Bi-Annual Review

First half of a whole is completed. It's gone pretty well. Compared to last years cycling stats miles are up, speeds are up, hammer hundreds are up and weight is down. Still got some weight to lose, but not being interested in racing, or dating, there isn't a whole lot of motivation to get rid of the extra ten pounds.
Another beautiful day with temps in the 70's. NICE! 33/17.3

Not A Cloud In The Sky

Another perfectly delightful day, for a ride, or anything else for that matter. I could get used to this kind of weather. Lots of friends on the trails today. 33/17.6

Seems like it was another life. Nine years and I still miss him like crazy.

Splendid

What a delightful day. No humidity, temps in the low 70's. If I was going to complain, it would be because the breeze was a little stiff, but I ain't complainin'. 33/17.6

Soap Box

Rode over to the Pride Festival yesterday evening, in Loring Park.
The Pharisees Were There
A Little Irony With The Pride Banner Hanging From The Church Behind This Preacher

I Over Heard The Girl With The Short Reddish Hair Say, "I've been like this all my life!"

As a straight guy with some gay friends that I love, all I can say is we all need to get along. With all the problems that exist for us, our kids and grand kids, creating more lines dividing "us" from "them" will NOT solve anything. Let's all come together and work together.
OK I'm off the soap box. Thanks for reading my rant.

After yesterday's effort, my legs were giving me the silent treatment today. No screaming, no moaning and definitely no responding. They were like, ignoring me, and were especially obstinate on even the slightest incline. I was being shunned.
I got a solo effort in, riding my usual Sunday route up into Baker. Beautiful! 50/18.0

Good Ride. Good Good Ride.

Started out with Charles, me and Amy on what might just be the nicest ride of the season. We were grateful for the clouds, because if the sun had heated up the already oppressively humid air we would've become one with the asphalt. No missed turns kept us on a beautiful route, with wild turkeys, lakes everywhere, pine trees, and gently rolling green hills.
Just north of Stillwater Amy mentioned that we usually hammer on these rollers, at least we had in years past, so we put our carbon steeds to the test torquing chains and our lungs to limits that no sane person would dare try.
Thinking, this is what Amy wanted, and it being her birthday tomorrow, as we rolled to our midway stop I simply said, "happy birthday". She hit me. With her hand! OK, so maybe I said happy birthday with an evil grin and chuckle, but still....
All fueled up with HoHo's and Gatorade we weaved our way through Stillwater and steered our bikes towards Afton and its double barreled coulees (these are no small climbs). We left Stillwater (45 miles) with an average speed of 19.3. Eleven miles later and at the TOP of the second coulee our average speed had increased to 19.9, not a whole lot of happy looks. I thought the news of our increase in speed might change that....uuuhh no. Even with another smirk and birthday wish, I was only able to generate a look of disgust....at least I didn't get hit.
We throttled back a titch, and enjoyed the scenery as we left the St. Croix River and rolled towards the Mississippi. A screaming descent into the Mississippi River valley was unfortunately interrupted by a red light, nevertheless, the Mississippi was our companion into St. Paul and back to Minneapolis only leaving it briefly to cut across Summit Ave and hobnob with the mansion owners.
Good hard riding, great scenery, some very fun teasing, and great conversation made this a candidate for nice ride of the year. 94/19.6

Storms

Storms made this a true day off the bike. All I could do was watch it pour. Some of our major highways and roads flooded, because we got so much rain in such a short amount of time. A bike shop on Lyndale had water coming in it's front door. I heard there were kayaks navigating some rapids on Lyndale.
I did venture out eventually, but used 4 wheels.
Downtown Coming Out Of The Clouds.

Eerie, But Cool After Storm Clouds

Haze And Zip

There's a tool that measures whether your chain is worn out. A couple of weeks ago my chain started to drop to my 39 when it was in the 21. No tool needed to diagnose the worn chain problem. Got around to putting on a new chain and cassette today. Smooooth shifting and no dropping.
Got some zip back. 33/18.2
300+ mile week.

Fires up in Saskatchewan thickened up the air today...
and presented Lake Harriet with a filtered sunset.

A Little Patience

Clouds and rain all day. Looked like it was going to be a wet ride. Then around 4pm blue sky to the west. Waited it out and wound up riding in the sun and on dry paths.

Feelin' a little less than zippy. May need a day off. Easy effort tomorrow, and then see if a bike is called on for Friday. 33/17.4

Last Night

Hot

89 degrees with a dew point of 69. Not mrbill hot, but it still makes you sweat just standin' still.
This kind of weather called for a couple of water bottles and a nice slow, easy pace. 33/17.0

Jeff Burmiester took this photo at the Stillwater NVGP Crit Sunday.
Steve, Chris, Steven, Amy and me.

Basking In The Afterglow

Still enjoying the time had with my kids and grand kids yesterday. Clouds cleared out tonight and let the sun shine until after 9PM, for a wonderfully pleasant and beautiful summer solstice. 33/18.1

Perfect Fathers Day

Rode out to Stillwater, with about 8 teammates, to watch the final stage of the NVGP. I got us lost by missing two turns. One busy road, with a wide shoulder, and 5 extra miles got us back on the right route. Getting old sucks! Speaking of old, can you see a racer in the image below that looks like he's over the age of 15? This is the start of the mens race.
Turned the navigation duties over to Steve for the ride home, but wait, he's older than I am! Nevertheless, he got us home, without getting us lost, on a very nice route. 70/18.1
Kids and grand kids came over at 5:30. We had sweet and sour chicken, brown rice, and pot stickers. For dessert, french silk pie and blue berry pie. All made from scratch and mighty fine tasting.

I came away with some major swag tonight. Hand made cards from the grand kiddos, very thoughtful cards from my kids, and great gifts of photos, a cook book and lots of Peanut M&Ms.

Best of all though, were the hugs, conversation and reminiscences. I am so lucky.

Nice Time

An uneventful Saturday ride. I got two cancellations, one late last night and the other early this morning, so today's effort wound up being solo. A good stiff breeze out of the WNW kept trying to push me east, but I didn't give in and continued my WNW trek to Hanover. Gatorade and HoHos, in Rockford, was my only stop of the day. Not much sun kept the temps nice and cool. Like I said, pretty uneventful. 81/19.3

Got home showered and rode the Salsa (another 12 miles) over to the Stone Arch Festival. It's basically an art fair, and is held across the river from Minneapolis in St. Anthony right on the Mississippi. There's food, bands, art displays, all the typical stuff.

Oh The Food!
My Favorite

Classic Car Show

This Is A Real Car

My All Time Favorite Has Always Been The Camaro

More Spectating

Rode the single speed Schwinn 2 miles to the Uptown stage of the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Met Amy and put in a hard effort spectating. I took off after the womens race taking the long way home around Lake Harriet and Calhoun. 10/??

Yesterday's rode race in Cannon Falls was canceled due to 60 mph winds, and, oh yeah, the tornado sirens that were going off just as the women lined up to start the race.

After The Storm

I did not touch these up. So cool, but pretty eerie.

Made It

Muggy and windy with temps near 90 degrees. Storms are blowing in now. The leading edge of the storms crossed the Mississippi at the same time as I was crossing it, on my bike. I got home without even getting wet, but the radar is lit up like a Christmas tree now. Tornadoes all around, but nothing in my county. Batten down the hatches, Lisa. It's coming your way. 33/17.7

Cool sunset from last night. Not all bike paths are along creeks, rivers or lakes. And the sun sets over street lights and buildings too.

NVGP Time

Got some work done and a ride in between the Nature Valley Grand Prix races today. 33/17.9
Apparently there were some men racing...

This morning was the TT, which finished on Ohio and Cherokee Ave in St. Paul...a brutal climb. The racers were not allowed to use TT bikes.

Tonight was a crit in downtown St. Paul. Saw tons of friends.

These Are Fast Women

The Sprint Finish

The woman on the left lost the sprint after being on the front for the last several laps.

The End

You Can Never Have Enough Bikes Or Wheels

Thursday and Saturday there will be road races in Cannon Falls and Menominee. Friday and Sunday they will hold crits in Uptown and Stillwater. I'll be spectating at both crits.

www.naturevalleybicyclefestival.com/