another commute in January!

High on Monday of 75, gotta ride home! fast ride home via expo---14 mph, 35 min 8 secs saddle time! Now to somehow better this record



Morning low of 65! unheard of in January!
Sweatty ride to work the next morning!
Took Rolling wood, I was feeling cocky after the ride home yesterday. Well, the hills on rollingwood, put me back in my place. I was in the wrong gear, ouch...crept up the first hill at 5 mph...must get stronger! Still made it to work in under 41 min...will I ever break the 40 mark?





************************************
Miles for this ride: 8.24 & 8.34
Minutes on the bike: 35:08 & 40:55
Miles for the week: 16.48
Total miles for the month: for January 79.7
Total miles for 2012: 79.7
Miles to go: 1932 miles til 2012

Odometer: 11900

depressing ride w/ a happy ending

MB came over to ride on Sunday. Didn't have much time to get in a ride, but anything is better than nothing.
So we headed to the cemetery to try to find section 5E, no luck, but it's pretty depressing riding thru the cemetery.

Then we saw a dead squirrel.

When riding w/ MB, I have to create destination rides, today's destination was to go see the house that exploded because of a gas leak that was not fixed.

Read my friend Kelly's blog, she lives vey close to the explosion. http://kellyaatkins.com/2012/01/11/exploding-house/

We gawked at the house for a while, then at the one next door which was knocked off it's foundation. We noticed the flowers people left on the fence.

Then I remembered Eleanor was a block away. So we rode over to see Katie & Eleanor for a quick 10 mins. E is so much bigger than the last time we saw her & Katie looks awesome!

At the end of the ride, MB acknowledged that she had a great time! Now to get a longer ride in next week!

************************************
Miles for this ride: 9.95
Minutes on the bike: 55
Miles for the week: 9.95
Total miles for the month: for January 63.1
Total miles for 2012: 63
Miles to go: 1949 miles til 2012

Odometer: 11884

anti depression ride almost backfire

I missed out on riding the day before...totally gorgeous day...75 & sunny. I was out helping others...cut down a tree & burn weeds & clear the roof of leaves. at least I was outside.
so sunday came & I needed to do something to keep my serotonine levels up, ie, not get depressed. I bundled up...it was 58 or so & left to ride at least shoal creek.
when I got to hanock & bullcreek, I decided to go into the cemetery. interesting decision. I went on the quest to find Anne's grave (Anne is my ex mother in law). Still couldn't find it, but while riding around, I kept getting a sadness sweep over me, it involved the possibility of my mom's funeral service & feeling I would be alone for it. I let that sink in for a while. then left and finished the ride.
I think I felt better, but I was still blue, guess had I not gone out there I would have been really blue.

this week, I also completed my first commute for the year, wasn't too cold!

************************************
Miles for this ride: 13.5
Mins on the bike: 66
Miles for the week: 30.1
Total miles for the month: for January 53.1
Total miles for 2012: 53
Miles to go: 1959 miles til 2012

Odometer: 11874

2012 New Years Day Ride

oh the joys of life.
woke up around 7:30 am w/ stomach issues. great I have a bike ride in 2.5 hours. woke up again at 8:30, same stuff. at 9 started receiving the text messages about not being able to make it. sent KPT a message making sure she wasn't bailing, she wasn't.
I'm getting ready & I hear the cat barf..I have 3 small 2'x3' rugs in the house & the rest of the 1263 sq ft is tile or wood floor. cat chooses to puke on a rug. thanks cat. my mind started going down the 'oh this is a great start to 2012' path, but I turned it off and made myself realize it was just puke & poo not a sign from the Mayans.
Made my smoothie, then out the door to meet up w/ KPT & V.
I knew the rest of the day would go well when V arrived & he gave me a big hug & said 'happy new year.'
Easy bike to McKinney Falls State Park. Learned how to say left and right in Spanish.

Now the ride back wasn't as fun...I'm not a big fan of riding against the wind.

The post ride breakfast at Mi Victoria was super, as always.

************************************
Miles for this ride: 23
Miles for the week: 23
Total miles for the month: for January 23
Total miles for 2012: 23
Miles to go: 1989 miles til 2012
Mins on the bike: 111
Odometer: 11844

Goal Achieved: 2011 in 2011

In 2010 I set the goal to ride 1500 miles, I fell short & only rode 13xx miles, so in 2011 my goal was to again ride 1500 miles, I busted that goal the last week of September, so i upped the ante to 2011 in 2011, knowing the next weekend I'd do 100 miles, so I'd only have 400 miles to go in 3 months, no prob, I'd continue commuting & doing longer weekend rides.

Then the time change. I think I managed 1 commute after that. I hate the time change...the sun sets way too early for this night owl & rises even earlier. I made a lame attempt to readjust my body, well, it didn't work.
But I was determined to still do it. Esp since after Gruene I had under 150 miles to go and 2 months to do it.
So I hopped on the bike when I could, 10 mile loops on the recovery route when I snuck out of work early, Weds night night rides w/ KPT & Victor when it was close to freezing--32.4 to said Victor's watch. Saturday rides on my own....

And eventually I was down to 15 miles to go.

The last ride wasn't epic like so many of the training rides had been (3 abreast, Lockhart & Luling, Donkeys & Downpours and The Love Shack) But it had it's moments.

It started out with MPB agreeing to ride w/ me. We needed a destination, so I chose 'Big Top Candy Shop' to spend my $50 in gift certificates I had received.

We set off and MPB's mouth starts complaining about being cold, then we turn on Shoal Creek & she complains about the mini-hill (note to self, she's not ready for some of the more fun routes, yet).

Finally at Big Top. At mile 3.5 I accidently reset the trip, so I think we are close to 7 miles, should put me within a trip around the block to reach my goal. We lock the bikes, go inside & quickly blow $50. MPB even shares a choc shake!

Back on the bikes to head home in the last 35 mins of light...(I hate the sun setting so early!) MPB's mouth starts going about the cold. It was cold, I offer my full fingered gloves, but she declines.. lucky me! I try to avoid the hills, but it's impossible. We opt for Bull Creek vs. Shoal Creek..gradual vs steep. We get to the turn for my street & I'm 1 mile shy, so I make a loop and end up at my house at 2011.1!

Not the most exciting ride, but it had its purpose. In 2 days I'll start working on the 2012 goal of 2012+

************************************************************
Miles for this ride: 15.1
Miles for the week: about 15.1
Total miles for the month: for December --53
Total miles for 2011: 2011.1 not including mtn bike rides
Miles to go: ?-511 to hit 1500 -0.1 to 2011
Odometer: 11821

getting closer

after the last 2 rides this weekend, I'm down to 15 miles!
Saturday the sun was out, so I set out to ride at least 20....
I headed north into the wind, burr it was still kinda cold!
Made it to Alison & Erwin's to drop off Christmas presents & judge them on the McDonald's Big Mac they were eating!

Also went w team Taco Deli & toured Christmas lights in the Balcones area. Great time riding & catching up w/ Kellie!



************************************
Miles for this ride: 23 + 9
Miles for the week: about 32
Total miles for the month: for December --38
Total miles for 2011: 1996 not including mtn bike rides
Miles to go: ??? to hit 1500 15 to 2011
Odometer: 11806

counting down

I've lost track of the miles in thr blog, but the odometer is what counts.
It's been rainy & cold, so not much riding.
When a Weds bootcamp was canceled, KPT, V & I decided to do an in town night ride. Thermometer said 45 as I was driving home, no problem, it's above 40!
Problem was I never warmed up! Usually my fingers get so hot in my full fingered gloves, so I made sure I took the partial fingere ones along...well, I carried them w/ me all night. Fingers never did get warm. We finally figured out the answer when V looked at his watch and said it was 32.6 degrees! burr!

************************************
Miles for this ride: 12
Miles for the week: about 18
Total miles for the month: for December --18
Total miles for 2011: ???? not including mtn bike rides
Miles to go: ??? to hit 1500 58 to 2011
Odometer: 11???