Armadillo Hell

I really and truly feel that there needs to be something done about all these dead armadillo along the road. I counted so many on the way out today. After cycling for a little over 3 years I am used to seeing (and smelling) all the road kill, but today was a new one on me. All the same type of animal, with the exception of a coyote, which is the first I have seen in this area. There was an East wind so I took a southern path, heading for Star City. I rode 12.5 miles out and 12.5 back. I really pushed myself hard, and now I feel it. Here are the stats for the past two rides. I squeezed one in that I didn't post about.

The Return of the Garmin

It's not too common to have little girl that loves to clean. I have a little girl that asks to help every time I decide to clean my bike. She loves helping with the chain and frame and always needs more greenworks water for her rag. She makes cleaning the bike a fun task so I try and plan it for when she can help me.

Today my Garmin came back in, just in time for the biggest workout yet. I had a ride planned that I knew would wear me down, and make me beg for mercy. I planned to ride into the front that is moving in and ride into the sustained 15-20 mile per hour winds. I rode at a staggeringly slow pace that would have bored anyone without a granny gear. I just enjoyed spin class, letting my spinning raise my heart rate to the appropriate level. The route was north past the paper mill towards Altheimer. Normally on this ride there are three decent climbs. One getting over a rail crossing, one getting over the river, and another rail crossing just a half mile from the end. I skipped the last one after fighting the wind for 10.5 miles. I ended up getting in 21 miles for my first time breaking 20 this season. Fun getting that strong a start to the season, by the way the weather started off in the upper 60's on this ride and ended just above 50. Nice front, but tomorrow's ride will be cold. On the +3 network I earned $.08 cents for the World Bicycle Relief Fund.

I started +3 at the end of last season. I like my workouts helping more than just me. It is nice to know that all these miles are actually making money to help third world countries get a means of transportation. It is amazing what WBRF does for the world.

Here are the long awaited, and missed stats for my ride.

7.27 Miles fighting for air.

I took to the road on this January day with temperatures over 60 degrees. I wore my normal summer kit, sporting my Tour de Rock jersey and some bib shorts. Alexis commented that my jersey was pretty, so colorful and comfortable (all while rubbing this keg of a belly I have developed since last June). I rode last week, getting in 10.5 miles, but today was a bit different, I was fighting the headwind out so I didn't have to keep pushing. I love fighting headwinds on the way back. I know this goes against conventional wisdom. Most say that you fight it going out so that your sure you have enough to get back, but I am the opposite. I am embarrassed to call for a ride back so I push my self to my limits to get back and avoid the red face.

I fought the wind out to Grider Field Road today, at that point with my legs, and lungs burning I decided that freezing my tail off as the sun goes down was not the way I wanted this to go down. My Garmin is on its way back to me now, and I have no way to tell how high my heart rate is going, or what kind of cadence I am working with. So I stopped early erring on the side of caution, so that I can really start the training when it gets back. I want to ride at least the 62 mile course on the Tour de Rock ride, and maybe even the 100.

Winter Cycling is a GO!

A couple years ago I spent $300-$400 getting myself winterized for cycling. I got a nice $200 jacket, some shoe covers, face protection, pants, and some great gloves. Then after getting a season out of them we moved from Conway down to Pine Bluff. In the process of moving my Wife packed up a bunch of our clothes, including my cycling jacket and took them to our storage unit. For the past 3 years I haven't been able to find my jacket. Yesterday we went to get our baby stuff out of storage, and right on top was the jacket.

So I am going to get a jump on training now, so long as it is above 45 degrees out, under that and I will just have to hit the rollers (which sucks).

Broken Motivation

I noticed something about myself that is disturbing. I am a statistic whore. I love them, want more information on everything I do. I have been tracking my statistics using a Garmin Edge 705 which tracks all sorts of things about my ride. But a tragedy has occurred. I broke the USB input in the back, meaning that I can't charge, or sync my Edge. This keeps all the statistics from me. I now have to use my iPhone to track my ride, like an old school bike computer. This means less statistics.

Needless to say I have not ridden my bike since August thanks to the demotivation created by losing my GPS. Now to figure out how to get the motivation back!

Set That Bike on Fire. Put It Out With Sweat!

Sometimes in life there is something that pulls you through in a pinch. A song, or a loved ones support, even a look from that girl across the room. Today it was a song for me, that and knowing that my little girl would be at home waiting to help me finish off my bottles. I worked on the bike for the first time in a week. We have been going through a mini heat wave and it has kept the heat index above 105 for quite some time now. I don't ride when I can't keep enough fluid on the bike for me to stay hydrated, so I have been keeping myself inside. Today I couldn't take it anymore, I broke free and rode.

I knew it couldn't be a long ride, and I needed to "take it easy" as my wife would chant as I get ready. She will hopefully someday learn the rush of fighting the road for speed. I decided to cap the ride to 10 miles today, and to take a longer ride in the morning. I got all my gear rounded up except my cozy Softwick Socks. I love my Softwicks, and really wish that someone at that company would give me enough to work in them, until then I am only using them for rides, but for some reason I couldn't find them today. I know from the Tour de Rock that losing a key piece of gear isn't necessarily bad luck. I lost my gloves prior to that ride. I mixed a fizz and water, and some Gatorade, yes I am really that old school. I carried the bike out the door and rode down the ramp to talk to the wife before leaving with a commuters passion, then rode back up noticing that I had forgotten my helmet...bad luck yet? I think not.

I headed out to the road to get in my miles. It didn't feel that hot at first, and never truly felt that bad while riding. I noticed that there was less road kill than normal, guess the heat speeds decomposition. After getting just past the 5 mile mark (I had to find shade for a quick water and adjustment break. I had made pretty good time getting to the turnaround spot. I headed back with the same zeal, and noticed on my Garmin that my heart rate was staying amazingly high for the way the ride felt. It had to either be the heat or the aspirin I took. I don't know which but it felt pretty awesome to keep it that high without draining me horribly. The heat quickly began to set in now that it was hitting me in the face. I got around a mile out and the most motivating song came on. Citizen Cope with "Son's Gonna Rise". One of the main lines in the song says "the son's gonna rise in a mile, in a mile you'll be feelin' fine." that line kept me pushing the pedals harder and harder, fighting the sun, and the sweat, and my abnormally fast beating heart. I really pushed myself and was totally drained coming down the home stretch. I worked my way in the house and then it hit me.

Seems like every ride I take in the summer, after I get in the door I get the sweat really going. Today I got in the kitchen and had to get my wife to get me a towel, I couldn't see to move. The wind must dry enough sweat to keep you from noticing but man did it hit when I got out of the wind. But the last mile made it alright. I can't shake this cycling bug. I can fight it for weeks at a time, and even a year in a pinch but I am a junkie, and addict and I will forever carry the chain tattoo on my calf muscle to prove it. So when your in the heat, and having a shorter ride because of the 107 degree heat index just set that bike on fire for the short distance you do and make your bike pay for keeping you on it! Hammer Harder!

Tour de Rock 2011

I did all the training for the ride, and I felt good on the morning of the ride. I got a full nights sleep, and arrived at the start line in plenty of time. I got my stuff rounded up and got my bike out. I then took some warm up laps around the parking complex, just stretching out my legs and back for the ride. I had been debating all week whether or not to ride the 50 mile or the 62 mile ride. I still hadn't decided.

I watched anxiously as the 100 mile riders left the start line. I love the feel of a organized race right before it takes off, nothing like the extra energy floating around. They even had a band all fired up for the start so we had some music to keep things exciting while waiting.

Finally our chance at the start line was here, I took off with the 62 mile riders, since I still hadn't decide which course to ride. I was told while waiting to get to the one person at a time wooden bridge on the river trail before the crowd did, so right off the line all of us at the start busted out sprinting. The people in the back were not impressed, until they hit the bridge. After the bridge we started the road portion of the ride.

I got with a group pretty quick and stuck with them till the first rest stop. We held an 18-20 mph pace all the way to the rest stop, and I was able to draft someone the whole way, which wasn't as important at the beginning of the ride as it would later be.

I got up to the point to where you had to decide, 50 miles or 62. I quickly decided to go for it, why not make a jump and try something big. After all I did have sag support to help if I couldn't cut it and a large portion of my family who were expecting a shorter ride out of me.  I stopped for a quick rest at the rest stop, and got a cookie. Nothing like a high sugar treat to keep your adrenaline boost up. I then set out, without a group.

I rode with anyone I could catch and hold in with for any length of time. I didn't like riding this portion by myself, but it didn't last over six miles and I was able to get with a group again for a while. At the second checkpoint I was able to get a little potty break in, and get some energy gel and a bottled water. I then headed out with the group I came in with and hung pretty close with a guy that had a speaker system on his bike. Just a little portable one but enough to make the ride go by a little faster, the 12 mile loop that made our course 60 was pretty remote area and the roads got a little rough in spots. Much like Hwy 199 that I ride in Pine Bluff.

If you look at my Garmin Connect data which is linked to at the bottom of this post, you can see that anytime I go North or West I slow down dramatically. The wind was pretty rough and fighting it was what wore me down. The whole first half of the ride was just like any other energy wise. I hadn't fought that hard to keep my fast pace. Things were changing fast as I got dropped from the group. I was not alone though, I got to ride with a guy that had plenty of experience with riding in the heat, and riding long rides. He had just gotten back from riding 500 miles in Iowa. I enjoyed the music from his bike as we fought out a 15 mph pace all the way to the Scott rest stop, where he dropped out due to the heat.

This rest stop was by far the best of the rest stops, it had more food, some great meats, and cheese rolls, and a misting tent which I spent some time in. The heat was kicking up and the wind was too. This was at mile 43 and I was feeling the distance, but committed to finish the ride. I started out what would be my battle to the line, I rode it alone as there were no slower groups near me, only fast club groups that I couldn't hang with. I rode a slower pace in a lower gear to battle the wind. I slowly made it on to the 53 mile rest stop.

This was the devils rest stop as far as I was concerned. I was limping in by that point with the wind having taken all my energy and most of my determination. I was dead on my legs and pushing only with the desire of completing my goal at any cost. I had been telling everyone the only way I was taking the sag wagon was if I had a medical situation or if they told me that I was taking too long. Neither was happening. I pushed and pushed to the River Trail which lead back to the finish line. My family had been watching via the gps in my iphone using mobileme.com . I was pulling around the corner when Kristina saw me and let everyone know which rider I was. They all came out and were cheering me in, which gives you a feeling unlike any other, when you see how much everyone supports what your doing.

After the finish of what measured up to be a 63 mile ride I ate and we quickly left and returned home, after all we had free tickets to see the Arkansas Travelers play and I needed a shower first.

I returned home to Pine Bluff and showered. After getting out I rested for a while, developing the dreaded after ride headache. I debated right up till time to leave for the game about whether or not to go. I decided in the end to go.

We headed to the game with our free tickets from the ride. We sat in the beer garden and right after the ceremonial first pitch we had a weather delay complete with down pouring rain. After an hour and a half they started the game, which then went on through rain. We decided after some rain that didn't cause a delay that we had enough. We headed home and I slept like a baby.