First Metric Century!

This weekend I accomplished another major milestone in my riding. I rode the Cycle for Shelter metric century! For those of you who don't know (and that would be me before I signed up for this event), a metric century is 100 kilometers, which translates to 62 miles. This was a fund raising bike ride to raise money for Emmaus, Inc., a non profit organization founded over 20 years ago to provide housing and services to homeless families in Haverhill, MA.

This was my first introduction to group riding - quite an intense learning experience, to say the least! And it was an awesome ride. Not only was this event for a great cause, but it was 62 miles of very scenic biking on many of the roads I'm already familiar with. Cycle for Shelter organizers did a good job keeping us off the main streets and away from traffic and thoroughly marked all of the turns. The water stops were well stocked with drinks and snacks, too.

My friends Drew and Dave were riding in the event to prepare for the PMC and were willing to have me tag along with them for as long as I could. Even though they said they were having a "slow" day, these guys were very fast by my standards, riding for lengthy stretches at 17-19 mph. I was back about 25 yards from them for a few miles approaching the first water stop and I even had a guy drafting me! Who would have thought? My goal was to ride with Drew and Dave for the first 10 miles and much to my surprise, I was able to hang on (or at least keep them in sight) for the first 24. I lost them for some stretches but caught up at water stops and was able to finish the last 12 with them.

The ride started in Haverhill and took us through Newton, NH, Amesbury, Newburyport, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich, Topsfield, Boxford, Groveland and back to Haverhill. We went by lakes, rivers, beautiful homes, livestock, forests and swamps. The only downside was the lack of time and opportunity to take pictures of the event, but here's one taken of me and Dave at the stop in Topsfield Center.
I can't explain the wonderful feeling I had as we approached the finish line. The guys even humored me by trailing back and letting me "lead" the way. I finished just over 62 miles and maintained a total ride average of over 16 mph. I've never ridden longer or faster.

Thanks, Emmaus, for mapping out a great ride and thanks, Drew and Dave, for pulling me through 2/3 of it. This was great preparation for my 100 mile ride in September. I can't wait to do this again next year!

Pan-Mass Challenge

The Pan-Mass Challenge is the single largest athletic fundraising event in the US, with 100% of all donations benefiting the Dana Farber Cancer Institute's Jimmy Fund. It is a 2 day bike ride from Sturbridge or Wellesley to Provincetown, with riders completing approximately 100 miles each day. This ride is a week away on August 2 and 3.

I would love to ride in this event at least once in the coming years. I guess you could say I'm a PMC rider wannabe. But until that time, I'm cheering on two friends:

One is Drew, who has been riding the PMC for the last 16 years. He rides with 9 other family members and friends on Team Dolben, pictured below, which collectively raised over $90K last year.













The other is my friend Cheryl, who has participated in this event for the last 18 years with her husband. They ride on Team Martignetti and the two of them hope to raise $16K this year.Good luck to you both with your fundraising efforts. Ride strong and have fun!

Looking up

We spend so much time looking down or ahead when biking on the road. It's easy to forget to look up occasionally. I happened to remember during a brief water break by a swamp recently. Thought this view was worth sharing.

First near miss

One unfortunate thing about road biking is that we have to share the road with occasionally incompetent drivers. Although I am a very careful rider, I knew it wasn't a question of if but when I would have my first encounter with one. And that would be this past Sunday morning in Topsfield Center.

I was 13 miles into a 25 mile loop. Instead of turning off before the small downtown of Topsfield, I decided to ride through it as I had done several times before and then circle back on a side street. Just as I started passing a parallel parked car, it unexpectedly pulled out of its parking spot then started an illegal U turn right in front of me. I slammed on my brakes, skidded on my back tire, pulled one foot out of my clip (no idea how I remembered to do this) and stopped just a few feet from the driver's side door. And you know, that [bleeping] driver didn't even acknowledge the accident she almost caused! She just continued smoking her cigarette, gave me a dumb blank look and continued her U turn. I was so stunned I barely muttered out a "Be more careful next time!" before I went on my way.

I spent the next mile shaken up and seething at her incompetence and the potential tire damage she caused. But then I took a big breath, then another, and looked around. There was fresh new pavement below me and beautiful scenery around me. That's the wonderful thing about riding - it's very calming and meditative in addition to being a great workout. If only we didn't have to be on the lookout for occasionally incompetent drivers...

Morning Rides

A strange thing has happened over the past few weeks - I've actually become an early morning person when it comes to riding. In fact, I've been on my bike before 6:00 a.m. for 6 of my last 7 rides. Initially, the key for me was to follow the Nike slogan of "Just Do It" before giving myself a chance to think about it too much. But after a few rides I started seeing all the benefits besides beating the summer heat -- the morning fog rising over a meadow, the abundance of wildlife out and about, the lack of cars on the road, the smell of wet pine and dirt, the calm serenity of the morning. The best part, though, is that wonderful feeling of being done with my workout before I used to even start my day.

Roadside History

One of the unexpected side benefits of riding, as previously mentioned, is the opportunity to learn some interesting local history. This sign, for example, is one that I've passed many times during my favorite loop through Georgetown. It's an unexpected site on a well traveled residential road in an area that doesn't look very historic.

Driving by, I probably wouldn't have had time to read it though, much less really think about it. But biking by offered a whole different experience. Not only was I able to read the sign in full, but I could also look around, imagine what the area must have been like more than 300 years ago and get a sense of the horror and sadness of this local tragedy. Click here for more information on The Goodrich Massacre.

Curb Appeal

You just don't see many long haired cows by the side of the road these days... But you might if you biked through Boxford.  Can he really see me through all of that hair?

Halfway to Century Day

I just realized that this week I will be exactly halfway to Century Day! I can't believe how fast it's gone. Time to take stock of what I've done in the past 9 weeks:

Total number of miles to date: 530
Longest ride: 50
Hours on the bike: 35.5
Towns ridden through: 14
Number of rides solo: 22
Number of rides with company: 2
Number of times I've forgotten my shoes were clipped to my pedals: 2
Number of dropped waterbottles: 1
Number of cows passed: >10
Number of near misses with a hawk carrying prey: 1

So I was thinking....what would I like to accomplish by Century Day, other than the Century, that is? These three top the list:

Total number of miles: >1,000
Longest ride: 75-80
Number of rides with company: >2

The main goal, of course, remains: Don't be the last one crossing the finish line on Century Day.

Fitting in the miles

My schedule this week and next pose a challenge when it comes to fitting in my training. Various commitments at home and work will occupy my normal biking times and prevent me from going out for longer rides of 35-50 miles, so I've been looking for a few new and creative ways of fitting it all in. One idea I had was to ride very early in the morning before work. So that's what I tried earlier this week.

Let me start out by saying I'm totally a night owl and not an early bird. So although this wasn't as much of an exercise in self torture as voluntarily riding in heavy rain like I did on the 4th, it was a major effort for me to get my butt out the door and on my bike before 6 a.m. I managed that successfully by applying the "don't overthink it lest you talk yourself out of it" rule. Being half asleep helped in this regard, too.

After the first mile or so, though, I was good to go and actually glad to be out there. It was a beautiful morning and not too hot, unlike these last few sweltering afternoons and evenings. Few cars were on the road and the sun was streaming through the trees as it rose. I had my camera but didn't stop to take any pictures since I was on a mission to get the ride done and get home without disrupting my family or work schedule.

Overall, it was a good ride but harder than most given the time of day and my normal biorhythms. I completed an 18 mile loop with moderate hills - not my fastest but it was a great workout. I saw plenty of folks out on their bikes - some in groups - and it looks like this is a popular option. So although I'm not an early bird (and probably never will be) this worked out well and I'll probably do it again later this week and next. Assuming, of course, that I can get my butt out the door....

50 Miler on the Fourth

I thought I'd start out the Fourth with a bang by attempting my first 50 mile ride. It seemed like a good idea at the time even though it was pouring rain - I mean heavy rain - when I woke up that morning. My logic was that if it was raining hard on century day, I better have had some practice riding in it before then. Also, I was under the mistaken impression that it was Saturday - not Friday - and I needed some significant miles to round out my training week, which I count from Sunday through Saturday. This week, I had only done the 17 on Sunday.

So off I set out, up to Newburyport and Plum Island. This particular route actually took me through seven different towns - North Andover, Boxford, Groveland, West Newbury, Newburyport (and Plum Island), Newbury and Georgetown. Within the first four miles, my bike shoes were soaked through - so much so that my toes were literally sloshing in water with each stroke. Thankfully, the ride offered some initial diversions to keep my mind off the conditions.

But about 10 miles in, long after passing this Belted Galloway and Turtle Alley, the ride became very tedious. The scenery was getting a little blah, the rain was still pouring down on me, and visibility was becoming an issue with my biking glasses. About that time, too, I came to the sudden realization that it was actually Friday and not Saturday, so I really didn't have to ride all 50 in one day if I didn't want to. I could head home early and split the miles over both days. But before I could talk myself into bagging it, I remembered that little sign I saw a few weeks ago that said "Don't overthink it." So I stopped thinking about it and just kept riding. Saturday could always be a recovery day.

About 10 miles later, the rain began to stop and I was rewarded with some lovely views as I approached Newburyport. I biked down into town along the side streets and little shops. This is such pretty town with so much character. I stopped on the boardwalk to check out the boats, then I headed out Plum Island Turnpike. Unlike last Friday's ride out on Plum Island, this time I actually made it to the beach. No one was there except the fisherman, since it was still cool and drizzly.
I took a more scenic and familiar route back home. The rain stopped for good, thankfully, and the water had finally drained from my bike shoes. I arrived home about 3 1/2 hours later after finishing my longest ride to date. I can't imagine doing double the distance in just a few short months, though I know it will be much easier with a crowd than riding solo as I did this day. I started the Fourth with a bang, that's for sure, but I ended it pretty pooped....

Rounding Newfound Lake

There's nothing like the beautiful mountains and lakes of New Hampshire to make for a great afternoon - and a great bike ride. Last weekend, we had the pleasure of visiting friends up near Newfound Lake. This brought with it two new biking experiences for me: 1) dealing with the hills of New Hampshire roads and 2) biking with another person who is seriously into riding.

First, the hills. Anyone who lives in NH or has done this route before, probably wouldn't find the hills so bad. And since our route involved biking around a lake, how bad could they be? But there were hills and they were much bigger than I'd ever dealt with. Clearly, as I discovered on the first major hill, I need more work in this area, both physically and mentally, since there is a whole psychology around dealing with big hills. But I did make it up them without getting off my bike or falling over from lack of speed. The payoff? Big downhills! I clocked my fastest speed to date on my bike on this ride - 34 mph.

Second, riding with my friend, Drew, who I would describe as a "trained professional" in this area, was a real learning experience for me. During our ride, he gave me tips on getting up the hills, being in the right gear for my body, maintaining spinning consistency and riding in general. He also pointed out potholes and scenic views and taught me a few things about signaling. With him ahead of me, the ride seemed easier, and at times it felt almost like he was pulling me rather than I was pushing myself. All of my rides to date (with the exception of the Minuteman Bikeway with my son) have been solo jaunts - all 360+ miles to date. So this was a real treat, a great learning experience and something I hope to do again.

The only disappointment of my ride was the lack of good pictures I took. I wish I had stopped for more shots of this spectacular lake, but the act of stopping and digging out the camera often takes away from the whole experience. I was able to capture a view of the town of Hebron, though. This is a very scenic, idyllic town with a big green, white church and surrounding buildings and a general store. An antique car actually drove through when we stopped for this picture, but my camera battery died on me.

Below is the route we took around the lake. Although it is only 17 miles long, it is a beautiful, scenic ride. I look forward to doing it again sometime.

"She bikes, she blogs"

Well, here's an totally unexpected result of my new biking and blogging effort - media coverage! Granted, it's small town coverage, but still a welcome surprise given that I'm new to the whole biking and blogging thing. Out of the blue (or, more accurately, by the power of Google), the editor of a local paper saw my blog and had an interest in doing a story about my local rides and my use of blogging as part of my training.

The timing of his initial contact was pretty comical. I was up late one night blogging when my husband came in and questioned why I was up writing and not sleeping. I said jokingly that I couldn't disappoint 'my readers'. He replied, "Yeah, both of them." But you know, he was right! I only had two readers - and he wasn't even one of the two! The funny part was that the very next morning, Dave, the editor, posted a comment on my latest post asking to talk with me further about what I am doing. Needless to say, I had a very gratifying "So there!" conversation with my husband soon after. A few days later, Brendan, the reporter, contacted me and we set an interview time at a local meeting spot during one of my weekend rides.

Let me start by saying that it's a bit weird being interviewed and photographed in bike shorts and a bike helmet five miles into a 30 mile ride. It's really not a very flattering look, but it is the required uniform so I guess I didn't really have much of a choice. Plus, given that both biking and blogging are such new endeavors to me, I found it a bit funny to be interviewed about them - like I actually know what I'm talking about! (In fact, I'll admit I didn't really even know what a blog was until a few months ago, though I'm hoping that had more to do with being in a particular age group rather than any ignorance on my part.)

Nevertheless, Brendan and I had a nice conversation, then I hopped back on my bike and continued on my morning ride. Brendan rode on ahead in his car and stopped several times to take photos of me "in action," which was another weird experience, in a self-conscious, awkward sort of way. Unfortunately, traffic was a bit heavy that morning and it could have posed a safety hazard for Brendan, but thankfully, he emerged unscathed and finished his story a mere two days later.

Overall, I thought the article came out well and that I was portrayed in an accurate and positive way. I am also flattered that someone would think that my use of blogging as a personal training and motivational tool was creative and unique enough to actually write about. Who knew?

So thanks for your interest and efforts, Dave and Brendan! Their full story can be read by clicking here - She bikes, she blogs - in the Tritown Transcript, due to hit local newstands today, Wednesday, July 2.