One third done

Yesterday was Day 60 of my personal biking challenge and I rode my 60th day in a row.  I know for some that isn't a lot, but to me that is proving to myself that I can commit to and follow through on something. Granted my numbers are small compared to some, but I have learned over the last few years not to measure myself against other's accomplishments, but against my own goals.

With that said, let's look at a few of the numbers involved with these 60 days of cycling:

Total Miles:  138.2 miles
Total Time:    11.26 hours
Total Calories burned:   16,807 Calories
Average Ride Distance:  2.3 Miles

As I said, not huge numbers by any stretch of the imagination, but its the consistency and repetition that is key for me.  I hope to start increasing the average ride length through the next 1/3 of the challenge but it will be difficult at first as we are definitely in the hottest part of the year, here int he desert southwest.

I hope everyone is able to get out and enjoy the summertime here in the northern hemisphere and don't forget to...

GET ON YOUR BIKES AND RIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday Night Ride

I went for a ride at Dusk on Saturday and there were still a bunch of people setting off fireworks.  As I rounded the corner onto Quarterhorse (less than a quarter mile from the house) there was a dog that came running by out of the common area between the 2 subdivisions.  He was terrified of the fireworks going off.  He was running away from me, north on Quarterhorse, until a firework went off in front of us and he turned around and ran the other way.  I tried calling him but he wasn’t stopping. I considered turning and riding after him, but I didn't know where he had gone so I continued on my lap and decided to stop and try and catch him if he was still there when I came back around.

I finished my first last and was just approaching Quarterhorse when he came running around the corner and up between 2 houses on the street behind us.  I “knew” the guy in one of the houses from saying 'hi' and talking about bikes as I frequently saw him out there when I would ride by.  He smokes in his garage and frequently leaves the door open about a foot or so for ventilation. Well as the fireworks were still going off the dog, who was quite large (my guess is a collie/yellow lab/shepherd mix), tried to get under the door.  He got his head under and was pawing at things in the garage, trying to squeeze under the door.  I petted him and tried to coax him out but he wasn’t coming.

Troy (the guy who lives in the house) heard the noise and hit the opener, opening the garage door.  As the door went up, the dog went all the way in next to the car and towards the door to the house.   I let Troy know there was a dog coming in and he and his wife were of course wary.  The dog went by the door to the house and lay down. He was panting heavily and looked exhausted. We approached him and looked at his collar.  He had a tag, but the tag was just a rabies tag from the animal hospital no name or contact number on it.  

Jane, Troy's wife went in and got a bowl with some water in it.  he took a few sips but it seemed like he was still terrified and couldn't stop panting enough to take a drink. He wouldn’t really move once he was in the garage.

Troy and Jane are not dog people.  We started trying to figure out what to do. I told him I was going to go get my car and we’d see if we can get him to my house. I figured we already have 2 dogs so maybe he'll feel more at ease.  Not to mention it was very warm in Troy's garage.  

I rode home, told Michele what was going on and we grabbed a leash and took the car back to Troy’s house.  The dog hadn’t moved.  He was still panting a million miles an hour.  We tried coaxing him with more water, with a hot dog, pulling on the leash.  None of it got him moving.  He wasn’t easy to move either weighing probably over 100 lbs.  Finally I had Michele take the leash and I got behind him and pushed him up to his feet and he headed towards the car very slowly.  He got to the car, put his front feet in, but then he couldn’t seem to get the rest of the way into the back seat so I helped lift his rear end in and he was finally in there.

We took him home and I had to practically lift his rear end to coax him out of the car and into our garage.  I have a piece of carpet in there he laid right down on, still panting a lot. We got him a fresh bowl of water and turned on the ceiling fan to get the air moving for him.

We took a couple of pictures of him and Michele started looking on Craig’s list for any ads for lost dogs.  I stayed in the garage with him and kept giving him water (he drank about 2 quarts) and even put some ice in a baggie and laid it on him trying to cool him down.  He eventually slowed his panting some and laid down on the floor on his side to rest.  It was good that we had the ceiling fan in the garage to help cool him.

About 20 minutes later the doorbell rang and it was Troy.  He and his wife had heard someone out calling for a dog and they talked to the guy, finding out it was his dog that had just gotten out that evening.  He came with the guy to our house (not quite sure how he knew exactly where we lived, but he must have recognized my car).  We opened the garage and the dog seemed happy to see him.  He called it by name and it came to him so we knew it was his dog.  He said the dog was older and that he had problems with his hips which is why the dog didn’t want to move.  All in all is was a good night as we reunited the dog with his owner.

So I only rode 1.3 miles that evening but I think the short distance was definitely justified as we had a chance to do a good deed.

Get on your bikes and ride and do a good deed.

Childhood bike memories

Just read a post over at the Trailer Park Cyclist that was about the freedom of our youth's spent on two wheels and how the bike represented our freedom when we were young.  He even had a picture (I borrowed) that I can totally relate to:

This is so true!

I remember riding my bike everywhere when I was under the age of 16.  We would ride 12 or 15 miles in an hour or two just cruising to various friends' houses to see if they were home.  We would ride to the mall, we would ride to the lake, to the community pool, we rode everywhere.

I remember one time I was a bit late getting home.  I was maybe 12 or 13 and I was riding my dad's old bike.  It was a 26 inch and had saddle bag baskets on it.  I was cruising across the side streets in a hurry to get home.  As I approached one intersection I saw a car coming towards the stop sign and slowing down.  I kept my head down pedalling hard and didn't pay attention to the car as the woman pulled right in front of me into the intersection.

At the last minute I see her pulling in front of me.  I hit the coaster brakes locking the rear tire but there is no way I can stop.  I slam into the drivers door and end up doing a cart wheel with the bike.  I fall to the ground with a couple of scrapes but am otherwise unhurt.  The woman gets out of the car and keeps asking me if I'm all right.  I say yes, embarrassed that it happened and scared of what my parents will say. 

I pick up the bike and do a quick assessment.  The only problem seems to be a bent basket.  The car wasn't as lucky as it had a dent in the door and the drivers side mirror had broken off. The woman is asking me where I live and I say follow me and pedal off towards home.

She follows me and when I get home I head into the house filled with dread.  I was late and now I had damaged the woman's car.  my mom sees me and knows there is a problem.  She asks what's wrong and I tell her there is a woman who wants to talk to her.  She heads to the door and I head to the bathroom to clean and bandage my scrapes.

I don't remember what happened with the woman or the car or if we had to fix it or not.  I never did get in trouble for the accident, I think they were just happy I was OK.

Another memory is a couple of years later:

My legs are pumping as fast as I can make them go. I am crouching down over the handlebars, getting as low as I can trying to get every last bit of speed from my yellow, 10 speed Schwinn. I am breathing fast and hard, trying to get oxygen into my lungs to supply my straining, burning muscles. My heart is pounding like a bass drum in my temples.

 

My brother is just ahead of me and I am inching closer and closer, trying to pass him before we get home. He looks over his shoulder, a brief glance, shows him that I am gaining on him. I can tell he has nothing more to give. I pull just even with him as we arrive at home. I didn’t beat him today, but one day I will. I let my Schwinn coast past the house and it is like I am flying effortlessly along.  The summer twilight is fading as we put the bikes into the shed and head in for a cold drink of water.

Summer Riding

Summer riding here in the desert southwest is a challenge.  Even getting out early in the day means it will be hot.  Take my ride yesterday morning for example.  I was on my bike before 5:00 AM and it was still 87 degrees outside! Of course to most people that is very warm.  I actually felt fairly comfortable compared to be ride the previous evening.

I waited until after the sun went down and it was dark outside with the hope that the temperature might be a bit cooler than our 109 degree high for the day.  Yes, it was a bit cooler - only 101 degrees at 8:30 pm. There was also a slight wind blowing.  With the heat radiating from the pavement it actually felt like I was riding into a large hair dryer.  Instead of feeling a slight cooling from the wind rushing past as I rode, it felt hotter than if I was standing still.

I only rode a short distance and was very warm.  What was truly remarkable to me was that when I stopped, the loose fitting shirt I wore settled against my skin and it reminded me of putting on warm clothes straight from the dryer! It was warm against my skin.  I decided that was enough and went in to cool off. Sitting in my chair is when the sweat really started to flow for the next 10 minutes or so as my body cooled itself off.

Sure I know that you can acclimate yourself to extreme weather conditions but I have to say that my growing up in the upper Midwest through cold winters and warm summers conditioned my body one way and these temperatures are challenging that conditioning. In the cold months here, when it gets into the 40's I'm frequently outside without a jacket while those more acclimated to this climate are bundled up in winter coats. I don't mind living here then.  Its now, when most areas are enjoying going out and riding, that I am feeling especially challenged.

I will muddle through and survive these hot temps, but certainly am looking forward to the cooler month of Fall and Winter.

Get on your bikes and RIDE!!!!!!

Of Time Zones and Application Interfaces

From the title you might think this post has something to do with my day job where I am frequently testing applications in various scenarios to make sure they perform as intended.  That is not the case, though.  This has to do with how my data is being displayed for a ride I did Monday evening.

You see, there were some family matters to attend to and since I was running short on sleep I didn't get up and get my ride in before work on Monday. In fact I didn't get in in right after work, either.  I eventually got my ride in at 10:34 pm on Monday.  Now I didn't go far, being so late.  Nor was I out long - the ride was only about 9 minutes. I did get my ride in for the day, though.

I uploaded the data to Daily Mile, Plus 3 and Strava with no issues.  I also uploaded it to Map My Ride which interfaces with the National Bike Challenge to track my progress.  Everything looked good until I went back into the site on Tuesday and it showed that while the ride was on 6/23, it posted to 6/24.  Looking at the National Bike Challenge as well, it showed I had missed the ride on 6/23.

I went back into Map My Ride and attempted to make a change to show the ride on the 23rd.  Unfortunately when I made the change it moved the ride to the 22nd.  I changed it a second time and now it displays correctly in Map My Ride, but from what I understand is that once the data from a ride is uploaded and synced to the National Bike Challenge site, it cannot be changed "for the integrity of the contest."

So I am now left with an empty day where I did in fact ride.  I wrote to the support people at the National Bike Challenge but I know they are going to tell me the fault lies with Map My Ride.  I also wrote the support people at Map My Ride, but don't have high hopes of a resolution.

Is this a big deal in the overall scheme of things - no, not at all, its just that one day stands out like a sore thumb in the midst of all the other days in a row that I've ridden, which at this point stands at 40 days in a row with just under 100 miles in my personal challenge.

Get On Your Bikes and RIDE!!!!!!!

VIVA Bike Vegas is Back!

I was so happy over the weekend when I was reading an email from Lisa over at Biking Las Vegas (http://bikinglasvegas.com) in which she shared the good news that a new company has picked up the Viva Bike Vegas Ride and it will be back again this year!

From the website:

Thanks to Perimeter Bicycling Association of America (same ride organizers that host the popularTour de Tucson event), for picking up the ride, and for continuing on the tradition of hosting a well organized and fully supported century ride that is sure to be the largest and most popular ride of the year!  Perimeter Bicycling has developed collaborative partnerships with the RTC, city of Henderson, city of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) to help support and promote the ride.

The event is scheduled for Saturday September 13, 2014 and the main rides are a 100, a 50 and a 25 mile ride.  Their rides are unique in that all 3 distances will finish at the Discover Children's museum by starting at various locations along the same course.

There will also be a 10 mile, and a 5 mile fun ride.

I was talking to my daughter and it looks like we are going to do a family ride of the 10 mile route with myself, my daughter and 2 or 3 of the grandkids depending on who feels up to it.  It should be a blast!!!!

Here is the website for the event:

http://www.perimeterbicycling.com/las-vegas/

Get on your Bike and RIDE!!!!!

36 days in a row

OK, I have to be honest here, when I put together my personal challenge of riding 180 days in a row, I knew there would be easy days and there would be hard days.  I knew some days just getting on the bike would be a struggle because of... you name it: heat, wind, rain (we can hope can't we???), schedule, etc.  What I have found through the first 36 days is that even with these obstacles (except for the rain) it hasn't been hard at all.  I actually look forward to riding and get a little anxious in the evenings if I haven't ridden yet.

Sure some people might argue that my 1 mile rides are cheating just a bit, but I say I made up the challenge and that a 1 mile ride is just fine.  I didn't start the challenge for the purpose of riding any specific distance, I started the challenge to try and make riding more a part of my life.

I am actually looking forward to the days coming soon when I will ride multiple times in a day with my grandchildren.  Sure those rides will be relatively short, but the fact that I am riding is what's important.  That it's with my grandkids will be quite the added bonus.

Having this challenge coincide with the National Bike Challenge just makes it that much better.  Because of the number of rides I have been doing, I am in the top 10 riders in my company and number 29 locally as of this morning.  that is awesome! I never dreamed that I could do that well in a challenge against some serious riders.  Sure most of them have much higher mileage totals than I do, but my daily riding is garnering me lots of points.

I hope everyone has a chance to get out and enjoy themselves.  Remember to be safe out there but...

GET ON YOUR BIKES AND RIDE!!!!!!!

Still doing it despite the wind

This morning I got up at 4:00 and got in a short 5 mile ride before work.  The temperature was great - right around 70.  The only issue I had this morning was with the wind.  Seems to have come back with a vengeance. Of course it is the wind which is bringing in the comfortable temperatures, but it is also very challenging.

Yesterday's peak wind gust in my area was 50 mph between 8:00 and 9:00 last night.  The Max Sustained wind was 39 mph during the same time frame. My ride last night occurred between 8:00 and 9:00 pm.  No wonder I was having an issue with the wind! Fortunately this morning the winds were a bit less with the sustained wind around 20 mph and gusts to 40 mph. It was still a struggle, though since they were from the WSW which makes them a stiff head wind on the slight uphill portion of my route.

The good news is that I have now ridden 32 days in a row.  I can't believe that much time has already elapsed in my personal challenge of riding 180 days in a row. I really do see this as a doable challenge as long as I keep focused on the goal. Secondary to the riding every day is a goal to increase my mileage in order to be ready to crush the Pedal to the Medal ride on September 27th.  I see no reason this won't happen and I would love to have some company on the ride.

Get on you bike and RIDE!!!!

Dirty Kanza 200 - A Masterful Race Report

If you haven't done so I highly recommend reading Janeen's write up of her recent race Dirty Kanza 200.  Here are the opening 2 paragraphs:

You. You are a frivolous person. A frivolous person with frivolous thoughts that spin and cartwheel on the front lawn of your mind. Legs flinging, knees bent, your thoughts less perfect with each rotation. Less complete and full.
This gravel is onto you. It’s not stupid. It sees your nerves as easily as if they were strung across this road at foot-tripping, shin height. That armadillo husk, cracked and desiccated, melon-ball empty like some hollowed-out canoe—it is onto you. It mocks you. You too, it says, shall be a hollowed out shell at the end. Consider this a warning.

Read the rest HERE

Feeling Neglected?

Good readers, I do apologize for my lack of posts the last couple of weeks.  Not much exciting has been happening on the fitness/cycling/weight loss front.

One good thing is that I am still on track for my personal cycling challenge.  I have ridden 24 days in a row now and covered just under 50 miles.  Granted my average ride length is short, but the fact that I am actually getting out there on days that I surely would not have is the good news.  I am getting to the point where it feels wrong if I haven't been on my bike on a given day.  This is good!  Now I need to start increasing the mileage.  One problem has been the times I am riding and how they are not conducive to long rides due to the heat.

On the fitness front, I have been walking a little along with the riding, but its nothing to be proud of.  Distances are very short.  Unfortunately I haven't been in the water in a long time as well.  Looking ahead to the next few months' schedules, I see very few opportunities to get into the water.  Lack of training in this arena has caused me to rethink my plans for the fall.  I have decided that I will not be doing Pumpkinman this fall.  I hadn't realized how much moving to the southwest part of town would impact my training.  When I lived on the east side, near Henderson, there were several pools within 10 minutes of the house.  That is not the case, now.

Sure, I know if I really wanted to do it, I would find a way to make the training happen.  That's just it, I am not motivated nor excited to do the event and therefore am not going to do it.

I have been looking for charity ride in the fall and I have one.

http://sonv.org/events/our-fundraisers/pedal-medal-2014

This ride supports the Special Olympics. From the website: "Pedal to the Medal offers something for riders of all levels and abilities with several route options and a free bicycle rodeo for both children and people with special needs.

Choose from a 25 mile, 50 mile or Century Ride.  The 50 mile and Century rides include an optional timed hill climb up Mt. Potosi."

I am excited about this ride as this is a cause I do believe in.  My nephew participated in the Special Olympics for a couple of years back in Michigan and I saw the wonderful opportunities this organization provides for the athletes.  Why not join me on this ride????

Get on your bikes and ride!