Checking in

Just checking in on the cycling front...no, I have not been on any rides since the last post here. First we had the giant wind storms and then for the first time in over a year I got slammed with a nasty head cold that I am still dealing with as I write this.

Although November is upon us I have still not given up on the outdoor season. The Madone remains at the ready and the trainer is still buried in the basement. I figure there will be at least a few more cold-weather rides yet this season.

When the bike is put away for winter that is when the trainer comes out. But before that time it's my true off-season of eating, another favorite past time. From Thanksgiving through New Year's there is very little riding and a whole lot of eating going on. Then I start heading down the road to getting in shape after the new year arrives.





 

Bare legs

If I were a  betting man I would have lost this one. I would have thought my days of riding with bare legs this season were over. Yet there I was today with bare legs battling the west wind. I was able to get 25 miles in and for once seemed to hit the best part of the day.


Sun, as I have said a hundred times here, makes all the difference in the world to me. Mid-morning as I did some errands it was cloudy and windy and not all that warm outside.


But by the time I got home the sun was out and the temp was up to just over 60. I changed in a hurry as soon as I got home and hit the road heading south to avoid most of the gusting wind.


Clouds have returned as I type this up, but it is still warm enough to be sitting out on the screen porch. Nice!


Despite the fact that I did an extended lap in Whitnall, I have yet to see any deer this week. Usually that's a given in there this time of year.


And I got my new sunglasses back today, the ones I use for riding. They took the polarization out of them. It was cutting too much vision for me on the bike and making the reading of my computer readout difficult at times. Today things looked much better.


Another sign that the first snow flakes won't be far off...
County workers today stacking up picnic benches in the parkway.

Season Miles: 2,729

Winds of change

It is without a doubt one of most sure signs that the end of my outdoor riding season draws near. And at some point over a 24-hour span it happened.


On Monday as I rode past the classic Milwaukee bubbler in Greenfield Park I stopped to take a photo, preparing myself for the inevitable change that would be coming. But little did I know that 24 hours later the change had been made. Good thing I took THIS photo Monday...

There she is in all her glory. I believe they sell T-shirts with a picture like this on them. 


It doesn't get any more classic bubbler than this bad boy.


But by Tuesday's ride to my surprise there it was...


What was once a bubbler for the glorious months of summer had now turned into THIS...

...nothing more than a useless pipe with a snow marker attached to it. That's right, winter now can not be far behind in my book.


As soon as the old bubbler goes from water to red and white stick the end of the riding season is near.


Now, all the snot today from the cold wind (and where was the sun again during this short 20-miles today) might have been a pretty good hint that winter is nearing as well.


Today I rode on the New Berlin Trail just out to Springdale and back. By the time I got there I was sick and tired of hearing the west wind whistling in my ears so I turned around and headed home.


I've taken a new approach on snot as well. Fascinating, I know. Rather than a messy farmer blow or the constant wipe with my gloved hands I have taken to inhaling all of it into my throat and just spitting it out. Seemed to work for me today.


Another new twist as well...
I added a little apple cider to top off my usual mix in a water bottle. It was a nice taste of fall on the ride.

Season Miles: 2,704

The car always wins

Odd little ride today. I headed out on what was a promising, sunny and just a little cool autumn afternoon. About 5-6 miles into this thing black clouds took over and it looked more like November out there as I headed into Whitnall Park. Yes, the road from the parkway is still out! Detour time to get to Botanical gardens. Why in the hell it takes months for a small road to be repaired is beyond me.


Anyway, the car does always win. I did a lap up barn Hill and circled around to head out of the park...too cold and damp and dank to go much more than the 26 miles I did.


But at 92nd I saw what I thought was the car of a former boss of mine, one of the good ones actually!


I did a U-turn and gave chase for some reason. Game on. Now somewhere deep down inside I knew this move was as stupid as when my dog Gabby tries to chase a squirrel up a tree. The squirrel can climb..."You'll never get the squirrel," I tell her on our walks. Well you never get the car either, not when you are the one on the bike.


But I gave chase and kept him in my sights for a couple of blocks. That all ended in a hurry when his car disappeared up a steep hill near the Wehr Nature Center. I was dropped and headed back to my usual route home.


26 miles in books with no shortage of snot to show for it. It's a start to a week I hope will see me out there several days.


Season Miles: 2,684

Duty called

As it turned out, Sunday was a pretty darned nice autumn day for around these parts. I am sure many of my fellow riders made the right choice today and hit the road for some exercise. I on the other hand made the wrong choice. I stayed inside to watch the Green Bay Packers lose in OT for the second week in a row.

Now, in my defense to some degree, it was in fact duty calling. Come Monday morning I have to record a Pack Yak segment for my internet talk show the PhilCast. So in a way I was working, obligated to know what I am talking about when I break down the game on the show.

By 3:30 I guess I could have jumped on a bike to ride for at least a little bit while it was still light out there. But no, being the NFL geek I am I wanted to also watch the double-header game featuring Brett Favre and Vikings against Tony Romo and the Cowboys.

I am somewhat conflicted at this time of year because my beloved NFL is on, while my thirst for riding has pretty much been quenched for the season. When the temp is low and the clouds are heavy it is a no-brainer for me not to ride. But I feel bad on days like today when it seems like I let good weather slip away from me just like the Packers let that game slip away from them.

Krunchers

I don't eat much junk food at all, especially during riding season. But if there is one snack that I go crazy over it's these...Sweet Hawaiian Krunchers.

There was about a half-full bag of these bad boys in our kitchen, a leftover from a weekend party. I knew they were there just calling my name last night when I sat down to watch good old Brett Favre and the Vikings on Monday Night Football.


Two bottles of water later I had finished every last crumb in that bag. 


I'm not sure what it is about these things but I literally just can not stop eating them. Good thing they aren't around the house much.


But these chips fueled my desire to get out on the bike today to at least burn off a few of the calories I packed on last night before bed.


A more-rare east wind was blowing off Lake Michigan today, so despite the sunshine and mild temps I probably could have worn arm warmers today. It was a bit chilly at times.


I rode out to Waukesha and back on the New Berlin trail, not having any sort of big effort in me today. 23 miles and a hot shower and I'm set for a while now.


I have to tape a TV show with Tim Cuprisin on Wednesday. I have to go meet the carpet cleaners in the afternoon on Thursday. And I head out on Friday for a weekend getaway to celebrate my wife's birthday. Bottom line--not riding for a while again as the season winds down.

Season Miles: 2,658

Barn art

What a beautiful weekend!
With a ton of work and a great summer-like BBQ in the books on Saturday, I finished up a few jobs at the lake house Sunday and then took a short ride to a nearby barn which was taking place in a studio art tour today.

Sandy on her Bianchi and me on the Klein for a final time together out on country roads. When we got there we ditched the bikes in some trees and walked around inside to view the work of some local artists.

Just six miles total and then it was back at the lake house to see the depressing finale for the Packers. I'm sure glad I didn't waste an entire afternoon inside watching that loss!


Season Miles: 2,635

Five for five

Mission accomplished. Mini goal met. Today I rode for the fifth straight day, knowing in my heart that I was able to take full advantage of the freakishly-nice autumn weather.

It was warmer and more windy today than the others, but so what on the wind! That sky. Those colors.

Well I figured I better take a picture of a tree today with that brilliant blue sky background. It may never look that nice again until next June! November rides usually have some of the ugliest sky conditions of all. Not today though...what a drop-dead beautiful day. 

I climbed up my old friend "Barn Hill" while doing a lap in Whitnall Park today. No time for more because I had to pack up for the weekend.

But I felt good today out there, my legs much more fresh than Thursday. I also feel good about the fact that I was able to get on the bike for the five days in a row I was going for.

Next up, perhaps a nice slow ride with Sandy out in the country on Sunday. Then it will be time to bring the backup bike, the Klein, home from the lake house and into my basement where it will wait to be called into action in spring when the roads are still messy. Before you know it it will be time to inflate the tires on the old Trek on the trainer for indoor workouts after the calendar clicks over to 2011. But that can wait. I've got plenty of time to still enjoy riding outside in 2010.

Season Miles: 2,629

Surprisingly emotional ride

One of the great things about the sport of cycling is the fact that on any given day you never quite know what adventure is just waiting for you down the road as you roll out of the driveway.

Today I had good intentions, to ride to Wales and back, putting on a few more miles than the three previous days as I work to make my goal of riding five days in a row this week.

I struggled into a west wind early. For much of the first five or six miles all I could think about was when I would turn around and cut this short. My legs were heavy from Wednesday's climbing. The wind made it seem more chilly than yesterday despite warm sunshine on my face.

I took a picture to inform those of you who ride the New Berlin Trail that the construction is making progress and soon we'll have our smooth crossing at Calhoun Road. 

I joked with one of the workers who gave me some grief, teasing me about the path being closed. Of course it wasn't, but I decided this would make a good turning point. There was no way I felt like riding into that west wind all the way to Wales today.

And so I headed back the same way I came, feeling a little disappointed in myself for not doing more out there on such a nice day. Unsure of what was to come next, I glanced at Highland Park Cemetery on my left, a place I have ridden past many times on this and other routes. It is the place where my grandparents, who raised me, are buried. I had not been there in years.

For some reason I stopped on the path and cut across the grass to get to the cemetery. Slowly I rode around trying to remember exactly where my grandparents' plot was. Several times I thought I had found it, walking my bike over plot after plot searching. But alas the more I tried the more lost I became.

Not one to give up easily, I rode to the office and asked a lady to look it up for me. She obliged and handed me a map. Those of you who know me know handing me a map is like handing a blind man the keys to a car. Even with the map it took me several more spins around the place, both on and off the bike, as my search continued.

At one point the sound of a nearby train horn cut through the crisp autumn air. Significant because at that moment I was awaiting one of those spine-tingling incidents when the dead reach out to communicate with you. You see, I remember my grandma once telling me that she loved the sound of a train because it made her think about just getting on board and being swept away to some far away and exotic place. To this day I think of her when I hear a train horn. 

Too bad there was no magical moment. I looked around while I listened to the train and saw Johnstons, Weelars, Millers...but no grandma and grandpa yet. Perhaps that stuff only happens in Hollywood.

Finally I put two and two together on the map and found their section. And yes, I finally found where they are buried. I laid my Madone down on their grave and cleared away some of the overgrown grass from the marker.

 

For some reason it felt right to put my bottle down there too for the picture. My grandpa would get a kick out of my riding now. I can still see him sitting on the front porch of our house in West Allis, his feet up on the railing and a cool drink on the table as he waited for me to come back from a run. He always thought my running was such a waste of energy. "Why don't you use some of that energy to cut the grass," he'd say. But deep down I know he understood my training. It used to drive me crazy when I would come back from a hard three-mile effort and he'd look at his watch and say, "about 20 minutes on that one."

Well, ask any runner who is doing a timed three miles and ABOUT anything is a four-letter word. Didn't he understand that fractions of seconds meant the world to me?

As I stood there looking silly I suppose in my funny shoes and spandex, I remembered that somewhere down there is a gold watch. Nothing fancy mind you, just a Timex that I had given him for Father's Day. You would have thought I gave him a Rolex the way he smiled and put it on that day.

He died five days later.

Sometimes in the rat race that is our day-to-day lives we forget things we should never forget. Today I remembered.

Season Miles: 2,604

Just Farting Around

Day 3: Due to a little later start than I wanted and just enough of a west wind to make things interesting, I canned my idea of riding west all the way to Wales today in favor of a climbing workout. So it was 30 miles with no shortage of all types of climbs on my Minooka Dog Park route today.

The title of this post goes to something I saw on a cool old truck for sale, just sitting in the leaves waiting to be restored by someone.

And the writing on the door reads...

I love it. "Just Farting Around"
I must admit that going into the wind on the way out today, combined with the climbing on Guthrie, Beeheim and others drained my legs pretty quick today. I ride up to the dog park even though it is a dead-end up there because I want to include that long climb to the park. It hurts as you keep going up and then right at the end it spikes up short and steep, stinging your legs with each stroke. Once up there the view is quite nice, with dogs and owners all having a good time.

Now, coming back you can approach the long, slightly downhill but mostly flat section of the New Berlin trail east from Calhoun to Greenfield Park in one of two ways. If you are tired after a long hard ride then this can be a chance to simply mail it in and enjoy yourself during recovery.


If on the other hand you are doing a shorter route like I was today, well then you grab a big gear and use all that tailwind to your advantage as you crank out some hot pace in there. That's what I did today. These are great little practice sessions that teach your body how to make that kind of higher effort for a stretch. You never know when you might need that in a group ride some day. Just push yourself to ride at a pace that is above your normal tempo. Breathing is tough. Legs start barking. You could sit up and take it easier but you do not. You stay in the drops pumping it out crank by crank all the way.


It feels good when you're done with a little run like that too.


Maybe Thursday I'll get to Wales and back.

Detour leads to a dead end

Day Two: The quest to ride five days in a row took me into some new territory today due to construction. My routes heading south are messed up because the Root River Parkway road approaching Whitnall Park is still out.

Today I thought I would try to wind my way around it to get down to Franklin because when they said...

...they meant it!

So I took 92nd rather than head into the park at that point. This route takes you past the Whitnall golf course and also the archery range (should I have been worried around there)? It was pretty, with no shortage of leaves starting their autumn dance into full color. It was still a little nippy into the wind in the shade, but nice and mild in the sun with a slight tailwind.


Eventually I was spit out into a residential area with some really nice houses. Of course these type roads almost always end up with me at a dead-end cul-du-sac, which was the case today.


I made my way back and into the park for a lap up "Barn Hill", drafting a school bus up the climb!

At first it was fun. Then the bus dropped me about half way up the hill. I decided to head back, sort of pacing myself and my legs for riding every day this week if I can. 25 miles Monday and 30 miles Tuesday and that felt just about right for today.


I think I'll change things up and head west on Wednesday. An appointment came up, but it should not stop me from hitting the road by early afternoon, and it is supposed to be a little warmer on Wednesday too.


That's just fine with this cold-weather weenie.


Season: 2,557 miles

Setting mini goals

Could those who forecast the weather for a living actually be right this time around? I hope so. They're saying sunshine all week long, with each day a little bit warmer than the previous one. 

Looking at my schedule it seems like perhaps I could ride each day this week, Monday through Friday if this forecast holds. So I set a little goal for myself. We'll see if I can pull it off. A ride for five days a week at this time of year would be sweet.

I feel like I have really been drifting from riding here at the end of the season, and the eating season seems to have begun early. The eating season begins at Thanksgiving and runs through the start of the new year. As for October, it's still time to ride my friends.

I wanted to see if the Root River Parkway road was still out heading into Whitnall Park. It is. So I headed into the park via 84th/Gardenway and did a lap up Barn Hill before heading back.

The snotty nose is a constant reminder that indeed, fall is in the air. I simply spun and took it easy today, trying to just ease back into it.

Afterward my tri-athlete bud Rich had left a Park Tool at my place, which I needed to tighten up my second bottle cage on the Madone. I'm thinking I'll need it as the week wears on the rides grow longer.

Little goals help to motivate.
Check back to see if I can get a ride in M-F this week.

Season: 2,527 miles

A new season, a new blog

The winds of change were certainly in the air on the bike on Saturday. The north wind nipping at my face reminded me that this riding season is slowly coming to an end.

But fall can be a short but spectacular time to ride. And I feel like turning a page now, a page to this new blog.

I have been reading about the adventures of Team Radio Shack's Matthew Busche of Wauwatosa, now concluding his first season with the pros in Europe.
I notice that he and most other pros who blog about training do not get hung up on all the stats that we rec riders seem to.

So this blog is going to be more about the ride and the experience and the stories that go along with each adventure as opposed to how many miles or how fast (or in my case slow) I went.

I know some of my readers follow along with my seasonal miles total to somewhat pace themselves compared to what I am doing on the bike. So with that in mind I guess I will try to end each post-ride post with a few numbers, including the season total for miles.

I think people like pictures too, so I will try to include more of them in the posts.

And in the off-season I'll still post cycling story links here along with the rap on those dull trainer sessions too.

Saturday's ride was out to Waukesha and back...just 22 miles.

Season: 2,502 miles