2009 Journal:
November 29, 2009: Surprise, a nice enough day to get another ride in this year. A little chilly and I definitely dressed warm this time, but it was still nice to get out. My back isn't completely right so I didn't ride real hard but that wasn't the plan today. I did try out my new camera and mount. The camera mount was a failex, not sure about the video. I haven't tried to watch it yet. A good day and we'll see what the rest of the year brings. Supposed to get chilly then next few days, so this may be it for the year and then I'll be stuck on that infernal trainer ... Distance: 28.12 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 147 Ave Cadence: 70, Ave Speed: 15.5 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 2,111.01 miles
November 15, 2009: Well, despite the storm yesterday, I was able to get a ride in today. Was supposed to clear up early the afternoon, but that didn't happen. Was shrouded in fog and damp conditions for my entire ride. All in all still nice though as there wasn't much wind. The sun did peek out during the last 5 miles of my ride, but too little too late to make it really nice. A quick search of my records shows that this may be my latest ride in the year ever. Sounds surprising, but that is what I see. We'll see if I can get another ride in this year or if I will be banned to the dreaded Computrainer in the basement until springtime.. Distance: 45.54 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 161 Ave Cadence: 72, Ave Speed: 16.9 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 2,082.89 miles
November 8, 2009: Absolutely beautiful day today, a bit chilly with wind, but warm enough to ride comfortably. Rode through Westport, over to Acoaxet, down Swap Road, along the river in Tiverton and home. Tired even though I didn't ride very hard. Still felt really good to be out on the bike, particularly this late in the year. I'm hoping that I'll get back out Wednesday as it is supposed to be warmer all this week. . Distance: 40.31 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 157 Ave Cadence: 71, Ave Speed: 17.4 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 2,037.35 miles
October 31, 2009: Happy Halloween! The weather was pretty warm this Am, so despite the string winds and wet conditions, I decided to squeak in another ride this fall. Hadn't realized how long it had been since I was on the bike GI rode a big loop through Westport, down to Acoaxet and then home. It was so windy at some points I felt like the wicked witch riding though a tornado (da-da-dat da da da, da-da-dat da da da) .. sorry. Anyway it was windy and I really had to pay attention to bike handling the first 8 miles or so. I saw a half dozen deer crossing the road in Adamsville and cam home looking like I had been riding Cyclocross. Anyway, good easy ride and now the Madone has been washing, cleaned and lubed for the winter. I'll have to ride my 5200 for any other rides this fall/winter. Distance: 27.09 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 144 Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 16.5 mph, Ave Power: 159 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,997.04 miles
October 4, 2009: Nice fall morning, although it was a bit wet from yesterday's rain. Need to cut the grass badly, but it's too wet. As a result, I decided to go for a nice easy ride. Did 22 miles thorough Little Compton and along the river in Tiverton. Nice, although the clouds cam in about 15 minutes into the ride. Wonder how many more nice days we will have this year?. Distance: 22.40 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 158 Ave Cadence: 71, Ave Speed: 18.3 mph, Ave Power: 187 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,969.95 miles
September 20, 2009: Very beautiful pre-Fall day here in Rhode Island today. Was very chilly (44 degrees) this AM, but it warmed up real nicely. Was able to get an easy 28 mile ride in though Westport, Little Compton and Tiverton. There was small bit of wind, but nothing really significant. I am sure there will not be many more like this left this year. No maps or elevation profiles today as I ran out of space on the picture server. Need to figure out a larger approach to this web site and decide what it needs to be in the future. Happy Birthday Mom. Distance: 28.20 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 157 Ave Cadence: 70, Ave Speed: 18.9 mph, Ave Power: 198 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,947.55 miles
September 13, 2009: Rainy start to the day, but after watching today's Vuelta stage, I decided to go for a ride. Upon heading out, I saw that today was the day they were running the Tiverton Century ride ... usually like to ride part of that, but clearly not today! I ended up riding reverse against the crowds since that would let me ride a bit free from traffic. Not a long ride today, but I rode fairly hard for much of the ride. Felt good to be out. Getting to the part of the year where nice days are few and far between.. Distance: 18.06 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 162 Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 18.8 mph, Ave Power: 214 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,919.35 miles
September 7, 2009: Another cold day today, although the wind was a little less than yesterday. Good race in Vuelta today and I waited to ride until after that was complete. Took it easy for the first hour and then really rode hard as much as possible the second hour. I really felt wiped but kept riding. Haven't done that in a while. Looks like things are quieting down around shore now that it's Labor Day. That is one good thing. Less people and traffic. . Distance: 36.65 miles, Ave Heart Rate: N/A Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 18.6 mph, Ave Power: 207 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,901.29 miles
September 6, 2009: Was pretty chilly out this AM when I woke up. Watched teh stage of teh Vuelta, had soem lunch and thought I'd go for a nice slow descent ride. Turned out to be colder than I thought and much windier. The cold was drived by an eastery wind off the ocean. Felt more like April than September. Oh well, needless to say, motivation to ride went away quickly. . Distance: 17.54 miles, Ave Heart Rate: N/A Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 18.5 mph, Ave Power: 186 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,864.64 miles
September 5, 2009: Woke up way too early this morning so by 7AM I was ready to get out for a ride. It is nice riding at that time because there isn't much traffic. Did a ride over in Dartmouth this AM, making several loops working my way towards New Bedford along teh shore and back. Was going to do more as it was such a nice morning, but I haven't been riding much, so 42 miles was enough. Distance: 42.59 miles, Ave Heart Rate: N/A Ave Cadence: 69, Ave Speed: 17.9 mph, Ave Power: 177 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,847.10 miles
September 2, 2009: TBS Distance: 19.9 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 166 Ave Cadence: 60, Ave Speed: 18.5 mph, Ave Power: 193 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,804.51 miles
August 16, 2009: Finally it was a little nicer weather wise today. The humidity was still there, but it was a little cooler so it didn't seem so bad. Left home and rode fairly hard for the first hour, then decided to take it easy for the rest of the ride. Headed out through Dartmouth and was surprised that there were no big waves around from Hurricane Bill. Oh well, a little rain, no wind that I could tell and no waves, guess the weathermen were pretty conservative in scaring everyone! The beach was empty compared to last week so I headed home. Had a pretty good ride up Hotel Hill putting out 700 watts for the climb. Took it easy until I got to Adamsville. Was going to cruise home at 15 mph when I passed another cyclist who was turning from the road to Acoaxet. He didn't acknowledge me when I waved and said hello. Then I was crawling along by the post office he passes me and looked the other way when I said hello. I let him get a quarter mile in front on me and noticed he was riding pretty hard and looking over his shoulder. That pissed me off as I hadn't even been trying. Since he was rude and wouldn't say hello I said F-it and went after him. Took about a mile, but I closed onto his wheel back about 10 feet and sat there countering every move he made to pull away. He went to take a left onto King street while I was heading straight so I pulled next to him and he still looked the other way .. one word .. a-hole. I hate riders who think they are too good to even say hello. Oh well, I couldn't let him think he was a stronger rider, so I ruined my cool down ride. I weighed myself this AM for the first time in a few weeks and was surprised to see 168.4 pounds. I haven't been that light since coming home form the France trip in 2005 when I couldn't eat well from my crash on Courchevel. Distance: 35.5 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 160 Ave Cadence: 71, Ave Speed: 18.4 mph, Ave Power: 179 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,784.55 miles
August 16, 2009: Another hot day today, but a good day to ride. I didn't get out early today as I had a few things I had to make sure I got done before I went. About 10:30, I finished and was able to get out. It was already warm, but not too bad. I decided to ride slowly anyway since I am into relaxation riding for the rest of the summer. Headed into Westport, then Dartmouth towards Horseneck Beach. Was great riding and there were lot's of folks out. The beach was cooler, with a little fog. Traffic was amazing. What makes people since in 3 or 4 miles of traffic, at least an hour from getting to the beach, after 1200? By the time they get in and pay their $20, the day is over, I guess I don't get it. Anyway, good ride, glad to see idiot drivers are still around. I had been worried that they all disappeared when I was on vacation. I don't know what I'd do if I had a ride without some looser giving me crap. Distance: 32.46 miles, Ave Heart Rate: N/A Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 18.2 mph, Ave Power: 179 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,749.05 miles
August 15, 2009: Finally had some time and was ready to get back on the bike again after the New Mexico trip. Didn't wear heart rate monitor since I still have a rash on my back and I didn't want to irritate it. I felt really good on this ride, and had high output power for the first 20 miles before I went into cruise mode. All in all a good ride toward Sakonnet Point and Acoaxet. Good thing I got out early as the humidity is terrible today. Distance: 35.84 miles, Ave Heart Rate: N/A Ave Cadence: 67, Ave Speed: 19.0 mph, Ave Power: 208 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,716.59 miles
August 7, 2009: Details are under this link Sandia Crest. .. Distance: 26.99 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 142 Ave Cadence: N/A, Ave Speed: 11.1 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,680.75 miles
August 6, 2009: Details are under this link Santa Fe Hillclimb Challange.. Distance: 34.21 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 138 Ave Cadence: N/A, Ave Speed: 10.1 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,653.76 miles
August 5, 2009: Details are under this link Taos Ski Valley. Distance: 54.96 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 128 Ave Cadence: N/A, Ave Speed: 11.1 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,619.55 miles
August 4, 2009: Details are under this link Bobcat Pass Distance: 39.43 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 133 Ave Cadence: N/A, Ave Speed: 11.2 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,564.59 miles
August 3, 2009: Details are under this link Passo Flechado. Distance: 41.39 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 134 Ave Cadence: N/A, Ave Speed: 12.0 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,525.16 miles
August 2, 2009: Details are under this link US Hill. Distance: 48.66 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 137 Ave Cadence: N/A, Ave Speed: 12.2 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,483.77 miles
August 1, 2009: Details are under this link Old Santa Fe Trail. . Distance: 18.1 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 146 Ave Cadence: N/A, Ave Speed: 12.1 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,435.11 miles
July 31, 2009: Details are under this link: Jemez Mountain Trail Challenge. Distance: 51.36 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 146 Ave Cadence: N/A, Ave Speed: 13.2 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,417.01 miles
July 30, 2009: Details are under this link: Pecos River Valley Ride. Distance: 37.8 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 127 Ave Cadence: N/A, Ave Speed: 11.7 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,365.65 miles
July 29, 2009: Details are under this link: Bandolier Ride. Distance: 39.5 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 141 Ave Cadence: N/A, Ave Speed: 14.1 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,327.85 miles
July 25, 2009: Got out for a quick ride today. Went to Sakonnet Point, wexcept I remembered that I didn't have a spare tire tube before I got there so I turned around and came home quickly. Distance: 24.69 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 156 Ave Cadence: 70, Ave Speed: 18.1 mph, Ave Power: 171 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,288.35 miles
July 19, 2009: Well, not much to write today. I was able to get a quick 25 mile ride in. No problems like yesterday, so I am convinced it was simply dehydration. I am in the process of packing things for shipping my bike to New Mexico on Tuesday so it will be there when i get there. Shouldn't be an issue other than thinking ahead. Distance: 24.23 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 154 Ave Cadence: 65, Ave Speed: 19.5 mph, Ave Power: 215 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,263.66 miles
July 18, 2009: Bit of a crazy day today .. Tour de France stage had lot's of craziness and today was my first real ride in hazy hot and humid weather. Not overly hot, but for what we've had to date, it was hot. It was very humid with the Dew Point in the upper 70's at my house. I decided to head to Freetown and had every intention of riding as close to a 100 miles as I could get to. Things were going well and I was riding well within myself, but I think I wasn't drinking enough. I felt really good though the entire trip north and started feeling warm as I made the turn heading back towards the shore. When I got to Reed Road, I decided to stop at the Dunkin Dognuts to get some water and I thought a Coffee Coolatta would be good. Seems that it wasn't a great idea. It didn't sit well at first so I drank about 50% in the parking lot and filled one empty bottle with the rest. I had intended to head towards the beach from there, but frankly something wasn't right. I felt really tired and had no power to ride, even on the descent. I decided to blow off the shore and started heading home. Since it definitely felt wrong, I decided to check my heart rate which I hadn't been watching. As it turns out, it read 250! I decided to stop and check the strap in case there were contact issues, but all seemed right. My heart rate dropped back down to below 200, so I decided to start riding again .. bam, immediately it went back up again and I was only putting out 80 watts! Then it hit me that I must have gotten dehydrated and I bet the caffeine was causing strange issues. To make a long story short, it took my 45 minute to get the next 5 miles all the while I kept drinking electrolytes vs more of that damn coffee drink. Finally I got to a flat section on Sodom Road, took it real easy and suddenly, things got much better and the heart rate slowly dropped to about 125. I was able to ride at a normal rate all the way home. The heart rate chart is very wild to look at, and obviously, I'll keep an eye on this one. Funny, as bad as I felt for a bit, I felt really good at home and feel great now. Oh well, another strange thing on a strange day. Distance: 59.85 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 153 Ave Cadence: 62, Ave Speed: 14.7 mph, Ave Power: 142 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,239.43miles
July 14, 2009: Left work on time and planned to get a ride in. I ran into a long line of traffic trying to get off the island over the Sakonnet River Bridge. Looked like a car broke down which really messed things up. Thought I had ruined my riding mood by sitting in traffic for 20-25 minutes, but when I finally got home, I talked myself into heading out. Turns out it was a good thing I wasn't planning on riding hard as there was a flag snapping, white cap making wind out. There were times I felt like I was riding full bore and going no where. When in a cross wind it was purely treacherous. Anyway, I slogged though 25 miles of easy riding, but hey.. I got out and enjoyed a ride. Distance: 25.11 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 144 Ave Cadence: 62, Ave Speed: 17.3 mph, Ave Power: 171 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,179.58 miles
July 14, 2009: Pretty nice day today. This new job I have is really cutting into my riding schedule. Finally the weather in nice and I am having trouble getting out to ride. Anyway, today I did get out on time, buut had to run a few errands. I got home a litel before 5 and decided I was going out one way or the other. I wasn't really motivated, but needed to ride as teh New Mexico trip is coming up quickly. I headed towards Sakonnet Point, and rode reasonably on the out leg. On teh return I decided to push a bit and decided to see how hard I could ride. As it turns out, I had soem descent sections, but in general, I can tell I am not quite as fit as I was earlier this year. Oh well, it is what it is. Fouynd out teh hotel will accept my bike so I need to ship it next week. Distance: 23.49 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 166 Ave Cadence: 53, Ave Speed: 19.7 mph, Ave Power: 216 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,154.47 miles
July 12, 2009: Not much of a ride today, even though it was a nice day. Wanted to get a ride in but really didn't have the energy and desire once I got going. I made a quick loop to Acoaxet and tried out my new helmet cam. Interesting results, but not great by any means. It doesn't seem to capture the details at a distance and also doesn't handle contrast changes real well. Therefore riding on a sunny day under trees you get a mix between dark images and washed out images. It does provide an interesting perspective on descents though. Looked like the wide angle lens was better, but in hind sight, the normal lens would have been a better choice. Oh well, more experiments I guess. Distance: 21.33 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 151 Ave Cadence: 63, Ave Speed: 18.2 mph, Ave Power: 186 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1,130.98miles
July 11, 2009: Wow, was it really that long since I was on a bike ride? Yes, I think so. Between weather and work, it's been a long week. Today, I watched the Stage 8 TdF route from Andorra to Saint Girons. A little action, but not much compared to the last week. After the stage was complete, I headed out and decided to get a couple hour ride in. I decided to ride into Dartmouth as I hadn't been there in a wile. Funny, while it was pretty nice and sunny, it wasn't terribly warm and there was a pretty steep wind coming from the southwest. As a result, I rode the entire first part of the ride into a stiff head wind. At one point near Horseneck Beach, the cross winds were so bad I was afraid of being blown off the bike and into traffic. Guess I needed a couple of guys to form an echelon for me! Anyway, descent ride, not fast and not much power, but with the week off and the wind, that isn't surprising. Distance: 36.05 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 156 Ave Cadence: 54, Ave Speed: 18.7 mph, Ave Power: 191 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1109.65 miles
July 3, 2009: Finally a nice day, even if the motivation was a bit low. I met Paul at our normal meeting spot along the river and we set out for a couple hour ride. Nothing too dramatic, although neither of us felt like riding all that much today despite the nice weather. Still, I ended up getting 51 miles in which is one of my longer rides for the year. This weather really has my training falling behind! Distance: 51.24 miles, Ave Heart Rate: N/A Ave Cadence: 57, Ave Speed: 16.9 mph, Ave Power: 167 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1073.60 miles
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July 2, 2009: Wow, what a lousy weather week this has been. Saw the weather station register 19.9 inches/hour yesterday atone point. Not riding weather there! Today was almost as bad with rain all day off an on. Was supposed to head to Mt Greylock and once again, we cancelled due to weather. Blah! Late this afternoon it dried out enough so I decided to head out for a ride. Granted, it was still wet, but at least it wasn't raining and the roads were kind of dry.What I found though was sand and dirt everywhere from the horrendous rain yesterday and today. Almost like spring conditions on the road. Also about half way through my ride, the fog came back. At least it was warm! Hey, what the heck, I got a ride in and that is good. Conditions supposed to be improving over the weekend. Distance: 22.85 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 161 Ave Cadence: 57, Ave Speed: 19.9 mph, Ave Power: 216 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 1022.36 miles
June 27, 2009: When will summer ever get here? Went for a ride early today as there were a few things I wanted to get done. Wasn't a great morning, but compared t the past, it seemed al right. By the time I got half way to the chore, the fog had rolled in and it was cold, damp and windy. After about 20 miles, I flat gave up, lost all ambition and pointed home to call it a day. I think I also was hammered by poor nutrition today, but the fog and cold made if easy to give in. Not sure about riding tomorrow as it is supposed to rain. Now there's a surprise! Distance: 31.32 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 152 Ave Cadence: 67, Ave Speed: 19.0 mph, Ave Power: 201 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 999.51 miles
June 25, 2009: Crazy day at work today, but still got a good ride in as it was the yearly Longest Day ride around Aquidneck Island. Humm, wasn't the longest day Sunday .. yes, but this ride is always on a Thursday. We always ride on our own as the organized ride always goes off late. Anyway, that way we can ride easy and get the whole ride in. It was really nice today for a change. Nothing eventful to report other that the traffic which can be rough was actually pretty straight forward. Rode with Paul and Bill who is retiring on Tuesday. Anyway, got home and went to transfer my data from my Edge 705 and stumbled across a bug where the history file didn't get saved. Thank god for the Motion Based forums, I found a workaround after about an hour of reading. Lost my power data, but everything else was in place. Funny we were all talking about how strange it was the Farrah passed away today and I see that Wacko Michael Jackson also kicked off. Yesterday Ed McMahon ... who is next? Distance: 42.21 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 139 Ave Cadence: 63, Ave Speed: 16.46 mph, Ave Power: 161 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 968.19 miles
June 23, 2009: Was able to take a detour on my way to Syracuse for work and I snuck a ride in up Mt Greylock in MA. They just finished repaving the entire Mt Greylock road and I have to say it is the best mountain road I've ever ridden on. I hadn't done any real climbing since last year, so I took it easy. I forgot how steep it really was for the initial slopes on Furnace Road towards Reservoir Road on the tt course. That section was repaved and while not finished, it was a hugh improvement from the old road. Only when you got inside the actual reservation did the real paving start. It was smooth as butter and after a nice easy 1 hour ascent, I was able to let it all hang out on the descent, barely using my brakes until hitting the switchbacks on the lower slopes.We are trying to go again next week as a small group where I want to ride both ascents which I didn't have time for on this trip as I had to get to an evening meeting. Distance: 18.24 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 162 Ave Cadence: 59, Ave Speed: 11.7 mph, Ave Power: 230 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 925.98 miles
June 20, 2009: Another lousy weather day here in New England. Woke up to fog and mist. Waited a bit but since the temperature was reasonable, I went out and rode. The fog and mist wasn't really a problem, although it was cooler and more damp than I expected. Took it fairly easy since I hadn't ridden too much lately due to weather. Oh and I forgot my heart rate sensor today.. guess I really wasn't into it. Distance: 36.13 miles, Ave Heart Rate: N/A Ave Cadence: 70, Ave Speed: 19.3 mph, Ave Power: 202 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 907.74 miles
June 14, 2009: Happy Flag Day everyone. The day started wet and while it stopped raining before noon, I got hung up in changing over my gearing on my climbing bike. It had a 34 cassette on the back that I use for racing on Mt Washington, but since I'm not doing that this year, I wanted to put back on my 27 cassette for normal climbing. Well, that means I have to put back my old derailleur No big deal, all seems to be working although I ordered a new chain as the older on I have was a link or two short. I kept the chain that goes with the 34 cassette separate so I can reinstall if/when needed. Anyway, got to the evening and I decided that I'd better get something in for a ride. I went a rode as hard as I could for my old standby Westport loop. Put out pretty good wattage and speed until I just got whooped out in the last 5 miles or so. Stopping at RT 88 for the lights didn't help any. Oh well, a good quick ride. No more rides until wednesday as I have to be in DC. Hopefully I can get a run in along the Potomac tomorrow instead. Distance: 21.02 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 166 Ave Cadence: 75, Ave Speed: 19.7 mph, Ave Power: 226 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 871.61 miles
June 13, 2009 : Little rusty today riding. Not sure if it was because I hadn't ridden since last Sunday or if it was due to my mid week running in Syracuse. Anyway, not motivated today to ride and I felt it by just nothing in the legs to make them work. So what did I do, I decided to ride downtown under the Sakonnet river Bridge and do hill repeats on the big steep hill there. Not bad, only did a few, but even there, i just wasn't into it. Oh well, I rode, burned some calories. On a positive note, my calorie counting efforts though Livestrong are working well. Down about 11-12 pounds in about 6 weeks, so that is a good thing. Distance: 25.74 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 161 Ave Cadence: 67, Ave Speed: 17.5 mph, Ave Power: 194 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 850.59 miles
June 7, 2009 : Wanted to get home to watch Dauphine Libere on Cycling.TV so since the weather was nice, I got out early at 0700 this AM to ride. I like riding at this time on the weekends as it's peaceful and very quite out. Today was no different. A little chilly but sunny at the start. I wanted to ride in Dartmouth today, so I headed to Adamsville and then towards Horseneck Beach. As I neared the beach, I notice the fog hadn't lifted from the shore. The beach was almost zero visibility, so I was nervous riding but figured I'd survive the few miles in the fog. Soon, it lifted to about 10-20 feet visibility and I was fine with the exception of the fog condensing on everything including my glasses. I has to stop to take them off as I couldn't see anything. Soon, I was past the beach and riding back into the sunshine where i put my glasses back on and then almost instantly dried in the sun. Since it was nice again, I decided to ride towards New Bedford but opted out of heading into South Dartmouth due to the fear of more fog and road construction over that way. Instead, I headed back down Fisher Road which I had forgotten how nice a ride that is early in the AM under the pine trees that cover the road. I saw a cow eating pine trees which was surprising in my mind. Anyway, I lopped around Dartmouth for a while and ended up back in Westport where I headed home. Pretty nice day for a ride today, didn't work real hard, but I did the 44 miles in just around 2:15, so that was a descent pace even if my wattage wasn't great. Distance: 44.3 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 159 Ave Cadence: 69, Ave Speed: 19.1 mph, Ave Power: 205 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 824.85 miles
June 6, 2009 : So much for being a nice day today. Yesterday they said the rain was supposed to stop about midnight. Well that didn't happy. It was done when I woke up at 0500, but it didn't really dry out enough to ride until after lunch. When I went out it was still only 58 degrees and pretty wet in a lot of spots. All in all it wasn't a terrible day to ride though and I took the opportunity to ride to Sakonnet Point. Lot's of good puddles around and a little wind, although that wasn't too bad all things considering. I was going to ride to the Sakonnet River Bridge to take some pictures of the land they are clearing for the new bridge, but I didn't fee like it as the weather never really got nice, even though the sun is in and out. Anyway, good ride today, didn't really ride real hard, just enough to enjoy the day. Distance: 36.52 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 159 Ave Cadence: 68, Ave Speed: 19.3 mph, Ave Power: 206 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 780.55 miles
June 2, 2009 : As much as I can't stand living around here in the cold wet springs, days like today are why I love living here. I was a crappy gray dreary day all day until I came out of my meetings about 3:00 this afternoon I noticed that the sun was shining brightly and it actually was pretty warm. I decided to get a ride in and I am glad I did as the wind was minimal and the conditions were almost perfect. I actually got my first glasses soaking sweat going today and it felt really good. I exhausted myself as I really didn't eat right for a good ride today but it was so nice, I had to take advantage of the weather. I rode hills by riding my Tour de Adamsville course. Over 1,200 feet of climbing in 30 miles which is good for living on this flat sandbar called Rhode Island! Distance: 30.91 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 167 Ave Cadence: 70, Ave Speed: 18.8 mph, Ave Power: 205 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 744.03 miles
May 31, 2009 : Having trouble getting motivated to go ride today as the weather wasn't as nice today as it was yesterday. Looks like rain is nearby, so I wasn't sure if we were going to get it or not. Decided to stay somewhat local today and do a shorter ride than I usually like to do on weekends. The wind was blowing pretty good to and as usual, it seemed like it was coming from all directions. As it turned out, I had a pretty good day riding both on speed and wattage. I had my first +20 mph average day for the year as I made just under 21 miles on 1:02+ and I kept a pretty good power output at 230 watts. Nothing eventful happened other than getting spooked by a chipmunk on the big hill out of Adamsville. The little bugger was racing me in the scrub along the side of the road. Distance: 21.02 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 164 Ave Cadence: 74, Ave Speed: 20.1 mph, Ave Power: 230 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 713.12 miles
May 30, 2009 : Today turned out to be a beautiful day to go for a ride. A bit of a breeze, but funny that while's it's annoying, it's not that annoying when its warm out. Anyway, took a ride down to Sakonnet Point. Rode reasonably but not hard there and then pushed for much of the trip back home. Turned out to be a fairly reasonable ride and I held an average of 219 watts the last 17 miles after being thrashed pretty well down by Sakonnet Point. No major car incidents today, I did almost run over a 3 foot Garden Snake in the road down by Sakonnet Point. Not sure if he made it across or not .. I didn't notice on my trip back. Had a couple of really good spins up hills on the last stretch home. That was good. We'll see how the weather is tomorrow. Distance: 32.22 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 168 Ave Cadence: 71, Ave Speed: 19.9 mph, Ave Power: 217 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 692.10 miles
May 25, 2009 : Happy Memorial Day. Went out early today for a ride with Paul. My knee seemed fine this AM, although it is still sore. We rode easy and I didn't push real hard. We rode over in Dartmouth looping back over Hix Bridge and down towards Horseneck Beach. We them worked over to Adamsville and headed to Acoaxet where I had some new roads I wanted to check out. Down by the Acoaxet Golf Club there is a road named Brayton Point Road that I always assumed was a dead end. When I looked at Google Maps and also on Map My Ride, it looked like we could work our way over to Long Highway through this road. I have seen cars going that way, but always assumed it was a dead end. Well, to make a long story short, We worked our way down Widgeon Lane and Whistler Point Road which were really nice roads with no traffic. There were some really nice houses in there. We then road on Rockbridge Dr which interesting because there was no rock bridge, but there was a small wooden bridge on it. Anyway, the map says we could have connected though Quicksand Pond Road here, but that wasn't happening as there appeared to be a house where the map said a road should be. When I can home an looked at the satellite view on google maps, sure enough the road runs though a house. Guess that map isn't accurate now is it. Anyway, good ride. Distance: 42.35 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 135 Ave Cadence: 52, Ave Speed: 15.8 mph, Ave Power: 156 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 659.88 miles
May 24, 2009 : Well, my complaining about drivers must have been foreshadowing for today. Since the weather wasn't great when I left to ride after today's fantastic Giro stage, I decided to just go to Acoaxet and ride hills. Was having a pretty good time suffering on Cold Brook Road and descending on Stone Church Road when after my 5th loop, I was coming back to the intersection at the bottom when some idiot lady decided to take a left hand turn in front of me when I was doing 25 mph. Luckily I have a few bike handling skills and I layed the bike down and almost escaped hitting her, but ended up snacking the rear quarter panel. Her excuse was she didn't see me because she was just going to get cigarettes. She said her daughter saw me, but it was too late. Anyway, she said it was my fault for going too fast! I swear if it was a guy instead of some stupid lady I would have gotten up and punched her in the face for being an idiot. I almost did anyway and drew quite a scene as I swore at her for being an idiot. I have some cuts and scrapes on my legs, and a nice grapefruit growing on my shin where I ran into her rear quarter panel. I think the bike is OK, although I'm not sure yet. Everything a a bit out of whack, but I was able to ride it home. About 2 miles I noticed a rub on the wheel and it turns out the tire had actually come off the rim a bit and was slowing working it's way completely off. I had to stop, let the air out, pop it back on and refill to get home, so I need to give the whole bike a once over. When I was putting the tire in I noticed the side wall was ripped, so I am amazed I didn't flat or damage my rims. So much for a good day! Distance: 16.22 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 157 Ave Cadence: 57, Ave Speed: 15.4 mph, Ave Power: 206 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 617.53 miles
May 23, 2009 : Today was a strange day weather wise. Kind of cools and cloudy and looking like rain all morning. I watched the Giro this AM and then went to the store to get a couple of things. When I got back, I had some lunch and decided to try a ride. I got all dressed in cold weather gear as it was only 53 degrees. I got out and rode about a mile and said the heck with this and turned around and came home. I got cleaned up and was just settling down to watch a the movie "A Few More Dollars" which is one of my favorite Westerns of all time. No sooner had I sat down when I noticed the skies brightening. Soon the sun was out and the temperature had shot up to 60 degrees. I said the heck with it and got all dressed again and decided to give it a try. It was a lot nicer out and in fact, when I was in a wind blind spot, it was actually too warm for how I was dressed. In general though with the wind, I dressed right for the day. I ended up going to Sakonnet Point, but didn't follow my normal route. There seemed to be a large number of idiots on the road today. Almost got picked off by a mirror on the side of a Ford Expedition. Would like to find that idiot and say if you can't drive that thing, get a smart car ..maybe you can keep that on the road. Then I came to a Mexican Standoff at an intersection where three cars were all stopped looking at each other. Thing is, only one of them had a stop sign. The other two stopped for the famous move in RI of " Oh, you want to make a left turn, OK, I'll just stop in traffic and let you turn in front of me". Those idiots make me crazy! Anyway, good day for a ride, albeit a bit windy.My power has been down the last few days.Dont know if it's just the wind whooping me or just a drop off since I'm not eating as much as I'd like as I am trying to drop some weight in order to help my climbing later this summer. Distance: 32.72 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 155 Ave Cadence: 64, Ave Speed: 18.7 mph, Ave Power: 200 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 601.31 miles
May 22, 2009 : What a nice day today even if it was windy. I decided to do a descent ride today despite the wind, but chose to take it slow since I knew I'd be fighting a headwind the entire way home. And guess what, I did! lol. Anyway. made my first trip through South Dartmouth along past Horseneck Beach and then continuing eastward until looping back by UMASS Dartmouth. Very nice riding, and traffic wasn't too bad for the most part. I did get very tired coming back into the wind, but if I didn't have other things to do, I probably would have gone south in Tiverton when I got home to get another 20. Maybe next time! Distance: 43.09 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 158 Ave Cadence: 60, Ave Speed: 17.2 mph, Ave Power: 181 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 568.59 miles
May 20, 2009 : Looked real nice out today but as usual, when I finally got out of work it had cooled down and was pretty windy out. I rode down to Sakonnet Point, of course into the wind both directions. I love Rhode Island. Didn't push too hard as I was enjoying being out for a ride and really the weather wasn't that bad. Truncated the ride though as I wanted to get home and I was a little tired from a long day at work. Came back through Tiverton 4 Corners and came up East Road. Climbing up the hill that starts at Gray's Ice Cream, I learned a lesson that I really wasn't in good shape, which wasn't really a surprise. I saw a couple riding about half way up the hill and decided to ride hard to catch them. As it turns out I caught them quicker than I though and blew past an older couple. Not that impressive a feat really, but I push onwards and kept riding what I thought was pretty well up towards the top. Next thing I knew there was a shadow on my wheel and I was surprised to see the older gentleman on my rear wheel. I rode at a good tempo and basically sat up so he came along the side of me and we chatted for the rest of the short climb. Turns out he was riding a 20+ year old Nashbar steel frame, with shifters on the down tube. I know I'm not the fasted rider in the world, but I usually pass more than get passed on the short hills. This time, I just said nice ride and left for home while he stopped to wait for his wife. Uuggh! Distance: 26.88 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 164 Ave Cadence: 61, Ave Speed: 19.6 mph, Ave Power: 211 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 525.50 miles
May 17, 2009 : Kind of a shame it was a lousy day out today, would like to have gone for a descent ride. Was raining pretty good all night and this morning everything was wet. About noon time it started to dry enough that I had thoughts of going out riding. Finally, I decided to go, but while the radar looked OK, it was still wet and looked and felt like rain. As a result, I decided to head to Adamsville and do a couple hill repeats just to get outside. Then if it started to rain, I was only 10-12 minutes from home. I felt pretty good while riding today and while I was sore from working the garden, I ended up riding pretty hard today. Was over 300 watt on the hills, so that felt good. Could have ridden longer, but it was damp and chilly when riding even if the temperature was around 60. Week ahead looks nice. Distance: 16.92 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 163 Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 19.0 mph, Ave Power: 232 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 498.62 miles
May 16, 2009 : Well I have a busy day today so I got out early today and rode a quick 23 miles down to Horseneck Beach and back this AM. Was a little chilly when I left, but I warmed up a little as I rode. Soon the weather will be great for riding. Was pretty nice to get out early with out traffic on the roads. Didn't push real hard this AM, as I was supposed to be doing an easy ride. When I left My neighbor had a commotion going on with a paving crew that was starting to repave his driveway. Looks nice, but what mess with trucks and machinery everywhere. Now I'm off to watch this mornings stage of the Giro d'Italia and then to work on my garden. Hopefully I can get it planted today! Distance: 23.53 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 168 Ave Cadence: 61, Ave Speed: 18.9 mph, Ave Power: 211 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 481.7 miles
May 15, 2009 : Had a busy week at work, but was able to skip out a few minutes early today. Had the intention of starting my garden since the weather wasn't supposed to be really that great. When I left about 2:00 though, it was beautiful out, so I hurried to Home Depot, picked up what I needed and headed home. Couldn't go too far since I had a grocery order coming, so I did a quick ride to Adamsville and back just to get a few miles in . It was nice, but I wish I had more time for a longer ride today. In the end it was probably better I didn't do more as I was tired without eating lunch today. There will be more warm days like this coming though! Distance: 10.42 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 168 Ave Cadence: 63, Ave Speed: 19.5 mph, Ave Power: 229 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 458.17 miles
May 13, 2009 : Was much warmer at lunch time today, but I got out after work for a quick ride. Wanted to go longer, but wind and cool temperatures caused me to truncate my Tour de Adamsville short again. Still a good ride, didn't push real hard and the numbers aren't terrible for me. Need to get warmer though so I can consistently ride. Working on loosing some weight, so exercise means I can eat better! lol. Nice double loop around Adamsville, nothing special. Sounds like today's Giro stage was fantastic. Can't wait to go watch it now! Distance: 21.95 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 165 Ave Cadence: 63, Ave Speed: 19.5 mph, Ave Power: 222 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 447.75 miles
May 9, 2009 : Spent the morning watching the Giro d'Italia. When that was over, the skies seemed brighten enough that I decided to head out for a ride. It was fairly warm and humid, which is why there had been some fog, but that seemed to be lifting. Luckily I decided to bring my arm warmers as it turned out to be a little chilly when the moving through the damp air. I decided to head towards Dartmouth even though it soon became clear that the weather wasn't going to be real good. As i crested the little hill on the Tiverton Westport border on Narrow Ave, i immediately had to start wiping the moisture from my glasses as the dew was heavy in the air. When I got near Horseneck, it was just plain foggy and chilly, so I aborted my plans and decided to just head home. I rode a good negative split between the beach and home so I ended up feeling pretty good today and actually hammered up a couple of decent hills and one I held between 400 and 500 watts the whole climb which I was really happy to see. Tomorrow is supposed to be nicer, but very winds, gusts to 40 mph, so it's not clear that I will ride. Distance: 21.05 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 164 Ave Cadence: 63, Ave Speed: 19.4 mph, Ave Power: 228 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 425.80 miles
May 6, 2009 : Started out as a rainy crappy day today and finished with nice sunshine, a little breeze and warmer weather. When I noticed it was pretty sunny out, I bolted out of work and got a quick ride in tonight before dinner. Wore a nice thermal shirt which was way too warm when I started but less than an hour later I was freezing as the clouds rolled back in and it got windy and chilly. As a result, I cut my ride down by about 10 miles and only did a quick 20 miler tonight. Ride what I call the Tour de Adamsville looping back and forth over the small ridge just south of Adamsville RI. Should have made two additional loops to complete the tour, but as I said, ut was getting chilly. Anyway, nice mid week ride when it was supposed to be rainy all week! Interesting things too .. was riding pretty hard uphill one section, was a little cross eyed form exhaustion or from these new bifocal contacts I have in and I ended up running over a dead possum in the road and almost swerving into a mailbox .. humm, guess I better pay attention! Distance: 20.05 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 168 Ave Cadence: 63, Ave Speed: 19.6 mph, Ave Power: 222 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 404.75 miles
May 3, 2009 : Well surprised, I got another descent ride in. Wasn't sure today as the rain is hovering off shore, but I gambled and got back before getting wet! Today was an easy ride, I'm trying in intermix easy days with going hard to see how that works with improving my fitness. I intended to ride about 18 miles today, but continued tasking turns away from home on the ride hoping I'd beat the rain. I ended up riding a pseudo figure 8, riding from home to Adamsville, then towards horseneck beach, up to the head of the Westport, then back towards the beach before returning home via Hix Bridge Road. Felt sluggish today, cold, and stiff, but there wasn't a lot of wind, so that was nice. When I got home, my feet were frozen, particularly both my big toes. Anyway, for a weekend where I didn't expect to get much done due to weather, it was fairly productive. Distance: 36.51 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 155 Ave Cadence: 64, Ave Speed: 17.9 mph, Ave Power: 182 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 384.70 miles
May 2, 2009 :Good bye April, been nice to know you. Anyway, isn't it supposed to finally warm up a bit when May gets here? Not really cold today, but due to the storm, it was chilly and damp. Didn't ride early today because the weather was threatening, but when it looked like the rain had finally moved last, I headed out for a short ride that turned into a mid mileage harder ride. When I was about 5 miles into the ride, I noticed that the skies were clearing to the west. As a result, I decided to head to Sakonnet Point. The ride the whole way was into the wind, which made it pretty challenging. I was riding pretty good though as I averaged 258 watts and 20 mph for my first 5 miles and then 221 watts for my second 5 miles. When I reached Sakonnet point, it was pretty damn windy so I stayed long enough to take this picture and then headed home. It was nice to ride with the wind across and from behind as while there was still some head wind, it was mostly from the rear. I cut across to adamsville and then home. A good ride, although I was pretty whopped when I got here. Glad I decided to head out when I did. Distance: 29.78 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 169 Ave Cadence: 58, Ave Speed: 18.2 mph, Ave Power: 222 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 348.19 miles
April 29 , 2009 : Was able to get a ride of opportunity in tonight. I had to get up at 0330 this AM to make the trip to Washington DC for work so I didn't;t anticipate getting a ride in today. When I was able to get home on a late afternoon flight and the weather was reasonable, I immediately jumped on the bike and did a quick loop south around through Adamsville and home. Would have liked to get a little longer ride in but the shadows are still a bit long this time of the year and it was starting to get a bit chilly. Nothing special, although I ride reasonably hard which the watts and speed shows. Nice to get a quick mid week ride in. . Distance: 12.45 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 160 Ave Cadence: 63, Ave Speed: 15.8 mph, Ave Power: 238 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 318.41 miles
April 26 , 2009 : Well, summer did arrive today! I woke up and it was 63 here which was hard to believe. When I went out to get the newspaper, it was clearly warm enough to ride in shorts and short sleeve shirt. FInally it was a nice day. I left home just before 0800 and rode to the Bank of Newport to meet Paul and Bill, but I rode via Tiverton 4 corners which means I rode 10 miles before starting the days ride. As I got close to the waterfront area along the Sakonnet River, it was noticeably cooler. When I got to the bank, Paul and Bill were there and just about ready, so we lefts and headed south towards Sakonnet Point taking the normal side cuts along the river and avoiding Main Road whenever possible. Rather than heading all the way to the point, I took us across onto Peckham Road which is terrible to ride on and then right onto Willow Road heading into Little Compton. The commons area was pretty quiet so headed straight though and then took a right and quick left onto Long Pasture Road to wind towards Acoaxet. As we were heading down the hill on Saw Road, Paul wanted to see ho many watts I could put out heading up the other side. I was able to hit 780 watts for a short period, but with my legs being pretty dead today from gardening, I wasn't able to sustain for very long. A little later on the ups and downs heading towards Mullin Hill Road, I was able to max out at 830 watts. Not much meaning in that, although it is fun to see in an all out sprint, how high I can push it. We looped though Acoaxet where there was a very cold thermal layer before working our way back to Adamsville. from there we headed up Adamsville Road hill into Westport before looping back through Sodom Road and Narrow Ave back into TIverton. I took Bill and Paul over King Street and up Brayton to the stop light by the HIgh Scholl where they went left back to their car and I went right heading back home. All in all a good easy day with some better mileage than I have been riding. The weather is the start though as I was a perfect day to ride. If I didn't have other things to do, I would have loved to ride longer. . Distance: 44.46 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 143 Ave Cadence: 58, Ave Speed: 15.8 mph, Ave Power: 167 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 305.96 miles
April 25 , 2009 : You know, in most ways, I love living in New England, on days like today, it really sucks. Was all psyched for a nice warm weather ride today and instead I left home in 54 degree overcast skies with wind! I thought it would clear and dressed for what I thought would be a mid 60 degree ride after 30-45 minutes. Boy was I wrong. Got over to Dartmouth and was absolutely freezing and the wind was blowing so mentally I shut off and truncated my ride to only 20 miles today. I had really been psyched to ride more, but when it was cold, windy and nasty, I decided to come home and work in the yard. Blah! I guess I am getting to be a wimp in my old age! Try again tomorrow when I am supposed to ride with Paul and Bill early in Tiverton along the river. Of course, the sun is now out at home, but it's still only 58 degrees. Distance: 19.24 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 162 Ave Cadence: 61, Ave Speed: 19.2 mph, Ave Power: 224 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 261.50 miles
April 19 , 2009 : Watched Amstel Gold race on cycling.tv and then decided to head out for a ride. It was quite a bit more chilly than yesterday and the wind had kicked up too. Didn't realize how strong it was until I got to Sakonnet Point. Anyway, got bundled up and decided to head out at a reasonable pace, but not to kill myself since I had a fairly hard ride yesterday. I knew back to back 30 miles days would be tough considering my poor shape right now, but decided I might even go for forty today. I felt pretty good heading to Sakonnet Point and even made really really good time making it down there in just over 40 minutes. As soon as I turned around I figured out why and that was because the wind seemed to be really blowing from the NE direction. I hadn't really noticed since it was mostly at my back, but under these conditions, I definitely rode the wrong ride! As I started heading home I notice I was putting out nearly 300 watts at one point and was barely making 15 m.p.h on a relatively flat surface. Since my back was already sore, I said the heck with it, shifted into an easier gear and took my time coming home. All in all not a back ride considering how much I suffered on the 14 mile trip heading north. In fact, I hadn't suffered that much since the second trip over Independence Pass last summer when we were racing the hail and thunder storms back to the car. Oh well, not a bad weekend, still have a long way to go this year to get into normal shape! Distance: 27.69 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 163 Ave Cadence: 61, Ave Speed: 18.0 mph, Ave Power: 207 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 242.26 miles
April 18 , 2009 : Finally a pretty nice day when I didn't have to work Was irritated that I had to go to Washington yesterday when the weather was supposed to be so good. This morning I had a lot to do so I actually got out quite early today hitting the road by about 0830. Was a little chilly, but in general, not bad. Rode in shorts and a lightweight thermal top and was fine temperature wise. I decided to head into Dartmouth since I figured it might be less windy and a bit warmer than riding along the river. it was, although about half way through the ride, it seemed like the wind picked up and that I was riding ito the all directions Rhode Island coastal wind! Cut the ride short at 30 miles today as I was beat and needed to get cleaned up and to the post office before they closed. I rode pretty hard for the first 20 miles, averaging around 230 watts and 20+ mph and then rode pretty easily the last 10 which lowered the statistics drastically. Still not riding enough miles to really get going, but slowly I do feel better for longer periods of time. It will not be long now until I can get our regularly provided I can get work under control. Regardless, I need to as I am tired of being a slug and need to shed about 10 winter pounds to feel better. Distance: 32.09 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 167 Ave Cadence: 61, Ave Speed: 18.7 mph, Ave Power: 211 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 214.57 miles
April 10 , 2009 : Looked like a nice afternoon today so after the long couple weeks at work in the new position, I decided to skip out early today and get a good ride in. This was necessary since I think the weather this weekend isn't going to be good. It was windy but pretty nice when I left home, temperatures in the low 60's. I decided to ride in Dartmouth today since I thought it might be a bit warmer than riding by the coast. I headed over Narrow Road and into Westport to near the head of the Westport River. From there I swung down towards Horseneck beach and then back towards Hix Bridge. From here I intended to head back towards Horseneck, but the skies were clouded and looking pretty threatening. Since the sun was gone, it was also starting to get chilly out. Not wanting to get caught in a rain storm, I headed up the big hill past the dump in Westport and across Adamsville Road into Adamsville before heading back towards home. Felt pretty good, although I didn't ride real hard. My back limited how hard I could ride after about an hour, so that still is my weak point. Better weather and less wind will fix that a lot! Distance: 28.01 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 168 Ave Cadence: 62, Ave Speed: 18.9 mph, Ave Power: 212 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 182.48 miles
April 5 , 2009 : Finished watching Tour of Flanders on Cycling/TV this morning and since the sun was out and it looked nice, I jumped on my bike to get a ride in. When I got out there, I realized it wasn't as nice as it appeared as the wind was kicking up pretty good. The ride started pretty strangely as I passed a small dog on the side of the road carrying a dead and bloody squirrel that was almost as big as he was. Then a little further down Lake Road, I was almost run off the road by some idiot in a Chevy Blazer who decided to pass three other cars at a very high rate of speed just as they were getting to within a few hundred feet of me. I gave him the universal salute of respect as he passed me and briefly considered the merits of carrying a rock next time I went for a ride. One can only hope and pray that he finds the bottom of a drainage ditch on this nice Palm Sunday. Sorry, I have no moral cares about someone who care little enough about me that they risk my life with their stupidity. Anyway, enough of that! i had intentions of riding further, but the wind was so strong, I cut my ride to Sakonnet Point short and vectored inland on Swamp Road. I rode back towards Adamsville and then home. My back was starting to ache a bit so I decided to push hard the last 4+ mile stretch home form Adamsville and did the hillclimber attack thing all the way back home. Out of the saddle riding hard, then back down to recover, then back up and hammering. When I got back to my street, I was exhausted. Even better, when I got to the house and stopped I think I cleaned out all the built up crap that has been draining form my sinuses and into my lungs. Not real pretty. All in all it was a good ride despite being short. Descent Power average and speed for this time of the year I also hit high water marks for watts out on a couple of hills hitting 773 watts and 744 watts for short periods of time. I am even more convinced that the animal can put well over 1000 watts out for short bursts. Trying something new by linking in my data from a remote picture storage site. Distance: 24.29 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 166 Ave Cadence: 64, Ave Speed: 18.9 mph, Ave Power: 224 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 154.47 miles
March 28, 2009 : Even though it's been cold and windy, it's been a pretty good stretch of riding here in March this year. Felt alright riding, even though it was a pretty short ride and overall pretty easy since I have been a little under the weather all week. Could have had a lot more miles if I had been able to get out of work earlier each day. anyway, today I went and did a mimi tour of Little Compton, riding back and forth across the roads that cross the ridge running through Adamsville. Nice hills, and then downhill to recover. It was a little chilly, and I still don't have tons of stamina, so I cut the ride a little short. Still a good day and a good ride though. I suspect this may be my last outdoor ride in March. Weather tomorrow isn't supposed to be good with rain expected and early next week I have visitors at work. My summary is that for where I am in fitness, March wasn't bad and I have quite a few miles in compared to previous years. Distance: 22.23 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 168 Ave Cadence: 60, Ave Speed: 18.0 mph, Ave Power: 214 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 130.18 miles
March 22, 2009 : Well, my streak of riding on Sunday in March continues, although the weather wasn't great today. I really needed to do something so I snuck out when the sun came out for a brief minute around 1:30 or so. Temperature was 47 so it wasn't warm, but with the right clothes, it wasn't bad. My face got pretty cold at first, but other areas caught up and made the ride less fun that it might have been! Was up to a whopping 49 degrees when I finished. Anyway, good to get out although I really am out of shape. I need to find a way to get myself back on the trainer on the days when I can't get out. Set out ride reasonable, but not too hard. Headed sown Crandall to Adamsville the over Colebrook toward Horseneck Beach. Was nice to have the wind pseudo at my back riding back up Drift, but I was pretty tired by the time I got to the hill on Charlotte White Way. Then back across Narrow road and how to the nice warmth of the house. Not a great ride and I was pretty beat when I finished. It will be interesting to see how this lack of exercise experiment over the past few months plays out as we move through the season. First potential race is Whiteface Mountain in June, but I'm not sure I want to drive that far. Probably no more riding this week although next weekend sounds like it might be a good one! March heading out like a lamb if we are lucky. Distance: 19.79 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 170 Ave Cadence: 64, Ave Speed: 17.8 mph, Ave Power: 209 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 107.95 miles
March 15, 2009 : Finally decided to not be a wimp and went out for another ride today. Was chilly, but not all that bad when you were dressed properly. Decided to not ride real hard, but I wanted to go looking for new hills to ride to get myself back into shape. DOesn't that sound like a conflict? Don't ride hard but look for hills, no matter. Set out and headed into Little Compton from home, and then swung back along Main Road into Tiverton. Took a left on Pond Bridge Road and headed north along the river past Fogland Beach. I continued heading towards town, taking a side track around Nanaquaket Pond and finally heading through town. The first little detour I took was up the little hill on Main Road by the bridge. I turned around at the top and swung down by the river along Riverside Drive. From here I found a nice long hill that averages about 10% with sections of 12% on Evans Ave. This hill runs perpendicular from the river under Rt24 up to Main Road. While it's only about .34 miles long, it's still a nice steep road. I then explored the neighborhood across the street on Sakonnet Ridge ROad. Here there were also so nice climbs, even if they were short. One in particular up West Ridge Drive was only about 1/10 of a mile, but it was 16% for much of the time. Good for suffering on short intense sprint repeats. Anyway, after milling around and exploring I was pretty tired so I decided to just head back over Highland Road to Bulgarmarsh and back home. I was pretty whooped as I still haven't been riding very much this year. For all the complaining about bad weather this year, I'm already about 65 miles ahead of last year at this time. Could be further ahead if I wasn't being such a lazy bum! Distance: 29.58 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 170 Ave Cadence: 60, Ave Speed: 17.2 mph, Ave Power: 209 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 88.16 miles
March 8, 2009 : Another nice day today, even nicer than yesterday in my mind. The only exception is that the wind was brutal at times today. I rode out through Westport, back to Adamsville, over the ridge to Acoaxet and back home. The wind all the way home was really tough. I was going to head out to the river, but my legs were really starting to feel two days of riding particularly since I have done so little training lately. Guess I need to force getting back on the trainer for the last few weeks where we still can't get out regularly. Riding with a power meter is slightly suicidal since I can't stand to watch the power output dip too low. Just like riding the computrainer, I end up suffering. I am happy to say that the readings are very similar to what i see on the trainer, so that is a good thing. I did notice a problem with the Garmin though where the average power I read on the unit after the ride was higher than the reading on my computer after sports tracks downloaded the data. I suspect that it was calculating in my one stop where i sat for a minute and ate a bar. I have it set to not include stopped time, but I guess that might still be a bug. Need to do some homework on the forum to understand what is going on there. Good ride, not a bad weekend of riding for winter in the beginning of March. Lousy weather this week so it will probably be a wile until I get back outside. Distance: 20.88 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 167 Ave Cadence: 68, Ave Speed: 18.7 mph, Ave Power: 217.3 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 58.58 miles
March 7, 2009 : Very nice day today. Couldn't get out as early as I wanted as I had to get a new microwave and when I was going to go out, I found my Garmin almost completely dead needing a recharge. I plugged the Garmin in and had some lunch did a few things and finally got out about 12:30 or so. It was in the upper 50's and really nice weather wise. There was quite a bit of water around as all the snow is melting very fast, but it was kind of different to be riding with snow on the sides of the road. I didn't push too hard since I haven't really been riding for 2 weeks as I've been trying to shake my chest cold. Felt pretty good though for an hour, and then really sucked wind the rest of the way home. Probably averaged 200+ watts for the first hour and then significantly less after that. Not unexpected as even when I as riding this winter, I was averaging only 30 minutes on the trainer before I was bored to death. Anyway, went down to Sakonnet Point where it was pretty chilly. Started to cramp up a bit when I was near the south coast where the water pray on my legs was pretty nasty. Warmed up as I returned back to Tiverton, but by then I was loosing steam. Saw quiet a few folk out riding today, everyone seemed real happy to be out an about after the long winter. Maybe again tomorrow .. we'll see how the temperatures hold. One thing I bought this winter that I think is a real winner is a chain cleaner. Never had one before, just sprayed on cleaner and brushed each link with brush. The chain cleaner after one cleaning has my chain bright silver and clean. I highly recommend getting one! Distance: 29.29 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 170 Ave Cadence: 65, Ave Speed: 18.1 mph, Ave Power: 193.3 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 37.70 miles
February 27, 2009 : Nice surprise today. I got out of work early and it was warm at 58 degrees. Even though it was very windy out, I decided to come home and put my new wheels on my bike and to go for a ride. It was going to be an experiment all around as I've been sick for a couple weeks and haven't been on the trainer in a long time. Plus the severe winds were going to make this interesting. It took about 30 minutes to put the new wheels on the bike and to swap the brake pads for the cork ones needed in order to not ruin the composite wheels. When I headed out, I took it real easy due to my cold, the fact I was worried about how crappy I might feel and the wind which was stronger than I had thought. Immediately I can tell the difference between my regular wheels and these in the cross winds. When I was either heading into the wind or with the wind at my back the wheels were smooth as butter and had a real nice ride. After about a mile warm up, I headed down Lake Road and decided to push at the bottom of the first hill I could find. I peaked at 645 watts before settling down to cough up a lung and lots of strange colored stuff. Decided to just ride and take it easy for the reminder of the ride. I kept it short today and just looped back home via East Road and Crandall until I got home. I had the wind at my back on Crandall and was really flying without much effort. Can't wait to ride more when the weather really comes along. Probably a few more weeks before another entry as it's still early for outdoors consistently. Distance: 8.41 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 161 Ave Cadence: 64, Ave Speed: 17.8 mph, Ave Power: 206.6 watts Cumulative 2008 Miles: 8.41 miles
2009 New equipment Aeolus 5.0 Wheels with CycleOps Power Tap