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I'm ridiculously far behind on this blog, but it has been for good reason, people!
I finally rode my first century. Based on my conversations with friends I am apparently the last person to do this.
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| Enjoying the cool morning. Photo by Rootchopper. |
Once again my friend John (Rootchopper) joined the fun. Having him along always makes me feel more confident. Why I don't know, I should know by now this means I'm going to get dropped over and over again by a guy on small-wheeled bicycle. Oh, my bruised ego!
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| The tiny-wheeled Bike Friday, AKA Little Nellie. Photo by Rootchopper. |
The morning dawned cool on the last day of summer. Later on it turned into a truly summer-like day. I didn't mind a bit, even when the sun beat down in the afternoon. The course is pretty and bucolic and we pedaled along blissfully, drinking in the splendor surrounding us.
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| Scenic view from the southern end of the course (I took this in 2012. Too busy pedaling to take any this year!) |
I had good energy all day on my ride fueling with Epic bars, RXbars, sweet potato baby food pouches and Chapul cricket bars. At the 50 mile mark I was able to make a quick stop by my car to eat real food (meat, veggies and fat) which was probably crucial.
The rest stops were well-stocked, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to the sweet, thoughtful volunteers. The ice they provided kept me from overheating. I didn't eat anything because there are really a dearth of options that are gluten-free. I'm fortunate that I only do so by choice, and I'm happy to bring my own fuel. Just a little food for thought. (See what I did there?)
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| Another 2012 shot. |
The last quarter of the course is hillier than the rest, with one really long steep climb. What is it with these long road rides always ending with an uphill?
It was worth it though for the screaming, cooling downhill that preceded it. Steep descent and gravel ahead? Ride with caution? Oh, hell no.
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| The descent and climb around mile 87. |
Rootchopper's report of our ride is here.
Endurance road biking is wonderful. I love how far one can go and the different scenery to be taken in compared to a run.
I'm really looking forward to the Great Pumpkin Ride on October 25. Having ridden most of the course in August during my accidental metric century I'm eager to see the course in all its autumn colors.
In conclusion, having run 100 miles and biked 100 miles this year, I guess my next goal is to swim 100 miles. Should be doable, right?
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| Rootchopper and Little Nellie with Longhorn cattle |
I've been meaning to go on a long bike ride with my friend Rootchopper for ages.
I had met Rootchopper (whose real name is rumored to be John) at Friday Coffee Club a couple of years prior. Besides riding some serious miles just by commuting to work by bicycle, he posts photos and blogs about weekend rides in lovely places. He tells some pretty amusing stories and is good conversation. I was really looking forward to riding with him.
I said I'd love to do about 50 miles, and he had offered up a 43-mile route he'd done at The Great Pumpkin Ride last fall. Close enough. I could always do a few more miles on my own if I felt like it afterward. I figured that would be pretty unlikely.
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| Obligatory selfie at the start |
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The weather couldn't have been better. In keeping with our unusually cool August this year, we had low humidity and pleasant temperatures. Though the sun made a few brief appearances, we were happy for the cloud cover.
The ride began with a lovely downhill grade on the Warrenton bike path. Then we popped out onto a two-lane country road. Confession: I had never done a road ride outside of the DC area that wasn't a part of an official event. While I am perfectly comfortable riding in the craziest DC traffic, I was a little tentative about riding country roads with their curves, hills and absence of any real shoulder. But there was no time to dwell on it. We were well-lit, had ample reflectors and once we were pedaling through the serene countryside, my trepidations were mostly forgotten.
Rootchopper had kindly printed me out a map of our route which I promptly tucked away and lazily allowed him to navigate. The turns all followed yellow arrows which were still plainly marked on the pavement. How easy was this?
We rolled pleasantly along through verdant woods and past open fields. There were cows and tractors and hay bales and even a tiny dog at one farmhouse who gave chase. I don't think he could have reached my pedal.
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| Through the woods |
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| Past green fields |
The "Welcome to Stafford County" sign was our first clue that we might be a little off course. Right at 50k into our ride, we stopped to check the map against our smart phones.
By "we" I mean I sucked down some Whole30-compliant beet and sweet potato baby food while he did all the work.
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| I don't see this road on our map. |
Turns out we were more than a little off course. I was kind of excited that we'd be getting a few more miles out of this picture perfect day.
On we pedaled to
rejoin our planned route. We stopped at a couple of country corner
stores. I haven't seen stores with that little on offer in awhile. They
had cold water, soda and iced tea, baked beans and other canned goods, a
few bags of chips and some local fruit. That was about it.
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| Me and My Precious at Grove's Store in Somerville. Photo by Rootchopper. |
As
we were about to ride away, a young couple emerged from the store. The
woman stammered, "Excuse me - this road, can I ask you -- this road --"
She seemed unable to get it out, so I interjected,
"Just so you know, we don't live around here, so we probably won't be any help, but go on."
"I
mean, this road, we saw some other people on bicycles earlier. Well, it
was another road. But no, it was you! I mean, is it safe to ride here?
I'm, you're just, I'm so INSPIRED that you're out here riding your bikes
in this beautiful place. I really am!"
The guy never said a word.
Once we recovered from all that, Rootchopper assured her it was quite safe.
We
continued our ride, and the hills started to show up a little longer and
more frequently than in the first half of our ride. But the scenery
was so lovely, I could hardly hold a grudge. I had to employ the crazy low granny gear on
my Surly Long Haul Trucker at least five times.
Thankfully, Rootchopper proved to be a true friend because every time I fell off the back, he let me catch up again.
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| Bike Selfie. I might be getting a bit loopy at this point. |
He had warned me at the beginning that the last section would be uphill. We joked about how marathon spectators always tell you lies like "it's all downhill from here" and "you're almost there."
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| Yep, it felt totally like this in the final miles. |
I was thrilled to see the bike path once again, and also to see 64 miles on my watch as we pulled up at my car. My first metric century!
Thanks, John. That was a fantastic ride, and the company was top notch. Let's do it again soon.
See Rootchopper's Ride Report and Photos.
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| Our route. |
This past Saturday I dragged Hubz and my friend Boots on the VASA ride.
To my relief, the weather was clear and mild, if a bit brisk to start.
We rode down to the House of Sweden early to sign in. That left us plenty of time for photos and socializing.
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| Ed/@dailyrandonneur, Hubz and Boots/@bootsni |
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| Lisa/@ramblingrider and John/@Rootchopper |
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| Dave/@darsal |
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| Jacques/@jarsenault and Hugo showed up! |
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| Shedding a layer at The Old Anglers Inn |
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| Guy riding a penny farthing |
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| Hubz looking good astride his Novara cyclocross bike |
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| Enjoying blueberry soup with Robin/@robininrealtime and Adam |
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| Boots and I toast to our bike adventure with blueberry soup |
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| Post-ride lunch at Luna Grill with some of the usual suspects from Friday Coffee Club |
We chose the Halv Vasa, which is 31 miles. It was the perfect distance for a fun day.
I finally got to taste the legendary warm blueberry soup at the House of Sweden afterward. Pretty good stuff!
From there a convoy of us headed to lunch at Luna Grill.
We had a wonderful day riding, eating (a key component) and laughing the miles away with many friends. I am really enjoying my increased biking.
Oh, and Spring, could you please grace us with some more warm, sunny days? Thanks.
Another snowstorm shut down DC while I was visiting family in Kansas City. When I woke to the news that my Monday morning flight was cancelled, I knew the odds of completing the Errandonnee Challenge were suddenly not in my favor. Instead of two full days to complete my final 7 errands, I'd have just one. And that was provided the snow and ice melted quickly. It wasn't looking good, but I decided to find a way to do at least one errand by bicycle in the Midwest.
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| At Velo + |
Luckily, my brother Adam was able to take the afternoon off work and he was up for a bike adventure. He pumped up the tires on his two bikes and we pedaled toward Old Town Lenexa to check out Velo +. The owner, Vincent, was enthusiastic about bicycles and his shop. We talked Surly LHTs, Brooks saddles, yoga (they host classes at the shop) and coffee. Vincent spent 18 years at Starbucks and now he roasts his own (the shop will be selling it soon). He was kind enough to give us a taste. Delectable! He even took us in the back room to show us the steel frames he was building. What a great place for a cyclist!
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| #6 - I'm secretly hoping this fun jaunt will get my brother (and the whole family) biking more. |
Destination: Velo +
Category: Bike Shop
Date: 3/17
Miles: 7.74
Observation: This shop roasts their own coffee (available soon), carries Surly (and other) bikes and offers yoga classes.
I made it back to DC late Tuesday afternoon, ditched my suitcase and hopped on my bike. I rode to dinner after a stop at my second job.
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| #7 - There's still snow on the ground, but thankfully the roads were clear. |
Destination: Open City
Category: Dinner
Date: 3/18
Miles: 2.5
Observation: I was craving the lemon garlic chicken and Brussels sprouts. Though I was dreading the cold, my ride was quite pleasant.
My hunger sated, I tossed my leftovers in my basket. It was dark now, but I pedaled to the grocery store to procure food for the next day.
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| #8 - A stop for groceries. Note my Light & Motion Urban 400. It's bright! |
Destination: Yes! Organic Market
Category: Grocery store (second use)
Date: 3/18
Miles: 1.6
Observation: The more I ride the more I want to find another errand/excuse to keep riding!
Lighting Method: Light & Motion Urban 400 in front & Planet Bike red flasher in back.
Another stroke of luck - MG of Chasing Mailboxes extended the Errandonnee deadline by one more day. I am so glad I didn't throw in the towel. I can do this!
The next morning I biked to meet my friend Kim from high school. Every Spring she attends a conference in DC and we have breakfast and catch up. I suspect she made some sort of deal with the devil because she hasn't aged.
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| #9 - Kim at Open City |
Destination: Open City
Category: Breakfast
Date: 3/19
Miles: 2.5
Observation: Usually this place is packed in the morning, not today. Lull in the Spring conference season?
I stopped by the bank to make a deposit, then on to work. On the ride home it was raining heavily. The puddles obscured many potholes. This ride kind of sucked, honestly. By the time I made it home I had popsicle toes, though the rest of me stayed dry thanks to my rain pants and jacket.
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| #10 - Bike Parking at Capital One |
Destination: Capital One Bank
Category: Wild Card
Date: 3/19
Miles: 3
Observation: There are a lot of nasty potholes in dire need of repair.
I had one last errand to complete and I knew just what it would be: An errand to procure a bottle of wine to celebrate the completion of the Errandonnee Challenge!
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| #11 - Sherry's Liquor |
Destination: Sherry's Liquor
Category:Other store
Date: 3/20
Miles:2.9
Observation: Spring is capricious. Wicked headwind!
I pedaled home with the wind in my (helmet) hair and a big smile on my face. I had a boatload bakfiets of fun Errandonneeing. Thanks for creating this wonderful challenge, MG!
Categories used: 9
Miles logged: 37.69
As an ultrarunner who loves the bike, I always have intentions of doing more biking ... but I find myself falling into the usual pattern of running long every weekend.
There's a silver lining to my current injury: Now that I'm not running, I'm spending a lot more time biking. So far it doesn't seem to aggravate my foot issue.
Perfect timing for the annual Chasing Mailboxes Erranndonnee Challenge! Click the link to read more about the rules.
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| #1 Bikes at Friday Coffee Club |
#1 - I started
off with a bang, hitting Friday Coffee Club for the powerful
combination of caffeine and conversation with fellow bike commuter
friends. If you live in (or come to visit) DC you should come, and not
just because M.E. Swings made the Top 10 Best Coffee to be found in DC
list.
Category: Community Meeting.
Date: 3/7
Miles: 2.45
Observation: Roads
are totally clear after our last snowstorm, alleys are not! Also,
nothing puts a bigger smile on my face than chatting with this gang.
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| #2 Bike Parking at my Acupuncture appointment |
#2
- Thanks to the aforementioned foot injury, I had an acupuncture
appointment. I rode via M Street which I enjoy despite the lack of the
long-promised cycletrack. I've been biking in the DC area since 1998
(whew!) so I'm comfortable riding almost anywhere. It has been fantastic
to see the improvements in bicycle infrastructure and it's evident this
progress needs to continue in order to avoid utter gridlock.
Category: Personal Care
Date: 3/7
Miles: 2.35
Observation: 19th
street has a decent amount of bike parking, but it's always pretty
crowded. A couple of the bike posts are coming loose.
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| #3 Watch me work. This is my 2nd job. |
#3
- The fact that it's now daylight until 7 pm makes me very happy. I
love the sunshine. I left my "real" job and biked to my second job. If
you haven't bike commuted in DC before, I can tell you it is the
quickest and most enjoyable mode of transportation in this city at rush
hour. Most other times, too.
Category: Work
Date: 3/11
Miles: 3.25
Observation: Traveling by bicycle at rush hour in DC beats any other form of transportation!
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| #4 On the way to Whole Foods via 15th Street cycletrack |
#4 -Gusty,
frigid winds were the theme of this morning commute. At least it was
sunny! I pedaled my way down the 15th Street cycletrack to Whole Foods
for some greens and veggies.
Category: Grocery store
Date: 3/13
Miles: 2.9
Observation: Bicyclist
along 15th street cycletrack shaking her hands to get the blood
flowing on a very cold and blustery morning commute. Have I mentioned
that I LOVE MY BAR MITTS?
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| #5 The Surly LHT at my 2nd job |
#5 My gams were fatigued on my third ride of the day (the second was on the spin bike). Just in time for the uphills! My beloved bar mitts proved challenging to keep on a straight course as they acted like spinnakers in the crosswinds.
Category:Work (2nd use)
Date: 3/13
Miles:3
Observation: Wind and Bar Mitts are mortal enemies.
I'm out of town for the weekend. That leaves me two days to complete my final seven errands. CAN I DO IT?? What a cliffhanger!
Do you have a bike or have access to bikeshare? You should give the errandonnee a go!
As much as I love trail running, I thoroughly enjoy taking occasional breaks from my chosen sport.
On our second visit to Sedona, we did no running and lots of hiking.
We saw interesting wildlife:
We took a very scenic ride on the Verde Valley Railroad.
To ring in the New Year we went mountain biking.
Riding trails amidst this beautiful place was exhilarating fun. And what a workout!!
Wherever you spent your holidays, I hope they were enjoyable.
Happy New Year!
One of my favorite places to visit is the Laurel Highlands in southwestern Pennsylvania.
I am lucky to have friends who live nearby. I try to make the most of my visits, though it is never an easy choice: Run the Laurel Highlands trail? Kayak the Middle Yough? Bike on the Great Allegheny Passage?
This past weekend Hubz and I chose the GAP trail for a fall bike ride. We were rewarded with falling leaves, a bit of changing foliage and perfect temperatures.
Despite having explored only a few miles of this trail, we are deeply enamored with its scenic beauty, smooth 'packed crushed limestone' surface and easy-as-pie average 1% grade.
We always make a point of stopping to refuel and refresh ourselves at the sun-kissed deck of The Lucky Dog Cafe. There's something for everyone here whether you're vegetarian, Paleo or just want a cold beer. They even have grass-fed burgers!
We had a wonderful day on our bicycles, and rode just shy of 40 miles.
One day I'd like to complete the entire route, either in sections or on a multi-day trip.
Rumor has it my friend Lisa is riding the GAP and the C&O for a total of 334.5 miles. I am envious of her adventure!
Fall weather seems to get us on our bicycles more often.
Friday night, I took Hubz on a "Secret Date" to see the Washington Nationals game. As is our custom, we rode our bikes there. The Nats caught fire in the sixth inning and kept hammering to an 8-0 win over the Miami Marlins. What an exciting game!
The ride home is always glorious. We were stoked about the Nats win, and about avoiding the crowded metro. There's just something exhilarating about summer night bike rides, whizzing through the streets that look a little different under the cover of darkness.
The following morning, we hopped on our bikes again. Destination: The 50 States Ride.
Deciding on this ride was a tough choice, because it meant we couldn't ride the Back Roads Century the next day (we are not as hard core as some). We really enjoyed this lovely ride last year, where we rode the 50 mile option in the interest of keeping it fun. We had planned to return for the full century this Fall.
In the end I chose the 50 States Ride since we hadn't done it before.
Bonus: We didn't have to get up early since the start was less than a mile away! As soon as we arrived we recognized several friends from both our biking and running circles.
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| Friday Coffee Club Tweeps! @Ramblingrider @Bicyclebug @JDAntos & @Rootchopper |
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| Our running buddy, Gray, was a ride marshall |
The day was cool, but a bit humid. The sun couldn't make up its mind. There was an occasional breeze, and the threat of rain lurked.
Ed and Mary, whom I often refer to as 'The Ultrarunners of Bicycling' had invited us to ride a few miles with them. The two of them (and Twitter) are the reason I am a part of the #bikeDC community. They had the brilliant idea to start #FridayCoffeeClub and that's where I met and got to know so many cool kids on bikes.
We had a great time riding with them for stretches (then watching them pull away on the many hills), detouring for an illicit coffee stop early in the day, and chatting at all the rest stops.
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| Mary, Hubz, Lane and Ed at Chinatown Coffee |
We also rode many miles with Kevin, Dave S., Justin, Lane, and most of all Lisa* and John** during the ride. There were some hills on this course where I inevitably fell behind everyone, but someone always made sure we weren't too far behind. It was a real pleasure getting to ride with all of these #bikedc friends whom I've gotten to know over many Friday Coffee Clubs.
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| Mary, Lisa, Ed and half of me |
The ride itself involved a lot of stoplights and hills, and large groups of cyclists early in the day. Skipping the southwest quadrant section to get coffee with Mary*** and Ed allowed the crowds to thin and made for a more pleasant experience.
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| The hills on our version of the 50 States Ride |
The 50 States Ride was very different from a scenic century in the countryside, but we have a great affinity for city rides. It was in the midst of a bike date in the city that I first realized I was in love with Hubz.
While keeping my pedals cranking and checking my cue sheet hindered my ability to leisurely gaze at things around me, it was a treat riding in parts of the city I hadn't seen on a bicycle.
The rain began to fall about the time we hit Rock Creek Park. It relented, but as we reached Wisconsin it began again in earnest. Since we weren't far from home, we decided to call it a day. We logged 53 miles, our longest ride ever. We are proud of that!
Hats off to WABA and the many volunteers who made this stellar event happen.
Our weekend of biking got us excited to do more, especially knowing that The Coffeeneuring Challenge is just around the corner!
*Read Lisa's excellent 50 States ride report here.
**Rootchopper's double (he rode 50 States AND Back Roads) starts here.
***Mary's account of the day is here.
