Another pet picture

Here's our cat Joey getting in the holiday spirit.

Okay, clearly I'm running out of material... I'm crossing my fingers for an epiphany before year end.

Let It Snow...

Cassi is wondering ...what happened to my doghouse?  And when is it going to stop snowing?

Though I guess it is appropriate weather for the first official day of winter...

Mid Week Eye Candy

This has been one of those weeks where every waking hour has been spent on work. Big time bummer. So, as far as material for my blog goes, I got nothin'.

I'm learning, though, that when you've got nothin', it's time for a picture. And here's a good one. This is a shot of the beautiful hand blown glass flowers hanging in the ceiling of the Bellagio Hotel lobby in Las Vegas. I took it during a recent mini vacation as we strolled down the strip.

See, there's that word, "vacation", again...

And Another

Here's another "wish I were there" shot from the same area.
~ sigh~
Is it time for vacation yet?

Random Picture Day

Just digging through my digital photo album from 2008 in search of the perfect Christmas card picture and stumbled upon this. I took this while sipping cocktails in Islamorada, FL, during April vacation - just a few short weeks before I began my biking endeavor.

I don't know about you but I want to be here right now - especially as we approach the first snow/icy mix event of the season.

Calling it a Season

Since I like beginnings, middles and ends, I've decided I need to call an official end to my biking season for 2008.

I haven't been on my bike in 5 weeks (since November 2) for a variety of reasons - some legitimate, some not. So this weekend, my husband packed my bike safely away for the winter and I'm calling it a season.

Total miles for 2008: 1,430

It would have been nice to make it to 1,500 miles or more but I was a newbie and I didn't start until mid May. Maybe that can be one of my goals for next year.

Here's my end of season picture in the cool racing jacket that I got as a gift from our friend, Doug. I wanted to get a pic of me wearing it while I was actually biking, but it just didn't happen. Maybe next year....Until then, I'm officially switching to running for the winter. Depending on the weather and my motivation level, we'll see how it goes...

To PMC or Not To PMC

I'm referring, of course, to the Pan Mass Challenge, the massive bike riding fundraiser for the Jimmy Fund. Should I go for it next August or not?

I said in a previous post that I am a PMC rider wannabe. Sign ups are in mid January for the limited openings for first time riders. If I'm lucky and on the ball, I'll get a spot for the very popular two day ride from Wellesley to Provincetown with my friend Sue, who has ridden it several times in the past.

Biking two long rides back to back will be a challenge. But the bigger challenge, unfortunately, is the $4,200 minimum fundraising requirement. That's pretty steep, especially in this economy. And if I can't raise that amount, the balance goes on my credit card. Ouch.

Something to think about during the next month. But if I don't go for it, at least I know there are plenty of other great riding opportunities awaiting me in 2009.

Never Say Never Wish List

As a follow up to my Never Say Never post, I thought I would make another list. These are the nevers I have been known to say but are not yet proven evidence of the "never say never" principle. That is, they unfortunately still ring true.

I find this annoying. Sometimes I'd prefer if the "never say never" principle was applied uniformly and did not discriminate against certain nevers.

Perhaps the mere act of putting them in writing will stir the powers that be to invoke the "never say never" principle to my list below:

• I will never accomplish all the things on my to do list
• I will never look totally hot in a bikini
  
• I will never make too much money
  
• I will never do absolutely nothing for one whole day
  
• I will never watch all the shows I've recorded on my DVR
• I will never have to dye my hair again
• I will never write a book
  
• I will never finish reading all the books on my nightstand
• I will never be up to date with all of my photo albums

And here are a few thrown in for the benefit of my husband:

• I will never stop back seat driving
• I will never learn how to operate the power tractor
• I will never stop being right
  

There. I've said them out loud. Keep your fingers crossed. With any luck, I'll be able to report back soon with further proof that you should "never say never."

Never Say Never

File this under things I think about when I'm biking (or running or listening to music or doing nothing in particular):

The expression - "Never say Never" - has tripped me up a few times in my life. Sometimes for the good, sometimes for the not so good. But I think I'm getting wiser as the years go by. That is, I'm learning to never say never. Or at least when I do, I catch myself and try to rephrase.

Because often, you see, "never" isn't really never. As proof of my theory, here is a smattering of things I've said "never" to that really weren't never:

• I'll never drive a minivan - I've been driving one for 8 years now. Despite adding a few personal touches (as those who have seen it know), the fact remains that I still drive a minivan.
  
• I'll never get a dog - We've had a great golden retriever named Cassi in our family for the past 6+ years. Despite a very scary close call at age 9 with an unleashed, poorly trained attack dog, I actually agreed to get a dog and now go so far as to describe myself as a "dog person".
  
• I'll never go back to work full time until my kids go to college - My three year anniversary of full time employment was two days ago.
  
• I'll never be a morning person - Here's evidence to the contrary.
• I'll never be able to bike 100 miles in one day - More evidence to the contrary.
  
• I'll never eat sushi - One of my favorite restaurants is Sushi Inaka.
  
• I'll never be friends with my ex-boyfriend - I now consider him one of my oldest friends.
  
• I'll never understand statistics - I can now explain the difference between R squared and R squared adjusted in the unlikely event that anyone is interested.
• I'll never listen to KISS 108 - Not by choice, but this is one unfortunate reality of having 12 year old daughter.
  

These are the some of the nevers I'll admit to publicly that have taught me to never say never. Of course, there is a whole host of nevers that I'll never admit to here. Wait, let me rephase that...

Feaster Five Miler

On Thanksgiving Day, I decided to brave a crowd of over 8000 people and run the Feaster Five in Andover. I'm not really sure why I decided to do this. The idea just sort of popped into my head. Shortly thereafter, I found myself driving over to register, signing up and getting a number. Then on Thanksgiving morning, I found myself at the starting line in my running shoes in the cold with 8000 other people.

Wondering ... why did I decide to do this again?

But, you know, sometimes you have to just do these things without giving them too much thought.

No surprise, but it was a really fun time and I am so glad I did it. The people cheering on the sidelines were great and I really appreciated the few small brass bands strategically placed along the course. The event was also well organized and everyone was in a friendly and happy mood. Plus, it was an excellent workout before a big Thanksgiving meal.

I've actually done the Feaster Five before back in 1999 and 2001 - both times running the 5K. After 2001, though, I decided I wouldn't do it again (I think because of the crowds, cold and huge traffic jams).
But I'm glad I gave it another try this year. And I'm glad I went for the 5 mile route instead of the 5K. It gave me the opportunity to accomplish another "first" this year, since I've never run further than 3.2 miles in any type of organized race. It probably would have helped my time significantly had I actually trained for this event, but my pace wasn't bad for me and given the crowds.

The Feaster Five was a great way to start my Thanksgiving Day this year. Plus, the 5 mile run turned out to be a cake walk compared to the 10 hour cooking and cleaning marathon that soon followed...

Endurance Carryover

Here's a nice thing I just discovered. I think the endurance I gained from biking long distances has now carried over to running.

I tested this theory on Sunday by going out and trying to run the same route I did in my Forrest Gump Moment post. I had thought that run was a total fluke because at about 6 miles, it is 3 times longer than I typically run at any given time. (In fact, for the last few years, my "runs" could more accurately be described as a "run/walks.")

But today I ran the same exact route again without stopping. I even shaved a few minutes off my last time. And I didn't even have anything to run from like I did last weekend (a boatload of work). Granted, I only have two data points to prove this theory but it's looking pretty promising.

Biking and running use such different muscles but it's nice to know that the endurance may have carried over. One more thing for me to add to the growing list of the side benefits of biking.

Walk in The Woods

Today I went out in the woods with Cassi, our six year old golden and one of my favorite exercise companions. Let me just start out by saying it was totally freezing out (20 degrees with strong winds) and as usual I was under dressed (no hat, no gloves, not enough layers). But I needed to get Cassi out for some exercise off lead today, regardless of the weather. And the conservation land in my town is the perfect spot.

Cassi, who has always been a total ball of energy, full of life dog, is going through the hard work of recovering from an unexplained spinal infection that began in September. It started with excessive paw licking, progressed to total lameness of one paw, and ultimately resulted in an inability to walk more than a few steps without staggering. Rock bottom was when she fell down the stairs one morning after waking up.

After an MRI, spinal tap and numerous tests with specialists - I can't even say out loud how much we spent on her - the conclusion is that she has/had some type of spinal cord disease. Why she got it has never been determined, but I have a sinking feeling that she may have contracted it from something in the woods during our annual summer camping trip this past August. That would be very sad indeed since it's her absolute favorite place on earth.

Fortunately, she has made major improvements in the last three months and is steadily improving. She's now back to some of her usual antics - barking at people, sniffing out squirrels, trotting through the woods. But she doesn't have the get up and go she used to. And she's not quite the "sassy Cassi" that we've known and loved for the past six years.

The doctor is not sure if she will ever fully recover but we're hoping and praying that with a steady diet of love, exercise and medicine, we'll get our crazy dog back in all her glory at some point very soon.

Still Philosophizing...

Okay, I went deep with my last post so I'm going deeper.

Claudia mentioned in her comment that how you define "good music" might help bridge the gap between the two outlooks on life that I debated on Tuesday.

Let's start with "great music". To me, that's all about passion, energy, connection, endorphins, and being in sync with your heart's desire. "Good music" is a step down - all the same things but not as intense. "Bad music" sounds bad, feels bad and is bad. By it's very nature, it often demands to be turned off. So to me, no music is better than bad music.

Hopefully, "doing your duty" goes hand in hand with listening to great music (thereby squashing the whole "never mind your happiness" part of Drucker's quote).

My friend AJ, who is a life coach, philosopher and writer, replied to my post via email. I think he sums it up well in the below quote:

"In my view, the "art" of balance is to recognize that doing your "duty" is not in competition with your passion/love for music. Doing you "duty" does not need to be hard, or work, or a struggle. If doing your "duty" is rooted in joy and passion for others (rather than obligation to others) then it is a source of energy and vitality. By making good music a means for establishing and strengthening your connection with your children, friends and community - you can be doing your duty while embracing music. If your love for music weakens your ties with the same people, then the balance is lost." (Thanks for the insight, AJ.)

Bottom line for me: a responsible life filled with great - or at least good - music is a very happy life indeed. And if your playlist just isn't doing it for you anymore, it may be time to discover new music, rediscover old faves, shuffle the songs and get the good tunes rolling again.

Philosophizing

I think a lot when I bike. Biking long distances is very meditative and, depending on the route, offers some good quality think time. Even though I haven't been logging many miles on my bike lately, I have been thinking a lot (since I am, after all, a classic overthinker, as I've confessed before).

Well then. Here is what I've been pondering lately - and I warn you, this may sound "out there".

This past week, I've been trying to rectify these two perspectives on life:

1) "Life is too short to waste time listening to bad music," said by yours truly; and
2) "Never mind your happiness; do your duty," said by Peter Drucker, renowned management guru.

I know it may be a stretch to call Number 1 a perspective on life. But think about it conceptually. Why waste time listening to bad music when there is so much good music out there? Substitute the analogy to music with any number of things and you get the picture.

This really has to do with the whole 'life is short' mentality. You never know how much time you have so you better have fun, take chances, do the things you love and really live your life. I've been learning to embrace this philosophy more and more the older I get and the more good music I listen to.

On to Number 2, which I first read last weekend when I was searching for quotes by Peter Drucker (long story). Anyway, when I stumbled on this one - "Never mind your happiness; do your duty," - it literally felt like someone threw cold water on my face. How stark. And where's the fun in that?

But you know the really annoying thing? After I thought about it I realized he is right to a large extent. Sometimes you just have to turn off the music and do what's required. And when you have that mentality, some decisions are really easy to make.

Both philosophies can have their downfalls if taken to the extreme. So the question I've been trying to answer now is how you do both. Hopefully, if you can strike a good balance between the two, you'll be able to do your duty while wasting as little time as possible listening to bad music. Or ideally, you'll be listening to good music while doing your duty.

So that's what I've been thinking about during my small windows of free time lately. Told you it was out there.

A Forrest Gump Moment

This morning it was pouring rain outside and I needed some exercise. Having always been a fan of running in the rain - and deciding it was safer than biking - I laced up my running shoes and headed out the door. Once I made it out the driveway, I started my usual 2 mile loop.

And then I had what I'm calling my "Forrest Gump moment. " Instead of continuing my loop at the halfway point, I turned left. Then I kept running and running and running. Straight towards the edge of town. It was so weird. I couldn't seem to stop myself.

Thankfully, aided by the increasing weight of my wet running clothes, I snapped to my senses and eventually turned back.

I didn't quite make it past the town line, into the next county and beyond like Forrest. But out of the blue I did one of my longest runs in a decade or two - 65 minutes of straight running covering just under 6 miles in the pouring rain. Not long or fast by runners' standards but I got in some serious cross training. I just hope I'll be able to walk tomorrow.

And that's all I have to say about that.

What I've been doing instead of biking - Part II

On Halloween night, we had the pleasure of seeing guitar god Warren Haynes play with his band, Gov't Mule in Boston. What does this have to do with biking, you might ask? Well, this would fall into the category of what I've been doing instead of biking. And although I wouldn't normally be out biking in the dark on Halloween night, seeing this unbelievable, almost 4 hour show into the wee hours of the morning did prevent me from getting out on my bike the next day...

As my friends know, I'm a HUGE Warren Haynes fan and think he is one of the best living guitarists out there. I've also had the pleasure and privilege of seeing him 6 times in the past 18 months. Every show is different and Warren and the band never disappoint.

The Boston Orpheum appearance was their second show on their Kinder Revolution fall tour and featured new bassist, Jorgen Carlsson. This particular show was a special treat. The Mule played 26 songs in total and the entire second set was all Pink Floyd covers, complete with light show and sound effects. This was a first ever for the band. They also performed an unbelievable jam of St. Stephen that even the most non-Grateful Dead fan would love.

It takes stamina to watch a show like this - let alone perform it. That's why the next day was spent sleeping late and reveling in the memory of the night before.

Another autumn view

Here's another roadside view of the fall colors from my ride last weekend. The colors are at the tail end, but at least there is still some color.

Well, I hate to admit it, but this week I didn't get out on my bike as I had hoped. Rain, work, lots of slippery leaves on the road, tickets to the Patriots game today. All good excuses.....

I did get out for a nice hike through the woods and one run, though. Not terribly strenuous. But my legs are sore so I think I can get away with calling it cross training. More on that later.

Two weeks later...

Would you look at this. This is the same shot from my Stop and Pause post below but it's two weeks later and all the leaves are gone. How fast they come and go. Glad I took a moment to enjoy while the color was in full glory.

Today I got out for a 19 mile loop through North Andover, Boxford, Groveland and Haverhill. It felt great to be back out there, though I did feel a bit of pain after having been off my bike for a full two weeks. I was slower and couldn't really find my rhythm. The temp was in the 40s and chillier than I'm used to but I don't think I can really use that as an excuse. This week looks warmer so hopefully I'll be able to fit in a few lunchtime rides, get my fitness level back up, and get back in the groove.

What I've been doing instead of biking

I've been a slacker these past two weeks. My biking has fallen victim to a busy work schedule and a 4 day mini vacation. I'm also using the excuse that I haven't had the time to buy appropriate fall biking garb and I'm going to freeze my butt off if I go out in shorts.

Biking takes a lot of time. So if I haven't been doing that, what have I been doing?

Well, to return to my earlier music reference and love of great guitar, I actually had the pleasure of meeting one of the greats this past Saturday. Sonny Landreth is one of the best slide guitarists in the world, according to one of my favorite guitarists, Warren Haynes. And here I am with him backstage before the final Jimmy Buffett show of the year at MGM Studios in Vegas. The cool thing was that we actually talked briefly of his performances with Warren, who I will be seeing this weekend as he plays with his band, Gov't Mule.

Also, my husband and I managed this photo opp right in front of Jimmy Buffett's guitars. Can't get much closer than this! I hesitate to say this out loud for fear of offending the parrotheads of the world, but Jimmy Buffett's music isn't something I'm passionate about. His shows are a total blast, though, and you can't beat them for prime people watching. Plus, it's great to see someone doing what they love, having loads of fun and making a gazillion dollars. Everyone should go to at least one Jimmy Buffett show in their lives. There's so much to learn.

So that's a bit of what I've been doing instead of biking lately. In the next few days, I hope to get myself to the bike shop and pick up some colder weather gear and quit being a slacker. Unless, of course, I find another excuse.

Stop and Pause

It doesn't get much better than this. Leaves are peaking in our neck of the woods. And if you don't pay attention, you just might miss it.

Have you done that before? I have. I've love fall and look forward every year to seeing the leaves in all their glory - yellow, orange and red. But then often it seems that the leaves have come, peaked and gone before I've taken the opportunity to really appreciate their beauty.

That could easily be happening to me again this fall, but you see, I have my blog to maintain. I can't just be mindlessly biking along, staring at the road, briefly regarding my surroundings as I ride by. I need to be paying attention and on the lookout for the next photo opportunity for a future blog post. So I look up, pull over and get off my bike when there is something worth appreciating for a few moments.

This has been another unexpected side benefit of my blog and thankfully it is starting to carry over into other aspects of my life. So I try to stop and pause and take a breath. And I'm learning that if I don't pay attention I just might miss my opportunity.

Brain Tunes

Those who know me well know how important music is to me. I have it playing all the time and go to as many live shows as I can. But there are those times - like biking - when you just can't safely listen to music. So when I can't have have iTunes, I rely on brain tunes.

What are brain tunes? These are tunes that I love and that I've listened to so many times that they are literally seared into my brain, note for note. I can then dial them in and play them in my head whenever the mood strikes.

Some would say I have multiple personalities when it comes to my music taste. Led Zeppelin was how it all started for me and my brother back in high school. Then in college and years beyond, I was a die hard fan of alternative rock. R.E.M. topped the list because they are, after all, the godfathers of alternative rock.

This carried on for a while without much new blood (other than Coldplay) and I eventually got bored with my own taste in music, a victim of overplaying and too narrow a focus.

Thankfully, this all changed one day in August of 2006 when our friend Mark flew out from California and insisted we go to see the Allman Brothers Band with him while he was in town. 7th row seats directly in front of guitar god Warren Haynes had my head spinning faster than Linda Blair's on The Exorcist. That dude can play!! His playing was so unbelievable, in fact, that I thought at times that he (or I) just might spontaneously combust like the drummers on Spinal Tap. Warren plays even better when dueling with slide guitarist Derek Trucks, the second highlight of the show for me. In fact, the Allman Brothers Band could be renamed the Haynes/Trucks band since they are such a powerful presence.

From that day forward, I became a blues/southern rock fan and started listening to everything Allman Brothers and Gov't Mule (Warren Haynes' band). I also expanded into other guitar gods like Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn and have hung there for the last few years searching for the next great guitar solo.

Then totally out of left field just a few short weeks ago, more new blood arrived on the scene. I was introduced to Metallica by my friend Jason, a purist when it comes to their music. The band has been around 20+ years without a second glance from me. But they just released a new album in September and I have an open mind so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I love great guitar and Kirk Hammet can do great - in fact, unbelievable - guitar (especially when the lead singer and drummer get out of the way). I'm by no means a thrash and speed metal fan, but I have become an avid fan of their "kinder and gentler" songs.

Here's the short list (with a hyperlink) to the brain tunes I'm playing these days:

Gov't Mule - Beautifully Broken - Great for long rides with a slow steady incline. The guitar work at the end helps get me up and over the top.

Allman Brothers Band - Soulshine - If you're a Brothers fan, you'll know this one is overplayed and I'm really not a huge fan of this song. But nothing can match the dueling guitars of Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks during the last third of the song. Seeing it live has been one of my great life experiences and definitely helps motivate me out on the road.

Metallica - Fade to Black - One of their "kinder, gentler" songs with unbelievable guitar work. The whole song makes me strive to fly on the flats and the ending solo gives me the kick in the butt I need if I'm starting to drag.

R.E.M. - Hollow Man - This is good when I'm, as Michael Stipe would say, "lost inside my head," being introspective or overthinking during longer stretches on less traveled roads. The fast chorus is great for downhills.

Music is such a big part of my riding, I'm surprised I haven't mentioned it until now. I rely heavily on brain tunes during all of my rides. Better than iTunes or the radio, brain tunes are always available, I can dial them up or down anytime, and I don't need to take my hands off the handlebars to change the station.

Still Out There

Even though not much action was happening on my blog this past week, I still managed to get out on my bike and log 68 miles. I'm down to shorter rides on the weekends, mostly due to kids' soccer games, shorter days and other commitments. My other main opportunity to ride is during lunch two days per week, but I have to limit my miles to 12-14 so I'm back and showered within the hour.

This past week my longest ride was only 23 miles. I ventured out to the Topsfield Fair and back during a glorious fall day. But what a total mob scene! I was glad to be on my bike and so I could navigate the traffic jam with relative ease. The ride from my house to Topsfield is beautiful and rural with many photo opps. Here is one from a field that I've taken many wildflower pictures of before.The leaves are awesome right now and this is why I live in New England. I hope to get out for many more rides before the spectacular color of fall has passed.

Ridin' Like the Wind....

Okay, I know I'm getting redundant here, but this picture was too cool not to post. My dad, Ron, photographer and Photoshop extraordinaire, worked his magic on the shot I shared on Tuesday of me, Drew and Dave biking the Cycle for Shelter. Now we're really flying and ridin' like the wind......

(click for bigger)

Autumn Reds

Somehow when I wasn't paying attention, the leaves started changing. I swear I was just taking pictures of roadside flowers not long ago. But here's what I stumbled upon during my lunchtime ride today.

I just love fall...the colors, the smells, the crisp air... it's all good. Riding this fall will be a real treat.

Cycle for Shelter Revisted

Check this out. Today I received a disk of pictures taken by Geoff Hull from the Cycle for Shelter Planning Group. The ride, which was held on Sunday, July 26, 2008, has raised more than $75,000 to date for Emmaus, Inc.

I tagged along in between fellow riders, Drew (on the left) and Dave for my first 62 mile metric century. This was my first experience on an organized ride and it was a fun but tiring day on a beautiful course. Here's photographic proof of me keeping up with them (or perhaps... them slowing down for me...). Looking forward to doing the 100 mile course next year.

(Click to enlarge)

8 Days Later...

Okay, I'm still here. I just haven't been blogging - or biking, for that matter. In fact, today was the first time I got out on my bike since I completed my first century 8 days ago.

I didn't mean to miss a whole week of riding but I was trapped in a conference room at work for 35 hours last week and then we had a few days of heavy rain. Today, though, I got back out there and did the 18 mile loop I used to do in the morning - but this time it was in the afternoon in light rain. It felt great to be back on my bike and I clocked one of my fastest times, surprisingly.

So...... what to do now.....

I know I'll keep riding as long as I can through the fall. I need it. I really need it. In fact, I felt a bit off my game all last week without riding. Morning rides are out - and have been for some time - since sunrise has gotten later and later. My only option now is to ride during lunchtime and hopefully get a longer ride in on Sundays, since Saturdays are soccer game days.

Later in the year I may even try out my friend Claudia's trainer to set up my bike at home for indoor training. Spin class is an option, too. I guess I'll just have to see how this one plays itself out.

As for my blog.... I've been debating what to do. The whole purpose of it initially was as a training tool to help me complete my first century. Since I've done that - and it was a great tool - do I now retire my blog? But I like to write. And I like to take pictures. And I like to have goals and keep track of my progress. And I like to think I have a fan base of greater than 2.

So I think I'll keep blogging. At least for now. And maybe I'll expand my topics beyond biking. I guess I'll just have to see how this one plays itself out.

In the meantime, though, I'm going to get my butt back out there on the road and mull over ideas for my next major challenge.

Century Accomplished!

I did it!! 103 miles in 6.5 hours on one of the most gorgeous days of the year. The course was beautiful and featured many spectacular views of the New Hampshire and Maine coastlines. Who could ask for anything better?

The day started off very early at the Hampton State Park. I was there by 6:30 so I'd be ready for the 7:00 registration along with 1600 other riders. It was very cold (mid 40s) and the sun was just coming up.

The course began with a 17 mile southern loop to Newburyport and back. I started my ride solo and pretty much froze my butt (or rather, my finger tips and legs) off the first 3 miles. (Incidentally, it's never helpful to look at the bike odometer after 3 miles when you have 97 more miles to go.....). But the sun was rising, I warmed up fast and the day was looking good.

As I passed the Hampton park entrance again on my way north, I met up with Drew and Dave, who I rode the Cycle for Shelter with, and Dave's wife Mary, who were all just starting for the day. Seeing friendly faces injected new energy into me and the miles started flying by.

The ride up Ocean Boulevard (Rt. 1A) through Hampton, North Hampton, Rye and Wentworth-by-the-Sea offered some of the best coastal views, but picture taking opportunities were limited since I was now part of a well synchronized paceline of riders. Before I knew it, I had ridden 33 miles - the ride was already 1/3 over!

Here are a few shots I was able to catch near Portsmouth:
After a break at a very crowded official water stop, we continued to ride north up into Maine. Dave and Mary were riding the metric century (63 mile) loop so they turned around and headed back. Drew and I continued up Rt. 1 towards York and we stopped briefly to enjoy this view. Although there was a coastal wind going, thankfully, it was manageable and was nothing compared to prior years, as I was told.

The next highlight was the Cape Neddick Lighthouse, also known as the Nubble Lighthouse. Built in 1879 and located in York Beach, this is a classic Maine icon. I was at mile 51 when we stopped for this spectacular view.

Here's a shot of Drew in his Hawaiian biking shirt, which added some comic relief to the ride. As he pedaled, the girl on his shirt actually looked like she was doing the hula!

We continued on a few more miles through and around York center, passing many little shops and candy stores, including The Goldenrod, renowned for their salt water taffy. We also biked by the famous York's Wild Kingdom before the course headed south. No rest for the weary, though, since we still faced a good 45 miles ahead of us.

The next photo opp was back approaching Portsmouth again as we walked our bikes across a grated bridge. The tide was out when we were headed north but in as we headed south.

The route back was similar to the way up but a 10 mile loop was added near Rye to make the course a full 100 miles. This loop took us through many tree lined streets and past the beautiful Abenaqui Country Club.

This loop was actually the hardest part of the ride for me. It felt like we were doing our longest stretch of our fastest riding of the day at this point and we had a new rider latched on drafting me. It was around mile 90 I was starting to fade. Plus, I was in unchartered territory since I'd never ridden more than 83 miles in one stretch.

Thankfully, we soon turned south onto Rt. 1A. I never thought the strip at Hampton Beach would be such a welcome sight!

And then it happened - I passed the 100 mile mark!! The official mileage on the course was actually 100.8, but we took a slight detour down a beautiful coastal road, which brought my total mileage up to 103.23, to be exact. Average speed for the day was exactly 16 mph - fast for me!

Crossing the finish line back at Hampton State Park, with ride volunteers banging bells and cheering, was one of the best feelings I've experienced in a very long time. Quite emotional in fact. I still can't believe it.

When I look back at the ride, I have to say that it was much easier than I thought it would be. Despite the fade at mile 90, I finished strong. In fact, I felt strong throughout most of the ride and enjoyed every minute of it. On such a beautiful day with such spectacular views, it's hard not to ride with a smile on your face much of the time. And today - the day after - I feel great and am looking forward to getting back out on my bike again.

So there I have it. Century accomplished.

Completing a century started as a crazy idea, then became a goal, then became an all-out mission. For me, I proved to myself that I could reach for something I've never imagined before, take it step by step, hold myself accountable, include others so they could hold me accountable and complete the task. My blog has been a key element in realizing this goal.

Thank you to everyone who has supported and cheered me on along the way! And thank you Drew, for sharing 85 miles of the ride with me.

Stay tuned for more biking commentary as I figure out the next chapter in my riding and in my blog.

~ Lisa~

POSTSCRIPT
I rode this century in dedication to Bryce Morrill, my sister-in-law Rosanne's companion and an extended family member of ours for the last 5 years. Last weekend, he passed away unexpectedly as he was biking in preparation for the Hub on Wheels charity bike ride to be held in Boston today. Ride on, Bryce. May you rest in peace.

Pre-Century Metrics

The address for this blog is Novice2Century. 18 weeks ago, I started as a novice rider. And in less than 10 hours, I will ride the Tri-State Seacoast Century, my first 100 mile ride.

Time to take stock of what I've done to prepare:

Total number of miles ridden: 1,170
Longest ride: 83
Average weekly miles: 65
Hours on the bike: 79
Towns ridden through: 26
Number of rides solo: 40
Number of rides with company: 7
Number of times lost: 4
Number of pounds lost: 8
Number of dropped water bottles: 2
Number of dropped water bottles that I immediately ran over: 1
Number of times I've forgotten my shoes were clipped to my pedals: 4
Number of cows, horses, llamas, and the like passed: >150
Number of near misses with a car: 1

Am I ready to ride 100 miles tomorrow?? You bet I'm ready to ride 100 miles tomorrow! Thank you to everyone who has been cheering me on! See you on the other side.

Pre-Century Random Thoughts

The century I've been training for the past 18 weeks is only 3 days away!! Thankfully, the weather forecast looks good. Sunny and 66 degrees - perfect biking weather.

The biggest thought that's been looming in the back of my mind - and one I've been in denial about - is this:

What the hell do I do after my century?

And subsequently... what will I blog about?

And further... what comes next? What's the next goal? How much longer can I keep riding into the fall/winter? What do I do to keep in biking shape when the snow and ice come? How will I manage mentally without the meditation and solitude of my solo rides?

I'll have lots to think about during my estimated 7 hour ride on Saturday....

Any thoughts? Suggestions?

Ride with the Champions Follow Up

Yesterday was the Ride with the Champions, supporting the Special Olympics of Massachusetts. First off, thank you very much to everyone who sponsored me on my ride! My team, the Keith Crusaders, was the top fund raising team for the event, thanks to leader Doug, who single handedly raised almost a third of the total money for the event. Here he is speaking at the awards ceremony. Way to go, Doug!

Thankfully, the predicted rain held off and we were treated to a sunny day as we biked through scenic areas of the north shore. The ride took us through 7 towns. Starting at the Topsfield Fairgrounds, we rode through Wenham, Hamilton, Beverly, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Essex, Ipswich and back to Topsfield.

One of the most beautiful parts of the ride was out to Little Neck in Ipswich. I didn't stop to take too many pictures since this was a group ride and I wanted to keep up, but I did manage these two by the Ipswich Salt Marsh. Quite the view, wouldn't you say?
I was one of only about 35 other riders on the 65 mile course. (About 60 more did either the 20 or 12 mile course.) I lost my team in the first few miles and riders grew few and far between as the course progressed. I was able to catch up to a fellow rider named Fred around mile 12, who rides in support of his niece who has Down's Syndrome. We chatted and took turns leading for the next 28 miles. He helped me with my pace and even prevented me from taking two wrong turns as I zoned out during my time up front, which I'm sure would have resulted in many extra miles. Thanks for keeping me on course, Fred!

Doug and I agreed that the course was quite hilly, so even though I was slower than my last metric century, I was pleased with my performance. I rode 65 miles in 4 hours and 15 minutes. Average speed for the ride: 15.1 mph (my first 25 I averaged over 16 mph.) This ride was excellent training for my century, which happens in less than 6 days!

I enjoyed many of the roads and beautiful scenery during the ride and hope to get out in the same area soon. This was a great ride for a great cause and I hope to do again next year. Thank you again to those who sponsored me for the Special Olympics!

A Miss or Two

Everyone's entitled to screw up every now and again. And so on Tuesday it was my turn. During my lunchtime ride I made a series of "misses". I mistimed my ride, miscalculated how long it would take, and missed a turn, which resulted in me getting stuck in a torrential downpour and thunderstorm. I guess you could even call the whole ride a mistake but I actually did some of my best and fastest riding during it.

I was trying to squeeze a 17 mile ride in before a big storm. I knew it was coming but checked the radar and thought I was good for at least an hour. So out I went. My ride was relatively dry for the first 10 miles - a few light showers on and off but nothing to turn back over.

But by mile 11 it started coming down harder. I'm one of these people who actually likes being out in the rain. As long as it's not coming down in buckets, I like to walk in the rain, run in the rain and bike in the rain. In fact, one of my best live music experiences was during an outside performance of Gov't Mule in the pouring rain (you really had to be there).

Anyway, I was out, it was raining harder and then the thunder and lightning starts (image courtesy of thelensflare.com). I was doing okay on the fear scale because it was off in the distance. It was only after the horns suddenly went off at the golf course I was passing (which, incidentally, scared the crap out of me) that I started to get a little nervous.

So what did I do? I biked faster. But what happens when you bike faster and faster? You don't pay as much attention and you miss critical turns. And that's what I did.

Right as I realized this, predictably, the heavens opened (I'm talking buckets) and thunder clapped and lightning flashed. Nearby. In a totally HUGE way. And I was three miles off course when I should have been back at my office.

Thankfully, I did made it back safe and sound shortly, after a fast and furious ride. Traffic was light because what fool would be out driving in these conditions?? On the upside, even though I was soaked to the bone when I arrived back, I had successfully navigated a very challenging ride and had clocked one of my best speeds ever for a 20 mile loop. So even though I missed a few things on this ride, maybe it wasn't a total mistake.

Roadside Eye Candy

I'm stealing the "eye candy" expression here from my friend Claudia. But I think it accurately describes this shot, captured on my way to Cape Ann.Upcoming events:
62 mile Metric Century this Saturday
100 mile Seacoast Century in just 10 days!! Can't believe what I've been training for since May is almost here....

Ride with the Champions

On Saturday, September 13th, I am going to Ride with the Champions along Massachusetts' scenic North Shore.

Ride with the Champions is a benefit bike ride for Special Olympics athletes in Massachusetts. Participants will join Special Olympics champions and pedal along one of three courses: 62 miles, 20 miles, or 12 miles on the Family Fun Ride. I've chosen to ride the 62 mile course, also known as a metric century, with team Keith Crusaders.

I am doing this because I feel it is important to support the Athletes of Special Olympics Massachusetts. Special Olympics provides year-round athletic training and competition to athletes in the state with intellectual disabilities. Athletic training not only builds physical fitness, but also builds confidence and improves the quality of life for SOMA athletes. These athletes are truly brave, and with our help they can succeed on and off the playing field.

If you would like to sponsor me in my fundraising efforts, please click on the above Ride with the Champions icon and you will be brought to my personal web donation page. Together, we can make a difference!

p.s. Check back here after the event for ride pictures and commentary.

Past the 1000 mile mark

Just realized that my long ride around Cape Ann last weekend put me past the 1000 mile mark - 1045 to be exact. That's like biking from Boston to Chicago!

Back Out There - Part II

[I just realized that due to some type of technical glitch, several of the pictures from my long ride were deleted from my last post. Not sure when that happened but I've just fixed.]

Okay then. More on the ride. As I said, strong head and cross winds tormented me for more than half of the trip. Not sure why this caught me by surprise since I was riding by the ocean, after all, but this day was particularly windy. At one point I saw my bike calculator fall from 19 to 12 mph when the gusts picked up on a long, open stretch of Rt 133 on my way home. I tried to convince myself that the wind challenge was good thing since it's excellent prep for my oceanside century, but other times I found myself yelling out loud about it.

Traffic was a bit nutty, too. Not sure why this caught me by surprise since it was Labor Day weekend, after all, but thankfully, I arrived home unscathed. The hardest part was negotiating the Rt. 128 rotary where the highway ends. It wasn't a problem merging on but it was a challenge getting through the two lanes of traffic coming off. I found the best strategy to be to remain confident, assume your position, make eye contact, signal clearly, thank and smile.

One other lesson learned was that getting food during the ride is critical. By mile 65 I was starving and running low on energy. I made a quick stop to get a cold Gatorade and wound up having the best junior roast beef sandwich ever. I was able to finish my ride and even had energy after I arrived home. A web calculator later told me I burned at total of 3300 calories during almost 6 hours of pedaling. I think this is a stretch and it was more like 2500-2700 but it still highlights the need for food during the ride.

My average speed was 14.5 mph - not my best speed but not bad considering the distance, traffic and wind. It was a great ride to a beautiful area. I hope to make this ride one more time before packing in the bike for the winter.

Back Out There

Okay, enough talk and introspection for now. Late this past weekend, I finally got back on the saddle (sorry, another cliche) and got my butt out there for my longest and most challenging ride to date. I rode out to Gloucester and around Cape Ann through Rockport and back.

What a ride. 83 miles! Solo! I have to laugh about the solo part; my friend Sue told me she prefers riding with people since she usually can't stand herself after 20 miles. But I like the alone time. I usually have a great tune going in my head (no iPod just brain tunes) and plenty to think about. Plus, I had bigger challenges to deal with - like almost 50 miles of head and cross winds and Labor Day and beach traffic. Thankfully, I was rewarded with beautiful ocean views and blue sky so the ride was well worth it.

Below are shots from the day (and I do mean "day" because my total ride time was just under 6 hours - that's a long time to be pedaling a bike!):

I inadvertently timed my visit perfectly to coincide with the Parade of Sail in Gloucester Harbor. This was one of the many tall ships out for the morning.
This beachfront view is from private Eastern Point Boulevard, where I took a detour to check out the Yacht Club.
And this is along lower Atlantic Road. The mansions were fantastic, too.
I finally made it to Rockport Harbor, took a brief break to rest and filled up my water bottle.
I was dying for a big, juicy burger but it was only 10:30 in the morning and none of the sandwich shops were open. So I continued north up past Pigeon Cove. It was pretty rural up there until I came around a sharp bend to Folly Cove below.Further down was Plum Cove, which also had a beach area for swimmers and scuba divers to enter.
These were the main pictures from my scenic route. More details on the ride, recovery and navigating the Rt. 128 rotary with Labor Day traffic in the next post...

Metaphor of Hill Climbing

Last week I rode the least number of miles since I bought my road bike in May - only one 17 mile ride. It was also the most stressful week that I've had in a long time. Coincidence? Had I biked more, would I have had a better week? I think I know the answer to that one.

Although I wasn't on my bike much last week, I did think about it a lot and came to the following realization (forgive me if this sounds cliche...):

Sometimes you need to approach life's challenges like you do a big hill: Switch to an easier gear, keep your head up, shoulders back, take a deep breath and focus on the next 10 feet in front of you. If you look all the way to the top, you just might want to get off your bike and walk or worse, give up and coast back down to the bottom. But if you just stay focused on dealing with what is immediately in front of you, you'll eventually get up to the top and be rewarded with an easy ride down the other side and, hopefully, a beautiful view.

Roadside Interest

Add this to the list of interesting four legged creatures I've seen along my rides - llamas!

Less than Four Weeks till Century Day

I'm in the home stretch - the Tri-Coast Seacoast Century is less than four weeks away! I like lists so it's time again to take stock of what I've done since I bought my road bike 15 weeks ago:

Total number of miles ridden to date: 940
Longest ride: 62
Average weekly miles: 62
Hours on the bike: 63
Towns ridden through: 17
Number of rides solo: 35
Number of rides with company: 5
Number of near misses with a car: 1
Number of times lost: 3
Number of pounds lost: 8
Other body changes: a lot less wiggle on my lower half, stronger back and arms

Two remaining goals to complete before Century Day:

Total number of training miles: >1,100
Longest ride: >70

My fear for many weeks was that I'd be the last one crossing the finish line on Century Day, but I'm guessing I don't have to worry about that one any more.

Down and Back Along the Merrimack

This past Saturday I finally got out on my road bike for a much needed long solo ride. I went out along the scenic Merrimack River to Newburyport and back in the late afternoon. Total miles: 47. Total ride time: just over 3 hours.
What a beautiful ride on a beautiful day! My friend Sue had introduced me to the route on the north side of the Merrimack a few weeks ago. And my work colleague, Marie, recently introduced me to the south side. Both offer many miles of scenic river views lined with either trees and wildflowers or beautiful waterfront homes.

This was one of my more meditative rides, and it's easy to see why. Riding on peaceful routes like this helps quiet my mind like nothing else.
I started biking to get in physical shape. But as I started expanding my routes and my understanding of what I'm really doing, I realize it's gone far beyond the physical. Biking the many beautiful areas near my home has literally helped me mentally to get past the everyday stresses and see life more clearly. In fact, lately it seems that I'm just using the biking as an excuse to get to that place of quiet calm that I can only reach when I'm out there on my long solo rides.

Changing Gears Part 2

Thought I would include some more pictures from my mountain bike ride up north this past weekend. This scenic and secluded spot definitely provided some good blog material!

Here is another view of the dirt road I was on - 9 miles up, 9 miles back.Surprisingly, I spent much of my time dodging butterflies. There were hundreds of them basking in the sun on the road. This was one of the trails I briefly explored during my ride. Even though I had a mountain bike, my days of trail riding are pretty much over so I did this one on foot.
What a great fishing spot this is...Here's one final shot of the river. It's nothing but pure, clear mountain water. Had it been hotter, I would have jumped right in.
That's it for this trip and my mountain bike for now. Back on my road bike tomorrow....