2010 MS150 "Breakaway to the Beach"

Attempted something this weekend that I had not yet done, and although I did not make it, I still fell that I succeeded. Tried to do back-to-back centuries in the 2010 MS150 "Breakaway to the Beach." First day went well, even though it was hot as blazes at the end; second day went very well until the lightning storm rolled in and the course had to be closed for safety reasons. After riding 98.5 miles the first day, I didn't think I'd want to get on a bike for a couple of days, but I did, and teamed up with a couple of guys who were similar cyclists; we had a four-man paceline, rotating in and out, which worked out great in the headwind we were dealing with. We managed to make 71 miles before we were told we couldn't go on. Big disappointment, but just motivates me for next year. Ended up with 169.59 miles and an average speed of 16.6 mph.
Everything about this ride was great, mucho kodus to the organizers and volunteers! Everyone was friendly and helpful and there was a ton of great food involved. And all for a great cause, "a world free of MS." I understand around $700,000 was raised to help folks who truly need it; always a good thing!
Be blessed, be safe!

20 September 2010

It's 2:30am and I have no idea why I am awake. So, I thought I may as well update my severely out-of-date blog.
I have not been riding as much as I want to, life has been crazy busy, but I did get to participate in the 2010 Night Owl Ride for Children's Chance this past Friday night. While I was not able to ride the whole 12 hours, I did manage to squeeze out a metric. I'm kind of proud of that; on a bad day, I can still ride 63 miles. Not bad. I have been working a lot and not sleeping (that's why I am blogging at 2:30am!) so my reserves were minimal, at best.
Adding to all that joy, I have contracted some conjunctivitis, from all the bugs I caught riding without glasses (note to self: buy some clear lenses just in case you ride at night)so now I am dealing with goopy eyes and drops every four hours. This too shall pass.
I am, in spite of classes and work, trying to rest and heal this week to get ready for the MS 150 "Breakaway to the Beach," this coming Saturday. I want to ride back-to-back centuries from Camden, SC to Sunset Beach, NC, via Francis Marion University in Florence, SC. I am especially excited about this, as I have not yet attempted a back-to-back; that, and my family will meet me in Sunset and we will hang out for a couple of days.
That's my near future, hope yours is as fun.
Be blessed, be safe.

New Hoops!

Very jazzed about this! Cannot wait until Saturday to roll'em out and see how they go! Easton EA90SLs!

8 August 2010

Heading out this morning to do some strength work; I will leave my bike in a hard gear (like a single-speed) and ride up and down a course of hills for 15 miles. It's tough, and I've only done it once before, but I think I can tell a difference. I did it last week and then took a couple of days off the bike, then when I rode on Saturday I felt and rode better than I have in a long time.
Went for a ride on Monday and was having a great time, but it was Labor Day and that meant a few things: people were off work, and kids were out of school. Traffic was terrible! Add to that, I got harassed by a carload of young bucks who thought it was funny to yell and throw stuff at a cyclist. I am happy to say that my local sheriff's department was not so amused. We'll see how this unfolds. I guess I still had a great ride, and the deputy and I laughed about the idea of all those cars going by and thinking "that fat guy on the bike is getting a speeding ticket!"
Very excited about today's ride for another reason: I have a new set of hoops on layaway and my favorite LBS, and I am going to get them today! It's a set of Easton wheels, aero aluminum (this heavyweight isn't ready to shell out the green for carbon wheels yet!) profile, and probably half the weight of my current wheels. I am far from being a "weight-weenie," but a lighter wheel means less rotating weight and should spin up easier and help me with my climbing. We'll see how things go.
I don't have but two hobbies, and they're both time consuming: cycling and hunting. Hunting season for me opens next week and I am looking forward to sitting in a tree for hours on end. I think I'll wear my Garmin heart monitor just to see what spotting a deer does for my heart.
More later, keep hammering.
Be blessed, be safe.