november rides....outside and inside

[Sky King]

This has been such an odd fall for me. Riding once a week is pathetic. We did get out on the pavement Saturday, We had no real plan but when we hit an intersection with a half marathon in process we decided to ride "against" the race instead of in the race as they were running with traffic on the side of the road - we thought that was a bit odd as traditional runners and walkers face traffic. Anyhow it was enjoyable as we rode a common route backwards, so to speak. Lots of wind so tucked home via the cemetery and some back roads. Sunday my BFF and I opted for a walk instead of a ride. Today she is having brain surgery to remove 3 tumors, my mind is certainly elsewhere as I type this.

[emily_in_nc]

So glad you're doing better, Sheila! Did not realize that had happened to you. How did you hurt your arm?

Happy to hear you're back in the saddle.

[Hartmame]

This is the toughest part of the year riding outdoors as much as possible, trying to hit the 3,000 mile mark before the end of the year. Yet hitting spin classes when the temperature are too low, wet or when I don't have time to wait for the temps to rise.

[azfiddle]

I did a 35 mile ride Saturday with my women's cycling group. I'm always the slowest one so I was spared seeing an accident in the front group. One of the riders is a little bit high strung and inattentive. She rode between two others and touched bars- one of them stayed upright but she and (I think) one of the other women went down. I got there and a few cars were stopped- a man in a big pickup truck kindly offered to take the two of them back to the start. At that point "L" couldn't put any weight on her leg and I was thinking some kind of fracture... We didn't call an ambulance- possibly should have but she went straight to the ER. Her injuries included a fractured sacrum and inferior and superior ramus. I think she had a torn muscle as well. Ouch!! After they left, I had to sit down for a minute because I get light headed just thinking about it. Then someone else went back with derailleur issues and someone else left early so it was just 3 of us.

I suggested we add in the 8 mile loop at Saguaro National Park instead of just stopping for water and halfway around I realized how close I was cutting it for getting back - I was scheduled to perform at the Tucson Celtic Festival. So I ended up with a few PR's on strava (which I only use when my Garmin battery isn't charged) but made it back in time.

Much more eventful than the usual Saturday ride. 6-8 weeks recovery time for my friend- plus wheelchair and then a walker to get around for a while. She's also a teacher and I can't imagine trying to be a middle school teacher with that limitation

[azfiddle]

Sunday's ride was much better than Saturday's. I was signed up for a century but opted to drop down to the 66 mile option - when I got to the start I decided I just didn't want to spend my whole day on a bike. Also, one of the sections for the longer route is very rough pavement and goes through a lot of depressing trailers where I always imagine people are inside cooking meth. At my speed (13.5- 14.5 average) it most likely would have taken me at least 7 hours. So my friend and I had a good ride although we battled the wind for most of the second half and got back for lunch when the fast riders were finishing the century. It was cool but not cold (around 50) to start, and in the 70's midday. Last time I did the full century, the food was about gone and they were taking down the SAG station when I rolled in (nearly last if not completely last...)

[Crankin]

I went to spin class today. Bah. It's cold, damp, raining. But, the good thing is that the club ride I was going to do was moved to Friday, another work-free day for me.
Spin at my new club is harder and better, but, going at 9:30 AM, well, you find yourself surrounded by the "housewives." I pretty much ignore them, and the least the instructor kept telling people to pay attention to themselves, which means no talking.
I wore my US Marines bike jersey for Veterans' Day and not one person acknowledged it.

[emily_in_nc]

I wore my US Marines bike jersey for Veterans' Day and not one person acknowledged it.

Wow, I'm kinda surprised at that. Facebook is absolutely lit up with Veterans' Day memes today.

[ny biker]

Sunday's ride was much better than Saturday's. I was signed up for a century but opted to drop down to the 66 mile option - when I got to the start I decided I just didn't want to spend my whole day on a bike. Also, one of the sections for the longer route is very rough pavement and goes through a lot of depressing trailers where I always imagine people are inside cooking meth. At my speed (13.5- 14.5 average) it most likely would have taken me at least 7 hours. So my friend and I had a good ride although we battled the wind for most of the second half and got back for lunch when the fast riders were finishing the century. It was cool but not cold (around 50) to start, and in the 70's midday. Last time I did the full century, the food was about gone and they were taking down the SAG station when I rolled in (nearly last if not completely last...)

You've just described the reasons I don't do full centuries anymore. I have a friend who doesn't care that he's the last to finish, with the post-ride picnic over before he gets there, because he loves spending all day on the bike. But I enjoy it more when I do shorter routes, usually a metric.

Best wishes to your friend on her recovery.

I had the day off today (well our client was closed so we weren't allowed to work, but my employer was open so I had to take a vacation day, but anyway), so I led a 40-mile ride for the bike club. It was nice to do a daytime ride on a day when I would usually be going out in the dark after work. One of my friends co-led for another ride category, a slightly slower group. Yesterday's club ride was cancelled because of rain, so I expected a good group, and in total we had about 20 people. It was a nice route through farmland with a visit to a local park on the Patuxent River.

As I was driving to the ride start, just before I arrived there, the odometer on my car reached 100,000 miles. Seems nice for my car to reach that milestone on my way to a fun bike ride with friends.

[emily_in_nc]

Much more eventful than the usual Saturday ride. 6-8 weeks recovery time for my friend- plus wheelchair and then a walker to get around for a while. She's also a teacher and I can't imagine trying to be a middle school teacher with that limitation

Oh man, I feel her pain! That's similar to the fractures I had except mine was my ilium and the two rami on the right side. Non weight-bearing for eight weeks, wheelchair/walker, back to work after nine weeks (and limping a lot), but thank the gods I had a desk job. I hope she can sit a lot while teaching until she's fully recovered.

It's a slow road back. I rode on the trainer before I was weight-bearing and even did a 50-mile event four months out, but I've never really been the same since. Close, but not quite. I still have some residual scar tissue or something deep in that right buttock that sometimes gets achy even ten years after the fact, and all the PT, rest, ice, and ibuprofen in the world doesn't really make much difference. It mostly helps just to stay active. Foam rolling is helpful too.

I hope your friend will not have as many after-effects as I have over the years.