Getting Stronger

24. December 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: cycling, daily life, storytelling

Every now and again, when I’m out on a ride, I come to a spot that once gave me a great deal of trouble and realize that the spot has now become “just part of the ride.”

In the past two days, there have been many of these moments. There’s the ever so slight rise to the top of the Rusty Bridge over East West Boulevard. Three years ago, I was huffing and puffing to get up that minor hill. There’s a similar rise to the bridge over MD100 that used to nearly kill me. The Naval Academy Bridge once looked like a mountain that I’d never be able to climb.

And then there’s the satisfaction that comes with overtaking and dropping another rider. I’m not usually competitive on my rides. I’m not usually one to gloat either, but I’m going to allow myself to do so today.

I was about 25 miles into my ride yesterday as, I approached the Rusty Bridge headed south on the B&A trail. I noticed cyclist on a Cervelo coming down East West Blvd. Since the trail is closed just south of the Rusty Bridge, he went up Light Street Ave before getting on the trail. I had to follow the same detour, which meant slowing down to get though some switchbacks, and that put me about 75 yards behind the rider when I re-entered the trail.

A number of thoughts went through my head:

Should I sprint to catch up with him?

You are 25 miles in on this ride. You are getting tired. You might not have the strength.

If you do catch up and don’t want to talk with him, what do you do? You’d look like an ass if you couldn’t keep up with him.

I started peddling like mad and shifted into a higher gear. I was gaining on him pretty quickly and then I made the decision.

I’m gonna drop him.

And I did. And it felt great.

To be fair, my feat may not have been much of a feat at all. I’ve got no idea whether he is a strong cyclist. I have no idea where he was on his ride. He may have been out for a short recovery ride. Perhaps he was just stretching his legs.

And yet, there is still a certain satisfaction about smoking a guy on a bike that easily cost three times as much as mine.

A Letter of Love

23. December 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: cycling, daily life, storytelling, twitter

You and I had an amazing day yesterday. I couldn’t have asked for a getter time than we had. When we left the house, and the boy, I wasn’t sure how things would go. I hadn’t gone for so long in quite some time.  As we settled into the rhythm and a steady pace, I began to relax.

The weather was just about perfect, with almost no wind, strangely warm temperatures, and some low December sunshine. I tweeted before we left that I was going to make some vitamin D. I’d forgotten just how low in the sky the sun is at this time of year. We’ve just entered the beginning of the lengthening of daylight for the year. We’re over the hump, rounding the bend.

As we crested the Naval Academy Bridge, you dropped the chain. I struggled with your derailleurs to right it without getting off, but that chain was stubborn. We had to stop for a mechanical. I worried that this might be a problem for the rest of the ride, but it turned out alright.

As we cruised into Annapolis, there was a fair amount of traffic which I hadn’t planned on. I debated the route. I’d thought we’d ride around the river through Crownsville when we left, but was second guessing that now. There would be more traffic than we wanted to deal with on MD450. So we took a short break at the City Dock.

Decisions made, we peddled off with the intention of heading back up the trail. Your gears gave us no trouble on the bridge, thankfully, and getting over the few short hills coming up to the trail was not a problem.

Riding up the trail, I found that I was suddenly smiling for no reason at all, and I knew it was because I was out in the open air with you. As we approached the usual turn off from the trail, I knew we weren’t ready to go home, and so we continued, with no planned route.

Something lead me to turn us toward Kinder Farm Park when we were on East West Boulevard. We’d never ridden through the park, but I knew that there was a nice paved bike trail. It was a little more crowded than I’d hoped, but we managed, and I’m sure we’ll ride there again some day.

By now, the sun was sinking low and I felt the need to get us home before long. We headed back down the B&A tail and took the right at Cedar lane. When we got home, I put you back in the shed without washing you. That was wrong, and I’m sorry.

Today, you’ll get a proper bath and some pampering.  You deserve it.

2011 is Winding Down – How did I fare on my Goals?

22. December 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: cycling, weight loss

Back at the beginning of the year I set a few goals for myself and as the year is winding down, it’s time to take a look at them and see how I fared.

Well, honestly, I missed every goal by a mile.

I’m just as heavy as I was last year.  Nothing more to say about that.

On the cycling front, I had chosen three events which included the Six Pillars Century on the Eastern Shore, my annual MS ride, and the Seagull Century.  I missed the Six Pillars due to an injury.  My annual MS ride was a great ride, with amazing weather and I raised over $2800 for a good cause.  I never registered for the Seagull.

I didn’t take Mr. Grey to a park every week, but I did spend a lot more time with him in more meaningful ways.  He and I had a great year together and we’ll have another great one in 2012.

So, looking forward to 2012, here are some goals:

  1. Shed the 30 pounds that I’d planned on last year.
  2. Moderate my alcohol intake in such a way that I can still enjoy a beer or a glass of wine now and then, but not have a nagging sense that alcohol plays too great a role in my life.
  3. Hit three cycling events, including a century.

There you have it folks, those are my 2012 goals.  With a lot of work and a bit of determination, I expect that I’ll be writing a different review of my progress in about 365 days.

Ride Safe and Know What to Do in the Case of an Accident

15. November 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: cycling, injury

DSC_0028Yesterday, I really needed to get out on the bike for a few miles to decompress. I left the house around 12:25 and rode to the end of the B&A trail. The weather was perfect, and I mean perfect. It was about 74F when I left the house and I was able to ride in short sleeves. There are going to be few days like this in the coming months.

Even in the middle of the day, the sun is low enough this time of year for everything to be cast in beautiful soft light. The leaves on the trees are still golden, orange and in some places red here in Severna Park. What more could I ask for?

I got to the end of the trail and turned around quickly to head home. (It was the middle of the work day and I did have some business that needed some attention.) As I peddled home, I marveled at the number of people who were out on the trail. The warm weather brought more than a few people out and I passed all kinds of cyclists — folks in spandex, folks not in spandex, folks on high-end bikes, commuters and hybrids, old skool schwins, and even maybe a huffy with a rusty chain. In my view of the world, all these folks are welcome on the trail.

As I neared the bridge over Round Bay road, I noticed someone riding ahead of me in jeans and a button down shirt on an older “ten-speed” style bike. As I moved over to the left, I was a good 75 yards behind the rider. Suddenly, he went down on the edge of the trail. He was separated from his bike, and he was under the split rail fence that borders the trail and the steep hill to the right. Instinctively I put on my breaks.

When I got to him, Paul appeared to be having a seizure. As he was coming to, I was dialing 911. My next call was to his wife, where I left voicemail. I kept asked him not to move and got some more information including his age for the dispatcher. Within 20 minutes the Ambulance had shown up and the medics were taking care of him. I stayed on the scene in case I could offer any details about his condition or the events to the medics. As they took him away, I was relieved to know that he was in good hands.

Today, I got a call from Paul’s wife thanking me for my efforts and help. She told me that he had suffered a broken collar-bone, and a few broken ribs, as well as a concussion. It could have been a lot worse.

Just the other day, there was a discussion on a listserv for the local peloton about what to do in the case of an accident. I was glad to have read that list of items. I’m including (blatantly stealing) them here, for reference.

  1. To prevent secondary injury, assess traffic, assign someone to ensure cars/trucks get around everyone in the group.
  2. Get all the people and bikes out of the way. Leave lights flashing.
  3. Resist the urge to help an injured rider get up. Leave him there until the fog has cleared and he’s ready.
  4. Look for injuries and decide quickly if it’s necessary to call 911 or a spouse/SO.
  5. Know the signs of a concussion, ask questions, inspect the helmet.
  6. Don’t let the injured convince you they are fine.
  7. Others not responsible for watching traffic should check the bike (ensure it’s ride-able) and collect stuff that fell off.
  8. Watch them closely for the next several miles, especially if riding in traffic.
  9. If you make the call to a friend or spouse, be careful what you say. Not being on scene, they often assume the worst.

Get Out and Fill Your Lungs With Air

10. November 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: cycling

Leaves

Ever feel like you’ve been kicked in the gut, and then kick in the teeth while you’re down? That’s how it feels to be a Penn State graduate right now. It’s awful. The Sandusky situation has been such a distraction. The entire situation is unthinkable. I had to get out on the bike today and unplug.

So, I did.

I left the house at about 2:30 and rode for an hour. The leaves are in all their glory right now. The air is crisp. You need full finger gloves. This is my favorite time of year to ride.

Taking a break from the hum-drum of the day is vital. If you’ve got something nagging at you, I advise you to get outside and go like hell. Make sure you’re getting some really deep breathing going.

It helped me today.

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