No chance for a ride today. My schedule is booked from early morning until late at night.
It has been fun watching my transition from a recreational/fitness rider to someone who is starting to think of themselves as a cyclist. This month I’ve taken some important steps.
- I rode with the Severna Park Peleton on April 2. I want to do more of this, but I don’t have the cold weather gear yet (nor the desire to ride much below 50 degrees). (Yeh, excuses. Add ’em to the list.) That will come. It is a scheduling issue too. Maybe this coming Friday.
- I joined the Severna Park Peleton mileage challenge. I’m exactly midpoint in the rankings after 3 months. One rider has 3,251 miles January 1 – March 31. Wow!
- I’m getting a Severna Park Peleton Jersey. What better way to feel like part of the group than to dress like them?
- I’m starting to think about how to extend my commute to work on the bike so that it is a little longer. Current is less than 3 miles each way.
Then, looking back over the past few months,
- I’ve gone from average 30 minute rides to routine rides over an hour just this year, with a 4 mph increase in average speed. I’m rapidly approaching 25 miles as my regular ride.
- My longest ride last year was 20 miles. I’ve had over 12 over 20 mile rides this year, with my longest of 55 miles.
- I love it when the endorphins kick in!
- I miss riding on my rest days.
This Ride: 26.4 mi
Kona Miles: 561.1 mi
2010 Total: 961.5 mi
Today I squeezed in a ride before noon and after some appointments. The goal was a quick 25 miles or so. I noticed after less than a quarter mile that my front gear cable was so stretched that I couldn’t shift into the big ring. I had to stop and get it adjusted. That ate up some time, so I was more pressed for time than expected. I noticed that I was pretty fatigued. I don’t think I’ll ride tomorrow.
The route I chose was an abbreviated version of the first part of my 55 mile ride from last Friday.
These Rides: 25 mi
Kona Miles: 534.7 mi
2010 Total: 935.2 mi
The day started with a chilly (44 degrees) commute to work (2.85 miles). I encountered a high school girls gym class on the B&A trail this morning. Most had bleary eyes and a “I can’t believe I’m out here in the cold at 7:45 am walking on this stupid trail” look to them. I smiled.
The return commute for lunch was my first attempt at using the Garmin’s course feature. It worked pretty well. I made it back a minute faster than the course I had set up from last week’s commute (2.76 miles).
I wanted a new route for my minimum 1 hour scheduled ride today so I jumped on to a Severna Park Peleton member’s log page and discovered a “Solley Rd” route. With only one miscue, and independent re-routing to fit my preferences, I tried a similar route. I think because of a long stretch without cross streets and the need to stop for traffic, it bumped me up to my fastest average time (17.3 mph) and my fastest 5 mile split (18.3 mph). Nice ride. Comfortable.
This Ride: 7.9 mi
Kona Miles: 509.7 mi
2010 Total: 910.2 mi
After yesterday’s 55 mile ride, I was ready to rest today, but a pretty day outside and no real soreness invited me to try a recovery ride. Goal, 30 minutes at no more than 130 bpm. I really enjoyed the ride. It is a challenge keeping this slow and the heart rate down, but it was really nice to get out and take it slow and easy.
This Ride: 55.26 mi
Kona Miles: 501.8 mi
2010 Total: 902.3 mi
This morning (Friday, April 16) I set out solo to attempt my longest ride to date. It was a pleasant day, with temps in the 60s and just a light wind.
I traveled south to Sandy Point State Park, around to the Naval Academy Bridge, then back north along the trail for my first leg. I recorded my longest 1 hour, and my fastest 20 miles to date. Construction on the fastest part of the trail slowed me down.
I stopped by my house for 5 minutes to grab some sunscreen and top off my water and Gatorade bottles. I continued north to circle BWI taking the trail the entire distance. On the western side of BWI a large bird kept circling me, casting a shadow over my route. I was having a tough time during this part of the ride and imagined it to be a turkey vulture. The last 15 – 20 miles tore me up some, but it was a great accomplishment.
Rev Rider 