So…. where to begin?

I’ve been riding since the epic Mt. Shasta adventure, though not in the same quantity. Where I used to ride 250-plus miles per week, I’m now riding 150 or so – a bit of dialing back that is necessary to keep healthy, both mentally and physically.

Not that the rides I’ve done haven’t been great. I’ve been out on the C&O Canal Towpath with sprite, where we saw lots of fish and birds. I went on a 67 mile ride in the Virginia hills that was a fast and fun ride with plenty if challenge (including a lovely stretch of dirt/gravel road). I did a solo, 102 mile ride on Sunday, which was a fun challenge.

I went swimming after work on Monday, taking advantage of the last couple of weeks of operation for the local outdoor pool (I’m not a fan of working out indoors, even in mid-winter). The typical PPTC Tuesday ride went off without problems, too, and I found that my riding is still strong, even with the scaling back of my training regimen. Tonight I rode 22.5 miles of laps at Hains Point and saw a most beautiful sunset.

I still need to make a permanent repair on my rear dérailleur on the Pedal Force. That will happen sometime soon, I’m sure. The main issue is that Campagnolo components, while completely rebuild-ready with spare parts, aren’t cheap – and the dollar-to-euro exchange rate isn’t helping matters. Furthermore, their 2009 gear is now in the stores, the 2008 supply having been out-of-production for a while with the resulting retail channel shortages in full force (Campy is saying “you really want the new bling!”). So I’m trying my luck at Mr. Edward Bay’s Auction House to try and save a few shekels.

So… there you go!

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

slowing down? hardly!

PPTC “Nick’s Pick aka The Blue Ridger from Naked Mountain Vineyards.”

This was almost “the ride that wasn’t.” After all, the weather didn’t cooperate with the fact that Nick – the club member who used to lead the “Real Rides” from Dupont Circle – was in the area and picked this route. And over thirty club members showed up for this ride.

When Joyce and I arrived at Naked Mountain Winery, we found the crowd huddled under a pavillion, chatting and lamenting the rain, drizzle, fog and cold. It was almost like winter in England: a clinging damp, chilling to the bone yet with an eerie beauty. A couple club members rode their bikes in from Marshall, but didn’t feel like riding the hills of Mount Weather in a rainy fog. Most people decided to pack it in and go home.

Except for me, and another club member, Mark, who rented a car for the day solely to participate in this ride.

So we received our cue sheets from Mariette, I unloaded my stuff from Joyce’s van and loaded it into Mark’s car, threw on what warm gear I had (vest shell, long-finger gloves, tights), fired up my read blinker, and we shoved off into the unknown – neither of us had ridden this route.

And it was cold – very cold. I was grateful for my vest and gloves, as they were about the only things keeping me warm, other than my physical endeavors. I methodically spun at a 90 rpm cadence, regardless of whether I was climbing a hill or gingerly descending, trying to keep the blood flowing as I rode. Mark did the same, though his pace was slower (he’s a full group-and-a-half slower than I).

I waited at the summit of Mt. Weather to make sure all was well, then descended. The muck and water made braking a noisy, dirty affair, and I could tell that I’d need to adjust my brake pads when we stopped. But the road surface wasn’t slick – just wet, as the oil had washed off from a thunderstorm two days prior.

By the end of the descent into Airmont, we were both shivering – likely pre-hypothermic, as we were both damp to the bone. If I pointed my toes to the ground, water would drain from the vent in the sole of my shoe like a spillway on a dam. My fingers were wet and a little numb, and dexterity wasn’t a top body function as I carefully adjusted my brake pads to avoid swinging into the sidewall of my tire.

At the rest stop – a bodega in a rural town, quite the odd cultural twist – I bought a 32 ounce coffee to warm up. It may have been a so-so brew of coffee, sitting on the burner for too long, but it was warm, I had it loaded with sugar (and a little bit of salt), and it was the best cup of coffee I’d had in ages.

After we’d had a chance to warm up inside the store for 10 minutes, Mark and I set off for the second half of the ride. As we got our legs back into shape, the skies dried up and cleared into the most beautiful day. The sun came out, the wind was calm, and the roads dried out. Mark and I also picked up the pace – we’d only averaged 13.5 mph for the first 25 miles into the rest stop – and chatted quite a bit about why we ride bikes, what our fitness goals are, etc. It was nice, relaxing and fun.

We eventually rolled back into the winery, just shy of four hours after we’d left. We tasted some wine, bought some bottles, and headed back to DC.

And we both agreed: it was one of the best rides we’d ever done. The others who headed home missed out.

Oh yeah, one more thing: 13 months after my shoulder injury, I no longer fear riding in rain.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

workout log: 30 september 2006

Wow. All that time, and here I am.

And what has happened?

• I’m riding strong and faster than I was prior to the injury – I’ve reached the next level.
• I’ve lost a lot of weight – fat replaced by lean muscle.
• I’ve completed two centuries, with at least another two or three to go before the end of autumn.
• I’m happy, healthy and looking up to the next thing.

So here’s to another year under the belt, with lessons learned, strength gained, and miles to go before I sleep.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

it’s been more than a year

Definitely not the springlike temperatures of last week, but a good riding day. The wind was somewhat gusty, which made for some handling challenges (I’m 6′ 4″, so I’m high-profile, no matter what). But I got some more good base miles under my belt, and the sun felt really, really nice. The hills are getting easier again, which is a sure sign that the winter cobwebs are being shed. And seeing the daffodils in bloom is always a nice scenic distraction.

The shoulder feels downright normal again on the bike, which is such a relief. This is the first post-injury ride where it’s felt normal, and where my back feels balanced after the ride (due to favoring the right arm). Another hurdle cleared – yay!

My next ride will be sometime after the 26th, as I’m heading to New England on Tuesday night. I’ll get some skiing in, though, so that will be a good workout. And I’ll certainly walk around a lot – Boston is a great walking city.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

workout log: 19 march 2006

A nice day of skiing on a warm December day. The place was really empty, owing to the pre-Christmas travel day. A $25 ticket was a big draw, keeping me away from Stratton and Mt. Snow, which were closer to $60 for an all-day pass.

It was great to be back on skis after the long off-season. And my shoulder held up very, very well.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

workout log: 23 december 2005

With that, a huge “thank you” to the crew at Georgetown University Hospital’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitiation department: Michael, Glen, Chris and Francis really went the extra mile to kick my butt and get me back into shape. Thanks, guys!

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

no more therapy!

Did this ride solo becuase the PPTC ride from Glen Echo was too damn early. Another factor taken into consideration: it was in the upper 50s by mid-afternoon, rather than the upper 30s, as it was at 9:00 am. Yet another factor: I didn’t want to miss the Dupont Freshfarm Market.

But the ride was good. I essentially traced the PPTC ride route from the Tuesday nigth rides that take place in the summer months. My energy level was better than last week: the hills were easier, my cadence was a little faster, there were fewer aches from over-compensating for my shoulder. All told, it was the best ride in terms of overall quality since the accident. The roads were full of cyclists, taking advantage of a nice day.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

workout log: 20 november 2005

My first Potomac Pedalers ride since the accident. Felt good, but I didn’t go the whole way to Poolesville because I didn’t want to go too far over 44 miles. I can tell that I’ve lost a little on the hills, and I cramped hard at mile 33 (some water and a quick massage fixed things). But it was a good ride, all told. The shoulder held up fine – it was the least of my worries, amazingly enough. The only thing is that I had to watch that my technique didn’t get too funky. I think I’m involuntarily compensating for the shoulder, even though the shoulder is fine. When I felt my back get out-of-whack, I’d slow down, concentrate on a good, even pedal stroke and handlebar pull. So my average speed for the ride was 16.6 mph, which isn’t too bad – though it’s well behind what I was doing back in August.

I had some gripes about rider behavior on this ride. Basically, some of the faster, hotshot riders kept ignoring the “car back” calls that signal “ride single file, a car wants to pass.” It didn’t matter how loudly you yelled “car back,” these riders just wouldn’t listen. So those of use who are good do-bees get pissed, the drivers of the cars got pissed, and the folks who just had to carry on their lief-altering conversation or their out-of-the-saddle climbing record gave cyclists a very bad name. If only these folks would keep in mind that folks in MoCo vote, and their votes carry a lot of weight when it comes to funding for road improvements and mass-transit projects.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

workout log: 13 november 2005

Been a while, hasn’t it?

Well, this is my first official ride since the accident, and it couldn’t have come soon enough! The weather was perfect – it rained yesterday and will rain tomorrow, so timing is everything.

It felt awesome to be back on the bike! Granted, it was my mountain bike – partly on advice of my therapist, partly because the front wheel on my road bike is still in need of repair. So I mounted my commuter slicks on the Marin’s wheels, and voila!

Right now I’m icing the shoulder, as my trapezius is sore. There is still some weakness there, though it’s getting better every day with the litany of exercises I’m doing. Ice and ibuprofen are proven fixes for the pain, though.

But it’s official: I’m back on the bike! Yeah!

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

workout log: 23 october 2005

• finish paper for U.S. Diplomatic History class (Monday)
• see North Country with sprite (Monday)
• DCDSC Issues Committee meeting (Tuesday)
• PT for the shoulder (Wednesday and Friday)
• U2 concert (Wednesday)
• DC for Democracy Oktoberfest (Friday)
• see Blazing Saddles with Kathy (Friday)
• cook dishes with eggplant, leek, brocolli, purple bell peppers and sweet potatoes (not all at once)
• more cleaning in The Burrow (ongoing)
• assess and (hopefully) repair the floor leak problems in The Burrow

So…. where to grow the time?

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

things to do this week