Moseying Down the Minuteman Bikeway

Not all rides have to be training rides. Some can be relaxing, meandering rides on bike paths developed specifically for that purpose. And such was my experience this past Friday on the Minuteman Bikeway with my 10 year old son.

We were looking for a fun adventure for just the two of us to help kick off the end of school and the start of summer. It was his idea to go for a bike ride, but I was a bit worried about hills, traffic, and narrow rides which might make it a short trip and less of an adventure. Then I remembered the Minuteman Bikeway, which I literally had not thought about since I biked it with a former boyfriend in 1993 right when it opened. Okay, that's a long time ago. Clearly, it was time to try it again.

So off we went, just the two of us, to Lexington Center. Parking was easy to find right near the trail. We grabbed our bikes, got on the path and headed out towards Bedford. It was a great starter ride for him - wide, flat and paved. I could also ride alongside of him most of the ride so we could chat and enjoy the scenery together. There was quite a bit to see - little rivers and streams, back yard gardens, wildlife, dirt trails off into the woods, the highway as we crossed the bridge over Rt. 128. Here's another thing we spotted - a surgical mask. Hmmm... didn't quite expect that one... As for things we didn't see - roadkill! We only saw one poor unlucky chipmunk on our entire ride. Quite the welcome change given the state of the roads these days.

It was a weekday, so traffic wasn't too bad on the trail. There was a moderate crowd of bikers (both recreational and those with baskets doing their shopping), rollerbladers, walkers and runners. And with the exception of one wild eyed looking guy pacing nervously, most seemed pretty friendly and we felt safe on the trail. We biked down to Bedford and back, then past Lexington Center a bit to make it about a 9 mile ride. Not bad for a 10 year old! Afterwards, we made a stop at the strategically placed ice cream shop and had a nice walk through Lexington Center before heading back.

Funny thing thing on the timing of our trip. The Sunday Boston Globe published the attached article on the Minuteman Bikeway this past weekend, just a few days after our trip. It's an adventure worth checking out!

Plum Island Between Thunderstorms

Tonight I finally made it to Plum Island. My husband and son planned a fishing trip up there so I decided to hop in the car with my bike and ride while they fished. My original plan was to bike an easy, flat 20 miles, which would be down and back the length of the island. But things often don't turn out as planned and tonight was no exception.A huge thunderstorm (which was quite a spectacular sight) was just leaving the area when we got up there, so we had to wait a bit for the lightning to go offshore and the heavy rain to stop. Things subsided a bit and the boys headed off fishing while I headed down the island towards the state park.
The views were beautiful up near the first parking lot, with the salt marshes and big open spaces. The sky over this salt marsh was blue in the distance but still raining where I was. I took this picture of a swan in the rain so it's not the best shot, but it was a beautiful sight. There were five other swans swimming in a group behind this guy.

Even though the road was flat, riding was harder than I thought, mostly due to strong head winds. The ride down was shorter than expected, too, because the road turned to gravel after only 3 1/2 miles - not really an option with my skinny road tires. I was happy to turn around since there was absolutely no one down there other than me and I started to feel a bit too isolated out there on my own. On the way back, I thought I might extend my ride in other direction by heading off Plum Island towards Newburyport, but the next thunderstorm was fast approaching and huge bolts of lightning were lighting up the sky over that area.

So instead of an easy, flat 20, I logged only a moderate 8.5 in the rain with strong head winds. This was good, though, and exactly the type of training I need since my century is along the ocean in September. It's 12 times longer than this ride... and it could very well be in the rain with strong head winds...

Overthinking...

Okay, so how random is this? I'm biking home from Crane's, minding my own business, thinking - well some would say 'overthinking' - about how to increase my average speed, and look what I passed! Someone actually painted "DON'T OVER THINK IT" on a telephone pole utility box!

It caught me so off guard that I went off the pavement into the sand and almost wiped out. Thankfully, I remembered as I was starting to fall over that my feet were clipped to my pedals and got them out before I hit the ground.

Seeing this really made me laugh out loud. And if you knew me, you'd be laughing, too. Because, well, I tend to overthink things on a regular basis. And you may have noticed that I've since applied this way of thinking to my new biking endeavor and how slow I think I am.

I like to think of my tendency to overthink as a character asset rather than a character flaw (especially since up until recently, my job title included the word "analyst") but I know it's a habit that drives some people a little crazy, including me. The ironic thing is, I often hear myself doling out advice to others not to overthink things. Just last week, I offered to a frustrated coworker to "not overthink" the situation.

When I got home from my ride, I had to Google this expression to make sure it wasn't some new advertisement or political slogan of sorts, but I came up with nothing. So I have to conclude that it was a little bit of serendipity, put there for me to read at that exact moment as I was riding by overthinking when I shouldn't have been. So lesson learned: I'll try to stop worrying about my speed and just focus on enjoying my ride and being safe on the road. But I'm still left wondering, who wrote that message and why did they put it there of all places? Hmmm... something else for me to overthink about....

Beach Day!

Today I did something different. I biked to the beach! Crane's Beach in Ipswich, that is. I started in North Andover, biked through Boxford, Topsfield and Ipswich, then headed down Argilla Road to Crane's and back. Total miles round trip: 44. This was my longest ride to date.

It was a really beautiful ride. I was out by 7:00 a.m. before it got too hot. I love living in this area because there are so many great things to see alongside the road, such as this white horse grazing in a pasture. I also biked by the Ipswich River. Didn't see any canoes on the river on my way out but there were plenty on my way back.
This was a relatively direct ride and didn't involve too many twists and turns, which was nice since I'm not a real morning person. I must have seen at least 50 people out biking this morning so this area seems to be popular. Most were solo (a few of which flew by me) and some were in big groups. Saturday seems to be a more popular ride day than Sunday.

As I got to Ipswich and onto Argilla Road, I biked by some beautiful scenic marshes, as you can see. Even though it's close to the ocean, this road offered some hills (and potholes) to contend with. The views made it worth it, though.


Finally, after 22 miles, I arrived at Crane's Beach. There's no sign right at the beach (as far as I could tell) so I took a picture of this sign about 2/10ths of a mile before. I've never been up to Crane Estate but it's on the plan for this summer for sure.

Though I never actually made it on the beach (since that required getting off my bike and hiking through the dunes in my bike shoes), I did make it to the beach and I'm feeling good about that. The weather made it perfect for a beach day. Think I'll try this ride again soon.

Speed

Okay, let's talk about speed - or the lack thereof. I'm feeling slow these days. I don't feel like I'm going slow when I'm out there because I'm working hard the whole time. But when I talk to other riders about their speed or mention mine (which averages 15-16 mph depending on the distance), I seem to be on the very "moderate" side. In fact, during my last time out, I was riding along at what I thought was a good clip. Then without warning, a guy on a bike with a rather impressive beer belly glided right by me - perhaps going 25-30% faster. And I do mean glide because it looked so effortless to him. He must have been pedaling half as fast as I was and he didn't seem to breaking a sweat.

So I can't help but wonder... what I'm doing wrong? I guess it could be one of many possibilities:

• I'm just slow - This could be true since I've always been more of an endurance person than a speed person.
• I'm still out of shape - A distinct possibility since I only get in about 2 rides/week and I've only been doing this about 5 weeks.
  
• I don't know what I'm doing - By this I mean that maybe I'm not shifting at the right times, maybe my hands need to be on a different spot on the handlebars, maybe I'm pedaling too fast (the recommendation at the bike shop was to try maintain 80 rpm but that didn't seem to be the guy's pace when he glided by me)
• I'm alone - Maybe I'd ride much faster with someone or in a group

The main reason I'm so hung up on my current speed is that I feel like I need to get to a good pace by my century in September. My biggest fear is that I'll be the last one crossing the finish line that day (or maybe I should say, that night!).

Follow up

Thanks to a few fellow riders for giving me feedback on my last post. I've been surprised to see riders out their with iPods and usually they're flying on their bikes and seem to know what they are doing. I know adding music would help me push through my ride faster, as it has for running, but I can't get past the safety factor. I have trouble enough hearing when I'm biking depending on how much air is blowing through my helmet. Plus, I like to have a quiet mind when I'm riding. Right before I've headed out for my longer rides I've tried to focus on a few topics that I could think about for those few hours alone. But by the end of the ride, I realize that the only things I've focused on are the road ahead, my surroundings, my breathing and really nothing else in particular. I always seem to arrive home with a clear head and a fresh outlook on life. That's a great feeling!

As for the hills at the end, my goal is to push through them and end strong. I think they are there for me just for that reason.

Wondering out loud

I've been wondering about a few things as I've been riding for the last month so I thought I'd wonder out loud:

• It's a bad idea to bike with an iPod, right?  My gut has always said, "no way, don't do it" but I've had several people ask me what music I listen to when I ride or offer suggestions about books on tape. Now, the latter would solve a big time issue I have with finishing my book group books on time and is tempting.  But I can't help but worry about the safety factor, even if I just listen with one pod in my ear.  Also, I worry about the whole connection with nature thing I've been doing as I ride.  iPod riding isn't in my current plan right now, but I'd like to hear what others think.
  

• Why is it that the last major hill on my rides is aptly named "Lisa Lane"?  Don't you find that odd?  I face it when I'm at the end of my energy level and it is very steep.  But thankfully, like me, it's short.  (Well, technically, I'm not short, I'm average...) I do have other options to get home (which all involve hills) but sometimes it seems only appropriate that I end my ride huffing up Lisa Lane.

• If I've biked over 235 miles in the last four weeks (which is 235 more miles than I rode the prior four weeks - or ever, for that matter), why haven't I lost weight?  When does that start happening? I definitely feel stronger and toner but when are those extra 10 lbs going to start to melt away?

Those are the main questions I've had in my head this week...

Riding in the Mist

I haven't done too well with biking or blogging this week. June always seems to be a nutty month with very full weekends. I didn't get out for the long ride to Plum Island this weekend as I had hoped. Though when I had the original thought, I had temporarily forgotten about my daughter's lacrosse tournament on Saturday and, of course, Father's Day on Sunday. Can't be MIA for 3+ hours on that day!

Thankfully, I was able to sneak out for a late afternoon ride of about 19 miles today. It was misting out, which was a refreshing change from last week's sweltering hot mid 90s temps. For some reason, it seemed to me that the mist made the roads a little faster than they usually are. I was biking through Boxford again - very rural with many dense areas of trees alongside the road. The mist added a new dimension - everything seemed greener, browner and more earthy. The smell of the woods was strong, too, of pine and dirt and moss. And the pond I biked past had mist slowly rising from it. Wish I'd packed my camera! Almost all my rides to date have been in either hot or picture perfect weather. Riding in the mist was a refreshing change for all of my senses.

The 200 Mile Mark

I achieved a riding milestone this past weekend. My odometer passed the 200 mile mark! I'll mention that it's at 216 to be exact - since I'm an exact sort of person. I'm feeling good about this since I just bought my bike 4 weeks ago and that tells me I've averaged about 50 miles per week. Not bad for a novice, if I do say so! To date, this has been a totally solo endeavor but I'm looking forward to sharing a few rides with friends in the near future.

I'm really trying to appreciate my surroundings when I'm biking through the more rural areas so I pack my camera on some rides. Here is a sign I passed in Newbury, which I'm sure I would have passed right by if I had been driving. Isn't this cool?? It's historical stuff like this that makes me really love New England.Also, here is a picture of one of the many marshes I biked by the same day. I'm lucky to live so close to such beautiful destinations. Next week, I may head back out to the same area and include parts of Plum Island. The riding conditions have to be better than the heat wave we've been having. We'll see what the weather brings and my body can handle.

Detours and Roadkill

File this under more things I'm learning: There are some unpleasant things about riding - two of which are detours and roadkill.

Let's start with detours. Yesterday I planned what I thought would be a nice big loop to Newburyport and back on some country roads. I didn't realize until I was out there that one of the main roads I was planning on riding was closed. I guess I should have been tipped off by the "Road closed", "Bridge out" and "Road ends in 2 miles" signs. But I tend to be a bit skeptical at times and this was one of them. And I also thought that maybe the road could be closed to cars but open to bikes. But alas, I was wrong. The road did indeed end. In fact, the main bridge was out and the only way across would have been to swim across to the channel to the other side with my bike in tow. And even though I'm a strong swimmer and it was 90 degrees out, that wasn't gonna happen. So on to plan B, which was to find my way around without a map. Surprisingly, this proved to be quite a pleasant option, only adding a few extra miles and one major bonus - I didn't get lost! So I guess some detours really aren't all that bad.

Next unpleasant thing: Roadkill. Maybe it's the time of year but there is sure a lot of roadkill out there. I'm talking things you can't really see from a car. Baby chipmunks, bullfrogs, little turtles, small birds. It's a bummer to see - especially when you are as much of an animal lover as I am. I guess the only thing I can do is make sure I don't add to the mix. And maybe I shouldn't look down at the road so much...

Commute Riding

I didn't get much time to ride this week. Busy at work and busy after. But I did manage to fit in one ride during commuting hours on Tuesday. I rode 18.5 beautiful miles through the neighboring town of Boxford.  My goals - besides not getting hit by cars racing home from work - was to increase my speed and get off the roads before dark.  Thankfully, I accomplished all three. The roads actually quieted down quite a bit once I got in the heart of Boxford, so the ride got less stressful as I went along.  My pace was my best ever - averaging just shy of 16 mph. My first 10 were at 17.5 mph.  This weekend, I'll only be able to fit in one ride which will probably be in the 30-40 mile range.  Next week, my schedule lightens up a bit so I'm going to try to get my butt out there for at least three rides.  I better - my century is only 15 weeks away!

P.A.C.E.

P.A.C.E. - Positive Attitude Changes Everything. I'm stealing this acronym from my dad, who had his own consulting company by this name several years back. This acronym came to mind today as I focused on my riding goal of a steady pace but was struggling a bit in the attitude department. It's not that I had a bad attitude. It was more of a "I'm not sure if I can get through this ride because I was out way too late on Friday night " kind of attitude. And here it was Sunday.

My goal was only 30 miles - the same loop I did last Saturday but I wanted to improve my pace. And I'm happy to say I did.... but not by that much. Going out I was doing great - 17 mph average on the first 15. Then I started to slow a little and then came to the unfortunate realization that I only had coffee and nothing to eat before I headed out for my ride. Not good. File that under things I'm still learning. Bring enough water and eat before you go out. And don't forget P.A.C.E. - especially when facing a monster hill on an empty stomach after a very late night. :-)