31 August 2011 Ride: 8 Months

I stretched out the ride yesterday afternoon so that I would just have a small one today and still reach 1,000 miles for the month.  Even better, today marks 8 months of continuous riding with 4 months to go.

Out by 5:30AM as Wednesday is a busy day.  End of the month means more people show up at Community Meals and, thus, more cooking. 


One thing that is nice riding in the morning is the stillness and feeling as if the rest of the world (or at least the neighborhood) is sleeping.  Slowly, lights appear and the world begins to stir.

The pond with the lily pads in our neighborhood is always changing.  The bloom below was not there yesterday when I stopped to take a photograph.

I am not sure what the cows found so curious buried in the ground and I have never seen a cow dig up a hole before.

 Looking west in the morning sky.

Yesterday afternoon's ride:  2hrs 13mins.   26.77 miles.  88 degrees.
Today's Ride:  73mins.  13.95 miles.  77 degrees.  Miles YTD:  5,922.69

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30 August 2011 Ride: Push it to the Limit...

...One More Time. 

John quoted that lyric to me last night and it seems very apropos. I just seem to find myself pushing those the limits for how much I biking I can accomplish.  Squeezing in 6,000 miles for the year by the end of August was not in reach, but squeezing in to reach 1,000 for the month of August is within reach. 

Up a bit before 5:00 and I dilly dallied until 6:00 when I could ride without a headlamp.  

As always, riding in the morning felt good.  The plan was to ride about 20 miles in the AM and then ride in the afternoon to the high school for the open house at 6:00.  That way I should be able to put in 35 miles for the day, leaving about 24 for tomorrow to hit the 1,000 mile mark for the month.

Definitely had more energy this morning but still dragging.  An interesting situation. trying to figure out how to rest the body when it's pretty much in use. 


Splitting wood was on the agenda for the morning (not much rest there) and one piece opened to reveal a nice pattern.

Later, I saw a worm on the splitter that came out of a log and I thought I had flattened it's head.

But, no, that was how it was built.  A very unusual specimen. 

One more interesting wood pattern.

I am posting this in the early afternoon as I know I will not want to stay up tonight trying to get it done to include the afternoon ride.  That will have to be a bonus post.

Today's morning ride:  1hr 48mins.  20.13 miles.  77 degrees.  Miles YTD:  5,882.47

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29 August 2011 Ride: An Inch at a Time

Woke up late for me (6:30), though if I had entertained any thoughts of crawling out of bed earlier, the rain and lightning kept me put.

I dragged through the morning and worked on a My Life as Bike project possibility for 2012.  Dorothy thought that this year long journey/adventure would make for a good over 50 continuing ed class at the Osher Institute so I've been working on a course proposal.  We shall see if it meets approval with the powers that be.

I mentioned to Colene that if I squeezed in another 170 miles in the next 3 days I could reach the 6,000 mile mark for the year by the end of August; of course Carol would probably not be speaking to me either for doing nothing but riding for three straight days.  I did notice, however, that if I do another 90 miles in the next 3 days, I will have put in 1,000 miles for August.  A more possible goal but given the busy day Wednesday, still not very probable.  Not that it really matters.

So, I set out to try and put in 30 miles today heading toward Hobby Lobby via a very indirect path.  My body and legs still felt very fatigued and the going was slow.  But I kicked back into a touring mode, putting myself in a mindset of having all day to get where I needed to get, even if I didn't have all day. 

I was tossing about in my head a couple of route options and finally settling on the one that followed the trail to Old Missouri Rd.  Just as I was about to leave the trail,  a worm that always brings a smile to face was crossing the pavement.

I snapped as many photos as I could as he made his way across the trail never knowing which ones will come out.  At times, he would stumble and teeter over, something I have never seen an inch worm do.  I felt as if the whole purpose of the ride today was to come across the little critter.  And, who knows, maybe the whole purpose of this year long adventure was to just stumble upon this one sight.  This was certainly how I was feeling today: inching along, one pedal at a time.

I continued on my way to Hobby Lobby to purchase a clock mechanism to replace one that wasn't working; more on the story behind that clock when I finish repairing it.

And, back on the trail...

I wasn't positive until I got home to compare but, yes, indeed, the shoes have moved, if only slightly.

Today's Ride:  2hrs. 50mins.  31.35 miles.  81 -91 degrees. Miles YTD:  5,862.34

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28 August 2011 Ride

With the threat of another very warm day looming, rousing myself out of bed before 6:00 to get on the road by 6:30, wasn't too difficult.  The muscles are definitely fatigued but it was a beautiful morning and I even managed to push hard at the end of the ride.

A few pictures and then off into a busy day of chores and errands.

With the sun in the back, the two ordinary objects beneath the trees took on a mythical/spiritual presence; a monolith that people would travel far and wide to come visit.  The objects?  Two Port-a-Pottys.

Today's Ride:  1hr 49mins.  21.15 miles.  67 - 75 degrees.  Miles YTD:  5,830.99

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27 August 2011 Ride: Route 78

Tired?  Did someone mention tired? 

Rachel had a soccer game up in Bella Vista so I decided to make a ride out of that, up and back.  A beautiful morning with an overcast sky all 35 miles up there.  And, the light traffic meant that I could travel along roads I normally wouldn't dare ride.

 

The PODS' Pod

In the morning, the riding went easily and all the logging from yesterday didn't seem to hamper me much.  

 

 Quite a hodgepodge of different pictures today.  Several, that looked interesting when I took them, didn't make the grade.  I really like the house below.

As well as the color pattern of this door.

At the game, the sun emerged and we baked on the aluminum stands.  I sought shelter beneath a small tree and watched the game from there.  The 2 hours of rest did not seem to serve me well as it took awhile for me to get going again.

This window is interesting in that it is reflecting the white vinyl from a similar building about 20 feet away.

 

At mile 60, I pulled over beneath a large hickory tree to take a break.  I was contemplating taking a picture of of one of the hickory nuts hanging on the branches, when I saw something odd in the crook of a branch.  Looked to be a spool of some sort.  

Not too much further down the road, I passed this stone marker on Silent Grove between Lowell and Springdale. 

Though it wasn't that hot, the logging yesterday and the lack of a decent night sleep (and the sun), caught up with me during the last 18 miles and they felt as if they were the last 20 of the 100 miler I did when it was 103.  I did still turn right at the T when I reached home and put in the added 0.8 miles.

Today's Ride:  6hrs. 24mins.  78.08 miles.  67 - 93 degrees.  Miles YTD:  5,809.84

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