I had a good week of riding this week. My speed and power are still missing-in-action for the most part but I'm riding pain-free with the exception of my right knee. I've got a couple weeks off from work coming up beginning at the end of this work-week and I hope to get my fill of riding and being outdoors.
I had a fun loop into St Paul on Tuesday. The fall colors were brilliant in spots and it was a gorgeous day! I was feeling like a weight has been lifted off me now that I'm able to get out again; like a junkie must feel when they finally get their fix, they can breathe again.
We had some tree trimming done on Thursday by Caleb and his crew from Vineland Tree Care. This was such a different experience from the one we had last year around this time with the sketchy guys who came through our neighborhood hustling up work for which I paid way too much. Caleb is an arborist and actually knows what he's doing. They'll be back sometime in late November to trim the two Red Oaks on the side of our home. Jim (the owner) was reluctant to do them now for fear that we haven't had a hard enough frost to eliminate the chance for Oak Wilt.
As soon as they were through trimming I headed out on a ride intent on doing the loop I never got to finish the day I crashed. I'd been dreaming of doing this route as soon as I was feeling well enough and Thursday was the day. If this was to be a mentally healing ride of sorts for me it couldn't have played out better. I have over 25 hours of music on my Nano with only a handful of songs that repeat. How coincidental it was that Pink Floyd's Echoes (the song that lulled me to sleep) would be playing in my ears as I approached the crash site. I was determined that there would be no repeat.
The pups are enjoying this weather for their daily walks. I try and get them out for 30 to 45 minutes each day with Toby leading the way. He can be pretty insistent on which roads we take, not typically wanting to do the same route two days in a row. Allie and Charlie aren't so particular. I don't mind indulging them because it's their time. Tammy took them to the dog park twice last week. That's heaven for them.
On the drive into work this morning I had to stop and pick up a prescription for a steroid spray I use for allergies. I went inside to pay and noticed what looked like the same medication for sale over-the-counter and for only half the price of the prescription I was there to pick up. I asked the pharmacist and she said there's really no difference. How nice!
I got up from laying down after the all-night shift Thursday morning and figured I'd better get a ride in while I could because the forecast wasn't looking so good. The temp was just above 40 with a northeast wind steady at 15 mph under overcast skies. 40 degrees is very reasonable cycling weather but the key is to be somewhat chilled when you start out. Being warm and toasty at the beginning leads to being sweaty, cold and clammy before the ride is over. While putting air in my tires before leaving I could tell that I needed a lighter top layer. I'm glad I made the switch. I loved the ride ( Strava link ) and would like to have gone further but David Crowder was playing at our church and I didn't want to be late getting in line for some good seats as it was general admission. I considered a quick detour by Hosanna on the way home to get a pic of their tour bus but I figured I should really act my age. The concert was worth every penny and better than any of the o...
I skipped out of work a couple hours early today to take advantage of some mild weather. I took the pups for a walk then headed west on my bike putting my heart, lungs, and quads through some paces. It felt so nice to be out there. I'd have stayed out longer but I had to be back to take Rachel to dance class for 5:00. It's possible that today will be the last time I'll have to take her to class if she passes her road test this Thursday. I'd like to have taken some time to hose down my bike. It's full of road salt and that can't be a good thing. Every large vehicle that went past me had a cloud of salt dust trailing in its wake and settling on me. I'll spend some time cleaning it tomorrow and have it ready for a ride on Wednesday after work. Speaking of work—I've been kicking around the idea of bidding on a staff job. Believe me, it's not something I want to do. It's about self-preservation. I want to work another five years to get Rachel thr...
Wow, what a trip. In planning for this ride, I figured I’d have only two weekends this summer when our schedules could come together to give it a go. The first of those two times came and went two weeks ago when a steady north wind kept me grounded. There’s no way I could have gone the distance into the wind, and what I was really hoping for was a stiff southwesterly breeze, but that wasn’t in the cards either. After looking at the wind forecast on Wednesday, I told Tammy that it looked as though we were looking at another no-go. I’d been watching the forecast the previous 5 days, and they consistently said to expect a light wind from the southeast. It wouldn’t be a headwind but wouldn’t be much help either. I came home from work on Thursday morning and looked at the forecast again, but it hadn’t changed. I got a couple hours of sleep, then woke up to work in the yard. Then, I decided I wouldn’t let the lack of a tailwind keep me from going…just so long as it wasn’t a headwind. I tol...
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