Training Log Archive: iansmith

Bike ride with Katie! We purchased a bike helmet for her today, so we decided to grab a bike from the bike share and go for an easy Sunnybrook loop. We had some technical difficulties with the bike share, but were eventually able to obtain a bike. As with Hubway in Boston, the Toronto bike share bikes are built like tanks - rugged, but heavy. There was foot traffic on the Donlands bikeway, and the objective was a pleasant ride rather than going fast.

C • rather than going fast 2

Conditions were just about perfect for a fast time, and I was still 1:50 too slow. The morning was a cool 15 C, and traffic was very light in the predawn light. I put a solid effort to break 30 kph. Many of the red lights at minor cross streets weren't triggering, so I was able to sustain my pace longer than is typical. There were a few stops, and a couple times where I slowed to try to hit a light with velocity. Despite the cool air, I was very warm from exertion by the end.

It's surprising that I was 54s down on the pace at 8 km despite the stop at Eglinton, though perhaps I just wasn't warmed up. I averaged 31.2 kph for kms 8-24, but that's still glacial. The red light on Overlea Blvd is my nemesis, as it seems to turn red just as I'm pulling up to it.

3x1 minute plank because my cycling posture is weak.

I saw a double rainbow shortly after a brief drizzle at the start of my ride. I also raised my seat a substantial 2 cm, and my position felt more comfortable at the end of the ride. It seems to be easy to underestimate dehydration on a bicycle, especially in cool weather - the steady headwind leads to very rapid evaporation. As I have been doing for the past week, I rode with a 750 mL bottle of weak gatorade and finished it during the ride. For longer rides, I recently purchased a new 3L Platypus bladder to replace my broken one.

I passed a cyclist near Bayview and Finch, but I either overestimated the speed gap between us or he was holding back, as he hung onto me until I turned East on John St. We waved as we parted, as comrades in the casual cyclist fraternity.

On this route, I especially enjoyed the southbound leg on Birchmont Rd/Village Parkway. While it was only a one lane street in each direction, it had a clear bike lane, minimal traffic, and some long stretches between stops. It is an ideal route for this intermediate length circuit, though impractical for the short 30-35 km outings. Averaging 30 kph remains an elusive goal, though I am hamstrung by the frequent stops at lights and stop signs. A cursory glance at the GPS track suggests I stopped about 35 times on this trip - once for over a minute. Between braking and accelerating again, it's quite possible I lost 15 minutes. Still, it was a pleasant and productive outing.

Bike is holding up mechanically, but I will soon need some routine maintenance and cleaning. Brake pads are becoming increasingly urgent, and my seat continues to sag on both sides.

C • 30 kph 2

Leslie St - Steeles - Bathurst rectangle. Leslie was pleasant (albeit with numerous stops) and may be a useful alternative to Bayview. Need to raise my seat.

Feeling tired from the heat.

Easy ride, targeted at 50 km on a new, certified rectangular Ontario route. Plan was north on Bayview, west on Route 35, and south on Dufferin. Dufferin transitions into a highway, Allen Rd; unfortunately, I missed that transition and had to double back as the road was becoming inhospitable to bicycles. I brought a granola bar, 750 ml of weak gatorade, my cell phone, an ID in event of incapacitation, and a $10 bill for snacks or public transit in the event of a mechanical problem. My bike jersey has proven an excellent investment, as it's much easier to carry the basic essentials.

I felt surprisingly wasted near the end of the ride; whether this is due to the heat (~23 C), my fitness, or fatigue is unclear. Need for replacement brakes is growing more serious. Left Achilles was only a minor niggle, though my right hamstring was a bit tight by the end.