Your Weekend Ride Reports -- May 29/30
 

A brief update ...

I've been busy during the shutdown. I'm still working full time from home and I decided to take 2 university courses toward my Master's degree this semester instead of my usual 1 course. Not the best decision but brings me that much closer to the goal. So, I've been up to my eyeballs in research papers. But I've got one more paper, which I'm working on right now, and one final exam ... and then the semester is done!!!! It's finished on June 12. Then next semester (starts July 13) I have one course, and I'm finished the degree!! Can't wait!! Fingers crossed it all goes well.

Rowan has pretty much plateaued. He fatigues very easily, walks unsteadily with his left leg, and struggles with short term memory, to name a few things. But he enjoys working in our garden. He works at it a bit, then rests, then works at it a bit more. We've had some lovely fruit and veggies from the garden!! We get out for walks or short bicycle rides now and then too which is nice. Plus we've been Zwifting.

We adopted a little black cat from a shelter a couple months ago, just before the shutdown. He's been wonderful ... kept us amused! His name at the shelter was Rhody and we decided to keep that name. Say it with bicycles in mind ... specifically road bicycles. https://www.bikeforums.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

Both Rowan and I will be going for surgeries soon which will slow us down a bit. Rowan's is a hernia surgery at the end of June and mine is a deviated septum surgery at the beginning of July. Fortunately, I guess, we're about to go into winter. Rest time.

Meanwhile, we're thinking of Zwifting later today because it has been quite windy out there. Wind + Rowan's balance issues don't go well together. But thank goodness for Zwift!!

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Joined some kind of group ride this morning. It was a big group, and I knew nobody. There was no pace line (I suppose they never do that). The group soon broke up, stretching many kilometers, with people riding singly or in small groups, and nobody except me tried to draft. I followed them for the first 50 km with no problem. It turned out there was another group riding the same road, and I followed the wrong group and took the wrong turn. The second group was so slow that I dropped them after a few km, and then realized there was no more people in front... At least wit GPS I had no problem finding my way, so another 10km to a village for much needed lunch, and then 26km home, battling strong headwind.

Total mileage: 90km

Rode just over 70 miles last two days. Trying to hit 1,000 miles since we've had the stay at home order before May is over.

2 x rides this weekend. 64 miles yesterday and 56 today. Same coffee stop destination, today was busier than yesterday. Both days were hot, but the cafe was serving iced coffee. My lockdown training is paying off as I felt good on both rides.

Did 80 miles in the last two days.

Able to do two rides in my hometown of Gainesville, Florida over the weekend. Did a hilly 23 miler on Saturday with some beautiful tree hammock roads and 25 miles on Sunday down the Hawthorne Trail with my sister in law who is just getting into riding. I forgot how nice MUP riding can be.

89.7 miles. Checked out a couple of roads I hadn’t been on heading for Castroville. Took the coastal route up to Watsonville and then back to Hollister. Overcast all day. Very pleasant day to ride.


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30 miles Friday, 35 Saturday. 100 winks Sunday -- snoozed most of the day. Beautiful spring weather. Other than the allergies, I can't complain.

I did a 45k ride (800m of total elevation) Saturday morning in the national park (Parc de la Gatineau) close to where I live. It re-opened last month & but only to cyclists and walkers. Life is SO good without cars & motorcycles. I wish it would be like that year-round.

Yesterday was raining and my pavement princess does not go out when it's not dry! :lol:

Took a 25 mile ride mostly through Philly that included a lovely, gravel MUP along a trout stream.


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Sunday I rode around the city to look at the aftermath of the looting. While the place was not hit Saturday, it decided to take no chances going forward.

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Saturday was an easy 20 miles.

Sunday I took a new route down to the Mohawk Valley and up the other side, total was 100k.
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This was kind of a weird week. Thursday I knew I would be cutting it close with an expected storm in the afternoon. I should have done my usual Davis Is. evening ride since it was closer to home. However, I thought I would still have enough time if I went into the wind first to Picnic Is. WRONG! The wind was already killing me heading out and I expected to get a good tailwind back. The storm caused the wind to shift and I got it in the face the whole way. It was blowing so hard I turned a corner and almost came to a stand still. Then the rain came down in buckets. I got home completely soaked. When I went to check my bike the next day I heard water sloshing around in the frame. I had to take off the seat post and hang it up to let the water pour out. 32 miles of agony. Saturday, a few miles from home, I almost got creamed by a car that ran a yield sign at full speed. A few blocks latter I stop at a light. A street person began to cross over in my direction. As he was walking towards me he kept yelling "this is the second time they've done this". He was wearing dirty clothes and a filthy surgical mask (I think it had blood on it too). He was making a bee line for me so I ran the red light and got the heck out of there. This was all in the first 4 miles of my journey. Anyhow, the rest of the 38 miles was an uneventful trip around S. Tampa. Sunday was relatively peaceful 44 miles on the Courtney Campbell trail - Phillippe Park route. Hotter than heck already.

Did my Sunday ride into Ventura from my home and did a brief tour of downtown. Total of 33 miles nice ride
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After a long hiatus from road cycling, I went out on a local ride around the hometown and got lost for a while. Really only did 20 miles but found and explored the new developments in the area. The best part is that the streets were empty and it was a peaceful Sunday morning.

Great cycling weekend. 52 miles on Saturday and 35 on Sunday.