Maybe my longest title ever but it f'n fits.
I won today with a solobreak off the front from the start.
Would never have been this awesome with my friends.
Brian Goldberg who worked his ass off for 12+ hours yesterday so he could take the day to ride with me.
Dave Foley aka Solobreak aka Negacoach aka nicest guy around for meeting us and bringing us to his house to fill water bottles and then giving us the goddamn best route I hadn't found yet from his place to Dot Ave in the most kick ass maner. SO GOOD. So good to see Robin there while we were refilling bottles.
Kevin, Jamie, Tyler and Brian(?) at Firefly for more water, a destination and a peek at their new adaptive butting (trademark) tubes and all that. Oh and for the donuts. Yeah I had a couple donuts.
And Tyler esp for the encouragement that Barrington Coffee is only 2 miles away... well duh yeah how can we NOT go for coffee (OMG STILL THE BEST). Memories of stopping there with Dean and meeting JLSCX and Cait there.
And Dave again for offering to refill waterbottles again, and then giving us best route to avoid Bay on the way home. It was kick ass again! Goldberg almost didn't die a couple times but he made it home.
AND THEN 118 miles into the ride I tagged into the Smackdown on Pine. Yes. I figured a nice long warm up was my problem.
Guess what? It kind of was awesome. I felt strong and felt really good. Once I got some fluid in me. Goldberg and I were out of water at mile 105 or so.
IT WAS REALLY HOT TODAY. OMG SO SWEATY AND HOT HOLYFUCK.
We needed one more water stop between Dave's house and the smackdown. I managed to survive and even drop everyone (well not the kid John on the solobreak or Fuller chasing him) but the group of Fox PKS Greve and ? I missed who the other strong looking PKS sized guy's name was. Anyway, I felt good. Hillside kicked my ass but I wasn't quite last and kept Fox in sight.
Rode back with them, out of water though, drained Fox's bottle and a handful of swigs from PKS's so critical and so appreciated.
Then while I'm wondering where the hell or how the hell am I going to make it home, Justin C shows up coming down the Linear park and I drain his last half of a bottle and make it home to be greeted by the dogs being walked with soccer kid and my wife.
Can you get a better welcome home than dogs that are soooooooper excited to see you?
Not really. And yes, my wife was very happy I was finally home, also that I was safe. And she got pizza and driving to RIC to get dancer kid so I can sit here and eat pizza, drink water and write (I should really get in shower and wash off sunscreen).
Goldberg was very much influential and helping get over the whole stupid competition, Fox said more or less that my competition was cheating all for the same reasons: "Is there a catergory for a guy with two jobs, a wife, two kids, two dogs, a guinea pig, and who does all the food shopping and the cooking (except when we order pizza)? NOPE THERE ISN'T! Yes I took a bunch of time off to get these miles in, and when I'm retired (if i ever retire) I'll then contend with the competition again. Till then? It is all good. It was a good incentive to get me riding more and more and more.
Benefits? Me. I think I need about two weeks of active pedaling recovery to start to begin to reap the full physiological response of this massive month, but either way anyway, even if i'm not any faster or different after it, it was worth it. It was awesome.
And thanks, thanks Fatmarc and Chip for you comments, your encouragement along the way, I appreciate it.
Good place right now GeWilli feels. Worked through it the way I usually do, pure abject stubbornness and unwillingness to quit. Keep going, do the right thing, keep doing the right thing...
So thank you.
Everyone. Like I told Jason and Goldberg on Saturday's hotter than hell 80 miler... in response to "it takes a village" i fired back "Yup, It takes a village to raise an idiot, like me!"
So thanks village [people] Hugs to all, heck maybe it was the Shoogs has a Posse sticker on the seat tube that has created the magic. Or not washing the bike, or ... the village....
I'm now full of pizza time to shower...
again.. thank you everyone, esp those I missed naming specifically, my brain is not so perfect (duh no shit knucklehead) so forgive me...
heddwch
G
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Monday, May 30, 2016
resignation
the penultimate emotion?
maybe...
Got to the shop, put a handful of bikes together, headed home...
but...
couldn't mentally turn and take the long way home. 5 miles or 25 miles to home and i went with 5. I sort of rationalized that I was hungry and didn't want to ride through backyard grill after backyard grill, and maybe all the people partying and heading home or i dunno... mostly I think i was just tired.
I also was feeling the pressure to take a look at the Van, see what the vibration issue was. Dunno. Felt something but could be EGR fluttering (it needs to be replaced - gonna order that this week) could be something else. My ancient Vag-com laptop won't talk with the new car, may need to order one of those little bluetooth devices and get an Ap for the old phone to finally talk with these cars. In the mean time - replace EGR and then check codes and then??? And if I took the long way home doing that, getting kit washed for tomorrow and making dinner would be compromised. I'll compromise myself, not going to wash the bike. Tossed some fresh lube on the chain but that's about it. Dirtbag bike FTW, resigned to shitty but functional bikes.
So, tired, time conscious, and resigned. I haven't looked at NBC since this morning. Fuck it. I will be where I am and will ride tomorrow and really just enjoy the hell out of the day. Second? That's fine. I pushed and he pushed back with a level I couldn't quite muster. Maybe tomorrow's miles will be enough? I doubt it esp since today is the shortest I've ridden since being sick after the Plymouth Hundo.
And I opted for the shorter route home to maybe not be quite so dead tomorrow, to have a bit better quality leg left and so maybe I can hang on over the Red Bridge at the start of Smackdown after the Hundo.
I rode more slowly than I have since I was sick.
Get through tomorrow. Get through tomorrow.
Truth be told, I'm pretty stoked about tomorrow. A bit worried about the end of the night and how kid pick up will work but hey, There's 24+ hours until that. Plenty of time to figure it out.
Super stoked for tomorrow. The last day of May. #everydayinmay success. More miles than I've ridden in a week, ever. More miles than maybe I've ridden in a month. EVER. Doubling the mileage for the year before the end of the month was kind of cool. Doing it all and not having any issues with the contact points or the legs? Not bad. Even getting super sick for 38 hours or so I still managed to get on the bike every day.
I'm particularly fascinated by the complete lack of control over my emotions lately. But mostly frustrated that the riding and friends haven't fixed anything really.
But goddamnit I do love to ride my bike. Even my craptastic dirty creaky needing new drive-train brakes and who knows what else... heck it doesn't even fit! And no, not riding the Klein tomorrow, mostly because it has a flat ride and secondly the hoods just aren't as comfortable as the beat up old but bombproof 10sp 105 levers.
Well dinner is served and consumed... still giant pile of stuff to do, but watching my first hockey of the year... oh and weak analog signal > weak digital signal...
Tomorrow... big day, looking forward to it.
heddwch
G
maybe...
Got to the shop, put a handful of bikes together, headed home...
but...
couldn't mentally turn and take the long way home. 5 miles or 25 miles to home and i went with 5. I sort of rationalized that I was hungry and didn't want to ride through backyard grill after backyard grill, and maybe all the people partying and heading home or i dunno... mostly I think i was just tired.
I also was feeling the pressure to take a look at the Van, see what the vibration issue was. Dunno. Felt something but could be EGR fluttering (it needs to be replaced - gonna order that this week) could be something else. My ancient Vag-com laptop won't talk with the new car, may need to order one of those little bluetooth devices and get an Ap for the old phone to finally talk with these cars. In the mean time - replace EGR and then check codes and then??? And if I took the long way home doing that, getting kit washed for tomorrow and making dinner would be compromised. I'll compromise myself, not going to wash the bike. Tossed some fresh lube on the chain but that's about it. Dirtbag bike FTW, resigned to shitty but functional bikes.
So, tired, time conscious, and resigned. I haven't looked at NBC since this morning. Fuck it. I will be where I am and will ride tomorrow and really just enjoy the hell out of the day. Second? That's fine. I pushed and he pushed back with a level I couldn't quite muster. Maybe tomorrow's miles will be enough? I doubt it esp since today is the shortest I've ridden since being sick after the Plymouth Hundo.
And I opted for the shorter route home to maybe not be quite so dead tomorrow, to have a bit better quality leg left and so maybe I can hang on over the Red Bridge at the start of Smackdown after the Hundo.
I rode more slowly than I have since I was sick.
Get through tomorrow. Get through tomorrow.
Truth be told, I'm pretty stoked about tomorrow. A bit worried about the end of the night and how kid pick up will work but hey, There's 24+ hours until that. Plenty of time to figure it out.
Super stoked for tomorrow. The last day of May. #everydayinmay success. More miles than I've ridden in a week, ever. More miles than maybe I've ridden in a month. EVER. Doubling the mileage for the year before the end of the month was kind of cool. Doing it all and not having any issues with the contact points or the legs? Not bad. Even getting super sick for 38 hours or so I still managed to get on the bike every day.
I'm particularly fascinated by the complete lack of control over my emotions lately. But mostly frustrated that the riding and friends haven't fixed anything really.
But goddamnit I do love to ride my bike. Even my craptastic dirty creaky needing new drive-train brakes and who knows what else... heck it doesn't even fit! And no, not riding the Klein tomorrow, mostly because it has a flat ride and secondly the hoods just aren't as comfortable as the beat up old but bombproof 10sp 105 levers.
Well dinner is served and consumed... still giant pile of stuff to do, but watching my first hockey of the year... oh and weak analog signal > weak digital signal...
Tomorrow... big day, looking forward to it.
heddwch
G
I slept.. and slept
was good at least once I fell back asleep at 5am...
added diagnose and fix car to the list of shit I haven't done or need to do but will be riding instead.
added diagnose and fix car to the list of shit I haven't done or need to do but will be riding instead.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
madness
why? because I'm ready to head out and ride 9 miles right now just to keep the 1st position for tomorrow...
so tired though.
so angry at how it is making me feel to be this close, angry that I can't look at this as amazing incentive, angry I can't turn it around like I know is possible, like i know I should, turn it around into motivation and fuel, not desperation and fear.
Looking at all this sacrifice as not in vain but for what I've gained.
Should be able to do that, no? Yeah I should. Can't seem to.
Will keep trying too.
Guess I'm taking the long way in to the shop to build bikes tomorrow.
on a positive note I did hit the number of miles needed today to have a 1000 mile 14 day stretch. 70.8 was enough for that... just not enough to keep the lead...
two days left...
two...
so tired though.
so angry at how it is making me feel to be this close, angry that I can't look at this as amazing incentive, angry I can't turn it around like I know is possible, like i know I should, turn it around into motivation and fuel, not desperation and fear.
Looking at all this sacrifice as not in vain but for what I've gained.
Should be able to do that, no? Yeah I should. Can't seem to.
Will keep trying too.
Guess I'm taking the long way in to the shop to build bikes tomorrow.
on a positive note I did hit the number of miles needed today to have a 1000 mile 14 day stretch. 70.8 was enough for that... just not enough to keep the lead...
two days left...
two...
Saturday, May 28, 2016
had it for a day
back down to 2nd... plenty of cushion to 3rd... but still - difference is 10 miles. I would have had to head back after dark to get it done, to keep the lead.
We'll see what today brings. Heading out with KOM Goldberg and Jason, hoping they are kind to me on the hills, or hoping my legs felt like they did last night on the way home.
It is odd. I'm not fast but I can find much longer sustained power now wondering what it would be like if I was able to get some long night sleep (dogs were a pain last night and half of the house left early for soccer tournament - i'm here to get oldest where she needs to be).
A mark I never thought i'd make is the doubling of the annual mileage in the month of May. Looks like that'll happen easily. Today likely, way early. Also potentially setting new weekly record for myself, AND maybe getting enough miles this weekend to hit 1000 miles in two weeks.
I think given that the legs are feeling just a wee tired and I'm not resting much that I'm ready for some of Matt's adventure. Something I'd never thought I'd see is these side by side numbers
But they are just numbers and he'd kick my ass anyway, this extra mass isn't inconsequential and my elevation gain is minimal and I actively (lately) have avoided going up. Climbing is suffering lately. Even on high carb, full glycogen loads. Possibly fatigue maybe. We'll know in a couple weeks.
Thursday's ride with DB was fun, it was hot but manageable, ice cream maybe less than ideal mid/end ride fuel, but it tasted good at the time. hysterical trying to meet up with Chip. esp after seeing his twitter stuff when i got back.
Yes I'm riding with my phone just in GPS mode. No mobile data, the only radio on is the GPS and the old fashioned text/voice stuff. I will say swipe text is super easy one handed while riding. I just happen to pick the bumpiest sections of roads while riding to try and get a location lock on Chip.
We wound up stopping for a 10-15 minutes in the shade. I ate my second breakfast sandwich of the day (third was at chip's house, then ice cream then 4th sandwich on bike path home) That's it. no other food, no gels, no blocks, no bars. Just food, and not very frequently. And it was fine. Went through more water than I normally do but it was also in the high 80s with bright full sun.
No routing issues really. Most of the roads we were familiar with, or DB's garmin gave us heads up (it waited to die until we were in familiar territory. I remembered most of the route from the one ride to Chip's last summer, at least once Jason's route merged onto the one I took. Jason's route was much better, but it doesn't have any ice cream along the way so we headed home via Diamond hill.
But we still checked out the end of the bike path, and we still hit some single track with a few rocks. Chip was on his IDGAF monster bike and DB and me on our road tires. Issokay no one died in the woods.
Chip did pull an abrupt right turn in front of me and I kind of nearly went straight into his rear robot der but somehow managed to avoid destroying his bike and supermanning onto the pavement. "Thanks for the heads up chip"
Saw the Pirro handi-work, got some water and coffee, some shoogs stickers and DB and I headed back home. We opted for the dirt instead of the busy roads and popped back out on Noon Hill. Then rode through Wrecktham (it sucks a bit) and the road to Cumberland from there isn't great, but we had very few issues. Found Ice cream. (coffee) ate it, decided to ride around the reservoir to make sure we got the full hundo, headed back into town, stopped at the bike shop for cold water and to pause for a minute, then parted ways. I did a few extra miles on the bike path just to pad the number (and because I felt still pretty good and had plenty of time) and fortunately those extra miles were what got me that one point lead on yesterday's leaderboard.
But you know the story, Jan got 11 more miles than I did yesterday despite my attempts to maximize my limited time by pushing the pace and trying for higher average speed...
I should fire up the ride fuel machine (and make a shit ton more coffee) and make the breakfast sandwiches. Route looks to be about 78 miles. Jan probably will do 80+ again, but i've gotta work when I get back from the ride and then drive the kid to the cape in the afternoon (yeah no way out of that - hopefully evening traffic won't be terrible - it will be what it is).
Now to pick which bike to ride today.... need climbing advantage and also want to match Goldberg's bike so I'll ride the Klein. Give the worn out old black blue a rest.
Looks to be another scorcher. Too bad white kit is dirty! Better get it washed up for Tuesday!
heddwch
G
We'll see what today brings. Heading out with KOM Goldberg and Jason, hoping they are kind to me on the hills, or hoping my legs felt like they did last night on the way home.
It is odd. I'm not fast but I can find much longer sustained power now wondering what it would be like if I was able to get some long night sleep (dogs were a pain last night and half of the house left early for soccer tournament - i'm here to get oldest where she needs to be).
A mark I never thought i'd make is the doubling of the annual mileage in the month of May. Looks like that'll happen easily. Today likely, way early. Also potentially setting new weekly record for myself, AND maybe getting enough miles this weekend to hit 1000 miles in two weeks.
I think given that the legs are feeling just a wee tired and I'm not resting much that I'm ready for some of Matt's adventure. Something I'd never thought I'd see is these side by side numbers
But they are just numbers and he'd kick my ass anyway, this extra mass isn't inconsequential and my elevation gain is minimal and I actively (lately) have avoided going up. Climbing is suffering lately. Even on high carb, full glycogen loads. Possibly fatigue maybe. We'll know in a couple weeks.
Thursday's ride with DB was fun, it was hot but manageable, ice cream maybe less than ideal mid/end ride fuel, but it tasted good at the time. hysterical trying to meet up with Chip. esp after seeing his twitter stuff when i got back.
Yes I'm riding with my phone just in GPS mode. No mobile data, the only radio on is the GPS and the old fashioned text/voice stuff. I will say swipe text is super easy one handed while riding. I just happen to pick the bumpiest sections of roads while riding to try and get a location lock on Chip.
We wound up stopping for a 10-15 minutes in the shade. I ate my second breakfast sandwich of the day (third was at chip's house, then ice cream then 4th sandwich on bike path home) That's it. no other food, no gels, no blocks, no bars. Just food, and not very frequently. And it was fine. Went through more water than I normally do but it was also in the high 80s with bright full sun.
No routing issues really. Most of the roads we were familiar with, or DB's garmin gave us heads up (it waited to die until we were in familiar territory. I remembered most of the route from the one ride to Chip's last summer, at least once Jason's route merged onto the one I took. Jason's route was much better, but it doesn't have any ice cream along the way so we headed home via Diamond hill.
But we still checked out the end of the bike path, and we still hit some single track with a few rocks. Chip was on his IDGAF monster bike and DB and me on our road tires. Issokay no one died in the woods.
Chip did pull an abrupt right turn in front of me and I kind of nearly went straight into his rear robot der but somehow managed to avoid destroying his bike and supermanning onto the pavement. "Thanks for the heads up chip"
Saw the Pirro handi-work, got some water and coffee, some shoogs stickers and DB and I headed back home. We opted for the dirt instead of the busy roads and popped back out on Noon Hill. Then rode through Wrecktham (it sucks a bit) and the road to Cumberland from there isn't great, but we had very few issues. Found Ice cream. (coffee) ate it, decided to ride around the reservoir to make sure we got the full hundo, headed back into town, stopped at the bike shop for cold water and to pause for a minute, then parted ways. I did a few extra miles on the bike path just to pad the number (and because I felt still pretty good and had plenty of time) and fortunately those extra miles were what got me that one point lead on yesterday's leaderboard.
But you know the story, Jan got 11 more miles than I did yesterday despite my attempts to maximize my limited time by pushing the pace and trying for higher average speed...
I should fire up the ride fuel machine (and make a shit ton more coffee) and make the breakfast sandwiches. Route looks to be about 78 miles. Jan probably will do 80+ again, but i've gotta work when I get back from the ride and then drive the kid to the cape in the afternoon (yeah no way out of that - hopefully evening traffic won't be terrible - it will be what it is).
Now to pick which bike to ride today.... need climbing advantage and also want to match Goldberg's bike so I'll ride the Klein. Give the worn out old black blue a rest.
Looks to be another scorcher. Too bad white kit is dirty! Better get it washed up for Tuesday!
heddwch
G
Friday, May 27, 2016
quick NBC update
https://nationalbikechallenge.org/state/ri
30th? that's nuts, but the ride yesterday pushed me into 1st by ONE point... one fucking point with a full day and little time to ride. We'll see how far I slip today, but that's actually just pretty cool to jump back in the lead... and damn, 30th in the country? Kind of seriously nuts.
more later if i have a few moments of idle time.
30th? that's nuts, but the ride yesterday pushed me into 1st by ONE point... one fucking point with a full day and little time to ride. We'll see how far I slip today, but that's actually just pretty cool to jump back in the lead... and damn, 30th in the country? Kind of seriously nuts.
more later if i have a few moments of idle time.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
the foreboding sense of losing
Something I'm familiar with I suppose.
Didn't realize really how much I wanted to keep the lead for the month.
After the brief spell in 2nd last week and then all day Yesterday and Today?
Something so close yet... that very familiar feeling of giving it everything and making all the sacrifices and then falling short.
Which of course cues all the doubts.
The struggles, the past memories of almost winning but not quite.
The month isn't over though. Today I'm riding with DB today up to see the illustrious garden gnome VeloCB, we get 100? Don't care. Yes - i'm burning up days off, going into work at 9:30 to deal with stuff that couldn't wait till morning and all that. I am however still managing to deal with making all the food and driving the kids around when I need to and keeping the lab running mostly, and mostly successfully but most measures.
Looking like 8:30 departure as I sit down to eat breakfast right now and type. This week actually has been pretty crazy. Zero time for sitting down and writing. Anywhere I am I'm going full tilt. Little pausing.
That and I've transitioned into kind of the obsessed must ride every moment. The challenge has mentally taken over and is taking a toll. I recognize the burned out mental feeling, the symptoms so familiar this past Spring going crazy at work trying to keep everything happening with the phrase in my head "Just have to get to the end of the semester." Right now the phrase is "Just have to get to June 1st"
The weather indeed is not helping. It has literally been way too nice. Yes, my edge is that weather never keeps me off the bike. And there's no weather keeping my nemesis off his bike. And yes, perhaps if someday I make it to retirement I will have the chance to really compete in this challenge, and yes I know, just getting this many in while juggling everything else has been a win.
But this is all I see:
Yes, that's a lot of miles. 20 points for riding once a day at least 1 mile. Then 1 point per mile after that.
And the margin is so close, but yesterday he got 99.6 to my 74.5 adding to his slim lead from the day before.
If he cranks out ~100 mile days until the 31st, well that's f'n impressive honestly, and something I will not be able to even touch.
Looking forward to riding with DB. Had a great ride with Syl yesterday morning in my window before getting kids to mid-day appointments. Looking forward to another not solo ride today.
But I wore shorter socks than normal yesterday, and holy ouchy batman, stupid sliver of sunburn on my ankle. Regular sock height and lots of sunscreen today in the blanco kit. me and DB will be a couple ghosts riding north today.
Moral of the story - don't be crazy like GeWilli - he's got problems.
heddwch
G
Didn't realize really how much I wanted to keep the lead for the month.
After the brief spell in 2nd last week and then all day Yesterday and Today?
Something so close yet... that very familiar feeling of giving it everything and making all the sacrifices and then falling short.
Which of course cues all the doubts.
The struggles, the past memories of almost winning but not quite.
The month isn't over though. Today I'm riding with DB today up to see the illustrious garden gnome VeloCB, we get 100? Don't care. Yes - i'm burning up days off, going into work at 9:30 to deal with stuff that couldn't wait till morning and all that. I am however still managing to deal with making all the food and driving the kids around when I need to and keeping the lab running mostly, and mostly successfully but most measures.
Looking like 8:30 departure as I sit down to eat breakfast right now and type. This week actually has been pretty crazy. Zero time for sitting down and writing. Anywhere I am I'm going full tilt. Little pausing.
That and I've transitioned into kind of the obsessed must ride every moment. The challenge has mentally taken over and is taking a toll. I recognize the burned out mental feeling, the symptoms so familiar this past Spring going crazy at work trying to keep everything happening with the phrase in my head "Just have to get to the end of the semester." Right now the phrase is "Just have to get to June 1st"
The weather indeed is not helping. It has literally been way too nice. Yes, my edge is that weather never keeps me off the bike. And there's no weather keeping my nemesis off his bike. And yes, perhaps if someday I make it to retirement I will have the chance to really compete in this challenge, and yes I know, just getting this many in while juggling everything else has been a win.
But this is all I see:
Yes, that's a lot of miles. 20 points for riding once a day at least 1 mile. Then 1 point per mile after that.
And the margin is so close, but yesterday he got 99.6 to my 74.5 adding to his slim lead from the day before.
If he cranks out ~100 mile days until the 31st, well that's f'n impressive honestly, and something I will not be able to even touch.
Looking forward to riding with DB. Had a great ride with Syl yesterday morning in my window before getting kids to mid-day appointments. Looking forward to another not solo ride today.
But I wore shorter socks than normal yesterday, and holy ouchy batman, stupid sliver of sunburn on my ankle. Regular sock height and lots of sunscreen today in the blanco kit. me and DB will be a couple ghosts riding north today.
Moral of the story - don't be crazy like GeWilli - he's got problems.
heddwch
G
Saturday, May 21, 2016
time to make the revolutions
tired... slept like crap... that crap clung too me, weird dreams, up before the first early alarm and managed to re-set it. First coffee down, making one more, then pedal. Got a reprieve a bit though. A chance to relax the timing a bit, and that is less of a good thing than it seems, esp for incentivizing me to get out the door and get going.
I should have tweeted and just left. Now I'm sitting down post first cup poop, slowly waking up, debating doing the morning ride on coffee alone, if i make food it'll delay me even MORE time so, likely zero fuel ride like most of the mornings.
And the sun climbs higher and higher. Oops.
Riding alone you have no immediate timeline. There is no one else waiting for you to get your shit together. You have to do it yourself. The urge to just go back to bed and sleep is strong, but I have to work today until later and go shopping for food, make it work night two nights in a row leaves pretty much just eggs in the fridge.
My new friend Jan cranked out a few miles short of 100 yesterday. Not enough to take the lead, but he did close the gap a bit. I'm currently ranked 47th, he's 50th in the country.
How about this weather in May? Nearly a perfect extended stretch eh? Looks to get broken up tomorrow but you know what? I'll still ride. #everydayinmay
I'm not even sure I am fully aware of the stupid miles I'm putting in right now. Very few other people are, or the feat is so common place and unexceptional that isn't that noticable. Yeah Uri cranked out nearly 700 in a week, Matt easily crushes back to back doubles in a weekend... this is odd though, for me. Pretty damn close to doubling annual mileage, will have to go back and double check, actually not that close yet... still 510.7 miles. Possible but looking less likely w/o a couple extra feats of high mileage days between now and the 31st.
Ah well, cramming 4 months or mileage into one is SUPER dumb.
And now everyone is waking up - best get out of the house before I get sucked into making breakfast...
heddwch
G
I should have tweeted and just left. Now I'm sitting down post first cup poop, slowly waking up, debating doing the morning ride on coffee alone, if i make food it'll delay me even MORE time so, likely zero fuel ride like most of the mornings.
And the sun climbs higher and higher. Oops.
Riding alone you have no immediate timeline. There is no one else waiting for you to get your shit together. You have to do it yourself. The urge to just go back to bed and sleep is strong, but I have to work today until later and go shopping for food, make it work night two nights in a row leaves pretty much just eggs in the fridge.
My new friend Jan cranked out a few miles short of 100 yesterday. Not enough to take the lead, but he did close the gap a bit. I'm currently ranked 47th, he's 50th in the country.
How about this weather in May? Nearly a perfect extended stretch eh? Looks to get broken up tomorrow but you know what? I'll still ride. #everydayinmay
I'm not even sure I am fully aware of the stupid miles I'm putting in right now. Very few other people are, or the feat is so common place and unexceptional that isn't that noticable. Yeah Uri cranked out nearly 700 in a week, Matt easily crushes back to back doubles in a weekend... this is odd though, for me. Pretty damn close to doubling annual mileage, will have to go back and double check, actually not that close yet... still 510.7 miles. Possible but looking less likely w/o a couple extra feats of high mileage days between now and the 31st.
Ah well, cramming 4 months or mileage into one is SUPER dumb.
And now everyone is waking up - best get out of the house before I get sucked into making breakfast...
heddwch
G
Friday, May 20, 2016
seriously?
i'm ranked there right now?
That seems weird... but then i guess having 358.9 miles (no i'm not going out to get the last 1.1 tonight although I should... hmm nope all done) in a 5 day stretch, and weeks are M-Sun so I still have two more days to get 100 miles more than the initial goal for this week, aka hit 400. Dawn patrol tomorrow should get some of the way there, and then the #everydayinmay on sunday should polish it up.
The ride home tonight was weird. Super melancholic... could be the loneliness is getting to me, esp after the ride with Brent and Justin this morning up to Tower Hill and back. Maybe the riding alone has keyed me into how nice it is to ride with others. But then if I didn't ride alone I wouldn't ride much, nor would I appreciate company as much as I do. I need to ride alone though. Maybe not this much, but it fulfills something somehow.
Talking with Brent and Justin we agreed, we ride bikes because we love riding bikes. If we didn't like riding alone we'd never ride nearly enough to have as much fun riding with others.
Ya know what I mean?
Perhaps you do if you're still reading this bullshit I'm tossing up on this digital space after all these years...
I think maybe I've ID'd the other reason for the aura, but I'm not sure I like it, or am willing to give the feeling the recognition of being written down. Perhaps letting it drift off as I pedal tomorrow morning, alone, will work.
Also, man I am tired. Maybe that waking up at 5am after making sure I had kit that wasn't salt stained or stinky to wear to the public bike to work day event thing.
Gotta get dinner made for everyone now, yeah a little late but it is in progress, a pause while stuff cooks, and writing gives me a chance to sit down... then after dinner maybe shower and then sleep... maybe...
one thing I just thought of that hadn't really sunk in... I turned in the final grades for the class... it is over... till next time but, despite kind of being over in the time demand stage, it hadn't really ended, more of a slow fade, like being ghosted, suddenly, wait where did you go? I'm sure it is just one extra unrecognized layer to this feeling. Been riding enough to keep my mind distracted until I actually went and physically submitted them and one of my students found me in my office today.
Can't even find a pandora station to fit this groove i'm in... nothing is resonating properly...
Dinner'll be good though. If I ever finish cooking... like my riding, sometimes I cook slower than most. Infuse more flavor that way i suppose, make sure nothings rushed, get the seasoning right.
Best shut up and post it and move on to the rest of the stuff on the agenda... and like this bike in this 'gram, that literally can't stop/won't stop... such is the life and the choices I've made.
heddwch
G
That seems weird... but then i guess having 358.9 miles (no i'm not going out to get the last 1.1 tonight although I should... hmm nope all done) in a 5 day stretch, and weeks are M-Sun so I still have two more days to get 100 miles more than the initial goal for this week, aka hit 400. Dawn patrol tomorrow should get some of the way there, and then the #everydayinmay on sunday should polish it up.
The ride home tonight was weird. Super melancholic... could be the loneliness is getting to me, esp after the ride with Brent and Justin this morning up to Tower Hill and back. Maybe the riding alone has keyed me into how nice it is to ride with others. But then if I didn't ride alone I wouldn't ride much, nor would I appreciate company as much as I do. I need to ride alone though. Maybe not this much, but it fulfills something somehow.
Talking with Brent and Justin we agreed, we ride bikes because we love riding bikes. If we didn't like riding alone we'd never ride nearly enough to have as much fun riding with others.
Ya know what I mean?
Perhaps you do if you're still reading this bullshit I'm tossing up on this digital space after all these years...
I think maybe I've ID'd the other reason for the aura, but I'm not sure I like it, or am willing to give the feeling the recognition of being written down. Perhaps letting it drift off as I pedal tomorrow morning, alone, will work.
Also, man I am tired. Maybe that waking up at 5am after making sure I had kit that wasn't salt stained or stinky to wear to the public bike to work day event thing.
Gotta get dinner made for everyone now, yeah a little late but it is in progress, a pause while stuff cooks, and writing gives me a chance to sit down... then after dinner maybe shower and then sleep... maybe...
one thing I just thought of that hadn't really sunk in... I turned in the final grades for the class... it is over... till next time but, despite kind of being over in the time demand stage, it hadn't really ended, more of a slow fade, like being ghosted, suddenly, wait where did you go? I'm sure it is just one extra unrecognized layer to this feeling. Been riding enough to keep my mind distracted until I actually went and physically submitted them and one of my students found me in my office today.
Can't even find a pandora station to fit this groove i'm in... nothing is resonating properly...
Dinner'll be good though. If I ever finish cooking... like my riding, sometimes I cook slower than most. Infuse more flavor that way i suppose, make sure nothings rushed, get the seasoning right.
Best shut up and post it and move on to the rest of the stuff on the agenda... and like this bike in this 'gram, that literally can't stop/won't stop... such is the life and the choices I've made.
heddwch
G
the name has a face
no longer just a name i'm competing against....
fellow path commuter is a good friend of my National Bike Challenge nemesis, and he's the one that gave me the intel on him, no not a recumbent rider, flat bar road bike and retired yes, also Dutch.
Saw my friend Mike W this morning on the way in. We rode into the bike to work day festivities together, then he headed off to work and after he left he encoutered my nemesis and directed him to Bike To Work day and told him to see if he could find me.
He did. We talked for a while, it was pretty awesome, and yes, mutually agreed this competition has been frustrating but also fun and rewarding and we're both unlikely to carry this mileage too much longer. And yes, weather is something he doesn't like riding in, but he will find a couple hour break in the weather and go for a ride if possible.
Super cool to demystify your rival, to put a face and a handshake with the name...
Now I'm going to go take advantage of the day - submit grades and ride somewhere other than east.
heddwch
G
fellow path commuter is a good friend of my National Bike Challenge nemesis, and he's the one that gave me the intel on him, no not a recumbent rider, flat bar road bike and retired yes, also Dutch.
Saw my friend Mike W this morning on the way in. We rode into the bike to work day festivities together, then he headed off to work and after he left he encoutered my nemesis and directed him to Bike To Work day and told him to see if he could find me.
He did. We talked for a while, it was pretty awesome, and yes, mutually agreed this competition has been frustrating but also fun and rewarding and we're both unlikely to carry this mileage too much longer. And yes, weather is something he doesn't like riding in, but he will find a couple hour break in the weather and go for a ride if possible.
Super cool to demystify your rival, to put a face and a handshake with the name...
Now I'm going to go take advantage of the day - submit grades and ride somewhere other than east.
heddwch
G
Thursday, May 19, 2016
I have come to realize
That I need some weather help to keep this state lead this month.
That retired recumbent guy from Lincoln has ramped it up even more lately. I'm gonna need a couple more Hundos just to keep an edge. That said I'm not even sure the weather will slow him down. If we get any.
And yes, perhaps I'm getting a bit obsessed with this. Part of me is wondering where the breaking point is. Or if there is one now. I rode fast on the smackdown, and have had bits of speed here and there riding solo but mostly just pedaling, not super easily but with the backpack and the slow bike I'm not riding easily, just not riding hard. Probably all totally junk miles but who the fuck cares.
I've not pretty much dialed in the mental map of the roads to my north up to Tremont and east to the Taunton River. This morning I hit Riverside, Barrington, Rehoboth, Sommerset, Swansea, Taunton Seekonk, Rumford, East Providence and Providence. Only saw people with gear on, either backpack or panniers. No recreational folks out. And of course I had my backpack on. Ate nothing on the ride, only a 3 egg omelet before I left (no grains/sig source of carbs), had only water and a little bit of coffee with me. And was fine.
But I was going slow. That said I did the smackdown 50 w/o food... was wicked hungry at the end but kept drinking water and it confused my stomach enough that I didn't feel hungry and the emptyness stopped distracting me.
Can't get many more miles tonight, wagering this is the chance for my nemesis to secure a lead... at least for tomorrow. And hey, maybe that's just fine. Goal was 300 miles for the week. I'm 50.9 from that mark right now. Maybe I can push it a bit further. And maybe next week sneak in a Hundo and a half to get things back in order.
Very fortunate that things have really slowed down here, to the point I can ride, better than sitting around in the office... big lull and that's pretty normal, needed after this insane semester.
Legs are actually kind of starting to get tired. But then so am I. But maybe that is the fact that I haven't made coffee in the office. Just the normal morning coffee... That explains the sluggishness i suppose.
Well, that's enough for now. Back on the thought machine. Me and my demons. I ride alone. Not by choice, but by recognition that if i don't i won't and alone is better than not. Kind of depressing when put like that. Oh well. Hopefully i'll make it home in time tonight.
heddwch
G
That retired recumbent guy from Lincoln has ramped it up even more lately. I'm gonna need a couple more Hundos just to keep an edge. That said I'm not even sure the weather will slow him down. If we get any.
And yes, perhaps I'm getting a bit obsessed with this. Part of me is wondering where the breaking point is. Or if there is one now. I rode fast on the smackdown, and have had bits of speed here and there riding solo but mostly just pedaling, not super easily but with the backpack and the slow bike I'm not riding easily, just not riding hard. Probably all totally junk miles but who the fuck cares.
I've not pretty much dialed in the mental map of the roads to my north up to Tremont and east to the Taunton River. This morning I hit Riverside, Barrington, Rehoboth, Sommerset, Swansea, Taunton Seekonk, Rumford, East Providence and Providence. Only saw people with gear on, either backpack or panniers. No recreational folks out. And of course I had my backpack on. Ate nothing on the ride, only a 3 egg omelet before I left (no grains/sig source of carbs), had only water and a little bit of coffee with me. And was fine.
But I was going slow. That said I did the smackdown 50 w/o food... was wicked hungry at the end but kept drinking water and it confused my stomach enough that I didn't feel hungry and the emptyness stopped distracting me.
Can't get many more miles tonight, wagering this is the chance for my nemesis to secure a lead... at least for tomorrow. And hey, maybe that's just fine. Goal was 300 miles for the week. I'm 50.9 from that mark right now. Maybe I can push it a bit further. And maybe next week sneak in a Hundo and a half to get things back in order.
Very fortunate that things have really slowed down here, to the point I can ride, better than sitting around in the office... big lull and that's pretty normal, needed after this insane semester.
Legs are actually kind of starting to get tired. But then so am I. But maybe that is the fact that I haven't made coffee in the office. Just the normal morning coffee... That explains the sluggishness i suppose.
Well, that's enough for now. Back on the thought machine. Me and my demons. I ride alone. Not by choice, but by recognition that if i don't i won't and alone is better than not. Kind of depressing when put like that. Oh well. Hopefully i'll make it home in time tonight.
heddwch
G
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
well once again...
Doing dumb stuff... Smackdown tonight, some flak for calling it that but it is what Mark called it and he's dead and I don't want to change the name because it was his and I miss him terribly... still.
Brain: "lets take the long way in"
Other part of brain: "good stuff... extra 20-24 miles will be perfect. "
B: "Hey, that road sucks with the landscaping trucks and trailers, lets try this."
O: "yeah but we'll head north and west and join Providence St and head the usual long way. "
B: "DUDE, THIS ROAD IS GETTING NARROW LETS TAKE THIS RIGHT LIKE SUNDAY"
O: "Motherfucker... Fine, we'll turn north on 118 and take that to Summer. "
B: "Cool it says bike route."
so sweet pedaling rolling feeling good
a few times today i got that ego shift, kind of when your point of reference changes, mine kind of moved up a bit and pulled back, arms and shoulders and body felt a bit detached, trance like, kind of cool...
B: "How about we go north of 44 on 118, it will be easier to cross with the light."
O: "FFS we're already pushing it taking this much time... Summer is HERE... and there... and..."
B: "Hey, We'll turn on Fairview."
B: "JUST KIDDING LETS GO ALL THE WAY TO TREMONT"
O: "No Fucking WAY."
B: "okay"
Kind of need cycling friends with super flexible schedule and willingness to do stupid pointless rides when I can to keep me from talking to myself.
Or not. I've had a few not and then, it is pretty nice. But I guess I also just need to pull up my pants and do it alone too. No excuses.
granted 35.5 miles was a bit more than I planned on riding. And yes, I still have to go home, let the dogs out, feed them and break their hearts by leaving them. I was going to ride the slow but now bars dropped into road mode Black Blue tonight, but first doing these miles and it only having a 44t front ring, AND C Bailey announcing he was going to make an appearance, AND Leland posting some Mad Max gif on the Brown cycling FB page... gonna pump up the tires on the old Klein. Still gonna be taking a knife to a gun fight but at least it is kind of an upgrade from the small utility knife that the Black Blue is.
Oh the other unintended beauty of riding with a phone with all but the GPS turned off? Peace. No notifications. Nothing. Since no one ever calls or texts, no big deal. I did leave without my helmet this morning. Cycling cap on, trundling down the bike path, salute a regular headed north, hand hits cycling cap, what? Ah DAMNIT. Go back to get helmet, black dog so freaking excited I came back that she's tearing laps around the back yard in giddy jubilation. But I had to leave again so it was short lived but she was out of breath a bit after a dozen full speed figure 8s. The other thing about riding w/o any sort of device on the handlebars is I have no clue how fast I'm going, no feed back for how much time has elapsed. And that's kind of a good and a bad thing.
But it is what it is.
we'll see what the smackdown brings... couple scopes to fix first.
heddwch
G
Brain: "lets take the long way in"
Other part of brain: "good stuff... extra 20-24 miles will be perfect. "
B: "Hey, that road sucks with the landscaping trucks and trailers, lets try this."
O: "yeah but we'll head north and west and join Providence St and head the usual long way. "
B: "DUDE, THIS ROAD IS GETTING NARROW LETS TAKE THIS RIGHT LIKE SUNDAY"
O: "Motherfucker... Fine, we'll turn north on 118 and take that to Summer. "
B: "Cool it says bike route."
so sweet pedaling rolling feeling good
a few times today i got that ego shift, kind of when your point of reference changes, mine kind of moved up a bit and pulled back, arms and shoulders and body felt a bit detached, trance like, kind of cool...
B: "How about we go north of 44 on 118, it will be easier to cross with the light."
O: "FFS we're already pushing it taking this much time... Summer is HERE... and there... and..."
B: "Hey, We'll turn on Fairview."
B: "JUST KIDDING LETS GO ALL THE WAY TO TREMONT"
O: "No Fucking WAY."
B: "okay"
Kind of need cycling friends with super flexible schedule and willingness to do stupid pointless rides when I can to keep me from talking to myself.
Or not. I've had a few not and then, it is pretty nice. But I guess I also just need to pull up my pants and do it alone too. No excuses.
granted 35.5 miles was a bit more than I planned on riding. And yes, I still have to go home, let the dogs out, feed them and break their hearts by leaving them. I was going to ride the slow but now bars dropped into road mode Black Blue tonight, but first doing these miles and it only having a 44t front ring, AND C Bailey announcing he was going to make an appearance, AND Leland posting some Mad Max gif on the Brown cycling FB page... gonna pump up the tires on the old Klein. Still gonna be taking a knife to a gun fight but at least it is kind of an upgrade from the small utility knife that the Black Blue is.
Oh the other unintended beauty of riding with a phone with all but the GPS turned off? Peace. No notifications. Nothing. Since no one ever calls or texts, no big deal. I did leave without my helmet this morning. Cycling cap on, trundling down the bike path, salute a regular headed north, hand hits cycling cap, what? Ah DAMNIT. Go back to get helmet, black dog so freaking excited I came back that she's tearing laps around the back yard in giddy jubilation. But I had to leave again so it was short lived but she was out of breath a bit after a dozen full speed figure 8s. The other thing about riding w/o any sort of device on the handlebars is I have no clue how fast I'm going, no feed back for how much time has elapsed. And that's kind of a good and a bad thing.
But it is what it is.
we'll see what the smackdown brings... couple scopes to fix first.
heddwch
G
character flaw
so, who takes on a retired recumbent rider who's been on top of the leader board for years and seems to ramp up the mileage every time anyone gets close... this idiot typing...
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Getting back there
Stomach still has issues riding it seems, or feels funny a bit. Super hungry and instead of grabbing a beer while making dinner I drank water. Not the same, super hungry once dinner rolled around even after snacking on some cabbage, but it filled me up, was yummy, and I ate a bit less than maybe I wanted, still a touch hungry but then again I can pretty much eat until I can't move, esp when there's no liquid calories going in. Suppose it is working.
(careful a handful of images below the fold)
(careful a handful of images below the fold)
Friday, May 13, 2016
oops, IOW Hundo #1 done
Well, yesterday was awesome. Weather couldn't have been better, didn't get sunburnt, got to see Paul Nixon's brewery, got some hop flowers, some crushed and whole malt, AND even got some super baby poop stinky yeast sludge to look at too.
It wasn't a fast ride, but we weren't trying to set any speed records and we were facing a headwind much of the way there. There were some initial errors in navigation. Syl's detour added a bit and got us off track to start with but was good to ride with him at the start. And we were still on familiar roads. I made a right turn and immediately picked up a shell that cut through the worn but dependable Durano Plus tires. Flat number 2 with them. I was alerted to the puncture by the rhythmic siss siss siss as the stans in the tube was being ejected. But i guess like with MTB tires you need to refresh the stans in them too. It sealed for 10-15 miles. Then started forming a plug then ejecting the plug and leaking some more, repetitively until flat. You can probably fact check my judgement on the distances by looking at the strava file. I haven't yet. Of course we didn't want to make the right turn but it gave DB and KOM Goldberg a chance to empty their bladders while the stans slowly plugged up the hole. Guess when you put it in a tube not only does it help the tube stay at pressure forever, well it keeps the liquid in there, although the active plugging stuff seems to get used up.
First flat for me on one of these long ride days so that's not so bad I guess.
KOM Goldberg was crushing it. He's been riding, running, working out and doing a good number of 100+ rides. He's fit and strong and has one kickass bike, every hill he walked away from DB and me. I like this faster stronger KOM Goldberg, not only is he an awesome guy we learned he also trained as a sommelier on top of everything else.
Once we got back on track, on the route their garmins picked up the colored line. We had one oops when DB had us go left on the return trace, but that was about it for issues with the navigation. Stopped at one place to get more water for KOM G and DB, i use the restroom, ate sandwich #2 of the day (mile 38 or so) and called Nixon to give him an update/estimate on arrival. We rolled in up into Myles Standish forest, and out on to Long Pond and over to 127 Camelot.
It was a bit of KOM G and me sitting in the wind, DB did a few pulls but i guess he forgot to charge the motor in his Willier or used it up in the first half as he would dangle a bit at the hills, but he stuck with it and never complained and always caught back on and generally is just one of the good guys to ride with, always funny, gracious and stuff. Can never say enough nice things about Goldberg though, that kind of goes without saying. It was an awesome day pedaling.
Nixon offered up a taster rack of his 8 beers on tap, and wow, they are amazing, each one distinctive and different and complex and delicious. Which is rare it seems, usually you wind up having beers from one brewery all kind of tasting the same, this is not the case over at Independent Fermentations. So part of the goal was born out of talking with Paul at Connamesset farm race this fall. Ride out and get some hop flowers and the rest to get some SEM images and create a NANOSCAPE collection of the ingredients in beer.
Before leaving yesterday morning I stuffed a handful of ziplocks into my pocket with the sandwiches, battery back up for the phone and that's about it. Not much. Traveling kind of light. Filled the bags with stuff. The yeast proved to be the most challenging though. Paul cracked the settling valve and we put a tiny bit of some super foul baby poop smelling stuff in a bad. Mostly dead yeast, but should be some live ones in there. It was pretty funky. I washed that bag off and then put it in the 4th bag to seal it up. But i didn't really wash my hand after, maybe bad omen? Or not. Not sure. I'll know more when I get into work and check it out. I was going to do that today but, well I'm getting ahead of myself.
We eventually rolled out, samples in hand headed off Long Pond earlier than we got on there and had a great ride entering the Forest and College Pond road is fun as hell. Headed out and headed home. I gave one of my sandwiches to DB at the brewery, KOM G had packed a big pile of slowly disintegrating almond butter sandwiches and was okay DB is new to my crazy and well I usually roll self sufficiently. It was all good though, rolled into Berkeley and stopped at the DD to get some iced coffee (and KOM G got some water). 79 kind of sucked, we should have taken the same route there and back, much nicer. i ate my last sandwich and we rolled out. Climbed up to the Dighton water tower, then down and up and down and into Warren and then onto the bike path. Some teenage boy was skateboarding, sucking on a ring pop and kind of riding around like a douche and there was a lot of traffic and he managed to take a women out on her bike. She had a brilliant standing dismount and her riding partner went absolutely apeshit bananas and we rolled on leaving the drama and DB behind. He caught up and we cruised home. 115 miles or so.
I was tired. but still managed to get cleaned up, head to the store, grab stuff, bring dancer home and make everyone dinner. Fell asleep no problem but...
woke up with major reflux. I never get it, maybe once or twice in the past, enough that i know what's going on, but lying there tasting the salad working its way back up? Not good. Prop myself up with pillows, ahh better, fall asleep, slip down to normal positions and then repeat. 1:30am to 3:30 was spent like that. Woke up and has hot and cold sweats, too hot, then too cold, just not right, something was up something was weird. Body was not happy. Made coffee, had a few sips, and just got into bed, to sleep for a little bit before riding into work. Little bit turned into sleeping until puking at 11:45 when I got up to maybe contemplate getting in for the 1pm meeting. Got up, coughed and "hey that's not a normal cough... oh shit" An hour later the other end let loose. All cleaned out. But zero appetite and tired and achy. And back to bed. Couple sips of water mixed with a sip of coffee to hopefully medicate the addiction/headache (it worked actually although tomorrow is likely to suck sooner than normal).
I dunno what it was/is. Something I'd been carrying around and the ride kicked my ass enough that it took over? Something in the salad? Perhaps. Something picked up along the way? Poop flying off one of the guy's wheels? Could be not washing my hands after collecting the stinky stuff? Unlikely but i dunno, other than I haven't been this leveled in years. The dogs hung out with me and slept in bed with me to keep me company and make sure I was okay. only nudging my arm/hand for pets when i was awake.
Total mileage for the year is just under 2k. Not many miles really. That's the tale of the spring and not riding much. 510 of those miles are since the 1st of May. 115 yesterday. Kind of maybe over did it? But hey i'm leading the state for the National Bike Challenge, am ranked 150 in the nation, not so bad. I did get out and just pedal around just before 5pm tonight, only 2 miles or so, contact points felt fine, legs felt fine, just tired. Lacking energy from eating zero calories all day. Heck if i get back under 200# soon maybe I'll take a recess on the no beer in may challenge. But maybe not, the Indy Ferm tasting doesn't count so much, was only a sip or two of each to taste the flavors and get an appreciation of the beers, and did I say how amazing they were already? They are amazing.
I took one photo on the ride. When your camera is your mileage logger and battery life is barely long enough even with back up charger, using it and taking it out to grab photos is not really an option. We did have garmin issues and KOM G was bitching about them and saying you are much better off w/o them, perhaps.
The one photo was of Paul, with the rack of tasters:
Nanoscape will have to wait for a couple days, hopefully i can find time and energy to ride tomorrow and Sunday, I fear my early enthusiasm may be taking its toll. We'll see what each days brings. Perhaps I can turn it around as fast as I got destroyed.
Before Thursday I had an idea maybe to attempt another on on Thursday again, kid events are going to make that impossible unless I do one of those loop ones, actually maybe not bad idea! Just have to get myself feeling better. I'd though today i'd have ridden normal way to work and taken the long way home... alas not to be.
The ride was awesome, yesterday was great. Today? not so much but it is what it is. Hoping I can still sleep tonight even though I slept all day. Tomorrow and Sunday set to be just as crazy as every weekend.
Still not hungry, weird. But I know I need calories, but nothing is appetizing. Maybe i'll just go back to bed.
heddwch
G
It wasn't a fast ride, but we weren't trying to set any speed records and we were facing a headwind much of the way there. There were some initial errors in navigation. Syl's detour added a bit and got us off track to start with but was good to ride with him at the start. And we were still on familiar roads. I made a right turn and immediately picked up a shell that cut through the worn but dependable Durano Plus tires. Flat number 2 with them. I was alerted to the puncture by the rhythmic siss siss siss as the stans in the tube was being ejected. But i guess like with MTB tires you need to refresh the stans in them too. It sealed for 10-15 miles. Then started forming a plug then ejecting the plug and leaking some more, repetitively until flat. You can probably fact check my judgement on the distances by looking at the strava file. I haven't yet. Of course we didn't want to make the right turn but it gave DB and KOM Goldberg a chance to empty their bladders while the stans slowly plugged up the hole. Guess when you put it in a tube not only does it help the tube stay at pressure forever, well it keeps the liquid in there, although the active plugging stuff seems to get used up.
First flat for me on one of these long ride days so that's not so bad I guess.
KOM Goldberg was crushing it. He's been riding, running, working out and doing a good number of 100+ rides. He's fit and strong and has one kickass bike, every hill he walked away from DB and me. I like this faster stronger KOM Goldberg, not only is he an awesome guy we learned he also trained as a sommelier on top of everything else.
Once we got back on track, on the route their garmins picked up the colored line. We had one oops when DB had us go left on the return trace, but that was about it for issues with the navigation. Stopped at one place to get more water for KOM G and DB, i use the restroom, ate sandwich #2 of the day (mile 38 or so) and called Nixon to give him an update/estimate on arrival. We rolled in up into Myles Standish forest, and out on to Long Pond and over to 127 Camelot.
It was a bit of KOM G and me sitting in the wind, DB did a few pulls but i guess he forgot to charge the motor in his Willier or used it up in the first half as he would dangle a bit at the hills, but he stuck with it and never complained and always caught back on and generally is just one of the good guys to ride with, always funny, gracious and stuff. Can never say enough nice things about Goldberg though, that kind of goes without saying. It was an awesome day pedaling.
Nixon offered up a taster rack of his 8 beers on tap, and wow, they are amazing, each one distinctive and different and complex and delicious. Which is rare it seems, usually you wind up having beers from one brewery all kind of tasting the same, this is not the case over at Independent Fermentations. So part of the goal was born out of talking with Paul at Connamesset farm race this fall. Ride out and get some hop flowers and the rest to get some SEM images and create a NANOSCAPE collection of the ingredients in beer.
Before leaving yesterday morning I stuffed a handful of ziplocks into my pocket with the sandwiches, battery back up for the phone and that's about it. Not much. Traveling kind of light. Filled the bags with stuff. The yeast proved to be the most challenging though. Paul cracked the settling valve and we put a tiny bit of some super foul baby poop smelling stuff in a bad. Mostly dead yeast, but should be some live ones in there. It was pretty funky. I washed that bag off and then put it in the 4th bag to seal it up. But i didn't really wash my hand after, maybe bad omen? Or not. Not sure. I'll know more when I get into work and check it out. I was going to do that today but, well I'm getting ahead of myself.
We eventually rolled out, samples in hand headed off Long Pond earlier than we got on there and had a great ride entering the Forest and College Pond road is fun as hell. Headed out and headed home. I gave one of my sandwiches to DB at the brewery, KOM G had packed a big pile of slowly disintegrating almond butter sandwiches and was okay DB is new to my crazy and well I usually roll self sufficiently. It was all good though, rolled into Berkeley and stopped at the DD to get some iced coffee (and KOM G got some water). 79 kind of sucked, we should have taken the same route there and back, much nicer. i ate my last sandwich and we rolled out. Climbed up to the Dighton water tower, then down and up and down and into Warren and then onto the bike path. Some teenage boy was skateboarding, sucking on a ring pop and kind of riding around like a douche and there was a lot of traffic and he managed to take a women out on her bike. She had a brilliant standing dismount and her riding partner went absolutely apeshit bananas and we rolled on leaving the drama and DB behind. He caught up and we cruised home. 115 miles or so.
I was tired. but still managed to get cleaned up, head to the store, grab stuff, bring dancer home and make everyone dinner. Fell asleep no problem but...
woke up with major reflux. I never get it, maybe once or twice in the past, enough that i know what's going on, but lying there tasting the salad working its way back up? Not good. Prop myself up with pillows, ahh better, fall asleep, slip down to normal positions and then repeat. 1:30am to 3:30 was spent like that. Woke up and has hot and cold sweats, too hot, then too cold, just not right, something was up something was weird. Body was not happy. Made coffee, had a few sips, and just got into bed, to sleep for a little bit before riding into work. Little bit turned into sleeping until puking at 11:45 when I got up to maybe contemplate getting in for the 1pm meeting. Got up, coughed and "hey that's not a normal cough... oh shit" An hour later the other end let loose. All cleaned out. But zero appetite and tired and achy. And back to bed. Couple sips of water mixed with a sip of coffee to hopefully medicate the addiction/headache (it worked actually although tomorrow is likely to suck sooner than normal).
I dunno what it was/is. Something I'd been carrying around and the ride kicked my ass enough that it took over? Something in the salad? Perhaps. Something picked up along the way? Poop flying off one of the guy's wheels? Could be not washing my hands after collecting the stinky stuff? Unlikely but i dunno, other than I haven't been this leveled in years. The dogs hung out with me and slept in bed with me to keep me company and make sure I was okay. only nudging my arm/hand for pets when i was awake.
Total mileage for the year is just under 2k. Not many miles really. That's the tale of the spring and not riding much. 510 of those miles are since the 1st of May. 115 yesterday. Kind of maybe over did it? But hey i'm leading the state for the National Bike Challenge, am ranked 150 in the nation, not so bad. I did get out and just pedal around just before 5pm tonight, only 2 miles or so, contact points felt fine, legs felt fine, just tired. Lacking energy from eating zero calories all day. Heck if i get back under 200# soon maybe I'll take a recess on the no beer in may challenge. But maybe not, the Indy Ferm tasting doesn't count so much, was only a sip or two of each to taste the flavors and get an appreciation of the beers, and did I say how amazing they were already? They are amazing.
I took one photo on the ride. When your camera is your mileage logger and battery life is barely long enough even with back up charger, using it and taking it out to grab photos is not really an option. We did have garmin issues and KOM G was bitching about them and saying you are much better off w/o them, perhaps.
The one photo was of Paul, with the rack of tasters:
Nanoscape will have to wait for a couple days, hopefully i can find time and energy to ride tomorrow and Sunday, I fear my early enthusiasm may be taking its toll. We'll see what each days brings. Perhaps I can turn it around as fast as I got destroyed.
Before Thursday I had an idea maybe to attempt another on on Thursday again, kid events are going to make that impossible unless I do one of those loop ones, actually maybe not bad idea! Just have to get myself feeling better. I'd though today i'd have ridden normal way to work and taken the long way home... alas not to be.
The ride was awesome, yesterday was great. Today? not so much but it is what it is. Hoping I can still sleep tonight even though I slept all day. Tomorrow and Sunday set to be just as crazy as every weekend.
Still not hungry, weird. But I know I need calories, but nothing is appetizing. Maybe i'll just go back to bed.
heddwch
G
Thursday, May 05, 2016
push through
good day- early start, up late, up too late but afraid if i go to sleep i won't sleep so i'm pushing it a bit by being awake.
Normal ride in, into an odd NNE wind, but dry. busy day to some extent but clear enough to leave a touch early and grab a few more miles on the way home. It was pretty awesome except for almost getting clipped by two landscaping trailers trying to pass me. Clipped. Landscapers... unintended pun. Wind aided the roads from the time i turned south were a ripper. Flying. Even on the heavy tank wheels. Kicked ass. Felt great. Then it started to drizzle and mist, and then i had to take the glasses off and actually make use of the cycling cap brim as it was intended. Got home to stop it and check the distance and the timing... and there was nothing. I started the phone app. I had the little circle saying the ride was recording when i put it in my pocket. but well something flaked which isn't surprising. It was a very frustrating moment. Dark feelings of 'why don't i have a garmin yet' and every other aspect of the fact that i have to turn everything off on the phone for a 1-2 hr ride if the battery isn't fully charged and even then if it is I have to turn off Wifi, and the ringer. But hey, I'm making it work and it doesn't really matter in the scheme of things. I can plot out the route pretty easily on the new strava route builder, i know how far i rode. That's all that matters really i suppose for the national bike challenge.
My legs felt pretty good on the way home. The ride in was tough to take it easy with the wind and it paid off a bit.
Biggest week I think maybe since Aug 31-Sept 6. And there are three days left. Feeling more me with the sudden boost of riding. Body and brain kind of missed it more than I thought, perhaps the lack of it was having a negative cascade that I thought was worth the price. I don't think so. Need to make sure this doesn't happen again. Not so i can be fast. No, just so i can be me.
Made some coffee ice cream, as a test batch for my students in the class. Last meeting is monday, handful of presentations and coffee ice cream... and vanilla, not going to get fancier than that, maybe bring in chocolate chips or something...
Now feeling pretty tired. Eyes heavy... goal achieved...
time to sleep and prep for super crazy friday, made crazier by me squeezing in a few more miles some how. Only good thing about this streak of weather is I don't care if it is raining anymore. I'm gonna f'n ride (and by that i mean ride longer than the shortest distance between the two points).
heddwch
G
Normal ride in, into an odd NNE wind, but dry. busy day to some extent but clear enough to leave a touch early and grab a few more miles on the way home. It was pretty awesome except for almost getting clipped by two landscaping trailers trying to pass me. Clipped. Landscapers... unintended pun. Wind aided the roads from the time i turned south were a ripper. Flying. Even on the heavy tank wheels. Kicked ass. Felt great. Then it started to drizzle and mist, and then i had to take the glasses off and actually make use of the cycling cap brim as it was intended. Got home to stop it and check the distance and the timing... and there was nothing. I started the phone app. I had the little circle saying the ride was recording when i put it in my pocket. but well something flaked which isn't surprising. It was a very frustrating moment. Dark feelings of 'why don't i have a garmin yet' and every other aspect of the fact that i have to turn everything off on the phone for a 1-2 hr ride if the battery isn't fully charged and even then if it is I have to turn off Wifi, and the ringer. But hey, I'm making it work and it doesn't really matter in the scheme of things. I can plot out the route pretty easily on the new strava route builder, i know how far i rode. That's all that matters really i suppose for the national bike challenge.
My legs felt pretty good on the way home. The ride in was tough to take it easy with the wind and it paid off a bit.
Biggest week I think maybe since Aug 31-Sept 6. And there are three days left. Feeling more me with the sudden boost of riding. Body and brain kind of missed it more than I thought, perhaps the lack of it was having a negative cascade that I thought was worth the price. I don't think so. Need to make sure this doesn't happen again. Not so i can be fast. No, just so i can be me.
Made some coffee ice cream, as a test batch for my students in the class. Last meeting is monday, handful of presentations and coffee ice cream... and vanilla, not going to get fancier than that, maybe bring in chocolate chips or something...
Now feeling pretty tired. Eyes heavy... goal achieved...
time to sleep and prep for super crazy friday, made crazier by me squeezing in a few more miles some how. Only good thing about this streak of weather is I don't care if it is raining anymore. I'm gonna f'n ride (and by that i mean ride longer than the shortest distance between the two points).
heddwch
G
insane
[title not referring to me for a change]
but that dude... solid...
solo-dad weekend commences... unintended relationship to that song. Fortunately i have the flexibility to shorten the workday to accommodate everything, granted it means extra piles of stress and pretty much non-stop from the get go but hey, gotta start the day with a bit of music while drinking coffee.
because life man... life is one strange trip... and it just ain't the same w/o music...
heddwch
G
but that dude... solid...
solo-dad weekend commences... unintended relationship to that song. Fortunately i have the flexibility to shorten the workday to accommodate everything, granted it means extra piles of stress and pretty much non-stop from the get go but hey, gotta start the day with a bit of music while drinking coffee.
because life man... life is one strange trip... and it just ain't the same w/o music...
heddwch
G
Wednesday, May 04, 2016
the long commutes
are helping... not concerned or caring about leaderboard on the national bike challenge, no helping with the other challenge.
but man i'm tired - that's a big jump going from no more than a 13.8-14 mile day normally with one a week bigger than that, at most. And after smackdown last night getting on the commuter, holy crap do those wheels roll sllloooooowwwwwly. Down hill into the wind i had to pedal to keep going, granted not much of a down hill but still was kind of funny. The hubs are well adjusted. But hey 900 grams, viscoelastomerishantifaltbelt, 35c wide at 50 psi under clydesdale wearing big backpack. Go figure.
The morning was nice - weather was fine. Almost over-dressed. And dry. A few miles shorter than monday's long ride, but mostly the same route. May explore a shorter long way in or maybe just ride the faster bike (if it actually ever stops raining). The ride home was only made tolerable by the slight tailwind. The rain was cold. I think my feet may still be not super warm yet. And my legs are feeling this change and being grumpy for a change.
And i think that's maybe a good thing.
I'm eating ice cream. maybe hopefully help the liver top up to get me to sleep sooner. maybe. If nothing else it is really yummy. And yes. I made it. ~$3 of ingredients to make 1.5 quarts of organic ice cream in 20 min. no no commercial operation here. It is just simple stuff.
I hope my shoes dry out. Going to attempt to make solo dad work while not relenting on the getting on the bike. Saturday and Sunday may be the most challenging though. We'll see how that goes. Actually to think about it Monday might be the most challenging, not that the next two days will be easy. non-stop... going and going and going and going and going and going.
fortunately i did find a transitive substitute for all that social media and interacting with friends, and it is actually working even better than I expected. The changes are working better than expected. But I need to hang on to them as long as I can. Gotta sit on this reset button as long as it takes. Need some major re-wiring in my brain to happen. The demons and the PTSD that started rearing up lately are still floating around, but much less stressful and debilitating the last couple days. Hopefully it will fade a bit.
topping it off though this sleeping like shit thing is getting old, but maybe hopefully the riding, this wee bit of ice cream and being this zonked out will translate into sleep tonight. or tomorrow night, or hell, i know i can go a long time w/o sleep and goodamnt i don't want to give up coffee (yet).... not sure if giving up coffee or beer is ever going to happen, if this sublte silent change starts working perhaps the riding will push the edge and my fatness back closer to that sub-clydesdale category.
much stupider early morning, but then i'm usually awake then, only seem to really get good sleep between 6 and 8am, but once i fall back asleep the blissful slumber is interrupted by life.
here's to the ice cream Zzzzs and to my shoes being dry in the morning (they are sitting under the fan).
heddwch
g
but man i'm tired - that's a big jump going from no more than a 13.8-14 mile day normally with one a week bigger than that, at most. And after smackdown last night getting on the commuter, holy crap do those wheels roll sllloooooowwwwwly. Down hill into the wind i had to pedal to keep going, granted not much of a down hill but still was kind of funny. The hubs are well adjusted. But hey 900 grams, viscoelastomerishantifaltbelt, 35c wide at 50 psi under clydesdale wearing big backpack. Go figure.
The morning was nice - weather was fine. Almost over-dressed. And dry. A few miles shorter than monday's long ride, but mostly the same route. May explore a shorter long way in or maybe just ride the faster bike (if it actually ever stops raining). The ride home was only made tolerable by the slight tailwind. The rain was cold. I think my feet may still be not super warm yet. And my legs are feeling this change and being grumpy for a change.
And i think that's maybe a good thing.
I'm eating ice cream. maybe hopefully help the liver top up to get me to sleep sooner. maybe. If nothing else it is really yummy. And yes. I made it. ~$3 of ingredients to make 1.5 quarts of organic ice cream in 20 min. no no commercial operation here. It is just simple stuff.
I hope my shoes dry out. Going to attempt to make solo dad work while not relenting on the getting on the bike. Saturday and Sunday may be the most challenging though. We'll see how that goes. Actually to think about it Monday might be the most challenging, not that the next two days will be easy. non-stop... going and going and going and going and going and going.
fortunately i did find a transitive substitute for all that social media and interacting with friends, and it is actually working even better than I expected. The changes are working better than expected. But I need to hang on to them as long as I can. Gotta sit on this reset button as long as it takes. Need some major re-wiring in my brain to happen. The demons and the PTSD that started rearing up lately are still floating around, but much less stressful and debilitating the last couple days. Hopefully it will fade a bit.
topping it off though this sleeping like shit thing is getting old, but maybe hopefully the riding, this wee bit of ice cream and being this zonked out will translate into sleep tonight. or tomorrow night, or hell, i know i can go a long time w/o sleep and goodamnt i don't want to give up coffee (yet).... not sure if giving up coffee or beer is ever going to happen, if this sublte silent change starts working perhaps the riding will push the edge and my fatness back closer to that sub-clydesdale category.
much stupider early morning, but then i'm usually awake then, only seem to really get good sleep between 6 and 8am, but once i fall back asleep the blissful slumber is interrupted by life.
here's to the ice cream Zzzzs and to my shoes being dry in the morning (they are sitting under the fan).
heddwch
g
Tuesday, May 03, 2016
changing it up
two challenges for May...
the first: https://nationalbikechallenge.org/
the second? well kind of hoping the first helps with the second.
kind of has to do with peak fatness (as close as i've been to how fat i was at my last attempt at Battenkill). good point to this peak fatness is it isn't all fatness... but still... need to figure out what is fatness and what isn't.
Sunday's ride - the compromise ride, woke up, drank a quad of espresso and rode bike. No calories. Had another coffee after getting back, then ate a small amount of food. Monday's long ride, same thing - coffee, but this time 1.5 quads and much later and more tired, but still no calories. Now sure, it wasn't that long of a ride. But it was first thing, no bonk, not fast but also on super slow bike with backpack.
Long commute was put on hold this morning #1 because rain, #2 needed to be in to help with imaging challenge #3 hoping to get smackdown in and last night legs were cramping for odd reason. Not sure, but i did drink way more water last night than usual. despite salty dinner and a grillo pickle to fight toe cramps after getting home. odd. but honestly makes sense, the energy and work Sunday morning and then followed up with a long day Sunday and then Monday's long ride in, despite being that short, the only way to share how slow and how much effort it is on that is to get a powermeter on there and well that ain't gonna happen. Took quite a bit of work and maybe legs were just not used to it.
Weather is clearing though, so smackdown looks like it'll happen.
I don't really have many hopes or expectations for tonight but even if legs are shit like last week it will still be nice to get out and try and hang on as long as possible and worst case i get out for a different kind of ride than a commute.
Just wish it was a touch warmer.
ah well
heddwch
G
the first: https://nationalbikechallenge.org/
the second? well kind of hoping the first helps with the second.
kind of has to do with peak fatness (as close as i've been to how fat i was at my last attempt at Battenkill). good point to this peak fatness is it isn't all fatness... but still... need to figure out what is fatness and what isn't.
Sunday's ride - the compromise ride, woke up, drank a quad of espresso and rode bike. No calories. Had another coffee after getting back, then ate a small amount of food. Monday's long ride, same thing - coffee, but this time 1.5 quads and much later and more tired, but still no calories. Now sure, it wasn't that long of a ride. But it was first thing, no bonk, not fast but also on super slow bike with backpack.
Long commute was put on hold this morning #1 because rain, #2 needed to be in to help with imaging challenge #3 hoping to get smackdown in and last night legs were cramping for odd reason. Not sure, but i did drink way more water last night than usual. despite salty dinner and a grillo pickle to fight toe cramps after getting home. odd. but honestly makes sense, the energy and work Sunday morning and then followed up with a long day Sunday and then Monday's long ride in, despite being that short, the only way to share how slow and how much effort it is on that is to get a powermeter on there and well that ain't gonna happen. Took quite a bit of work and maybe legs were just not used to it.
Weather is clearing though, so smackdown looks like it'll happen.
I don't really have many hopes or expectations for tonight but even if legs are shit like last week it will still be nice to get out and try and hang on as long as possible and worst case i get out for a different kind of ride than a commute.
Just wish it was a touch warmer.
ah well
heddwch
G
Monday, May 02, 2016
re-writing
in the blog world i'm sure this morning is already long enough in the tooth to make reverting to draft kind of moot for some...
but last night i think maybe head space was not best for writing...
there are good elements in there, and nothing that isn't true or bare of honest but it isn't very positive, and re-reading it this morning was fine, but still not what i think i should be sharing, or at least not in the way that I did.
reworking the words to have way less fucks and motherfuckers, and twist the language into a less frustrated way to talk about it all.
currently i am planning the long way in, current goal is to ride every day in May. My wife is headed out of town super early Thursday and won't be back till late sunday i think. Going to make that stretch a challenge to get the rides in.... I'll make it a priority and make it work because that's what I do, i make it works with what I have as best as I can.
time to put computer aside and leave, yes, long ride in will make me a bit later, but it is a late day today and it is a straight through no break day. the extra miles even though they will be a bit wet, hopefully will help clear head some more. But i won't be setting any speed records on the old creak-a-saurus with them apocalypse proof tires. But i'll be riding.
heddwch
G
but last night i think maybe head space was not best for writing...
there are good elements in there, and nothing that isn't true or bare of honest but it isn't very positive, and re-reading it this morning was fine, but still not what i think i should be sharing, or at least not in the way that I did.
reworking the words to have way less fucks and motherfuckers, and twist the language into a less frustrated way to talk about it all.
currently i am planning the long way in, current goal is to ride every day in May. My wife is headed out of town super early Thursday and won't be back till late sunday i think. Going to make that stretch a challenge to get the rides in.... I'll make it a priority and make it work because that's what I do, i make it works with what I have as best as I can.
time to put computer aside and leave, yes, long ride in will make me a bit later, but it is a late day today and it is a straight through no break day. the extra miles even though they will be a bit wet, hopefully will help clear head some more. But i won't be setting any speed records on the old creak-a-saurus with them apocalypse proof tires. But i'll be riding.
heddwch
G
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