Training Log Archive: PG

On the verge of raining, quite gloomy, but no reason not to visit someplace new.

And I don't think trees are supposed to be blooming on December 30th.

C • blooming 1

Part 1 of the ride, from Bill and Diane's house back to our motel to get my Garmin.

And part 2. Similar to Friday, trying to stay off the main roads as much as possible and quite happy to meander through subdivisions. Put out a good effort on all the ups, legs feeling tired unfortunately before I was done.

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Never thought this ride would happen. Went off on a family trip to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. A bad decision, though surely not the first bad decision I have ever made, and also surely not the last. Must have been one of the worst possible days to go -- Sunday over Xmas holidays so everyone looking for something to do with the kids, and foggy/rainy outside. Hey, let's go to the Aquarium.

Packed well past the point where you are more aware of the crowd than the exhibits. And I don't tolerate crowds well (more accurately, I tolerate them really badly). My own internal scorecard had the trip as 90/10. That's 90% awful, 10% very cool. I tried to deal with it, not very successfully, though I guess I certainly could have done worse.

Eventually we left, got back home about 4:20. The rain had stopped. There was still time (doesn't get dark until 5:45 to 6). I've often noticed that the best cure for a bad mood is exercise and that was certainly true again, pretty much wiped the 90/10 right out of my memory bank.

The mind works in strange ways, for which I am sometimes very grateful.

C • Bike therapy 1

Nice morning. A lake, a bit of woods, some houses. A few runners and walkers going past.

The usual concern when near houses -- how to look at birds that might be nearby, and maybe try to take a photo, without being taken for a peeping tom. Seriously.

So usually I just look at things well up in the trees, ditto in spades with the camera. Haven't been arrested yet, though occasionally someone comes out, wonders what I'm doing. The outcome at that point is invariably good -- especially if there's a good photo to show, or a look through the scope at something pretty -- but the initial moment is always full of suspicion. Human nature, I guess.

Turned out to be a really pleasant day, mid-50s, some sun, not much wind. Last year down here we had a couple of rides with Gail's niece Caroline on the maze of paved bike trails where she lives, with Caroline as the guide. This year Caroline hadn't been riding at all, had a bit of a sore leg, but was willing to come with us.

It turned out that it wasn't so simple. Between the making of the plan the evening before and our showing up at her house late the next morning, she had re-injured her leg in the process of, well, it was certainly a new one for us, in the process of battling a roach. Yup, a roach. I know roaches tend to be (much) bigger in the South than back home, but still, a roach?

Seems Caroline was a bit surprised to see the roach on the stairs at home, and she pulled a calf muscle in the ensuing backwards leap. Though it seems, bad leg and all, she managed to rather quickly dispatch the roach to wherever roaches go when they leave us. A little ice to the leg before we arrived and she was good to go, sort of.

It was clear pretty early in the ride that while the company was excellent and her spirit may have been willing, the flesh was not. We soon determined that enough was enough, swung back by her house and headed out on our own, guideless.

It was still pretty fine, even with regular looks at the phone to see where we were. Mid-50s, sun, shorts. Need I say more?

And time mid-afternoon to see if we could find a bike mechanic to adjust Gail's rear derailleur, since I couldn't figure out how (it has electronic shifting). Found a bike shop, asked whether they could find a few minutes to adjust her gears. Sure, bring it in.

Hmmm, seems the piece of metal that the derailleur attaches to was bent (from one of her falls). The guy fixed that. He adjusted the gears, smooth as could be. By the time he had fixed the front brakes so they were no longer rubbing, he also had agreed to look at my bike. Did I say he was really good?

A quick inventory of what mine needed. He suggested maybe we go off for a while, come back in an hour and a half. So we did.

Came back about 5:15. Had a new chain. The rear derailleur now worked smoothly. The brakes were better. But the front derailleur was a disaster, so he had started in on it.

Could he get done by 6 pm, closing time?

It will be close.

Well, then I'll just leave you alone and not bother you.

That would be good.

He was done at about 5:55. The bill was less than I expected. The bikes are now smooth as can be.

Some people are just really good at what they do.

Rain. Though I suppose the advantage of rain is that otherwise I would have wanted to stay longer, and it was time to hit the road.

Drove to Newnan, GA, heavy rain most of the way. But when we arrived in mid-afternoon the rain had stopped and it was 65 out. Put on the shorts and just one shirt and headed out -- how could I resist?

Did a random tour of the vicinity of her brother's house, mainly trying to avoid the main roads, and succeeded at that rather well. Though I was less successful at keeping track of where I was -- twice I had to pull out the phone to see where I'd gotten myself too.

Put out a decent effort at times. Other times just wandering around looking at things.

Better than expected.

An out-and-back on the Huckleberry Trail, a rail-trail (except where it's not) between Christiansburg and Blacksburg (VA). Where it wasn't a rail-trail was where the old rail line no longer existed due to building a mall (in C-burg) or an airport (in B-burg). So sometimes it behaved itself, gentle grades and gentle turns, and other times it was up and down and around and about. Gail really enjoyed all of the former and 3/4 of the latter (i.e the down and around and about); though she acquitted herself just fine on the up, I think it would be quite a stretch to say she enjoyed it.

Or maybe she did, just not letting on.... :-)

Nice enough day, about 40, light SE breeze, cloudy. It seems both C- and B-burg are in the mountain, the latter a bit higher. Who would have known? Well, maybe Kissy, pretty sure she went to school at Va. Tech.

5,295

On the way to visit Gail's brother and his family, stopped in Goshen, NY mid-day. Nice ride from there through Chester and just about to Monroe, and then back, all on a rail-trail with lots of character. Mid 30s, light breeze from the NW, seemed just fine.

Would have done fewer miles, but Gail was eager....

Seems to be 5,281. Winding down. Decent weather tomorrow, plan is Christiansburg to Blacksburg (VA), round-trip. And then wet weather expected for the rest of the year.

Not much.

C • 5280 Square feet ridden? 3

C • Maximizing the Cristina contribution? 3

No news from mom by midnight last night, so she's in. :-)

Everything is matched, dollar for dollar. Now at a little over $18,000. Still time to add your name, either here, or send me an e-mail, pg@crocker.com

Thanks, and Merry Xmas.

Spending Xmas eve and day at Charlie and Rhonda's, such a pleasure. Got out late morning for a ride with Charlie. Just perfect.

Low 30s, NW 15 or so, bright blue sky. Started out on the route C and R and Sassy do along the lake, then on past all the logging area, then along an old road along the Farmington River for a bit, and then back. Rough in places, especially the part past the logging, but nothing we couldn't ride, though it was close a couple of times. All places I'd never been, a bonus of course, and Charlie hadn't been on the part along the river for a decade or two, so that was another bonus. As I said, just perfect -- beautiful scenery, fun terrain, had the place to ourselves, and the company of a really good friend.

The wind wasn't much of an issue, often blocked by the hills and the woods, though occasionally it hit you right in the face and was rather bracing, to use Charlie's term.

At one point, cresting a hill that required a good bit of effort and being met by a full-on headwind, I wondered if it might offer an actual advantage, namely, by forcing a large quantity of air into your lungs, all you had to do was open your mouth. And so recovery ought to be quicker and easier. Must be true, because by the time we had finished considering the possibilities we were both fully recovered. Ah, the wisdom of the elders.... :-)

5,263

Out early because I wasn't sure what opportunities there might be later. Upper 20s, calm, bit of a snow shower.

Seemed hard. Maybe because I'd just finished breakfast? On the other hand, it was Monday morning rush hour and I saw only 5 cars... :-)

C • Robin 2