March rides.....riding into the days of the Spring equinox

[rebeccaC]

I’m beginning to explore the roads in the San Gabriel mountains as an alternative to the Santa Monica mountains. Since I worked 14 hours yesterday I took today off, drove to and parked in Azusa and rode into San Gabriel Canyon to Crystal Lake. The ride started with a pleasant 11 mile ride with just a couple of short intense climbs and a gain of a little over 1000 ft. The next 12 miles took more energy with a gain of 4000+ ft and with a sustained climb. 46 miles total. When I started the temps were in the low 70’s and it was into the 80’s when i got back to Azusa.
The road had a narrow or no shoulder in places but there was little traffic and it was easily heard coming. I saw three other riders and one guy stopped where I took a water, nutrient and stretching break and we had a good talk about other canyon roads he has done in the S.G.’s and where to get water. A good ride and I’m looking forward to riding other canyons.

and a big plus was a good sushi dinner with my friend Alex and now spending the night here....she's an intelligent, beautiful soul and woman :)

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[ny biker]

Rebecca, your photos are telling me that I need to visit my brother (who lives near Pasadena) more!

So everyone please help me decide: should I ride tomorrow? On the one hand, a friend is planning a ride and I haven't seen her in months. On the other hand, I have tons of stuff I need to get done soon - bill paying, tax prep, errands, start cleaning out the closets and packing things up to prepare for new floors being installed in my condo. Also tomorrow will be chilly (40 at best) with no sun and I am really tired of bundling up for the cold. And I am already set to lead a ride on Sunday so tomorrow is supposed to be get-everything-done day.

Decisions, decisions...

[rebeccaC]

NY….San Gabriel Canyon is a few miles east of Mt Wilson so you saw the same type of landscape on your trip to the Observatory.

I’m cocooning all weekend and I’m going to ENJOY doing it….so I’ll leave the decision to you on what to do tomorrow :)

[khg]

Thank goodness for the bicycle. It's been a really rough couple days at work, and yesterday, biking in to work, to an event, back to work, and then home was what kept me from completely losing it. It was cold, windy, and raining, and none of that mattered. Being able to clear my mind by making my legs and lungs burn with effort, or by luxuriating in the joy of effortlessly gliding along, was invaluable.

The chocolate a coworker brought me and the beer I'm drinking is also helping--but it was the bike that did the heavy lifting.

NY Biker, I vote for the ride with friend--but that's colored by the fact that I was not able to get out riding today because of the need to get stuff done :(

[ny biker]

Well I went to bed last night thinking I would get up this morning and join my friend's ride. I filled the water bottles, made sure the gear bag had all the warm clothes I might need, got out the chemical toe warmers, went to bed earlier than usual. But I woke up in the middle of the night thinking that I really did not want to ride both days this weekend, I have too many other things to do and I just do not want to ride near the beach on a cold cloudy day. So I turned the alarm clock off. I ended up sleeping until after 10, which is a pretty good sign that I made the right decision.

If it was January, this weather would seem good for cycling, but in March I just have limited motivation to suit up for the cold. (I'm actually sitting here now researching light therapy boxes, because it's pretty clear that I need something to help me get through the winter. It's going to be in the 70s in a couple of days but I still have that blah winter feeling now. I'm lucky enough to have an office with a large window that faces southwest, and I'm seeing a big difference in the way I feel when the sun is shining vs when it's not. I haven't gotten any exercise for days because I just can't deal with the current resurgence of winter, even though it's only lasting a few days. But I digress...)

The good thing is that all my preparations last night have gotten me ready for the ride I'm leading tomorrow. I so hope the sun comes out tomorrow afternoon. So far two people have said they plan to join me tomorrow, and I'm hoping for a good day.

In the meantime I'm going to force myself to go outside for a walk...

[emily_in_nc]

DH and I have been having some wonderful rides lately here in central Florida. I feel very lucky to be here, riding on a beautiful trail through the Spanish moss. I've been riding 3x a week, 31-37 miles each time, and definitely feel the cycling strength returning after very little riding last year. There are some pretty decent hills in Lake County, much to my surprise, so that is helpful before visiting family in NC later this month, where there are plenty of hills! Weather has been quite breezy most days, which sometimes makes for a tough ride, at least half of it, but the temps have been in the 60s-70s. It's supposed to heat up bigtime next week -- they're saying upper 80s by the end of the week -- eeek! Not quite ready for that, but I really have nothing to complain about. :)

[Crankin]

Glad you're getting some preparation for the hills in NC, Emily. That would be a shock, coming from a totally flat place.
NY, I was going to tell you to skip today's ride, but I didn't want you to lose your motivation. You did what your body needed. And by the way, it's natural daylight that regulates the SAD thing, not really sunlight vs. cloudiness. People in warm, sunny climates still get it, because of the shorter hours of daylight. They have a lesser rate of it, because they probably spend more time outside, but moving to a place like FL, CA, or AZ does mean you won't have it. I remember when I moved to Florida, when winter came and we were on Standard Time, I felt like it was summer and they chopped half the day off, when it was getting dark at 4:30 in December! It took a year to get used to that.
I went to spin yesterday, tabata today, and spent 4 hours moving and unpacking stuff. I will probably go for a short ride (15 miles) tomorrow. I am going to commute Tuesday (in the 60s) and Wednesday go on my group ride if it's a close start (I have a haircut at 3) or just do a long ride myself. It is supposed to be 70 on Wednesday.

[Catrin]

NY, good for you in doing what your body wanted you to do, and I hope you have a good day tomorrow.
Emily, sounds like you're having fun looking ahead to NC, enjoy! Upper 80's does sound good, but it does seem early for that.

Today I was quite busy, but set aside some time for a progressive KB swing workout. I had intended on going to the gym and hitting the ArcTrainer as well, but Thursday I overdid things for both knee and neck and paid for it yesterday. I don't THINK I over did things tonight, it wasn't a long session at all but I wanted to do something. Hiking would have been great but it was cold/damp and things are still quite muddy on my favorite trails. This will pass...

[lauraelmore1033]

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day so DH and I took the opportunity to do a very pleasant (but very ordinary) ride on the Samamish River trail. He's recovering from a broken collar bone, so he rode my trike. I've been complaining about how slow that trike is ever since I bought it, but he took off like a pro and I was hard pressed to keep up with him. Darnit. I think everyone in the greater king/snohomish county area was out walking on that trail, trying to take advantage of our one day allotment of sun.

[Crankin]

I did a 15.5 mile ride that I've done to death...
It was 42 and brightly sunny out. May have been a tad overdressed, but, I unzipped.
I need to be kinder with myself at this time of year, but it felt hard, the little hills especially. Considering how much I've been at the gym, and the fact that I have ridden through winter for the first time in 3 years, you would think it would be easier.
Lots of cyclists out today, too.

[rebeccaC]

Interesting commute this morning, high 40’s, torrential rain, BIG thunder/lighting even causing car alarms to go off, 25+ mph wind, 15ft surf, getting me way out of my comfort zone…..is that all you’ve got El Nino??? Stopping at Intelligensia for some oolong tea and a cherries and creamy chocolate gateau basque helped. Castelli Donnina rain jacket, Marmot rain pants, Izumi shoe covers and Ibex wool rain cap ftw

The weather is suppose to be back to the 70’s tomorrow and then storms again at the end of the week….thinking it’s going to be a crazy March!!!!!!

[ny biker]

To be honest, Rebecca, the conditions you describe are well within my "too dangerous for cycling" parameters. I'm glad you made it without problems.

I had five club members join me for the ride I led yesterday. It was a similar route to one that I did in early January and frankly the weather was better then -- the temps were the same on both days (mid 40s) but in January we had lots of sunshine whereas yesterday was very gray and cloudy. For the first few miles I was worried that I wasn't wearing a warm enough jacket. Fortunately I was more comfortable after we got going, and the sun made a surprise appearance twice during the ride. In all it was 34 miles.

The last few miles were on a rail-trail. When we reached it one member of our group said that we should go ahead because she planned to slow down. So we went ahead. When we reached the end, we waited a long time before we saw her. She had started to feel dizzy from dehydration so she stopped at one of the many benches along the trail and finished off the water in her water bottles. So two good lessons there -- first, it's easy on colder days to forget that you still need to drink enough to stay properly hydrated, and second, I should have gone back to look for her rather than waiting for her to arrive at the finish.

We're enjoying nice warm spring weather this week. I'm not putting the Windstopper booties and Amfib tights away yet, but I am hopeful that I won't need them again for a long time.

[rebeccaC]

NY...The thunder/lightning was the only difference from earlier rides I’ve done in some of these el nino storms. The thunder actually caused some shaking for a few seconds and hearing car alarms going off was really different. The lightning/thunder started a little before sunrise, just after i left home and I wasn’t expecting it. The lightning gave off very bright flashes in the dawn light but was off in the distance coming from a group of cumulonimbus clouds so I wasn’t too worried about that. Being warm and dry is what matters most to me....i see the weather as just an interesting adventure

My ride home on the beach bike path part was a LOT calmer, in the high 50’s with a nice sunset but still some wind (lots of wind ripples in the sand from the morning)…..both rides made for an interesting commute today :)
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[Crankin]

Did a 31 mile ride with the group today; it was 57 at the start and 77 at the finish :eek:. Had the arm warmers down after a mile and took my knee warmers off at mile 12.6, when we stopped at Great Brook. I felt pretty good today (a miracle for me). It was mostly the "big boys" out today and I was able to keep up, albeit they are not that fast compared to real fast. The real fast riders, who are in the invitation only group I got sucked into, also started at the same time/place, but they were off to ride 68 miles for someone's 68th birthday. Not ready for that, and probably never will be with those guys.
We had one traffic altercation, which could have been really bad. Thankfully, I was near the back and bunch of riders were turning left onto a side street, from a busier street in Acton. Not a highway, but a busy road. They kind of moved over to the left abruptly, but they were together, but they didn't signal. A dumb azz tried to pass them, as they were moving and turning, and 2 of the riders had to make evasive moves. Of course, he was a jerk, but I never assume anything and if they were on a ride I was leading, I would have really laid into them for not signaling.
I felt really tired at the end, but I came right home and ate, as I have to go get my haircut, so I couldn't stay for the lunch at Verrill Farm.

[rebeccaC]

Rode in Oxnard to take some photos…just a relaxing day, wandering, no place to be, just gliding through the afternoon….don’t know mileage, temps etc…ended the ride with a sunset. Good day

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[azfiddle]

I rode a quick 13 miles Wednesday after work - last ride on the Ruby before Thursday's fateful incident with the bike rack. Nice weather, and good to get out the stress of the last week of work before spring break.

Saturday, I did errands in the morning and then got out on the Surly. It was breezy so I planned about 20 miles with less of a headwind on the way home. I was surprised how stable the Surly felt in the wind. I didn't mind riding the heavier bike, but I am really looking forward to getting back on the reconstruction version of the Ruby Weds!.

[Crankin]

Rode my last ride from my house on the hill. 20 miles with DH, on a flattish ride around Concord, Carlisle, and Bedford. DH has not been riding at all for about a month, doing so much remodeling work, so it was like his first ride of the season. It was really nice, about 64 and sunny out, pretty breezy at first, but it died down. Tons of cyclists.
I can't say I'll never ride up the hill again, but at least I won't have to see the 15% driveway.
Tomorrow I go to the gym, Tuesday I will either go to spin (rain predicted) or rest, and Wednesday is moving day. Since we have been bringing everything over ourselves and unpacking as we go, I don't have a ton to do on Wednesday, except unpack the last of the kitchen things that are going into furniture the movers will bring. I will try to sneak out for a short ride, to get away from it all.

[rebeccaC]

Rode the beach bike path with Ellie to Redondo Beach to meet three friends for a ride into the hills of Palos Verdes…..good climbing with great high views of the coastline. We stopped on the way back in Manhattan Beach cuz I was craving a strawberry chocolate galette. I also got an olive flute bread (Looking at the bread being held by and sticking out of both sides of the cover of my handlebar bag made me think of the rides to the boulangerie for a days bread when I was young.) and some cinnamon crunch bagels to take home. 30 miles of pleasant beach bike path interrupted by 26 miles of climbing and descents. Temps were in the 60’s so I wore a ibex merino sports bra and tank top under my jersey which worked perfectly. Now, after a yummy toasted cinnamon crunch bagel, I have to work the rest of today and probably into the night.

eta...
I am really looking forward to getting back on the reconstruction version of the Ruby Weds!.
azfiddle...good to hear you'll have a few days left of your break to ride the new ruby!!!! about the surly...i love my milano commuter, i see it as strengthening me for weekend rides on my seven :)

[Helene2013]

Considering my tibial plateau fracture 10 weeks ago (now healed) and ortho/surgeon saying past Tuesday I was to resume my life (gym) progressively, we took our cyclocross out yesterday. It was about 10c yesterday but very windy. Today a frisky 6c but sunny minimal wind. Yesterday was just 17km. Not bad after being 9 weeks without serious training but physio. Yesterday was only residential sectors to "test" my knees. Today we did 20km but mostly on rural roads. Felt soooo good. I was able to test going on the big cog and did good for 2km. Did not want to push my luck. But I sure feel good now. Working on "renewing" my gym program with PT but for now, we do ave to take it easy. Don't want that healed fracture to crack again. :)

[ny biker]

I did my first post-work hill ride of the year last Wednesday. I was overdressed -- thought temps would be dropping into the 60s but it was still above 70 for much of the ride. It did get cool near the river, though, so I wasn't really uncomfortable and even if I was I wouldn't have minded because it's a small price to pay for great weather. My legs were killing me from the hills but I managed a normal average speed.

I thought I'd be riding yesterday (Sunday) on a club ride, but the forecast called for rain showers in the late morning/early afternoon so it was cancelled. I was tired so after the ride was cancelled I went back to bed. And then slept for more than four hours. Then spent the rest of the day in my pajamas. What can I say, last week was a bad week and I was feeling unmotivated. Tonight I will use the indoor trainer. I've said it here so I'm committed -- no laziness.

[Crankin]

Back to normal March weather. Rainy, raw, in the 40s. The weekend looks dry on Saturday, but with a high of only 39. Sunday is going to rain. I am spoiled now from the warmth, so back tot he gym/hiking.

[ny biker]

Yeah today was low 50s, cloudy and drizzly here. It's supposed to warm up Wednesday but will rain in the evening -- I hope I can get in an outdoor ride before it rains.

So I didn't get home tonight until after 9 pm due to working late and having to pick up some tasty cookies from Whole Foods to give someone for his birthday tomorrow. Then I frittered around for a bit before setting up the bike on the indoor trainer. Finally at 10:09 pm I started pedaling. I did 40 minutes, much of it in a difficult gear. It was a good workout.

[emily_in_nc]

Nice little 13.5 mile utility ride into town for a couple of hardware store items from the campground we have spent the last couple days at in northern Florida. 70s with a fantastic tailwind on the way back.

[rebeccaC]

Nice little 13.5 mile utility ride into town for a couple of hardware store items from the campground we have spent the last couple days at in northern Florida. 70s with a fantastic tailwind on the way back.

you know you're always making me envious of your lifestyle/attitude.......:)

[azfiddle]

I'm on spring break, but awaiting delivery of Ruby #3 - now going to be ready Friday. They needed a different bottom bracket :( But I really don't have time to ride tomorrow and Thursday due to the St. Patrick's Day gigs lined up.

Still, I got in two days in a row of flat rides on the Surly on the bike path near me- about 17 miles each day. I'll get in a good ride Friday.

[rebeccaC]

My mother is visiting for a couple of days. She, Ellie and I rode to breakfast this morning and then my mother and I rode to the getty museum. 31 miles interrupted with some great visual art. A good day of exercise and just being with someone I love…….

[khg]

My mother is visiting for a couple of days. She, Ellie and I rode to breakfast this morning and then my mother and I rode to the getty museum. 31 miles interrupted with some great visual art. A good day of exercise and just being with someone I love…….

That's one of the best kinds of riding :) Rode around Mercer Island with my dad last week--had a lovely morning with him, raindrops started coming down just as we got to his house, and I was completely drenched when I got home. He thought it was pretty hilarious! (To be honest, so did I!)

[ny biker]

Catching up... I had hoped to do my weekly hill ride after work on Wednesday, which was a warm sunny day, but a rain shower came through at my usual ride time. The forecast looked pretty good for Thursday so I rescheduled. It was sunny and in the 60s during the day. Thursday was crazy at work because the electricity went out in the entire neighborhood during the late afternoon. I waited around for about an hour, then decided to leave. Just as I started my car the lights came on inside the garage. Then they came on in our office building. So I went back into work to finish up some things that needed to get done -- I figured it was better to put them behind me than have to work up the motivation to finish them after the bike ride. But the end result was that I left work later than usual, about 7:20. Before leaving I changed into my bike clothes -- lightweight long-sleeved wool base layer, hi-viz short-sleeved jersey, Gore knickers with windstopper fabric on the front.

When I walked out to my car I was cold. A breeze was blowing in the from the northwest. Oh well no big deal, I have lots of jackets and arm warmers and leg warmers and vests and windproof gloves.

So I start driving to the community center where I start the ride. (There's no good safe place to ride near my office so I drive part of the way home, stop and ride the bike, then drive the last few miles home.) As I'm driving I realize that I left all the extra layers at home. I keep them in a cheerful orange tote bag and forgot to put the tote bag in the car when I left for work. Hmmm. I could go home, put on more layers and ride around my neighborhood. But then again I do keep a few things in my regular gear bag which I do have with me, so maybe I can improvise something. Most importantly I remembered that my windstopper fleece booties are in the gear bag in the same compartment as my shoes. This is key because I have abnormally cold feet and nothing covering my calves. So I stuck with plan A and went to the community center. I put on a pair of arm warmers (over the base layer sleeves) and a fleecy long-sleeved jersey on top of everything, and put the booties on my shoes. I also had a pair of full-fingered gloves. I stuffed a lightweight windbreaker into my handlebar bag just in case. Then I started the ride.

It actually went well. The booties and fleece jersey kept me quite comfortable (except for two fast downhills near the river where it's still pretty cold at night). It was actually a good experiment because I've had trouble figuring out when to wear the fleece jersey. It's hi-viz pink with lots of reflective bits so it should be an outer layer, but it does nothing to block the wind. Well it turns out that if it's cool but not too cold, I can wear it with two layers underneath.

My Garmin battery died early in the ride so I don't know the exact mileage, but I think it was about 17 miles. My legs were pretty tired by the end but not as tired as they were the previous week. Progress!

Yesterday (Saturday)we were going to do a 46-mile ride in northern Maryland. All week long the weather forecast said sunshine with temps in the 40s for Saturday, cold rain and light snow on Sunday. Then on Friday morning the forecast changed to cold rain for most of the day on Saturday. So no bike ride. I've already got the bike set up on the indoor trainer and later today I plan to do Coach Troy's virtual reality ride up Mt Lemon. I've had the dvd for a couple of years but have only done the McLain Loop, not Mt Lemon. But I signed up for a hilly metric in early May so I need to get some good training time in this weekend, so Mt Lemon it is.

[Crankin]

Moving has knocked me out. It was bright and sunny yesterday, but it felt like winter. Got up to 43 at one point, but when I had to decide whether to ride or do something else, the weather said real feel of 34. I knew it felt colder when I went out to go shopping. Anyway, DH and I decided to do quick hike up Gardner Hill in the Stow Town Forest. Used to mountain bike there, and have done a lot of snow shoeing there, too. Now, it's closer. It was lovely, and it looked like they had done a significant amount of trail work, as the main trails were wider and cleared. Once you hike up the hill, it's like you are in another world. Anyway, one of the cool things was, as we were entering, we saw 3-4 maybe 12 year old boys coming out of the woods on mountain bikes. It's so rare to see kids doing any kind of endurance activity, it made me smile. No video games and no parents hovering.
Our hike was short, but it was 40 minutes of heart pumping. I still feel like a truck hit me, but going off to spin class in an hour. Snow tonight...

[azfiddle]

I just wanted to say I love reading about every one's rides. I don't always respond to them personally, but it's such a nice snapshot of what we're all doing on our bikes, our adventures and what kind of weather there is around this diverse country.

[rebeccaC]

Nice overcast morning ride on the beach bike path south to breakfast and conversation with friends and then an afternoon challenge on some hills I like to do occasionally. Lots of riders doing the steep hills there on a Sunday.


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We have a lot of nice 20-30%+ gradient hills here for a good challenge
This one is 32% and part of a series of similar hills in the area. I also had to carry an extra 2.25 lb's of camera up the hills to get photos to post here :)....The hills in this paticular area are good technique and mental strategy training for some of the 1-4 mile 11-16% climbs in the San Gabriel, Santa Monica and Sierra mountains. One aspect of riding in California that i like is the vast varying challenges, easy to insane, you can find in climbing and rides.

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[Sky King]

Well my photo's just can't do justice :) We finally were able to do the ride we wanted to do last week though. Great to be out. Plus the plants that are blooming in town aren't in the desert so my head got some relief.
17991179921799317994

[ny biker]

Beautiful blue sky, Sky King.

It turned out that I could have ridden outside yesterday, but I didn't. It was cold (40) and gray but the roads were dry. But every time I checked the forecast to see if I could sneak in an hour or so outside, it said rain was imminent. Then a while later I'd look outside again and there had been no rain, but the forecast still said it was minutes away. Oh well, I'm really over the whole bundle-up-for-cold-and-gray-weather thing anyway.

So after a day spent on the couch watching Formula 1 and trying to find photos and useful info on cork flooring on the internet, I fired up the dvd player, set up the big tower fan in front of the bike on the indoor trainer and started Coach Troy's Tuscon/Mt Lemon workout. It was an hour and 22 minutes long. I assumed this meant a very long period of "climbing" with a cool-down "descent" at the end, not a full 1:22 of climbing. But I was wrong, the whole thing was just put it in a big gear and pedal pedal pedal. This was actually pretty dull. I did turn off the dvd's background music and substitute my own, which helped immensely. I was no where near the recommended gear because my right knee can't handle it, but I was still in a gear that made me work, enough that l had to stop twice to rest for a 1-2 minutes. After 60 minutes of pedaling I stopped. I am feeling it in my quads today, but I think I prefer an interval-type workout.

Even after 1:22 of climbing, Coach Troy was not at the top of the mountain. There's another separate workout on the dvd that goes from where he stopped (Windy Pass, I think it was called) up to the top. If it's shorter then I might try it at some point.

[azfiddle]

NY Biker- that's my territory there!

That would have been Windy Point- mile post 14. It's still a lot further to the top! The first available water is still up at about mile 21, but at least you start getting into the trees at mile 15 or 16. The last two miles you would have had, between Bear Canyon and Windy Point is brutal on a hot day because it's an exposed slope, and can be quite hot even though it's over 6000 feet above sea level!

I rode to 7 Cataracts (mile 9) on Saturday. I posted a pic on the pictures from rides thread.

Oh and it would take me much longer to get there than your video, depending on where it starts (if it starts right at the base of the mountain or at the shopping center 5 miles away). But I am very slow- averaging about 6 mph or less on the climb! Probably 5 hours to the top, including my rest stops.

[ny biker]

Yes I thought of you -- I assume it's more interesting to ride in person than on the dvd! I've only ridden up mountains once, on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, and I averaged about 5-6 mph there. It's really a different experience from the shorter hills that I'm used to. I have friends who like to ride in the mountains in southwest Virginia but so far I have declined to join them.

[Crankin]

I don't do so well with longer climbs, like in the west. I can do short and steep, mostly because that is what I am used to. I'd love to try Mt Lemmon, though.

[azfiddle]

Mt. Lemmon is mostly a steady 5% grade, with a few places that are a little flatter and a few that get up to 6-7%. I find I just need to have the right mindset to do it. Slow.

[ny biker]

One thing I remember from Skyline Drive was being numb from the saddle. It was perfectly comfortable on other rides but not good for the constant upward incline. If I were going to do a long climb again I'd think about tilting my saddle nose down a bit. Also I had other cyclists to talk to for part of it, which made the ride more pleasant.

[Crankin]

Yes, those grades don't sound horrible, but I did just a 10 mile climb in Spain, with similar grades. I felt like puking and had cramps in my calf so bad that it took 2 years to recover, it was so tender. It wasn't hot out and I had plenty of food and drink. There just aren't places like that around here.
And, I was going about 4 mph on that one. I was definitely not mentally ready. This was a cat 3 climb on the Vuelta. But, my usual speed on a hard climb is about 6 mph, so AZ, we are very similar!

[Sky King]

Cork Floor - just do it! We were home builders for 20 years. Had cork in our bathroom and laundry room and installed in a friends family room. so wonderful on the feet!

Beautiful blue sky, Sky King.

It turned out that I could have ridden outside yesterday, but I didn't. It was cold (40) and gray but the roads were dry. But every time I checked the forecast to see if I could sneak in an hour or so outside, it said rain was imminent. Then a while later I'd look outside again and there had been no rain, but the forecast still said it was minutes away. Oh well, I'm really over the whole bundle-up-for-cold-and-gray-weather thing anyway.

So after a day spent on the couch watching Formula 1 and trying to find photos and useful info on cork flooring on the internet, I fired up the dvd player, set up the big tower fan in front of the bike on the indoor trainer and started Coach Troy's Tuscon/Mt Lemon workout. It was an hour and 22 minutes long. I assumed this meant a very long period of "climbing" with a cool-down "descent" at the end, not a full 1:22 of climbing. But I was wrong, the whole thing was just put it in a big gear and pedal pedal pedal. This was actually pretty dull. I did turn off the dvd's background music and substitute my own, which helped immensely. I was no where near the recommended gear because my right knee can't handle it, but I was still in a gear that made me work, enough that l had to stop twice to rest for a 1-2 minutes. After 60 minutes of pedaling I stopped. I am feeling it in my quads today, but I think I prefer an interval-type workout.

Even after 1:22 of climbing, Coach Troy was not at the top of the mountain. There's another separate workout on the dvd that goes from where he stopped (Windy Pass, I think it was called) up to the top. If it's shorter then I might try it at some point.

[ny biker]

My usual speed on a steep climb is 3 mph! I laugh when joggers pass me.

Sky King I definitely want cork floors -- I think they will help with some of the noise issues in my apartment. My problem is finding a color/texture combination that I like and that looks good with my wall colors, furniture etc. in both the living room and bedroom. Admittedly I am being picky, but I don't want to spend all that money and then hate the way my house looks. I've been looking at some samples of cork with a wood grain image imprinted on it. There's one that is the perfect shade of brown, I just can't decide if it looks too fake, like bad laminate. I've been dealing with four different flooring installers who are experienced with cork. They're all so nice and helpful, I will feel bad have to choose only one of them!

[azfiddle]

It was supposed to be windy today- so I rode out early to vote, go to the store and bank- just 6 miles or so on the Surly. They decreased the wind forecast (20 mph sustained with gusts to 40 mph) but it looks like it will still be pretty breezy in a little while. Tomorrow should be a little cooler and much calmer.

[ny biker]

High winds can be frustrating and tiring, but if they're too high they can really be dangerous. I've been blown sideways a couple of times, fortunately was able to stay upright.

After several days that were cloudy/rainy/cold enough for my down coat and a cool breezy morning today, we finally have warm sunshine again here. I skipped the gym last night because I was very tired so will try to make that up tonight, then tomorrow am looking forward to a good ride after work.

[Crankin]

I went on a great group ride today. I did the shorter version (26 miles), which was enough, as it had some tough hills in the second half. I really had to force myself to go, as it was sprinkling and 50 out when I left, but after studying the hourly forecast for hours, I made myself get out the door. The dreary skies made for a small group (it's too early in the season for fair weather cyclists), of which we had 7 and the long ride had 10. We left from a guy's house in Carlisle, near Great Brook Farm, and basically rode into Chelmsford and Westford, where we paused at the Butterfly Museum, where we chose not to go in. Then, we were in Tyngsboro, the town I first lived in when I moved here. I have a love/hate relationship with the place, but we were in my old neighborhood, exactly, and all I can say is this is where it got hard. We rode on my old street just a bit, as there is a dangerous, curvy downhill right where my house is, so we went on a parallel street that is extremely rural, complete with a pig farm. The first day my kids rode the school bus (ages 5 and 8), they saw this, smelled it, and asked what the hell kind of place we had moved to :eek:? The worst of the hills were over, but we had a few more back into Westford and then we were pretty much almost back.
My speed was high before we started climbing, but I stayed behind the leader on the hardest climbs (albeit, a bit behind on the worst one). I did hit my fastest downhill speed today, that I have only done once before, which is very wimpy, at 32 mph.
It was good because nothing hurt. Not my stomach, my hip, or any other annoying thing. I didn't feel tired, either. It seems like the stars align once in a blue moon! Joined the group for a nice lunch at a pizza place where I had a chicken salad so big I hope I can eat dinner.

[ny biker]

So the weather was not great but the ride went well, Crankin -- often it is worth it to force yourself to get out there despite what you see and feel when you first step outside.

I rode almost 19 miles last night. As I've mentioned before my weekly hill ride is easy to alter based on how long I want to ride and how steep I want the hills to be. Normally at this time of year I'd be doing the shortest, least steep route, but I've got to get in shape fast and besides these outdoor rides are helping me get rid of the winter blahs once and for all. So last night I incorporated a couple of steeper climbs that I didn't do last week or the week before. My legs were tired at the end and still tired this morning, but I still felt better than I did a couple of weeks ago. So, continued progress. I got a late start due to stuff at work and needing to deal with some health insurance/flexible spending claims that must be filed this month. As a result I didn't finish the ride until 10 pm. I'm pretty sure it was my latest night ride ever. The weather was cooler than I thought -- temps in the 60s but I guess since we had several days where it was cold enough for winter coats, the ground was still pretty cool. No problems though since I remembered to bring my Big Bright Orange Tote Bag of Extra Layers, and all I needed was a wind vest.

The only issue last night was the pollen -- either it is sky high or the antihistamine eye drops I'm using are not working. I think there must have been a bunch of trees that I'm very allergic to near the ride start because I was miserable for the first few miles. After that things calmed down but still not great. I've been wearing glasses instead of contact lenses for night rides lately. But if this is how my eyes are going to be reacting to pollen this spring I won't be able to wear contact lenses with regular sunglasses for daytime rides. Which means I'll have to wear my prescription sunglasses, a pair of giant heavy Wayfarer IIs that I got back in the early '90s. :eek: I think it might finally be time to look getting prescription Oakley sunglasses...

[Crankin]

Had a pretty good 24.5 mile ride with DH today. First one from the condo. DH tripped on a root on a little connecting path from our neighborhood to the next one (we were behind our house), and twisted his ankle and his knee yesterday, when we were taking a walk. So, we did go really slowly, which did not bother me. He was fine, but had pain unclipping. I had a planned route based on a ride I had looked up, but we really didn't have enough time, so I altered it. Found a nice way to get to places where we like to ride, with an easier crossing of the highway and no having to deal with tourists in Concord center anymore. Yay.
We rode into Boxborough and Stow, and then headed back on a main road, which is flat, but usually very busy. We could have returned much more quickly, but this was nice. Most of the return trips back to our new place are flat for the last few miles, which is a joy for me, after 10 years of a 10% grade.

[azfiddle]

Sounds great Crankin.

I finished my two weeks of spring break rides today. From March 12- March 27 I rode 385 miles (that even surprises me!). 66 miles on the Surly LHT for errands or when I was waiting for my bike to be put back together, and the rest on the Ruby. Longest ride: yesterday, about 64 miles, biggest climb was on Friday when I rode up Mt. Lemmon to Windy Point (4500 feet of elevation gain). Lots of 20-30 mile days around the east side of Tucson on bike paths and near Saguaro NP. A few days were pretty windy, but overall, the weather was great.

Now I get to get back into the swing of school!

[Crankin]

I took a little ride by myself around noon today. I just wasn't feeling it to drive 20 miles to do a 25 mile group ride. I know it's fun to explore new places, but I just wanted to chill. I started out a different, and hillier way than Sunday, and ended up doing just under 16 miles. It's nice that I am much closer to roads that I love to ride on, closer to roads I first started riding on. It was about 51 when I started, and I was dressed just a bit too warmly, as the real feel kept showing it was going to feel colder.
I've deduced that nothing around here is truly flat, and my legs felt dead, but I still enjoyed it. Saw a few other cyclists, not many. When I got home it was 59 out and I was hot! So, basically, I found a good short, early AM or after work ride. It feels further away than the 15 mile loops I did from the house, mostly, I think because I was riding very near to the house I used to live in before I moved to Concord.

[Catrin]

Sounds like a lovely ride Crankin, glad you found a future regular route!

[ny biker]

Catching up... I had a good post-work hill ride on the 30th. Got started later than usual, again -- I need to focus more on getting out of work on time so I don't end up finishing the ride at 10 pm. It was in the high 50s and I was overdressed with a lightweight wool base layer, windstopper base layer and fleecy long sleeved jersey. I stopped after a few miles and took off the windstopper layer, and after that I was more comfortable. (It's interesting how differently I need to dress for a given temperature in December or February vs late March or April. Yesterday I went for a walk. It was cool and in the 50s after a cold windy night, and I ended up taking off my jacket and just wearing a long sleeved t-shirt with a short sleeved t-shirt over it. A couple of months ago I would have been cold without the jacket at the same air temperature.)

Anyway. After a sedentary Easter weekend I did the same route that I had done the previous Wednesday night. After this I will need to add some steeper hills so I can continue to build fitness for the Tour de Cure.

And I guess that does it for March!