Rides weekend of Oct 1

[azfiddle]

The weather is getting a little more conducive to longer rides around here, though still hot in the afternoons. My DH joined me on a group ride that headed south and east of Tucson on a 67 mile ride to Vail, Corona de Tucson and Sahuarita. I kept up okay until the first stop (about 17 miles) and stayed with a group of 4 until the 2nd stop (about 33 miles) but as often happens, fell behind after that. Good thing the DH was super tired from doing intervals to keep himself occupied on the first half of the ride, so he was happy to ride my pace for the rest of the way. Smoothie and sandwich afterward, followed by a nap.

Tomorrow we're going to the 2nd session of the El Tour de Tucson training program, with the Carmichael Training Systems Coaches. The actual ride will be very short, as the schedule tomorrow is for cornering drills and a presentation on nutrition, but I might ride the 10 miles to the starting location.

[Chile Pepper]

I had a great ride today! I'm finally feeling like I'm getting back to the level of fitness I had before the winter break (it's spring here). Did just under 70 km today, a few minutes faster than my best time earlier in the year. I feel great!

[redrhodie]

Me too! I had a great ride, felt great. I went out planning on 25, but due to traffic issues, ended up going a different way. I thought I'd end up with 30. I couldn't believe it when I got home, and I had been gone for 2.5 hours. I thought I must have been way slower than it felt, then I mapped it, and it turns out I rode 38 miles, not 30.

[Catrin]

I am a bit jealous of the 70+ degree temps, but it is supposed to warm up around there this coming week.

Yesterday I rode a local beginners mountain bike loop with Winding Road and another woman, we got in about 6 miles until it started getting too dark to see in the woods.

Later this afternoon am going to do some road riding, or at least put in 25 miles of so in a park that is close to me, it depends on how windy it is. This will be my first road ride in over a week! Thankfully the storms of the past week or so have calmed, and they are forecasting nothing but sun and warmer temps for the next week or so

[goldfinch]

Not a long ride today because of duties, but I did go 18.5 miles today. I am now down in southern Iowa and it is nice to be warm again!

Today I dodged wooly bear caterpillars. Today I worked hard to keep up with a tractor after it passed me on an uphill, amusing the driver. Today I watched flocks of bluebirds gathering for the winter move. Today I went faster and easier up hills that I last biked in June.

Nice day. Now time for a walk with the spouse and the dog.

[Owlie]

Does 20 minutes on the trainer count? I'm having difficulty getting myself out of the house to actually ride. (I think my body's in "recovery from exam" mode!) Just as well, because my mom found my tire levers in my room this morning!

I'll put in a little more trainer time later and then go for a walk to get some sunlight. Next weekend's supposed to be nice, so I may drive home and get in a ride--I'm hoping to do around 48 miles for my birthday on the 22nd.

[Crankin]

Actually got in a ride, just under 20 miles. It's been raining/drizzly, but it stayed dry long enough to get it done. Of course, I brought my rain jacket, so that must have been the key. On the way back, we stopped and I bought the new thin liners I am going try with my Shimano shoes.
I didn't see many riders until near the end of the ride, when others must have figured out it wasn't going to rain, at least until later. It was a fast ride for me and I wish I had had a snack before I left; it was already noon, but I wasn't hungry then. I ate half a Luna Bar as I paid for my purchase, and managed to get the last 3.8 miles home without fainting from hunger.

[westtexas]

I've actually done a lot of riding lately. A friend/colleague of mine fractured his femur at the hip joint last year and he's just now able to ride again. He's on a trike and trying to build up his strength again. I know it's been hard for him to be off the bike this long, especially since he's a randonneur and used to race. So I've been riding at a nice even pace with him the fast few days while he slowly builds up his strength.

Thursday and Saturday we went 33 miles, which is basically from the town we live in to the next big town and back. Because it's taking longer to complete than usual for me I've developed a wicked cycling tan (including my a fantastic glove line tan... lol) despite gobs of sunscreen... but I'm very fair skinned.

Today I did my first 50-miler. The most I've done previously was the 33 mile loop which is a pretty easy route for me now. The 50 today has left me... pretty tired. That and I am trying to be very very good and not eat all the carbs I can possibly get my hands on. It was a nice route which some pretty smooth road and some nice "rollers" (little hills in succession). The weather was very nice too - fairly cool and dry - and we had a brisk tailwind nearly the entire way back (basically everything but the last 5 miles). It was fantastic. We're trying to build up my mileage now so I can possibly do some touring down at Ft. Davis or New Mexico or Colorado with my friend's group. Two of the ladies we ride with were off today doing a 200k (130 miles I think) and I'd like to build up to that at some point. Getting myself motivated to do that on my own would never happen, but having a partner to ride with is very nice.

Here's to finally feeling a little bit of fall weather!

[Becky]

5 miles to the hardware store and back this morning for some paint samples. 15 miles this afternoon because I was climbing the walls. It was definitely not my most favorite ride, as it's been so cool and damp here.

I need to find my winter bike clothing and remember how to use it.

[Roadtrip]

No riding this weekend, but did go for a long hike through some long-since-visited trails in our wooded local park. Had to climb over downed trees, cross several streams, up one STEEP hill, and nearly lost the trail once with leaf cover, but we found the missing link / trail to another nature preserve and continued down to the end. At that point my new hiking shoes were killing my right foot. I'd tried them on with thinner socks and today had on wool socks, keeping my feet warm, but caused a rather nasty blister and wound that had ripped open.

We stopped for coffee (didn't know we could get to the coffee shop via this route-- SWEET) and I took off my shoe and saw why my foot was barking at me, so we hopped the bus and took it back home. I don't think I would have been very happy for the return trip!

Shannon

[Cynedra]

It was absolutely lovely here today and I got in a 30 mile ride. DH and I were able to go without our boys and it really makes a difference. No trailer to pull and no fighting to stop.l

[MojoGrrl]

Group ride today on the tandem with my beloved, and as usual, we took off and dropped them...and then he got lost, of course, and turned a 45-mile ride into 60. He is such a stereotypical male, insisting he knows where he's going and refusing to let me look at the map and tell him where to go. And it's not like I have a lot of say in things, being the stoker. Oh well, I'm fine with putting in extra miles to stay in shape since we're doing a century in a couple of weeks, and we did meet up with the group again after all.

[Sardine]

We're having wonderful weather and yesterday was a perfect day for a ride. Joined a local cycling club for their Sunday regular and discovered that I'm just a 40 minute ride away from lovely green country lanes. It's a shame I'll never find them again on my own. About 60 miles door to door, and the leader's navigation skills were so good that we hardly needed to stop except for a tea break (literally – we're in England), lunch (at a pub, of course) and a few catch-up stops at the top of hills. There was a particularly long and steep hill towards the end that added interest.

It was nice to ride with a sociable and relaxed group of people. I was the only woman on the return leg as the others had commitments to get to but there wasn't a hint of testosterone around. I'm not one for joining clubs but I'm hoping that this will become a regular thing.

[ridenread]

Did a 20 mile ride yesterday. The weather started out beautiful and sunny but heavy clouds rolled in by mile 12. Decided I had better head back home since rain was in the forecast. The sun was in and out all day but it never did rain. The winds were not very much fun and I seemed to be riding into a headwind no matter which way I was going.

[ivorygorgon]

DH and I road the Tour de Poway - http://www.tourdepoway.com/102MileProfile.pdf

We did the 100 mile route; riding time was about 6.5 hours. It was very hot. I think I melted.