July 6 Rides - My First Ride in 3 Weeks

It's been a rough 21 days and this is the first time I've been on my bike since 6/13.

I was in class the first week for 8 hours a day Mon - Thurs. Add to that a 45 minute commute each way and an hour of homework each night and I did not do any riding.

The Friday after class, June 19, we jetted off to San Diego very early to start crewing for RAAM. We got back from RAAM June 28, but I had managed to catch a nasty chest cold, which I'm still not over. I don't know where last week went, since I spent a lot of it sleeping or in a drug induced fog.

I really wanted to get some riding in before my Olympic distance tri next Sunday - July 12. I put aero bars on my Legolas right after my last ride and I really wanted to ride them before I raced with them.

I had had the aero bars on my Rambouillet, but the geometries of my two bikes are not exactly the same. The Legolas has a much faster steering response and boy did I notice that twitchiness today the first time I got aero. I think my line changed by like 6 inches. :eek: Wisely, I chose to practice in a place with a good bike lane.

It got better the more I rode. I didn't stay out for very long, only 35 minutes - 7.5 miles. Every time I stopped for a light I would start hacking away again. It wasn't enough to even make my legs a little tired. :rolleyes: But my lungs and throat hurt. Oh well, there's always tomorrow. I had really been hoping to greatly improve over my time last year on this tri. Right now I think I'll be satisfied to just finish.

Veronica

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Originally Posted by Veronica

It's been a rough 21 days and this is the first time I've been on my bike since 6/13.

I was in class the first week for 8 hours a day Mon - Thurs. Add to that a 45 minute commute each way and an hour of homework each night and I did not do any riding.

The Friday after class, June 19, we jetted off to San Diego very early to start crewing for RAAM. We got back from RAAM June 28, but I had managed to catch a nasty chest cold, which I'm still not over. I don't know where last week went, since I spent a lot of it sleeping or in a drug induced fog.

I really wanted to get some riding in before my Olympic distance tri next Sunday - July 12. I put aero bars on my Legolas right after my last ride and I really wanted to ride them before I raced with them.

I had had the aero bars on my Rambouillet, but the geometries of my two bikes are not exactly the same. The Legolas has a much faster steering response and boy did I notice that twitchiness today the first time I got aero. I think my line changed by like 6 inches. :eek: Wisely, I chose to practice in a place with a good bike lane.

It got better the more I rode. I didn't stay out for very long, only 35 minutes - 7.5 miles. Every time I stopped for a light I would start hacking away again. It wasn't enough to even make my legs a little tired. :rolleyes: But my lungs and throat hurt. Oh well, there's always tomorrow. I had really been hoping to greatly improve over my time last year on this tri. Right now I think I'll be satisfied to just finish.

Veronica

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I hope you feel better!

Take care of yourself, Veronica.
I went to the Farmer's Market again, today, but this time on my road bike. My DH came home early (well, not really for him, since he goes to work at 6 AM so he can come home at 3) and put the Carradice bag on his bike. It's a fast, flat ride there, about 8.5 miles.
I found out that you'd best get there within an hour of opening (2 PM), or else most of the booths are already wiped out of stock. Strawberries are already out of season here :( and I didn't need any vegetables, so of course, we had to buy a brioche and a lemon scone, which we will enjoy for breakfast tomorrow.
It was an even faster ride home and very hot, but I felt like I worked hard. I wish I had more flat places to ride!
17.1 miles

Yesterday was the one truly summery day we've had all summer, as far as I'm concerned. It was lovely: in the 80s and sunny, with puffy white clouds. I took the long way home through Grafton by Tufts Veterinary School and along Route 30.

I commuted both ways on my super-heavy tank-like Xtracycle, and going up a fairly large, steep hill on the way home I was riding so slowly that MOSQUITOES WERE KEEPING UP WITH ME! :eek: I ended up swatting with one hand 50% of the time and steering/pulling with both the other 50% of the time.

No mosquito bites that I can tell, though, so they must've just been out for fun or something.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kfergos

I commuted both ways on my super-heavy tank-like Xtracycle, and going up a fairly large, steep hill on the way home I was riding so slowly that MOSQUITOES WERE KEEPING UP WITH ME! :eek: I ended up swatting with one hand 50% of the time and steering/pulling with both the other 50% of the time.

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I did a little informal study last year while riding on country backroads that wind through the woods.
The deer flies were all over me if I rode less than 7.5 mph. Once I hit that magic number or faster, they'd give give up and drop away. If I slowed to 7.5 or less again, they instantly showed up and be attacking me. I suspect the speed is slower for mosquitoes, but I haven't tested them yet.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl

I did a little informal study last year while riding on country backroads that wind through the woods.
The deer flies were all over me if I rode less than 7.5 mph. Once I hit that magic number or faster, they'd give give up and drop away. If I slowed to 7.5 or less again, they instantly showed up and be attacking me. I suspect the speed is slower for mosquitoes, but I haven't tested them yet.

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I seemed to outpace mosquitoes at about 6 mph. I was going between 4.9 to 5.5 mph up this hill, which made me an easy mosquito target. Thank you for the reminder, too, that there are worse things than mosquitoes!

V - Riding might help loosen up some of the gunk in your lungs and help you get better quicker. Will be thinking about you on Sunday!

I was off yesterday, so I was able to get in a 43 mile ride in cool for July temps and low humidity. Over the last week, a truncated work schedule, the holiday, and some leave has given me time for getting in extra miles on the bike and more time in the pool.

While I won't be ready mentally/emotionally to return to work tomorrow, my body will be grateful for the break!! :):):):):):):)

kfergos, I noticed those mosquitos yesterday, too. I thought I was going crazy. I tried sitting outside on my patio in the morning and they were just swarming around me, but not biting me. After an hour of swatting and trying to read, I gave up.
I didn't notice them when I was riding; the only time I got to super low speeds was going up my driveway and by then i was so hot and tired (I think I do better in cool weather) I probably could not have felt them.

Hope you feel better Veronica!

I went to the 28 mile LBS group ride last night despite the threatening weather. I missed last week cause I thought it was going to storm and then nothing happened and I was determined not to let that be the case again. And it worked! There were puddles and wind but no rain.

There were 5 guys that showed up too so we made a decent group even though the A rider ended up dropping the rest of us about 1/2 way.

At one point, one of the guys who was looking out for me, told me to break off from the front when the kid in front of me did so I wouldnt be left to pull up a hill. However, I like to earn the respect of the guys and do some time in front cause I know how they feel about another gal that they call the wheel sucker. So I did a pull for maybe a mile and pulled off before I got too tired. (Later, the guys told me that I dropped them :rolleyes:Not sure about that)

It took me a while to recover (friend guy waited for me a little) over some steeper hills and but by the last 5 miles I was back pulling us back to the others.

It was the fastest group ride for me since my accident and I felt pretty good overall. I feel like I really need the challenge here and there because riding with BF is sometimes tedious. I sit behind him (not on his wheel) for the main reason that if I go out in front I am going to drop him sooner rather than later.

Did about 1.5 hours of riding in a women's mountain bike ride/clinic. It was a lot of fun, can't wait to get on this trail when I get the full suspension in a week or two, I am finally learning the rock garden techniques.

I did 32.5 miles this afternoon. That is the most I have done in a while. I am trying to get ready for the HHH in Wichita Falls, TX.