Easy 18 miles following a gym workout interrupted at mid-ride by consumption of incredibly tasty french toast (on sourdough of course).

I finally got out for about 20 miles today. Cr@p am I out of shape. No surprise since I have been on the bike only 5 times since Halloween for 200 miles total and none in the last month. It's amazing how quickly I get de-trained and one of the indications is how easily my HR skies up there. Anyway, it;s a start and a baseline so I know where I am. Come late April it will be a lot different.

Here's today's Garmin data for those that want to see how out of shape I really am.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/64860648

My impression is that as we get older, our fitness dissipates quicker during periods of inactivity. One of the unwelcome features of aging, I suppose.

I got my January century out of the way, unintentionally. Missed the turn for the 75 mile loop, so did the 100. First 50 miles into the wind, going north, and the last 25 also into the wind, going south. A lovely tailwind in between, going west. Who needs hills?

I rode 50 miles today with a couple of friends, one under thirty, the other over 60. Both are flea-weight MTB demons who killed me on the hills. But we kept it at a moderate pace. The older guy has a terrible back and has not done a ride this long in several years. It was sunny and cool today, ranging from about 40F to about 50F. We all guessed/dressed right and were warm enough but not too warm.

This guy is my local cycling hero. 64 y/o and still races MTBs competitively despite severe back problems.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5006/...59f15e509a.jpg
DSCF0671 by BluesDawg, on Flickr

Going through a small rural town on the route.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5209/...f90630eac6.jpg
DSCF0673 by BluesDawg, on Flickr

I'm going to hate it when they finish working on this road and we lose the de facto bike lane.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5163/...fe195675ca.jpg
DSCF0682 by BluesDawg, on Flickr

Since it was National Pie Day, my wife picked up a sweet potato pie for me.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5125/...3b59aafe98.jpg
Sweet Potato Pie by BluesDawg, on Flickr

This should make BikeWNC feel better about his performance. ;)
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/64849395

No I did not ride today. 20 to 30 mph winds and did I mention I hate wind.

Yeah, but I bet your HR didn't hit 185 like mine did. I was certainly guilty of some irrational exuberance, excited just to be out on my bike. Pretty day though.

Road a nice Club Social Ride, a special one for member Dave, who turned "80 years young", we had a potluck and birthday cake after the ride, a great day. 21 miles round trip, chilly, mostly cloudy, high 30's.:thumb:

Training for the organized rides of 2011 has started in earnest: 45 miles, 3200' of climb today.

^^^
Yep, we've been really lucky w/ the great weather we have this week, so I squeezed an epic b-day ride in between a couple of fillers and got the best b-day present in a long, long time, 87 miles. 'Can't wait to get out this coming week, too. What is it they say, "work is for the people who can't get out and ride their bikes?" ;)

Minus 8F in Maine
 

No riding outside for me this January. So unlike last year. Just another hour on the trainer in the basement.

64 miles @ 17.7 with my faster club on Saturday (I am a member of 2 bike clubs, one of which rides a bit faster than the other). 28 @ 16.3 on Sunday. Ordinarily I would call 16.3 an easy ride, but, I was riding uphill into a 24 mph headwind for the first half of the ride. At halfway I had a 12.6 average. The was kind of trapezoid in shape, and I had crosswinds or headwinds until the final leg.

The final leg was a blast though! :thumb:

I ride 5 or 6 times a week, but it's usually utilitarian in the winter. Yesterday I combined an Amtrak trip to Chicago with 20 miles of riding for an interesting day http://simplecycle-marc.blogspot.com...culptures.html. It was a great way to find an excuse for recreation.

Marc

Rode the same 20 mile loop as yesterday but in the opposite direction.

First ride in a long time today. Rode my fitness loop for about 1 1/2 hours. Snowed this morning, but it did not stick around.

Nice day in the southern Willamette Valley, sunny and temps in the fifties, beautiful! I got started a bit late, but managed to ride 35 miles. The forecast is for nice weather all week, so if you need to reach me I'll have my cell on the bike!
I got a registration confirmation card today for the Solvang Century on March 12, it's time to rev up the training miles. http://www.bikescor.com/solvang/

Shifty, I've done the Solvang Century 9 times, but it's been years since the last time.

Saturday I did an 80 mile club ride and it was really nice out there. Cooked myself in the hills trying to chase the little people. I'm 5th in this pic.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...john53/aff.jpg

I did end up riding a short distance today in the bitter cold. I had a client to visit at 8pm, only a mile away. It was dark and cold, but the only wind I experienced was from the bike moving through still air.

The kids had a snow day from school today due to the 1/8th" that fell overnight. By 9am it was already above freezing. Don't get me started on the snow policy here. So in the afternoon I got out for the ride I mentioned in a couple posts above. Here are a few pics from the ride.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p...MG_3615new.jpg
Pretty day.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p...MG_3619new.jpg
Racing my shadow.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p...MG_3620new.jpg
It got into the low 50s today.

Yea I road today. 64.77 miles on a beautiful day. Only problem was I looked down where my Garmin usually is and it was gone. It left the bike somewhere on Broadway between Mill and Linsey. I'm going back today to see if by chance it may be along the curb somewhere and not run over.

First ride since December 9th.
Decided to go for a ride after work and got in 26 miles, felt good too to be back on the bike. It was 49 degrees when I left and just made it back before darkness started. Started to get a little cooler too.
It was so much more fun than than the elliptical trainer.

Well that's it because it looks like either rain or snow tomorrow.

77 miles to the West End of Galveston
Sunny 56*-67*
Two riders.

Short 15 mile coffee run. We seem to be getting a bit stronger since we averaged 17.6 mph. Temps were in the mid-60's - pretty sweet.

Today I rode the American River Bike Trail in Sacramento, with FlowerBlossom from the Pacific NW. We left from the Cal Expo access and rode to Fair Oaks, about 15 mi. east of the Expo. Low traffic, sun peeking through haze, peaceful riparian and wooded scenery made for a really nice ride. We took our time and had many of smiles per mile.

rode solo today with gorgous weather in the low 60's, managed 50 hilly miles at 18mph in and around Roman Nose state park in OK, last 1/2 into the wind. learned that my 1 hr indoor training sessions aren't doing much for my endurance.