Good But Hard

Bought a coffin today.
In bed for about six and a half hours last night. No sleep.
A recuperative ride. 15/13.7

It was so nice to see Magnolia and other blooms.
The emergence of life soothed.

Mom

I Love You
I am now an orphan.

Lots of Sun And A Little More Green

Trees are turning green as the leafs are opening. Rode to the Minnesota River and the Bloomington Ferry Bridge crossing. I remember when the bridge there carried one only lane of car traffic. Today it's been replaced by a foot bridge. About two miles west there is a six lane bridge that is a good 40 feet above the river.
As I was coming back from Bloomington, I rode by QBP and then Bush Lake. After I crossed 494 I got on Gleason and saw a cyclist ahead of me carrying and pack and a set of HED wheels. As I got closer I saw he had Hollywood plastered all over his ass. Yep it was Jay himself heading to Opus. We talked for a little, and he pissed off a motorist or two at Vernon. I was planning on riding by the race, but wasn't interested in watching tonight, so rode to Bren with him, wished him luck, and continued to the greenway and home.
My speeds are good, but I still don't feel good. Might be a little stress from work...I don't know. 37/17.8

A Little Whining

I haven't felt good since last Wednesday. I've had stiff neck, and just felt a little shity for like a week now. I thought maybe I slept on my neck wrong or something, but this is just lasting too long. Maybe I've been fighting something off.
NEVERTHELESS
I had a nice ride tonight...my typical route. I am a creature of habit. I know I'm in a rut and I like it down here.
While I was riding I saw Lynne, Bill, Jeannette, and Nate. You know we live in a metro area of 3 million people, and yet it feels like a small town, because I'm always seeing some one I know. 33/17.2

Camelot

I like the idea of it raining only at night, never getting above 75 or below 70, and the dew having just dried off as I start my day.

And you know, if we can send a guy to the moon, don't you think we could keep it from raining on the weekend?

Called on the Evil One and kept the ride short easy and on trails and paths. It really was nice to be out. Not much traffic, no noise and empty trails, just Robins, Sparrows, Cardinals, Ducks and Tom.
The hardest part about riding in the rain is getting started. Once out, and properly dressed, it really is enjoyable. Everything seems enhanced with more of a sheen. Maybe it's just that the dust has been washed off, or the extra drink of water has some how invigorated everything.

If it's green it's popping now. When the sun comes out there will be a green explosion. 26/15.1

Bridge At Lake Hiawatha and Minnehaha Creek

Grey Wet And Cloudy Downtown From Lake Hiawatha

Low Clouds Over Minneapolis From Isles

Post Rain Ride Shot

Not A Typical Saturday Ride

I did a little exploring today. Didn't feel much like riding long or hard, but wanted to be out. Amy decided not to race, so we hooked up together for about 30 miles. We rode up into Baker, and parted ways in Excelsior, after good conversation, a cool head wind, some minor rollers, and great company.
I picked up the new trail in Excelsior and took it all the way into St. Bonni, where there's a great looking little bistro right off the trail. I came back through Mound, back into the cities, up into Theo Wirth. Yeah, you get it, I was just kind of meandering today, but really enjoyed riding with Amy, and then finding some new trails. I even got a little lost out in Mound, and had to back track to find my way home. That to me is a sign of a good ride. 80/18.0

Friday Photo Therapy Ride

Simple That's What Beauty Is All About

80's

Simply nice. 33/17.8

Calm

Think all the cement is out of my legs now. 33/17.1
Lakes like glass as the wind died down a lot today. Trees have that mossy look, with buds emerging.
Harriet
Harriet
Calhoun

More Spectating

More of a meander than a ride tonight. Yeah, kind of took the path of least resistance to Opus and watched the races. Like always, it was very fun to watch. 30/15.3

That Wasn't Spring

Looked and felt more like November, gray, cloudy, cold and windy. Still working on getting the cement out of the legs. The wind was ripping today. Didn't work hard at all. Just tried to keep the cadence high and the effort low.
Got stopped by a cop at Lake Street and Dean Parkway. He pulled over and in front of me and rolled down his window. I kind of stuck my head in the patrol car and said, "how's it going?" He responded by saying. "you like your bike...is it carbon?" I told him it was all aluminum. He said he just bought a new Cannondale. We talked bikes for about 5 minutes. As we finished up, I mentioned the assault attempt against me on the greenway and how much I appreciate all the police are doing to keep us safe. He seemed a little surprised, that I was thanking him. 33/15.6

Three trees trying to grow in the same spot at Thomas Beach, over the years, makes for some interesting entanglements.

Broke The Booties Back Out

Cool rain at departure so it was me and the Salsa. Back to tights, winter jersey, and booties, along with a rain jacket, for today. Legs full of cement from yesterday's ride. Did a shortened version of my SSR, which means no Baker. Tried to keep the cadence high and effort low. Legs feel better tonight. 42/15.8

My oldest grandson and I did some exploring along railroad tracks this evening.

A Major Find.

Out on the new bike his grandma got him.

Concentrating On Climbing Cadence During Hill Repeat Training.
Setting Up For The Descent

In discussing our plans for next week, we are going to practice some of our superhero skills. This will include being invisible. He'll wear a cloak of invisibility, and I'll ride so fast no one can see me.
We'll also practice flying. He's already been practicing by jumping off his bed this last week, and has apparently been making progress. He'll bring his cape, "which should help a lot", next week.

Tired And Salty

Sore and lethargic...guess that means it was a good ride. It was definitely the hardest and fastest of the young season. It's been a long time since the hurt has been this intense. This winds up being the fastest, and farthest ever ridden in April, for me. The four of us were pretty wasted long before the ride ended. We just kept up the punishment. What's really strange is the other riders say they're coming back for more.

We worked the first 35 miles together into a pretty stiff north wind. Charles got a flat at Wayzata. That guy can change a flat fast. At Hanover we got the wind at our backs, and enjoyed some pretty high tempo riding...mid to upper twenties, with a few thirties showing up on the computer, all the way into Delano. Quick stop at the Crows Nest, and back into the saddle and more wind aided riding.
By the time we got to Mayer everything and everybody was hurting, and we still had 35+ miles, a headwind, and some pretty good rollers ahead of us. Minneti and I just kept on trading pulls, and turning the cranks. It wound up just being that kind of ride, just plain hard. I even mentioned to Mike as we came into Victoria, "You know, you've got to be kind of sick to enjoy doing this". He smiled and said, "yeah". 100/21.0

No Bags, But A lot Of Post Ride Salt

A Little Play

Gotta love Friday night rides.

The single speed Schwinn was anxious to get out.
A guy at Lake Of The Isles harmonizing with the Canadian Geese. He really was trying to sound just like them. It was beautiful.
Harriet Shining.

Green! It's Spring!

Felt and looked like summer this evening. 17/ scenic not sonic

A Little Work

Not Bike Related Picture Warning
I'm not always outside or driving when I work.

In The Three Hundreds

Nice and easy, fun and simple. Two weeks in a row now with 300 plus miles in the saddle. I'm way off of the miles I did last year, or the year before, but the speeds are good.
32/17.2

Late Evening Ride

Paths, trails and roads were crammed with cyclists, rollerbladers, joggers, walkers...I don't think anybody was inside.
Just couldn't be more enjoyable to be out. 34/17.3

It's Dry

Not Bike Related Picture Warning
A brush fire I saw in Shakopee, while out working today.

Off To The Races

Looped down to Bloomington, and back up to Minnetonka to watch the race at Opus. I entered the race in the 50+ spectator category. 38/17.6

Lakes River And Creek

Kept it simple and easy this evening. 34/17.5

Easter Services

We set out on our two wheeled pews, not quite at sunrise, but devoted, nevertheless, to showing our reverence, appreciation and respect. Only two of us were in attendance, but our sanctuary was filled to overflowing with southeast breezes, rolling hills, lakes, trees, horses, barns and bright glorious sunshine. The service was oriented more around discourse and discussion of doctrine, rather than the ritual ordinances of intervals, sprints, pacelines or hill repeats. We remembered with the sacrament by partaking of the Gatorade and Powerbar, and enjoyed the hymns sung by the choir of tires and asphalt. Our worship never ends and is not limited to one day a week. We worship six days a week and rest one. Our love is undeniable, our sacrifice complete. We are true disciples of the one and only. 53/17.6

Ride Report

One broken spoke at about 15 miles. We stopped to wait, but there was nothing we could do so went on. He turned around, went home, got another wheel and salvaged an absolutely gorgeous day.
The remainder of us rode to Jordan and picked up a perfect tailwind out of Prior Lake. The pace line broke up early as BK was putting on a clinic. He was all over Lydia, even providing his own lead out. A couple of rollers later there were 7 of us, a couple of Synergy boys, and some Nature boys rotating at about 30 mph. We maintained that effort all the way into Jordan. Just as we got there I cracked, but fortunately it was several hundred feet from a stop sign so I could make it look like I was slowing down for that. We rolled into Jordan pretty pleased with how hard and sweet that felt.
The group got back together to enjoy some great Holiday gas station food. My choice was Lime Gatorade and a Snickers bar.
Some of the more insane of the group opted for 100 miles, while others, with an obviously much higher IQ, chose an 80 mile option. The five of us more mentally challenged riders headed for Belle Plaine and some nasty climbing. We climbed out of the river valley and straight into a headwind that lasted for about 7 miles, then turned west toward Belle Plaine and enjoyed a refreshing tailwind for a few miles.
Just as we got got into Belle Plaine I heard the sound that all cyclists fear. The clank of metal on asphalt and a thud along with an involuntary yelp as the body hit the ground. Somebody had gone down. I stopped and looked back. He'd gotten up already and was standing, his bike was up too, but he was bent resting the weight of his body, using his bike as a crutch.
He looked good, no blood. He knew where he was...knew his name. Nothing broken. Right side dirty. Right jersey shoulder ripped. He had a headache. We knew what that meant.
He'd had a mechanical failure that caused him to go down. We got it all fixed. We got him riding again. Charles Parsons rode with him, kept talking to him, making sure he was doing good.
These are extraordinary cyclists that I rode with today, and Charles showed that they are even better human beings. Charles shepherded him home and the three of us continued on.
We hit Lime Street hill at about 70 miles, which was just excruciating, and the hurt didn't really stop until I got off the bike.
It's awful that a friend got hurt today. I heard from him as I was writing this. He's home and is going to be just fine, thanks to Charles and a helmet.
That's three friends that went down this week. All of them are home, and will be fine because they had helmets on.
One of the riders I was with for the entire 100 sent me some info from his Garmin.
3380 feet of climbing
97.6 miles
6284 calories burned
4hrs 55 mn ride time
My computer showed 98/19.5

Friday Night Ride Pics

Did the bare leg and Schwinn single speed thing again tonight. Nice!
Downtown Through Some Weeping Willows By Lake Harriet

Cattails On Cedar Lake

Tomorrow's Ride Will Be Peep Powered

I'll play hard tomorrow. Tonight 17/slow.