Road And Exploring

Got in just a great ride with Steven, Karl and Amy. I was on skinny tires. Oh Yeah!
I was unusually sore after yesterday's ride, but woke up this morning feeling surprisingly good. Rode at an easy pace, just enjoying being out. 48/16.9

Picked up Elijah this afternoon and was told we were going exploring.

I Like The Small Maybe Unnoticed Things
Elijah Found A Small Creek That Feeds Cedar Lake

He Likes Hanging Out

And Blazing The Trail

Bit Of A Difference

Had a hard time deciding what bike to take out today, but finally settled on the Evil One, with a little prodding from Amy. The studded Nokians did come off and were replaced with Conti Contacts...a little higher psi and tread that has much less rolling resistance.
Not a cloud in the sky and the sun was doing a great job of keeping us comfortable. Lots of great talk and eventually we even got around to some hard riding.
Roads were clear and basically ice free. As the day wore on the ice oozed out from the road sides and over the asphalt, but the sun dampened any hopes the ice had of taking us down.
Amy wound up feeling pretty frisky on the inclines and seemed to want to charge at all of them. My quads were not and are still not happy with that. The rest of me is also still complaining. I can hear the Advil calling.
Same route as last Saturday. Conditions, temps...they were all about the same, but I came in 1.2 mph faster. Oh I'd like to say I'm improving, but in the real world all the credit goes to changing the tires. 61/17.2

I Need This

Day Off!

I'm heading out now to have dinner, with my son Ethan who was born 29 years ago today.

Day Ethan Was Born. (I wasn't much older than him...22 to be exact)

Bigger Better Faster More

A little lighter layering today. Sun felt good, and it's up a lot longer now. Plenty of melting going on, even though the temp is still below freezing.
It's been a hard week (month for that matter) as I'm trying to get the miles and speed up. I've been doing this for awhile now, so I've got all the excuses down. I mean, I know how to make it sound like everything is against me, and that if this just happened, or if that hadn't happened things would be different. Here's the bottom line: 208 miles for the week (fri-thur). I estimate 800 miles for the month. Last year I was a little under 650 miles for the month of February. This is not my most February miles, or my fastest, but...ahead of last year...I'll take that. Oh, and just for the recorded...I'm bushed. No on the bike day off for me tomorrow. 21/13.7

I looked to the East and this is what my camera saw.

Then I looked to the West and this is what my camera saw.

That's Why

It always surprises me. I'm feeling run down, aches, pains, old age is winning and I almost talk myself out of riding. I'm sure it will be a hard slow ride, plus it's cold out there. I force myself to get my winter gear on, and drag my sorry ass outside. I see the same old stuff, feel the cold sting, realize there's more ice on the roads than there was yesterday, and oh yeah, I get honked at, for no good reason. All that and I pull up to my home at the end of my ride with 21/14.4
Day's made, I'm feeling a little more peppy, aches and pains aren't as pronounced, attitude has changed.

More Miles Less Gore

Winter has been on the run over the last week or so, but ended its retreat and fought back today, with a single digit windchill. I was back inside some heavier layers. At least there were no puddles...yeah, they all turned solid, slick and rutty.

Still improving. More miles ridden already this February than February 2009. My speeds are slower, but that's because of the bikes I've been on, and tires. I was riding stud-less this time last year. I'm a little older and wiser. 21/13.9

Results of Stud-less Riding This Week A Year Ago February of 2009

Monday Monday

Apparently I need the rejuvenation that comes from a Pacific Northwest vacation, and Hammerhead coffee. I was only able to muster a 21 mile ride at 13.4.