Weekday Rides?

[Catrin]

I guess I need to stop complaining about my huge groups of 30.

I don't know if it was the normal size for my group, but we started with about 25 of us in my group. I was able to hang with no problems until I was stuck at an intersection, was solo after that point. There were 5 groups in total. I had fun and will return, this is a good way to mix it up and get used to riding around others.

[indysteel]

Glad you had fun, Catrin. The route Nebo uses for its training rides remains one of my favorites. The last time I did a Thursday night ride there--in September of 2008--the group was much smaller than that. I can't even picture 200 riders congregating in Nebo's lot. That would be a big turnout even for a weekend CIBA ride. Is it chaotic? Is there a place to park?

[Catrin]

Glad you had fun, Catrin. The route Nebo uses for its training rides remains one of my favorites. The last time I did a Thursday night ride there--in September of 2008--the group was much smaller than that. I can't even picture 200 riders congregating in Nebo's lot. That would be a big turnout even for a weekend CIBA ride. Is it chaotic? Is there a place to park?

Everyone has to park in the empty lots on the north side of 106th as those businesses are closed by that time. It would certainly be chaotic if most of the riders didn't return every week. I think everyone is so accustomed to "their" group that everyone sort of congregates in their own group in Nebo's lot in the order in which the groups head out so it was really quite organized. They have a couple of minutes lag between groups.

Looking back at my last post - I only was dropped by the faster members of our group after I got stuck at that intersection. The slower members of our group (and the leader/sweeper) were behind me somewhere and I never saw them after we crossed 116th. I did wind up riding with another woman who was close to my speed and we missed a turn (the marker needs refreshing). I've ridden a LOT of miles in that area over the last two years though so once I realized we missed it I was able to lead her back - she was following me to begin with. It really helped knowing the area well enough to realize there wasn't a turn for a couple of miles so I knew we had missed a turn.

[withm]

LOL. I doubt there are 200 avid cyclists in the entire county here.

[redrhodie]

Glorious day here today. Bright sunshiny day, light breeze. I rode up to Portsmouth and did hills, first time in a long time I felt like climbing. I felt good! I've been having issues climbing since finishing radiation, so today felt like a breakthrough. I did have on different shoes, so maybe it was that.

I saw parachuter in the sky while riding by a windmill that's surrounded by a babbling brook, on a street called Paradise Rd. It doesn't get any better than that.

[Blueberry]

Yay, Red! I'm so happy for you - you deserve every minute of it and more

[Crankin]

It was gorgeous this morning. I had a booked solid morning, so I got up at 4:45 and went to Boot Camp.
Then, before I left for the first client, I called my voice mail and found that #2 and #3 had to reschedule. GRRRRR. It was too late to call and reschedule the first person to later and I was all dressed in work clothes. The first person is one of the 3 people I could actually ride to. So I drove to the house, and ended up coming home and doing paperwork, before going to the office and my afternoon.
But, I did ride 5.5 miles with my 13 y/o client who only warms up to talking to me after we ride or hike.

[indysteel]

Glorious day here today. Bright sunshiny day, light breeze. I rode up to Portsmouth and did hills, first time in a long time I felt like climbing. I felt good! I've been having issues climbing since finishing radiation, so today felt like a breakthrough. I did have on different shoes, so maybe it was that.

I saw parachuter in the sky while riding by a windmill that's surrounded by a babbling brook, on a street called Paradise Rd. It doesn't get any better than that.

That's great, Red. I hope you have many fantastic rides ahead of you this summer. As Blueberry said, you really deserve it.

[redrhodie]

That's great, Red. I hope you have many fantastic rides ahead of you this summer. As Blueberry said, you really deserve it.

Thanks guys! I will feel really silly if all these weeks of feeling like I'm dragging an anchor whenever the road tips up was a cleat issue, but I think that's the case. I'll have a better idea after Saturday's ride.

[Owlie]

Glorious day here today. Bright sunshiny day, light breeze. I rode up to Portsmouth and did hills, first time in a long time I felt like climbing. I felt good! I've been having issues climbing since finishing radiation, so today felt like a breakthrough. I did have on different shoes, so maybe it was that.

I saw parachuter in the sky while riding by a windmill that's surrounded by a babbling brook, on a street called Paradise Rd. It doesn't get any better than that.

Awesome.

[AppleTree]

Bike errand day! My favorite kind of day... to the hardware store, to the health food store...found some really, really fabulous toasted pumpkin seeds there, yeah! To AAA for some maps for our trip this week, then to the grocery store. When I came out though, my bike had fallen over and knocked the lenses out of my sunglasses (cheap drugstore ones)...not sure how that happened?? I left them in my helmet which was hanging off my handlebars along with my gloves. Anyhoo, I need to prop my bike up better next time. No damage though.

Had one close call in the grocery store parking lot when someone backed out of a handicapped parking space. That's been happening a lot to me lately, and I am overcautious now. I hollered (in my best LOUD mom voice) WATCH OUT!! I could see her going, "huh????" Grrrr.

I loved your story too Crankin. It seems so obvious to us doesn't it? Excercise+Beauty of Nature=Bliss. A very simple equation indeed.

Love reading all of the stories here. Very inspiring.

[shootingstar]

That's great Crankin.

[Catrin]

Sounds like a good kid Crankin, and I couldn't agree with you more. My old bouts of depression have almost completely disappeared since I got off the couch...

Today I rode 11 miles in my favorite park. My intention had been to ride 11-12 miles there, and then leave the park to check out a ~9-11 mile loop I rode last week for the first time. My right quad, however, was tight from the beginning and never loosened. After 9 miles it became apparent it just wasn't going to so I took the hint and spun it easy homewards-bound. Nice ride, if short.

Yesterday was a heavy leg day at the gym, and then at the finale of our "Slim It to Win It" body composition challenge we had a 45 minute special Zumba class that I tried out. Never done that before, and my legs were a little toasty going in so I am not all that surprised that my quads were talking to me today. It seemed fine before I started or I wouldn't have headed out. Darn it, it is such a beautiful day for a ride and I am off work today...

[Jiffer]

Rode 10 miles today, my longest "week day" ride in about a year. My week day "short" rides, used to average around 20-25. It's nice to at least be in the double digits again! As long as I ride slow, keeping my heart rate down, I can go longer these days. My "long" ride this weekend will be 18. I've been bumping up 2 miles each week lately.

Getting my poisonous mercury fillings replaced soon and hoping that will be the key to improved health and swift century riding again. Mercury poisoning could be the reason I have candida, adrenal fatigue, hypothyroidism and low hormones (along with like 10 other things).

[Catrin]

100 degrees at 5:00, so did I go to the great group training class at the air conditioned gym I normally attend on Tuesday evenings? Nope, legs needed some gentle recovery instead so at 5:15 I rolled out into the heat for a little ride. Nice ride, much shorter and easier than normal. As I rolled home at the end of my ride thunder started rolling - and we even had a brief heavy storm!

Oddly enough it didn't FEEL all that hot - even the thermometer on my bike computer told me it was 100 as I started. I was drenched by the time I got home though - and I was only out for 45 minutes. Much better than my last hot ride!