June rides....hopefully a pleasant month of weather and rides for all

[Jolt]

Yeah. I need some hills to get my legs responding, I think. It's weird. Most people look at me like I have two heads. The group leader was like, "You hung back and seemed rather timid until you passed us all on EVERY HILL. Where the f*ck did you learned to climb like that?" And I was like, "I'm living in a VERY hilly place currently and my commute has some serious grading to it". They all were dumbfounded but the leader says next time she's going to force me to stay in front and pace with her. I'll take it. It will be good for me, Ithink.

I think I am the opposite...I can get into a rhythm and cruise along pretty well on the flat but when I hit a hill (unless it is a very gradual incline without any steeper segments) I just can't seem to maintain any speed. It's frustrating.

[ny biker]

I slow down a lot on hills but it doesn't bother me. Though in my case, it's because I have to shift down and slow my cadence to prevent the asthma from kicking in.

I had a great ride today. I led a 47-mile club ride in rural southern Maryland, in the area between the Patuxent River and the Chesapeake Bay. The day started cloudy and cool with light rain early in the morning, but the clouds thinned out and the roads dried and we ended up with a nice day.

[colorisnt]

Ny biker,

That sounds lovely. Yeah, I have to also be careful of breathing - very mindful of that. My asthma isn't technically "exercised induced" but rather "allergy induced" these days. However, allergens are all over the place here right now and I have been steadily battling allergies since I am outdoors at least a few hours a day right now every day. So, I have to realize my allergies have lowered my lung capacity as it already stands.

It's a miracle to some that I can do this with my lungs. They used to be in terrible, terrible shape and I had a peds allergist who never thought I would be able to exercise normally but I found one my jr. year of HS who was really receptive to my need to be outside and we slowly built up my lung capacity so that by the time I got to college, I was rather "normal". I also had sinus surgery that year which has helped A LOT in my life. I hated to believe that asthma was a death sentence. And, while meds have never been a silver bullet and it can still knock me back when I'm sick for quite a bit, I just pace a little slower when I need it and focus on the good.

[Crankin]

I'm the same way. Allergies can knock me down in a flash.
I am a decent climber, but not fast. I can get up just about anything.

[colorisnt]

Getting up is the point. That's what makes me feel awesome.

I gained on EVERY climb last night on the Monday fast ride. Averaged about 15.5 mph for over 30 miles. Take that, lungs. Of course, today not only am I suffering pollen, I am also suffering chills and wetness because of the torrential downpour today. I'm in my 3rd change of clothes. I gave up on getting to the uni once I had to climb through standing water and made it about halfway there and was SOAKING despite my rain jacket and rainproofed footwear. Nothing could keep up with the standing water. Had to walk to get lunch and came back soaked AGAIN. Everything is now in the washer. GRRR. Bad time to be in need of laundry.

[Crankin]

So, I went on a group ride today, led by someone who often co-leads with us and vice versa. Today, i was just a participant. I went with my friends, as DH is at home awaiting his clavicle surgery. The ride went from Newburyport, MA to Portsmouth, NH and back. Now, I have actually done quite a few rides in this area, but I generally avoid beach rides in the summer. And today is the start of the "two weeks," when many people here traditionally take their vacations. A very weird group of attendees, 3 bridges (with steel plates, one over a highway), where we had to walk. One was the bridge where the women were killed in the century last September. This ride is flat, except for a couple of rises in the middle.
It was not fun riding through Hampton Beach, although there is a bike lane. But, typical beach traffic, pedestrians, and various honky tonk stuff. Ugh. They should call it "Live Free AND Die," not "or die." Tons of motorcyclists without helmets. Once you get past Hampton Beach, the rest of the coastline is lovely. The speed was high and I stayed up front. We ate at a parrk in Portsmouth, but my measly sandwich was not enough. I had appropriate snacks, Shot Blocks, hydration, but the heat was starting to get to me. I took off with my 2 friends before the group left, as we just wanted to get back. There was a detour, which we figured out, and thankfully, it got shady and cooler. But, coming back through the honky tonk was awful.
55.8 miles and I will meet my July 1 goal tomorrow, if I ride 23 miles. I am tired and a bit sunburned in weird spots. I was very careful to apply lots of lotion, but... finally feel full after eating dinner.

[shootingstar]

Am in Vancouver and enjoying it despite light showers here and there. Yesterday just 43 km. about town. And today less, visiting my favourite haunts and lovely food stops. I sleep a lot better for whatever reason even though it's tame cycling.

[ny biker]

So, I went on a group ride today, led by someone who often co-leads with us and vice versa. Today, i was just a participant. I went with my friends, as DH is at home awaiting his clavicle surgery. The ride went from Newburyport, MA to Portsmouth, NH and back. Now, I have actually done quite a few rides in this area, but I generally avoid beach rides in the summer. And today is the start of the "two weeks," when many people here traditionally take their vacations. A very weird group of attendees, 3 bridges (with steel plates, one over a highway), where we had to walk. One was the bridge where the women were killed in the century last September. This ride is flat, except for a couple of rises in the middle.
It was not fun riding through Hampton Beach, although there is a bike lane. But, typical beach traffic, pedestrians, and various honky tonk stuff. Ugh. They should call it "Live Free AND Die," not "or die." Tons of motorcyclists without helmets. Once you get past Hampton Beach, the rest of the coastline is lovely. The speed was high and I stayed up front. We ate at a parrk in Portsmouth, but my measly sandwich was not enough. I had appropriate snacks, Shot Blocks, hydration, but the heat was starting to get to me. I took off with my 2 friends before the group left, as we just wanted to get back. There was a detour, which we figured out, and thankfully, it got shady and cooler. But, coming back through the honky tonk was awful.
55.8 miles and I will meet my July 1 goal tomorrow, if I ride 23 miles. I am tired and a bit sunburned in weird spots. I was very careful to apply lots of lotion, but... finally feel full after eating dinner.

Did you go through Seabrook? I know someone whose family has a beach house there. In fact he'll be going up for a visit this weekend.

I rode twice last week. On Thursday I took a vacation day for my birthday. The club I belong to has a ride every Thursday that always starts at the same location but uses a different route each week. I came up with a 39-mile route on the roads I like best in that area and led the ride. It was fun. There were 17 people at the ride. Most were faster than me, a couple rode more slowly and took short cuts, and we all managed to meet up at the rest stops. The weather was great. On the way home I stopped at a deli to pick up a sandwich and a slice of carrot (birthday) cake.

Yesterday I did a 63-mile ride that started in northern Maryland and went up to Gettysburg. It was a huge group, because it was posted on the ride schedule for two local clubs. The route was beautiful and we had another day of beautiful summer weather.