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Messages: (28) 1
In spite of my bold predictions, May was largely a bust due to a cold and some crazy, crazy weather. June, however, has started off beautifully, and includes my second century of the year on the very first Saturday of the month.
It's time to get down to the serious business of losing weight. 250 by the end of this month, if it can be done.
| Date | Distance | Time | Avg. Speed | Max Speed | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday,
June 1, 2005 |
39.8 | 2:07:57 | 18.66 | 46.7 | 263 |
| Thursday,
June 2, 2005 |
45.17 | 2:28:13 | 18.28 | 47.1 | 262 |
| Saturday,
June 4, 2005 |
49.87 | 2:33:22 | 19.51 | 47.4 | 258 |
| Monday,
June 6, 2005 |
36.67 | 1:51:04 | 19.80 | 46.7 | 260 |
| Tuesday,
June 7, 2005 |
48.57 | 2:33:13 | 19.02 | 45.8 | 259 |
| Thursday,
June 9, 2005 |
47.02 | 2:31:46 | 18.58 | 47.0 | 260 |
| Saturday,
June 11, 2005 |
40.21 | 2:04:11 | 19.42 | 46.1 | 260 |
| Monday,
June 13, 2005 |
38.01 | 1:58:28 | 19.25 | 42.9 | 258 |
| Wednesday,
June 15, 2005 |
48.47 | 2:28:36 | 19.57 | 45.3 | 255 |
| Friday,
June 17, 2005 |
40.24 | 2:04:07 | 19.45 | 46.5 | 257 |
| Monday,
June 20, 2005 |
48.57 | 2:25:02 | 20.09 | 41.9 | 256 |
| Thursday,
June 23, 2005 |
55.63 | 2:55:03 | 19.06 | 47.0 | 255 |
| Saturday,
June 25, 2005 |
47.43 | 2:25:14 | 19.59 | 45.0 | 255 |
| Monday,
June 27, 2005 |
32.22 | 1:37:06 | 19.90 | 43.8 | 255 |
| Tuesday,
June 28, 2005 |
48.27 | 2:26:42 | 19.74 | 45.5 | 252 |
| 15 Riding
Days |
666.15 Miles | 34:30:04 | 44.41 Miles / Ride | 47.4 mph
(Monthly Max) |
138 Minutes / Ride |
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Hey, I finally did it! I dragged my sorry butt out of bed at 5:00 and showed up at the bookstore in downtown Mystic at 5:30. I've been threatening to do this for at least a month.
There were fifteen of us, which was really cool. Training rides are usually "alone time," so a chance to ride with a group is pretty exciting. Rick was the only one I knew by name, but I knew some of the other faces, and most everybody seemed to know me by sight.
One of us brought a time trial bike, which was the wrong bike for the route "they" had planned for the day. So, we followed him to his house so he could swap bikes. This slowed down the average speed *a lot*, because we rode circles in front of his house while we waited for at least three minutes.
Finally, we took off down Route 1, back through downtown Mystic towards Westerly... and the gate went down on the bridge just as we reached it! I'm telling you I must be cursed, because I've "hit the bridge" on every ride for the last week. All the riders started yelling, though, and the operator kept one side open to let us pass before closing it down and raising the bridge. Thank you, sir.
Once through Mystic, we organized into a paceline and picked up the speed to about 23 mph. I started out in the middle... but my turn to pull came just before we hit the hill at Lord's Point. No no no... I was fine on the flats, but this big guy isn't ready to pull those little guys up a hill yet. Gimme another month, please.
So, I rotated to the back, but the five guys in front of me all got dropped going up the hill. I tried to pass them, but it was too late by the time I realized what had happened, and the other nine didn't even look back until they were at least 1/4 mile ahead of me. I decided not to kill myself trying to catch them, but was hoping to at least keep them in sight for awhile. Another rider, Pete, hooked on and we stayed together for the whole loop.
Twenty miles from the bookstore, we were... back at the bookstore again. Never saw the larger group again. No big deal, the season's still young.
My total to that point was only 25+ miles, so I decided to head up River Road, go up 201 to Wolfneck, and then climb Gallup Hill and descend Pumpkin HIll (which is backwards from my normal route). Going down Pumpkin HIll is a roller coaster rush, it's so steep and curvy. (No loops, though. Now that would be a rush.)
Tomorrow's the Hilly Half Century, whether or not anybody else shows up, so I won't be riding in the morning. Still, I'm going to try to make a habit of these early morning rides,. I like feeling all revved up at the start of my day. (Need to map out a better route, as this one was too short.)
Stats: 39.8 miles (64.07 km) in 2h 7' 57" for an average speed of 18.66 mph (30.04 kph).
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5AM? That' early. I also dragged my body out of bed early for a ride, but not quite as early as you. Still, it is my favorite time of the day to ride.
On Monday, Tony (remember "Two Tone" from the PMC?) and I met up at 6AM and put in 72 miles. We averaged 18.7 mph and did a pretty hilly route that covered Tower Hill in Cumberland RI and Moose Hill in Sharon MA. When it is my turn to host a century ride, I want to take you on this route. It is a great ride that could easily turn into 100 miles if we included Blue Hill in Canton. My goal is to take you on so many hills that you scream out, "I hate you Steve". ;-)
A few years ago I did a very hilly road race and was coached to be near the front at the base of the climb so that I could ride at my own pace while the faster (i.e., skinnier and tiny) climbers did their thing. If done correctly, I was told, I'd be able to stay with the group by fading from the front to the back. The first few times up the hill it worked, but as the peleton thinned out, there weren't as many riders in the group so I was shelled out the back and spent the rest of the race riding in "no-man's land" between the leaders and the stragglers.
Also, when riding in a paceline on the hills you really have to watch out for riders who create gaps when they can't maintain the pace. The proper thing to do in a case like that is to notify the rider behind you that you can't keep pace and pull out of the paceline. In races, guys get really angy when someone lets a gap grow as you described.
Remember, it's always easier to keep up than catch up. And it's always easier to catch up than ride alone.
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On 6/1/05, steve davis said:
>When it is my turn to host a century ride,
Name the day! (Other than this Saturday, as I'll be riding with or without a bunch of wafflers up in MA.)
>I want to take you on this route.â It is a great ride that could >easily turn into 100 miles if we included Blue Hill in Canton.
Hills are tasty for breakfast, and good for you, too! I'm trying to eat more of them on a daily basis.
Sorta like veggies, only less fibrous.
>My goal is to take you on so many hills that you scream out, "I hate >you Steve". ;-)
Dude, you yelled, "I hate you, Seth!" on the very first hill! (Admittedly, it was Cossaduck, and I hated me for doing that to you guys, too.)
Seems all these things I left out of last week's century report are going to come up sooner or later. Didn't think you'd bring this one up, though. ;-)
>Remember, it's always easier to keep up than catch up.â And it's >always easier to catch up than ride alone.
I know, now, that I should have tried a lot harder to stay with them going up this hill. It wasn't even a very big hill. I could have done it, but the "politics of the paceline" sort of got in the way.
Seth
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Thursday I went out for the group Hilly Half Century... and there was actually a group this time! Not a big group, just four of us, but that's the first time this year. Unfortunately for me, they were all little guys who race on the weekends. Graham is one of the fastest guys in town, and was the only one I knew of the three.
River Road was no problem, and I took my turns pulling. They wanted the pace kept between 23 and 25, which made me realize I was definitely NOT going to stick with them for the entire trip. That was fine with me... later in the season I'll have better odds of keeping up, but this is a hill (sp?) ride.
I decided to let them go on 201. I tried to keep them in site, but they were gone after about five minutes. To my surprise, though, they waited for me at the corner of Winterchog Hill Road! Maybe they just wanted to watch me suffer. I honestly couldn't believe they waited. That hasn't happened on one of these rides, except for the first time I rode with the group four years ago. (Different group, same ride.)
Winterchog is a tough hill. This is the road I used to skip so that I could get ahead again. Did that for three years, and they would always catch me again on Wyassup in the second half of the route. That is, until last year, when I had improved enough that they weren't really dropping me in the first place, and weren't catching me later. That's why, this year, I decided not to skip Winterchog.
Anyway, I told them not to wait for me, and they took off again... only to wait for me again at the corner of Route 2! Now I felt really guilty. Clearly I was just slowing them down. These guys didn't come out for a casual ride with their buddies, they're trying to get in shape for races. So, I told them again not to wait for me, and this time they listened.
We started the ride at 5:30 instead of 5:00. Not sure who made that decision, I think it was Graham. It started getting cloudy at 7:30, and by 7:45 it was growing dark (remember, we're in the hills and the woods). I bailed early, as I'd promised Corinne that I would be home before it was really dark out. Walked in the door at a few minutes after 8 (which was pushing my luck).
Stats for #43: 45.17 miles (72.72 km) in 2h 28' 13" for an average speed of 18.28 mph (29.43 kph).
Saturday, when I should have been riding around Quabbin Reservoir with Steve, I was stuck in my office working on a very interesting, very challenging, and very overdue project. Couldn't afford to take the whole day (four hours of driving plus six hours on the bike), but I could afford a nice long training ride.
Really, I just did my regular route with a little loop added around downtown Westerly for an extra mile. However, it was my fastest ride so far this year, and -- AND -- I finally broke through the 260 pound barrier! :-)
This shows me, again, just how important that hill ride is. Every time I do it, my subsequent "regular rides" are noticeably better. Look at the cycling graph. May 1 was the first time I did The Hill Ride, and again on May 19th, and then on the 23rd we did a century that had some hills in it. After each of those rides, my average speed goes higher than it did before.
I can't possibly do that ride every day (at least not yet), but I am thinking aobut doing it twice a week instead of just once. Maybe early Monday mornings and Thursday evenings? If nothing else, it will help me prepare for Day 0 of the PMC, through the Berkshires. ::shudder::
Stats: 49.87 miles (80.29 km) in 2h 33' 22" for an average speed of 19.51 mph (31.41 kph).
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About a week and a half ago, the weather did an abrupt flip-flop. The whole northeast switched from unseasonably cold weather to unseasonably hot and especially humid. Yesterday was no exception: the temperatures were in the mid-80's and the humidity was at least 75%.
At least I always have a breeze on the bike. :-)
Had to cut this ride short, due to a scheduled phone call with a client at 6:30. After trying to breathe through that liquid air a couple hours, though, I really didn't feel like I'd ridden a shorter route.
Ride #49, already!? This also put me at 2008 miles for the year. I've almost caught up with Steve Davis forf the year, and the first time ever! ;-) Last year, ride #49 was the day one of the PMC (August 7th), and I didn't hit 2000 miles until August 17th.
With all that, I'm still letting myself down a little. I need to ride at least two out of every three days if I'm ever going to have a twenty-ride month.
Stats: 38.01 miles (61.19 km) in 1h 58' 28" for an average speed of 19.25 mph (30.99 kph).
One last note. Check out the stats for the month, and the graph on this year's overview. Nice bump on June 6th! I haven't duplicated it yet, but the almost-a-hilly-half-century-but-it's-getting-dark ride on June 7th was also my fastest ever for that route, and I stayed with the pack the whole day. This is one of the things I was trying to write about last week when my browser crashed.
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Something must be seriously wrong. I can't have crossed the 20mph threshold already this year!
:-)
Yes I can. I did. And, on a ~49 mile ride, to boot. Plus, I've been under 260 for over a week now. Looks like my goal of shrinking down to 250 by the PMC (just six weeks away) is more than realistic, it's practically in the bag. Should have aimed lower!
Last year I didn't hit 20 mph until July 30th, and didn't dip below 260 until August 19th.
Not that I'm keeping track, of course. ;-)
Oh, the ride? Smooth as butter. Regular training route, I just pushed extra hard.
In case anybody's ever looking for me (!), my route is: up 184 to 117 to Ledyard, down Colonel Ledyard Highway (what a misnomer!) to 184 again, up Pumpkin Hill Road (ugh), down Gallup Hill Road, up Shewville Road, across on Wolf Neck, up 201, down Al Harvey Road to 184 again, to River Road into downtown Mystic, Route 1 all the way over and up to Pawcatuck at Rt 234, over the hill to North Anguilla Road, back to 184 which I take all the way home.
Stats: 48.57 miles (78.19 km) in 2h 25' 2" for an average speed of 20.09 mph (32.35 kph).
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On 6/21/05, Steve Davis - Office said:
>Nice job Seth!
Thank you. :-)
>Riding solo at 20 mph for 50 miles is quite an accomplishment. >Congrats!
I did that last year a bunch of times, but never this early (whether you count number of rides or time of year, I'm way ahead of last year).
Now I have two new goals.
First, when I do this century in September (you're welcome to join me, btw), I want to average 20 mph. 19.6 isn't going to cut the mustard this year.
Second, I want to do my regular training route at 21 mph. The whole 50 mph. Past experience tells me that it's a lot harder to go from 20 to 21 than it is from 19 to 20, but I'll do it.
>Good job on the weight loss too. I saw the photo you posted of you >and your dad at the baseball game and noticed that your face looks >thinner.
Actually, that's the first thing I noticed, too. I also noticed that dad looked good, in spite of the Mad Scientist Hair. :-)
>Just don't get as thin as Tyler used to get when he was prepping for >the Tour. >http://www.roadcycling.com/artman/uploads/tourdefrance_stage15_hamilton.jpg >Yikes, that's skinny...
Ugh! That's gross!
When I graduated high school, I was one inch shorter than I am now but only weighed 185 pounds. Even then, I'd have looked fat next to Tyler. That's just sick... I mean, literally, he looks sick. Ew.
Thanks for writing back, I was starting to wonder if a bear ate you when you went camping last weekend!
Seth
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I'd need lots of caffeinated Clif Shots even to stay with you for a recovery ride.
Well done!
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Whoo! What a great ride tonight.
I left on time, for the first time this year. Arrived at Mystic Cycle with a few minutes to spare. Graham was working on his bike and said it might just be the two of us. Then he got a phone call, it was somebody named Ernie who said he'd be "right over."
I'd razz Ernie about making us leave really late, but I've done the same thing to Steve and Jim (and Steve and Jason) more times than I care to admit. Anyway, we didn't leave MC until 6:00.
River Road was amusing... there were artists all along the road painting pictures of the river. Really, at least twenty of them.
Grant had warned me that Ernie was fast, he had raced professionally for a year. Started seeing signs of that on 201 after we crossed over 184. Grant had been pulling at our fairly standard pace of about 23 mph. When he rotated out and Ernie took the pull, he dragged us up to 26.5 mph! Yikes! I stayed with him for about half a mile, and then let Grant through. I'm pretty sure Grant said something to him, because a few minutes later I was back with them again.
Wintechog Hill Road seemed slightly less brutal than usual. I don't know if Grant was feeling a little weak today or if it's just my weight loss and training (or both), but they were only out of sight for a few seconds.
Man can Ernie climb. We started up the steeper part of the hill and Grant immediately starts to pull away from me... but Ernie started flying up the hill like nothing I've ever seen in person. Really awesome.
Then there's Cossaduck Hill. (I never get tired of whining about this hill, do I?) I actually stayed with Graham for the first half of it (or he hung back a little, not sure), but I had pushed it so hard on the last hill that I didn't have the energy to burn and I lost them both. They waited at the top. (Thanks, guys.)
After a long, relatively level area, there are a couple of fun descents and then we start up the next (shallow) hill. Ernie's riding next to me, we're all chatting... when he starts riding wheelies! I'm just happy to be keeping up with these guys today, and he's riding wheelies! Sheesh. Not just baby wheelies, either... he seemed to have no trouble staying up. Sick.
Nothing very interesting after that, for awhile. Wyassup delivered the typical pain and suffering of two long climbs, and a nice long descent into North Stonington. Oh, there was one thing: at one point on Wyassup, Graham passed me on the left, and Ernie snuck by on the right in the two feet of clearance between me and the embankment. He scared (startled) me, I didn't see him coming, but he was trying to make a joke about how big I am on the bike by looking way up at me as he rode by.
(There was a lot of that kind of joking around tonight. It's fun riding with someone new, someone who isn't used to my size yet. ;-)
Graham asked me if I thought we had enough time to do the whole route, since we had left late. We'd made great time, though, so I thought we did. (Little did I know...) So, we made the right from 201 onto Wolf Neck, so we could take the insanely steep Town Farm Road. Ernie hadn't seen that one before, and cursed a few times before flying up it so fast the road curled up behind him like in a cartoon. (Yeah, ok, there are guys out there that make him look weak. I've never ridden with them.)
After that, there were just two more hills. Oral School Road is another one Ernie didn't seem to know. I joked later that he was obviously getting tired because he only did it at about 21 mph. Graham said something about Ernie getting as tired of of the "fast guy" jokes as I do of the "big guy" jokes. (I don't think either was true... and what cyclist would ever get tired of hearing he's fast!?)
When we made the turn to go up Clift Street, Ernie bellowed something at Graham about, "What are we doing!?" Graham bellowed back, "It's the loop, man!!" Clift Street is really steep. Not quite as steep as Town Farm, but it's longer. At least it's the last one.
At the top, I said goodbye. They were going to head back to their cars at the shop, but it's all downhill from there so the ride was over. I shook hands with both of them, and Ernie said, "That was great! I'd definitely ride with you again!" Cool! Maybe he can teach me how to ride wheelies up hills at 20+ mph.
I asked them both to try to find this site, and to look for the message with the above subject. (Ernie is a man of many names, but i think this is the first Italian one! ;-)
Immediately after turning onto 184 from Cow Hill Road, just a couple miles from home, I hit something in the road and my back tire went flat instantly. Ugh!! It was getting dark, and I had told Corinne I would be home by 8:30 (it was just 8:30 when the tire went flat). It would take fifteen minutes to change the tube, or twenty minutes to just walk home. So, I walked.
As I was walking up the hill in front of the house, Corinne came out the front door so she could sit on the porch and "scold me" for being so late when I rode up. Good thing I was already there! :-)
Stats: 55.63 miles (89.56 km) in 2h 55' 3" for an average speed of 19.06 mph (30.69 kph).
(I told Graham and Ernie how to find this site. If they remembered... hi guys! Sign up and post a message!)
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On 6/24/05, Seth Dillingham said:
><http://www.truerwords.net/4875> >-------------------------------- > >Whoo! What a great ride tonight.
Actually, that ride was last night. I posted this message last night, but it never went out in email so I re-did it.
I mean, what would you all do without your fix? ;-)
Seth
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Ern (by the way my first Italian name is "Specialissimo" from Dan at MCC)
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On 6/25/05, ernie tautkus said:
>great article seth,
Thanks. :-)
>it sounds like you were trying to pop some wheelies on the way home >and popped your tire instead.
I wish it was something so funny. Instead, I was being stupid. The wind was bothering my eyes a little, so I put my shades back on to go down Cow Hill (since the wind would be strong going down the hill). Forgot to take them off again on 184. They've been doing construction on that road, and I didn't see the junk I ran over until it was too late.
In other words, I was riding with very dark shades, at night. "Brilliant," huh? ;-)
>it's nice to meet a cyclist who shares his rides through writing, most >of the cyclists I know are stubborn and selfish and wouldn't share a >Gu.
Stubborn isn't a bad trait in cycling, but selfish is. As is "huge ego," which a lot of us seem to have. (None of my cycling buddies have any of these negative traits in quantity, I'm happy to say.)
Oh, and I think I'd rather just give you a gu than share one with you. Ick.
>Ern (by the way my first Italian name is "Specialissimo" from Dan at >MCC)
Darn. Shoulda just called it your *new* Italian name.
Coming out with us again next week?
Seth
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Hey Seth, Just got a chance to check out the site after a busy couple of days. Ernie's right, it's cool a guy is as open and honest as you are about your cycling adventures. Most guys I know would never admit to getting gapped or dropped ever. However I think the "gu" comment was directed twords me, there was this one time..............well never mind.........but I swear I NEEDED IT to get home!!!!!! Well in any case I look forward to more Thursday nite rides, and thanks for the flattering words.
P.S. I wish I had a cool Italian Nickname.
PPS Ernie just won his 1st Cat.5 Crit. Congrats "Specialissimo"
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On 6/25/05, Graham Thompson said:
>Hey Seth, Just got a chance to check out the site after a busy couple >of days.
Cool, I'm glad you made it! Wasn't sure if you guys would bother, but you both showed up.
>Ernie's right, it's cool a guy is as open and honest as you are about >your cycling adventures. Most guys I know would never admit to >getting gapped or dropped ever.
Thus the title of my site. :-)
More seriously: thank you. It's particularly easy for me to be honest about this stuff, though. I ride for one reason and one reason only: because I absolutely love it. Not because I'm competitive (I am), not because I want to be the fastest (no such aspirations), not for anything. Just because I love it.
I hate getting gapped or dropped, of course, just as much as the next guy, but it doesn't affect my ego (much). Besides, my size is a big problem on the hills. No matter how much weight I lose, I'm always going to be a lot heavier than a Graham or an Ernie, and it's going to slow me down on the hills. So why let it bother me? :-)
>However I think the "gu" comment was directed twords me, there was >this one time..............well never mind.........but I swear I >NEEDED IT to get home!!!!!!
Cool, I'm glad you explained that. His Gu comment seemed a little out of place, now I get it. Guess he was just hoping you'd see it.
>Well in any case I look forward to more Thursday nite rides,
Me too.
>and thanks for the flattering words.
Thanks for not (literally) riding circles around me while I leave my sweat trail up the hills. ;-)
>P.S. I wish I had a cool Italian Nickname.
Hmm. Lemme work on that. Ernie's was obviously a stroke of pure brilliance, and those don't come along every day. (Ahem.)
>PPS Ernie just won his 1st Cat.5 Crit. Congrats "Specialissimo"
See, now I'm going to be humble again and admit to some ignorance. Not being a racer, I don't much about this stuff! I know what a crit is, and actually Ernie tried to get me to go to either Saturday's in RI or Sunday's in Hartford (he didn't take me seriously when I said I don't race).
But I don't know what a Cat 5 Crit is. I thought Cat 5 was the lowest level of racer... but Ernie was pro, so that doesn't make sense.
Er... hmm. Thinking through this, you guys told me that he was a pro MTB racer. That wouldn't have any effect on his road racing category, right? So he's just getting started this year? (Ernie, you there? Maybe you should answer that...)
Seth
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Speaking of ignorance, what's a "Gu"/"gu"? I've been following Seth's riding adventures for time immemorial, and I don't think I've ever heard the term...
--Steve
Seth Dillingham wrote:
><http://www.truerwords.net/4886> >-------------------------------- > >On 6/25/05, Graham Thompson said: > > > >>Hey Seth,A Just got a chance to check out the site after a busy couple >>of days. >> >> > >Cool, I'm glad you made it! Wasn't sure if you guys would bother, but >you both showed up. > > > >>Ernie's right, it's cool a guy is as open and honest as you are about >>your cycling adventures.A Most guys I know would never admit to >>getting gapped or dropped ever. >> >> > >Thus the title of my site. :-) > >More seriously: thank you. It's particularly easy for me to be honest >about this stuff, though. I ride for one reason and one reason only: >because I absolutely love it. Not because I'm competitive (I am), not >because I want to be the fastest (no such aspirations), not for >anything. Just because I love it. > >I hate getting gapped or dropped, of course, just as much as the next >guy, but it doesn't affect my ego (much). Besides, my size is a big >problem on the hills. No matter how much weight I lose, I'm always >going to be a lot heavier than a Graham or an Ernie, and it's going to >slow me down on the hills. So why let it bother me? :-) > > > >>However I think the "gu" comment was directed twords me, there was >>this one time..............well never mind.........but I swear I >>NEEDED IT to get home!!!!!! >> >> > >Cool, I'm glad you explained that. His Gu comment seemed a little out >of place, now I get it. Guess he was just hoping you'd see it. > > > >>Well in any case I look forward to more Thursday nite rides, >> >> > >Me too. > > > >>and thanks for the flattering words. >> >> > >Thanks for not (literally) riding circles around me while I leave my >sweat trail up the hills. ;-) > > > >>P.S. I wish I had a cool Italian Nickname. >> >> > >Hmm. Lemme work on that. Ernie's was obviously a stroke of pure >brilliance, and those don't come along every day. (Ahem.) > > > >>PPS Ernie just won his 1st Cat.5 Crit.A Congrats "Specialissimo" >> >> > >See, now I'm going to be humble again and admit to some ignorance. Not >being a racer, I don't much about this stuff! I know what a crit is, >and actually Ernie tried to get me to go to either Saturday's in RI or >Sunday's in Hartford (he didn't take me seriously when I said I don't >race). > >But I don't know what a Cat 5 Crit is. I thought Cat 5 was the lowest >level of racer... but Ernie was pro, so that doesn't make sense. > >Er... hmm. Thinking through this, you guys told me that he was a pro >MTB racer. That wouldn't have any effect on his road racing category, >right? So he's just getting started this year? (Ernie, you there? Maybe >you should answer that...) > >Seth > >-------------------------------- >Unsubscribe Instructions: ><http://www.truerwords.net/mailinglist.html#unsubscribe> > > >
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Speaking of ignorance, what's a "Gu"/"gu"? I've been following Seth's riding adventures for time immemorial, and I don't think I've ever heard the term...
You can get your fill of the marketing info at http://www.gusports.com/html/gu_energy_gel.htm.
-Brian
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--Steve
Brian Andresen wrote:
><http://www.truerwords.net/4888> >-------------------------------- > >Speaking of ignorance, what's a "Gu"/"gu"? I've been following Seth's >riding adventures for time immemorial, and I don't think I've ever heard >the term... > >You can get your fill of the marketing info at http://www.gusports.com/html/gu_energy_gel.htm <http://www.gusports.com/html/gu_energy_gel.htm>. > > >-Brian > >-------------------------------- >Unsubscribe Instructions: ><http://www.truerwords.net/mailinglist.html#unsubscribe> > > >
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Since late last week, the humidity has been between 70% and 101%. I didn't even know humidity could go over 100%. That doesn't even make sense, in fact, but that's what I saw.
This weekend, the temps were also in the high 80's to the mid-90's.
This is not a pleasant combination, especially when the air conditioner in your truck is screwed up, and the window unit in your bedroom is about as effective as a wheezy old man with an ice cube in his mouth, breathing in your general direction. Corinne hates being hot, but there has been no relief.
This hasn't kept me off the bike (much). I rode both Saturday and Monday, though I admit that Monday I was so uncomfortable that I cut it very short. The air is so thick it's more like riding under water, and my gills aren't fully formed so it's very difficult to breathe.
I should say one thing about Saturday's ride before I finish with the all-important stats. It was a windy day, and extremely hot. I decided to ride along the water, so I went up through Mystic, Watch Hill, and Misquamicut.
The beach was hoppin' with people, of course. I followed a gray minivan through the worst of it, and then he picked up speed on the section with four lanes that goes around the huge beach parking lot. Well, he picked i tup to 21. I had the wind at my back, and wanted to see how fast I could get the far end of Atlantic Ave, so I passed him on the left going 32 mph. You should have seen the look on his face when I went around him!
Almost burned out by the time I reached the end of the parking lot, I dropped it down to 25 mph, put my head down, and flew to the end of the road in the breakdown lane next to all the cars queued up to leave Misquamicut (standard late-afternoon beach exodus). This was by far the fastest I've ever ridden that road.
Ride #54 (6/25) Stats: 47.43 miles (76.36 km) in 2h 25' 14" for an average speed of 19.59 mph (31.54 kph).
Ride #55 (6/27) Stats: 32.22 miles (51.87 km) in 1h 37' 6" for an average speed of 19.90 mph (32.05 kph).
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Hi Seth, You already know that I have read (and enjoyed) your journal for years. I've always been too shy to join up, but this post made me laugh out loud so hard that I just had to comment - wheezy old man with the ice cube in his mouth - great writing!
If you hate the hot (like I do!!!!!), come on out (and be sure to bring my dear friend Corinne!) to the Pacific Northwest where it's 75 degrees, cool breezes, low humidity, and some of the best cycling ever!
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On 6/28/05, Loanne Clements said:
>Hi Seth,
Hi Loanne :-)
>You already know that I have read (and enjoyed) your journal for years.
Yep!
>I've always been too shy to join up, but this post made me laugh out >loud so hard that I just had to comment - wheezy old man with the ice >cube in his mouth - great writing!Â
Thanks. :-) I was rather pleased with that line, too. Corinne says the imagery was gross.
>If you hate the hot (like I do!!!!!), come on out (and be sure to >bring my dear friend Corinne!) to the Pacific Northwest where it's 75 >degrees, cool breezes, low humidity, and some of the best cycling ever!
Heh. I don't hate the hot like Corinne does, but this is a little extreme. The weather folks say that a "tropical air mass" has parked over the North East. (Like we hadn't noticed.) Doesn't it see the "no parking" signs? This is New England, our weather is supposed to change every ten minutes!
I'm going to give mother nature a parking ticket. That'll show her.
Seth
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This ride (Tuesday evening) started out fine, other than the weather. The humidity had dropped all the way down to just 90%, but it was only 71 degrees when I headed out at 5:30. Cooler, but still thick and heavy.
The shoulder of Route 117 between Center Groton and Ledyard was covered with broken glass for at least two miles. I thought it was some kind of gravel, but my curiosity finally got the better of me so I stopped to look... and it was all windshield glass! Most of the pieces were about half of the diameter of a dime, but there was far more than could have come from a single vehicle. I can't explain it. (I stayed off the shoulder for the rest of that road.)
Twenty-five miles into the ride, as I headed down River Road into Mystic, my average speed was 21.1 mph (and that includes Pumpkin Hill and some smaller hills whose names I don't know). That's my fastest ever for that point in the ride, but it wouldn't last. After passing through Mystic the temps seemed to go up and I had to stop at the top of the hill by Lord's Point to catch my breath and eat some gel.
That would have been my only stop. Should have been.
Four miles from home, I was flying down my last hill on Route 184 at about 40 mph. My back tire popped! There was no, 'Psss psss psss psss.' It was more like, "Bang rattle rattle rattle rattle." The rattling sound was the rims against the road. Not a pleasant sound. I hit the brakes, bellowed "Now what did I hit!?" and started to skid. (Not a pleasant feeling!) Released the brakes a little, and finally came to a stop.
Too far to walk this time, so I sat down on the embankment to replace the tube.
A gent in his late 40's came out of the house across the street and loitered by his mailbox for five minutes, watching me, before meandering over and asking if I'd like to call "someone" to let them know I'd be late.
I thought about it, and decided that easing Corinne's mind about me being just fifteen minutes late wasn't worth the panic she inevitably feels when I call her from a bike ride ("oh no, someone hit him... again"). He tried to change my mind by saying he "used to do the whole mountain biking thing." ;-) Thanks anyway!
A couple in a tiny pickup truck, going the other direction, offered me a ride just seconds after I put the wheel back on the bike. Turned them down, too.
Finally I was off again, headed for home. Thirty seconds later, it started pouring!!! "Whoo hooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "Yeah! Bring it on! What else you got for me today!?" I wasn't yelling at anyone in particular, obviously. In fact, I had a big smile on my face. After all, I was hot, and covered in grease, dirt, and sweat. The rain felt good!
Stats: 48.27 miles (77.71 km) in 2h 26' 42" for an average speed of 19.74 mph (31.78 kph).
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I mentioned that the shoulder of Route 117 was covered with broken glass, between 184 in Center Groton and Ledyard.
Rather than just complain about it, I thought I'd make sure the town knew about it. Groton Public Works referred me to the state's local DOT office. The guy that answered the phone was very friendly, but made me describe the exact location of the glass five different ways. He finally decided that the location wasn't in their jurisdiction, it belonged to the Norwich branch.
Still, he promised to have them get a sweeper down there today. Very cool! :-)
Now if Graham could just get his town to do something about the intersection of Gilliver and 201...
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On 7/17/05, Graham Thompson said:
>Sorry Seth, also out of my jurisdiction. Thast's Griswold, not >Voluntown.
Wow, that was one of the most delayed responses ever. :-)
Don't worry about the jurisdiction problem. I'm putting you in charge of all numbered roads in SE CT. (And, I'd better not get any more flats this month.)
Seth
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