The Boss'

• Distance: 26 miles
• Average Speed: N/A

Last night I was able to put in 26 miles with the MOB group from Providence CRC. I can’t say that it started out particularly well. There was actually a point, just 4 or 5 miles into the ride, that I was considering stopping. I just wanted to head back to the church and pack it in. I felt like I had to push so hard, just to keep up. Marc, one of the ride leaders who was kind enough to hang out with me at the back of the pack, kept me going. He gave me many good tips, and just generally kept an eye on me. I felt better at the end of the ride than I did at the beginning.

Miles are miles, at this point, and I need to put in as many miles as possible.

I just picked up a new book from the library. Well, a new very old book, actually. Sailing Alone Around the World, by Joshua Slocum, is a book that I’ve been meaning to read for some time. This is from the introduction…

Both the voyage and the book were the work of a failed shipmaster in late middle age. Deprived of his occupation by the disastrous outcome of his last voyage and the approaching extinction of the sailing ship as a vehicle of commerce, Slocum accepted a friends’s offer of an antique sloop named the Spray, beached and derelict like himself, as the only means left to him of salvaging his life. As he slowly rebuilt the Spray, timber by timber and plank by plank, he envisioned earning a modest and conventional living by her in the coastal fishery. Once launched, however, the sloop came to be the repository of a preposterous idea.

Depending on the writing style, I may decide to read it aloud with Ben. We’re working on The Silver Chair from the Narnia series right now, but I could see him liking this one too. What boy wouldn’t?

No map this week, just the bare facts.

• Distance: 20 miles
• Average Speed: N/A

Saturday I took off early for a training ride while the temps were still bearable. From my home base in Bentheim, I headed east on 140th to 30th, then south to 138th. I made my way to Sandy Pines resort and rode around Lake Monterey. (My family had a camper there for the first 17 years of my life, so it was neat to see how much the place had changed, and how much remained the same) I headed back west on 136th to 38th, then grunted up the hill toward home. When I mapped it this morning, I found I had only gone about 20 miles. It felt like more than that. That’s not a good thing. I was happy, however, to see that I’d put in a good 75 miles last week. I just need to work on my ability to put in more miles at one time.

The deets:

• Distance: 25 miles
• Average Speed: 14.4MPH 

Tuesday evening I had the opportunity to ride with a group from Providence CRC named the MOB (short for Men On Bikes) It proved to be a great ride. The route was really good, and before we set out they let me talk a little bit about my JDRF ride and tell Ben’s story. It was a great chance to raise awareness of what the JDRF is doing, and to let people know what life is like for a child with diabetes.

This was my first group ride, and I can tell you that it was a much different experience when compared to riding alone. I pushed myself much harder than I would have if I had been by myself, just to minimize embarrassment, I suppose. The group really spread out, with the faster riders checking out early. It was a good thing I got to hand out flyers at the beginning, because I never saw that fast group again! I ended up riding with 3 other guys, and I had all I could do to keep up with them. They were kind enough to wait for me a couple of times, which I really appreciated.

I have to keep things in perspective, because this is only my fourth ride since I started training, but I have to say that I feel really slow. Perhaps some more seasoned cyclists can share what their average speed was during their first season on the bike. 

A big thank you to the MOB from Providence. I appreciate them letting me tag along. If my schedule allows, I’ll be joining you for more Tuesday night rides in the future.

Bentheim to the beach

Saturday morning I took what amounts to my longest JDRF training ride to date. A cool 30 miles. The weather was absolutely perfect, and I felt pretty good out and back. I took 140th due west out of Bentheim till I came to the end of the road at 66th, just east of the Lake Michigan shoreline. Notes:

• The gear definitely makes a difference. As much as I hate to admit it, the new bike shorts and jersey were very comfortable. My butt was very thankful. The gloves also made a huge difference. Next item to buy is a new helmet…but then the purchasing has to stop!
• When I stopped after 15 miles to eat a granola bar, I was surprised to find that I could not manipulate my fingers. Lack of blood to my extremities or something. I was barely able to wrestle the chocolate peanut butter goodness out of my bike bag. (Note to self: Do not try to manipulate your cell phone while at the same time commenting that you have no feeling in your hands… you will drop it)

I got a short ride in on Saturday morning. I decided just to ride for 1 hour. I still felt a little tired from my first ride just a few days earlier. I kept an eye on the time using the clock on my cell phone, and turned around after about 30 minutes. When I calculated my mileage this morning online, I found I only went about 13 miles. Obviously, that means I was only going about 13 miles per hour. That sounds slow to me, but I’m just starting out so I’m trying to stay optimistic.