| (Long Distance) Ramblings |
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I like to ride my bicycle - for long distances. I have earned the California Triple Crown and finished the Furnace Creek 508. My goals include qualifying for RAAM and ...(read the blog to find out). "The bicycle has a soul. If you are able to love it as it deserves, it will give you emotions you will never forget." "Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride."
"The important decisions in my life I make while out riding my bike."
"Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever.” Lance Armstrong
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Sunday, January 15, 2006
Second Century is of the Year is Done!Joanne and I rode 98.93 miles with an average of 14.9 miles per hour. We picked a flat route as I am coming off an illness. Hills seems a bit out of reach. We left the house at 8:00 am and headed north to St. Paul. On the way, I did a couple of intervals, putting my heart rate up above 160 for several minutes and then slowing to recover. It was fun. After St. Paul, had lunch in Mt. Angel, then came back through Salem and stopped for pie at Taylor's in Independence. At 85 miles into a ride, Marionberry Pie tastes so great! The weather was much nicer than last week. The skies were cloudy and we had two very short showers that almost got us wet. Along the way, we saw a total of nine other cyclists (we saw none last week). It would appear that others were getting some quality training in. Once we got on the road, we decided to stop for lunch at Mt. Angel. So we pulled up to Savannah's Cafe and Bakery at 11:00 am. Nico is very nice, but was having some difficulties. First, his only pen ran out of ink, then the cash register gave him some trouble (it was out of paper but he did not know it) and he was working alone as it got busier and busier. Poor Nico, but the sandwiches were very, very good. Too bad the heat in the building was on low; we were a bit cold sitting in our wet jerseys. On a different note, we had a dog incident. On May Road, east of Mt. Angel, Joanne and I were side by side when a German Sheppard came running out on the road from a house on our left. I came out silently. I caught a glimpse of him and yelled a warning "Dog! Sprint!". However, he did not chase us. It are the silent dogs that are the scary ones. They give no warning that they are about to attack you. You know when a baking dog is coming. Also, leaving Salem on Highway 22, I had my first flat in a long time - perhaps as long as six months. I found a small piece of glass that created a hole in my tube. At least it was not raining when I fixed it. But, all in all it was a good ride. I was not completely bonked at the end. I went down to the local bike shop and they accused me of being especially cranky. Here is my HAC4 analysis for the ride.
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