Fun Week and Riding Was a Big Part of It
July 31, 2008 at 2:28 am | In Commuting, OWLS, Off-road, Other Actrivities | 2 CommentsWednesday July 30, 2008
I put my bike on the garage wall last Tuesday after the OWLS ride. I took it down the following Tuesday for the OWLS ride. But, it wasn’t a bad week, even though I wasn’t on the road bike. The weather is now generally good, it’s possible to ride every day. But, sometimes other things get in the way.
Tuesday night’s OWLS ride was a backwards version of my airport ride. The route was a little different but not enough to call it another ride. A new record number of OWLS – 21. I would guess that I have done the airport ride 100 times (5 times a year for 20 years). Some years, I’d guess that one-half of my rides were the airport ride, perhaps with some extra parts. It’s a relatively low traffic ride and I can always accurately judge the time required.
Backwards, I saw things I haven’t seen before, such as the size of the Rogers plant on Oard Rd. The ride seemed a little easier but I suspect it’s because riding with others makes some parts feel easier. As usual, the OWLS were a mixed group but we stopped regularly to regroup. The traffic was light and much lighter than the previous OWLS airport ride. While it was hot, it wasn’t oppressive. Overall, it was a fun ride.
Brown County Mountain Bike Trails
But the highlight of the past week was a mountain bike ride in Brown County State Park on Sunday morning. Sometimes, when I look forward to something for a long time and then it happens, it doesn’t seem as good as I expected. Sunday’s ride was better than I expected.
I rode the North Gate, counterclockwise around the North Tower Loop to the Aynes Loop. Clockwise around the Aynes Loop, then continued counterclockwise around North Tower. At one point (just above the “P” in “LOOP”) the trail splits with no markings. I took the trail to the right and found myself on a paved road. I rode it for a bit looking for another way to get on the trail, and then turned around. When I got back on the trail, I went clockwise around North Tower to North Gate and back to the truck. I estimate it was about 12 miles.
I rode much better than expected. I rode a little slower than usual when I was near obstacles so that I could choose a route through the obstacle that matched my skills. Most times it worked. For some obstacles, I decided that I didn’t know how to do them, so I stepped down. However, I think I stepped down fewer times than I did on previous rides. At the end, I felt very good about the ride and I’m looking forward to going out to Brown County again soon.
Other Activities
Despite not riding, I was fairly active for the week. I managed two strendurance sessions. I ran 8 miles on Saturday. And, I’ve commuted every day except one where I had to drive to Indianapolis. I kept up fairly well with tai ji and yoga.
This is a Biking in Bloomington blog and maybe Brown County isn’t Bloomington and running, tai ji, yoga, and strendurance certainly aren’t biking. But, those help to make biking in Bloomington more enjoyable for me.
Multiple Rides But Not Enough
July 24, 2008 at 1:52 am | In Long Rides, OWLS, Weekend Rides | Leave a CommentWednesday, July 23, 2008
It’s been more than a week since I last posted. During the time, the weather has been very good in Bloomington for riding. Unfortunately, I have not been able to ride much.
Last Tuesday, I had to miss the OWLS ride because of work commitments. Wednesday morning, I treated myself to a little longer ride – about 1.25 hours. I rode the Water Works ride. At the Water Works, I turn almost always around. On a few rides, I’ve gone to the right along a road that has some very nice houses that overlook Lake Monroe. It’s about a mile and dead ends. Last Wednesday, I decided to explore the road that goes straight.
Over the years, I’ve wondered about it but always thought it was perhaps a driveway or that it might turn into a gravel road. The road goes down to the Lake. I was very surprised to find a State recreation area at the bottom. There are no signs anywhere that point to it. Very strange. It was a fun ride down and a fun ride (for different reasons) coming back up. Overall, a nice morning ride.
I have gone to the Water Works at least 100 times (at least 5 times each year for 20 years) and never went down the hill. It surprises even me.
Last Sunday, I rode about 36 miles with my daughter. We rode a version of the OWLS ABC ride – out 45, down and up Mt. Gilead, back on 45 to Shuffle Creek, Tunnel, Robinson, Old 37 to the Firehouse, down to Cascades, through Bloomington on Rogers to the south end, back on Gordon and Rhorer to Sare and home. Traffic was very light, the weather was relatively cool but I finished two big water bottles.
As usual, I rode harder than I liked but still struggled to keep up with her. After the ride, we ran 1.5 miles. I don’t run well after riding. It was a challenge, as it usually is.
Last night, I rode with the OWLS. A very pleasant ride and a little shorter than the other OWLS rides. It was just the right amount for me and I got home at a more reasonable time. The ride had enough challenges, both pace and hills, to consider it a training ride. At the same time, enough good will and cooperation to make it an enjoyable ride.
If the weather holds (we’ve had relatively less rain in the past week), I will be in Brown County State Park on Sunday morning for my first local mountain bike ride this year.
Rained Out but Alright
July 16, 2008 at 2:46 am | In Long Rides, Street/Road Conditions, Traffic, Weekend Rides, weather conditions | Leave a CommentTuesday, July 15, 2008
I hoped to do a mountain bike ride in Brown County State Park on Sunday, but the pervasive Bloomington rain prevented it. Saturday morning was rainy but late morning and all afternoon were bright, sunny, and warm. When I got home from work on Saturday, I adjusted the mountain bike for off-road (dropped the seat and lowered tire pressures). Saturday evening, I went to a show at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. During the show, the lights went off and on and it wasn’t part of the light show. Various booms were heard that were not part of the music. A very strong storm came through. No mountain biking.
Sunday morning was cool, crisp, and sunny. It was my first ride of a route I did a few times last year – 45, Bethel, Boltinghouse, Old 37, Anderson, through the Morgan Monroe Forest, Old 37, Chambers, Dittemore, Bottom, and home through town.
The roads were fairly dirty with a lot of blow-down. Broken branches blocked at least 1/2 of the road in 5 places. It was a day when riding into corners or shadows called for caution.
The pace was fairly good based on how little riding I’ve done this year. At Kinser Pike and the Bypass, the average was 15.3 (~37 miles). It was 15.0 when I got home (42.7 miles). From the Bypass to home, almost every corner seems to have stop sign or traffic light.
The hill in the Forest seemed a lot steeper than last year. All hills seem to require more than I did at the end of last year. I measured by my heart rate at the top which was consistently in upper 140s to low 150s on the big hills.
Little traffic as usual. Three pickups passed me on 45. From Bethel through to end of Bottom, 3 cars passed me. The county roads on Sunday morning are a bicyclist’s pleasure.
When I’m riding alone, I don’t shift often. I categorize my climbs sorta like the Tour, based on the rear cog. I generally ride in the 6 cog (I’ve never counted the teeth). There are two 4 hills on Anderson, the Forest hill and Old 37 are category 2. Climbing from Bottom to 37 is a category 3. I don’t think I shifted 10 times during the ride.
The rain prevented a mountain bike ride but the road ride but the road ride was darn nice, anyway.
Out with the OWLS Again
July 12, 2008 at 1:12 am | In Commuting, Morning Rides, OWLS, Weekend Rides, weather conditions | 1 CommentJuly 11, 2008
The OWLS ride earlier this week was mostly on roads that I ride regularly except for the Leonard Springs. The ride was pleasant and challenging. Rockport Rd is always a challenge with its rolling hills. (I reported on ride last year on Rockport Rd.) The hills are just as steep this year.
The group is always pleasant. Light banter. Pace varies but is never too hard or too easy. Tonight’s ride was mostly on low traffic roads so side by side riding was possible. The pace was a little slower but Rockport seems to slow the pace substantially.
I’m starting to learn more about how to ride in groups. I haven’t yet figured out how to maintain a pace that is equal to others. I seem to brake more than others. I also don’t yet know the norms about stopping at stop signs. Sometimes we seem to stop and gather, sometimes part of the group goes through without much of a stop. It will come to me after a few more rides.
Weekly Riding
I seem to be developing a pattern – longer ride on Sunday morning, OWLS on Tuesday evening, and easy ride Thursday morning. Along with runs on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, it’s a good exercise pattern.
I have not commuted this week – rain, tight schedule, errands, and a trip have prevented it. I hope to start again next week.
Mountain Biking
It’s been dry for a couple days so this evening (Friday), I started to plan for a trip to Brown County for mountain biking on Sunday. Then, I looked at the forecast. It looks unlikely again because rain is predicted for tomorrow. It seems like I won’t get out this summer.
The weather in Bloomington this year has been exceptionally wet. It’s often annoying to miss a ride or commute because of the weather. It is even more annoying to not be able to mountain bike.
Ride ‘Round the Lake
July 9, 2008 at 1:52 am | In Long Rides, Weekend Rides | Leave a CommentSunday, July 6, 2008
A wonderful morning for a ride. The temperatures were in the 60s and low 70s. Plenty of sun. No wind.
I decided to ride around the Lake Monroe. Despite sharing 446 with a few cars, it’s generally a quiet ride. There were few cars on 446 and almost none on the roads south of the Lake. Coming back north to Bloomington, there was a little traffic but nothing that was troublesome.
Most of the ride was at an easy pace. My heart rate didn’t exceed 130 climbing up from Lake Monroe on 446. It was mostly in the 110s south of the Lake. It reached about 140 at the top of “the alps” (Mission Valley Rd). The day was so pleasant that I wanted the ride to last for a long time.
After climbing the hill from the Lake Monroe dam, three riders picked me up and carried me at speeds I wouldn’t normally ride for about 5 miles to Smithville Rd. Two had Royal Toyota team jerseys. They were serious riders. My heart rate increased substantially riding with them.
I rode the Hoosier Hills 60K ride mostly. Instead of doing Ramp Creek, I rode on Fairfax because I couldn’t remember ever riding it. I took Fairfax to Rogers St and then back to home.
Mapmyride has the route at 36.66 miles but my computer has 38.1. I think my computer is more accurate because it’s similar to Garmin distances and I don’t map my rides accurately. I did it in about 2.33 hours. My computer said the average speed was 15.5.
In Bloomington, with the academic calendar, July 4 weekend means that summer is coming to an end. School ends in early May, so we’ve been on a summer schedule for 2 months. But, summer riding is here and as long as the rain holds off, I anticipate more pleasant rides over the next few weeks.
Rain Rain Run Away
July 4, 2008 at 9:44 pm | In Other Actrivities, weather conditions | 2 CommentsJuly 4, 2008
July 4 and more rain. I’ve had two sorta traditions on July 4. When I was in State College PA, I had a 60 mile ride that I did on July 4. That was (by far) my long ride for the year. For a couple years in Bloomington, I did a mountain bike ride (including one in Brown County State Park) on July 4. This year, I ran because of the rain.
It was raining when I left around 9 AM. I ran a loop that took me to two sites in small nearby forests. The first set of trails was near Jackson Creek School. I’ve written previously about the too-challenging off-road route that runs through it. I wanted to see how muddy it was to get a sense of what the other off-road trails might look like. It was fairly muddy.
I then went through Sherwood Oaks to near the YMCA. When I first arrived in Bloomington, I would often run in the Winslow Woods trails. About 12 years ago, part of the woods was developed and I stopped running in it. Today I tried it again and it was a lot of fun. It would be a nice easy off-road bike course, too. I don’t think the mountain bike riders have discovered it because I did not see any chainring marks on the trunks that cross the paths.
It was raining when I started, slowed through most of the run. When I was in Winslow Woods, the rain started heavily. As I left, I heard thunder. I ran hard to get home.
Two things I remembered:
- Bloomington is the only place I’ve lived where I did not have easy access to long running trails in the woods. Every other place, I could go into the woods within a mile of my residence.
- Catching one’s breath after running really feels good; better than a recovery on a bike. When I got home after pushing hard, I felt good as I recovered.
The twisty stuff without roads are the trails. I’d guess that I ran more than the mileage because I was on each trail for awhile.
Yesterday, I did a short ride before the rain. I rode on the nearby streets somewhat similar to the run. I got wet but not soaked by the time I got home.
Rain, rain go away. I don’t want to run another day. I really want to go mountain biking.
Second OWLS Ride
July 3, 2008 at 3:14 am | In Injuries, OWLS | Leave a CommentTuesday night, I led the OWLS on a version of my “airport” ride. The OWLS ride organizer was not able to post the report, so I can provide the map only. I guess it was about 28 miles but I don’t know the time or average speed. It was slow going through town, fairly fast at spots after we crossed 37, and a nice pace on the last part after we crossed 37 again.
The ride was not as comfortable as it is on a quiet Sunday morning. Vernal Pike between 37 and Smith Rd had a lot of traffic. At some points, a dozen riders probably caused some problems for drivers. It was interesting to see how much different a ride is when done solo or with one or two others and with a larger group.
Overall, the ride was pleasant. The group split at points based on how fast each rider wanted to go and gathered together to make sure all were doing okay. It’s a very pleasant group and I enjoy riding with them.
Riding and Rehab
Sunday, I did a short ride because of a couple physical problems. In the past few months, I’ve experienced sudden sharp but short pains in the tibialis anterior muscle on my left leg. Last week, a massage therapist worked it and I was still feeling the results on Sunday. It’s possible to ride without using the muscle but it tends to be involved in heavy riding. Also, I did something stupid and caused some back spasms on Saturday.
So, I rode a ride very similar to last Sunday’s ride (See the post below). But, I rode it slowly. By the end, both problems felt better. Maybe biking is good rehab for these problems.
Commuting is now regular again. The weather has been reasonable. Biking is fun.
Blog at WordPress.com. | Theme: Pool by Borja Fernandez.
Entries and comments feeds.
