I live in Texas, of course it is going to be hot, but there is nothing like finishing a 45 mile ride in mid-day sun to help remind me.
Didn't ride the last couple of days in hopes my bottom would respond to the latest magic potions Vicki picked up. Turns out the generic diaper rash lotion seems to work the best on that very special "road rash" sitting in the saddle for several hours gives me;)
Rode the loop around Grapevine lake again today. The first 20 miles felt great, the next 10, not bad, the last 15 not so good. Despite drinking lots of water and stopping a couple of times to snack the heat seemed to really drain me today.
Relatively uneventful ride other than a stretch of road under construction. Rather than detour I took advantage of the hybrid bike to ride the stretch they were working on. Fortunately most of the workers were on break sitting in one of the huge pipes they were laying to keep out of the sun.
Only two weeks of training left and my work schedule is likely to be crazy between now and then. I'm going to try and get out for at least 100 miles each of the next two weeks but clearly there will be some on-the-trip "training".
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
a month of training
As I was updating my training log today I realized it has been just over a month since I started training. Since at heart I'm an engineer this seemed like a good time to look at a few statistics.
36 days since I started riding
543 miles covered so far
56 miles was the longest ride
25,044 feet of climbing (who knew the Dallas area has so many ups and downs)
5 pounds is all I've managed to shed with all this training
18 days until the planned start of the trip
In general I'm feeling pretty good about the training. It has been a very pleasant surprise that years of relative inactivity can largely be overcome with a month of moderate effort.
36 days since I started riding
543 miles covered so far
56 miles was the longest ride
25,044 feet of climbing (who knew the Dallas area has so many ups and downs)
5 pounds is all I've managed to shed with all this training
18 days until the planned start of the trip
In general I'm feeling pretty good about the training. It has been a very pleasant surprise that years of relative inactivity can largely be overcome with a month of moderate effort.
Monday, June 22, 2009
quick update
Got out for a 21 mile training run this morning after eating far too much and doing far too little on Fathers Day. It is getting to the point where I actually miss riding...which I suppose is a good thing if I'm going to be on a bike for over a month.
Talked with dad yesterday (it was Father's day after all) and it sounds like his training is starting to pick up. He was even planning to go for a ride after we talked..think he wants to leave me in the dust again;)
My kids got me a new bike light set for Father's Day - a nice flashing LED set that hopefully will help keep me visible on the Blue Ridge Trail.
Don't think I mentioned that the new sunglasses I purchased broke. I went to put them on Saturday morning and they simply snapped in half. I bought them from Nashbar (online) along with several other things, and had been really happy with them, especially since they were only $10. Missing them on this morning's ride I called Nashbar and their customer service was great. They checked with their technical team, determined I probably just got a defective pair, and agreed to send me a new pair...very nice!
Talked with dad yesterday (it was Father's day after all) and it sounds like his training is starting to pick up. He was even planning to go for a ride after we talked..think he wants to leave me in the dust again;)
My kids got me a new bike light set for Father's Day - a nice flashing LED set that hopefully will help keep me visible on the Blue Ridge Trail.
Don't think I mentioned that the new sunglasses I purchased broke. I went to put them on Saturday morning and they simply snapped in half. I bought them from Nashbar (online) along with several other things, and had been really happy with them, especially since they were only $10. Missing them on this morning's ride I called Nashbar and their customer service was great. They checked with their technical team, determined I probably just got a defective pair, and agreed to send me a new pair...very nice!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
a magic moment
The training continues to go reasonable well. This week I got in three rides of 21, 26, and 45 miles. The 45 mile trip was originally going to be a 64 mile ride but this time when my GPS tried to take me on yet another dirt road I declined "losing" about 20 miles of my route.
I was pleasantly surprised that after riding 45 miles my energy level was still good and my legs felt like the could have gone another 45.
The first (shortest) ride of the week reminded me what makes bike riding so special. I was on a road I've been on before, but this time the wind was at my back, the weather was perfect, and I felt like I was 12 years old again. It was one of those moments, like a good amusement park, when the brain forgets about all the normal stuff and for a few seconds you become immersed in the sheer joy of the experience.
On the second ride I pulled into a gas station to get something to drink and another rider pulled in about the same time. We got to talking and it turns out he was 75 (same age as my dad) and rides about 100 miles a week. Originally from England, he has lived all over the world but settled in Texas partially because of all the great areas we have to ride close by. He seemed to be in great shape and my guess is I'd have a hard time keeping up with him!
I was pleasantly surprised that after riding 45 miles my energy level was still good and my legs felt like the could have gone another 45.
The first (shortest) ride of the week reminded me what makes bike riding so special. I was on a road I've been on before, but this time the wind was at my back, the weather was perfect, and I felt like I was 12 years old again. It was one of those moments, like a good amusement park, when the brain forgets about all the normal stuff and for a few seconds you become immersed in the sheer joy of the experience.
On the second ride I pulled into a gas station to get something to drink and another rider pulled in about the same time. We got to talking and it turns out he was 75 (same age as my dad) and rides about 100 miles a week. Originally from England, he has lived all over the world but settled in Texas partially because of all the great areas we have to ride close by. He seemed to be in great shape and my guess is I'd have a hard time keeping up with him!
Monday, June 15, 2009
longest ride yet
Saturday I rode several roads near Grapevine lake. It was a hot morning and I got a late start so it was a good day to test the new Camelbak backpack.
As it turned out it was also a good day to do a little mountain biking. One of the fire roads was still littered with branches and other debris from the storm including a good sized tree that I needed to pick my way through the branches in order to continue.
A couple of miles later on the same trail I came to what looked like a dead end even though my GPS clearly showed the road continuing. Turns out a creek was just ahead and there may have been a bridge at some point as the road continues on the other side. Fortunately the water level was low so I simple waded across and continued.
Sunday morning I got out for a 56 mile loop that took me to Krum and Justin. It was a nearly perfect morning for a ride with the temperature staying reasonable until near the end and almost no traffic.
Of course you can't ride that far without a story or two to tell. In this case I was again reminded of how frustrating it can be to ride when the wind is against you as I had the wind in my face for most of the trip south from Krum to Justin.
The other surprise was the 3 miles of dirt road I hadn't planned for. I was glad to be riding the hybrid bike with it's front shock and fat tires rather than my road bike.
The really good news is that while I was tired by the end of the trip I wasn't exhausted. My legs are clearly getting stronger and even the breathing is starting to work better.
Over the last 3 days I managed to get about 110 miles in - now if I can get my pace up we should be in great shape for the trip!
As it turned out it was also a good day to do a little mountain biking. One of the fire roads was still littered with branches and other debris from the storm including a good sized tree that I needed to pick my way through the branches in order to continue.
A couple of miles later on the same trail I came to what looked like a dead end even though my GPS clearly showed the road continuing. Turns out a creek was just ahead and there may have been a bridge at some point as the road continues on the other side. Fortunately the water level was low so I simple waded across and continued.
Sunday morning I got out for a 56 mile loop that took me to Krum and Justin. It was a nearly perfect morning for a ride with the temperature staying reasonable until near the end and almost no traffic.
Of course you can't ride that far without a story or two to tell. In this case I was again reminded of how frustrating it can be to ride when the wind is against you as I had the wind in my face for most of the trip south from Krum to Justin.
The other surprise was the 3 miles of dirt road I hadn't planned for. I was glad to be riding the hybrid bike with it's front shock and fat tires rather than my road bike.
The really good news is that while I was tired by the end of the trip I wasn't exhausted. My legs are clearly getting stronger and even the breathing is starting to work better.
Over the last 3 days I managed to get about 110 miles in - now if I can get my pace up we should be in great shape for the trip!
Friday, June 12, 2009
every ride an adventure
In a down economy I am of course glad that business is good, but it does tend to get in the way of training.
This week the weather also got in the act sending waves of wind and rain starting Wednesday evening and continuing for most of Thursday.
This morning I finally found the time to get out for a 30 mile loop that brings me close to 300 miles over the last few weeks.
The route showed some of the storm damage the area took this week as I got to dodge lots of water, tree branches, roof tiles, and even a section of fence blown onto the roads and shoulders.
While I'm used to biking around various obstacles, my bike decided to toss in an additional challenge just to keep this morning's ride interesting. Heading up a modest hill the chain dropped off the front gear ring.
With my old bike this was a fairly common occurrence and usually I could get it back on while riding. My son's bike however demonstrated a remarkable ability to jam the chain between the frame and gears when I attempted this.
Just managing to release my clips before doing a header off the side of the hill I must have looked like a target to the suddenly large number of cars that passed by as I balance by the side of the road fighting with the chain.
The bike allowed me to believe I had fixed the problem for about 5 minutes before it once again demonstrated who was boss by randomly changing gears. The engineer in me knows the gear changes were random and related to the mistreatment of the derailleur. That doesn't change the fact that most gear shifts seemed to be timed to run me off the road or into passing cars;)
Despite the bike's best efforts to kill me I completed the ride faster and feeling stronger than any of my prior outings. Today was also the first ride where the GPS and I agreed on the route with no major detours.
In Santa Fe Dad has been a social butterfly this week doing lots of partying and little training. Maybe this trip he will need to draft behind me;)
This week the weather also got in the act sending waves of wind and rain starting Wednesday evening and continuing for most of Thursday.
This morning I finally found the time to get out for a 30 mile loop that brings me close to 300 miles over the last few weeks.
The route showed some of the storm damage the area took this week as I got to dodge lots of water, tree branches, roof tiles, and even a section of fence blown onto the roads and shoulders.
While I'm used to biking around various obstacles, my bike decided to toss in an additional challenge just to keep this morning's ride interesting. Heading up a modest hill the chain dropped off the front gear ring.
With my old bike this was a fairly common occurrence and usually I could get it back on while riding. My son's bike however demonstrated a remarkable ability to jam the chain between the frame and gears when I attempted this.
Just managing to release my clips before doing a header off the side of the hill I must have looked like a target to the suddenly large number of cars that passed by as I balance by the side of the road fighting with the chain.
The bike allowed me to believe I had fixed the problem for about 5 minutes before it once again demonstrated who was boss by randomly changing gears. The engineer in me knows the gear changes were random and related to the mistreatment of the derailleur. That doesn't change the fact that most gear shifts seemed to be timed to run me off the road or into passing cars;)
Despite the bike's best efforts to kill me I completed the ride faster and feeling stronger than any of my prior outings. Today was also the first ride where the GPS and I agreed on the route with no major detours.
In Santa Fe Dad has been a social butterfly this week doing lots of partying and little training. Maybe this trip he will need to draft behind me;)
Monday, June 8, 2009
route updates
Training continues for both my Father and me. Dad got in over 100 miles this past week and I managed to get out for a 40 mile ride plus some cross-training. Neither one of us feel ready for 100+ mile days but if we keep at it we should be ready by the time the trip starts.
Dad took another look at the route as he is starting to think about camp grounds. We are using Google Maps to send routes back and forth. While "Maps" is a great tool it isn't ideal for this type of planning. I've discovered it doesn't like to route over smaller roads and if you put in too many way points it won't provide directions at all.
It also doesn't seen to like the Blue Ridge Parkway. For those of you who haven't traveled up the eastern US the Blue Ridge Parkway was a depression era project that winds for 400+ miles. It has long since been replaced by faster roads but remains one of the most pleasant ways to travel if you have the time.
Right now it looks like we will need to plan the trip a day at a time to figure out stopping points and avoid some of the tool limitations. Look for more detailed plans, that will almost certainly change, in future postings.
Dad took another look at the route as he is starting to think about camp grounds. We are using Google Maps to send routes back and forth. While "Maps" is a great tool it isn't ideal for this type of planning. I've discovered it doesn't like to route over smaller roads and if you put in too many way points it won't provide directions at all.
It also doesn't seen to like the Blue Ridge Parkway. For those of you who haven't traveled up the eastern US the Blue Ridge Parkway was a depression era project that winds for 400+ miles. It has long since been replaced by faster roads but remains one of the most pleasant ways to travel if you have the time.
Right now it looks like we will need to plan the trip a day at a time to figure out stopping points and avoid some of the tool limitations. Look for more detailed plans, that will almost certainly change, in future postings.
Friday, June 5, 2009
working out of town is bad for training;)
It was a good week for work, interesting opportunity in Chicago working with a great client and old friends.
Not such a good week for training as I didn't have either the time or my bike with me so I'm behind where I had hoped to be.
I did manage to use the hotel stairs to get a little training in but I think all that accomplished was to pull a muscle.
Back home today I got some time on the treadmill and a few laps in the pool so if I were training for a triathlon instead of a cross-country ride it would have been a good day.
Plan is to get out and do a different 40+ mile loop tomorrow..hope the last few days off the bike don't make that too painful!
Not such a good week for training as I didn't have either the time or my bike with me so I'm behind where I had hoped to be.
I did manage to use the hotel stairs to get a little training in but I think all that accomplished was to pull a muscle.
Back home today I got some time on the treadmill and a few laps in the pool so if I were training for a triathlon instead of a cross-country ride it would have been a good day.
Plan is to get out and do a different 40+ mile loop tomorrow..hope the last few days off the bike don't make that too painful!
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