Longest Ride of the Year (so far)

On Sunday we did a three county team ride. We started south of Byron Center and ended up riding through parts of Ottawa, Allegan and Kent counties. We rode just a shade under 58 miles. That is my longest ride of the year by over 10 miles. The route also had over 1,900 feet of elevation gain. Plus the wind was out of the south west, so we had a stiff head wind for a good part of the day. However that also made for a really quick pace on the northbound legs. I had a couple of mile splits where I was doing over 20 mph. Rather than give you a turn by turn analysis here's a link to the Map My Ride page with all the info.

One month and one day until we ride in Death Valley.

1000 in 2014

Make that 1,001 miles to be accurate. On Tuesday night Mary and I rode south on the White Pine Trail until it ended at North Park bridge. We crossed the river and continued south through Riverside Park. We then took the new trail "connector" east along Ann Street. We then followed the new sharrow markings to Seward Street and rode all the way to Bridge Street before turning around and heading home. In all it was a 23 mile ride and gives me 1,001 miles for this cycling season. Last year I hit 1,000 on August 31, so I'm a few days later. But last year our JDRF ride was in mid-September and this year it isn't until mid-October, so I'm actually ahead of last year's pace.

I put the word connector in quotes above because I question the wisdom of making Ann Street the connecting link between the White Pine/Riverside trails and the west side of Grand Rapids. Cyclists have to navigate a busy 4 lane bridge over the river, then cross an expressway entrance/exit ramp, and finally cross the Ann/Turner intersection which includes a separate right turn lane that avoids the traffic light. While this route eventually gets the cyclist over to Seward Street, there is no flow to the riding and it doesn't feel particularly safe. While I applaud the city of Grand Rapids for trying to tie the trails and surface streets together, this particular connection could use some work.

Three rides in three days

Now that was a weekend. I got a lot of riding in. On Friday I did an 18 mile solo ride. I went south on Grand River Drive to Knapp. Took Knapp to Pettis and then north to Cannonsburg. I then climbed up Blakely so I could get the 7 Mile Hill descent. By the way, the descent of 7 Mile is much more fun than the climb.

On Saturday I rode at Merrill Trails with Scott and Linda Poeder. It was only about six and a half miles, but Merrill is a very technical trail, so it was quite a workout. Plus it was a beautiful day to ride. We toasted our success with a frosty beverage on the deck at Rockford Brewing Company.

Yesterday, we had a small group of five that went out for what turned out to be a 33 mile ride. We started east and went past Luton Park. Then we went north past Meyers Lake and turned west on 12 Mile. We had to make several turns to keep moving west, but we eventually ended up out on the ridge among overflowing apple orchards. We also happened upon Schwallier's Country Basket, a farm store that was giving away free samples of freshly picked apples. They were so good.

In the final tally I rode three consecutive days for a total of 57 miles. On top of that I feel like I could ride today. I think that means that my bike fitness level has finally returned. Which is about on schedule since they say it takes a year to come back from a major injury and it was last September that I crashed in Nashville. So it's good to be feeling good and I'm looking forward to riding in Death Vally in 5 1/2 weeks.

Happy Labor Day

Last week was a good week for riding. I got out three times for a total of 83 miles. That's right where I need to be in training at this point in the season. Today Mary and I decided to ride up to Sand Lake via the White Pine Trail. The weather people were predicting thunderstorms around 2:00 so we decided to head out about 11:00 a.m. It's a 38 mile round trip so we figured we could make it easily before the storms rolled in. It was warm and sunny when we started, but we could see some gray clouds to the west. As we rolled through Cedar Springs on our way north we felt a dew raindrops but nothing significant. Our original plan was to stop for ice cream in Sand Lake, but once we got there we decided that we better keep moving. So we stopped long enough to use the rest room and eat a snack. Then it was back on the bikes to head south and try to beat the storm. We failed. As we got back to Cedar Springs the winds kicked up and we luckily found a little gazebo along the trail, just as the heavy rain hit. We stayed relatively dry, but the air was cooling off considerably. As we waited for the storm to pass we saw several other bicyclists who had been out on the trail when the storm hit. They were soaked. After we waited about a half hour the rain stopped. We headed back south although there was some intermittent thunder and lighting. Bikes have rubber tires so we were safe, right? The weather kept getting better and warmer as we got closer to home. When we rolled into our neighborhood it was as sunny and warm as when we left. And we haven't had any rain since. I guess we should have waited and done an afternoon ride.

Riding not writing

Although I've been absent from this blog recently, I haven't been absent from the road. I've been logging some serious miles recently. In the last week I've ridden over 96 miles, as you can see by my Map My Ride report below.

On Sunday we had a team ride out near Barlow Lake, which is in northern Barry County. It was 49 very hilly miles, featuring 1,700 feet of climbing. It was a gorgeous route past farm fields and small lakes. It wasn't especially hot and we did have some cloud cover in the morning, but it was very humid. We started with a 30 mile loop that had most of the climbing. We returned back to our host's (Thanks Paul and Kami) cottage and then the hard core group went out for 19 more miles. When we finished we had a cookout and swam in the lake. It was a great end to a beautiful day.

The Death Valley Ride is only 53 days away. If you haven't made a donation yet, please consider doing so now. Thanks.

The reason why

We have been participating in the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes for ten years. When we started our son Jake, who was diagnosed with Type 1 at age 6, was only 13 years old. He's now 23, lives in Chicago and has a great life despite his disease. Since 2005 we've logged thousands of miles and raised thousands of dollars to help find a cure for Type 1 diabetes. Sometimes with all the riding, fundraising, and advocating we can lose sight of the main reason we are doing all this. Then a gentle reminder shows up.

As part of our fundraising we send out donation request letters. Yesterday we received a donation from a woman who has contributed before. She included a short note.

Dear Mary, Tom and Ian,
    Continued blessing on your JDRF Ride. I cannot believe that August 8 marks the 27th anniversary of my 34 year old sister's death due to Juvenile Diabetes. Our baby sister, who is a JD survivor, is doing well due to the research. God bless your journey.
    Mary Ellen

You never know who's life you are going to impact when you participate in a JDRF ride. Thank you Mary Ellen for your words of support and your financial contribution. We will keep riding, for our son, for your sisters, and for the millions of people with Type 1, until we find a cure.

Ride on and God bless.

That's more like it

When I last posted less then a week ago I was whining about not getting enough miles in. That changed quickly. Since Tuesday of last week I've logged 85 miles. That's what I need to be doing this time of year. I rode three times and each ride was different.

On July 29 Mary and I did a leisurely ride up the White Pine Trail to Rockford. We stopped by the dam to listen to some of the Blues by the River music, but it wasn't doing it for us, so we moved on. We ended up with just over 15 miles.

Last Friday I went out for a solo ride, intending to do about 20 miles. I ended up with 30 due to road conditions. I started out on a route I've done before, heading west through Belmont and up Post Drive. I then take 9 Mile until I feel like turning north. The route loops around Rockford without going through the city. This time I went north on Division, east on Fonger, and then north on Algoma. I planned on turning east again on 12 Mile, but the road had just been chip sealed. There was probably 2 inches on loose gravel on the road surface. I would have had a hard time getting thru that on my mountain bike. So I rode up to 13 Mile and continued east past Northland Drive with the intention on turning south toward home on Courtland. Wrong. The chip seal folks had hit that street as well. Even more loose gravel. So I continued east, getting farther from home with every pedal stroke. I finally turned south on Shaner. When I got to 11 Mile there was a sign that said 10 Mile (the next road I was planning on taking) was closed to the east. No problem, since I would be turning west. However when I got to 10 Mile I realized that the sign should have read "10 Mile Road is gone." The whole road was torn up and being readied for new pavement. I really didn't want to back track and fortunately the dirt where the road used to be was pretty hard packed. So I rode about a mile and a half of dirt road on my skinny tires before getting to the non chip sealed potion of Courtland. There I turned south again before riding past Rockford High School and finally home. My 20 mile ride had turned into a 30 mile adventure.

The West Michigan Ride Team and friends after the "Tour de Taco" team ride.

Yesterday we had a team ride out in Holland. The annual "Tour de Taco" from Coach Mike Clark's house. There was a 25 mile loop in the morning which we didn't do. Our group did a 40 mile loop that left around noon. The route basically followed parts of the Holland Hundred through Fennville, around Hutchin's Lake and Douglas/Saugatuck. It was a beautiful day to ride and we kept up a pretty good pace for a team ride, a 14.5 mile per hour average. The best part was the cookout at the end. Grilled chicken tacos with all the fixin's, plus chips, salsa and cupcakes. That was also my longest ride of the year so far and I felt pretty good at the end of it. That's a very encouraging sign.

I'm still here

I just realized it's been a month since I published anything to this blog. The combination of work, vacation, and not very summery weather has conspired to limit my riding opportunities this July. I have been getting out some, but usually only once or twice a week. In years past I'd be out cycling three or four times a week in July. When I look at my ride logs I'm averaging between 20 and 40 miles a week, when I should be averaging around 60 miles a week. This is causing me a little bit of concern, since my fitness level is down after last September's accident. However, that also may be why my total mileage is low, and as my fitness level returns my mileage should increase as well. At least I hope so.

I did a 36 mile ride up to Sand Lake and back with Ian about a week ago. That was my longest ride of the year so far and I was feeling pretty bad near the end of it. The bottom line is that I just need to get out and ride more. Team rides, mountain bike rides, wine Wednesday rides, solo rides. I just need to do it, frequently.

On the fundraising front we are tracking about the same as last year. Our family goal is $12,000 and we are currently at $7,356. Which means we have $4,644 to raise between now and October 18th. So if you are inclined to make a tax deductible contribution we would greatly appreciate it.

Bike riding is better than working

I took a little time off from work this past week. We didn't go anywhere on vacation so I used the opportunity to ride my bike, a lot. There were team rides, solo rides, even mountain bike rides. All told I put in over 85 miles on my bike. I would have like to ride more but I did have a few things I needed to get done around the house and we did have some rain to contend with. What follows is a breakdown of my week+ of riding.

Saturday 6/21: Connie's Cakes to home
I was helping Mary out at the cake shop. They are very busy in June with many, many weddings. After the shop closed I rode east on Fulton Street toward Ada. A pretty high traffic area but with broad road shoulders. I then turned north on Grand River Avenue and took that until it ended at Northland Drive which I took home. Again Northland was very busy with vehicle traffic, but there are only a few spots to get across the river to get home. It ended up being a relatively easy 14 mile ride.

Sunday 6/22: JDRF Team Ride from Sietsma's Orchard
This ride could also be called "25 miles of pain". With our team rides there are usually two mileage options. My original plan had been to ride the 40 mile option. However this route was in the Egypt Valley, Pettis, Honey Creek triangle. Anyone who rides in this area knows this is one of the hilliest places to ride in all of west Michigan. We actually went both north and south on Egypt Valley. I'm not one to complain about hills, but that was a tough route. When I got to the 25/40 cutoff I decided that riding 25 miles was a much better idea. The post ride lunch and cider made all the work worthwhile.

Tuesday 6/24: North on the White Pine Trail
This was a 20 mile solo ride. Just a basic training ride. I took the trail up thru Rockford and up to Russell Road. It's a pretty flat route, especially when compared with our Sunday team ride. Nothing very interesting to report, just puttin' in the miles.

Wednesday 6/25: Luton Park

The old barn at Luton Park.

I decided to take my mountain bike out for a spin. This is an "old" bike. I first purchased it in the late 80's. It has a steel frame and no suspension. I feel kind of jealous when I see the newer, cooler mountain bikes some of my teammates ride. But my Raleigh M50 has served me well for decades and will go through anything. I rode the blue, orange, black and red loops at Luton for a 6 mile total. The thing I really notice out there is that it's more of an upper body workout than road cycling. Now that might be because I'm pushing the bike equivalent of a tank through the narrow trails. But Luton is a blast, tight turns, rock gardens, log piles, and on this day more than a few mud puddles. Watch for a full review of Luton Park coming soon on my Examiner page.

Sunday 6/29: The modified Western loop
I didn't get to ride on Friday or Saturday because I was busy with volunteering at a couple of events. So I was putting up tents and selling cupcakes instead of pedaling my bike. Today Mary went with me and we headed out for one of our favorite loops. We started by heading west through Belmont and then making the big climb up Post Drive. We continued westward along 9 Mile Road. This is a very pretty twisty little road that takes you out toward the northern Kent County apple orchards. Today our plan was to do a shorter version by riding up Division to 12 Mile and then heading home via the White Pine Trail. About a 25 mile route. However at 12 miles into the ride Mary's front tire exploded. She noticed that a bulge had developed on the tire so we stopped to see if I could do a field repair job. Before we could get off the road to a safe place to fix the tire the tube exploded and left a two inch long hole in the tire. Since we don't carry spare tires, I had to cut the route short and ride home to get the car to bring Mary and her bike back home. Mary ended up with 12 miles for the day and I was at 19.

I've now ridden 420 miles since the start of the season. Not great but we'll get there. I'd like to be between 1,200 and 1,500 miles when we head to Death Valley in October.

Death Valley Training

It was hot and windy this afternoon, perfect training for Death Valley. Just replace the trees with mountains and the grass with desert and this would have been just like DV. Since the winds were about 20 mph from the southwest I decided to ride south and west first so I could work hard at the start and use the wind to my advantage when I got tired. I took the White Pine Trail down to WhiteCaps BallPark. They were getting set up for tonight's Class A Baseball All-Star Game. Since I didn't have a ticket I rode past the park, through Comstock Park and then turned north and headed toward home. Going north was much easier. I had a pretty good average speed, 15.3 mph. The last few rides I've tracked have all had plus 15 mph averages. I think that means that I'm starting to get my fitness back. I'm glad for that. I felt really bad at the start of the season after having been off the bike for so long. Now I'm starting to feel like I'll be able to do this Death valley thing after all.