I've been getting in a few quick trainer rides. Another exam tomorrow and a bad combination of "it's cold and I'm feeling wimpy"-itis. At least it's been more regular. Now to keep that up!
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Sounds lovely, NY! How nice about the bench dedication. :-)
Crankin, I agree -- going slower is just a lot more pleasant at times. No suffering can be very nice.
We had to skip our usual Sunday morning ride as it was raining off and on, and even during the not-raining minutes, the puddles and wet roads put us off. And by the time we thought "Gee, maybe we should have ridden after all", it would start raining again, thus proving that we made the right decision. It's been a rainy six weeks or so here in Playa, I guess because July through Sept. was dry as the desert.
Emily
2011 Jamis Dakar XC "Toto" - Selle Italia Ldy Gel Flow
2007 Trek Pilot 5.0 WSD "Gloria" - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow
2004 Bike Friday Petite Pocket Crusoe - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow
I've been getting in a few quick trainer rides. Another exam tomorrow and a bad combination of "it's cold and I'm feeling wimpy"-itis. At least it's been more regular. Now to keep that up!
Most days in life don't stand out, But life's about those days that will...
Got in a little 11 mile ride around noon, after doing a new "yoga and weights" class. Jury is still out on that, though it gives me choices on a day off, when it's too cold or snowy to ride, and I don't want to go to spin or ski.
Bright, bright sun, really gorgeous out, around 45. I was a bit overdressed, really just the mid-layer, so I unzipped and that helped. Saw just 2 other cyclists. Glad I went, but I can tell it's getting to be the end of the season for me. Every ride will be a gift and I will force myself out there at least once a week, until it snows or is under 25 degrees. I am at 2,601 miles for the year, and that's OK, considering I haven't done many 50+ mile rides.
2015 Trek Silque SSL
Specialized Oura
2011 Guru Praemio
Specialized Oura
2017 Specialized Ariel Sport
Just finished a 19.5 mile hill ride. A few weeks ago unexpected rain messed with my weekly post-work ride. Tonight there was a chance of light rain in the forecast but it came through early and west of where I planned to ride. There was a cool breeze but it was from the SE, so it was humid with temps in the low 60s. I started the ride wearing arm warmers and a vest, ended up taking them off and was comfortable with just a short-sleeved jersey over a lightweight long-sleeved wool base layer. Unusual for mid-November but I'm not complaining!! The humidity or lack thereof makes a huge difference this time of year.
There was one part of the ride where the roads had been milled down with manhole covers and some unmilled patches higher than the surrounding surface. It was challenging in the dark. Urban cyclocross.
- Gray 2010 carbon WSD road bike, Rivet Independence saddle
- Red hardtail 26" aluminum mountain bike, Bontrager Evoke WSD saddle
- Royal blue 2018 aluminum gravel bike, Rivet Pearl saddle
Gone but not forgotten:
- Silver 2003 aluminum road bike
- Two awesome worn out Juliana saddles
We had torrential rain forecasted for last night and into around mid morning. So, I signed up for spin class. Woke up, the rain was tapering off by 7:00. By 9, when I left, the sun was out! It was too late to cancel (you get charged a fee), so I went, in a bad mood the whole way. I mean, it's 60 degrees on November 20th! The class was good, but the roads were dry when I left the club. Did not think it was a good idea to ride outside after that, since I am planning to ride and go to tabatta tomorrow.
Going out for a little walk now, before a week of eating commences by dinner and theatre in Boston.
2015 Trek Silque SSL
Specialized Oura
2011 Guru Praemio
Specialized Oura
2017 Specialized Ariel Sport
Did a 16 mile ride today, one i haven't done in awhile. Nothing special, but it was nice out, albeit cool, but sunny, with a slight breeze at 45 degrees. There's one smaller hill in the middle of the ride, that goes through Hanscom AFB, and then, the climb back up to my house. I keep thinking my last ride of the year will be my last ride where I have to go up that fricking hill to get home... while moving has been delayed a bit, we'll be out of here by the end of the year.
Lots of riders out, and after an initial period of my legs hurting since i had already been to the gym, I felt really good when I got home. It's supposed to rain in the AM, so we signed up for spin. I won't complain though, if it's dry when we go, as the forecast is iffy for the whole day. I am trying to up my exercise over the next week, and I am feeling it!
2015 Trek Silque SSL
Specialized Oura
2011 Guru Praemio
Specialized Oura
2017 Specialized Ariel Sport
I've ridden more in the past couple of weeks than I have in a while, while also trying to get back to a normal gym routine, and I have definitely been feeling it. Though today I felt okay, probably because I was going kind of slow for much of it.
I did a 46 mile club ride in northern Maryland today, probably our last chance to ride in that area this year since they often get more snow and ice than we do closer to DC. The weather was pretty perfect. It was in the mid 40s when we started but felt warmer thanks to the sunshine and practically cloudless skies. And there was not much wind, which was an added bonus. The route was great, lots of familiar favorite roads with some exploration on a few that I haven't been on before. I will plan to ride it again at some point. The only problem was that we had hoped to stop at a nice cafe in Emmitsburg, but found it has closed and been replaced by a tattoo parlor. The people there were really friendly, so we'll miss them.
It was almost 4 pm by the time we finished and we could feel it getting colder as we rode the last few miles. For the next couple of months we'll be doing shorter rides.
- Gray 2010 carbon WSD road bike, Rivet Independence saddle
- Red hardtail 26" aluminum mountain bike, Bontrager Evoke WSD saddle
- Royal blue 2018 aluminum gravel bike, Rivet Pearl saddle
Gone but not forgotten:
- Silver 2003 aluminum road bike
- Two awesome worn out Juliana saddles
Came out to the desert yesterday to ride, do some photography and reflect this weekend. This morning I rode from Beatty Nv to the ghost town of Rhyolite which has been abandoned since 1920. Only 56 miles but with a very strong headwind going out. It felt good to be in the moment of a hard ride with the beauty of the desert surrounding me.
A side road out of Beatty as I started out this morning
‘The negative feelings we all have can be addictive…just as the positive…it’s up to
us to decide which ones we want to choose and feed”… Pema Chodron
Rebecca, as always, your photos are inspirational!
2016 Specialized Ruby Comp disc - Ruby Expert ti 155
2010 Surly Long Haul Trucker - Jett 143
Wow yes, what a beautiful photo.
- Gray 2010 carbon WSD road bike, Rivet Independence saddle
- Red hardtail 26" aluminum mountain bike, Bontrager Evoke WSD saddle
- Royal blue 2018 aluminum gravel bike, Rivet Pearl saddle
Gone but not forgotten:
- Silver 2003 aluminum road bike
- Two awesome worn out Juliana saddles
I rode El Tour de Tucson today- 104 miles. 1852 out of 2450 riders (yup, I'm slow!) with moving speed of about 14.6, but only 13.8 mph with rest stops included. The national weather service had predicted a very breezy day- with headwinds for most of the first 31 miles, and very stiff headwinds on the last 24. I was trying to save energy to deal with the wind .... but the weather forecast turned out to be wrong and the winds were never as bad- and switched to a tailwind for the last 24 or so. So instead of a difficult two hours at 12 mph, my tired self truly appreciated being able to finish up most of that section going 15-20 mph! Cool at the start (mid-40's) but quickly warmed up and I think it may have topped 80 degrees.
As expected, my husband pulled ahead right away to ride at his own faster pace. My friend started with me but after about 10 miles she wanted to go faster. I made friends with a guy from Colorado who told me he really hadn't trained at all and was carrying some extra pounds. That's probably why he didn't pass me right away.... He rode with me for 25 miles until he was able to take advantage of momentum on the downhill stretch. However we met up again around mile 50 and rode together for about 15 or 20 more miles. It was nice to have company. One drawback to being slow-ish: when the riders on the 40 mile route joined in, it was mayhem. Lots of riders with not much experience - so their riding habits were sometimes a little scary. They were all over the road and didn't stay right if they were a little slower, so the faster riders had trouble getting past them. I had a close call on a corner when a teen rider who had been pretty oblivious cut so close I almost had an accident.
But it was a pretty good day- we finished with a late lunch/early dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Imagining I could probably eat anything I wanted today I ordered a big burrito, enchilada style but then only felt like eating 1/3 of it.
2016 Specialized Ruby Comp disc - Ruby Expert ti 155
2010 Surly Long Haul Trucker - Jett 143
Do not put yourself down for those numbers, AZ! There were about 600 people behind you and 14.5 is a very good average for a century, for G-d's sake. It sounds like you had a great day.
Now I am thinking about that burrito, enchilada style, which is truly an AZ thing.
Hope you rest today.
ETA: And, I never look at my speed with stops. A stop is a stop. Rolling average is the only thing I let my GPS calculate. I don't linger at stops, though, and it all evens out.
Last edited by Crankin; 11-22-2015 at 03:57 AM.
2015 Trek Silque SSL
Specialized Oura
2011 Guru Praemio
Specialized Oura
2017 Specialized Ariel Sport
I agree with Crankin, you did very well indeed! Glad you had a nice evening, enjoy your rest day today!
Azfiddle - I agree with the others - sounds like a great day on the bike to me!
As an aside - I was so happy to see that Gabby Giffords rode the 40 mile route! So glad she's able to get back out there! Story
Most days in life don't stand out, But life's about those days that will...
I totally agree. Go Gabby Go!
Congratulations, azfiddle -- I think that is a great time! But you mentioned one of the reasons I'm not big on large organized events: the inexperienced cyclists. They do unpredictable things and can indeed cause accidents. Stopping right in the middle of the lane, weaving, etc. All that stuff makes me crazy, but I am glad to see people out there riding.
Emily
2011 Jamis Dakar XC "Toto" - Selle Italia Ldy Gel Flow
2007 Trek Pilot 5.0 WSD "Gloria" - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow
2004 Bike Friday Petite Pocket Crusoe - Selle Italia Diva Gel Flow