Weekend Rides 8/24-25

I haven't ridden in a week, during the nicest week of the whole summer :mad:, as I was really sick with a sinus infection, ear infection, and generally feeling awful.
Today I went out alone for a 15.5 mile ride on one of my smaller loops, except I did it in the opposite direction I usually do. It's the first time I've ridden the Guru since I got back from vacation, too, as DH just put them back together this week. Had no expectations on the ride, it was really nice out, about 82, partly sunny, and just barely a little humid. I went out later, around 2:30, so the usual hordes of cyclists were done for the day.
I felt better than I thought I would and my speed wasn't too bad, either. Hope to do a longer ride tomorrow, when DH is installing our new dishwasher :).

Glad you're feeling better Crankin.

Bright sunny day that got hotter but never too hot. We did a 59 km. bike ride, with a midway stop at an event for opening of a new rapid transit train station in northern part of the city where I've never cycled. Suburbia and industrial parks galore. Not too far is the airport.

For the first time, learned that a strong Indo-Canadian population lives up there.

Then on way home, stopped at farmers' marke to load up on wonderful fresh fruits and veggies. Relaxed with a cream puff.

I am so glad you are feeling better Crankin and hope you are able to have more fun tomorrow!

I had a great mtb ride today with a couple of women, while it did feature a fairly hard fall, I had fun before and after :cool: I had plans of riding tomorrow afternoon (road) but that will depend on how sore my hip is.

Beautiful day today.....
35 mile loop ride, not sure the elevation change (couldn't figure out mapping with Map My Ride), but there was a long up-hill slog, and had an asthma attack 1/2 way up. Ride also incuded 2 flats, fortunately flat #2 was 1 block from a bike shop - bought a new tired and tube.
Saddle time 3 hours, with rest stops more like 5 hrs. Average speed 11.4 mph, top speed 31 (WHEEEEEE) on a down hill run.

I am not liking hills very much, am not, am not, am not. :(

Must find flatter routes, truly flat and try again.

Either that or sell my road bike. But I hate riding inside, and would rather ride outside.

I think tomorrow my lungs will forgive me.

I felt almost like my old self today. At the point where I turn around at the out and back, I knew I felt good enough to ride out to the wildlife sanctuary, which adds about 9 miles. I haven't had the energy to do that for a long time. And I feel good now, not like I need to sleep for the rest of the day to recover.

Now that I know there was a medical cause for feeling like a slug, I am amazed that I still rode as much as I did, and annoyed that I didn't realize the way I was feeling wasn't okay.

We are stuck, yet again, with an orange air quality due to the forest fires - ugh. Perhaps I will head over to my sister's pool for some deep water exercise. Smoke was so thick yesterday it seemed like the fires were in town and not 80 miles away.

Did 32 miles, up Oak Hill, into Harvard center, and back through Boxborough and West Acton, where we stopped for lunch. I was not so zippy today, but I felt OK, despite some lingering allergy/lung things from being sick. It was really nice out, but a little more humid than yesterday. Saw quite a few cyclists, but not as many as are around Concord. We rode back through our old neighborhood and I had a nice grilled salmon sandwich for lunch. We went the short way home after that :).
I only have 1800 miles so far, this year. I am doing other stuff at the gym, and am actually in better shape, but this is a bit low for me. So, I've lowered my expectation to 2500 miles from 3K, which most likely, I can do with a few consistent rides of 30-50 miles once a week, along with my other short rides. I miss riding with Hirakukibou, who is crazy like me, and doesn't mind getting out at 6 AM, so we can finish a long ride and go on to other stuff by 10 AM.

This past week was my best ever. Sunday I rode 15 miles on the Cape, Thursday night I squeezed in 12.5 miles after work before it got dark, and yesterday my friend and I biked through 4 towns in her area and logged another 23.5 hilly miles. I sure wish I could do this more often, but color me happy for this personal milestone anyway. :)

50 miles, described as "gently rolling" in the brochure, but in fact contained 4 rather nasty hills. :rolleyes: I am in pain.

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Originally Posted by Owlie

50 miles, described as "gently rolling" in the brochure, but in fact contained 4 rather nasty hills. :rolleyes: I am in pain.

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Yes, the term "gently rolling" is quite relative. Glad you finished it though, that is great!

Yesterday, 40 miles with one big steep hill in the middle (Gates Pass in the Tucson Mountains)- my DH said "Who can ride easy when they put a big hill in the middle of the route" and zoomed ahead humming "My favorite things".

Today was supposed to be an easy 15 mile day but friends pulled me along for 36, including 3 miles up Mt. Lemmon (which I had planned to skip this weekend). I didn't eat enough (about 200 cal during the 2 1/2 hour ride and almost bonked. I stopped at the store only 1.5 miles from home and devoured a banana, a pluot and a handful of cashews just to get home.

We had nice weather this weekend, although warmer than it has been, and I also did an organized ride. It was my first organized ride (local) since returning to cycling. I still rode alone. Oh well. I had two personal bests this week (fastest average on one of my normal routes and most miles in a week). I got in 43 miles yesterday (35 of which were the actual organized ride) and 32 miles this morning. Great weekend!

86 km today.

A joy riding out into the country with a stop at a restaurant midway. But returning back homeward, 75% of the trip was combined crosswind and headwind blowing around 25-35 km. / hr. It took every ounce of concentration to keep my bike from not moving around on the highway shoulder out in the prairie open.

For the first time, I experienced dead legs on a flat piece for about 45 min. Just scary to me but obviously I was working my legs in overtime/overdrive with the wind.

If it weren't for the lovely lunch I had (again eggs benedict over crab cakes with chipotle hollandaise sauce), I would have collapsed later on. :o

We did the Hotter 'N Hell Hundred in Wichita Falls, Tx yesterday. It was not that hot, but the wind was brutal!

36 hard miles Yesterday . My first event ever and my first long ride with my new Giant rodie the bike performed like a champ. OMG there were a few steep hills that really killed me. The Saddle wasn't that bad for the first 12-15miles but then it started bothering I had to stand up a lot of times the last maybe 5 miles ... I really need to start riding this new bike some more to see if I really gonna need a new saddle. BTW I didn't use a padded short :( (yeah yeah I know) . Also the way more agressive position with this bike than my steel bike got my lower back with some pain. I am proud of my self though but I know I need to practice some more with this new bike If I want to be able to complete the 50 mile event coming next month.

Did A few mountain bike miles today evening.

Go you! That's fantastic!

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Originally Posted by Giulianna23

36 hard miles Yesterday . My first event ever and my first long ride with my new Giant rodie the bike performed like a champ. OMG there were a few steep hills that really killed me. The Saddle wasn't that bad for the first 12-15miles but then it started bothering I had to stand up a lot of times the last maybe 5 miles ... I really need to start riding this new bike some more to see if I really gonna need a new saddle. BTW I didn't use a padded short :( (yeah yeah I know) . Also the way more agressive position with this bike than my steel bike got my lower back with some pain. I am proud of my self though but I know I need to practice some more with this new bike If I want to be able to complete the 50 mile event coming next month.

Did A few mountain bike miles today evening.

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Go you is right! Which ride did you do yesterday?

You low back pain might be a result of tight hamstrings. Give them a good stretch before, during and after your rides to see if that helps.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

Go you is right! Which ride did you do yesterday?

You low back pain might be a result of tight hamstrings. Give them a good stretch before, during and after your rides to see if that helps.

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http://www.garysride.com/index.html

Indysteel I did the Garys Ride in Plainfield. And yes I did stretch before starting the ride but maybe not enough i did stretch while riding. I did stretch after as well wayy more :) and it really help and felt sooo good.... fortunately this morning I had no pain at all just some soreness on my thighs

excellent ride with Barrel gal and her father and West Texas today. 32 miles in 2 hours. Probably too slow for barrle gal and her father and west texas as well but challenging for me.