August 5th Weekend Rides

Went out on a club ride this morning, there were several loops available and had intended to ride two of them for a total of 45 miles. Wound up just doing one loop of 27 miles, and it felt great! For the very first time, I actually rode a full 15 miles in the first hour, which is a personal best :D I know that most of you are far faster than I, but I am quite proud of this and I wasn't even tired... apparently my goal this year of ramping things up much slower than last year is paying off!

Too much to do today to ride longer, and decided to not do the second loop even though I wanted to. I hope to get out on the mountain bike this evening for some drills - assuming the storms hold off they say are headed this way. I won't complain if they come, we got less than 1 inch of rain the entire month of July!

Nice job Catrin. It's easy to get focused on comparing one's self to others. Better to enjoy those personal best experiences!

Last night I had a lovely 15 mile ride, overcast but no rain, not broiling hot, and I found myself in a very zen state of mind where I was just in the moment.
Perfect!

This morning, a group ride for 38 miles. Humid for the desert- 50% to start, but clouds in the 2nd half of the ride kept it reasonably cool. I skipped the killer hill at the end because it was warming up and I don't do well pushing myself in the heat. It's 14 or 15%. The rest was good, and one of the faster guys stayed back and coaxed/encouraged a few of us to keep going, get in the paceline and not fall off. Above average speed for me- 15.5 overall

Congratulations, Ladies! I look forward to the days when those types of rides become routine for me. At this point -- about 10 miles plus some drills on skills is about my average per ride.

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Originally Posted by Nick

Congratulations, Ladies! I look forward to the days when those types of rides become routine for me. At this point -- about 10 miles plus some drills on skills is about my average per ride.

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If you're talking ten trail miles, they're definitely harder than ten road miles.

I did my longest ride to date, 41.5 miles, at my fastest average speed, 14.2 mph this morning at the 2011 Mind Over Matter Ride. If I wasn't so tired, I would be really geeked out!

P2

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Originally Posted by azfiddle

Nice job Catrin. It's easy to get focused on comparing one's self to others. Better to enjoy those personal best experiences!

Last night I had a lovely 15 mile ride, overcast but no rain, not broiling hot, and I found myself in a very zen state of mind where I was just in the moment.
Perfect!

This morning, a group ride for 38 miles. Humid for the desert- 50% to start, but clouds in the 2nd half of the ride kept it reasonably cool. I skipped the killer hill at the end because it was warming up and I don't do well pushing myself in the heat. It's 14 or 15%. The rest was good, and one of the faster guys stayed back and coaxed/encouraged a few of us to keep going, get in the paceline and not fall off. Above average speed for me- 15.5 overall

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My riding position is FAR from aerodynamic, so I accepted long ago that I will never be speedy on the road compared with anyone else. I do much better than I once did, and as long as there isn't too strong a headwind it takes me far longer to fall off the end of the average club ride than it once did. Indeed I am no longer 45 minutes behind everyone else - which happened on a club ride at the end of July last year, and THIS year have been able to keep up with at least a section of the riders :rolleyes:

I was perplexed by something on the ride this morning - a fast group passed me, and several people were using their aero bars (isn't this a no-no?) and one of the women had one of those aerodynamic fancy track helmets on. Perhaps something happened to her regular helmet and that was her only option, but it was a bit of a surprise. We must have had a tailwind, because I was actually pedaling 20mph at that minute & was able to sustain it for several minutes - and that has NEVER happened :D :D

Different riding patterns this year, my base hasn't broken 50 miles yet, but the metric isn't until October. Adding mountain biking to the mix appears to be changing how I do things this year. Having FAR too much fun to risk more over-use injuries!

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Originally Posted by Nick

Congratulations, Ladies! I look forward to the days when those types of rides become routine for me. At this point -- about 10 miles plus some drills on skills is about my average per ride.

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Nick, if you are riding 10 miles on mountain bike trails then I am in awe of you :) I am just learning how to mountain bike and right now 3 miles on the trail is cause for celebration and great joy!

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Originally Posted by Catrin

My riding position is FAR from aerodynamic, so I accepted long ago that I will never be speedy on the road compared with anyone else. I do much better than I once did, and as long as there isn't too strong a headwind it takes me far longer to fall off the end of the average club ride than it once did. Indeed I am no longer 45 minutes behind everyone else - which happened on a club ride at the end of July last year, and THIS year have been able to keep up with at least a section of the riders :rolleyes:

I was perplexed by something on the ride this morning - a fast group passed me, and several people were using their aero bars (isn't this a no-no?) and one of the women had one of those aerodynamic fancy track helmets on. Perhaps something happened to her regular helmet and that was her only option, but it was a bit of a surprise. We must have had a tailwind, because I was actually pedaling 20mph at that minute & was able to sustain it for several minutes - and that has NEVER happened :D :D

Different riding patterns this year, my base hasn't broken 50 miles yet, but the metric isn't until October. Adding mountain biking to the mix appears to be changing how I do things this year. Having FAR too much fun to risk more over-use injuries!



Nick, if you are riding 10 miles on mountain bike trails then I am in awe of you :) I am just learning how to mountain bike and right now 3 miles on the trail is cause for celebration and great joy!

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Aerobars in group riding are generally a no-no, but there are people in my cycling group who are so steady and experienced on them that it doesn't bother me when they use them at the front of the pack. So, I would say that it really depends on the group and the riders.

I've done 10 miles or so the last few times out at BCSP and, let me tell you, I'm positively spent by the end of the ride.

The group with aero bars may have been triathletes or cyclists training for a time trial. Aero bars are disallowed in events (like our local Tour de Tucson), but they are not illegal or anything.

I imagine 10 miles on a mountain bike would definitely be an accomplishment. I have only ridden one once, and we rode about 14 miles on pretty easy trails. I was definitely worn out!

I'd love to be able to ride 1-2 mph faster than I do, but I am happy to appreciate all of these things: I'm not struggling with any major physical obstacles and I was able to ride over 50 miles in the last two days and I enjoyed beautiful desert scenery, appreciated the monsoon season clouds and the greenery they have produced on the hills, watched a sunset and a sunrise and experienced both solitude and socializing. I can't complain.

I did the shop ride today. After climbing the only hill, I ended up with a saddle issue. My mechanic stopped with me, and added some tension, then he and I chased for the rest of the ride. I definitely got a workout this week!

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Originally Posted by indysteel

Aerobars in group riding are generally a no-no, but there are people in my cycling group who are so steady and experienced on them that it doesn't bother me when they use them at the front of the pack. So, I would say that it really depends on the group and the riders.

I've done 10 miles or so the last few times out at BCSP and, let me tell you, I'm positively spent by the end of the ride.

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I just hadn't seen that before, and they were in the middle of their pack.

So far the longest I've done at BCSP was 4-5 miles, and was quite tired. That is going to change soon - and I am considering how to do it so I don't wear myself out.

BTW, I do have someone to text periodically who knows people who can find me if something should happen :cool:

No ride today. Today was our annual firewood delivery party with the neighbors. We get three cords of split firewood delivered and divide it between our two homes. Makes for a good arms and core workout ;)

We'll see what tomorrow's weather turns into....maybe it will stay dry enough to ride.

Well, I did 26 miles on Thursday, but nothing today because I had errands to run. I may or may not be going to the zoo with my sister tomorrow, so unless I get up insanely early, no riding.

AZfiddle, I must say, I occasionally find it a little hard to read your posts--in a good way. You make the desert sound so awesome. (And had certain people had money, I'd be out there myself. :( )

Today we rode 60 miles, ALL in the rain. :mad: We left our house at 6am and it was cloudy, damp, and very muggy. A bit over 2 miles into the ride and it started to drizzle...no big deal, it was warm and muggy so it actually felt good. Then about a mile later, the rain got a bit heavier and steadier. After about an hour into the ride, I had had enough and was ready to head back home. We started to head towards home and the rain lightened up significantly...almost to the point where I was nearly dry. So we decided to stay out a bit longer since the skies looked as though they would clear up in the direction we were heading into. Well, that was a big mistake...as we continued our ride into a steady, moderate rain with poor visibility. So, 4 hours later I was so glad to finally arrive home...completely soaked from head to toe. Promptly walked into our air-conditioned house and YOWZA!!!....froze my @ss off. Of course, within 5 minutes of being home, the rain stopped and the sun came out. :rolleyes: Sometimes you just can't win.

Linda

I was supposed to go for a group ride this morning, but some major storms rolled through the area. The only good thing about the storms (aside from helping out our drought situation) is that I when I woke up, I could hear the thunder and rain, and didn't even have to bother getting out of bed to check the weather :) I did 30 boring minutes on the treadmill, which gave me new appreciation for how much fun riding is as opposed to the gym.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

If you're talking ten trail miles, they're definitely harder than ten road miles.

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Not quite full trails yet! It's mixed terrain -- some multi-use wide paths, then some trails. About 1/2 'n 1/2, at a beginner to intermediate level. I'm definitely not ready for advanced trails yet (eek!). We'll see how far I get after my next coaching session in September... I might be ready to hit the serious local trails (very rocky, rooty, and scary) next season.

I did a 15 mile "newbie" ride with a local bike group today. It was quite nice. They stopped several times to collect everyone and were very helpful. I do have to spend some time working with the clipless pedals. No issues today clipping out at stoplights, but I had a hard time finding the position for clip-in.

Good luck with the clipless, Jen! I'm learning too, and have had a couple of falls trying. But, I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. My last ride went well. Glad to hear you had fun with the new group.

We drove to Sharon Springs, NY, the half way point to the start of our tour.
It rained almost all of yesterday afternoon and night. The sun is out now, but the forecast is not looking good for the week.
I am pissed. I *don't* ride in the rain, purposely.
Well, I'll get to see anew part of the country.

Sorry about the weather Crankin. It is supposed to rain/thunderstorm the whole week here as well.

Was planning to hit the East Bay Bike Path in Bristol RI this weekend, but I caught my DH's stomach virus. Even if I could get on a bike, I haven't eaten much in a couple of days. Stationary bike will be my friend this week due to the terrible weather :(

It rained until about 9 this morning. Since I aim to be back from my rides around 9:30 so I can get out of the trail parking lot (and beat the heat), I went for a walk instead--I need to do more of that.

Monday should be good for riding. I'm getting antsy--I haven't ridden since Thursday. :o

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Originally Posted by Crankin

We drove to Sharon Springs, NY, the half way point to the start of our tour.
It rained almost all of yesterday afternoon and night. The sun is out now, but the forecast is not looking good for the week.
I am pissed. I *don't* ride in the rain, purposely.
Well, I'll get to see anew part of the country.

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Are you not going to do the tour? That really is a bummer. It's been so nice until this week. Fingers crossed that it clears up for you.

It's pouring here, but I wouldn't ride today anyway because of Jazzfest, so just a normal rest day for me.

Jen: good luck on clipless, let me know if you like them/keep them. I had mine for a month, fell twice which isn't unusual but couldn't get rid of the nagging fear of stopping. Back to cages and I'm happy again.

This morning: 35 miles. I got a late start for some reason, an hour later than my usual time.

I'm slow as molasses, not gonna post my time. Embarrassing. But I feel pretty good. My back hurt the last 5 miles. It was already a little tender when I got up but not too bad but I do think the fanny pack was starting to weigh down on it in the last 5 miles. Once I was done and took the fanny pack off I felt a lot better. (blackberry, house and car keys, two snacks, sani-wipes and paper towels, sunscreen, lip balm - feels weightless on a short ride but not so much on longer ones).

Yesterday was 15 miles. Saturdays are my warmup days.

A total of 62 miles combining my weekend rides. A club ride on Saturday and a ride with a new partner on Sunday. Suoer hot outside, but still felt great.

I worked up the courage this morning to tackle the toughest climb I ever do in my area---a four-mile long climb on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I hadn't done it since last summer and wasn't sure I could make it all the way without taking a break. I had to granny gear it to the max, but managed to get to the top without stopping, yay!! There are other climbs on the ride, but that one is THE toughest by far, if only because of the length.

I did a total of 25 miles out and back, including (naturally) a fun four-mile descent on that same curvy stretch of road. I'm not brave enough to let 'er rip, so my fastest speed was 30 mph. Others do the same stretch at 40+ mph, whew!! At any rate, I feel tired AND triumphant tonight! :D

I can't take photos while climbing, so here are two after I made it to the top:

I did 26 miles this morning, just a nice solo ride around our neighborhood and a lot of others that hook into ours, some bike paths, mostly roads. Nice light traffic. I'd planned on more like 35, but I overslept big time and didn't get out until 9:30, and it was already HOT and sunny. I am not too upset, though; I hadn't been sleeping well lately, so I really needed that extra hour of sleep!

I did the Marin Century!! My first century (it was actually 106 miles, plus the 1 mile and terrible but short uphill driveway back to the hotel, ha ha) and I did it in about 9 hours, including an hour of stops!

View from the top of Marshall Wall: (edit: can't get it to work. Here's the link) http://www.flickr.com/photos/83876661@N00/6020016244/

No ride Saturday, 37 miles today. The group I ride with usually rides out early. I was up by 4:30 a.m., and ready to go out 5:00. Went to the door to take out the bike and discovered it was raining, followed a few minutes later by thunder and lightening, which lasted until almost until 10:30. We finally rode at 11:00 a.m. Sunny, hot and very humid. Really took it out of me. I thought I took in plenty of fluids both on the ride and when I got home, but I am still feeling thirsty. However, since I am also feeling "sloshy" I am trying to be careful what and how fast I am replenishing.

Saturday was rainy, so just a short 15 miles around town. Yesterday we did 70 miles in intermittent rain showers. Last long ride before the Philly Gran Fondo.

Did my regular 21 mile loop. Along the route, rescue teams were looking for a man who went into the water last night and didn't come out. He was trying to save another swimmer from drowning. Sad. The other guy is okay. No news yet on the one still missing. Not good. I think the surf was pretty big last night.

The rest of the ride was pretty tranquil. I felt light and fast. I focused on Oakleaf's description of counter steering, and I finally get it. I think I already do it intuitively, but it was interesting to notice how it works in practice. I felt very in control through the turns. It was good.

Over the weekend I did the 50 mile, Tour de Big Bear in California. This was a high altitude ride starting at 6700 feet and went up and down from there. The scenery was great, the town of Big Bear, CA was so supportive for us riders which made it very enjoyable for all of us participants. This ride will be a must next year!

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Originally Posted by MojoGrrl

I did the Marin Century!! My first century (it was actually 106 miles, plus the 1 mile and terrible but short uphill driveway back to the hotel, ha ha) and I did it in about 9 hours, including an hour of stops!

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Congrats, MojoGrrl!! :D:D:D

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Originally Posted by MojoGrrl

I did the Marin Century!! My first century (it was actually 106 miles, plus the 1 mile and terrible but short uphill driveway back to the hotel, ha ha) and I did it in about 9 hours, including an hour of stops!

View from the top of Marshall Wall: (edit: can't get it to work. Here's the link) http://www.flickr.com/photos/83876661@N00/6020016244/

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Well done!

I'll call this a "weekend" ride: 15 pretty fast miles.