2 Ferry Ride in the books...

The weather was perfect for a long ride, slightly overcast and cool.  We began early, 7:30 am to ride the 100M Century through Central CT.  During the beginning of the ride, through a dirt covered road that was tree covered and damp, I got some kind of asthma attach or something.  Although I recovered from that about 5 miles down the road, I decided to turn back to do the 62 mile ride somewhere in Killingworth.  My brother Nick went on to complete the 100M journey through the hilly course.  By the end I had done 72.,3 miles at around 14 mph, including the ferry crossings.  Just east of the river we took 151 most of the way back to Glastonbury Ferry, and it was a bear!  Hilly is not the word.  Total accent was around 5000 ft. with most of that being EAST of the river...Wow!  Needless to say I took my time, and took it relatively easy on the hills, but did push some of the fatter parts and rollers.  My rear wheel needs a bit of a truing job, which I am too tired to do right now.  Tomorrow is a better day to do maintenance.  Got back to the Shop and had a cookout on the lawn...Nice!  Had a great chicken kabob, a hot dog and a hamburger...after burning 7000+ KCals, I felt I could indulge.
The Men and Women of Cycling Concepts did a great job putting on the ride...Thanks Keith!

Getting ready for the Century...

Tomorrow is the Two Ferry Century Ride out of Cycling Concepts in Rocky Hill. This ride has alot of hills, and as we all know Hills are not my Favorite thing to do.  Nick and I will be riding this ride together, and eiter riding 100 mile or 100 K, either way it will be a century.  Since I have already surpassed 100 miles this summer, I do not feel the need to do the 100 mile this time, but will go with what Nick wants to do tomorrow morning.   Below is the 100 mile Route -






Here is the 100 K ride that I just created.





Both Route have serious elevation changes.  Let's see what tomorrow brings.  Off to Cynergy!

32 MILES SLOWLY!

After yesterday's ride in the hills of Marlborough, I thought I would take it a bit easier today, but put on e moderate miles.  I road the Meriden Mountain Route without the mountain, and adding some miles through Newington into Hartford.  Altogether the ride was about 32 miles of beautiful back roads.  The leaves are beginning to change and the weather was absolutely perfect for riding.  No wind and temps at about 80 with no humidity.  My lungs said thank you to the gods. 
I stopped at Newington Bike to say hello to Dave and check out some gear. The fall/winter fashions are out, and I could spend my whole paycheck on the stuff.
I am really beginning to appreciate the Dura Ace Wheels, as they roll so nicely, and spin up wonderfully.  The Tommaso is riding so wonderfully, I feel a bit disloyal looking for a new frame for next year.  Maybe I'll just buy the tommaso carbon version with the high end fork and call it a day. 
I need to go and make my chilli now....Yummy!

Hills of Marlborough..25 miles

Yesterday, Nick and I road out in Marlborough, through Hebron and Colchester and then back to Marlborough, about 25 miles of hills.  It took me a good 10 miles to get all the crap out of my lungs, as the polen count must have been high.  Once we got into Hebron, we took off, doing around 25 down rt 85.  We road back the back side and back up where Nick usual leave me to ride up a tough hill.  I decided to give it a try.  Took it really slowly, and did fine.  We then cruised up the tough little hill just south of town, and back to his house.  The dura-ace wheel were very stiff and I could definitely tell the difference on the hills, standing especially.
Nick and I went back to the barn and smoke a Diesel with some scotch, pretty good combo.  Not a smoke I would buy again, but decent. 
I came home to my homemade soup and a ham sandwich...NICE!  I had made the soup in the AM after buying a 10 pound lot of chicken at D&D.  They sell 10lb lots of boneless skinless chicken breast for a great price.  I always cut it into strips and freeze it in seperate 4-6 once packages for stir fry or to have chicken in my salad or pasta dishes.  I use the trimmings to make soup.  Yummy!  I also bought a 5 pound lot of hot pepper and spinach chicken sausage....awesome!
Today I am making my 3 bean chilli with ground turkey.  NICE!  I will then freeze that in small containers for starter sause mix, or just to have chilli over rice for dinner. 
Going for a long recovery ride today before the games.  Yesterday's hard ride must be avenged.

CC Group Ride in RH...28 miles at 14.4mph

Easy group ride on the flats in Cromwell tonight, 28 miles about.  Road to the shop and back home after the ride.  The ride was a mixed ride of B and C riders, having to wait several times for slower rides, not stopping probably cost me about 2 mph.  This is the 2nd week without a cigar, and am feeling the added lung power in added peddle power.  This is a good thing.  I have vowed to only smoke cigars with my brother.  If that is the case, between the two of us, we should be done smoking our tally of cigars by 2040.  I have three humi's full, and he has two gigantic ones.  Cycling comes firs though as cigars smoknig is counter productive.  I really haven't missed it too much.  Only find myself craving one every now and again after dinner or in the truck driving to ECSU.  Mostly out of bordom, but sometimes out of pleasure. 
I am going to workout at ECSU after class tomorrow night, and take Friday as a rest day before riding with Nick on Saturday in the hills of Marlborough.

Two shops ride...hard.

22 miles in the books on a beautiful evening solo ride.  Road pretty hard most of the ride at about 16 mph.  Hard heavy winds coming in held me back some.  Stopped along the way to see Dave at CC to have him take out a shim in the right shoe, and it felt much better.  I also have been having trouble with my wind, but had no such trouble today.  I think it is due to pollen or spoor counts on humid days, in difference to today being winding and dry.  I enjoyed today's ride very much.  For some reason I enjoy my time along on the bike as much, if not more, than group rides, or even rides with my brother Nick.  I think it helps me clear my head, and gather my thoughts, getting ready for a new day.  Maybe it is because I always road alone, very seldom riding with anyone else.  Well whatever the reason, it is just great to be on the bike riding hard again with NO PAIN!  (Knock on wood). 
Tomorrow is a group ride in RH at CC at 5:30.  No Nick, so I think I will ride there early, and ride the B group ride, of course this depends upon how I feel tomorrow. 
Love to ride outside, and will do so as long as I can this fall, but I always have my backup plan...HealthTrax.
Chinese mixed veggies and white rice coming for dinner....to lazy to cook.

Recovery day at HealthTrax....

After creating an updated exercise plan, I decided to execute that plan by going to HealthTrax in Newington, because the weather was not going to allow me to ride in Middletown.  I did not know the schedule for spin or yoga classes on Monday, but apparently they begin later at 6 and 7 pm respectively.  I arrived at 4:15pm, so there was no way I was waiting around.  That said, I decided to get a quick ab and weight circuit in before hitting the hot tub to stretch.  I felt strong on the ab routine, but very weak on the upper body circuit having to drop at least 10 lbs on each station from last winter.  Most likely I will get that strength back quickly once I get back into the routine for a couple of weeks.  I need to adjust my time so that I arrive at HealthTrax early enough to get my ab and upper body circuit in before the spin class starts.  Most likely around 5:00pm or so.  Risky, as this gives me time to go home first...not good.  Maybe I'll just stay at school and work a bit their on Mondays before coming home...Ya that's it. 
Afterward I headed to the hot tub, which was shocked today, and I had to remove the cover.  I was quite stiff, after not having done any stretching for most of the summer.  It felt really good to get a full body stretch in, my legs said thank you.
Not too strenuous, but a good recovery day workout just the same.
Tomorrow - Spin at 4:30 and Cynergy at 5:40, just right for me to come straight from work.

New Fall Routine...

After my ride yesterday, I changed up my weekly routine for the next 8 weeks until my winter schedule begins.  I wanted to add back some time in the gym doing core and weight training, so here it is:

• Sundays: Outdoor or Indoor Ride/Recovery day.
• Monday:  Shop Ride in Middletown at Pedal Power or Weights and Aerobics at the gym.
• Tuesdays: Cynergy at Healtrax and Weights
• Wednesday: Shop Ride at cc in RH at 5:30 pm.
• Thursday:  Weights and aerobics at ECSU
• Friday: Early Morning Spin Class
• Saturday: Outdoor/Indoor Ride Hard: 2hrs+

A much more diverse workout schedule than the summer which consisted of daily riding and not much else.  I needed to plan this because over the past two weeks I have missed many opportunities to workout, just because I was not prepared, or had the expectation to do it.  Today is the day.

Berlin Cycle training ride...22 miles...Moderate pace

After the long day yesterday at the Tour of Hartford, I wanted to get a ride in on my Tommaso.  So I went to Berlin Cycle and then down rt 99 in Cromwell to Old Wethersfield and back up Nott Street back home.  22 miles of varying intensities, but I was trying to keep the pace moderate, and my heart rate below 150.  Turns out I could not regulate intensity by heart rate, due to the fact that my HR monitor was not working properly again.  I think I need a new battery for it.  I kind of did intervals, or farklick training.  I work hard for a while then rest and recover, then work hard again.  All in all good workout.  Because it was so humid, I had a hard time breathing.  The polin and mold spour count must be pretty high.  My nose was runny the hole time.  I am sensitive to mold, so whenever the spour count is high I get like this, usually before and after raiin, or high humidity.
On another note, the tommaso is riding beautifully.  I can definitely tell the difference, and it is a joy to ride.  Now I have no excuses, top of the line components, now my only excuse is me!  I am good with that.
Making Spegettti with black bean burger sause...Nice!  The last of my peppers are in it too...Yummy!

Tour of Hartford in the books...

I just got home from riding in the tour of Hartford where I was a Marshall at the Keney Park entrance.  I started out in the front of the 1000 riders or so, and having to stay in the front and make it to Keney (about 20 miles) before anyone else....Oh man.  Not to mention the fact that I was on my sirrus, which is a commuter bike.  It was a good thing I changed my wheels Thursday night, as they came it handy.  I really had to push it to stay out in front, although the numberous lights helped. 
When I got to Keney, I had to direct traffic around the loop through the park.  The came in across the ongoing exiting bike and car traffic, not good.  It as an eye opener.  Bikers are funny about stop signs, they do not use them.  However this stop sign was imparitive that you stopped.  I observed that the more experience a rider has, the more daring they become.  The touring and mountain bikers, on the whole, stopped at the stop sign and waited for oncoming traffic, but true roaders ran right through it at speed.  It was only dumb luck that anyone did not get killed.  Almost every car took the time to stop for the bikes, and were very courteous, not the roaders...:(  This goes back to an earlier post were I blast roaders for not being more friendly on the road, same mind set here.  Fast, Fast, Fast....to hell with convention.  (by the way, I am a roader, and I have to admit to doing some of these same things, from time to time). 
All in all about 33 miles in the books. 
Have not eaten all day really except for granola bars and bananas.  Not sure what I want for dinner tonight...Might just order chinese again, or something from Vitos, like pasta primavera.
Tomorrow, I will be riding again, weather permitting, but back on my Tomasso where I belong...

Getting ready for the Tour of Hartford bicycle ride tomorrow...

Tomorrow I will be a marshall for the Tour of Hartford Bicycle Ride, and needed to get my Sirrus ready for the trip.  I have not ridden this bike all summer, as it is my commuter bike.  The ride is very slow, and most likely I will be a sweaper, which means I will be going even slower.  The glass and debre on Hartford streets is amazing, so I needed to change tires.  I put on my old Gatorskins on my 36 spoke Mavic Open Pro's.  I also had to change the cog set on the Ultegra Hubs to the 8 speed used on the sirrus.  The wheels that were on there were mountain bike 29er wheel intended for any trail riding I might do this past summer, of which I did NONE.  Took the cog set off of those wheels and put them on the Open Pro's.  I did have the OP's on my Tommaso until I recently bought my Dura Ace wheels, so changing them to the sirrus was a big upgrade. 
After mounting the wheels I check and cleaned the Rear and Front D and brakes.  I had to adjust the rear D a bit, watched a Performance video online, and it was a snap to make the needed adjustment.  Tightened the rear brakes because the rim is slimmer.  The last thing I had to do was change the seat height and angle, and now I am ready to ride.  I think I will take a quick ride on the sirrus tonight to make any last minute adjust and fine tune the ride a bit, especially to the SEAT!
Look forward to the lazy pace tomorrow.  Come join us at Bushnell Park in Hartford tomorrow at 9 for the ride.

RI ride and CC Newsletter...

Well I was able to get in about 70 miles this weekend, between a pre-ride marshall training for the Tour of Hartford next weekend, to my ride with Nick in RI.  I also plan a few miles this afternoon to check my new front D that Nick bought me, a change from Ultegra 6601 SL to Dura Ace 7900.  This one change will make me much 'Faster'...maybe.  Also noticed my rear D wasn't shifting well either, so adjusted that as well.  Both still might need some tweaking.  The new wheels are rolling fantastic, and even in the wind was able to average 17.3 mph for 30 miles yesterday with Nick...FAST for me.  My AvgExHR was 138 and MaxExHR was 159, which means I was near my anaerobic threshold for the entire ride.  It was a great ride, and a good workout.  I love those flat rides.  The whole ride was less than 1000ft of climb, nice!

Not sure if is the placebo effect, but I haven't had a cigar in 5 days, and feel good.  I was worried that smoking too much was effecting my respiration during exercise, leading to premature fatigue.  I am not sure yet how this will work, but couldn't hurt.

Cycling Concepts did me the honor of putting my story in their newsletter this month, so if you haven't read it, and would like to, here is the URL:
 http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Cycling-Concepts-E-News---Sept-2010.html?soid=1102839656125&aid=DAo1bctU1Hc

Those of you who have been following "The Thinning of a Fat Man" know the story and have lived the quest!....:)
Ate too much chinese food for lunch after mowing the lawn.  Need a nap now...

Tour de Hartford - PreRide for Marshalls...40 miles slowly

Thursday evening I received an email from one of the members of our wethersfield commuting group about needing marshalls for the "Tour De Hartford" next weekend, so I decided to sign up.  I will be working the 25 mile loop starting at Bushnell park.  Very slow going with all the lights and traffic, so I will be riding my Sirrus not my Tommaso.  I did ride my Tommaso today, and it's like riding a thoroughbred horse on a roundup.  The last part of our ride went through Keney park and down past Clark Elementary School in the north end where I taught during the 90's.  The area has changed quite a lot, with all new homes, no tenaments.  Most are two family dwellings and beautiful streets.  Much has changed.  We then took the river path from north to south and back up to Main St.  I left the group there and road back home via Maple Ave.  The whole trip was about 40 miles at around 11 mph or so.  A perfect pace for my Sirrus.  I think I will put on my old Open Pro's with Gatorskins for the ride next week, just to be sure.
I am starving as I did not have breakfast, and 3000 KCals are calling my name....Eat ME!

Bonk goes the weezle...

Road in Glastonbury with CC last night on my new Dura Ace 7850 wheels and "Bonk" I went.   Not because of the wheels though.  They were extremely smooth and quiet.  The spin up incredibly fast and require little effort to maintain speed, which will be a great thing on longer rides in less hilly torain.  The Glastonbury ride is extremely hilly, and everyone knows how much I LOVE HILLS.  Not to make excuses, but more to figure out why, and how to prevent it again, I reflect on the causes:
1. Extremely HOT and HUMID
2. Working after a long summer off
3. Mold spores were out in force, as I am allergic to mold and it effects my lung capacity.
4. Did not sleep well the night before and was up at 2:00 am after going to bed early.
5.  Smoking cigars on my way home before the ride.

Let's look at what I can effect:
1.  I cannot change the weather, so this is out.
2. Cannot stop working as biking costs big bucks.
3. Could take some medication to curb this prior to riding, but had to take pill and put chemicals in my body.
4.  Force myself to go back to bed
5.  Stop smoking prior to rides and keep it to once or twice a week.

So proper rest, and curbing my cigar smoking may help, but sometimes you just BONK.