Hanging in there!

Last post was about my first hundred mile cycling week in almost a year. Now, thanks to two consecutive days riding from home to Sac State I've done it again! That is I cycled over 100-miles for the second week in a row!
On Thursday and Friday (March 19-20) I got out in the early afternoon and pushed myself down to the University. Both days found many like-minded people out there pedalling a variety of bikes. One of the things I like best is seeing people of all ages, colors, sizes, and skill levels on their respective bikes. Most are very friendly ... some are ... well, some are just concentrating on their training that they rarely seem to notice anyone else. That used to bug me but I'm over it.
Here are a few examples of the folks I see out there:

• A middle-aged couple on a recumbent tandem.
• A pack of elderly gentlemen, all dressed in Sac Wheelmen kits, on their carbon bikes.
• A group of young women in a pace line at about 20-mph.
• A guy riding a HPV (human powered vehicle) that looks like a military aircraft complete with lights and gun sound effects.
• Fishermen in the river.
• The USC women's crew team.
• Lots of runners, walkers, moms with baby carts, and people having picnics.
• Occasionally, a large group of eastern Europeans celebrating a wedding or a baptism in the American river.
• Men with no legs sitting in low-riding trikes that they propel with their arms.
• Department of Fish and Game rangers patrolling in their jeeps.
• Teenager's in groups looking for something to do.
• And my favorite ... the guy riding a beach cruiser no hands while juggling three balls!

I am sure there are many other things that I could report but this is a good start. I will be more observant on future rides and let you know what else inhabits the great American River Parkway!

The Illusive Hundie!

For as long as I can remember, my typical cycling goal has been to log one hundred miles weekly. Over the years there have been a few times where that number has been exceeded; however, most weeks the total is somewhat less. In recent years, it has been a little more challenging to get it done.
Today, I left the house later than usual for a Saturday ride. Seems mowing the yard was what needed to be done and when I completed that task and the wind picked up, I thought of scrapping the bike ride. This is the typical routine ... make an excuse not to ride. Oh how I hate riding in the wind ... another good reason to stay home.
Then it hit me, a good ride would propel me to the illusive goal of one hundred miles for the week. So, with that in mind, I filled my water bottles and mounted my Roubaix for a windy ride. Traveling west (generally) on the American River Bike Trail, I wondered to myself why I was out here on such a windy day? Curiously, my speed seemed to be faster than usual. Interesting!
After arriving at Harrington Drive I turned around and headed back to Folsom. Wow, now the wind is at my back and I'm moving a lot faster too! Nice! At one point, a guy on a tricked out time trial bike passed me. He was wearing a red, white, and blue "Brooklyn" cycling jersey. I thought for a moment and then elected to chase him. Could I really catch this guy?
I shifted into the big ring and hammered the pedals with everything I could muster. A quick glance at my cyclocomputer revealed my speed to be approaching 26 MPH! Sweet!
Within a quarter mile, I closed the gap on him! As I passed the miniature train tracks the realization hit me that I was about to "red line" so I backed off and let him get away. At 160+ beats per minute, it was the right decision. What the heck, that was the quickest quarter mile I've ridden this year!
Upon arriving home, I was excited to get to the computer and log my ride. Yes, I made it over one hundred miles for the week! Nice job! In checking my journal, this was the first 100+ mile ride since the week of April 6, 2008. Let's not wait that long until the next one!!