Today we rode 37 miles unencumbered by panniers and the bike trailer. Coco had an afternon at home to herself ... something I crave! We wanted to focus on increasing our average miles/hour today and managed to do so, even into a headwind during the first 10 miles or so. We all agreed not to take a break until our half way point, which was whereever we made it to in an hour and a half. We made it to 18.4 miles at the hour and a half mark and then rode a little further to the first shady spot to stop.
We took a break, drank water and ate some nuts and granola bars. I also checked the email on my phone since I heard it ding several times during the ride. I received the best series of emails today! One was from an online cycling magazine that has agreed to run an article and post our website as our launch date gets closer. Another was from Justin Travis of Ohio Dreams, telling us that they are offering the Beast a full week's camp at Ohio Dreams, an amazing training facility for not only BMX but inline skating, skateboarding, skiing, snowboarding and so, so much more! Check out their website, www.ohiodreams.com. Once we have their logo, we hope to post it and a link to their website on this blog. We also got a bite on a Craigs List ad for one of our older Columbia 3 speed bikes. We sold that bike this evening; we sold another bike that was in the shed of one of our home purchases on Sunday.
So, our garage is starting to house only the bikes we truly use plus a few that Frankenbutt just can't part with yet. I'd like to say that we've finished the house, but we have not. Our focus, as of late, has mostly been on training. We've been increasing our ride lengths and average ride times. But the reality is that we need to balance the six or so weeks we have left. We need to finish the house, advertise and lease or sell the house, pack up all of our personal "non bike trip" belongings and put them in storage, clean up and close down our camper and coordinate our arrivals with bmx track directors along our route. It's our goal to maximize each track's local publicity through our ride and our story.
We took a break, drank water and ate some nuts and granola bars. I also checked the email on my phone since I heard it ding several times during the ride. I received the best series of emails today! One was from an online cycling magazine that has agreed to run an article and post our website as our launch date gets closer. Another was from Justin Travis of Ohio Dreams, telling us that they are offering the Beast a full week's camp at Ohio Dreams, an amazing training facility for not only BMX but inline skating, skateboarding, skiing, snowboarding and so, so much more! Check out their website, www.ohiodreams.com. Once we have their logo, we hope to post it and a link to their website on this blog. We also got a bite on a Craigs List ad for one of our older Columbia 3 speed bikes. We sold that bike this evening; we sold another bike that was in the shed of one of our home purchases on Sunday.
So, our garage is starting to house only the bikes we truly use plus a few that Frankenbutt just can't part with yet. I'd like to say that we've finished the house, but we have not. Our focus, as of late, has mostly been on training. We've been increasing our ride lengths and average ride times. But the reality is that we need to balance the six or so weeks we have left. We need to finish the house, advertise and lease or sell the house, pack up all of our personal "non bike trip" belongings and put them in storage, clean up and close down our camper and coordinate our arrivals with bmx track directors along our route. It's our goal to maximize each track's local publicity through our ride and our story.
With all the balloons we are managing to keep in the air, it is so nice to get on our bikes and ride the Suncoast Trail. Today, we all found ourselves "moo-ing" at the cows along Bowman Road, oohing and aahing at the full grown and baby goat in a trail side back yard and we saw an animal we've never seen before! We went online as soon as we got home and found out what the strange little creature is: a "Fox Squirrel". During our rides, life itself slows down. I like that. In a time when the average household has 30+ electrical items plugged in (compared to 3-4 electrical items 25 years ago), it's nice to almost completely unplug from the world and just ride.
Don't get me wrong, bike riding is not all "peaches 'n creme". All 3 of us have dealt with different body aches at different times. Pretty consistently, we've all dealt with hand numbness and we've found some hand flexing exercises to deal with it en route and after the rides. Frankenbutt experienced lots of comfort issues until he switched to a Brooks saddle. I tried our a few different saddles and ended up with a Schwinn saddle designed for men, with a "cavity" in the seat center. (I've been told "you've got balls!" so it's not surprising this saddle works for me.) The Beast has a Schwinn solid cushioned saddle that she likes but also complains occassionally about a numb but. Until today, I hadn't experienced any numbness until about the 32nd mile. I don't know if that means I have a "32 mile saddle" or a "32 mile butt"! We all usually feel back to normal after only 30 minutes off the bikes at the end of each ride.
At the midpoint turn around, both Frankenbutt and I said the ride home would be a breeze since we rode into the headwinds on the first leg of the ride. Much to our surprise, Mother Nature had a cruel little trick up her sleeve. Not long after turning around, we were riding into the headwinds again! I wanted to declare out loud that it just wasn't fair! But, we are doing these training rides to prepare use for whatever we may encounter ... including a day long bout of headwinds.
These rides have changed us. What we used to consider a "good" shower, now feels like an "amazing" shower after a long ride. Our bed is heavenly when we crawl into it at the end of a long day. Even simple dinners taste gourmet made after a long ride. Tonight's sloppy joe sandwiches, green beans and tater tots were absolutely scrumptious! I can barely wait to find out how good a tuna fish sanwich tastes after a 60 mile ride! We might achieve transcendental awareness if we ended a 60+ mile ride with a trip to an actual gourmet restaurant! (Ellie, both you and I know that Outback Steakhouse is gourmet cuisine after a long day of "track food"!)
Each of our training rides end with a semi-steep climb up and across the overpass that crosses the Suncoast Parkway. I was concerned that the Beast might struggle with that today after so many miles. I was wrong. She shot ahead of Frankenbutt and me, stood up and pedalled almost the entire hill! I grabbed my blackberry and snapped a pic before dropping down into one of the lowest gears and grinding my way to the top, Frankenbutt huffing just behind me. We crested the hill and flew down the back side to find the Beast riding slowly to wait up for us. Those BMX skills certainly pay off when she is confronted with a hill.
Miles ridden so far: 0 (training miles don't count)
Weigh in with your thoughts, comments, etc. We like hearing from you!
Don't get me wrong, bike riding is not all "peaches 'n creme". All 3 of us have dealt with different body aches at different times. Pretty consistently, we've all dealt with hand numbness and we've found some hand flexing exercises to deal with it en route and after the rides. Frankenbutt experienced lots of comfort issues until he switched to a Brooks saddle. I tried our a few different saddles and ended up with a Schwinn saddle designed for men, with a "cavity" in the seat center. (I've been told "you've got balls!" so it's not surprising this saddle works for me.) The Beast has a Schwinn solid cushioned saddle that she likes but also complains occassionally about a numb but. Until today, I hadn't experienced any numbness until about the 32nd mile. I don't know if that means I have a "32 mile saddle" or a "32 mile butt"! We all usually feel back to normal after only 30 minutes off the bikes at the end of each ride.
At the midpoint turn around, both Frankenbutt and I said the ride home would be a breeze since we rode into the headwinds on the first leg of the ride. Much to our surprise, Mother Nature had a cruel little trick up her sleeve. Not long after turning around, we were riding into the headwinds again! I wanted to declare out loud that it just wasn't fair! But, we are doing these training rides to prepare use for whatever we may encounter ... including a day long bout of headwinds.
These rides have changed us. What we used to consider a "good" shower, now feels like an "amazing" shower after a long ride. Our bed is heavenly when we crawl into it at the end of a long day. Even simple dinners taste gourmet made after a long ride. Tonight's sloppy joe sandwiches, green beans and tater tots were absolutely scrumptious! I can barely wait to find out how good a tuna fish sanwich tastes after a 60 mile ride! We might achieve transcendental awareness if we ended a 60+ mile ride with a trip to an actual gourmet restaurant! (Ellie, both you and I know that Outback Steakhouse is gourmet cuisine after a long day of "track food"!)
Each of our training rides end with a semi-steep climb up and across the overpass that crosses the Suncoast Parkway. I was concerned that the Beast might struggle with that today after so many miles. I was wrong. She shot ahead of Frankenbutt and me, stood up and pedalled almost the entire hill! I grabbed my blackberry and snapped a pic before dropping down into one of the lowest gears and grinding my way to the top, Frankenbutt huffing just behind me. We crested the hill and flew down the back side to find the Beast riding slowly to wait up for us. Those BMX skills certainly pay off when she is confronted with a hill.
Miles ridden so far: 0 (training miles don't count)
Weigh in with your thoughts, comments, etc. We like hearing from you!
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