July riding

[Blueberry]

yesterday's ride was a 4 H (heat, humidity, headwinds and hills) ride from Brenham to Chapel Hills. There is a reason that the town is named Chapel Hill and not just Chapel. In the 16 miles between Brenham and Chapel Hill on the route we followed there were a lot of rollers plus 8 hills. 3 were "oh gawd" hills ( where all you can do is pant those words with each pedal stroke0, 2 were "you have got to be kidding me", 2 were "I think I can hills" and 1 was a "this is not a real hill " gasped at the end of a continual long but not steep ascent. We started at 8:00 at 85 degrees with a feels like of 88 with the wind at about 10 mph, and finished at 11:00 at 90 with a feels like of 98 with the wind at about 15 gusting up to 20. And it's not even the dog days of August yet.

The indoor trainer is looking better and better.

Hah. I live in another Chapel Hill. And yes - there is a reason. Good training, but not really the ideal commute.

And agree 100% on the indoor trainer. We were over 90 by 10AM, with a 104 heat index this afternoon (and I'm pretty sure that was on the low end). Rode yesterday (a memorial ride for a friend who was killed 2 years ago), but not today. Tomorrow should be (a little) better.

[Crankin]

I commuted yesterday. It's working out well for Thursdays, when I have my first client at 9... I leave at 7, to just beat the traffic backup at an intersection near my house. I take my time, change and clean up, drink more coffee, and then I do some filing in my charts and clean my office for the week. Yesterday I got to leave at 2, but usually, it will be 4, before rush hour.
My SI joint is complaining after riding with the pannier this week. I don't think it's the trail running, because it started the day before I ran, after I commuted. I hadn't had any issues when I was commuting on my other bike, with a back pack.

[azfiddle]

Last week before I return to work (short summer, long fall break is the trade off in our school district). So I made my 3rd ascent up Mt. Lemmon in a week and got to the top of the ridge, but not to the little village of Summerhaven because the paved road was closed after a tree had fallen. The Forest Service decided to keep the road closed and do extra maintenance. There was detour onto a dirt road for two miles- it would have gotten me to the Cookie Cabin for my reward, but I didn't want to attempt it on my road bike so I reluctantly turned around 2 miles short of my goal. I'm sure I'll try one more time at least.....

Today was a very slow/easy 20 miles out to Saguaro NP

[Crankin]

We had a good, but hot ride to Kimall's Fruit Farm in Pepperel, MA/Hollis, NH today. First time we've taken a group up there. There were about 12 people, quite a few other leaders, so no pressure on me, as a new person was sweeping, so he can get his full leadership status. DH went out really fast and I was shocked my average was 14 at the lunch stop, after climbing Worcester RD. This is a 7 part hill. There's some rest in between the 7 hills, but, it's tough. After lunch, though, is when you hit constant short, steep climbs. Thankfully, it's shady, until the last 4-5 miles, which includes more hills. 2,569 feet of climbing and it was 88 when we got back. Thankfully, no humidity.
Went out for ice cream afterwards at a new place in my old town. Good, but feeling it now!

[khg]

Well, I posted this over in the PNW forum, but my fun riding of the weekend was the annual Seattle-To-Portland ride on Saturday. It was my fifth time doing the 200 mile ride (each year I've done the 1 day option, there's also a 2 day option), and it went really well. The ride is about as easy a double-century as you can find (not that a double-century is easy) as the ride is well supported, and a pretty flat route overall.

10,000 cyclists take part each year, split about 20/80 between 1 day and 2 day. It makes for a bit of a madhouse the first 50 miles or so, as you're packed in on the road and have to watch out for people doing sketchy things. But there's also something magical about being part of so many cyclists working towards the same goal!

The ride also highlights to me what an amazing invention the bicycle is--it seems almost unbelievable that I could get from Seattle to Portland solely under my own power, in a single day! And yet not only did I do that, I even got to Portland in time to shower, enjoy a couple beers and some pad thai at the finish line festival, and cheer other people as they came across the finish line!

And perhaps more impressive to me than what I (and thousands of others) did on Saturday, is that on Sunday I rode the 5 miles and 400' of elevation gain home from the bike/bus drop off point in Seattle... Oddly enough, that ride wasn't too bad, but going up and down stairs still kinda sucks.

I'm already looking forward to next year!

[smittykitty]

Also rode STP in two days. Khg really summed it up. I tried posting in NW last night, but must have fallen asleep in the process! Will try again soon. Massage today!