June 22 rides

[makbike]

Started my day off with a 3.13 mile ride around my subdivision. I then added a 3.91 mile ride after my dad left to return to Tennessee and I'm planning on a spin this afternoon. Good thing I don't have spies in the neighbor who could report me to my doctor. It is time to start building myself back up so I can get out on the road. I think I'm well on the road to recovery

Took the bike out for a late afternoon spin - 5.08 miles thus bringing my total for today to 12.12 miles - I'm so excited.

I'm heading to Tennessee tomorrow to spend the weekend with my parents and my oldest sister and her husband. I'm packing the bike!

[Crankin]

Today we led a ride that is part of a weekly series. We had a lot of trouble planning the cue sheet and we are not that familiar with the roads immediately around the start point. The people that are in charge of the series asked us to lead a few so they could be free, but they were there! It felt like a bit of pressure. So was one of the other leaders who does this series at times. Anyway, the people liked it, but we didn't feel that great about it. I was sweeping, which was fine, because I haven't had a lot of zip this week. There were about 20 people. After about 5 miles Steve missed a turn, so we had to back track a bit. Then the roads in Lincoln are just full of pot holes. Of course almost all of this was a downhill and I had to be very careful. I mean really, Lincoln is a very rich town and the roads have never been fixed since I moved here in 1990. My little group in the back missed the green light to cross RT. 2, and I lost sight of the others, but I was on familiar territory here. One of the guys kept trying to make wrong turns and I had to yell constantly to keep him in line! And of course, I was constantly telling people to ride single file; there were a lot of cars. Finally, the group had waited for us and we took off up the road to Hanscom AFB. Somehow, another small group of riders got in behind me and this chatty guy kept trying to talk to me about the Diabetes ride and asking me all kinds of questions about our group. He wouldn't shut up! I asked him to join the group, but he didn't and we dropped him on the hill going up to Hanscom and finally lost him as we turned back onto Rt. 2A.Then, one of the riders in front of me made a left in front of an on coming truck . Not a good thing, but I was nice and said "It's always better to wait." Anyway, about 4 miles from the end, we had a mistake on the cue sheet, necessitating a quick left to avoid a one way street. Thankfully the other leaders there told us how to get back on our route, but it was embarrassing.
It was a beautiful day weather wise, but we decided when we lead this series again, we will ride straight out to an area we know and feel good about. There were several new people, who thanked us profusely, but still, Steve was a wreck when we got back and nothing ruffles him.

[DDH]

I had a heck of a time today. I went to ride my normal 12 mile route and got down the road and they were working on it so they had the road closed. I started to ask them if I could go through and then I decided I would just leave it and go somewhere different.
I turned around and headed down a different route and decided I was going to try to get my butt out of the saddle and push up the hills and see if I can't start working on my hill climbing a little. I suck at it trust me!! LOL

I stood up and pushed it up one long grade and sat back down and took it easy to get my heart rate back down a little, and go up another however it was a littel steeper so I had to sit back down about half way through. The rest of the ride was just little grades here and there and I turn around to head home and am almost to the point to turn back to the road to my house and I head up this hill, stand up and start pumping and OW pain in my knee, so I sit back down real quick and try to get the gears down and my chain pops off and jams between the bottom bracket and the ring, UH OH, feet are still clipped in and I am coming to a quick stop.
I darn near lost it. I was able to think quick enough to get my feet out of my clips and now I am hurrying to try to get my feet on the ground and get my balance back before I fall on my butt!!!
Oh my!!! I can't imagine what I looked like, I was literally lifting the front of my bike up trying to regain my balance. I must have looked like a real bad drunk trying to ride a bike. LOL

I didn't fall though. I had to call DH to come get me and bring me home. My chain was so jammed that I couldn't get it out myself. I'm glad he was home today so I wouldn't have to walk with my bike shoes on all the way home. It was still another 2 miles before home.
I'm just really glad I didn't fall, but I am sure I looked like an idiot to the car that was driving by.
Quite an experience though. Gets your adreline going anyway.

[divingbiker]

I had a glorious commute today--beautiful mid-60s ride in, and a perfect, but a bit windy, mid-70s ride home. I took the long way home, 18 miles instead of 7, and enjoyed every bit of it. One of my coworkers caught up to me about a mile into the trail part of the commute, and we rode together and talked for about 8 miles. It was fun.

The construction on a one-mile stretch of the trail is done, and it is amazing--what used to be a rutted, eroded mess of deep large gravel is now a flat, hard-packed trail with drainage ditches on the side. I was pleasantly surprised that the trail was open and very happy that I didn't have to take a detour.

[7rider]

Because I arrived at work early today - we had morning briefings on Capital Hill - and my conference call ended early, I was able to scoot out of work at 4ish today. DH did the same. We put the Speedplays on the the Trek and the two of us went out and did our "French Countryside" loop. For some reason, my Garmin didn't like being in my back jersey pocket, and it beeped on and off the whole ride. I was driven nearly insane from listening to it's beeping. And..it underestimated the normally 23 mile loop by about a mile and a half. Grrrr....
But, the new Trek Madone 5.2 is a really nifty bike. I do prefer the DuraAce of my Seven over the Ultegra, however. Call me a snob, but I really like the <<snap>> of the DA. Still, the Madone's frame handled the rolling route in stride. DH commented that he needed to ride faster, because every time he looked back, I was right there! Yeah, the bike wants to go fast.

[Fredwina]

Donna,
I think I top you for bad days
My Cannondale roadie is in the shop . I almost went Mountain biking, but no, I got the Bike Friday out for spin, I rode up through Terra vista and past the Colonies in Upland.
When I start going down Benson, I had a flat. And I found I had left the road morph with the Cannondale . I was about away from a wal mart, so I hoofed there and bought a pump for $7.00 The good news: it was only $7.00. The bad news I got what a i paid for. (memo to self: buy Pump when I pick up other bike.) I got it infalted to about 20PSI and road home, Very slowly. did I mention it was 99 degrees when I got home?
joy joy joy!

[Dr. Liz]

Gah. A rough week. A good friend got very seriously injured in a crit on Tuesday, got Life Flight-ed off the course with a fractured skull (he had a helmet on that stayed on through the crash) and a serious concussion; he just got out of ICU yesterday, and because of insurance issues, may be kicked out of the hospital too soon. He's really messed up (didn't know our names when we saw him yesterday), and it will be a while before he is back to 100&#37;. Frightening.

Wednesday, I crashed (completely operator error) on my TT bike (I zigged when I should have zagged, and found myself having a close-encounter with a guard rail - I protected the bike, and bruised myself pretty good in the process - major hematoma on the left quad, spectacular bruising on the right knee/shin). Finished the day off with getting dehydrated (or possibly a tad bit of shock) at the far end of the loop, and got a ride home from an off-duty fireman, as there was no way I would have made it back.

Today, despite barely being able to put weight on the left leg (it's just a bruise, but it's a deep one - the swelling on my upper quad is something to behold ), DH and I went out for a very easy 30 miles (no hills, high cadence). It was hot, and I really made sure I was hydrated, but it was hard. I made it home, and have spent the rest of the day icing/heating/using the electric stim machine on my quad. It is stiffer than a 2x4, but I think spinning is the only way to loosen it up. So I anticipate more flat(-ish, this is Utah, afterall) high cadence rides for the next couple of days.

A rough week, but we'll all survive. And at least some of our team is still riding, while we are doing everything we can for our fallen comrade and his wife.

[cosc]

Dr Liz and DDH after your ride reports mine sounds like a walk in the park. On my 50 mile ride I can report rolling hills, stampeding buffalo, great soup and carrot cake, no wind and 90's. My knee is complaining a bit today so I will walk or stay in the air conditioning today.