TOTAL MILEAGE FOR 2016 - 3572.4
Even though I aired up tires before my ride on Wednesday, the cold had reduced my air pressure in them to the point where I should have aired them up again today. I did not discover this, however, until I was out on the ride, and consequently today's ride was extremely slow and high challenging. It allowed me to close our 2016 having reached my goal (3500 miles), however—I got to ride on a partly sunny, and breezy, day, and did a single round trip to Marsh Park, riding the 10 miles in 1:27. Now the slate gets wiped clean, and tomorrow I start anew!
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
225th ride of 2016 - Wednesday, 12/28/2016
TOTAL MILEAGE FOR 2016 - 3562.4
I had hoped to do a mid-length ride today (18 miles) ... but the bright sunshine (as shown in the picture below, from Marsh Park (my halfway, turnaround point) had seduced me. Once I got out there riding in a 32° breeze (which, however, skyrocketed to 35° by the time I finished! 😅 ) convinced me that I was perfectly justified in shortening my plans. So I did a single round trip, finishing the 10 miles in 1:21.
I had hoped to do a mid-length ride today (18 miles) ... but the bright sunshine (as shown in the picture below, from Marsh Park (my halfway, turnaround point) had seduced me. Once I got out there riding in a 32° breeze (which, however, skyrocketed to 35° by the time I finished! 😅 ) convinced me that I was perfectly justified in shortening my plans. So I did a single round trip, finishing the 10 miles in 1:21.
Monday, December 26, 2016
224th ride of 2016 - Monday, 12/26/2016
TOTAL MILEAGE FOR 2016 - 3552.4
This afternoon I went out at 3:00, aired up my tires, threw my poncho on, and rode out in 50° rain, with the ground extremely wet due to the day-long nature of the rain. This surely was a ride in very far from enjoyable riding conditions ... but, on the other hand, the weather had completely eliminated the sidewalk ice that impeded my hill climbing on the way down to Ellsworth Rd. So I ended up doing the 10 miles in 1:08, heartily glad to be home now warming up and drying off.
This afternoon I went out at 3:00, aired up my tires, threw my poncho on, and rode out in 50° rain, with the ground extremely wet due to the day-long nature of the rain. This surely was a ride in very far from enjoyable riding conditions ... but, on the other hand, the weather had completely eliminated the sidewalk ice that impeded my hill climbing on the way down to Ellsworth Rd. So I ended up doing the 10 miles in 1:08, heartily glad to be home now warming up and drying off.
Saturday, December 24, 2016
223rd ride of 2016 - Saturday, 12/24/2016
TOTAL MILEAGE FOR 2016 - 3542.4
On this Christmas Eve, I "enjoyed" cold (39°), damp, gray conditions—for which the word "raw" would be a perfect description. Accordingly, I felt perfectly justified in limiting myself to a single round trip to Marsh Park, riding the 10 miles in 1:18.
A friend from our previous church (Bob Hufnagel) had read in my blog earlier in the week about the challenge I faced due to the blockage of the sidewalk at Rodeo Drive (from plowing), and my inability to clear it myself, so he kindly took it upon himself to go there and shovel it out so I could ride across. (When I drove by it this morning, I wondered who the Good Samaritan was!)
The ride was still not challenge-free. I had hoped that yesterday's mild weather would have cleared the sidewalks, and while they were improved somewhat, a bumpy, slippery streak of ice remains, running down the center of some stretches. Most place this proved no problem, but on one uphill stretch (even though they are quite mild "hills" by traditional cycling standards), my rear wheel was spinning so that I slowed down more and more, and eventually stopped making any forward progress whatsoever. I had to get up and walk it 40 or 50 feet.
Despite the challenges that remained, I am so grateful to Bob for making it possible for me to ride at all—to get down to that trail (the Lohr-Textile Greenway) which the township had cleared promptly after our big snowstorm of December 11.
On this Christmas Eve, I "enjoyed" cold (39°), damp, gray conditions—for which the word "raw" would be a perfect description. Accordingly, I felt perfectly justified in limiting myself to a single round trip to Marsh Park, riding the 10 miles in 1:18.
A friend from our previous church (Bob Hufnagel) had read in my blog earlier in the week about the challenge I faced due to the blockage of the sidewalk at Rodeo Drive (from plowing), and my inability to clear it myself, so he kindly took it upon himself to go there and shovel it out so I could ride across. (When I drove by it this morning, I wondered who the Good Samaritan was!)
The ride was still not challenge-free. I had hoped that yesterday's mild weather would have cleared the sidewalks, and while they were improved somewhat, a bumpy, slippery streak of ice remains, running down the center of some stretches. Most place this proved no problem, but on one uphill stretch (even though they are quite mild "hills" by traditional cycling standards), my rear wheel was spinning so that I slowed down more and more, and eventually stopped making any forward progress whatsoever. I had to get up and walk it 40 or 50 feet.
Despite the challenges that remained, I am so grateful to Bob for making it possible for me to ride at all—to get down to that trail (the Lohr-Textile Greenway) which the township had cleared promptly after our big snowstorm of December 11.
Friday, December 23, 2016
222nd ride of 2016 - Friday. 12/23/2016
TOTAL MILEAGE FOR 2016 - 3532.4
Due to the fact that we are celebrating Christmas this afternoon and evening with my family, and so Michelle had asked me to consider not riding in order to preserve energy; and also the tedium of riding laps inside our condo complex, since the walks outside of it are still impeded by snow; and also the low temperature (23° when I started at 8:45), I settled for about my shortest ride ever this morning, doing 3.3 miles in 25 minutes. (7 laps, at .47 miles.lap, coming out to 3.29).
Due to the fact that we are celebrating Christmas this afternoon and evening with my family, and so Michelle had asked me to consider not riding in order to preserve energy; and also the tedium of riding laps inside our condo complex, since the walks outside of it are still impeded by snow; and also the low temperature (23° when I started at 8:45), I settled for about my shortest ride ever this morning, doing 3.3 miles in 25 minutes. (7 laps, at .47 miles.lap, coming out to 3.29).
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
221st ride of 2016 - Wednesday, 12/21/2016
TOTAL MILEAGE FOR 2016 - 3529.1
This morning I went out at 10:00, and rode, once again like Monday, a single round trip to Marsh Park. Today it was 24°, so, by contrast to Monday's 15° ride, it felt practically tropical! Seriously, it did not really feel any different; but knowing it was that much warmer was advantageous psychologically.
The sidewalks on my usual route down to the start of the trail at Ellsworth remain impeded, but I was able to scout out an alternate route (still on sidewalks) through an adjacent neighborhood, that allowed me to do the ride. It was not without its challenges—at one point on the way home, for example, I had to move the trike manually over about a 50-foot stretch just after turning onto Oak Valley from Ellsworth, where the sidewalk had not been cleared. But overall, I was pleased to be able to ride outside, and once I got onto the (cleared) trail, it was a piece of (chilled) cake
Amazingly, the scenery accompanying my ride differs quite considerably from what it did in, say, June. This first picture is just as I am leaving our condo complex.
The second picture shows the view just starting back, leaving Marsh Park and looking west along the trail up towards State Rd.
Going this alternate way added slightly to the distance, giving me a ride of 10.6 miles, in a slow 1:21.
This morning I went out at 10:00, and rode, once again like Monday, a single round trip to Marsh Park. Today it was 24°, so, by contrast to Monday's 15° ride, it felt practically tropical! Seriously, it did not really feel any different; but knowing it was that much warmer was advantageous psychologically.
The sidewalks on my usual route down to the start of the trail at Ellsworth remain impeded, but I was able to scout out an alternate route (still on sidewalks) through an adjacent neighborhood, that allowed me to do the ride. It was not without its challenges—at one point on the way home, for example, I had to move the trike manually over about a 50-foot stretch just after turning onto Oak Valley from Ellsworth, where the sidewalk had not been cleared. But overall, I was pleased to be able to ride outside, and once I got onto the (cleared) trail, it was a piece of (chilled) cake
Amazingly, the scenery accompanying my ride differs quite considerably from what it did in, say, June. This first picture is just as I am leaving our condo complex.
The second picture shows the view just starting back, leaving Marsh Park and looking west along the trail up towards State Rd.
Going this alternate way added slightly to the distance, giving me a ride of 10.6 miles, in a slow 1:21.
Monday, December 19, 2016
220th ride of 2016 - Monday, 12/19/2016
TOTAL MILEAGE FOR 2016 - 3518.5
THANKS BE TO GOD that I was able to resume riding today, after having last ridden on November 30! At first, I waited out a two-week doctor ordered rest as I recovered from the removal of two small skin cancers on December 1, so that the elevated heart rate and blood pressure wouldn't cause swelling around the stitches. And then, more recently, I have been stymied by conditions—though the township promptly cleared the trail on which I ride after our first big snowstorm (Dec. 11), I could not get to it because an overzealous snowplow driver had pushed up a berm of snow that froze brick-hard at the end of the sidewalk where I need to cross Ellsworth Rd. to get to the start of the trail. I went down last week with a sturdy steel shovel, but could not really budge it after 10 minutes of effort.
This morning I (finally!) heard back from the Pittsfield Township office I had emailed about this last week. They replied that it is not their responsibility to clear the area I indicated, but speculated perhaps this was up to the townhouses on that corner. But when I went back down there late morning just to look, someone had cleared it!
I rode today in bright cold (15°) sunshine, setting a new personal best for the lowest temperature on a ride. Last year I only got down to 18°. I hope, conditions permitting, to do still better this year ... it seems to me as if I should be able to ride in single-digit temperatures. But still, I am grateful just to have been able to get out there again.
Today's ride was not without its challenges, however. The sidewalk I ride down to Ellsworth (where the trail begins) had been only incompletely cleared, making for a rough ride. And on one of the hills between Oak Valley and Ellsworth, my rear (center) wheel spun uselessly, so that I had to get off and walk it up 50 yards or so. A bit further, the cutouts at Rodeo Dr. were completely blocked, so that I once again had to get up, and this time carry the trike across the hindrance.
In light of the weather and the long layoff, I felt justified in settling for a single round trip to Marsh Park today, completing the 10 miles in a poky 1:20. And on the way home, I rode on Lohr Rd. from Ellsworth onward to our complex. I hated to do this, and felt guilty about breaking my commitment to Michelle to avoid riding on the road. But, given everything, I felt this was the best option, and the risk was lowered because of my enhanced visibility due to the strong clear sunshine, the spinners (or "tornadoes") on the back of my trike, and my bright yellow (or, as I tell Michelle, "maize") winter coat.
THANKS BE TO GOD that I was able to resume riding today, after having last ridden on November 30! At first, I waited out a two-week doctor ordered rest as I recovered from the removal of two small skin cancers on December 1, so that the elevated heart rate and blood pressure wouldn't cause swelling around the stitches. And then, more recently, I have been stymied by conditions—though the township promptly cleared the trail on which I ride after our first big snowstorm (Dec. 11), I could not get to it because an overzealous snowplow driver had pushed up a berm of snow that froze brick-hard at the end of the sidewalk where I need to cross Ellsworth Rd. to get to the start of the trail. I went down last week with a sturdy steel shovel, but could not really budge it after 10 minutes of effort.
This morning I (finally!) heard back from the Pittsfield Township office I had emailed about this last week. They replied that it is not their responsibility to clear the area I indicated, but speculated perhaps this was up to the townhouses on that corner. But when I went back down there late morning just to look, someone had cleared it!
I rode today in bright cold (15°) sunshine, setting a new personal best for the lowest temperature on a ride. Last year I only got down to 18°. I hope, conditions permitting, to do still better this year ... it seems to me as if I should be able to ride in single-digit temperatures. But still, I am grateful just to have been able to get out there again.
Today's ride was not without its challenges, however. The sidewalk I ride down to Ellsworth (where the trail begins) had been only incompletely cleared, making for a rough ride. And on one of the hills between Oak Valley and Ellsworth, my rear (center) wheel spun uselessly, so that I had to get off and walk it up 50 yards or so. A bit further, the cutouts at Rodeo Dr. were completely blocked, so that I once again had to get up, and this time carry the trike across the hindrance.
In light of the weather and the long layoff, I felt justified in settling for a single round trip to Marsh Park today, completing the 10 miles in a poky 1:20. And on the way home, I rode on Lohr Rd. from Ellsworth onward to our complex. I hated to do this, and felt guilty about breaking my commitment to Michelle to avoid riding on the road. But, given everything, I felt this was the best option, and the risk was lowered because of my enhanced visibility due to the strong clear sunshine, the spinners (or "tornadoes") on the back of my trike, and my bright yellow (or, as I tell Michelle, "maize") winter coat.
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