Two weeks and a few hundred miles and a few sixties pop songs later, (don't ask- you haven't lived until you've gone on a two hour bike ride with "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" running through your head the whole time).
Got back from the Adirondacks on Saturday. I did all kinds of crazy riding there, including some very difficult hill climbing that will be of no use to me in the MS 150. That ride is flat until the last couple of miles, where there are a couple of tall bridges you have to ride over. But riding in the Lake Placid area is wonderful, even though it's hilly and difficult. The air feels good and smells good, the scenery is to die for, and it's cool enough that you don't get completely dehydrated. The roads generally have wide shoulders and it's mostly not very heavily trafficked. I probably rode 300 miles in the 2 weeks I was there- almost enough to get back here.
So now that I'm back here, I have 12 days left until the ride. I'm in much better shape this year than last, so I just need to hold on to my fitness level while I'm working, which is easier said than done.
Plenty of other stuff going on, but I'll update tomorrow.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Thursday, August 17, 2006
August 17, 2006
pandora.com is perhaps the coolest thing ever!
August 17, 2006
13 miles, 55 minutes. Conshohocken State Rd. to Hollow Rd. and through Narberth.
Song stuck in my head: "The Sweetest Girl," by Scritti Politti
Didn't fall today, but I was sore from yesterday. At my age, I often feel the worst the day after (and sometimes even 2 days after), but this wasn't bad. I never had to come to a sudden stop today. That'll be the test of whether or not I've learned my lesson.
My new pedals and shoes are great on hills. Because my feet are attached to the pedals, I can get power pulling up as well as pushing down. My pulling up muscles aren't that strong, but even 10% more power is great.
My song today was a little slow, but I was in grave danger of having "Promiscuous" running through my head, which would have been disastrous. Somebody told me yesterday about a music web site called pandora.com. I'll report more on it later.
My food today was a sesame bagel from Manhattan Bagels. I hadn't intended to eat, but they were still warm and I couldn't resist. BTW, there are no Manhattan Bagels in Manhattan. Nor are there Delancey Street Bagels, Delancey St. also being in Manhattan. The best bagels in New York are from H&H on W. 80th St. And Delancey Street itself does have Yonah Schimmel Knishes, which are to die for. It's right down the street from Katz's Deli, where Meg Ryan had her famous "faking it" scene in When Harry Met Sally.
August 16, 2006
23 miles, 75 minutes. To the River Drive, twice around, and back.
Song stuck in my head: "Super Girls," by The Capes
Today I fell off my bike for the first time since I was around 8. It was all because of my new shoes and pedals. The shoes clip directly on to the pedals, so you have to detatch them if you want to put your foot down. I was crossing the river down by the art museum and a couple of dozen runners were also on the path, going in the opposite direction. It's narrow there, so I went down onto the roadway for a few seconds, but then I absentmindedly stopped to get back up on the path and forgot to unclip. It was sort of cartoonlike- where the coyote runs out into midair, but doesn't fall until he realizes and looks down. I just sort of toppled over. Broke a fingernail and scraped one finger. That's it.
The rest of the ride was fine. Today's song was good. It has a nice driving beat. The special shoes are great for going uphill, but more on that later.
This blog will review the nutrition options open to cyclists who want to eat without stopping. Today I had a Clif bar. It sounded good- Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch. Ugh, ugh, ugh! No chocolate flavor, no detectable peanuts, and just as crunchy as a bowl of granola that's been sitting in milk for 45 minutes or so. Absolutely awful. I know that real cyclists eat this sugary goo that comes in a kind of tube. Even that would have to be better.
pandora.com is perhaps the coolest thing ever!
August 17, 2006
13 miles, 55 minutes. Conshohocken State Rd. to Hollow Rd. and through Narberth.
Song stuck in my head: "The Sweetest Girl," by Scritti Politti
Didn't fall today, but I was sore from yesterday. At my age, I often feel the worst the day after (and sometimes even 2 days after), but this wasn't bad. I never had to come to a sudden stop today. That'll be the test of whether or not I've learned my lesson.
My new pedals and shoes are great on hills. Because my feet are attached to the pedals, I can get power pulling up as well as pushing down. My pulling up muscles aren't that strong, but even 10% more power is great.
My song today was a little slow, but I was in grave danger of having "Promiscuous" running through my head, which would have been disastrous. Somebody told me yesterday about a music web site called pandora.com. I'll report more on it later.
My food today was a sesame bagel from Manhattan Bagels. I hadn't intended to eat, but they were still warm and I couldn't resist. BTW, there are no Manhattan Bagels in Manhattan. Nor are there Delancey Street Bagels, Delancey St. also being in Manhattan. The best bagels in New York are from H&H on W. 80th St. And Delancey Street itself does have Yonah Schimmel Knishes, which are to die for. It's right down the street from Katz's Deli, where Meg Ryan had her famous "faking it" scene in When Harry Met Sally.
August 16, 2006
23 miles, 75 minutes. To the River Drive, twice around, and back.
Song stuck in my head: "Super Girls," by The Capes
Today I fell off my bike for the first time since I was around 8. It was all because of my new shoes and pedals. The shoes clip directly on to the pedals, so you have to detatch them if you want to put your foot down. I was crossing the river down by the art museum and a couple of dozen runners were also on the path, going in the opposite direction. It's narrow there, so I went down onto the roadway for a few seconds, but then I absentmindedly stopped to get back up on the path and forgot to unclip. It was sort of cartoonlike- where the coyote runs out into midair, but doesn't fall until he realizes and looks down. I just sort of toppled over. Broke a fingernail and scraped one finger. That's it.
The rest of the ride was fine. Today's song was good. It has a nice driving beat. The special shoes are great for going uphill, but more on that later.
This blog will review the nutrition options open to cyclists who want to eat without stopping. Today I had a Clif bar. It sounded good- Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch. Ugh, ugh, ugh! No chocolate flavor, no detectable peanuts, and just as crunchy as a bowl of granola that's been sitting in milk for 45 minutes or so. Absolutely awful. I know that real cyclists eat this sugary goo that comes in a kind of tube. Even that would have to be better.
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