Showing posts with label Training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Training. Show all posts
Monday, November 02, 2009
Tour de Donut
Time to kick November off with the first ride. Vanessa and I did the Tour de Donut. It consisted of a 55 mile route or a 30 mile timed event where you get a 5 minute time credit for each donut you eat. I opted for the 55 mile route. I started off early in the group and worked as a ride marshal. I got into a couple really good groups. The first 30 miles I had over a 21 mph average. I got in with another group for the next 10 miles and continued with a 20+ average. Around mile 40 I reached my limit and could not keep with the group any more. Time to slow down and do my ride. This was also the point when the wind was more of a headwind. The last 17 miles was significantly slower then I had been riding, but I was still able to finish with a 19.6 mph average. Not bad for almost no mile in the month of October.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Limited Training.
Well after the mountain bike race, I went on a fairly limited training run. I had two good weekends of riding, including a nice fast pace for the lions bike for site ride. I did the 57 mile route with an average speed of 19.3 mph. The rest of the month was short easy rides. It was good to get those rides in because work had me traveling most of the month of October. I spent the first three weekend in October with only 1 day of riding. All in all I only had two rides in October. Not much of a training month.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Katy Ram Challenge
All I can say is the wind was out today, but at least it was a steady wind. No major gusting. Wind speed was between 10-15 mph from the northeast. We did the Katy Ram Challenge. The ride started at 8:00. We got there at 7:00 to get ready for the ride marshal meeting. We let most of the crowd go before heading out. I was going to ride with Sheldon, but they fell behind me at the start. I figured that I would jump on when they came by. That never happened. I did have a couple occasions where I was able to ride with other groups but most of the ride was solo. I stopped twice in the 73 miles. I finished with an overall average of 18.5. Not to bad considering the head wind and cross wind that was on the route.
The best part of the ride was in the last 10 miles. I got passed by a double pace line. I figured I would jump on the back. Well they started varying the speed and were going to slow to keep it together. I jumped out and passed them. It took them 2 miles to catch me. Which was pretty good since they had about 15 people working. I got in the back again, then on the outskirts of Katy, two guys jumped, I went with them. Those two guys gave up, but I kept going. The main group never caught me, but a small two person chase did after another 2 mile run.
Still loving the Tubeless tires.
The best part of the ride was in the last 10 miles. I got passed by a double pace line. I figured I would jump on the back. Well they started varying the speed and were going to slow to keep it together. I jumped out and passed them. It took them 2 miles to catch me. Which was pretty good since they had about 15 people working. I got in the back again, then on the outskirts of Katy, two guys jumped, I went with them. Those two guys gave up, but I kept going. The main group never caught me, but a small two person chase did after another 2 mile run.
Still loving the Tubeless tires.
Monday, April 06, 2009
Space Race
The Space Race is one of our favorite rides to do each year. This year we decided to try to get Vanessa's first century ride. We woke up at 5:00 to get down to Gulf Greyhound park. The ride started at 8:00. We got there about 7:00 and had to pick up our packets. Once we got there, I started getting the bikes ready, while Vanessa got our packets.
About 7:45, we headed over to the start line. They were starting the ride based on rider speed. They had 20+, 18-20, and below 18. When we lined up, another group of FMC riders came by. Since they were also planning to ride 100 miles, Vanessa and I decided to stick with them. The ride started with the launch of a model rocket, and off we went.
The ride headed south, then turned into the wind. Luckily the wind was not very strong at 8:00. After about 10 miles, we then turned south. We were moving along quite nicely. The pace/group we were in, was rolling along around 19-20 mph. We turned south and kept the pace up. We skipped rest stop 1 and headed on to rest stop 2. At one point, we were riding along with a group which was spread out, and not real easy to pass. I was off to the right of the rider in front of me because she was not real steady. Suddenly, I hear "oh crap, glass". I have just enough time to look left to see that there is no where for me to go. I then say, I guess it is time to see if the tubeless tires are worth it. The glass was small pieces from a broken windshield. It went over half way across the shoulder of the road. Luckily no one flatted, so we kept rolling along. At the rest stop several people were checking tires. I found two signs of glass cutting into the back tire, but no signs of glass still in the tire. I also did not see any signs of sealant, so it appears that the tires rolled nicely over the glass.
After the rest stop we were a group of 4 heading out to complete the 100 mile route. By this point we were all 80 or 100 mile riders on the course. We continued to head south. Through rest stop 3 and 4. Shortly after rest stop 4 we turned Northwest. Which happened to be directly into the wind. So after plugging along at 17-19 mph we slowed down to 11 mph. From mile 50-83 we had a nice head wind or cross wind to deal with. When we got to rest stop 7, we were informed that we would be turning to ride the most direct route back to the finish line. We ended up with 95 miles, got in at 4:30 pm. Which made for one long day.
About 7:45, we headed over to the start line. They were starting the ride based on rider speed. They had 20+, 18-20, and below 18. When we lined up, another group of FMC riders came by. Since they were also planning to ride 100 miles, Vanessa and I decided to stick with them. The ride started with the launch of a model rocket, and off we went.
The ride headed south, then turned into the wind. Luckily the wind was not very strong at 8:00. After about 10 miles, we then turned south. We were moving along quite nicely. The pace/group we were in, was rolling along around 19-20 mph. We turned south and kept the pace up. We skipped rest stop 1 and headed on to rest stop 2. At one point, we were riding along with a group which was spread out, and not real easy to pass. I was off to the right of the rider in front of me because she was not real steady. Suddenly, I hear "oh crap, glass". I have just enough time to look left to see that there is no where for me to go. I then say, I guess it is time to see if the tubeless tires are worth it. The glass was small pieces from a broken windshield. It went over half way across the shoulder of the road. Luckily no one flatted, so we kept rolling along. At the rest stop several people were checking tires. I found two signs of glass cutting into the back tire, but no signs of glass still in the tire. I also did not see any signs of sealant, so it appears that the tires rolled nicely over the glass.
After the rest stop we were a group of 4 heading out to complete the 100 mile route. By this point we were all 80 or 100 mile riders on the course. We continued to head south. Through rest stop 3 and 4. Shortly after rest stop 4 we turned Northwest. Which happened to be directly into the wind. So after plugging along at 17-19 mph we slowed down to 11 mph. From mile 50-83 we had a nice head wind or cross wind to deal with. When we got to rest stop 7, we were informed that we would be turning to ride the most direct route back to the finish line. We ended up with 95 miles, got in at 4:30 pm. Which made for one long day.
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Team Ride and Weekday Mountain Biking
Well. another week of riding. What a week. I kicked off the week with a short mountain bike ride after work on Wednesday night. I talked a co-worker into showing up at the Cypresswood trails. We ended up with 6 miles of by the time we finished.
Saturday, Vanessa and I did the team ride at Carl Barton Park. I started out helping another FMC rider change a low tire before we left out. So I was among the last to leave, and needed to catch Vanessa and Harlan. Since I had planned to ride with them. The rest stops were organized just about right. I skipped the first one and headed on to Splendora. Which worked out about right. I caught up to a couple guys who decided to jump on my wheel. We worked together and made good time. I caught Vanessa before reaching Splendora high school. The small group grew a bit more with Vanessa joining in. Shortly after Splendora HS, I caught Harlan. Mission accomplished. The next rest stop was in town. After stopping shortly, I had comptuer problems and had to restart my computer. It recorded everything but as two seperate rides. Once again I let Harlan and Vanessa head out in front of me. Caught them by the next rest stop. For the last leg we were riding down 242 and Got passed by a couple more FMC riders. I jumpped on their wheel, as did Harlan. I rode with them all the way to the finish. We lost Harlan somewhere along the way, but he limpped in.
After the ride, Vanessa and I got some food then to the shop to teach our last Group Riding Skills Class before the MS150. The class was held at Bike Lane and we had 12 people. I got some pretty good feedback on the class.
Saturday, Vanessa and I did the team ride at Carl Barton Park. I started out helping another FMC rider change a low tire before we left out. So I was among the last to leave, and needed to catch Vanessa and Harlan. Since I had planned to ride with them. The rest stops were organized just about right. I skipped the first one and headed on to Splendora. Which worked out about right. I caught up to a couple guys who decided to jump on my wheel. We worked together and made good time. I caught Vanessa before reaching Splendora high school. The small group grew a bit more with Vanessa joining in. Shortly after Splendora HS, I caught Harlan. Mission accomplished. The next rest stop was in town. After stopping shortly, I had comptuer problems and had to restart my computer. It recorded everything but as two seperate rides. Once again I let Harlan and Vanessa head out in front of me. Caught them by the next rest stop. For the last leg we were riding down 242 and Got passed by a couple more FMC riders. I jumpped on their wheel, as did Harlan. I rode with them all the way to the finish. We lost Harlan somewhere along the way, but he limpped in.
After the ride, Vanessa and I got some food then to the shop to teach our last Group Riding Skills Class before the MS150. The class was held at Bike Lane and we had 12 people. I got some pretty good feedback on the class.
Monday, March 30, 2009
BlueBonnet Express
This weekend was the BlueBonnet Express bike ride. This is the spring ride hosted by Northwest Cycling Club. Vanessa was the registration coordinator this year, so that meant that I also had to help. Funny how that works. Our plan was to go for a short ride on Saturday then work packet pickup, but based on how packet pickup went on Friday, we changed our minds. So no Saturday ride.
Sunday came, I was driving the Uhaul truck with all the packets and equipment for the ride. We got up at 4:00 am to get to the start by 5:45. We had to set up for registration which was to open by 6:00. registration went pretty smoothly. We got everything done and put away by 9:00. Ride started at 8:00. Shortly after 9:00, Vanessa and I headed out for our ride. One of the ride marshals who was planning to ride the short route, asked if Vanessa wanted to ride with him. Once she said yes, I was able to ride the 62 mile route.
Off I go trying to make up for the late start since I knew that I would not have anyone to draft off of. All the way to the first rest stop, I had nobody in sight. As I was approaching the first rest stop, I saw two riders leaving. I did a quick pit to fill water bottles and eat a few pretzles, then out again. I caught those two riders within 2 miles. I ended up passing 15 people before stopping to help three different groups on the side of the road. I resumed with the same pace I had before. I got to rest stop 2, talked to some of the volunteers, and resumed. When I got into Waller, there was a train across the road, no problem, I headed up old 290 until I could get around the train. Once I crossed the tracks, I did not check to see where I was, so I turned right. Picked up 5 extra miles by the time I got back to my correct turn. It all worked out. I was making good time so it was ok. By rest stop 3 was was catching many more people, and was alway catching and passing someone. The last rest stop was still pretty full when I got there. All in all it was a very good ride. I finished 67 miles with an 18.5 mph average. Not bad for a 100% solo effort. I had no one to draft off of, and no one latched onto my wheel.
Tubeless tire update
I love these things. I swear that they roll faster with less effort than my previous tires. They are still holding air well. every time I put air in them, they are around 80 PSI. I wonder if that is how much air is lost when the valve stem gets depressed putting the pump on the tire? So far they have been worth the money. I think it is a technology that will make mainstream. I felt really good after 67 miles. Next weekend, 100 miles on these tires at Space Race.
Sunday came, I was driving the Uhaul truck with all the packets and equipment for the ride. We got up at 4:00 am to get to the start by 5:45. We had to set up for registration which was to open by 6:00. registration went pretty smoothly. We got everything done and put away by 9:00. Ride started at 8:00. Shortly after 9:00, Vanessa and I headed out for our ride. One of the ride marshals who was planning to ride the short route, asked if Vanessa wanted to ride with him. Once she said yes, I was able to ride the 62 mile route.
Off I go trying to make up for the late start since I knew that I would not have anyone to draft off of. All the way to the first rest stop, I had nobody in sight. As I was approaching the first rest stop, I saw two riders leaving. I did a quick pit to fill water bottles and eat a few pretzles, then out again. I caught those two riders within 2 miles. I ended up passing 15 people before stopping to help three different groups on the side of the road. I resumed with the same pace I had before. I got to rest stop 2, talked to some of the volunteers, and resumed. When I got into Waller, there was a train across the road, no problem, I headed up old 290 until I could get around the train. Once I crossed the tracks, I did not check to see where I was, so I turned right. Picked up 5 extra miles by the time I got back to my correct turn. It all worked out. I was making good time so it was ok. By rest stop 3 was was catching many more people, and was alway catching and passing someone. The last rest stop was still pretty full when I got there. All in all it was a very good ride. I finished 67 miles with an 18.5 mph average. Not bad for a 100% solo effort. I had no one to draft off of, and no one latched onto my wheel.
Tubeless tire update
I love these things. I swear that they roll faster with less effort than my previous tires. They are still holding air well. every time I put air in them, they are around 80 PSI. I wonder if that is how much air is lost when the valve stem gets depressed putting the pump on the tire? So far they have been worth the money. I think it is a technology that will make mainstream. I felt really good after 67 miles. Next weekend, 100 miles on these tires at Space Race.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Tubeless Tires Ride report
Well, the first two rides are in and the initial report looks good. Vanessa and I needed to kick in the training since the MS150 is less than 4 weeks away. This gave me two good days of riding to get some experience with the tubeless tires.
Saturday we got a late start. Vanessa and I headed out to Zube park and did the 30 mile route. Since I had stay up late putting my tires on, and I had to be at Sun and Ski by 1:00 to get ready for a group riding skills class, we arrived at Zube about 8:45, and left by 9:00. I decided to try running the tires at 95 psi for their first run. The tires rolled well, but the first thing I noticed is the tires have a deeper sound to them as you roll down the road, almost like the low hum that a large truck tire can get when compared to the sound of a car tire. I also noticed the tires had better grip, or at least I felt more confortable in the corners. I have nothing to provide solid proof of a better ride, I can say I liked the way they felt. The 30 mile route includes some nice mix or road surfaces from chip and seal to smooth pavement. The tires do a good job of smoothing out most moderately smooth roads, especially chip and seal roads. Near the finish I decided to sprint out and see how the tires do at speed. Again, no solid proof, but they felt fast.
Sunday was the Tour de Houston. I was intending to ride a fast 70 miles to see how thing go. Instead, we got up early so we could get a parking space. We arrived about 5:30 am to start getting ready. Where we parked was a couple blocks from the start point, so I waited until about 6:20 to head over toward the start. Vanessa and I were both working as ride marshals. After the meeting I went to the bathroom, then to the start to find Vanessa and JC. They lined up right behind the start. We were so close that we were in the second wave to riders to get let out. I was faster than most riders at the start, while I was able to ride with a few people, most were riding slower than I was. I ended up finishing the first 10 miles mostly solo with a 19.9 average. As I rolled through the first rest stop, I caught up with a couple guys who were planning to do the 40. I did not know that, so I jumped on their wheel and went all of two blocks before seeing the 70 turn off. again I was mostly solo. I was riding along and a large group who I reconized as moslty racers came by me at about 28 mph. They had picked up a few people just trying to hang on. I figured what the hey, and jumpped in. I hung with them for a few miles. At one light they pulled away a little and I let them go. I stayed in with the others who broke off from the larger group and kept pace until the second rest stop. I stopped to eat a banana and get some water. I headed out and started out solo for about a mile. As I got passed by a 3 person group, I jumped on the end. We were doing near 21 mph following a guy on a tri bike. I just hung on the end until we got around to the next rest stop. Most of the group pulled in. After a little more food and water, I headed out again. I was starting to struggle a bit on this leg because the wind was now in our faces. I got caught by two guys. As they passed, I again jumped in. We took a few turns pulling around 20-21 mph. We ended up dropping the third guy. Which worked out ok because we started seeing more traffic as we rejoined the rest of the routes. I was thinking about the time, that this will not be a 70 mile day. Turns out I finished with a 20.01 mph fro 46.5 miles.
The tubeless tires felt so good, that I ended up ordering a set for Vanessa's bike. They should be in later this week.
Saturday we got a late start. Vanessa and I headed out to Zube park and did the 30 mile route. Since I had stay up late putting my tires on, and I had to be at Sun and Ski by 1:00 to get ready for a group riding skills class, we arrived at Zube about 8:45, and left by 9:00. I decided to try running the tires at 95 psi for their first run. The tires rolled well, but the first thing I noticed is the tires have a deeper sound to them as you roll down the road, almost like the low hum that a large truck tire can get when compared to the sound of a car tire. I also noticed the tires had better grip, or at least I felt more confortable in the corners. I have nothing to provide solid proof of a better ride, I can say I liked the way they felt. The 30 mile route includes some nice mix or road surfaces from chip and seal to smooth pavement. The tires do a good job of smoothing out most moderately smooth roads, especially chip and seal roads. Near the finish I decided to sprint out and see how the tires do at speed. Again, no solid proof, but they felt fast.
Sunday was the Tour de Houston. I was intending to ride a fast 70 miles to see how thing go. Instead, we got up early so we could get a parking space. We arrived about 5:30 am to start getting ready. Where we parked was a couple blocks from the start point, so I waited until about 6:20 to head over toward the start. Vanessa and I were both working as ride marshals. After the meeting I went to the bathroom, then to the start to find Vanessa and JC. They lined up right behind the start. We were so close that we were in the second wave to riders to get let out. I was faster than most riders at the start, while I was able to ride with a few people, most were riding slower than I was. I ended up finishing the first 10 miles mostly solo with a 19.9 average. As I rolled through the first rest stop, I caught up with a couple guys who were planning to do the 40. I did not know that, so I jumped on their wheel and went all of two blocks before seeing the 70 turn off. again I was mostly solo. I was riding along and a large group who I reconized as moslty racers came by me at about 28 mph. They had picked up a few people just trying to hang on. I figured what the hey, and jumpped in. I hung with them for a few miles. At one light they pulled away a little and I let them go. I stayed in with the others who broke off from the larger group and kept pace until the second rest stop. I stopped to eat a banana and get some water. I headed out and started out solo for about a mile. As I got passed by a 3 person group, I jumped on the end. We were doing near 21 mph following a guy on a tri bike. I just hung on the end until we got around to the next rest stop. Most of the group pulled in. After a little more food and water, I headed out again. I was starting to struggle a bit on this leg because the wind was now in our faces. I got caught by two guys. As they passed, I again jumped in. We took a few turns pulling around 20-21 mph. We ended up dropping the third guy. Which worked out ok because we started seeing more traffic as we rejoined the rest of the routes. I was thinking about the time, that this will not be a 70 mile day. Turns out I finished with a 20.01 mph fro 46.5 miles.
The tubeless tires felt so good, that I ended up ordering a set for Vanessa's bike. They should be in later this week.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Mid Week Riding & New Tires
Well the rain went away and we had beautiful weather this week. What better time to get back on the bike and continue the training for the MS150. We are now 1 month away from the MS150.
Since the rain cleared up on Sunday, the hope was that the trails would be dry enough to ride on Wednesday at Cypresswood. NWCC was having their weekly mountain bike ride after work. So I took my bike with me and rode with the group. I got in a good 11 miles and got in just at dusk. The last few miles I pushed it to get in before dark. Since part of the group took the road back to the car, I did not push it to hard.
On Thursday I talked to Mike and Juan and we decided to take a quick 28 mile loop that Juan rides from the neighborhood. Overall the route is on some decent, but busy roads. Luckily people were nice and passed with space. The most interesting part was the initial sprint up 249 between our neihborhood and Boudreaux Rd during rush hour. We left the house about 6:15. I was glad I took my lights since it was just turning dark when we got home. I finished a 32 mile ride with a 18.4 average. 20 mile of the route I registered a 19.9 average. Overall not bad. After the ride we went to get something to eat.
The last thing before riding this weekend, I installed my new tires. I was doing some research online about my tubeless wheels. After having problems with my valve stems on my mountain bike last weekend, I went to www.notubes.com. I saw that they had a road tubeless kit to turn any 700c wheel into a tubeless setup. after doing some more research, I decided that this may be something to try. Since I was due for new tires before the MS150 anyway, it seemed like a good time to try it out. They arrived Friday, so who was I to wait. I came home from dinner and proceed to convert my current wheels to tubeless. Overall I was quite impressed, the whole process was not to bad. After taking off my old tires, tubes and rim tape, I noticed some dirt in the rims. After a quick cleaning, I proceeded to install the rim tape provided with the kit. Next I instaled the old tires and tubes and inflated them to set the rim tape. Once that was done I proceeded to remove the tires and tubes. Install the new valve stem, and mount the tires, soap the bead and pump it up. At this point I noticed that my rims were not welded but seated rims. even with the new rim tape, I could hear the small hiss of excaping air. Even with the his, I could hear the bead was holding. That was good. So I removed the valve core and installed the Stan's sealant, and proceed to inflate the tires again. This time I put the small leak at the bottom and rocked the tire side to side. In no time the his got less and less. I slowely rolled the tire around rocking it as I went. All hissing stopped and the tires held air. I followed the same process with the other wheel and all is good. I am looking forward to riding them tomorrow to see how it goes. The big test will be on Sunday when I do a long ride on them. With any luck I will get a smooth ride and a really good tire life. I will keep you posted on my thoughts.
Since the rain cleared up on Sunday, the hope was that the trails would be dry enough to ride on Wednesday at Cypresswood. NWCC was having their weekly mountain bike ride after work. So I took my bike with me and rode with the group. I got in a good 11 miles and got in just at dusk. The last few miles I pushed it to get in before dark. Since part of the group took the road back to the car, I did not push it to hard.
On Thursday I talked to Mike and Juan and we decided to take a quick 28 mile loop that Juan rides from the neighborhood. Overall the route is on some decent, but busy roads. Luckily people were nice and passed with space. The most interesting part was the initial sprint up 249 between our neihborhood and Boudreaux Rd during rush hour. We left the house about 6:15. I was glad I took my lights since it was just turning dark when we got home. I finished a 32 mile ride with a 18.4 average. 20 mile of the route I registered a 19.9 average. Overall not bad. After the ride we went to get something to eat.
The last thing before riding this weekend, I installed my new tires. I was doing some research online about my tubeless wheels. After having problems with my valve stems on my mountain bike last weekend, I went to www.notubes.com. I saw that they had a road tubeless kit to turn any 700c wheel into a tubeless setup. after doing some more research, I decided that this may be something to try. Since I was due for new tires before the MS150 anyway, it seemed like a good time to try it out. They arrived Friday, so who was I to wait. I came home from dinner and proceed to convert my current wheels to tubeless. Overall I was quite impressed, the whole process was not to bad. After taking off my old tires, tubes and rim tape, I noticed some dirt in the rims. After a quick cleaning, I proceeded to install the rim tape provided with the kit. Next I instaled the old tires and tubes and inflated them to set the rim tape. Once that was done I proceeded to remove the tires and tubes. Install the new valve stem, and mount the tires, soap the bead and pump it up. At this point I noticed that my rims were not welded but seated rims. even with the new rim tape, I could hear the small hiss of excaping air. Even with the his, I could hear the bead was holding. That was good. So I removed the valve core and installed the Stan's sealant, and proceed to inflate the tires again. This time I put the small leak at the bottom and rocked the tire side to side. In no time the his got less and less. I slowely rolled the tire around rocking it as I went. All hissing stopped and the tires held air. I followed the same process with the other wheel and all is good. I am looking forward to riding them tomorrow to see how it goes. The big test will be on Sunday when I do a long ride on them. With any luck I will get a smooth ride and a really good tire life. I will keep you posted on my thoughts.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Wet Week for Riding.
This has been a rough week for riding. I did get in a few miles on the mountain bike on Tuesday. Since the forecast looked like rain for the rest of the week. I figured I would get in some mountain bike miles while I could. I rode around the drainage ditches in the area. It was around dusk so I had my front and rear lights on for visibility. I finished with about a 10 mile ride right at an hour. After the ride I noticed that my rear tire was low on air, so I decided it was time to put in some new sealant. I think I finally figured out why. My valve stem was not properly seated so I was losing air slowly. Hopefully that is done.
Saturday was a busy day. We had a wedding to attend, plus it was raining almost all day. So I decided it was time to fix the mountain bike wheels, and ride the bike on the trainer. So I loaded up the 23 mile route for Montgomery, TX on the computrainer and decided to ride 10 miles of the route. This gave me a good solid 30 minute high intensity workout. Sunday I decided to forgo any training and spend time with the in-laws since this will be the last weekend they will be with us.
MS150 update:
Fundraising is going slow, but progressing. My personal goal is $1000. Last year I personally raised almost $850. If you would please consider a donation, even as small as $5 or $10 will help. I support this cause because I am thankful that I can enjoy my time on the bike. A diesese like MS could take that away from me, like it does so many others. I ride to Austin to suppor those who can't. Please consider a donation via the "support my ride to Austin" link to the right, or via the link below
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/sabeard
Thank you for reading my blog, and your support on the MS150.
Saturday was a busy day. We had a wedding to attend, plus it was raining almost all day. So I decided it was time to fix the mountain bike wheels, and ride the bike on the trainer. So I loaded up the 23 mile route for Montgomery, TX on the computrainer and decided to ride 10 miles of the route. This gave me a good solid 30 minute high intensity workout. Sunday I decided to forgo any training and spend time with the in-laws since this will be the last weekend they will be with us.
MS150 update:
Fundraising is going slow, but progressing. My personal goal is $1000. Last year I personally raised almost $850. If you would please consider a donation, even as small as $5 or $10 will help. I support this cause because I am thankful that I can enjoy my time on the bike. A diesese like MS could take that away from me, like it does so many others. I ride to Austin to suppor those who can't. Please consider a donation via the "support my ride to Austin" link to the right, or via the link below
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/sabeard
Thank you for reading my blog, and your support on the MS150.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Tough day on the bike
Well, this week is a lighter week on the bike. I rode to work on Thursday. Pretty uneventful 34 mile route trip. The commute trips really help out with the miles but they can get tough carrying all my stuff back and forth. I left home at 6:03 am, and got to work about 7:30. I left work at 6:00, got home a little past 7:30.
I was planning to ride on Friday, but ended up sleeping longer than planned. So I worked it out to ride with the FMC team today. They were hosting the ride at Montgomery. I worked the start so our team captains could drive sag. This meant that I was one of the last few to leave. I was planning to ride at least the 47 mile route. So after a short warm-up in the first 3 miles, I took of and kept a comfortable pace. I ended up holding a good average, around 17 mph, for the first 10 miles. The second 10 I was smoking it up. I completed the second 10 miles with a 21 mph average. I caught quite a few of the riders in front of me. Which makes sense when you are among the last to start. At Richards I decided that it would be best to do the 47 mile route instead of the 69 mile route. After leaving Richards I realized why I was moving so well. I had a nice tail wind, which was now a head wind. I caught a rider in front of me and the two of us decided to stick together. We stayed together for about 10 miles. Then I could not keep the pace and slowed it down a little. I ended up finishing with 47 hilly miles with a 17 mph average. Not bad considering the head wind we had.
I was planning to ride on Friday, but ended up sleeping longer than planned. So I worked it out to ride with the FMC team today. They were hosting the ride at Montgomery. I worked the start so our team captains could drive sag. This meant that I was one of the last few to leave. I was planning to ride at least the 47 mile route. So after a short warm-up in the first 3 miles, I took of and kept a comfortable pace. I ended up holding a good average, around 17 mph, for the first 10 miles. The second 10 I was smoking it up. I completed the second 10 miles with a 21 mph average. I caught quite a few of the riders in front of me. Which makes sense when you are among the last to start. At Richards I decided that it would be best to do the 47 mile route instead of the 69 mile route. After leaving Richards I realized why I was moving so well. I had a nice tail wind, which was now a head wind. I caught a rider in front of me and the two of us decided to stick together. We stayed together for about 10 miles. Then I could not keep the pace and slowed it down a little. I ended up finishing with 47 hilly miles with a 17 mph average. Not bad considering the head wind we had.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Friday commute, and MTB on Saturday
Friday I rode to work. It is not a tough ride, nor to long, but two 17 mile rides in a day add up over time. I can tell when I have to carry my laptop with me on the bike. The added weight does slow me down. But hey, it is good training. I figured that I needed to ride the bike since I was only going to get one day of riding on the weekend.
On Saturday the wind was bad, constant at 15 mph with gusts to 25-30 mph. Time to hit the mountain bike trails. I met my neighbor and we hit the trails along Cypress Creek close to the house. Gary had not been on those yet, so it was fun. We covered most of the trails, the area at the YMCA has not been cleared out since Ike. Also we found out that they closed off the gap in the fence that let us get out when we followed the trail through there. So after a little back tracking, we ended up with a 22 mile ride. The wind was tough on the way back home.
On Saturday the wind was bad, constant at 15 mph with gusts to 25-30 mph. Time to hit the mountain bike trails. I met my neighbor and we hit the trails along Cypress Creek close to the house. Gary had not been on those yet, so it was fun. We covered most of the trails, the area at the YMCA has not been cleared out since Ike. Also we found out that they closed off the gap in the fence that let us get out when we followed the trail through there. So after a little back tracking, we ended up with a 22 mile ride. The wind was tough on the way back home.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Two good rides
After taking a week off, Vanessa and I got in two good rides this weekend. On Saturday we joined the FMC team and rode in Katy. On Sunday we froze out in Round Top and Fayetteville at the Tri-County Hill Hopper organized ride. All in all I logged 100 miles for the weekend.
For the ride on Saturday. We got up and was at the ride by 7:15. Which was good because as I was loading the bikes I noticed my tire was flat. Since I had not ridden that bike in over two weeks, that should come as no surprise. So I grabbed a spare tire and tubes and headed off to the ride. I got Vanessa's bike ready, then proceeded to change my tire. I looked at my tire and did not see anything but decided to swap tires any way. All was good. I caught up to Vanessa at the first rest stop. We proceeded to follow the route. Being a Purdue Alumni, I harassed another rider in an IU jersey. The wind started to pickup during the ride since a cold front was going to come through. Luckily we did not get rained on, but it did rain on part of the route back to the start. We got into the wet roads, and I hear a big boom. My tire I had changed blew out. I pulled over and told Vanessa to go on. I tried to boot the tire, but it was no use. The sidewall was unpatchable. So I finished the ride with a little over 44 miles.
Sunday was cold. We woke up at 4 am to make it to the ride on time. Since Vanessa and I were both ride marshals, we had to be at the ride marshal meeting at 7 am. It was 37 degrees when we left the house and 33 when we got to the start. The high was only about 65, so we pretty much kept bundled up until the last 12 miles or so. Since this route is through some good hills on the MS150 route, it is a good test to see how the legs hold up. I must admit, that I felt pretty good in the hills. In fact, I decided to turn around after going down lone oak hill, and climb it. As I climbed it, I fliped my bike computer over to show the grade. It said that the climb was 10%. I believe it is pretty close to that. There are not many hill where you can be in your smallest gear, and stand up with out needing to up shift. This one you can. I highly recommend the Tri-County Hill Hopper before next year's MS150. I finished this year with 53 hilly miles.
For the ride on Saturday. We got up and was at the ride by 7:15. Which was good because as I was loading the bikes I noticed my tire was flat. Since I had not ridden that bike in over two weeks, that should come as no surprise. So I grabbed a spare tire and tubes and headed off to the ride. I got Vanessa's bike ready, then proceeded to change my tire. I looked at my tire and did not see anything but decided to swap tires any way. All was good. I caught up to Vanessa at the first rest stop. We proceeded to follow the route. Being a Purdue Alumni, I harassed another rider in an IU jersey. The wind started to pickup during the ride since a cold front was going to come through. Luckily we did not get rained on, but it did rain on part of the route back to the start. We got into the wet roads, and I hear a big boom. My tire I had changed blew out. I pulled over and told Vanessa to go on. I tried to boot the tire, but it was no use. The sidewall was unpatchable. So I finished the ride with a little over 44 miles.
Sunday was cold. We woke up at 4 am to make it to the ride on time. Since Vanessa and I were both ride marshals, we had to be at the ride marshal meeting at 7 am. It was 37 degrees when we left the house and 33 when we got to the start. The high was only about 65, so we pretty much kept bundled up until the last 12 miles or so. Since this route is through some good hills on the MS150 route, it is a good test to see how the legs hold up. I must admit, that I felt pretty good in the hills. In fact, I decided to turn around after going down lone oak hill, and climb it. As I climbed it, I fliped my bike computer over to show the grade. It said that the climb was 10%. I believe it is pretty close to that. There are not many hill where you can be in your smallest gear, and stand up with out needing to up shift. This one you can. I highly recommend the Tri-County Hill Hopper before next year's MS150. I finished this year with 53 hilly miles.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Mountain Bike Rides
Well. It has been a while, but last Wednesday I took a 10 mile ride along the drainage ditches. It felt good to get on the mountain bike. The last time I rode it was in early December.
On Thursday, I rode the bike to work. It felt good to make that trip again. Hopefully I can make that trek more this year.
On Sunday Vanessa and I went to Double Lake State recreational area. They have a nice 8.1 mile loop. It is a fast course. Several tight turns, but mostly just nice single track. Since it rained over night in Houston, it was still wet to ride on the road. Double lake is a good trail to ride on if it has rained less than and inch or so. It drains nicely. We got to double lake around 11:00. I rode a slow lap with Vanessa. I tried to give her some pointers, but that seemed to be a bad idea. After the first lap, I rode one lap as fast as I could. I was able to complete the lap in 44 minutes and 56 seconds. This was almost 4 minutes faster than my per lap average at the race last May. I am looking forward to the race this year. I need to get on the mtn bike a few more times to do well.
On Thursday, I rode the bike to work. It felt good to make that trip again. Hopefully I can make that trek more this year.
On Sunday Vanessa and I went to Double Lake State recreational area. They have a nice 8.1 mile loop. It is a fast course. Several tight turns, but mostly just nice single track. Since it rained over night in Houston, it was still wet to ride on the road. Double lake is a good trail to ride on if it has rained less than and inch or so. It drains nicely. We got to double lake around 11:00. I rode a slow lap with Vanessa. I tried to give her some pointers, but that seemed to be a bad idea. After the first lap, I rode one lap as fast as I could. I was able to complete the lap in 44 minutes and 56 seconds. This was almost 4 minutes faster than my per lap average at the race last May. I am looking forward to the race this year. I need to get on the mtn bike a few more times to do well.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Bike Thoughts and Goals for 2009.
Well it is February, and I am just now getting down to writing down my thoughts and bike goals for 2009.
2008 Summary:
I finished up 2008 as a so so year for my bike riding. My quick summary involved teaching 12 students in the LAB Road 1 class in The Woodlands. I finished my 4th Hotter'n Hell 100. I intended to do some mountain bike races. Needless to say Hurricane Ike had different plans. After Ike, registration for the 2009 MS150 opened up. So Vanessa and I are preparing for our 5th ride from Houston, TX to Austin, TX. Vanessa became certified to teach the LAB bike safety classes also. We rounded out 2008 by teaching Group Riding Skills classes, and occasionally getting in a weekend ride or two.
2009 So far:
For the MS150 we are once again riding with FMC Cyclers. The team is a little over 170 riders this year, which is a large increase from the 109 riders we had last year. I was asked to be the Safety Coordinator for our team. Since our team requires every rider to take a bike safety class every two years, it is my job to track who needs a class, and organize classes to get the team educated. Turns out that is like hurding cats. ;-) We decided to get the jump on the safety classes. We started teaching classes in October within two weeks of registration. In 2008 we taught 5 classes, 1 in Oct, 2 in Nov, and 2 in Dec. We kicked off January in full swing and held a class every weekend from Jan 10th to Jan 31st. We had such great demand, that we even added two classes in Feb. To date, our group of 6 instructors have taught group riding skills to over 300 of the 13000 riders in the 2009 BP MS150.
2009 Goals:
Lastly my plug for the 2009 BP MS150:
As stated above, This is Vanessa and my 5th MS150. We participate in this ride for two reasons, it is a great physical challenge to cover the ride from Houston to Austin each year. I notice I get stronger each year. The second reason, is because I do get stronger each year, I raise money for those who can not. Because of my efforts to fund raise, every day we get closer to understanding the debilitating disease, and finding a cure. Please support our efforts by considering a $25 donation. You can donate via my personal fundraising link.
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/sabeard
Thanks for your support.
2008 Summary:
I finished up 2008 as a so so year for my bike riding. My quick summary involved teaching 12 students in the LAB Road 1 class in The Woodlands. I finished my 4th Hotter'n Hell 100. I intended to do some mountain bike races. Needless to say Hurricane Ike had different plans. After Ike, registration for the 2009 MS150 opened up. So Vanessa and I are preparing for our 5th ride from Houston, TX to Austin, TX. Vanessa became certified to teach the LAB bike safety classes also. We rounded out 2008 by teaching Group Riding Skills classes, and occasionally getting in a weekend ride or two.
2009 So far:
For the MS150 we are once again riding with FMC Cyclers. The team is a little over 170 riders this year, which is a large increase from the 109 riders we had last year. I was asked to be the Safety Coordinator for our team. Since our team requires every rider to take a bike safety class every two years, it is my job to track who needs a class, and organize classes to get the team educated. Turns out that is like hurding cats. ;-) We decided to get the jump on the safety classes. We started teaching classes in October within two weeks of registration. In 2008 we taught 5 classes, 1 in Oct, 2 in Nov, and 2 in Dec. We kicked off January in full swing and held a class every weekend from Jan 10th to Jan 31st. We had such great demand, that we even added two classes in Feb. To date, our group of 6 instructors have taught group riding skills to over 300 of the 13000 riders in the 2009 BP MS150.
2009 Goals:
- For starters I hope to update my Blog more frequently.
- Ride to work more (Average 2 days per week)
- Complete my 5th MS150
- Average 100 miles per week (I started this off in the hole)
- Compete in 5 mountain bike races
- Complete my 5th HH100 with a 20mph average speed
- Finish the Bike Around the Bay again
- Continue educating cyclist how to interact with traffic
Lastly my plug for the 2009 BP MS150:
As stated above, This is Vanessa and my 5th MS150. We participate in this ride for two reasons, it is a great physical challenge to cover the ride from Houston to Austin each year. I notice I get stronger each year. The second reason, is because I do get stronger each year, I raise money for those who can not. Because of my efforts to fund raise, every day we get closer to understanding the debilitating disease, and finding a cure. Please support our efforts by considering a $25 donation. You can donate via my personal fundraising link.
http://main.nationalmssociety.
Thanks for your support.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Double Lake Recreational Area
We went to Double Lake to try the trails there on Sunday. This course is pretty flat with lots of twists and turns. Overall the route was fun. Quite a bit different than Huntsville. I was able to take the new bike out for a real ride.
This weekend is my first MTB race. I am looking forward to it. Look for the race report next week.
This weekend is my first MTB race. I am looking forward to it. Look for the race report next week.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Lions Bike for Sight Century
Yesterday Vanessa and I participated in the Cy-Fair Lions Club Biking for Sight Century in Montgomery, TX. This ride was also a recommend ride for the 2008 BP MS150, so I worked as a ride marshal. This is a good ride on a challenging course. I rode the 102 mile route, and I can say that this is the hardest century I have done. I reached a point that the hills wore me out and so did the wind. I did not have any energy left to ride to fast, but I did not just bonk. I fell back to my training that I did over the summer, long slow rides. After the first 20-25 miles, I could not keep my pace much over 16 mph due to wind and hills, but I could keep plugging along.
We started the day and I rode with Jim Crocco, who I used to work with at HP and know him through NWCC. He had never done a century ride before, lots of 40-80 mile ride but never a century.
The route had us going through Richards, Anderson, Iola, Bedias, Shiro, Back to Richards, then on to Montgomery. The road from Bedias to Shiro was long, windy with lots of climbs into the wind. About mile 85, I was ready to be finished, but held on. I like the route, but I am not sure I will do the century out there again for a while.
We started the day and I rode with Jim Crocco, who I used to work with at HP and know him through NWCC. He had never done a century ride before, lots of 40-80 mile ride but never a century.
The route had us going through Richards, Anderson, Iola, Bedias, Shiro, Back to Richards, then on to Montgomery. The road from Bedias to Shiro was long, windy with lots of climbs into the wind. About mile 85, I was ready to be finished, but held on. I like the route, but I am not sure I will do the century out there again for a while.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
It has been a while
Well, it has been a while since my last post. We had a great MS150.
Vanessa and I met our goal for Pledges this year. Thanks to all who
donated. I now have some of our photos on my website.
http://photo.sabeard.net
Vanessa and I met our goal for Pledges this year. Thanks to all who
donated. I now have some of our photos on my website.
http://photo.sabeard.net
We have been continuing to ride every weekend since the MS150. Mostly
out in Montgomery, TX to ride in the hills to prepare for HH100.
I have been working with Vanessa to help her get stronger in the hills
and in the last three weeks I have seen a difference in how she is
riding. She is doing much better. She is determined to finish 100
miles this year at HH100.
See you on the road. Hopefully I will get more updates in more frequently now.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Katy Ram Challenge
Today Vanessa and I rode the last organized ride before the MS150. Luckily the wind was not nearly as bad as it was yesterday. Vanessa said that since the MS150 was only a week away, she had to ride the 70 mile route today. So that is what we did.
I had a 7:00 ride marshal meeting so we got there early. I got to the meeting then headed back and finished getting ready. There were were easily over 1000 riders on this ride. We started out and I rode with Vanessa. She stayed on my wheel and we kept about a 15 mph pace. Once we got up to 359 we had the wind at our backs. Just before we got to 359, I stopped to help a lady change a flat tire. Vanessa kept going, so I rode hard to catch her. I had enough legs to hold 21-22 mph for the 7 miles to the next rest stop.
We got done around 1:30 pm. It was a much slower pace than I would have ridden by myself, but it was kind of relaxing. When I looks at my results, my HR average was 137. Considering that my zone 1 starts at 137, I spent a lot of time below Zone 1. :-) When I was catching Vanessa my HR would jump to to upper 160s-lower 170s.
Good ride. Next ride MS150. See you in Austin.
I had a 7:00 ride marshal meeting so we got there early. I got to the meeting then headed back and finished getting ready. There were were easily over 1000 riders on this ride. We started out and I rode with Vanessa. She stayed on my wheel and we kept about a 15 mph pace. Once we got up to 359 we had the wind at our backs. Just before we got to 359, I stopped to help a lady change a flat tire. Vanessa kept going, so I rode hard to catch her. I had enough legs to hold 21-22 mph for the 7 miles to the next rest stop.
We got done around 1:30 pm. It was a much slower pace than I would have ridden by myself, but it was kind of relaxing. When I looks at my results, my HR average was 137. Considering that my zone 1 starts at 137, I spent a lot of time below Zone 1. :-) When I was catching Vanessa my HR would jump to to upper 160s-lower 170s.
Good ride. Next ride MS150. See you in Austin.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Brookwood Spirit Rally
Talk about a windy day. It rained on Friday then stopped overnight. It was cloudy all day with high winds (20+ mph). Vanessa and I decided to do this ride because it supports a great community for adults with functional disabilities. Check it out at BrookwoodCommunity.org
The ride started at 8:00, but we got there at about 6:30 because I had a 7:00 ride marshal meeting and we wanted to be sure to park in a dry area since it had been raining on Friday. The morning started out cool in the low 50s, but the wind made it feel much colder. It was not to bad once we got to riding.
The route headed south out of Brookshire, TX. With the wind at our backs the route did not seem to bad. I stopped at rest stop 1 to wait on Vanessa and Jill. Once they got there Vanessa decided to call it a short ride and rode with Jill. I decided that since they were going 23 miles I would do the 38 mile route. Once we got to Fulshear , TX, I headed south and wound around to 359. At 359 we started the hard fight back to the north. This was where we found out how bad the wind was.
I got in a grove that was comfortable and stayed there. That ended up keeping my speed around 12 mph. Which was enough since I was passing everyone in front of me. I was only caught by one guy on atri bike, so I followed him to the second rest stop. There I ran into Rick (beertruck on bikejournal ). Rick and I rode together from rest stop 2 back to the finish. I was able to keep up with Rick along 1093 while dealing with the cross wind, but once we turned into the wind on 1489, Rick had a noticeable advantage on his recumbent.
The nice thing about this ride is they have food afterwards, and they give you a gift certificate to use in their shop. They also had a couple masseuses giving free massages.
The ride started at 8:00, but we got there at about 6:30 because I had a 7:00 ride marshal meeting and we wanted to be sure to park in a dry area since it had been raining on Friday. The morning started out cool in the low 50s, but the wind made it feel much colder. It was not to bad once we got to riding.
The route headed south out of Brookshire, TX. With the wind at our backs the route did not seem to bad. I stopped at rest stop 1 to wait on Vanessa and Jill. Once they got there Vanessa decided to call it a short ride and rode with Jill. I decided that since they were going 23 miles I would do the 38 mile route. Once we got to Fulshear , TX, I headed south and wound around to 359. At 359 we started the hard fight back to the north. This was where we found out how bad the wind was.
I got in a grove that was comfortable and stayed there. That ended up keeping my speed around 12 mph. Which was enough since I was passing everyone in front of me. I was only caught by one guy on atri bike, so I followed him to the second rest stop. There I ran into Rick (beertruck on bikejournal ). Rick and I rode together from rest stop 2 back to the finish. I was able to keep up with Rick along 1093 while dealing with the cross wind, but once we turned into the wind on 1489, Rick had a noticeable advantage on his recumbent.
The nice thing about this ride is they have food afterwards, and they give you a gift certificate to use in their shop. They also had a couple masseuses giving free massages.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Back on the Trainer
I got back on the trainer last night. I did a 25 minutes at 200 watts. I have not been riding through the week as much lately, and am trying to get back into that habit. It will really help loose the extra 12-13 lbs I picked up the last few months.
I also found a place on line that had a new wheel identical to the one Vanessa messed up. I ordered one so that I have a complete spare set of rims for our bikes.
I also found a place on line that had a new wheel identical to the one Vanessa messed up. I ordered one so that I have a complete spare set of rims for our bikes.
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