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."
Mario Cipolini
"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride."
John F. Kennedy
"The important decisions in my life I make while out riding my bike."
Former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi
"Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever.” Lance Armstrong
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Saturday Century - Foolish Flat
Miles: 105.59
Elevation Gain: 1253'
April Miles: 1107.42
Year to Date: 4356.12
The Salem Bicycle Club has a route created by Charlie Perry. I need a flat route as next weekend I will be suffering on the climbs of the Cascade Mountains riding the Oregon Ultimate Road Ride. Thanks to Charlie, I had the route.
Joanne and I rode our Meridian Tandem and Randy Thomas joined us as we visited just about every small town in the Northern Willamette Valley. We road through Mt. Angle, Marquam, Scotts Mills, Silverton, Turner, Marion and Jefferson and in the process only gained 1,200 feet of elevation gain. Unlike last weekend, the weather was very nice with clear blue skies and temperatures in the mid 70° - a very nice day.
Half Year Recap
Well, the first six months of 2007 are now history. I managed to ride my bicycle 73 times for a total of 4356.12 miles. In addition, I did 24 centuries! None the less, I am behind in my competition with Mark Newsome. He has 30 centuries through the month of June. Will I be able to catch up in the second half of the year?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Watermelon Stories
Mark Janeba and I were riding side by side on Webfoot Road. This is a two-lane, no shoulder country road that runs along side of several nurseries. At the edge of the road to our right was a small strip of grass leading up to a high fence. Suddenly, my eye detected motion and I saw a fawn (baby deer) running along the fence trying to get away from us. But the fence had it blocked! The fawn ran several yards in front of us and I was thinking that it might turn in front of us. But, it stopped and turned around to run back the way it came, escaping from us. Bambi Lives!
My old coach has posted her Wateremelon experience in her blog.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Watermelon Double
Miles: 167.48
Elevation Gain: 4291'
April Miles: 1001.83
Year to Date: 4250.53
The alarm woke me at 4:00 am and by 4:40 I was picking up Mark Janeba. At 5:00, we were at the start of the 2007 Watermelon Double. At 5:30 am, we were on the road.
During the ride, we suffered through two rain storms, one flat, and lots of miles. We enjoyed this with some impressive folks. Mark Newsome is training for the Furnace Creek 508 as is Del Scharffenberg. But my hot goes off to Adam (I did not get his last name) who is training for Race Across Oregon. He started at 1:30 am in Portland and rode down to the start of the ride. I heard he was to ride back also.
Speaking of riding down from Portland, my Furnace Creek coach, Sandy Earl, also had one long ride. I do not know when she started, but it must have been very early.
I had a very good ride. My legs never felt tired and I was riding at a very good pace. But, I did not finish. As I approached the last rest stop, my stomach started to rebel. I limped in to the Rittner Creek Bridge rest stop and fell to the ground. I laid there hoping I could recover, but it was not to be and my ride was over at 167 miles.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Ah, Early Summer Evening Rides!
Miles: 28.44
Elevation Gain: 203'
April Miles: 759.99
Year to Date: 4008.69
After a brief gym workout with Martin, who is recovering from pneumonia, I found my wife working in the front yard on a sprinkler head. Whenever I ask the question "Would you like to go for a bike ride?", the answer she gives is always the same, "Yes!".
We took the Meridian out for an early summer evening ride in the flatlands to the north of Keizer. It is so much fun to ride in the cool evening air!
Tour de Blast, Barlow Trail or Watermelon?
Three rides this weekend. What a dilemma!
All three rides are well run and challenging. Tour de Blast can be really nice, if the weather is good. Too many times I have come off the mountain in rain and then "enjoyed" a cold shower. The last time Joanne and I went up north for the ride the weather was fantastic - clear blue skies and warm temperatures. Too bad I left my cycling shoes back home in Salem. I should have duck taped my feet to the pedals.
The Barlow Trail is the new kid on the block and Joanne and I rode it last year - in very hot weather. While we intended to do the long 100 mile route, common sense prevailed and shortened the route to 60 miles. On another note, the route uses the Springwater Multipurpose Path. Putting a large number of cyclists on this path, in contention with the usual traffic, cause me some concern last year. I do not have much experience with these multipurpose paths which probably accounted for my tenseness. I much rather ride on the road.
I have been coordinating the Watermelon Rides for the last five years, but I have stepped down to due to job pressures and because I wanted to concentrate on my ultacycling. So this is the first year that I will be able to ride the Watermelon Rides and I do plan to do so. I will start at 5:30 am (aka O'dark thirty) and home to finish the 200 mile route within 14 hours. Of the three rides, the Watermelon has the flattest routes. That being said, there are still some good hills (Fishback Hill out of Monmouth). In addition to these hills, late afternoon winds can be challenging.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Saturday Century - the slow and easy kind
Miles: 106.39
Elevation Gain: 2215'
April Miles: 731.55
Year to Date: 3980.25
My pre-ride email:
"Well, with no event ride to ride this weekend, we will do an honest Saturday Century. Please join Joanne and I as we do a variation of an old SBC Century - The Thornose Century. Starting at the Red Lot at 8:00 am, we will ride north to Keizer and then cross the Wheatland Ferry and head north to Dayton on Webfoot Road. From Dayton, we will pass through the small towns of Lafeyette, Carlton and Yamhill before turning to the south and skirting McMinnville on our way to Sheridan (and lunch). With full stomachs and energy to spare, we head home via Ballston and Perrydate crossing over the ferry yet again on our return to Salem.
This is going to be a slower paced flatter route as I will be riding the Watermelon 200 mile route the following weekend. Doug has posted the Watermelon route sheet on the SBC website and all I can say is that the route looks juicy! If you join us, not only will you get some miles in, but you will learn how the Thornose Century got it's name!"
Upon opening the newspaper this morning, learned that the Wheatland Ferry is closed for maintenance. As such, we altered the route to use Wallace Road / Lafeyette Hwy. Mark Janeba, Nanci and Jean met us at the red log on a cool and cloudy morning. We left promptly at 8:00 am. As we approached Dayton, we came upon some wet roads. It must have rained in this area before we arrived. We kept to short stops until we reached Sheridan, which was celebrating the annual Phil Sheridan Days. We stopped at the very busy Sheridan Pizza Company for sandwiches before heading for home and riding with a strong tail wind.
Friday, June 15, 2007
A Rest Day for Me, but not for all!
No miles today as it is an official rest day.
However, not everyone is at rest.
Jon Wolf on the Elite PAC Tour
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Back into the Hills!
Miles: 28.73
Elevation Gain: 1132'
April Miles: 625.16
Year to Date: 3873.86
I joined the folks at Scott's Cycles for their Thursday Night ride, and I decided to ride with the "fast" group instead of the medium speed group like I did on Tuesday night.
Well, I was hoping for a flatter ride, but no, up to the East Salem Hills we go. I managed to stay on as we climbed Macleay Hill, but they rode away from me on the next hill leaving me alone. So, since I was in the hills, I decided to get in a few more climbs and did the climb out of Shaw, Aumsville Hwy and then Joesph St. I worked hard and came in with a 17.9 mph average.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Wednesday Recovery Ride
Miles: 24.94
Elevation Gain: 240'
April Miles: 596.43
Year to Date: 3845.13
Joanne and I rode the Meridian 25 miles tonight leading the Salem Bicycle Club Wednesday Night Ride. We had the largest group this year as we did a flat ride east of Salem. The wind was coming strong out of the west so heading back into McKay Park was slow.
What Have I Done Now?
I have just signed up for the Watermelon Double and the Oregon Ultimate Road Ride. I have done both before and I am looking forward to each test again.
French RAAM Update via Babelfish
Even though my heritage is French-Canadian, I do not speak the French language. But, I have signed up to receive email updates about a Frenchman who is riding RAAM. Yes, they come to me in French. So, I am using Babelfish to translate into english, well sort of. Here is an example:
"Hello with all! And here, it left! The RAAM 2007 flew away this morning of Oceanside at 12 noon (9h standard time), Patrick at the head since it was on the first line. Alarm clock for everyone with 6h30, but Patrick was already awaked since 4h of the morning (hold hold odd...). After a copious breakfast, we joined the few 300 people who massed along the beach to attend the beginning, the "solos" at the head. The first 20 miles proceeded without us, since the riders were in "parade" in the streets of Oceanside. The junction was established after the official start which proceeded to a "signal departure" of the runners each thirty seconds. It is with a not dissimulated satisfaction (cries in the van, high speaker à.fond and music!) that we followed the first rise of the day when Patrick is taken for a "shirt with pea": it passed to the collar in the 7 first with a surprising ease and a great smile to the lips, undoubtedly, like us all, charmed capacity finally to unstitch some. After 57,4 miles, it reached the first "time station" (not of control), located at the edge of a superb lake, before penetrating front the arid earths of California. Rob, Estelle and myself trained the team of the following van, while Herve, Thierry, Christian and Fred joined a point of precise rallying between the first and the second "time station". Did you already see an immense roundabout filled with greenery in full medium of the desert? American prowess, it is on this splendid quay level that Patrick carried out its first true stop of the day (20 minutes) after an extraordinary descent of 8 miles to more than 7% of slope where it flirtait with the 50 m/p/h (75 km/h!). Pure happiness, for him without any doubt, and us also, music with "donf" (would say young people) to justify it with "releasing" the brakes, like one says in the jargon... It was 15h30 when it set out again, reinflated by excellent salad prepared by the "Master ès chef" whom we discovered, alias main Thierry! (I also acknowledge from of to have benefitted... pleasure from the papillae when you hold us...). Always it is that that requinqué our man who went himself from there drum beating to face the Californian desert with a "poulidoresque" aggressiveness (yes yes, that is said!) he allowing to border one 20 m.p.h. of average. It was so much with its ease that it was called Patrick the "scorpion", king of the desert! The "time station" 3 was thus a formality since it was presented there in form at 23h. Small 15 minutes halt to absorb the remainder of the salad (mâlin!) and here it is set out again in the heat harms American (26°) for, there still, to roll to an excellent average of 20 m.p.h. During this time, the teams turned, Christian and Herve taking the changing of the following van after we before subjected Fred then Thierry to the baptism of fire so that they can be accustomed to the "roadbook" (guide) in order not to lose as of their first harms our champion (euh, excuse me, you would not have seen French on a bicycle in the desert and two other French in a van following it by chance??). Lastly, per hour when I write to you, they are sleeping before taking their "quarter", Patrick pedals towards the "time station" 5 (it passed the n°4 to 3h15 of the morning) guided by Herve, Christian and Estelle (who met Morphée since already well a long time...). Rob as for him leads the other van of which I try to write to you in spite of the bumps met on the road... Here, thus advances one night in full desert, an end of adventure which is achieved in the friendship, serenity and the performance, one night when even far, one thinks Yours sincerely... Go Patrick, go Patrick!! Good night... Jerome"
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Dog Stampede
Miles: 29.30
Elevation Gain: 538'
April Miles: 571.49
Year to Date: 3820.19
I did not feel like have Del's group in Tualatin rip my lungs out after yesterday's hill repeats so I joined the slow group from Scott's tonight.
In order to help me ride with them, I am now keeping my old Cannondale CAAD3 bike at their shop. They recently tuned it up and I threw on some old Spinergy XAero Wheels. I must admit, that this was the first road ride for the CAAD3 since I purchased the LeMond three years ago. I found that I like the bike, even if the ride is a bit harsh and the feel is twitchy. Also, the handlebars are very low compared to my other bikes which leads to a whole different feel on the bike.
Oh, about the dogs. As we were leaving the small town of Turner, two small Chihuahuas came out onto the road chasing the peloton. They darted every which way and when we were not about to run over them, they were about to be run over by passing traffic. They were relentless in their pursuit and it would appear that they would chase us all of the way back to Salem. But we stopped and let them have the taste of victory before they turned back and headed home.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Blog, Damn it!
Been busy the last month.
Tonight, I did my first set of Hill Repeats. The concept is to ride four minutes up a steady hill and then ride back down to the bottom. Repeat four times.
Now, I have done intervals on the rollers, and I thought that hill repeats would be harder. But I found them to be easier that intervals on the rollers. With intervals, I would watch the clock and count down the seconds, but with the hill repeats, the time flew by and four minutes was just the right length of time.
You can see my results here.
Miles: 25.97
Elevation Gain: 1,273'
April Miles: 542.19
Year to Date: 3790.89