Sunday Ride

Well, there was one very nice part of the ride today -- you guessed it -- the moment I stopped outside my garage, having pedaled for 2 hours in a furious wind that at times gusted up to 40 miles an hour.

It was brutal out there. Not cold, and not all that gray -- but the wind threatened to pick me up off the road and toss me a ditch. It was scary at times and no fun for most of it.

But I set out to ride two hours a day 5 days in a row and I did it.

Will walk the rest of the week and ride next weekend. Hope to get some serious riding in the last 2 weeks of the year.

Sunday Wind

Well, it's Sunday -- one day left to complete my goal of riding 2 hours a day 5 days in a row over Thanksgiving.

It's another gray, cold day today -- but the added bonus is a big wind from the north. Yuck! I will go out in the aftenoon when it's hopefully warmer.

Saturday Bike

Despite a gray start to the day, the sun played peekaboo with us most of the mid morning to early afternoon and I did get out for my 2 hours today, so that's 4 days in a row and 6 of 8. Tomorrow will be the last of 5 and 7 of 9. The ride was a relatively calm one, with little wind and perhaps temps just under 50.

Friday Bike

All good things come to those that wait -- and I was rewarded with another 2 hour bike ride this afternoon after a morning full of rain.
OK, so it was cold, damp and gray and dark out there, but it was dry, for the most part, on the roads and there was little wind. But after five days of riding for two hours under gray skies I am beginning to wonder when the sun will shine. But hey I will take today over a rainout.

Tomorrow looks good to continue my drive for five (days in a row that is).

Friday Rain

Well it's raining outside, although the thunderstorm has stopped -- but the rain continues. Weather report says that it may end this afternoon. Biking looks doubtful. Don't know about walking, although there is always the treadmill. Could be worse. Went to bike in Italy 2 years ago and it rained 3 days in a row after two good days of cycling. Not only that, it had rained on the drive up to the cycling center from Rome as well as the drive back. All told, 5 days of rain out of the 8 we were there. We did have one decent day in Rome before we left.

So I guess I will wait until this afternoon and see what happens.

Thursday Walk/Bike

Just like the previous three days I have cycled this week, it was gray and cloudy -- albeit warm at 65 -- which is warm enough for shorts and short sleeves kit. May be the last day for this in a while. I toyed with the idea of doing 50 miles today, which would have taken another hour but thought there was no reason to push my luck, as I hope to ride LD another 3 days this week.

It was very quiet on the roads today with nary a car out there. Saw maybe two cylcists and that was it.

I also walked my 4 miles before the ride, as I did yesterday and last Sat/Sun.

Wednesday Walk/Bike

As the weather was warm -- 70 -- albeit gray, overcast and none too inviting -- but did I mention 70 degrees, I blew off work at noon and came home and walked for an hour and then rode for 2. It really didn't feel like exercise and I think I need to push a little harder or go longer.

The weather is suppose to cooperate tomorrow, for Thanksgiving so I will repeat. I am determined to do this 5 days in a row.

But this is definitely not Italy. Really boring w/o a cycling partner.

Halfway home

I started this blog just about 6 months ago, and will end it just at one years worth of posts.

I didn't get out today and rationalized that it was Monday, a cyclist's day of rest.


Hope to walk tomorrow. Sunny today but VERY windy, 20-35 mph.

I did a quick search on Chase Jernigan and found his mother's tribute website. Died in a car wreck at 1:50 AM on his father's birthday. How awful.

Chase Jernigan

I never knew Chase Jernigan, but for three years he's been on my mind briefly on almost all my 2 hour rides. The reason for this is that on the two hour ride I always pass a cross erected in his memory, against a tree, about halfway into my ride. It went up about three years ago, with fresh flowers and notes left around it. Based on the dates he was in high school, and probably hit the tree with his car and died. What the cause was on a straight road, I don't know. Was he wearing a seat belt? Probably not, but I don't know that either. Maybe a drunk driver hit his car. The facts I do not know. I only see the roadside memorial, A simple cross, painted white that someone made.

They say you never recover from the death of a child. That is probably true. I don't know if Chase's parents lived nearby, and I imagine it would be unsettling to drive by that cross every week.

It wasn't there yesterday. Taken down by either the family or the city, who is complying with some recent state and federal guidelines that are removing these memorials which have sprung up along side our highways in the last few decades.

I won't miss seeing the cross, although I doubt I will forget it.

Gray day continues. 2 hours. 66 degrees.

Weekend of 6 hours exercise was all I needed.

Sunday Walk

Weather is still very gray and overcast, although the humidity is high and it feels very damp out there. Temp is 50 but feels much warmer than yesterday's 47. Did 4 miles from 9-10 and came in. Will bike this afternoon when the temps are supposed to be around 65, which is almost short sleeve weather for biking.

This week is thanksgiving week, and with a little luck I can ride Wednesday through Sunday, although it rarely works out that way due to weather.

Saturday Ride

Well, I did make it for the full two hours today, although the moment I finished was the best moment of the ride.

I came in from my one hour walk and was pretty warm, so I figured I should hop on the bike instead of having lunch and waiting and then going out -- so that's what I did -- put on my helmet and bike shoes and off I went. It wasn't too bad as my body was warm, although my toes were a bit chilled. I need to put tape over the air holes in the shoes.

Hope to repeat tomorrow.

Saturday

Well, it's not raining, but it is cold and overcast and none too inviting out there.
I am a great believer in Sunshine helping me out on a cool day. No such luck today. Was planning on an hour walk and then 2 hours on the bike. Will have to see how long I last on the bike. It's one of those days to just stay inside near a roaring fire.

Friday Walk

It took 2 miles to get warm yesterday after work while I walked, and I was doing a very fast walk, as the colder it is, the faster I walk. I haven't walked when it was really cold out as the marathon is always in early November and I don't walk after the marathon until the following summer.
I put on 3 layers, walked out of the house, around the corner and came back for another layer. That was enough to keep me somewhat warn until about the 2 mile marker, when I was finally content.
At least I managed 2 hours of exercise during the week. Not great, but better than nothing.

Wednesday Walk

I finally made it out for an hour of exercise, but it's been a rough week. Had a headache Monday, business engagement on Tuesday and knew I had Italian on Thursday, but Wednesday was perfect. 4 miles. But clearly I need more on the other days. Need a solution.

Chose your Sunday Ride

One could have ridden this morning, when the windchill made the 35 degree temps feel like 29, or this afternoon, when it was a beautiful 70 degrees. Obviously I choose the latter. Mom didn't raise no fool!
I am not a fan of cold weather, although I rode through the winter in the Northeast for years. Three layers n top and tights and I am all set. But it's far more enjoyable to ride when it's 70.
And today it was beautiful, little wind and I averaged a relaxing 14 mph.

Regretfully, that's it for cycling until next weekend.

W/O swimming, it's back to walking during the week. Well, at least I get to listen to music.

Saturday Windy Ride

It took all the willpower I could muster up to ride yesterday but I was determined to get out. Had a social function that started at 1 PM and I was going to ride afterwards. I was on the road at 4 PM and knew I would have an hour before sundown.

It was very windy earlier in the day, gusting to 30 with a steady breeze from the north at 15-25. No it was not going to be fun.

I planned to ride into the wind starting out and come home with the wind at my back.

All very well, until the wind died down as I made the turn for home, and I missed out on a screaming finish. Such is life on the road.

Saturday Swim

Well, as Glida Radner said, it's always something.
The tendonitis that I felt in my right inside arm at the elbow at the last Saturday's swim returned at the beginning of the swim. Not as pronounced as last week -- but still very noticeable.
So I will have to shut down the swimming for at least a month to let it heal, because one week didn't do it.

Which is a shame, because other than that my swims the past two times have been wonderful. I finally solved the leaky goggles issue and I was back in swimming shape after a concentrated 5 weeks of practice.

Oh well -- back to biking and walking I suppose, as I need something to do during the week.

Saturday

Well, a lost week here, what with my eye surgery and business lunches and after work events, I managed 5 days of inactivity, which is rare when I am not injured.

And today is a very windy day here, which will make the bike ride very hard.

Plan to swim this morning, then bike in the late afternoon, when I am hoping it will be warmer. It's in the 40's at the momen, and scheduled to hit the mid 50's. Did I mention that I dislike cold weather? :)

Tuesday

Had to have minor surgery on my eye this morning, a five minute affair where they burn a pinprick size hole in your iris with a laser in order to prevent glaucoma as you age(I have a "narrow angle" prism behind my cornea that makes pressure buildup possible) -- which is why I never got to the pool today. The procedure was done in the morning but by the time I finished it was 11AM and I needed to get to work.

And Wednesday and Thursday and Friday I have business lunches, so this week is a write off. Oh well, I suppose everyone has weeks like this.

Change in Plans

I had planned on swimming today, as my arm felt OK, but my car wouldn't start and I had to catch a ride to work -- and didn't have transportation to the pool -- so much for plan A. Plan B -- to walk for an hour when I cam home, did not work out as it poured. So much for plan B.

As they say, tomorrow is another day.

And Thanksgiving looms -- where every year I have a grand plan to ride 4 days in a row, 2 hours a day. And either I get hurt just before the week or it rains. Let's pray for neither.

Sunday Ride

While it was windy today, the temps were pleasant, near 70, and the ride was very enjoyable, albeit a bit boring. I have spent the better part of the last 2 years riding by myself, and it does tend to get a bit boring. Over the years I have put together a variety of bike groups -- but my last riding partner, from NC, stopped riding last August, when his son's football practice started. He and I rode for a few months. For a few months before him there was another guy from NC I rode with, but after a few months it was evident he was too fast. And before that t was about a year and a half when another riding partner of mine left the state for Indianapolis (I've had two other people I know from here move there in the past year; one women works with me and the other lived down the block.)

I must admit that I prefer riding with another person as the conversation is much preferred to my own thoughts. Most of my biking partners have moved away. Barbara and Aaron, Jim, Jackie, Greg and others have just faded away.

Fortunately what I lack in speed I make up in motivation -- as it's not easy exercising as much as I do by myself.

So another Sunday, another 2 hours.

Saturday Bike

A very nice relaxing 2 hours on the bike, in picture perfect 70 degree weather with only a slight northwest wind. I was not as beat as last Saturday's ride following an hour's swim, but not as fresh as Sunday's ride, when I did not swim beforehand.

I will probably skip my swim today as I have a slight muscle strain in my right arm just on the inside of my elbow -- which I felt on the last 10 laps of my swim yesterday, and figure there is no reason to push it. It can't have healed overnight. I felt it every time I reached for my bike water bottle.

Saturday Swim

Swam for an hour this morning and the swim was perhaps the best of my 5 weeks of intensive effort. It seemed like an effortless hour, listening to Bernstein conduct Beethoven's 3rd sym, called The Hero, or Eroica. Legend says that he wrote it to honor Napoleon, but upon hearing that Napoleon proclaimed himself a king his name was scratched off the manuscript. It was his first great triumph. His first and second symphonies were certainly good, but the third was in another league altogether.

It was only my third swim of the week after 4 weeks at 4x. I will swim tomorrow as I have a heavy week of business lunches planned. will have to go back to walking for an hour on those days to get some exercise in.

Well...off to bike for 2 hours.

Friday

I had another business lunch I had scheduled on Friday without thinking earlier in the week; I tried to change it to later, but couldn't so I blew Friday too.

It's Saturday morning now and I am planning a repeat of last Saturday, Swim for an hour and then bike for two (when the temperature warms up).

Wednesday/Thursday Business Affairs

Had a business lunch yesterday and a conference all day today so no exercise. Tomorrow back in the pool.

Tuesday Swim

I figured I needed to swim today as I have a business Lunch on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

So I tried to glide more on each stroke and was able to reduce my stroke from 17 per lap to 15 per lap without too much trouble. But it will take practice. I managed to swim the whole 30 minutes that way.

And I think I am done with Sibelius. Onto another symphony.

Monday Swim

Another good swim today, and I met the Monday crowd, including two pretty fast people who were lapping me with regularity.

But the most important part of the day was reading some articles about how to swim faster. I finally read an article that makes the most sense of everything I have read about swimming faster. Basically it's about getting the most propulsion per stroke I take 17 stokes to cover 20 yards of a 25 yd pool. (The other 5 yds are push off.) I need to get the 17 to 12. My stroke is apparently very inefficient.I knew that, but know I what to do to make it more efficient, and it's not about swimming "faster" with my arms.

We will see how this works tomorrow.

Sunday Bike

It was a return to form on Sunday for the bike ride, such as my form is. My average was over 14 whereas on Saturday it was just over 13. Of course I did not swim on Sunday first. And while I would have swam if the pool was open I decided it didn't warrant an hour's drive (1/2 in each direction). Will swim on Monday instead. And good news, at least for the day, in that there was no lingering knee pain. So we'll see what happens next weekend.

Saturday Swim

Well, I have to admit that I did not realise that Sibelius' great 5th symphony clocked in at an hour. I was figuring at 45 minutes that it would end. That's when I was mentally prepared for the swim to end. But no, it dragged on all the way to one hour, and since I was not going to be denied the ending I swam for 60 minutes straight with the pull buoy. And only enough when I went back and added up the movements from the CD it should have been 45-48 minutes (I just added in my head and rounded). I have no idea why the CD played "slower" on my MP3 player, But I know for a fact that I turned it on at 10:10 and turned it off at 11:10. A mystery.
Any way, the swim was great, and my goggles never leaked once.
Sibelius is a titan of European music not just in Finland. He lived till 92 but never published any music after the age of 50. His house is a national museum in Finland, although I never got to it. I saw a great violist play his violin concerto last month at the DSO.
Came home and had lunch and now out for a 2 hour bike ride. Hopeful that the knee holds up.

Well, the bike ride absolutely sucked!
I actually felt my knee about 400 yards into the ride, which wasn't a good sign, and about 3 miles in I felt very tired and completely out of it. Now I have felt like this on a number of long rides, usually after 50 miles, or sometimes at the end of rides where I have run out of food, but this was from the beginning. I could have bailed at 7.5 miles where I turn around for my hour ride, but refused to wimp out. I know my body can handle this so I had to wait until my brain realised that as well.
It was a long wait!
I didn't feel OK until I was almost home.

But during the ride I did remember one fact -- that when I weighed myself after swimming I was at 57.5% hydration -- and normal for me is 60% -- and every percentage point is critical to peak performance. I think I was dehydrated from swimming and no matter how much water I drank on the bike it was not enough.

So I finished the 2 hours at a leisurely pace and called it a day.