Bicycling Day

Dirty Century #8 for the year.

I got behind this road grader for awhile. I ended up taking a path through a field. 30 minutes later I ran into him again.

This was strange, just before I got to this downed tree, a man stopped me. He had his young son hooked to his bicycle with a "third wheel" He said somebody just tried to drop this tree on him. It fell right in front of him, and somebody ran into the woods. He was in the process of phoning the cops.

I lost my cycling computer carrying my bike through this mess. I couldn't find it after looking for awhile. Next one I am going to tape secure. I have popped it off before in the brush but was always able to find.

These are the jumps my son dislocated his shoulder on last week riding motorcross bikes. Last year he broke a bone in his foot. I think he should go bicycle. Don't you?

I am outta of here.

Headed west/southwest. I have the day to do such. I have the bike to do such. The road ahead awaits me.
lata
Dave

Good Grief

I thought the weather radio guy said 64 and partly cloudy. Bikers dress very specifically based on weather conditions. So I dressed 64 degrees, shorts, Jersey, low socks, helmet, biking gloves. I started out cold, it was windy and after 10 miles a icy cold rain started. I got sopped and cold. Turned out it was 52 degrees, windy, and rainy. Oh well still enjoyed. I am going to give the legs a rest tomorrow, psychologically I don't want to. However I can tell by how the legs feel it would be best. Then Wednesday I hope to get in a 6 hour trail ride. Yeap, that'll be sweet.
over and out
Dave

Grandson on the way.

Here is my darling daughter Melissa. Her and her husband Brook are going to be parents soon. My GRANDSON!!. Yeap.
They are causing me to worry. First she started having contractions about 12 weeks early. Now she has developed gestational diabetes. Melissa is on insulin now to keep things under control. Due date is June 15th ultrasounds look good. Yahoo Melissa.
Dad












Don't know if I am going to get out and ride today, thunder storms are looking wicked out there. Will have to do indoor trainer if I don't get out, I day off work is not a day to miss riding something.

Well I did head out door in the rain for a ride. But.......Flat tire put an end to my ride. No repair spare on board. Walked about a mile home in my spd bicycle shoes. Click, click, click. Needed more. Rode the rollers.

My dad riding a bike

He thinks he is so smart.

Riding on Dirt

Dirt metric century #7 today for the year. Spring is straining to pop out, green is showing.

This is the path that leads out of town to the trail.

Smokey the bear says only you can prevent forest fires, this section was burned out between two roads.

And here is lil Kayle in front of my house when I got home, in training for the "Tour"

Coffee, work, more coffee, bike riding, eat, sleep.

The last 3 days my schedule has been as follows, coffee, work, coffee, bike riding, eat sleep. Tomorrow my schedule is as follows, coffee, bike riding, bike riding, bike riding, and then some bike riding. Yeap I have the day off, Trek XO2 is checked out, oiled and ready to rock and roll. Will ride out Heritage trail and do 100K in the dirt #7 in 2009.
I will see you later,
Dave

Chill'n

Been riding pavement, chill'n with my lady, drinking brewskies, catching live music yesterday and today. Yesterday was the LoveMonkeys, at the Mississippi Moon Bar . Catch them, they rock your socks off. Tonight is the Wild Animals, you will never hear more hard lovable rock from two guys, like you will from these two. Catch them.
Gotta go,
Dave

Dirt Century #6

Only the Shadow Knows

Keep going legs, we got a long way to go yet.

Gravel goodness.

My bike tried to take me to church.

Cemetery on a gravel road

Rode dirt century #6 for the year today. Cup O Dirt conquest. Used heart monitor which helped push the pace. When my mind would start to wander and pace would slow down my heart monitor told me. So I would increase the effort, get the pace up.

I'm outta of here

The Plan today is to ride bicycle. I have off work today, the sun is shining, the trail awaits. I will use heart rate monitor today, I want to keep the pace up. 100K (62 miles) is the length.

Rehydration process.

I have been pushing the pace lately and recovering fairly well. I figured I would not ride today and call it recovery after yesterdays 5 hour ride. However, wasn't to be. I felt good, so did my legs and so did today's ride. So I figure I owe the good recoveries to my re hydration process of utilizing Barley Pop. Notice the picture, at Hy-vee you can mix up your 6 pack. Also pay particular attention that all bottles are empty. So here is the process. After a hard ride drink plenty of these, eat well, rest well, and ride again. :-)

100K on the dirt

I am so busted. Yeap, I was doping, stopped in Dyersville and picked up a quart of water and a 5 hour energy drink.

This cow and calf was very eerie. I don't know what happened. But as you can see mother cow with head trauma is laying dead on top of her mutilated calf on the side of the road. Strange. I think it was the work of a chupachara.

Rode hard today. A faster, much younger, in better shape rider passed me on the trail. So I pushed to keep him in sight, which gave me a good work out. I was riding a Trek XO2 and he had a Trek XO1. He went through the creek at the two downed bridges and I took the gravel road which let me pass him again. He passed me again and I lost him close to the end of the ride. So who ever you were, thanks dude for the good work out.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow

Well, I rode pavement the last couple of days. When I ride the road bike the day after spending hours on dirt and gravel with knobby tires makes the ride feel fast. Fast rides make more fun. I was planning on taking a day off riding after Wendnesday's ride, but haven't yet. Now I'm thinking tomorrow with a day off work to ride another dirt 100K. It seems that to ride a bike the better part of the day, makes the mind happy. As Jill said in her blog "There's just this thing about me ... I can't really explain it ... I just really like riding my bike." Check her blog out, Check her book out. She says it well.

Dirt Century #4 a.k.a. Playing in the dirt

Lots of shades of brown, soon to be all green.

Blue sky, miles of gravel, good time.

I have to carry bike over this rubble, I ponder the risk. The debris on the bottom moves around due to most of it is floating. So when I walk across it in slippery bicycle shoes/cleats I about go on my (_!_).

Ok here's the plan.

Well,,,my plan is to get on my bicycle shortly and head out to country roads and not stop till I have 62 miles in (100K). WHY? I ask myself, why would this 56 year old, over weight carcass with multiple knee surgeries, a back fusion with yard and house work needing to be done spend his day doing such. I guess the simple answer is, because I enjoy doing so. That has been my pattern my whole life, from competitive power lifting until the back said n0 more, competitive running until my knee said no more, long distance swimming clubs that I will do again. So that being said, I go play.

Here is something George Sheehan said, I highly recommend his book "Running and Being"

"Fitness has to be fun. If it is not play, there will be no fitness. Play, you see, is the process. Fitness is merely the product."

Today and Tomorrow

Went riding around tonight after work, didn't push the pace because.........................I took tomorrow off, I still have unused vacation from last year. But what I was going to say is I want to do Dirty Century #4 Tomorrow for the quest for the "CUP O DIRT" I want to have the energy to push the pace.
Pictures are of where the Eagle Point Criterium bike race is this April 19th. One loop is one mile through Eagle Point Park.

Sunday Ride

Well the snow/sleet/ice and other stuff didn't arrive, well as of yet anyways. So I didn't have to take the old fat girl out a.k.a. Schwinn Rocket. Instead I rode my Trek XO2 perfect bike for dirt trail. Rode about 25 miles, ran into Karl headed the opposite way. Good to see another rider out there. Hopefully trail repairs will begin soon. April 23rd there will be a fund raiser.

Later, and happy rides.
Dave

Good Grief!! LQQK what is coming my way

A MIXTURE OF RAIN... SLEET AND SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVERNIGHT... CHANGING TO SLEET AND THEN SNOW BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE SLEET AND SNOW WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ALSO BE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY. LOCATIONS THAT HAVE THUNDER SNOW AND SLEET COULD SEE INTENSE SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATION RATES. SNOW AND SLEET AMOUNTS WILL BE HIGHLY VARIABLE DUE TO THE MIXED PRECIPITATION AND THE POSSIBILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS. SOME AREAS COULD SEE SLEET ACCUMULATIONS TOTALING A HALF INCH TO AN INCH WITH SNOW TOTALS OF 2 TO 6 INCHES ON TOP OF THE SLEET. NORTHEAST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH WILL MAKE FOR SOME DRIFTING AND BLOWING OF SNOW BY SUNDAY EVENING... RESULTING IN VERY LOW VISIBILITIES.

I wasn't going to ride today, after grinding out 6 hours yesterday on trail, but couldn't help myself. Needed to. Is the way it is. Needed some endorphins.
But look at tomorrow's forecast. I think I'll will get "the Schwinn Rocket" out. Studded snow tires and all. Yeehaaa
Fun, fun fun.

Good Grief!!

Dirty Century #3

Great day for a ride. Trail was in good shape, a lot faster ride then last Monday with snow, and muddy conditions. Notice the two geese. Wind is either the enemy, or friend to a bike rider. Seldom is the wind neutral or indifferent to a biker. The wind came at my back at the right time today, the last 3rd of my ride, and became my friend, I needed the boost.

In the back ground is Sundown Ski with snow not wanting to give into spring yet. Spring will win, snow will go.

I so enjoy watching the seasons change out here. Soon this will be a tunnel of green.

This is one of the bridges on Heritage Trail destroyed from last year's spring flood. There is federal money, 2.7 Million for repairs. However FEMA and or our government just seem to drag things out. First there was a hold up for review of Historical consideration for any replacement of bridges. Now there is archaeological digs that have to examine the soil spoonful by spoonful. GOOD GRIEF!!!

I want to ride my bicycle

Been biking and lifting some after work the last couple of days. Tomorrow I am off work. Sooooo.
What that means is this, I wannnna ride my bicycle. I hope to spend 7-8 hours tomorrow riding on gravel, trails, ruts, and mud. Why?? do I this. Let me quote from Buckshot's Blog.

"I NEED to bike, I want to bike. And getting out on my bike makes me want to get out on my bike even more. It's a self perpetuating cycle (haha) so to speak.I think it's starting to become more clear to me. If I want peace of mind, sanity, focus, and clarity, I need that time on the saddle. Now I just need to figure out better ways to work my biking into life and vice versa."

Well said Mr Buckshot.

Later
Dave