Well, the Tour de Camden just didn't work out for me this year, but I do hope they had a good showing and were able to raise some fundage for Habitat for Humanity and the retired racehorses. It was too cold for this old racehorse, and I had other obligations; where do I sign up for next year?
The TdC would have been my last ride for the season, so I guess it's over for me this year. Kind of. I will hit the treadmill hard and hope to purchase a trainer soon so I can keep my "bike-butt" toughened up for next Spring. I am already counting down the days until the 2009 Assault on Mt. Mitchell (174 days!). I tried to do it last year, but only made it to Marion, NC. Still an impressive feat if I do say so myself: about 74 miles with roughly 5000 feet accumulated climbing. Not every 42 year old fatboy could get off the couch and go do that!
So, anyway, next year is a new year, and I am gonna own that mountain. My goal is to lose some weight and spend time on the treadmill and trainer, and as soon as it warms up, I'll be in the upstate every chance I get. The only way to be a good climber is to climb. Oh yeah, this is South Carolina, so it rarely gets too cold to do some mountain-biking!
Keep pedaling something. Be blessed, be safe.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
8 November 2008
Well, next Saturday is the 2008 Tour de Camden so my brother and I, along with his brother-in-law, got together today to do a training ride. It was a great day for it, though it was really windy. The temp was 70-something and the sun was shining, so we took off down through the country to parts of Lee County. Thirty-two plus miles of rolling hills, farms, and Autumn leaves. What a way to spend the afternoon!
Of course, any calories I may have burned on this ride (about 2600) I negated at the Camden House of Pizza. They have THE BEST spaghetti I have EVER eaten at a restaurant! So totally worth it. I just may go back next week after riding my metric in the TdC!
Be blessed, be safe!
Of course, any calories I may have burned on this ride (about 2600) I negated at the Camden House of Pizza. They have THE BEST spaghetti I have EVER eaten at a restaurant! So totally worth it. I just may go back next week after riding my metric in the TdC!
Be blessed, be safe!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
30 October 2008
It has been a few weeks since I have been able to ride with my pastor, but today we finally got to go for a short haul. Didn't have much time, 40 minutes, but we did manage to do an almost 8 mile loop near his house. I enjoy spending time with my pastor, and unlike Obama, I know alot about the man. He is a man of God that puts God first, and stands up for all people regardless of their race. My pastor's only agenda is to preach the Word and let It speak for Itself. It hasn't taken me 20 years to figure that out, either. Oh, he's pretty good on a bike, too.
Be safe, be blessed.
Be safe, be blessed.
2008 Leaf Tour
I went to Tigerville today and got my butt kicked in the 2008 Leaf Tour sponsored by the Greenville Spinners Bike Club. It wasn't a race, I am just in no shape to be riding in the hills! A big "hats off" to Ken Drescher and his crew for doing such a great job supporting the ride.
It started if kind of nasty, about 59 degrees and wet. Off and on misting/raining,the first ten miles or so were not good. But as the day wore on, the weather cleared and we finished up at 72 degrees and beautiful blue mountain skies!
We left Tigerville Elementary School and rode out toward Table Rock, with a couple of GOOD climbs, to Aunt Sue's on Hwy 11 where we all enjoyed a great lunch. That cup of chili was what I needed to get me back!
The return trip through Slater meant old-fashioned hand-made milkshakes at Slater's Drug Store. Neat store and excellent shake!
So, overall, my cyclometer registered 49 miles at 13.51mph, with a maximum speed of 37.95mph (fatboy loves a downhill!! Woo-hoo!!). Great ride, but in the past I have been using a product called Perpetuem and didn't have any for this ride. I had a little difficulty making it back to Tigerville because my legs were weak and wanted to cramp. All I could do was spin up the hills in low gear. BUT... I finished the ride and was not the last one back into the parking lot which is my ONLY goal when I ride. I am too heavy and too old to think I am getting out front and staying there.
I call this ride a smashing success because although I got tired and wet, I finished, I enjoyed the company I was in, and any day on a bicycle is a great day.
Be safe, be blessed.
It started if kind of nasty, about 59 degrees and wet. Off and on misting/raining,the first ten miles or so were not good. But as the day wore on, the weather cleared and we finished up at 72 degrees and beautiful blue mountain skies!
We left Tigerville Elementary School and rode out toward Table Rock, with a couple of GOOD climbs, to Aunt Sue's on Hwy 11 where we all enjoyed a great lunch. That cup of chili was what I needed to get me back!
The return trip through Slater meant old-fashioned hand-made milkshakes at Slater's Drug Store. Neat store and excellent shake!
So, overall, my cyclometer registered 49 miles at 13.51mph, with a maximum speed of 37.95mph (fatboy loves a downhill!! Woo-hoo!!). Great ride, but in the past I have been using a product called Perpetuem and didn't have any for this ride. I had a little difficulty making it back to Tigerville because my legs were weak and wanted to cramp. All I could do was spin up the hills in low gear. BUT... I finished the ride and was not the last one back into the parking lot which is my ONLY goal when I ride. I am too heavy and too old to think I am getting out front and staying there.
I call this ride a smashing success because although I got tired and wet, I finished, I enjoyed the company I was in, and any day on a bicycle is a great day.
Be safe, be blessed.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
23 October 2008
Back in the day, Joe Piscopo used to portray Andy Rooney on Saturday Night Live, and always said, "You know what bothers me?" In that vein, I too will say, "You know what bothers me?" It bothers me how life gets in the way of biking. I want to ride more but instead I work more, do more tasks around the house, etc. It is my goal to finish the 2009 Assault on Mt. Mitchell next May, but the only way that'll happen is to get riding.
So, I am not ready because I have not been riding, but I am going to ride anyway, in the Leaf Tour, sponsored by the Greenville Spinners. It's 46 miles in the SC upstate between Tigerville and Table Rock. I want to do well, but at this point I'll be happy to finish.
Then, next month there is the Tour de Camden, a metric century (along with some shorter rides) that is part of Cup Week. I rode last year and averaged almost 18mph, and I'd like to do better.
For my training, I bought some new tires for my mountain bike, a dual-purpose tire; smooth tread in the middle for on-road, and lugs on the outer aspects of the tire for off-road. Put the tires on this past Sunday and while just test-riding in my neighborhood, hit a curb at about 2mph and went over the bars in slow-mo! It's like at the top of the flip I had time to think, "man, can we just get this over with?!" Once I hit the pavement, my next thought was, "okay, who saw that?" Took me a minute to get up and I really felt it the next day. The riding is great, but I'm getting too old for falling.
Thing is, I just want to ride more. Being on a bike is therapy for me, a time when I can forget about work and other life obligations that are weighing on me. It is ALWAYS worth the pain and expense to be able to ride.
Be careful, be blessed.
So, I am not ready because I have not been riding, but I am going to ride anyway, in the Leaf Tour, sponsored by the Greenville Spinners. It's 46 miles in the SC upstate between Tigerville and Table Rock. I want to do well, but at this point I'll be happy to finish.
Then, next month there is the Tour de Camden, a metric century (along with some shorter rides) that is part of Cup Week. I rode last year and averaged almost 18mph, and I'd like to do better.
For my training, I bought some new tires for my mountain bike, a dual-purpose tire; smooth tread in the middle for on-road, and lugs on the outer aspects of the tire for off-road. Put the tires on this past Sunday and while just test-riding in my neighborhood, hit a curb at about 2mph and went over the bars in slow-mo! It's like at the top of the flip I had time to think, "man, can we just get this over with?!" Once I hit the pavement, my next thought was, "okay, who saw that?" Took me a minute to get up and I really felt it the next day. The riding is great, but I'm getting too old for falling.
Thing is, I just want to ride more. Being on a bike is therapy for me, a time when I can forget about work and other life obligations that are weighing on me. It is ALWAYS worth the pain and expense to be able to ride.
Be careful, be blessed.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
8 October 2008
Yesterday on the phone, my brother reminded me that November would be here soon, as would the 2009 Tour de Camden. I have not been riding as much as I need to so decided to get on it. Tomorrow.
Well, today is tomorrow, if you follow my thinking, so I planned on trying to get a high-quality ride in today. However, the weather had other plans. Rather than getting 30 miles from home and having the bottom fall out on me, I left my road bike hanging and pulled down my mountain bike. This is a page I pulled from my brother's playbook. Hammer hard on a heavy bike for awhile, do some uphill sprints, and get a few miles in; then, when you pull out the ol' road bike, instead of 20+ pounds, it feels like 10 pounds!
Off I go, foreboding clouds above and lots of neighborhoods around me, I hammered away and knocked down over 25 miles. I am exhausted now, but a little more ready for TdC. Last year I averaged 17.77mph, I'd love to improve that this year.
Be careful, be blessed.
Well, today is tomorrow, if you follow my thinking, so I planned on trying to get a high-quality ride in today. However, the weather had other plans. Rather than getting 30 miles from home and having the bottom fall out on me, I left my road bike hanging and pulled down my mountain bike. This is a page I pulled from my brother's playbook. Hammer hard on a heavy bike for awhile, do some uphill sprints, and get a few miles in; then, when you pull out the ol' road bike, instead of 20+ pounds, it feels like 10 pounds!
Off I go, foreboding clouds above and lots of neighborhoods around me, I hammered away and knocked down over 25 miles. I am exhausted now, but a little more ready for TdC. Last year I averaged 17.77mph, I'd love to improve that this year.
Be careful, be blessed.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
7 October2008
It's been over two weeks since I've posted, guess that says alot about how much I have been riding- NONE! Acutally, I did ride last Monday, 12.42 miles with my pastor. Every time I would stand up to climb, or brake aggressively, the front wheel made some strange pinging noises. So, being the experienced roadie that I am, I took the wheel off and promptly carried it to my local bike shop, Harrell's Cycle World in Columbia, SC (highly recommended!), because I didn't have a clue. Paul builds a pretty good wheel, though, and I get it back today. Hopefully this afternoon will involve a spin.
When I dropped my wheel off, I bought one of those tools to check chain wear, because I am a big boy and I try to do a lot of climbing (getting ready for Assault on Mt. Mitchell, 2009). So, I am now buying a couple of chains when I pick my wheel up. It's always something, but the benefits of cycling far outweigh its costs.
Be careful, and be blessed.
When I dropped my wheel off, I bought one of those tools to check chain wear, because I am a big boy and I try to do a lot of climbing (getting ready for Assault on Mt. Mitchell, 2009). So, I am now buying a couple of chains when I pick my wheel up. It's always something, but the benefits of cycling far outweigh its costs.
Be careful, and be blessed.
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