fe has decided it is time to ride again – this time going with the wind. The current plan is to leave early July and ride towards Atlanta (to visit his brother) before heading north along the Blue Ridge Trail.
You see about 15 years before this I had saved enough money to get a "real bike" While I had always enjoyed riding, the bikes of my childhood were typical of that period - i.e. heavy and poorly made, and as a teenage boy I was looking for something "fast". My dad offered to help and eventually we settled on a Peugeot PX-10..that I still ride today. Much to my surprise my father also bought a new bike that soon became his preferred mode of transportation.
Dad was a bit ahead of his time riding to work each day. He and I also did a multi-day ride to Philadelphia staying in hotels before I left for college.
While I did limited cycling in college and my early career Dad continued to ride almost every day. It only seemed fitting then he would ride cross country to mark his 50th birthday. Traveling from his home in Binghamton NY to my home in Huntington Beach CA he covered 3,058.8 miles averaging 87 miles each day. I rode with him the last two days discovering that wind can trump elevation in the pass near Twentynine Palms CA.
Dad turned 75 this year and now living in Santa Fe has decided it is time to ride again – this time going with the wind. The current plan is to leave early July and ride towards Atlanta (to visit his brother) before heading north along the Blue Ridge Trail.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
reality hurts
This past week I've been out for a couple of rides that were 10-15 miles and was feeling pretty good about the trip. Today I made the time to get a longer ride in..a 32 mile loop from home to Justin and back..rediscovered that while getting back on the bike was easy, getting my legs and lungs back in shape is hard;) By the way, if you ever find yourself in Justin I can now recommend Mom's Cafe as they served me a great lunch despite my half-dead appearance.
Today's ride made it clear I have some more training to do before starting the trip but the details are starting to come together. For example my rode bike is 37 years old and (mostly) still going strong, so I plan to use it for training. The same can't be said for things like bike shorts that have mysteriously grown smaller over the years and will need to be replaced.
I also have a box full of broken bike computers which gave me a great excuse to buy a new Garmin Edge 205 GPS-based bike computer to help with training. The claim is it will also allow me to upload my trips, and depending on how bad they look, I may share my progress here.
Today's ride made it clear I have some more training to do before starting the trip but the details are starting to come together. For example my rode bike is 37 years old and (mostly) still going strong, so I plan to use it for training. The same can't be said for things like bike shorts that have mysteriously grown smaller over the years and will need to be replaced.
I also have a box full of broken bike computers which gave me a great excuse to buy a new Garmin Edge 205 GPS-based bike computer to help with training. The claim is it will also allow me to upload my trips, and depending on how bad they look, I may share my progress here.
Friday, May 22, 2009
the route (trying a post from my email account)
The route we plan to take (as of today) runs almost directly east from Santa Fe to Atlanta before turning north to ride the Blue Ridge Trail. Google Maps puts the route at about 2400 miles. I'm sure there will be changes as the date gets closer but this link shows the current plan.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Getting started...
My thanks to everyone who has emailed me about my comment on LinkedIn that I was getting ready for a cross-country ride.
Since I'm in the "high-tech" business it seemed like a great excuse to learn how to blog rather than trying to send updates via email.
This will very much be a work in progress..both the blog and my getting ready to ride.
Once I see how this looks I'll add a little background on why I am riding and hopefully find a way to post updates on my progress.
Blogs are intended to be interactive so I also hope to engage some of you in keeping me motivated and providing suggestions.
Since I'm in the "high-tech" business it seemed like a great excuse to learn how to blog rather than trying to send updates via email.
This will very much be a work in progress..both the blog and my getting ready to ride.
Once I see how this looks I'll add a little background on why I am riding and hopefully find a way to post updates on my progress.
Blogs are intended to be interactive so I also hope to engage some of you in keeping me motivated and providing suggestions.
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