Happy Memorial Day Weekend

I haven't been writing a lot lately because we haven't been riding a lot. The weather has just not cooperated this spring. The hard core members of our team have been riding, but they also ride when it's 10 degrees and snowing outside. Hopefully we'll be able to get some miles in this weekend.

There are two fun things to report. Last Sunday we did have a beautiful day and got in a 30 mile ride with the JDRF team. We rode in the north Muskegon area. Our route took us past Muskegon Lake, Duck Lake, Lake Michigan and several other bodies of water. The wind coming off the big lake was amazing, the temperature dropped  about 10 degrees. It felt like someone had opened a large refrigerator door. But that was refreshing since we were about 20 miles into the route and a 75 degree day.

The other fun thing is that on that ride I rolled over 8000 miles on my Cannondale. That bike has served me well over the last few years and I anticipate putting several more thousand miles under its tires.

Are we in Seattle?

I'm not one to complain about the weather (not much anyway), but this rain is really putting a cramp in my riding. We had the rainiest April on record and May seems to be headed for a record as well. The pattern has been one sunny (but usually cold) day followed by three or four days of rain. The rivers here are still at the early spring snow melt levels, very high. And don't even get me started on the wind. Come on Mother Nature. It's May in Michigan. Give us some partly cloudy skies and 70 degrees. Please.

This week's rides

Yes, rides! As in more than one. The weather has hopefully finally changed in Michigan. More seasonable temperatures and less rain. In April we had over twice the rain we normally have for the month. Admittedly, my garden looks great, but I don't ride in the cold rain if I can help it.
Friday I got out in the early evening for a little 15 miler. I rode the White Pine Trail down to Whitecaps Park, through Comstock Park and back. Today I did my hill training route. Only 11 miles but I climbed 7 hills. I told Mary about it and said it was a good work out. She replied "That's nice. I ride for fun."

Happy Mother's Day to my mom, my wife and all the other mothers I've had the pleasure of knowing.

The Winds of Spring

 This has been a cold, wet and windy spring. The weather has really hampered our ability to get out and ride. Well, maybe not our ability to ride, but definitely our desire to ride. I was talking to Coach Mike Clark during our team ride on Sunday and mentioned that I hadn't gotten a lot of miles in. He said "I've got the miles, I just haven't enjoyed very many of them."

Mary approaching the top of a hill

Sunday was a comparatively decent day. Temperatures were in the low 60's, it was sunny, and quite windy. We had a great turn out of almost 30 riders. Our route started in Johnson Park near the flood stage Grand River. Our group rode a 15 mile semi-looped route. It was a good ride but it seemed like we had a head wind 75% of the time and a cross wind 20% of the time. I'm really looking forward to some more season appropriate conditions.

Ian on his new bike