36miles

I may have pushed myself a little too far today. It was hot and humid. I drank water like crazy but by the end my legs felt like they were on the verge of bonking out. I made it home fine but didn't feel so good. I stretched and showered and then laid down. Then I had a wave of nausea and my gut felt so bad I could hardly get up. This subsided, then came back again. I went to the bathroom and then I finally vomited. It was all water. I felt much better then and my strength came back a little. Needless to say I took it easy tonight and will try to get a good nights sleep.

I think maybe I got some bad water, or maybe the heat got to me, or maybe both. I don't know, but I feel better now.

25miles

I rode down the Greenway. I tried to take it easy to give my legs a little break. I ran yesterday and my legs were feeling pretty tired. The south wind was quite harsh.

23miles

We have had amazingly beautiful weather these last couple of days. I'm thankful that I have time to ride. Today's was a standard out and back on the Greenway.

18miles

Como/Summit/River Great weather. Low humidity, mild temps.

Last Friday

23 miles

I rode with Aaron. It was a good ride. He can really push me.

Today

30miles

It took me 2hours 45minutes which is not very good time. Either I calculated the distance wrong or I was just not very strong today. I'm not worried either way. I'm started to get into better biking shape and hopefully that will lead to a long ride this summer.

Tuesday June 22

18miles

I rode the Captial/Summit/River/Como loop. I felt good and made it back just before dark. On summit I was passed by a serious looking pack of about 6 riders. I thought I was moving at a good pace, but they passed me like I was on a beach cruiser. It still amazes me how much power some people can exert on a bicycle.

Sunday June 20

49miles

I rode out to Stillwater, then north to Pine Point Park and then down the Gateway trail and back home. It was a great ride. I got some some but no bad burns. I was almost bonked out by the time I got back, but I've been in much worse shape.

I also found out there was a bicycle race in Stillwater. It was just ending when I got there and I didn't see any of it, but I could hear the announcer from the park on the hill. If I wouldn't known I would have gone earlier and watched it. Because of the race there were a lot of people biking between here and Stillwater. I talked to two of them and they were both friendly and told be a little bit about the race. Overall, it was a great day of riding.

20miles

I rode the Capital/Summit/River road route. It was windy and it was one of those rides when it seemed like no matter which direction I was going, it was blowing straight into my face. The bicycle seems to be operating well, which is a relief. I'm tired of fixing something all the time.

22miles

I have been wanting to ride everyday, but there is always something that happens. Yesterday, after I had changed into my cycling clothes and put my shoes on, I noticed that my rear rim was flared out a little on one side. It looked like the tire bead had pushed the sidewall out a bit. The tire was still inflated and it was operable but I didn't want to ride on a wheel like that. It wouldn't take long for something to give. So I changed out of my clothes and started looking at wheels online.

Today I set out and went to a couple bike shops looking for a replacement wheel. The rim was worn down a lot, which probably contributed to the flaring. The man at Freewheel bicycle quoted me a great price to build me a new rear wheel. It would have been a little wider, which would have been great. I could have put 50's on it. Unfortunately, I just couldn't find the money in the budget so I got a Shimano FH 2800 hub laced to a Mavic CXP22 rim. It's an off the line wheel, but still better than what I had before. It rode well and will work for now.

When I get a steady income I am going to seriously look into some custom built wheels that are a little wider and a little sturdier.

22miles

It was just a ride down the greenway, but it had been awhile so it felt good. Tomorrow will feel even better.

15miles

I had flat tire two days ago and ended up walking about 1/2 mile home. I patched the hole, but it went flat within 12 hours and I could not find the leak. Also, my rear tire was badly worn and had many cuts in it as well as an abrasion from a skid. (A car ran a stop sign and I had to stop suddenly.) So I went in and bought a new tube and a new tire. It's a Roubaix Armodillo and I already like it. It rides smoothly and holds a little more pressure than the old tire. I just wish that it would have been cheaper.

20miles

I rode down Como to the Capital and then back on Summit to the River, up the River Parkway and back on Como. It was a good route. It was very windy but I didn't seem to mind too much.

Down by the capital I saw a parade of motorcycles. There must have been 100 of them, led by a police car and fire truck. I don't know what it was for, but they were riding fast.

Yesterday

22miles

34miles

Aaron, Joe, Scott, and I rode down the Greenway and up the Kenilworth trail and back. It was a good group and a good ride.

16miles

I rode down Wheelock to the Gateway Trail and then went south a ways.

16miles

I went to the Greenway again but this time I went down Como and through the university. It is a little longer route, but it is much smoother than Franklin Street.

15miles

Standard daily ride.

15miles

The weather is good although it is still a bit windy. My legs are sore and tired from riding with Aaron yesterday so I wasn't too fast.

24.5miles

Aaron and I rode together today. He helps to push the pace a bit. We rode up the Gateway trail a ways and then back. The weather was nice, except for the wind.

18miles

Great weather today. Sunny and in the 60's.

I cleaned a readjusted everything on the bike over Easter break. It worked great today. The shifting was smooth and reliable and so were the breaks.

15miles

There won't be too many more days left for wearing tights and a coat. Today was one of them though. I had to wear the hat and gloves too.

Greenbelt and back.

40degress

15miles

I rode the same route as yesterday. I have been riding the same route all winter. Now that the snow and ice are gone, I should start exploring new roads. I just have to watch out for potholes.

15miles

There was a light rain mist today, but it wasn't a nuisance at all. I can tell that it won't take long to get some strength back in my legs and it is going to be easier to get rides in now that we are in daylight savings time.

11 miles

It was 60degrees out and sunny. I put the clipless pedals back on. No hat, no gloves, no tights! I did wear long sleeves though. It was a great ride. There are a lot of potholes though, and big ones.

20miles

It was about 16degrees out so I believe this is a new record for being the coldest weather I have ever ridden my bike in. However, it was sunny and calm so it seemed warmer than it was. There were some other people out riding and running.

I haven't been able to keep my feet warm with the cycling shoes so I put on the platform pedals and the tennis shoes. There is more room in my tennis shoes for layers of socks and that seemed to make a difference. My toes did still get a little cold though. I'm going to have to keep working on this.

Today

24miles

It's been a story of puddles and potholes. The weather has been mild (in the low 30's) since the middle of last week. This has melted off the ice and snow that was covering everything, but it has left puddles and a lot of uneven pavement. The riding has been good though and drivers have been decent. I still have trouble with my feet getting cold, and my thumbs.

Sunday

21miles

Saturday

12miles

Today

3miles

I'm a boring guy so I usually run the same route: over to the fairgrounds, back through the neighborhood, and then up past the grocery store.

I would really like to get out and ride my bike, but there is an unprecedented amount of ice on the roads. I'm a little concerned about falling down on my bike, but I'm more concerned about cars sliding into me. Especially since I would have to ride out in the street more because of the snow on the side of the road. I'm just not courageous enough to take that risk.

Yesterday

3miles

Today

3miles Running

It is cold, right around zero degrees, but it hasn't been a problem for running. My feet are warm and my legs are ok. Even with just a short-sleeved shirt under my coat I am still plenty warm. My hands get too hot so I take off my gloves and just pull my sleeves down. I wear a scarf, but I might not need it. I think my beard actually helps keep my face warm. The frost from my breath builds up on it, but my face feels ok.

Tomorrow I think I'll try biking, but I am a little worried about the ice. The slickness is one thing, but more than that it is rough and the streets are narrower because of it.

Yesterday

3miles Running