2011 Journal:
December 30, 2011: Surprise, was able to get another ride in this year. I rode the trainer this AM without even checking the forecast which was a mistake as it was 50 degrees at about 1030. Went out, ran a couple errands and then got on the bike to go for a ride. Was a little chilly when riding into the wind, but al in all a nice day for a ride considering it was December 30th. My legs were a little tired since I rode hard on trainer, but couldn't resist a day outside! Looks like I may have an opportunity to repeat last years New Years Eve/New Years Day rode combo. Depends on if it rains tomorrow or not. By far these are the most miles I'm ridden in December of all time. I wish I knew I was that close to passing 2,900 miles for the year on the road bike, I'd have ridden a couple more .. hopefully I can get out tomorrow. .Distance: 30.27 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 150, Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 16.2 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,898.87 mile
December 21, 2011: Well, lucked into another nice weather day which allowed on last ride in before the winter truly sets in. The novelty of this ride is that today is actually the shortest day of the year, so with my mileage, I almost rode as much today as I did on the longest day in June! The weather was pretty nice but a little windy this morning. Had to stop after an hour to put on a hat, then after 2 hours I wish I had my jacket, but hey, it's December. Really don't think I'll get another outside ride in this year so I'll be banished to the trainer until spring. .Distance: 42.99 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 135, Ave Cadence: 64, Ave Speed: 16.1 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2868.40 miles
December 9, 2011: Another day in December that was nice enough to get out for a ride. Dressed a bit warmer than the last ride but really it was a very nice day if you could ignore the gusty and blustering wind that hit me any time I rode in any direction close to south west. I did really get a good ride in and was able to cover some ground I don't expect to go back to until next spring, although the way this winter is starting, maybe I'll get out again. Colder the next couple days, so it's probably trainer time. .Distance: 34.93 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 146, Ave Cadence: 69, Ave Speed: 16.3 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2825.41 miles
December 4, 2011: Well, this is only my second ride ever outside in December and I rode it in shorts! Wasn't that warm, but at 51 and expecting the sun to warm a bit more, I decided to go that way. Wasn't too bad until the very end when it was windy and very cold. Spent the morning putting up XMAS lights, then almost didn't go as it felt too cold without any sun. Glad I did go as there may not be many other times until spring. Oh, if it isn't obvious, I didn't ride to 200 feet below sea level, the GPS hadn't adjusted to the big change in barometric pressure over the last few days. Humm, will I get another outside ride in this year? Odds are no, but I did ride on New Year's Eve last year! .Distance: 30.67 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 158, Ave Cadence: 74, Ave Speed: 17.4 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,790.48 miles
November 27, 2011: Set out to ride this AM under a bright sun, but soon it became cool and chilly as the low clouds set in. Was still a descent day to ride, just quite a bit cooler than yesterday. Decided to head over to Westport since I hadn't been over there in many weeks. Was a nice ride, but I cut it a little short as I was getting cold towards the end. Not many riders out today. .Distance: 36.85 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 139, Ave Cadence: 67, Ave Speed: 16.8 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,759.81 miles
November 26, 2011: What an unbelievable day, I can't believe I was riding in shorts and arm warmers in late November. Was a really great day for a ride, just a little wind or I'd not have needed the arm warmers. There were quite a few riders out, but they all seemed to be dressed for mid winter riding .. it was above 60 degrees when I got home, so that definitely wasn't the case. Anyway, not much else to report, was a pretty uneventful ride other than it being really nice. I did set an all time high for mile ridden in November today which is also interesting. Long way from my highest yearly mileage which I set last year. Should get another nice ride in tomorrow. .Distance: 44.20 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 147, Ave Cadence: 70, Ave Speed: 17.2 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,722.96 miles
November 21, 2011: About 12 degrees colder than yesterday's ride, but much nicer as the wind wasn't as strong. Decided to head down to Sakonnet Point where it was a little chilly as the sun wasn't out. I got a little chilly on the ride back, but more tired from lack of riding. Distance: 32.35 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 150, Ave Cadence: 71, Ave Speed: 16.2 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,678.76 miles
November 20, 2011: Was pretty warm today, around 60, but very windy. Made myself get out for a ride to avoid the trainer for just a few days more. Intended on riding more, but the wind was just too annoying to continue on so I cut the ride short at 20 miles. Felt good to be out riding though as it had been a few weeks since I was on a bike. Distance: 20.66 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 145, Ave Cadence: 71, Ave Speed: 17.6 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,646.41 miles
November 6, 2011: Another chilly day, although the temperature was almost 10 degrees warmer today than yesterday. The difference is that today I felt a stringer wind that felt a bit colder. My feet were like icicles when I finished. Had a nice ride though, they have paved a first coat on Peckham Road, so that will be really nice to ride on again next spring. IT opens up some more routes that I had stopped riding because the road surface was so bad the past few years. Nothing special on today's ride other than between the wind, cold, and layers of clothes, I am pretty whooped. Something tells me there aren't many riding days left this year. . Distance: 34.14 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 146, Ave Cadence:69, Ave Speed: 17.3 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,625.75 miles
November 5, 2011: Was a bit chilly today, 45 degrees, but nice and sunny so I decided to go out for a ride since it had been a while. Started out slowly and quickly ran into another rider. He asked to ride with me, and as much as I don't like that I agreed. We ended up having a nice talk while lazily riding around town. He had also ridden Mt Washington, so there was a good place to begin a conversation. The ride was particularly comfortable considering the temperature, although my lungs were definitely aware that I had not been riding much lately. Hopefully tomorrow I can ride again. . Distance: 23.95 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 146, Ave Cadence:65, Ave Speed: 16.4 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,591.60 miles
October 23, 2011: Turned out to be pretty cold this morning when I went out to ride, about 50 degrees. Felt OK in the sun, but O was riding under tree cover so it was just cold. i forgot my gloves as I didn't think it was that bad when I left. I changed my mind a few minutes into the ride, lol. After about 45 minutes, I either adapted to the temperature of became numb, as the cold wasn't as aparent as when I left home. Problem is that the sun went away and the clouds were stopping the continuation of a warm up. No matter, I ended up being fairly comfortable through a lot of the ride, but the last 5 miles I got really cold again. Forgot how much your muscles do not work when they are freezing cold! Still, a good fall ride and I guess what I have to deal with until next spring at this point. . Distance: 29.42 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 149, Ave Cadence: 71, Ave Speed: 17.4 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,567.65 miles
October 22, 2011: Was a pretty nice fall day for a ride, a little chilly, but not bad at all. No real heavy riding this time of the year, so the numbers aren't spectacular, but who cares. Was nice to see that they put another layer of pavement on Colebrook road and while there are still a couple of numskull things there, the road is pretty nice again. Could have lived without the storm drain with slots parallel to the road that can catch bike tires and that stupid guard rail is still there. Doesn't feel like a late riding year this year though, seems to feel colder this year than some of the past years. The leaves are just starting to turn .. at least those that are left from the hurricane. Distance: 29.49 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 156, Ave Cadence: 73, Ave Speed: 17.4 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,538.23 miles
October 15, 2011: Getting to the time of year where riding can be highly variable. Really nice or really bad. Today was somewhat in the middle. Temperature was pretty nice, low 60s, but the wind was horrible with gusts into the mid 20's or higher. I was able to get a descent ride in, although Little Compton is screwing up Colebrook Road further, adding a guard rail that actually removes all the breakdown lane and a small piece of the road ... really, out to the road??? Come on Little Compton, get a clue. The ride included about 1 mile or more of dirt riding as they are getting to pave Peckham Road which makes me happy as I like that as an alternate way to ride to Main Road. Got rained on a very little bit, but other than that wasn't too bad a day for a ride. Distance: 31.33 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 158, Ave Cadence: 71, Ave Speed: 17.2 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,508.74 miles
October 8, 2011: Made the trip to my brother Brian's for our yearly birthday get together. Prior to getting there though, I stopped at Moms and ride a couple loops over the hills just over the borden on Somers, CT. Was good riding as they are a couple miles long and just steep enough. Only had to outrun one lazy but aggressive pooch, no where as tenacious as the dog we had to out run in North Carolina this summer! Was going to make on more pass, but decided I needed to get back to get cleaned up. Distance: 23.25 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 154, Ave Cadence: 64, Ave Speed: 16.0 mph, Ave Power: 191 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,477.41 miles
October 7, 2011: Made a day trip to Martha's Vineyard with Paul today. Was quite chilly this morning but warmed pretty nicely throughout the day. Day almost started out poorly as we were shooting for the 8:15 ferry, but had trouble with parking and by the time we got back to the satellite parking lot, we barely make the boat. Was a nice short ride to Vineyard Haven, and we started with a coffee and breakfast in town before heading out. The traffic was pretty busy on the main roads, I'd hate to ride there in the summer. We headed down the western side of the island, taking several side trips that were pretty cool like. Finally we ended up down at Gay Head which has some pretty cool cliffs and a neat lighthouse. The wind was kicking up a little by this time, and when we were under the trees riding, it was getting a bit cool. The ride back north nd then across the island to Edgartown had some neat views, but got really annoying due to the wind and traffic. It was worth it though as the views from Edagrtown were great The ride from Edgartown to Oak Bluffs was much better and ran along the beach on a pretty well maintained bike path. Before we knew it, we were back in Vineyard Haven, with enough time for a slice of pizza before getting back on the 2:30 ferry, just as planned. Pretty great day for riding even it it did get windy and chilly. Distance: 58.78 miles, Ave Heart Rate: N/A, Ave Cadence: 56, Ave Speed: 13.4 mph, Ave Power: 134 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,454.16 miles
October 2, 2011: Pretty nice day for a ride with the exception of the 25 minute downpour ... was 10 miles from home so I just decided to finish my planned ride for the day. Sure enough I was dry by the time I got home. Oh and I just beast a second round of rain. Not riding very hard these days, but I really felt pretty good today. Passed the same two guys three different times on three different roads. Distance: 47.83 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 154, Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 16.8 mph, Ave Power: 186 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,395.38 miles
October 1, 2011: Woke up way too early this morning to a rain and thunder shower. Did some work around the house and in the early afternoon I was able to get a ride in. Headed into Dartmouth then down towards Horseneck. Was able to make my way through the temporary road on East Beach until the last part at least. The early section was packed rocks and was like riding on cobbles, but then it turned to all sand. Did OK for a few feet then started to slide around and the tired got stuck in the sand. Before I could clip out, I toppled over and scraped my knee and elbow. Stupid. but better than toppling over at a stop sign. . Distance: 32.97 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 131, Ave Cadence: 64, Ave Speed: 16.0 mph, Ave Power: 144 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,347.55 miles
September 25, 2011: Was a little tired today so I decided to keep the ride easy and short today, but still ended up with 30+ miles. Rode a bit of a different route today to break things up a bit. Distance: 31.01 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 142, Ave Cadence: 68, Ave Speed: 17.1 mph, Ave Power: 167 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,314.58 miles
September 24, 2011: Lucked out, was supposed to be raining all day. Storm cleared out a bit and after letting things dry a little, I got out for a descent ride. Didn't really push it as I'm riding for fun and fitness at this point. Hopefully i can get another ride in tomorrow. Distance: 39.61 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 151, Ave Cadence: 65, Ave Speed: 16.8 mph, Ave Power: 170 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,283.57 miles
September 17, 2011: Well, the chilly weather continues through the weekend. Didn't feel quite so bad today as the sun was still warm even if it was cool, particularly when descending. Tried a couple different twists on the Tour de Adamsville route this morning and kind of liked them. May need to keep it this way. Distance: 36.12miles, Ave Heart Rate: 160, Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 17.1 mph, Ave Power: 180 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,243.96 miles
September 16, 2011: Was able to get out of work early this afternoon, came home to get a short ride in. Boy it was a littel chilly out there. Kept it short, rode with arm warmers and actualy felt the wnd chill ear aches I get when I ride in cooler weather. Not a good sign since it is way too early for this type of cilly weather. Oh, well, I guess it is inevitable. I see that they had Colbrook Road closed again today for more road work ... wonder what they are doing now. Someone needs to tell Little Compton you don't pave the road until the roadwork is complete .. Distance: 23.34 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 148, Ave Cadence: 69, Ave Speed: 17.0 mph, Ave Power: 168 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,207.80 miles
September 11, 2011: Cool morning, guess the fall is coming faster than we'd like. Still a nice day for a ride. Headed to Jamestown with Paul this morning and rode a lap around the island. Easy ride today, but was fun talking and catching up. Some really bad road, but in general it's a nice ride when the wind isn't whipping. Distance: 24.05 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 135, Ave Cadence: 62, Ave Speed: 15.6 mph, Ave Power: 168 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,184.46 miles
September 10, 2011: Nice ride this AM, shame to see that the nice paving job on Colebrook Road in Little Compton is already getting screwed up by washouts and cutting up for storm drains. No common sense and cheap towns not paying to have the job done right. Was a really good day for a ride, didn't go hard and really enjoyed the 40 miles. Distance: 40.61 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 152, Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 17.0 mph, Ave Power: 175 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,160.41 miles
September 4, 2011: Was a little windy today and was motivated by watching the climb up L'Angliru in today's Vuelta stage so I decided to just ride hills in Adamsville vs taking a longer ride. Not much to report other than it was a good workout and riding Colebrook Road is a joy now that it is freshly paved! Distance: 26.94 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 150, Ave Cadence: 63, Ave Speed: 16.5 mph, Ave Power: 190 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,119.80 miles
September 3, 2011: Went out for an early morning ride, about 0800. Was chilly enough that I wore an undershirt and arm warmers for the entire ride. Decided to take a trip down to Horseneck area to see storm damage and it was pretty incredible. The road is basically washed away and looks like a sand road, except if you know where the road used to be! Anyway, had to turn around and head back the way I came as there was no way to get though the beach area. Pretty good ride, longest since coming home form North Carolina. Distance: 47.88 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 154, Ave Cadence: 68, Ave Speed: 17.9 mph, Ave Power: 189 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,092.86 miles
September 2, 2011: Rode my Tour de Adamsville route just before lunch today. Was pretty nice weather, a little wind and cool temperatures. Was able to ride the newly paved Colebrook Road climb today which was very nice. I think they might have slight shifted the gradients a bit as it didn't seem as steep in some places yet seemed steeper in others. Still it's a very nice short and steep climb at this point. Distance: 31.64 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 153, Ave Cadence: 69, Ave Speed: 18.0 mph, Ave Power: 194 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,044.98 miles
September 1, 2011: Took today and tomorrow off to make an extra long Labor Day weekend. After watching a pretty boring Vuelta stage, headed out for a ride to Sakonnet Point, Saw some trees down, but pretty clean roads and no real damage. Good ride, cool weather that almost felt like fall. Distance: 36.34 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 148, Ave Cadence: 69, Ave Speed: 18.2 mph, Ave Power: 186 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 2,013.34 miles
August 29, 2011: Post Tropical Storm ride, not a terrible amount of damage, but the power is out! Had to ride under a tree suspended on power wires and couldn't get to Horseneck Beach as the police had the road blocked. Other than that, nice to ride. Distance: 22.06 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 139, Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 16.7 mph, Ave Power: 154 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,977.00 miles
August 27, 2011: Was able to get out for a ride this AM before the rains showed up. Well, almost, made it 28 miles until it rained. Rode down to Westport Harbor to see how preparations for Irene were going. It was eerily quiet on the roads this morning, an not much prep work. A few places with boarded up windows, and one guy chaining his house to the foundation, but other than that, just quiet. Then I rode over to Acoaxet, where there was a little more activity and a surprising number of people that looking like they were not going any where. That place would easily flood with a 4-8 foot surge, but I guess since all the houses are on stilts, they don't care. Distance: 31.70 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 156, Ave Cadence: 70, Ave Speed: 17.8 mph, Ave Power: 197 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,954.94 miles
August 26, 2011: Wimpy ride today, tired. Was motivated until I ran into major road construction in Adamsville. Ripping up one of my favorite hills for resurfacing ... that's a good thing, but it messed up what little motivation I had to ride when I got there and had to turn around! Distance: 13.37 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 149, Ave Cadence: 71, Ave Speed: 17.8 mph, Ave Power: 167 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,923.24 miles
August 21, 2011: Another humid day for riding, luckily the temperature was pretty good and the wind was pretty helpful in that it kept the sweat down. I did have a problem with sweat getting into my eyes and causing them to burn to where I could almost not see. Luckily I was carrying a bottle of plain old water as I was able to rinse my eyes during the ride. Didn't ride as hard as yesterday, but still felt pretty good and increased average wattage throughout the ride until the last couple miles. Nice day by the beach. Saw a couple more idiot riders holding up traffic by riding two abreast in the MIDDLE of the road. I had to ride in the opposite direction lane to pass them. Distance: 43.30 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 145, Ave Cadence: 69, Ave Speed: 17.7 mph, Ave Power: 178 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,909.87 miles
August20, 2011: Pretty nice day even though it was overcast and humid when I left for the ride. Was nice to get out early in the AM again. Felt way better than I did on yesterday's ride even though I still felt tired when I left. Seems this AM, the energy came back during the ride as I was able to ride pretty hard throughout the ride. Ran out of gas at about the 30 mile mark, but that's not surprising with only on bottle of water and no food. Distance: 33.8 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 168, Ave Cadence: 71, Ave Speed: 19.3 mph, Ave Power: 212 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,866.57 miles
August 19, 2011: Haven't been riding much since we came back from North Carolina. Mainly because work has been crazy since we got back. Today, I was able to get out at 1 PM and got a short ride in. I thought about riding a bit further, but am so tired from the crazy pace, I thought a shorter ride was probably better for today. My legs felt pretty much like pieces of lead, so it was an easy day with lot's of riding into the wind. Getting close to fall when the wind returns! Distance: 17.74 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 152, Ave Cadence: 67, Ave Speed: 17.8 mph, Ave Power: 173 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,832.77 miles
August 13, 2011: Good ride this morning, was cool and very refreshing. Rode pretty easily, yet still fell like it was a good ride. Found out that they have started paving a couple roads that I used to like riding but haven't in a couple years due to the bad conditions. Looking forward to the end of year riding and then some new/old routes next spring! Distance: 27.18 miles, Ave Heart Rate: N/A, Ave Cadence: 75, Ave Speed: 18.5 mph, Ave Power: 196 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,815.03 miles
August 6, 2011: Rode my first ride since coming back from North Carolina. Was quite a bit cooler than I've been riding in, but the humidity was pretty high. Rode pretty hard and it felt good to ride on the flats. Kept it fairly short, but was nice to be back on bike. Distance: 26.61 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 165, Ave Cadence: 72, Ave Speed: 19.2 mph, Ave Power: 212 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,787.85 miles
August 2, 2011:Rode Mt Pisgah Ride from Asheville, NC. Distance: 33.74 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 127, Ave Cadence: 54, Ave Speed: 10.7 mph, Ave Power: 169 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,761.65 miles
August 1, 2011:Rode Mt Mitchell Ride from RT80/Marion, NC. Distance: 42.84 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 143, Ave Cadence: 54, Ave Speed: 10.1 mph, Ave Power: 194 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,728.01 miles
July 31, 2011: Rode loop around/over Greenville SC. Distance: 17.13 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 134, Ave Cadence: 59, Ave Speed: 12.4 mph, Ave Power: 186 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,685.97 miles
July 30, 2011: Rode loop in Georgia. Distance: 38.81 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 150, Ave Cadence: 54, Ave Speed: 11.4 mph, Ave Power: 180 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,668.84 miles
July 29, 2011: Rode Little Switzerland Ride in NC. Distance: 35.41 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 135, Ave Cadence: 54, Ave Speed: 11.3 mph, Ave Power: 176 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,630.03 miles
July 28, 2011: Rode Mt Mitchell Ride from Asheville, NC. Distance: 67.60 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 154, Ave Cadence: 56, Ave Speed: 13.1 mph, Ave Power: 177 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,594.62 miles
July 27, 2011: Rode Viaduct Ride in Linville, NC. Distance: 39.67 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 141, Ave Cadence: 53, Ave Speed: 11.7 mph, Ave Power: 153 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,527.02 miles
July 26, 2011: Drove 14 hours from Groton CT to Nebo NC, then rode 6 + miles on 10 to 15 % grade hills in our neighborhood. Great start to the trip. Distance: 5.77 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 153, Ave Cadence: 43, Ave Speed: 9.6 mph, Ave Power: 212 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,495.87 miles
July 25, 2011: Little damp and cool this morning, but needed to get one more short ride in before heading off for the yearly trip. Decided to ride short and hard this AM as I have things to get done before I leave. Was going great until a squirrel ran out in front or shoudl I say into me about 1.5 miles into the ride. Kind of messed him up badly and the wheel kicked him up into my legs. Don't believe he'll be home for dinner ... hope that's not how this trip goes! Distance: 14.29 miles, Ave Heart Rate: N/A, Ave Cadence: 74, Ave Speed: 20.4 mph, Ave Power: 236 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,495.87 miles
July 22, 2011: Very hot day today, but I wanted to get an easy ride in after watching Alpe D'Huez stage of the tour. The heat index was 124 when I left home and 111 when I returned. Riding wasn't too hard, but breathing was because the air was so heavy. Oh well, its a short one but it's a ride. Distance: 15.73 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 150, Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 17.1 mph, Ave Power: 164 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,481.58 miles
July 16, 2011: Watched today's Tour de France stage and then went our for a ride. Went out intended for an easy but long day, but why I didn't eat before I left since it was lunch time, I have no idea. I also only brought on pack of food, which also makes no sense. I guess I was just rushing to get out and overlooked a few things! I was fine for about 25 or 30 miles but then I really ran short of fuel and struggled the whole way back. i have wanted to ride 70 today, but had to cut out one of the links in order to not completed crash and burn. I guess under the circumstances, I am pretty happy with my numbers and I was able to ride when I wanted to, just couldn't do it continuously. Was warm and windy which added to the challenge. Distance: 57.27 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 144, Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 16.5 mph, Ave Power: 156 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,465.85 miles
July 15, 2011: Was able to get out for a ride this afternoon, getting close to our trip, so I need to get ready for this. I have been riding my Tour de Adamsville ride not looking at the speed or power and what I am finding is that each time I ride the watts seem to be edging a little bit higher. I take that as a sign that I am heading in the right direction. Nothing special today on the ride, didn't especially work hard, but felt pretty good. Distance: 31.59 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 150, Ave Cadence: 70, Ave Speed: 18.0 mph, Ave Power: 186 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,408.58 miles
July 10, 2011: Very nice day for a ride if you discount the wind. If it wasn't windy thought it would have been pretty warm. Had a pretty good ride today although my final numbers are not great. Rode descent for 20 miles then kind of slowed it down as I remembered that I hadn't eaten lunch before I left home and it was a long way back. Didn't want to bonk too hard so I kept it easy from there. Tried a neat trick to keep the sweat from my eyes. Put a big continuous line of Chapstick from below one eye to above it across to the other eye and then down below it. WOrks like a charm .. no burning eyes from sweat today! Distance: 48.24 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 151, Ave Cadence: 69, Ave Speed: 17.8 mph, Ave Power: 179 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,376.99 miles
July 9, 2011: Pretty nice day for a ride, summer is definitly here, hot humid with a warm wind. Decided to ride to Sakonnet Point which was a good ride today. Decided to cut the ride a little short since it was getting a bit old heading into the wind and wiping sweat from my eyes. Distance: 33.24 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 154, Ave Cadence: 70, Ave Speed: 18.0 mph, Ave Power: 173 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,328.75 miles
July 5, 2011: Had a pretty quiet day at work today as I think most are taking the week off. As a result, I was able to get out on time today. Stopped at the store and then came home to get a bike ride in. Took it fairly easy, although I did push at a couple spots and felt OK. Was warm out, but not unbearable. That was nice for a change. I seem to have my GPS issues cleared up. On top of a web site issue with Map My Ride, I also found out that the recent Garmin firmware push causes problems with power tap systems. I was able to get my hands on the previous firmware and after updating, the GPS was back behaving as it should. I navigated my Tour de Adamsville course today using the GPS and it worked perfectly. I think we are good for the vacation navigation. Three weeks from today, we'll be on the road. Distance: 31.58 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 146, Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 17.8 mph, Ave Power: 183 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,295.51 miles
July 4, 2011: Kept it short and sweet today. I had some issues with motivation that were complicated by the fact that I strained my thigh yesterday moving some large rocks. Sounds goof but yes, I was sore and taking it easy. Was going to ride to Sakonnet Point, but just wasn't a day for that I guess. Distance: 21.76 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 133, Ave Cadence: 59, Ave Speed: 16.2 mph, Ave Power: 152 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,263.93 miles
July 2, 2011: What a monster Tour de France stage today. Can't wait for the rest of the race, going to be a hum dinger. Went out today and wanted to go long, but the wind and my energy levels were against me so I only got ~45 miles in .. lol. You can tell it's a holiday weekend since the a-holes who can't drive are out. I had one woman make a left turn to my right while I was waiting at a T intersection and almost head on crash into another car in Dartmouth and then there was some idiot by Horseneck beach who tried to pass someone and had to slam on brakes so as not to head on crash into someone in the other lane ... loonies. Was a descent ride though. Hopefully the weather holds for riding the next two days. Distance: 45.29 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 145, Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 18.0 mph, Ave Power: 180 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,1242.17 miles
July 1, 2011: Worked a partial day from home today and then met Tom, Bill S, Bill M and Paul for a ride over in South Kingston RI. Was a great day, sunny, warm and perfect for riding. My GPS is acting up from calculating and following a route, so that started off poorly. Bill M ended up guiding a ride for us which was perfect as it was new ground so it didnt matter where we rode. The riding was pretty good over tat way and we had some pretty good runs up the hills that we did cover. Couple good ones, shrt, but steep in one case and longer and not very steep, but still difficult when you are hammering against each other. We ended up cutting teh ride short as first Bill M flatted, and then soon afterwards, Bill S flatted. Bill S had such a bad flat, we all heard it go bang and it blew out his tire. Luckily Bill M knew a trick to put a patch and part of the box cover over teh blown out spot which allowed us to get home via the bikepath. Great day amd good ride. Distance: 38.98 miles, Ave Heart Rate: N/A, Ave Cadence: 57, Ave Speed: 15.6 mph, Ave Power: 147 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,196.88 miles
June 28, 2011: Today was the rescheduled Longest Day ride. Our group has shrunken to just Paul and I right now, but it was a good ride as I haven't been abel to ride that much with Paul this year due to weather and our schedules. We bumped up our departure time to 1630 rather that the 1800 that the group leaves from Newport. Also, we leave from NUWC B-80 rather than risk riding in traffic areas as it is getting dark. Guess we really don't participate in the formal ride, but we are religious about trying to ride on that day anyway. It's a good excuse to ride around Acquidneck Island. Today was a pretty uneventful ride, but enjoyable. I saw the lead grouo from the formal ride blasting down Burma Road as I was riding home, so they were moving at a good clip. Distance: 42.49 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 137, Ave Cadence: 60, Ave Speed: 16.2 mph, Ave Power: 156 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,157.90 miles
June 27, 2011: Rode a short ride to clear my head today. Not much enthuisasm for doing anything based on last couple days. That will change. Distance: 34.20 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 152, Ave Cadence: 69, Ave Speed: 17.9 mph, Ave Power: 175 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,115.41 miles
June 25, 2011: Finally another bad weather week comes to a close. I had almost given up on a good ride today as it was cold, rainy and damp this AM. Spent the morning weeding the garden and cutting the lawn as well as some other things around the yard. Usually if I do that I don't have the initiative to ride much in the afternoon. As it turns out the sun came out at lunch time and it warmed very nicely to the upper 70's. Took the opportunity to ride the Tour of Adamsville route. Rode at an uneven pace, sometimes easy, other times pushing hard. Still treating my back with kit gloves, but it does appear to be getting stronger. Should be a good mileage week, weather looks descent all week. Also the rescheduled longest day ride is Tuesday and Friday we are taking ann afternoon for a longer ride over across the bay in southern RI/CT. Distance: 31.60 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 162, Ave Cadence: 68, Ave Speed: 18.5 mph, Ave Power: 198 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,081.21 miles
June 19, 2011: Well as good as I felt yesterday, I felt that bad all day today. I set out with the objective to ride easier today and intended to ride a Metric Century which I did once again. I had no back issues, but my legs were pretty dead feeling and my knees were aching through much of the ride. Was pretty intent on taking it easy until I ran smack into the f'ing Narragansett Bay Wheelman group ride though Dartmouth and Tiverton. Those a-holes can not ride and are a danger to all of us as riders and by pissing off drivers. Started as I was approaching Horseneck Beach on Horseneck Road in Dartmouth. I was about 45 miles in at the time. I was coming down a little hill towards the beach when a clueless woman decided to pull back into the road and start riding right in front of me just as a 4 person paceline (2 men and 2 women) rode by on my outside acting like they owned the road and none of the rest of us should be there. After locking up my brakes as I had no where to go other than slamming into the paceline or the woman, I got disgusted and after taking a drink decided to drop my easy riding and to chase the bastards down. Let me tell you I got supreme enjoyment chasing down the paceline and passing them without saying anything then opening distance until by the time I got to the bridge on RT88, I couldn't even see them behind me. Needless to say, I was pretty zonked after that sprint which amounted to about 5 miles of hammering as I refused to be caught. After riding easily towards Adamsville, I found a pack of bout 20 riders all stopped in the middle of the road drinking and eating .. huh, yup, 3 and 4 wide in an intersection, just sitting there. By this time I figured out that I had ridden into the middle of a group ride. I continued to pick off these supposed riders one at a time as I rode toward home, having to wait while they help up traffic riding double and triple wide and not moving for cars. Finally some guy in a truck got mad and started yelling at me saying hey I live here get out of the road to which I replied F-You I live here too and I'm not with these a-holes. The truck then turned into a driveway after which I was pissed and blasted at max speed up Brayton road yelling at each of the Narragansett Bay Wheelman riders to ride single file and get you head out of your ass so you don't get run over. Half of them looked at me like they didn't speak English .. they clearly didn't know how to ride a bike. Oh well, was a good ride, and the a-holes forced me to get some hammering in so since I didn't get run into or hit by a pissed off car, I guess they helped my ride.LOL, and I finally broke 1,000 miles for the year. Distance: 60.22 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 150, Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 17.8 mph, Ave Power: 172 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 1,049.61 miles
June 18, 2011: Supposed to be rainy today, but it turned into a beautiful day. Not sure what happened today, but I really felt great on today's ride. Averaged 20+ mph for 30 miles this morning then rode steep hills for the last 10 miles which slowed down my average for the ride. Must be really fresh legs from not having ridden much, or maybe it was the warm weather. Was slowed down aa bit around mile 30 by a car that was driving too slow and weaving down the center of a narrow road by Fogland Beach. I was averaging 22 mph behind him and was actually slowing down because I was afraid of running into him. Eventually I started yelling at the driver who was oblivious. I couldn't pass because he wasn't holding straight line. King of lost my drive after that incident. Still a great ride and I feel great afterwards also. Now I'm watching the Bruins Parade which is stunning form the huge crowds in Boston. Distance: 42.91 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 171, Ave Cadence: 68, Ave Speed: 18.8 mph, Ave Power: 205 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 989.39 miles
June 16, 2011: Had to pick up new glasses today so I got out of work early and took advantage of a great day to get a good ride in. Finally, been too many days since I last rode due to bad weather and other issues. First ride with new chain on the bike, man was that smooth. Distance: 31.60 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 158, Ave Cadence: 67, Ave Speed: 18.1 mph, Ave Power: 184 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 946.48 miles
June 8, 2011: Took a ride after work despite it being pretty warm. Once again, my legs just had nothing to give to the ride. The slight wind was nice from a cooling perspective, but annoying to ride in when I seemed to have no energy. I remember now how hard it can be to ride after sitting at a desk all day. Still some good miles, although for some reason I thought the route I tool was shorter by almost 10 miles .. don't know why because I know exactly how far the different sections are. Just not thinking I guess. Distance: 31.95 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 149, Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 18.2 mph, Ave Power: 179 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 914.88 miles
June 7, 2011:Got out of work on time today and was able to get a ride in. Was warm for a change and despite feeling like riding, me legs had no punch in them at all so I decided to ride easy and just enjoy the ride. I did push on two hills and rode well, but the legs never woke up today. Distance: 31.58 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 143, Ave Cadence: 63, Ave Speed: 17.6 mph, Ave Power: 175 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 882.93 miles
June 5, 2011:Pretty nice day for a ride, if anything was wrong, it was a little chilly. I rode with arm warmers all ride today .. in June? Oh well, still a nice ride. I rode really hard for 30 miles and hit the hilly potion of the ride when I was tired. Made the first 20 miles at 20 mph average and 237 ave watts, pretty successful in my mind. Things steadily degraded from there as I sat back more in order to keep my back from feeling like it was on fire. Couple nice climbs at towards the end really zonked me. Distance: 41.79 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 161, Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 18.3 mph, Ave Power: 203 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 851.35 miles
June 4, 2011: Bit windy today, but warmed up pretty nicely. Decided to go for a longer ride today, need to continue to get my endurance up, the power and speed will come easily later. Today I felt really good for most of my ride. I decided to head to the far side of South Dartmouth was a great ride. I didn't push, but felt great for 40-45 miles, then I started to tire. Still had some energy left when I needed it though so it wasn't a complete crash. Just need to keep progressing and things will be fine. Some really nice views of Cape Code and New Bedford across the water this AM. Distance: 61.63 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 151, Ave Cadence: 65, Ave Speed: 17.4 mph, Ave Power: 166 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 809.56 miles
May 31, 2011: Got home from work with enough time for a ride. Was feeling pretty tired so I did a very quick but short ride. After a couple miles, I decided to ride hard and felt pretty good while doing it. Not much else to say. Distance: 15.73 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 158, Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 19.4 mph, Ave Power: 218 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 747.93 miles
May 29, 2011: Well, another crazy New England morning, the fog and clouds gave way to a heavy fog and mist just when Paul got here to ride. Wasn't that bad even though it was misting most of the ride. Took it easy through Westport, Adamsville, Acoaxet then looping through Little Compton before returning home. Was a nice easy ride, with good conversation the whole way. SPent quite a bit of time talking with Paul about our upcoming cycling trip and his impending retirement! Should get a couple more good days of riding in as the long term forecast looks pretty descent. Distance: 31.66 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 131, Ave Cadence: 64, Ave Speed: 16.3 mph, Ave Power: 150 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 732.20 miles
May 28, 2011: What a hodgepodge of weather today. I started riding in a overcast sky, that quickly became heavy fog and mist, then overcast, pouring rain, and finally full sunshine, clear skies and hot. Crazy. I road around the passing storm the best I could, but ended up in the middle of it just for a few seconds as powered down Swamp Road towards Main Road and Sakonnet Point. Road the first 15 miles or so pretty easily, until a guy on a Mountain Bike irritated me. He really didn't do anything except cop an attitude as he passed me on a down hill where he was descending and I had been stopped for a left turn waiting for a car to pass. Him passing me wasn't an issue, it was that he refused to say hello and had a smug look on his face. That did it, I shifted to a bigger gear and passed him at about 27 mph. I kept flying as the road leveled and started slightly uphill. When I got to the end of the street, I had to wait for traffic and when I looked back, he was no where to be seen. Probably would have missed the storm completely if I didn't go racing down Swamp Road! Felt good to ride hard with a purpose, might have been the first time this year. The skies looked better to the south so I decided to head to Sakonnet Point as per the plan. WHen I got there, it was starting to clear, but the winds were slowing picking up. Luckily they were to my back for most of the rest of the ride. I decided to ride hard heading back north up Main Road and I did that for about 10 miles. There was obviously a bigger storm that i missed as the roads were soaked with big puddles. When I made the turn towards the river, the roads were completely dry. Pretty isolated storm, couldn't have been more that a mile wide as it moved north. Rather than turn for home, decided to add about 10 more miles and do my loop by RT 24 which added some hills. This time I headed down through town under the new bridge and climbed the steep crusher of a hill (12%+) that rises from the river back under the highway to near the exit ramp. From there I looped up over to Fish Road and then back down and around though the new developments over some more smaller hills. Finally I descended Highland Road and decided to climb Old Bulgarmarsh Road and head through that neighborhood rather than the main climb up Bulgarmarsh Road. The choice nearly killed me as I forgot how damn steep Old Bulgarmarsh Road is (18%+). It was a great work out and I need to structure a route to loop around those roads to get climbing practice. A great ride but was whooped again when I got home. Oh, one more funny thing. As I was heading down Crandall Road towards home, I notice three kids riding the same direction as I was but on the wrong side of the road. Two had normal kids bikes, but one had what looked like a new ten speed bike. As they say me poking along, but still closing, the kid with the new bike tried to kick up the speed and the other followed when they realized what he was doing. I couldn't resist so even though I was beat, I jumped on the gear and really cranked up the speed to close and go flying past. As I did, they all went whoo! All I could do was laugh, and wave to them as I flew down towards my road. Distance: 42.10 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 156, Ave Cadence: 65, Ave Speed: 17.7 mph, Ave Power: 189 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 700.54 miles
May 27, 2011: Started out foggy this AM, but t quickly burned off and ended up being a bright sunny warm day. Actually was a little hot to be honest with you, but that is kind of nice with all the cold we have been having. Decided right off the bat to have a very slow but longer day today to get more time in the saddle and knowing it was going to be a shock riding in the heat after so much cool weather. Decided to ride the outer loop in Dartmouth, taking me almost into New Bedford and then looping back through South Dartmouth towards Horseneck Beach. Felt pretty good on the ride until the last 5-8 miles where I started to feel the effects of the heat and length of the ride. Made it home without too much trouble though and it feel good to have a longer ride under my belt. More tomorrow. Distance: 45.85 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 154, Ave Cadence: 64, Ave Speed: 17.2 mph, Ave Power: 154 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 658.44 miles
May 25, 2011: Really nice day today so I made sure to leave work on time so I could get our for a good ride. Felt pretty good for 20 miles, then started to tire which is not surprising based on the lack of miles this year so far. When I felt good though I felt good. Looking forward to a nice stretch of weather for more riding. Should be good all the way through Memorial Day weekend. Ran across three giant turkeys on the ride. They looked like dinosaurs standing about 3-4 feet tall. Distance: 31.58 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 163, Ave Cadence: 62, Ave Speed: 17.8 mph, Ave Power: 190 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 612.59 miles
May 21, 2011: Started today by watching the Giro head up the Zoncolon, it was cool, foggy and chilly here, so I was concerned about a ride. The weather said early afternoon it would be partly cloudy, but only about 60 degrees. I decided to head to Home Depot to get some garden supplies before riding in order to give some more time for the temperatures to warm up. Turns out the sun came out while I was at the store and it really warmed nicely. I wanted to get my garden in, so I decided to keep the ride very short. I think that was a good thing as I seemed to have very little energy after the first 5 miles. I rode hard for that initial 5 miles, averaging 20 mph, but really that isn't overly unusual for the route I started on. Quickly during the second and third 5 miles, I really felt tired and lethargic, maybe since I wanted to work on the garden. Anyway, really rode short, and want overly impressed with my numbers, but I did get a ride in. Distance: 17.79 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 167, Ave Cadence: 68, Ave Speed: 18.3 mph, Ave Power: 196 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 581.01 miles
May 20, 2011: Day started out foggy and wet. Around 1:00, the sun started to come out and it got real nice. I left work, stopped and bought some plants for the garden and decided to get a quick ride in when I got home. Still not in great shape, so not having ridden since Sunday, I wasn't feeling great so I made it an easy day. It was a little windy, but still nice to get some miles in. . Distance: 21.63 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 155, Ave Cadence: 67, Ave Speed: 18.3 mph, Ave Power: 190 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 563.22 miles
May 15, 2011: Didn't expect to really get a ride in today as it was forecast to rain all day. Instead, the sun came out for a bit this AM, so after the Giro stage, I get ready and left. It was actually quite warm and actually a bit humid form the weather front that is coming through this week. I was able to ride in shorts and short sleeves and decided to ride my Tour of Adamsville route so I'd never be that far from home in case the band of showers did come through. As it turns out, I made a wrong decision as I headed towards Acoaxet, the furthest point from home. Just as I started down the hill towards Acoaxet, the rain started and soon became a downpour. I knew it was coming as I could see darker clouds, but decided to tempt the 15 minute excursion towards the beach. Since it wasn't terribly cold, even in the rain, I just kept riding. Was a little chilly when it was raining, but soon after reaching the beach, it stopped and then it was just wet roads. By the time I got back to Adamsville, the roads were drying a bit form the wind, so I finished the route as planned. . Distance: 31.59 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 169, Ave Cadence: 66, Ave Speed: 18.1 mph, Ave Power: 204 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 541.59 miles
May 14, 2011: Was supposed to be a nicer day today than it really turned out to be. We chillier than I thought and I started with arm warmers even though the sun was out. Rode well for the first hour and then the fact of not riding caught up to me in the second hour. Was pretty whooped, but that was complicated by the fact that the clouds came and the wind got colder and I was freezing for the whole second hour of riding. I cut my ride a but short and headed home. Feel pretty good, but tired. I need to ride more consistently to build endurance. Distance: 35.86 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 160, Ave Cadence: 63, Ave Speed: 17.4 mph, Ave Power: 179 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 510.00 miles
May 13, 2011: Was a nice day today, tired of work, it was slow, so I decided to leave at 1245 to come home and ride while the weather was good. Came home and it was really nice,decided to switch my wheels and put on my aero wheels with my power tap. Went to ride and got a mile or so down the road and things felt funny, like I was riding over highway seams. Stopped looked at the wheels and saw nothing wrong with the rear, but the front wheel had lateral cuts at two spots across the tire. When I saw this, I turned around and came home to swap tires. (Could the cats have done that to the tire?). I swapped the front wheel with the one I had been riding and realized I needed to swap brake pads with the aero tires so I changed the rear brake pads. Then I decided to head out again. The same thump thump happened, decided to try riding but about 2 miles out I decided I better turn around and come home. Decided to clean the bike at this point, the chain was all gooked up and also changed the tire on the rear aero rim. I also notice that the rear cassette that I bought this winter and put on the rear aero wheel was also riding funny. Swapped the cassettes on the wheels, fixed my bar tape, and then decided to go for a ride. In this configuration, the bike ride fine, regular wheel up front and aero wheel in the rear. I kept the ride short, but I felt pretty good and it was motivating to ride watching the watts. Distance: 19.73 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 162, Ave Cadence: 42, Ave Speed: 18.6 mph, Ave Power: 194 watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 474.14 miles
May 7, 2011: Been sick all week, decided to take a short bery easy ride just to get soem exercise. Felt alright but I'm not 100% over this cold so I kept it short to not cause a relapse. Distance: 11.07 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 111, Ave Cadence: 65, Ave Speed: 15.2 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 454.41 miles
May 2, 2011: Yeah, good day for the USA, today is the day we got Osama! Took ten years, but finally. OK, was also a good day to get out for a bike ride after work. Left a few minutes early today to get my inspection sticker for my car so I took the opportunity to ride. I rode my Tour de Adamsville route for the first time this year. This route has a bit of climbing, at least for this area. It was still pretty windy out, but all in all a good day. Distance: 31.58 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 155, Ave Cadence: 68, Ave Speed: 17.4 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 443.34 miles
May 1, 2011:May, humm, isn't it supposed to be warm in May? Well, wasn't that cold, but wasn't warm either. Rode today in a string wind with warm cold weather gear. May not have been needed, but I did feel chilly even dressed with long bibs and thermal shirt. Didn't overly enjoy the ride as the wind really irritated me so I cut things short. I also didn't ride very hard because of not really being into riding today. To top it off, I was passed on the last leg home by the weakest pace line of about 8 guys. Was riding so slowly they came up on me, surprised, me and passed. To their credit, they asked me to hook on, which I did except it was so slow, I'd have been asleep had I followed. Shows you how slow I was riding. The difference is I was riding slow due to poor attitude. Had to decided whether to head to the front of the group and prove I could ride and torture them all with a strong pull or drift off the back and let them go on. I choose to drift off the back since I wasn't in a mood to play. lol. Some day it will be warm with no wind ... I hope. Distance: 27.47 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 154, Ave Cadence: 69, Ave Speed: 17.7 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 411.76 miles
April 24, 2011: Happy Easter, finally we got a really nice weather day. Was wet , foggy and dreary this AM, but by the time Liege Bastogne Liege was finished, the sun had come out and it warmed nicely. When I left home it was in the lower 60's but felt much warmer because there really wasn't any wind. I decided to ride pretty hard for a while since it felt really good to be out in warm weather. Surprisingly, it felt good to push a bit. I headed over towards Westport then looped over through Dartmouth towards New Bedford. As I cut through South Dartmouth and headed towards the shore, all of a sudden the sun was gone and I was caught in a cold windy fog bank. That was pretty miserable and all the good feelings I had in the warm weather disappeared in the cold wet wind. Luckily, that only really lasted 5 miles or so until I came back north to head over towards Horseneck Beach. I decided to not go all the way to the beach as it looked like the fog was there too. Instead I took a right and headed back into Westport. I had intended to take a different route but was daydreaming and ended up all the way back at Old Westport Road. As a result, I had to head back south before riding across Hix Bridge road back towards Tiverton. I really didn't get back into the warm weather until I was about 3 miles from home. Still the best riding day of the year so far. . Distance: 50.51 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 163, Ave Cadence: 68, Ave Speed: 17.7 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 384.298 miles
April 22, 2011: OK, it's April, enough with the wind and cold weather ... finally was calm enough today to get out for a ride. Wasn't real warm, 50 degrees, but without the wind was manageable. Took it pretty easy today as it has been 12 days since I rode. Someday it will be nice enough to ride for real. . Distance: 24.5 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 155, Ave Cadence: 71, Ave Speed: 17.1 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 333.78 miles
April 10, 2011: What a fantastic Paris Roubaix today. I was inspired to ride hard today after watching the crashes and suffering. Was still chilly out, but warmer than yesterday, just a little more wind. Rode the Little Compton route today, was looking to break through the 40 mile barrier for the first time, but I decided to hammer a little bit more than I should. Had several sections of over 20mph on the ride, felt really good. Alternated riding hard and relaxing, kind of pseudo interval training with longer interval times. I am encouraged that my legs are coming along. With a little luck, should get rides in during the week after work. Distance: 36.67 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 157, Ave Cadence: 73, Ave Speed: 18.1 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 309.28 miles
April 9, 2011: Was finally supposed to be nice out today and it was pretty nice. A bit chilly but not cold. The wind was very low also so that was a good thing. i was able to ride with shorts today, but my feet were frozen by the time I got home. Tested a camera set up today also which worked out pretty good. I rode over into Westport and Dartmouth and came home via Horseneck Beach. Was pretty cold near the beach, but it got a bit warmer as I came more inland. Unfortunately I was pretty cold so my feet didn't warm up until I was back inside the house. I was surprised to see that the southbound portion of the RT 88 bridge down by the beach was out. was cut down to two way traffic on the north bound side. That wasn't bad today but will be really bad if the bridge isn't repaired before the summer season gets here. Felt much better today than any rides this year. Amazing what a little bit of warmer temperatures will do. Supposed to be cloudy but warmer tomorrow. Distance: 36.48 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 161, Ave Cadence: 73, Ave Speed: 17.6 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 272.61 miles
April 3, 2011: Watched a great Ronde de Vlaanderen this Am and then decided to head out to ride. Was warmer than yesterday, but also much more windy than yesterday. I decided to try and ride a ride to minimize the wind impacts but it soon became clear that the wind was everywhere. Rode over into Westport and the south towards Horseneck Beach Decided to take the return west in smaller chunks to make things easier so I cut the ride a bit short and returned home in a staircase function before ending up on a long slow slog back north. As I said, the wind seemed to be everywhere. It was torture riding home, in many ways harder than a lot of hill climbs I've done. At one point, I was riding down a 4% slope, pedaling and only able to do 20 mph. Can't wait for the wind to go away for the summer! Finally replaced the battery in my cadence sensor! Distance: 27.24 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 151, Ave Cadence: 76, Ave Speed: 16.3 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 236.13 miles
April 2, 2011: First semi nice day in a couple weeks. Been fighting a slight chest cold anyway. Nothing too serious after the first couple days, but its hanging on under the surface. When I went out this AM it was 47 degrees and windy, but still nice to get a rice in. Still riding my climbing bike as I want to give the roads more time to clean up before I bring out the Madone. I remember last year fighting flats when I brought it out too early so I'll still wait. Of course, I mentioned the dreaded F-word, so I'm probably in trouble no matter what. Road up through Westport then down into Adamsville and the Acoaxet. The winds along the beach were string, but since I was just putting in miles, no bog deal. I can tell I am wy behind past years in fitness. Maybe that will be good as there is no reason to be strong in May only to crash in August. At least I'll keep telling myself that. I had intended to ride up into North Tiverton, but I was burning out what I got to Four corners so I bailed and headed home. Good mileage, forgot heart strap, so no numbers there and the batter on cadence sensor is dead so I better go change that before I forget again. Should get another rid in tomorrow. Distance: 34.13 miles, Ave Heart Rate: N/A, Ave Cadence: N/A, Ave Speed: 15.9mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 208.89 miles
March 18, 2011: Beautiful day out today, very warm and nice. Did a short ride this evening to pick up my truck from the repair shop in Fall River. Had hoped to have a longer ride, but I ended up dealing with work stuff even though I was taking the day off. No matter, probably a good thing as I am pretty whipped since I ran 4.5 miles home from dropping the truck off this morning. Good day for that, but I'm pretty tired when you come right down to it. Cold again tomorrow, plus Paul and I are going to Boston to the Multisports exposition at MIT. Distance: 16.41 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 161, Ave Cadence: N/A, Ave Speed: 17.2 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 174.76 miles
March 13, 2011: Was looking like a nice day this AM, and then the skies turned black so I decided to watch Tirreno Adriadico and then ride. It was 50 degrees when the skies turned black, and it was 45 when I left. I rode for a short distance and then pulled over to put on my winter gloves which we really really warm. Nice to know I could ride in colder temps if I wanted to. The wind was way down today so that was nice. I also felt really good when I felt good which was for a large portion of the ride. Maybe I am getting my legs back a little. Was still tired when done, but no where as close to being exhausted as I had been. Rode a conservative ride that included some hills that I am experimenting with creating a hills course to push on when I am stronger again. Distance: 31.63 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 163, Ave Cadence: N/A, Ave Speed: 15.4 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 158.35 miles
March 12, 2011: Watched Paris Nice today then decided to go out for a ride even though it was chilly and windy. I was tired right from the start and it didn't get any better. Was trying to figure out why then it occurred to me that I have been watching calories to try and loose some weight that I gained in the winter. Can't hope to ride well if you are not fueled well. That combined with the wind made for a painful ride. Anyway, managed 30+ miles in the wind which seemed like it was cold and always in my face. I always seemed to be at max heart rate and at one point I was at max on herat rate and pedaling as hard as I could and I was only doing 10 miles an hour ... Supposed to be warmer tomorrow, so maybe I'll try again but a shorter distance. Distance: 31.28 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 166, Ave Cadence: N/A, Ave Speed: 15.6 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 126.72 miles
March 6, 2011:Watched first stage of Paris Nice, the rain help off and it was pretty warm, so I decided to try to ride in the wind again today. It was from the south again, so at least it was an easy ride back home. Decided to ride in Little Compton today, roads pretty good there, couple bad spots, but in general they survived the winter well. No real crazy sightings today, other than a guy who was in his car, in the swamp next to the road on Swamp Road. Have no idea how he could have gotten there as the speed limits are low, and the road is wide and in great shape. Must have been doing something stupid. He was standing in the swamp in his suit and tie when I road by laughing. Someone was already stopped with a phone calling for help. Again, no idea how he could have driven into that swamp.... Distance: 35.39 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 152, Ave Cadence: N/A, Ave Speed: 16.2 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 95.44 miles
March 5, 2011: Finally it warmed enough to get a good ride in outside. Was cool when I went out but warmed considerably as I returned home as the clouds cleared and the sum came out. The wind was pretty severe though and I felt like I rode forever into it as I was riding south from the house. Always once to get outside, the animals seemed to be enjoying the weather also. Saw the cows, goats and even come chickens in the road and the cow manure is very ripe when down wind .. lol. Anyway, was nice to get out. The roads are not in as bad of shape as I thought they might be. There was a lot of sand in places in Westport, but most roads were very safe to ride on. Look forward to another ride tomorrow if the rain holds off.. Distance: 31.68 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 160, Ave Cadence: N/A, Ave Speed: 16.5 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 60.05 miles
January 1, 2011: Wow 2 rides in a row and I get a ride on New Years Day .. guess I can stop monitoring my earliest ride in the year because I'll never beat 1 January! Was pretty nice today, although there was a lot more water on the roads from the melting snow. I ride though Little Compton today which was nice because they don't seem to use as much sand as Westport does. Was good for riding, got a bit chilly after a while due to being wet, but still better than riding the dreaded Computrainer. There were a handful of riders out today, much more than yesterday, good to see. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Rumor is it may be warm again .. can I possibly get two rides in during January this year ...! Guess my GPS wasn't sync 'd well, I clearly didn't ride below sea level even if it felt that way sometimes. Distance: 28.39 miles, Ave Heart Rate: 150, Ave Cadence: 69, Ave Speed: 16.7 mph, Ave Power: N/A watts, Cumulative 2011 Miles: 28.39 miles
