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.
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.
Winter Walkabout
March 13, 2008 at 2:43 am | In Blogroll, Other Actrivities | Leave a CommentSunday March 9, 2008
Every winter, I usually take one or two long walks as my Sunday exercise. Most times, the walks are part of a recovery from a cold or bad weather that made it difficult to bike or run. I thought this year I might miss the walk if I waited for a similar day, so I decided to walk on Sunday. The walk had some bicycling connections.
The day was reasonably warm and sunny. I walked through the goat farm which is at the end of Winslow and High Streets. Then, I crossed over to Sherwood Oaks Park. I checked a path along west side of Jackson Creek that has usually ended in a muddy mess. I’ve taken my mountain bike on it a couple times. It hasn’t changed; still muddy.
Then, I walked up the path towards Olcott Park. A few weeks ago, fellow Bloomington biking blogger Mitch Rice mentioned that mud covered part of the path. The mud is mostly removed and straw bales were put on the side of the path to prevent more mud. A typical Bloomington response to a problem – an unattractive solution that is bound to fail and doesn’t solve the real problem.
About half-way up the hill, there is a series of paths that appear to be used both for walking and off-road riding. The paths continue to be developed. But, many places on the path a rider would have to dismount to cross the obstacles. Good riders could ride over obstacles that I can’t, but some just don’t seem possible to ride.
While on the path, I stopped to talk to Mitch Rice. He and Jojo were on the path. They stopped to throw snowballs.
I finished the walk on the east side of Sare Rd. A new biking / walking path has been laid down near the small creek east of Sare Rd. My initial review indicates it will be maintenance problem, just as is the biking / walking path near Sare Rd. I guess the developers say they are doing something and then dump the problem on the city. Some things never change in Bloomington.
Bloomington has many off-street paths that can be used by bicyclists but they are poorly maintained.
Not Much Outdoor Riding
January 27, 2008 at 9:06 pm | In Other Actrivities, Street/Road Conditions, weather conditions | Leave a CommentI did not get to ride much this week. I was away two days and the other days, I needed the car. Tomorrow, I will commute to work just because I want to. However, my wife will have to pick me up because I will be on campus until 7 PM. I rode on my trainer four mornings.
Today (Sunday), it was 22o when it was time to exercise. I decided to run instead of riding. I am going to try to run more this year. I ran for about 85 minutes which is long for me, especially considering I have done only 2-3 3-4 mile runs since Thanksgiving.
Running in Bloomington is somewhat like biking. Generally, it’s a pretty good place to run. Today, I ran on the sidewalks for almost the entire run. Many sidewalks were icy and snow-covered. I have been running for more than 35 years. Prior to coming to Bloomington, I lived in PA, MD, and CT. Each has substantially more snow than Bloomington. I’ve learned how to handle ice and snow when running, so it doesn’t bother me. In fact, it’s a good skill to practice regularly.
Bloomington has an ordinance that requires property owners to clear their sidewalks of snow and ice after snow. It is not enforced and few property owners clear their sidewalks. This behavior causes pedestrians (and unskilled runners) to run or walk on the street with the cars. A dangerous situation.
However, it doesn’t snow often and not much when it does. So, outdoor running can be done most of the year.
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