1327.1 / 13.5 / na
So, 115 miles on the week. I sure didn't get much work done.
Friday, October 05, 2001
1321.5 / 13 / ??
At precisely 1311.7, there on the wire beside Blank Road was a red-shouldered hawk, head feathers all fluffed up as if to say, "you can have a big head - you rode 100 miles this week!"
Mapped (links to large JPG) and profiled (links to small GIF) my new standard route this morning. The elevation seems less than I expected, but 460 feet is nothing to sneeze at, I suppose.
Right wrist a little sore - I try to remember not to rest my weight on the handlebars too much, but tend to do so anyway - at any rate, I overrode my goal this week by 10%, so likely won't be doing the full ride home tonight (and will end up with 115 miles from four days' riding).
It feels good, and the ride was relatively easy to do today. Though I took my time about it.
Early reports of 25-pound weight loss *might've* been exaggerated (but maybe not) - I actually feel lighter, even though I don't perceive any difference in the way I look - still have disgusting, too-large belly, and will need to do something other than biking to really have any effect on THAT.
T is also riding to work. Even though it's "only" a two-mile round trip, it *is* consistent exercise, and I applaud you, T, my faithful and only reader... <g>
Thus we leave road rash for this week (maybe I'll post that last five miles tonite, but...)
At precisely 1311.7, there on the wire beside Blank Road was a red-shouldered hawk, head feathers all fluffed up as if to say, "you can have a big head - you rode 100 miles this week!"
Mapped (links to large JPG) and profiled (links to small GIF) my new standard route this morning. The elevation seems less than I expected, but 460 feet is nothing to sneeze at, I suppose.
Right wrist a little sore - I try to remember not to rest my weight on the handlebars too much, but tend to do so anyway - at any rate, I overrode my goal this week by 10%, so likely won't be doing the full ride home tonight (and will end up with 115 miles from four days' riding).
It feels good, and the ride was relatively easy to do today. Though I took my time about it.
Early reports of 25-pound weight loss *might've* been exaggerated (but maybe not) - I actually feel lighter, even though I don't perceive any difference in the way I look - still have disgusting, too-large belly, and will need to do something other than biking to really have any effect on THAT.
T is also riding to work. Even though it's "only" a two-mile round trip, it *is* consistent exercise, and I applaud you, T, my faithful and only reader... <g>
Thus we leave road rash for this week (maybe I'll post that last five miles tonite, but...)
Thursday, October 04, 2001
1305.1 / 12.5 / 85 mins.
Same route as the morning, and surprise! same time. Will pass 100 miles at about 1311.7, if I remember correctly - maybe I will treat myself to a bus ride home tomorrow.
Really kinda forced myself to make the whole trip this evening, in spite of significant weariness and possible rain, so that it wouldn't be a stretch to make 100 tomorrow. 100 miles is a *fucking* long ride on a bicycle, really, and it'll probably be a while before I attempt it in a 5-day week again.
Two different hawks, both red-tails, that I've seen now a few days running in the same places. They seem to be nonplussed by this wheeled being that passes beneath their wires/phone poles... Along the ride, cattle, sheep, llamas, and on yesterday's side-trip, emus... Not to mention the odd "sleeping" skunk/possum/raccoon in the road...
Same route as the morning, and surprise! same time. Will pass 100 miles at about 1311.7, if I remember correctly - maybe I will treat myself to a bus ride home tomorrow.
Really kinda forced myself to make the whole trip this evening, in spite of significant weariness and possible rain, so that it wouldn't be a stretch to make 100 tomorrow. 100 miles is a *fucking* long ride on a bicycle, really, and it'll probably be a while before I attempt it in a 5-day week again.
Two different hawks, both red-tails, that I've seen now a few days running in the same places. They seem to be nonplussed by this wheeled being that passes beneath their wires/phone poles... Along the ride, cattle, sheep, llamas, and on yesterday's side-trip, emus... Not to mention the odd "sleeping" skunk/possum/raccoon in the road...
1288.7 / 12 days / 85 mins.
Slightly different route (actually, my standard homeward route, backwards), eliminates a couple of miles of hwy 116, at the cost of an additional hill or two.
Surprised that this was only 16.3 miles, actually, since the Hessel Road part I did this morning more or less "squares" the diagonal of 116... maybe I didn't get last night's mileage correct.
At any rate, have now done about 78 miles from Monday thru today. Probably will not do the whole ride home tonite, 5 miles to the bus stop is plenty'nuff.
Late yesterday, some wally scheduled a 9:15am meeting for today, so I sat theu an hour-long meeting with sweat cooling on me, and am just now getting around to getting ready to take a shower. There have been days when I was going to lunch by now...
Slightly different route (actually, my standard homeward route, backwards), eliminates a couple of miles of hwy 116, at the cost of an additional hill or two.
Surprised that this was only 16.3 miles, actually, since the Hessel Road part I did this morning more or less "squares" the diagonal of 116... maybe I didn't get last night's mileage correct.
At any rate, have now done about 78 miles from Monday thru today. Probably will not do the whole ride home tonite, 5 miles to the bus stop is plenty'nuff.
Late yesterday, some wally scheduled a 9:15am meeting for today, so I sat theu an hour-long meeting with sweat cooling on me, and am just now getting around to getting ready to take a shower. There have been days when I was going to lunch by now...
Wednesday, October 03, 2001
1272.4 / 11.5 days / didn't time it.
It's windy even at 2 in the afternoon - maybe it's alway windy westbound.
As the mileage would indicate, I took another "shortcut" today, on a street that didn't have a "Not a Through Street" sign but deadended anyway. Added almost 3 miles to the trip home. But I wasn't in a big hurry, and now I know about Volkaart Road, so no big deal. Remembered that we pay monthly rent to live here; nothing going on at work anyway, so opted to get home and deal with the bank and realtor.
After today's 35 miles, no worries about hitting 100 by end of day Friday...
It's windy even at 2 in the afternoon - maybe it's alway windy westbound.
As the mileage would indicate, I took another "shortcut" today, on a street that didn't have a "Not a Through Street" sign but deadended anyway. Added almost 3 miles to the trip home. But I wasn't in a big hurry, and now I know about Volkaart Road, so no big deal. Remembered that we pay monthly rent to live here; nothing going on at work anyway, so opted to get home and deal with the bank and realtor.
After today's 35 miles, no worries about hitting 100 by end of day Friday...
1253.9 / 11 days / 76 minutes garage to desk (let's start tracking this, too)
Foggy and misty. Glasses get all sparkly and pretty soon you can't see the road two feet ahead. Have to stop, try to wipe off glasses, proceed. On a longish downhill, you don't want to stop, so you push it a bit... finally, just pushed the glasses down on my nose so I could see with naked eyeballs.
Actually feels LESS dangerous, in the fog, than in the dark or daylight.
$80 later, bike is tuned up, with new tube and a new taillight that's significantly brighter than the old one. And I still have the old one - it fell off in the garage, and I though it had fallen off while the bike was on the rack on the car yesterday... So now we have an extra taillight, and $20 less than we would've had if we'd known the old taillight was still around...
Again had the pleasure of passing another cyclist - I'm NOT the slowest one in the world! I was stopped at the light at Mecham/Stony Point, he rode through just as the light changed. I stayed back for a while, thinking he was going to get up to speed and leave me behind, but he seemed to reach cruising speed while I was still only in 3-5 or so.
By the way, I never use the #1 front gear anymore, and actually only get out of #3 two or three times during the ride. The lowest I go is maybe 2-2, on the biggest hill (Blank road).
Weird how some times I feel quite healthy and "up," and others not - no decipherable reason. Even though it was less painful than it's been in a long time, starting out on the bike this morning, I feel really blah. Whereas on Monday, I was on top of the world, though it WAS quite painful pedalling those first few miles (not to mention the Blank Road hill). I don't know what governs this; wish I did so I could stay home in bed when it's not working to my advantage...
Have ridden 42 miles this week, including Monday's riding and walking - if I ride all the way home today, easily on track for 100 miles (barring further pneumatic "incidents").
"Zoolander" (2001) at the theatre last night. Good clean sillly stupid fun, and I think we needed a laugh like that. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson really pretty funny as rival male models, and Milla Jovovich surprisingly not eastern-european-seeming as seemingly-American-imitating-eastern-european villainess Katinka. Stiller always cracks me up; he has absolutely the perfect mug for the kind of sad-sack comedy he does. As one Alternetter says, could be the next Austin Powers (though not as many catch-phrases; more like "catch-looks").
Have no idea what I'm doing here all day, but brought "Have a Nice Decade: the 70s Pop Culture box," which arrived in the mail yesterday. So, can listen to (some of) that...
Foggy and misty. Glasses get all sparkly and pretty soon you can't see the road two feet ahead. Have to stop, try to wipe off glasses, proceed. On a longish downhill, you don't want to stop, so you push it a bit... finally, just pushed the glasses down on my nose so I could see with naked eyeballs.
Actually feels LESS dangerous, in the fog, than in the dark or daylight.
$80 later, bike is tuned up, with new tube and a new taillight that's significantly brighter than the old one. And I still have the old one - it fell off in the garage, and I though it had fallen off while the bike was on the rack on the car yesterday... So now we have an extra taillight, and $20 less than we would've had if we'd known the old taillight was still around...
Again had the pleasure of passing another cyclist - I'm NOT the slowest one in the world! I was stopped at the light at Mecham/Stony Point, he rode through just as the light changed. I stayed back for a while, thinking he was going to get up to speed and leave me behind, but he seemed to reach cruising speed while I was still only in 3-5 or so.
By the way, I never use the #1 front gear anymore, and actually only get out of #3 two or three times during the ride. The lowest I go is maybe 2-2, on the biggest hill (Blank road).
Weird how some times I feel quite healthy and "up," and others not - no decipherable reason. Even though it was less painful than it's been in a long time, starting out on the bike this morning, I feel really blah. Whereas on Monday, I was on top of the world, though it WAS quite painful pedalling those first few miles (not to mention the Blank Road hill). I don't know what governs this; wish I did so I could stay home in bed when it's not working to my advantage...
Have ridden 42 miles this week, including Monday's riding and walking - if I ride all the way home today, easily on track for 100 miles (barring further pneumatic "incidents").
"Zoolander" (2001) at the theatre last night. Good clean sillly stupid fun, and I think we needed a laugh like that. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson really pretty funny as rival male models, and Milla Jovovich surprisingly not eastern-european-seeming as seemingly-American-imitating-eastern-european villainess Katinka. Stiller always cracks me up; he has absolutely the perfect mug for the kind of sad-sack comedy he does. As one Alternetter says, could be the next Austin Powers (though not as many catch-phrases; more like "catch-looks").
Have no idea what I'm doing here all day, but brought "Have a Nice Decade: the 70s Pop Culture box," which arrived in the mail yesterday. So, can listen to (some of) that...
Tuesday, October 02, 2001
1237.3, and 10 days.
Just when you start getting going...
Had thought to take a slightly-longer route, and sure enough, five miles out of town yesterday on Pepper Road, flat fucking tire. I count the four miles of walking the bike as legitimate mileage towards my vague, yet ever-nearer cycling goals. Will attempt today to get the tire fixed and get a tune-up, such that I can ride tomorrow, thursday, and friday. I need, at the least, a tire repair kit; at best, puncture-proof tires -- in fact, I'm just gonna go ahead and look into the GreenTyres. I have already spent, in a little over a year, almost the price of those tires in fixing and/or trying to avoid flats on this bike. The damned star-thistles are exverywhere, and when it's not those it's some stupid little nail or something. Without the liner, and the green goo, I'd probably be averaging one flat per month. Even with these preventive measures, it's about one every three months. One saving grace w/this bike, with the double-sidewall tires I can at least coast the downhills with a flat, keeping my weight as much as possible on the good tire, without damaging the tube (I think). Yeah, gonna get the greentyres.
Weird bigger-than-usual craving when I got in the car this morning - can expect to have these from time to time for the next 20 years, probably - you just hang on tight and it passes.
Stupid drivers who stay in the left lane through Sebastopol until the last minute, then cut in rudely when the lane ends - they KNOW the lane's gonna end; they get all of two or three vehicles ahead, and are still ultimately stuck behind SOMEone on the slow-moving 116, and so they end up with the people they cut off, still fuming, right behind them for ten miles. You risked an accident, possible injury, for this? You morons! Makes me grit my teeth, and I try to mellow out and forget about it, but there they are in front of me for ten miles, and when we get to the legitimate passing lane, there they are in the left lane passing oh so slowly... I must try to avoid this passive-aggressive behavior, though.
Overall, feel good. I feel like I AM losing weight, ounce by ounce, slow but sure, and in a healthy,. positive, way. Still don't know what I'll do when the rainy season starts, but will think of something.
Just when you start getting going...
Had thought to take a slightly-longer route, and sure enough, five miles out of town yesterday on Pepper Road, flat fucking tire. I count the four miles of walking the bike as legitimate mileage towards my vague, yet ever-nearer cycling goals. Will attempt today to get the tire fixed and get a tune-up, such that I can ride tomorrow, thursday, and friday. I need, at the least, a tire repair kit; at best, puncture-proof tires -- in fact, I'm just gonna go ahead and look into the GreenTyres. I have already spent, in a little over a year, almost the price of those tires in fixing and/or trying to avoid flats on this bike. The damned star-thistles are exverywhere, and when it's not those it's some stupid little nail or something. Without the liner, and the green goo, I'd probably be averaging one flat per month. Even with these preventive measures, it's about one every three months. One saving grace w/this bike, with the double-sidewall tires I can at least coast the downhills with a flat, keeping my weight as much as possible on the good tire, without damaging the tube (I think). Yeah, gonna get the greentyres.
Weird bigger-than-usual craving when I got in the car this morning - can expect to have these from time to time for the next 20 years, probably - you just hang on tight and it passes.
Stupid drivers who stay in the left lane through Sebastopol until the last minute, then cut in rudely when the lane ends - they KNOW the lane's gonna end; they get all of two or three vehicles ahead, and are still ultimately stuck behind SOMEone on the slow-moving 116, and so they end up with the people they cut off, still fuming, right behind them for ten miles. You risked an accident, possible injury, for this? You morons! Makes me grit my teeth, and I try to mellow out and forget about it, but there they are in front of me for ten miles, and when we get to the legitimate passing lane, there they are in the left lane passing oh so slowly... I must try to avoid this passive-aggressive behavior, though.
Overall, feel good. I feel like I AM losing weight, ounce by ounce, slow but sure, and in a healthy,. positive, way. Still don't know what I'll do when the rainy season starts, but will think of something.
Monday, October 01, 2001
1227.2, and 9 days.
Nothing major, and the ride is pretty routine now, even after a weekend of mostly inactivity. Snake parts everywhere. Red Tail on a telepost along Roblar didn't bother to move as I went by.
We did get about 5.5 miles in at the Coast Trail on Saturday. Last week's hike, as it turns out, was much longer and with much more total altitude gain/loss (see elevation profile at bottom) than originally estimated.
Warm this weekend and this morning. I didn't get started till well after sunrise - almost 8:00, actually - is way too easy to dawdle at the computer in the morning (and to be fair, I did update some of my Born Today index pages - timelines and alphas.
I'm thinking maybe I'll try to ride every day this week and get an honest 100 miles, but we'll see as the week wears on, eh? Today, might make the entire ride home instead of "wimping out" at the five-mile bus stop point. It's nice to get a lot of miles on Monday, and if I slack off later in the week I don't feel so bad. I'm SO sick of being like 25-30 lbs. overweight; I don't like myself this way, and it's something I think I can change with relative ease (non-drinking, actually, will probably take care of most of it), if I just apply myself to this regular exercise. Gotta come up with something, though, for the rain...
The addiction-which-dare-not-mention-its-name has not reared its ugly head *quite* as much over the weekend as during last week. I don't feel like the various bandaids are contributing that much (not as much as I've felt they contributed in past attempts [which didn't stick anyway...]), but I also feel it doesn't matter -- breaking down, giving in, fucking up, are simply not options this time. It feels SO good to be free of it, even partially free as we are now. This will work, and we will be clear of this hurdle for good. Still, have been grouchy as hell, and could literally end up killing someone if allowed to drive much.
Okay then; to the shower!
Nothing major, and the ride is pretty routine now, even after a weekend of mostly inactivity. Snake parts everywhere. Red Tail on a telepost along Roblar didn't bother to move as I went by.
We did get about 5.5 miles in at the Coast Trail on Saturday. Last week's hike, as it turns out, was much longer and with much more total altitude gain/loss (see elevation profile at bottom) than originally estimated.
Warm this weekend and this morning. I didn't get started till well after sunrise - almost 8:00, actually - is way too easy to dawdle at the computer in the morning (and to be fair, I did update some of my Born Today index pages - timelines and alphas.
I'm thinking maybe I'll try to ride every day this week and get an honest 100 miles, but we'll see as the week wears on, eh? Today, might make the entire ride home instead of "wimping out" at the five-mile bus stop point. It's nice to get a lot of miles on Monday, and if I slack off later in the week I don't feel so bad. I'm SO sick of being like 25-30 lbs. overweight; I don't like myself this way, and it's something I think I can change with relative ease (non-drinking, actually, will probably take care of most of it), if I just apply myself to this regular exercise. Gotta come up with something, though, for the rain...
The addiction-which-dare-not-mention-its-name has not reared its ugly head *quite* as much over the weekend as during last week. I don't feel like the various bandaids are contributing that much (not as much as I've felt they contributed in past attempts [which didn't stick anyway...]), but I also feel it doesn't matter -- breaking down, giving in, fucking up, are simply not options this time. It feels SO good to be free of it, even partially free as we are now. This will work, and we will be clear of this hurdle for good. Still, have been grouchy as hell, and could literally end up killing someone if allowed to drive much.
Okay then; to the shower!
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