Uneasy feeling

So it was supposed to be an epic ride. Turned out around 130 miles. Leaving from Ken's house, I felt really good (besides carrying way more weight than Ken which is never a good idea) but unfortunately it did not take long before I started feeling very uneasy about our ride. We were supposed to ride to Winona and back. Down the WI side and up the MN side. Before we made it out of the metro, Ken had to fix 2 flats. We found new tubes but I don't think that had anything to do with my "sense" of how the ride was going.

We were having a good time. That was the weirdest thing. I had plenty of food, clothing, and more than I need for a ride like this. But that nagging feeling stayed with me. The rain was so slight it was barely noticeable. The skies cleared as we left Prescott and it was a beautiful evening. I could not shake the thought of something being wrong. So after a debate at the first bridge crossing, we decided to head in the direction of home. We could still wander.

We stopped and had some food and a pitcher of beer. Everything that had happened so far is the description of the perfect ride. Now that we were on the way home, I was starting to feel a little better. Which gave way to my physically feeling worse. I have a difficult time riding overnight. I have done this several times and each time, I dress a little differently and think one of these days, I'll get this right. It's just me. I freeze at night. No matter what I wear, or how warm it is, I get super cold. Not fun to ride like that.

I also tend to generate an upset stomach after 75 miles or so. This usually lasts until somewhere around mile 100. I am getting better at controlling this, but it still stinks. All this started to make me think about whether I am cut out for this long distance riding thing. I ride because I enjoy being on the bike. But I can't decide if it's fun to ride with the patches of discomfort I encounter during these rides. The weird thing is that after I am home, I will start contemplating another one.

So I think I figured out the uneasy feeling. My pastor retired on Sunday. I had been unable to go to his retirement reception, or even last Sunday's service. This was the last chance to hear him preach and say thank you and goodbye. It bothered me more than I thought it would to miss that. By changing our route and coming mostly directly home, I had time to shower and catch a small nap before going to church.

Thank you and goodbye.

A road to ourselves

Carrie and I worked a shift for our church at the car show this evening. After cleaning up, we left around 9 pm. I was thinking we should avoid the parking lot that was Snelling Ave (for any who aren't in the know, Snelling Ave is a 4 lane divided 45mph road), but the idea of passing all those cars was too much. We cruised up the on ramp and started passing the lineup. I was wishing I had ridden something narrower than my Albatross bar, when I noticed all the cars were being directed off of Snelling. I asked the officer if the sidewalk was closed and he said, "go right ahead". So we rode from Energy Park Drive to Thomas, without a single car on Snelling Ave!!

It was one of the most amazing bike rides I have ever been on.

Guests Abound

Another weekend, another house guest. It has been commented that some hotels don't have as many guests as we do. I don't know how accurate that is, but we do have quite a few people stay over. One of Carrie's college friends came to stay with us for a couple days this weekend. It is one of the great things about having a house with space. It does, however, mean a little more work and inevitably time away from things that should get done. We now have a couple weeks respite from guests before my sister comes at the first of July.

I am starting preparations for my Winona trip. I have to create a route and do a little coordination with people. I also would like to have a different bike ready. Currently, there are half the parts in a box, and some that I don't even have. I feel like I am at just the right place as far as being ready is concerned. I would hate to be set too far in advance.

We had a nice slow ride yesterday. The weather was about as nice as can be. Unfortunately, there were only two of us that rode from the shop. We headed to the Grand Ole Creamery for some pre-dinner dessert. Then over to Sweeney's to give them their yearly shot at being an acceptable bar (their patio is sooo nice!). I was pleasantly surprised with them. Then a lovely ride home. Fabulous Sunday!!

Workin Weekend

I worked mechanical support for the MS 150 this past weekend. I have a little different take on it as my wife has been going with me for a few years to help out on both the 150 and TRAM. It always reminds me of how fortunate I am that we can, and like, to work together. She is not into bikes like I am, but she gets in there and does what she can, which is quite a lot.

We had the usual flat tyres, broken spokes, squeaks and noises that are always present. I did have one repair that was interesting. A rider had snapped his derailleur hanger off right across the dropout. The chain was twisted, I'm pretty sure the derailleur cage was bent, but surprisingly, his wheel was in good shape. I ended up using a Look cleat washer under his quick release nut, and using it to clamp the two pieces of hanger together. Put everything back together and gently test rode it. It was fine when cranking on the pedals, and it even shifted a couple gears. The only thing I did wrong was not getting his contact info, so I don't know if it held for the remaining 24 miles he had to ride. I ordered up an emergency hanger this week.

I also had my parents in town for a few days. It was really nice for them to come out, as they don't get out this way much. We had some nice dinners, did some shopping they don't have access to, and just hung out. A nice way to finish off the long weekend.

A big downer was the news of my stepfather's detection of Lymphoma. It seems to be early stage, but it still is scary. There is definitely a difference in the air, and people's moods are a little different now. A hard thing to have to deal with. Always reminds you to make sure you live your life on your terms while you can.

Catch up to June

Been busy trying to cram a bunch of stuff into a short time. I always have a number of bike projects going on with my own fleet, one of them being to be able to ride all the bikes I own at least once to work during the month of July. That's coming up fast. I also have taken on a couple of projects for some family and friends. I love doing this, but I always have the deadline looming in my head. People say they are not in a hurry and I hope they mean it for these bikes because they are taking way longer than I think they should. One of them is for my mom. She lives in a very small town, and she doesn't have a bike (I don't know how she has gone this long). I am painting it John Deere green and with a brush for the first time. If it turns out good, I might throw up a pic.

I haven't been doing a lot of extra riding and it sure showed on Sat. My good friend Ken and I headed out EARLY Sat. morning. It was absolutely gorgeous. Saw the sun come up. Picked up some cheese. Had a great time. I just seem to hit a slump around 75 miles and it usually lasts until mile 100. That's a long time to be miserable. I try to be as pleasant as possible when I am with someone and try not to slow them down too much. It's good to ride with stronger riders than yourself. Hopefully it gives you something to aim for.

So now with a back-to-back century ride looming at the end of the month, I am needing to keep my weekly mileage up to make it as easy as possible. I am looking forward to it as it is part of a change of my normal riding season. I am trying to do more social riding (that is, ride with people) than I have in years past. I got away from this and I think has kept me from riding as much as I used to. I still like riding on my own. This year I have been reminded that finding people to ride with, can be extremely rewarding.

Mtn Biking Again

After what felt like a long week of having my brother-in-law stay with us for a few days. And then my cousin for a night, I enjoyed a couple of very nice days.

Saturday morning Carrie and I had a nice breakfast at Keys Cafe. We talked about how the day was to play out and my eating habits. Off to Linders for some plants for the backyard. That place really is something. I am not a gardener at all. I am the grunt of the household when it comes to that. Tell me exactly what to do, and that is all I have the talent for. We then swung around and stopped at Sibley Bike Depot. It is amazing that they have a replica of my basement on a larger scale. It is a wonderful place and I am trying to arrange my schedule so I can volunteer there on a regular basis. We then spent most of the afternoon preparing some of our yard for the plants we purchased.

Saturday evening we went to a graduation party for one of our broomball players. It was quite enjoyable as I met a couple of people who partake in events of similar interest as myself. I am usually not much of a socializer in the party environment, but I felt good about my interaction with people.

Sunday Ken and I went down to Lebenon Hills for some early morning riding. It felt really good to be back riding off road. I didn't have time to put my 1X1 together so I ended up riding my old Bridgestone XO-2 that I converted into a mountainish type ride. As I haven't been mtn biking for a while, I was thinking early on about the notion that if you don't crash, you're not riding hard enough. Sometimes I shouldn't listen to myself. I caught my shoulder on a tree during a descent and tore a little off my shoulder. I have a good knot on my knee also. This is what I miss about mtn biking?

We had dinner with some of my family Sunday night and tried out Dave's hookah that I gave him for Christmas. It was exquisite. It took us a while to make sure everything worked properly, but once going, is very smooth and tasty. We built a fire and sat around passing the pipe in their back yard. A great way to finish off the weekend.

Officially Old

There are several reasons why I call myself old. Most of them have to do with my general day-to-day activities. My wife and I had spent Sunday afternoon in the back yard trying to prepare it for the spring planting. We cleaned up, ate a little dinner and I sat down to call my mom. She chatted with me for a minute and then mentioned the party she was having. That ended the conversation right there. I was dissed by my mom. I am putting up clothes lines and pulling weeds. She's playing. I am old.

I am building up a bike for a friend. I really like doing this kind of stuff as it makes me think about my fleet and all the repairs and upgrades I should be doing. I have started a written list to make sure that things get done this year. I am very close on a number of bike projects. I unfortunately have the habit of being distracted quite easily. I am hoping if I have the list, start in on one bike and go all the way through it to the finish before moving on to the next, that I will have all the bikes ready by July.

The bike shop folk have made a pledge that during the month of July, we have to make sure to ride each bike we own to the shop once, and we cannot ride the same bike to work two days in a row. I am out of town for a week during July so it makes it difficult to have enough days to ride all my bikes. I may have to ride up there on a day off or two.

We have some company coming into town this weekend. Just to make sure I don't feel as if I have everything under control, I add extra house cleaning to the list. Maybe I will shave the cats to keep things a little nicer.

Would an old person consider shaving his cats?

This one is.