Rev Rider

This Ride: 20 miles
Kona Distance: 3,884.3 miles
Month to date: 74.3 miles
2010 Total: 4,370.8 miles
Pace to 5,254.8 mile goal in 2010: (286.5 miles ahead of goal pace)

I no sooner got to work this morning when I had to schedule a 4:00 appointment, putting the 5:15 ride in jeopardy.  I looked at options, and decided to ride the reverse route that the 5:15 Pizza ride was taking, therefore intercepting the peloton and ride back with them.  It was a good plan.

I hit the trail about 30 minutes after the others had left, and caught them just at the 10 mile mark (for me).  The peloton was pretty loose, with frequent sprints and constant changing of positions.  We had some riders I’d never met, so the gathering around the table for pizza and beer was a nice time.  Clint even showed up before he had to go off to handbell practice.

The trip from the pizza place to home was quite chilly.  I was still damp from the sweating and it was 55 degrees out.  I warmed up by the time I got home, but those first couple of miles found me nearly shivering.

We’ll see about the morning.  The forecast is for 47 degrees at 5 am.  Possible rain later in the day.  High will not reach 60 degrees.

These Rides: 29.5 miles
Kona Distance: 3,864.4 miles
Month to date: 54.4 miles
2010 Total: 4,350.9 miles
Pace to 5,254.8 mile goal in 2010: (266.5 miles ahead of goal pace)

Ten miles yesterday afternoon on the trainer was enough.

This morning’s 50 degrees defied the forecast of 45 degrees.  These cool mornings, the critical decisions are what to wear, and a few degrees makes all the difference in the world.  I chose properly this morning, with three layers on the core, two pair of socks and a wind cover for my shoes.  I was comfortable at a reasonable pace and warm when we were powering it up.

I discovered my rear tire had very low pressure in it this morning.  I pumped it up, didn’t hear anything, so took a chance riding it.  It maintained pressure the entire ride.  I’ll check it later today.

There were six to eight riders this morning.  It was dark and we were ready to move quickly so an exact count is tough.  Within a few miles, two riders were off the front and the rest set a brisk pace.  At Old County Road, three of us avoided the hill, and were caught the by the two front riders soon after hitting the trail.  We waited for the rest at the end and maintained a nice paceline down B&A Blvd.  I’ve been reading and watching videos of appropriate paceline riding, and I’ve learned a few things in the past couple of days that I put into practice.  I still tend to miss it when the lead drops back, I suck the wheel so intently that I follow.  I’m starting to notice the arm wiggle a little more often though.  Today, I was able to maintain the pace when it was my turn to pull rather than surge ahead like I’ve been doing in the past.  It makes for a more consistent ride.

Soon it was done.  Some of the riders are not going to be pressing the speed now until the spring.  It is just too dark to ride fast and hard.  I’m looking forward to more of that myself, knowing that we will still have a quick pace.

Talk on the ride was about the upcoming Seagull Century (Saturday), Contador’s possible doping, and the upcoming OC11.  Some want to see me out on the bike in the chicken suit.  That will happen only under the right conditions.

This evening, I’ll likely ride the Tuesday Pizza ride.  I might be on new tires, it just depends on how the day goes.

Combine absolutely beautiful fall weather, hundreds of cyclists out and about, and my crazy work schedule, and it results in no rides over the nicest weekend we’ve had in … forever!  Saturday I was out at 6 am working on cooking then selling chickens to raise money for the homeless shelter and food bank.  I even donned a chicken suit for part of the morning.  (Notice how clear those skies are!)  We saw a steady stream of cyclists riding by, and I later learned that some 20 SPP riders made the 7:30 ride.

In the afternoon and evening, I conducted a wedding and attended the reception.  A SPP founding member, Clint P. was a guest, and so at least we were able to talk cycling, much to the disappointment of the spouses.

Sunday was leading worship and teaching all morning, the Steeler-Raven’s game in the afternoon (with my daughter and her fiance present) and then, trying to catch up after the full weekend.  Rain had moved in by the time the game was over, and I wasn’t excited about riding in the rain as it was getting dark.

Fifty degrees and rain didn’t sound like a good combination to ride this morning, so I’ll either squeeze one in between rain bands later today or climb on the trainer.  Please, stop raining long enough for me to ride outside.

I have still been suffering from my fall on Friday.  Not only does my hip hurt with a deep muscle bruise, but I’ve had a constant headache since the accident.  The nurse practitioner I consulted indicated this was a sign of a slight concussion.  No other neurological signs point to anything I need to worry about for now.

This Ride: 24.9 miles
Kona Distance: 3,844.9 miles
Month to date: 24.9 miles
2010 Total: 4,321.4 miles
Pace to 5,254.8 mile goal in 2010: (297 miles ahead of goal pace)

Welcome to October!  This should prove to be an epic month of riding.  I will ride in one large organized Century Ride, the Seagull Century in Salisbury, MD on October 9th.  I first set that goal when my longest ride was only about 35 miles and 100 miles seemed to be a nearly impossible distance.  There are probably 8,000 + riders for the Seagull Century.  At the end of October, I’ll ride the Ocean City 11 Ride (OC11) with the SPP.  It is a trip from Stevensville, MD to Ocean City, MD one day, and the return trip the next.  Round Trip could be anywhere between 225-250 miles.  In between will be regular riding.  I’m looking forward to the month.

I went to bed last night not sure I would ride the Friday Breakfast Ride.  We have had remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole dumping rain on our area, 10-12 inches in the last 24-36 hours.  The rain was forecast to continue this morning until about noon.  But at 5:00 am, the nearest rain was at least 30 miles away, and it was a small spot of showers.  Everything else was east of here moving north.  I pulled out the fenders and put them on, suited up for the 62 degree morning (with brisk breezes) and headed out full of optimism.

That optimism rapidly changed to caution.  I cut through the Cypress Creek Community as I often will do in order to get to the trail, and had to cross two short wooden bridges.  I hit the bridge at about 10 mph and before I knew what happened I was on the ground feeling my head/helmet hit the ground … hard.  The bridge was as slick as a sheet of ice.  Without the helmet I would have been knocked unconscious, I’m sure.  (No visible cracks in the helmet though.)  I got up, testing my limbs and hip, then walked the bike across the bridge.  It was so slick I had a hard time walking across.  I took it easy down the trail and eventually arrived at the Rusty Bridge just as the others were arriving.  By then, I was loosening up a bit, and ready to continue the ride.

There were 5 to start, and we picked up Chip on Jennings Road.  We had an easy pace this morning, the slowest since I’ve been riding with the group.  There was a good amount of debris on the trail.  In places, water was still running across the trail, and of course there were large puddles of standing water and residual mud everywhere.  The wet pavement didn’t reflect the lights back very well, so we took it easy.  Part of the discussion was about the incident on Wednesday, and I eventually learned more of the facts.  Suffice it to say that it was a complicated series of events leading to the confrontation.  It is easy to see the various sides.

The Hard Bean Cafe was open this morning.  Some food service businesses in Annapolis had to close because of flooding yesterday.  The four who rode into Annapolis for breakfast ate muffins and drank coffee until the mist started in.  Nina treated us well, and continues to be amazed that this group of Friday riders are so consistent, even with the uncertain weather.  I really do enjoy being a regular and recognized by the people who work there.  By the time we were leaving Annapolis, we were riding in a light rain that continued until we were close to where we picked up the trail.

We rode at a pace that enabled good conversation and allowed us to observe some storm damage near the south end of the trail.  A hillside gave way in one place, taking some of the barrier fence with it.  It had been marked off with reflective cones, and will take quite some effort to stabilize and repair.  Without repair, part of the trail will likely collapse into the ravine.

There was more encouragement for me to become a Randonneur (a group of long distance riders – their shortest group rides are 200k, that is about 125 miles).  I’m ready for those distances, I’m just not ready to have them consume all my weekends.

It was a very enjoyable morning.  It was the third wettest ride I’ve ridden, but you know, I didn’t really notice any discomfort.  We did get more courtesy from the drivers of cars this morning, I think because of these crazy bike riders caught in the rain … or maybe it was because we were lit up with flashing lights and reflective garb all over.  Sixty degrees and rain … not bad.

This Ride: 19.7 miles
Kona Distance: 3,820 miles
Month to date: 653.3 miles
2010 Total: 4296.5 miles
Pace to 5,254.8 mile goal in 2010: (312.1 miles ahead of goal pace)

I avoid drama whenever I can, and it looks like I was mostly successful today also.  But I get ahead of myself.

I pushed off at 5:30 this morning to meet the SPP at the Rusty Bridge.  It was somewhere between 57-60 degrees according to the thermometers I consulted, so that meant arm warmers and my shoe covers added to my usual kit.  That worked well in these temps.  The sky was clear and plenty of stars were visible.  I had forgotten to recharge my light overnight, so I kept it on a lower lumen setting for the ride to be sure I had enough juice for the whole ride.  Four riders took off from the Rusty Bridge, and we met 6 more at the Ranger Station for a total of 10.  A relatively easy pace was set … especially considering that this was “Wicked Wednesday”.

I decided to set off as the “rabbit”, choosing not to do the hill in Round Bay, instead staying on Old County Road and I was determined to not get caught before the turn around point at the end of the trail.  This decision kept me out of the biggest part of the drama.  I didn’t get caught, although I did see headlights in my rear view mirror.  Dave later commented that I was not “allowed” to skip the hill any more because I wasn’t caught.  (I’ll ride the ride I need to.)

I noticed that the peloton was really scattered when I jumped back on the trail going north, and I didn’t see all the riders.  I dropped back into a second group with two others, and after riding B&A and getting back onto the trail, learned from Bryan that a police officer in an unmarked car had stopped some of the riders demanding that they dismount and walk their bikes across the roadways (in the crosswalks).  The officer apparently referred to signs (that no longer exist) indicating that this was the rule.  From what I heard from Bryan, things started to get a little unruly.  It will be interesting to learn what happened from others who were involved.

Byran did notice an officer at Robinson Road as we crossed, but I didn’t see him.  We simply crossed quickly as there were no vehicles within a block of the crossing.  I’m hoping this doesn’t escalate.  Following the police directions will force us all onto roadways for the duration of the rides, creating a larger hazard for us.  Caution goes out to all SPP riders in the coming weeks.  Keep your cool if challenged by the police!

I’m pleased that I sustained a hard effort from Old County Road to the end of the trail.  I worked at keeping the cadence and heart rate up in order to not get caught.  It was an effort, but also an accomplishment.

This Ride: 30.2 miles
Kona Distance: 3,800.3 miles
Month to date: 633.6 miles
2010 Total: 4276.7 miles
Pace to 5,254.8 mile goal in 2010: (312.4 miles ahead of goal pace)
[Under 1000 miles to go!]

A week ago, the Tuesday evening SPP ride took a different route and ended up at a local Italian restaurant for pizza. It was so popular, that it was planned again for this evening. The weather was a mess this morning, and so I planned to ride with the group for the Tuesday Evening Pizza Ride.

Nine of us met at the Rusty Bridge and quickly established a reasonably fast pace south on the trail.  The trail was pretty congested, and so it was a little faster once we got off the trail and on to the roadways.  When we got onto Holly Drive, we really picked up the pace.  On one five mile “lap” I recorded an average speed of 19.9 mph.  I also spiked a heart rate of 173, 101% of maximum.  Needless to say that was hanging on the wheel of the group as best as I could.  The group stretched out after that as we moved down St. Margaret’s and onto 450, regrouping at the south end of the trail.  A quick pace into Severna Park ended at the pizza place.

Not everyone stayed for pizza.  I called Lori, and she came (the only non-bike rider).  Mike B joined us at the end of his commute.  John, Janet, Jim, Jane, & Jeff rounded out the crew.  We polished of 2 large pizzas and by around 8 were back on the bikes for the short jaunt home.  It was chilly after being in the restaurant for that hour, and the legs complained that they didn’t know that they were supposed to take us home too, but a nice evening was had by all.

This Ride: 10 miles
Kona Distance: 3,770.1 miles
Month to date: 603.4 miles
2010 Total: 4246.6 miles
Pace to 5,254.8 mile goal in 2010: (302.2 miles ahead of goal pace)

There was nothing much encouraging me to get out of bed this morning to ride the 5:45 ride with the Severna Park Peloton.  The alarm clock rang at 4:55.  The rain was coming down hard.  The temperatures were cool.  I had not slept well, so I stayed in bed and made the decision to hit the trainer at lunch time.  It has been months since I’ve said, “I hate the trainer.”

In fact, May 17 was the last time I rode the trainer this year.  Before heading off to work this morning, I installed an old wired bike computer to the rear wheel and lubed the chain, figuring that if I accomplished these tasks, I would be more likely to ride at noon.  I installed the computer so that I don’t have to estimate miles.  I catch enough flack for counting miles on a trainer.  Some purists only count outdoor miles.

I rode a 15 minute warm up, two 5-minute intervals (above 150 bpm heart rate)  with 3 minutes between, and then a very brief cool down.  It was only about 32 minutes, but I was cranking out sweat despite two fans.  I rode for 10 miles and then shut it down.  That’s the nature of squeezing in a ride.  There is nothing here to brag about, and I’ll need to extend the time on the trainer whenever I use it, but this is 10 miles and 30 minutes today instead of goose eggs or a very wet and miserable ride (I did get the miserable in!).  It was also my shortest time on a ride since April 11th!  Embarrassing!

I have 3 more days this month to ride, and I’ve logged over 600 miles this month.  Six hundred miles was my September goal distance.

Mike B on the other hand commuted to work on his bike this morning, putting all of us who sat it out to shame.

This Ride: 100.4 miles
Kona Distance: 3,770.1 miles
Month to date: 593.4 miles
2010 Total: 4236.6 miles
Pace to 5,254.8 mile goal in 2010: (352.2 miles ahead of goal pace)

I’ve claimed that on any given day, (with a few exceptions) I can do a Century Ride.   This was one of those days I decided to ride a Century and accomplished the feat.

It was a very warm 71 degree and humid (foggy) morning to start.  Eleven riders joined the ride and 5 rode into Annapolis for breakfast.  It was a very pleasant time, and a pretty easy pace.

I accompanied Mike B on his commute to work.  The humidity was so high that our glasses kept fogging, and at one point it was so bad we had to stop and clean them off.  We made some plans for the Seagull Century in two weeks, and I really enjoyed his company.  At the top of the Airport Loop, he split off for work and I split off for the remaining 65 miles solo.  I had a rough idea about what I wanted to accomplish and the route to do that, but it was flexible all morning.  I finished the Airport Loop counterclockwise at Dorsey Road, then turned around and did the loop clockwise, stopping at the 7-11 at mile 49.5 for a banana, a Snickers, and Gatorade.  The clerk tried to talk me into buying two of each of these items because they were on sale if you bought two.  I declined, but filled a water bottle with the Gatorade and one with water.

The next 15 miles were pretty tough.  I continued south, connected with East West Highway, and turned on to Veteran’s Highway to do a circuit around the Severn River.  There was a good deal of traffic to contend with and at least one very significant hill, although it felt like more.  I was also missing company.  I think this was the first time I traveled this route to Annapolis solo.  In Annapolis I made a wrong turn, but providentially, that meant that I could end up at home just over 100 miles without having to add a loop on B&A Blvd later.

Coming out of Annapolis I decided to do St. Margaret’s Road, then on to Sandy Point where I took on water (and left some behind).  Then back up the road to another 7-11.  This time it was 2 bananas, part of a Coke (I was tired of Gatorade) and I mixed a Gatorade from a packet I was carrying with me.  By this time it was getting quite warm and I had another 15-18 miles to go for the Century.

College Parkway had its usual traffic and awkward stops.  I was struggling again near Anne Arundel Community College, but continued on with the goal in sight.  At the Trail, I turned south, knowing I had another 10 miles or so to log before reaching 100.  I rode to the end of the trail and then the horses knew we were headed home.  Mental calculations said I might just make it home with 100 miles without having to add any more detours.

A little over a half mile from home, I almost bought the farm.  I was crossing Ritchie Highway with the left arrow light, giving me a clear path north.  (At this intersection I always observe and obey the light.  It is a dangerous intersection.)  A vehicle from the opposite side (in a turn right only lane) ran the red light, crossing straight across Ritchie Highway.  We were inches from a collision.  When I looked at the driver’s eyes, he clearly believed me to be in the wrong.  With 99.6 miles behind me, my reaction time was no longer quick, so it was very fortunate that I was able to swerve right just far enough to get out of his path.  If I would have unclipped my left foot, I would have left a mark on the left side of his car.

The adrenaline rush got me up the hill and home with a nice finish.  I would have like to come in under 6 hours riding time, but I think the heat sapped me of a lot today.  The high temp on the Garmin was 95.  The bank thermometer right before my near crash read 100.

I wore my new Garneau bib shorts on this ride, and I’ll write a separate review of them later.  Now for a shower, catch up on emails, and an evening with Lori.

This Ride: 21.3 miles
Kona Distance: 3,669.7 miles
Month to date: 493 miles
2010 Total: 4136.2 miles
Pace to 5,254.8 mile goal in 2010: (271.9 miles ahead of goal pace)

Welcome to autumn.  A strong thunderstorm rumbled through last night.  Most of the water evaporated so it was mostly dry with a few puddles.   The moon was full, and a little higher in the sky this morning.  It was about 68 degrees, a perfect morning for a bike ride.  That’s what I kept telling myself as I rolled out of bed.  I really didn’t want to ride this morning.  My legs felt heavy and I’m tired.  This was one of those mornings that routine is what got me out the door fully clothed and ready to ride.  I’m amazed I didn’t forget anything.

I think there were seven on the ride.  I didn’t ride long with them.  I was off the back within the first 2 miles, and decided to simply ride the trail.  Mike C said that suited him well too, so we set off together, with him in the lead.  I sucked his wheel about 3/4 of the ride.  He clearly was pulling me because I struggled to keep up.  He was glad to lead out.  At the south end of the trail, we had an average of 17 mph, which surprised him.

It was at the end of the trail when we saw the first two riders of the peloton, and we wondered where the rest were.  After we started back north on the trail, we discovered that Clif had flatted.  We stopped and he indicated that he had hit the groove in Old County Road hard … the same one that flatted Dave yesterday.  He waved us on as he had two others helping him change the flat.

On the way back, Mike and I shared long pulls.  I was getting a little energy back.  We kept a reasonable brisk pace.  I was surprised to see that it averaged over 18 mph those last 12 miles.

This was a nice attitude adjustment ride.  I’m still tired, but that’s ok.  I’ve had long days at work and haven’t been able to get to bed early.  I’m hoping for the energy for a longer ride tomorrow, but as on most Fridays, I’ll see where I am before deciding how far to go.

This Ride: 20 miles
Kona Distance: 3,648.4 miles
Month to date: 471.7 miles
2010 Total: 4114.9 miles
Pace to 5,254.8 mile goal in 2010: (270.5 miles ahead of goal pace)

After yesterday’s post, I looked up the beginning of Autumn, and discovered that it officially arrives at 11:09 pm today. That means that this morning’s ride was the real last morning ride of the summer.

A gorgeous morning it was.  The full moon hung low in the sky with a yellow/orange cast to it.  It was at least 10 degrees warmer than yesterday morning, so we were back in summer gear.  Eight of us were ready to ride Wicked/Wimpy Wednesday from the Rusty Bridge.  Everything seemed to be in order.  But summer would go out with a bang.

At Old County Road, I convinced Mike to join me in avoiding the hill in Round Bay, and we struggled to push the bikes fast enough to not get caught by the peloton by the end of the trail.  We switched off leading and drafting, spinning the pedals and pushing hard.  By the end of the trail, we still didn’t see lights behind us, and Mike said that this was the first time he hadn’t been caught.  As we waited a bit … and a bit more … and even more, we realized something was wrong and started back down the trail.  We were nearly to Glen Oban before we met the peloton coming down the trail.  They weren’t moving very fast, and a couple of riders were barely moving at all.  It was hard to see who was riding slow, the headlights were so bright.  We arrived at Glen Oban and waited for them, in part to discover what had happened.

After quite a wait, four riders showed up, and as we moved along B&A Blvd we learned that Dave had flatted (tubeless tire) with a cut tire, and when he installed a tube, it blew almost immediately.  Dan offered to take him home and so they limped to Dan’s house at that end of the trail.

Soon, we were cruising on the faster part of B&A Blvd when Jim and Bryan hit a pothole.  Bryan flatted, and we pulled over to assist.  After a quick but careful tube change, we were back on the bikes and within less than a mile, I heard air escaping from Bryan’s rear wheel again, and we pulled over to change yet another flat.  Bryan was just going to call home and give up, but we convinced him that replacing the tube would be quicker than waiting for his wife to come get him.  By this time the repair was finished, we were down to 3 riders as we eased into Severna Park.  Others just couldn’t wait any longer, with most of us already going to be late for work.

Bryan has had a real string of bad luck.  In the last couple of weeks, he’s had at least 4 flats and one major crash.  These problems really take quite a bit of the enjoyment out of riding.  Believe me … I know, as does another blogger I follow.

So my distance this morning was shorter than planned and it took longer, but to be able to help a fellow rider in need is a good thing.

It was still a very pretty morning.