LIVE, from the porch!

Yes, I am writing this while back in my old summer position, on the wicker rocking chair out on the screen porch, post-ride!

I've got a space heater going and at 50-ish outside it is perfect in here for my first return to the place I so love after a ride...my little screen porch in the city.


Today being the only good weather day predicted for the week I took the REAL bike out. Yes, carbon fiber hit the wind for the first time in 2011 as I brought out the Madone. I figure all the rain Sunday washed away the road salt of winter. 30 miles-clouds-50-ish


The start was sketchy today. Here I am trying to remember all the things on the regular bike, things like how the computer works and the shifting and just getting the 'feel' of the bike back when I notice I am getting onto Root River Parkway out of habit. I don't want to be there! Duh. Let me explain...


You see there is STILL snow (or some ugly black form of it) blocking the entrance to the Oak Leaf Trail where I get on, so I had to detour around that. Seems I forgot that I had wanted to head west on the New Berlin Trail today. I knew my usual south route would end up being flooded and muddy around Wimmer Wetlands.


So I did a U-turn in the parkway and headed back to Greenfield Park where I jumped onto the NB path, which is clear and dry.


My plan was to head out on the nice flat route, avoid any climbing and just get up to almost Waukesha, where I figured the path would be flooded. I thought that would make a good turnaround point.


50 degrees and a nagging west wind in the face on the way out made it a little tough. Sunshine would have helped. NOW it comes out as I type this. The ride was all clouds.


I knew it would be fun to ride fast for the first time this season on this stretch coming home because there would be a little tailwind.


I also nailed it on my flooding prediction.


Here is a photo of exactly where I figured I would be turning around.

Now if you take a close look you will see a runner on the other side of the pond taking off his socks and shoes. As I paused for a drink he waded through the water in his bare feet.


We chatted once he got over to my side about how this same spot always seems to be  flooded after any kind of heavy rain.


I have ridden through this before, but I did not want to get the bike into it this time around. I had it in my head that this would be my halfway turning point today and after our chat that is exactly what I did.


I like going fast.
Why does going fast have to take so much effort though?! My plan was to kick the Madone into the big ring where it belongs for the stretch and try to ride hard tempo for that entire flat stretch between Springdale and Calhoun. 


Now when I say fast, that for me anyway means 20 mph, so I tried to maintain 20 mph for the run. I made it most of the time all the way,  although it should never feel as tough as it did today. Such is being out of shape in March.


But as I often post here, "I'll take it."


The forecast for the rest of the week looks horrible with highs in the 30's and lots of rain...maybe some snow mixed in. One of these days winter will actually be done and the real riding will begin.


Season Miles: 168

Rain, rain you're OK

So riders, lets hit the re-set button now that a new week is here. 

As I type this update on Sunday morning the pitter-patter (is that how you spell pitter-patter?) of a spring rain hits my windows. No this is not good outside riding weather. But it IS good for riding in a way because the streets are now finally getting washed of the winter salt and sand.

The cold from hell that hit me last week and robbed me of my chance to ride in that fantastic mild weather lingers on today. This was a nasty sick for me.

And back to the weather, winter returns by mid-week. I see the high temp for Thursday is supposed to only be 33! Snow is possible. 

However Monday should be dry and mild and my head should finally be clear enough to give a ride a try. I have been feeling very weak though, so I'll have to take it easy. But I'll try to get out there because it looks like the rest of the week will be more winter than spring.

I feel bad for all those robins that flew up here too early.

Brrr

Here's hoping that the forecast for warmer weather by mid week is correct, because it was cold out there today. Still, sunshine and 35-37 degrees with dry roads and light winds equals a ride in March.

I took the old Trek 7500FX out into Elm Grove to turn some laps today and scored eight laps out there for a total of 23 miles. I hope to get several rides in outside this week.

These temps are such that I at times find it hard to believe how much snot the human body can produce!

50+ predicted for Wednesday. I hope that's right because perhaps I could get the Madone out for the first time this season.

When I do laps like this I have a little saying I say to myself to keep track of the number of laps I have in.

-Working 1, just begun

-Working 2, more to do

-Working 3, good for me

-Working 4, gotta do more


-Working 5, feeling alive


-Working 6, getting my kicks


-Working 7, feels like heaven


-Working 8, feeling great


-Working 9, doing fine


-Working 10, do it again


-Working 11, feels like heaven


-Working 12, more on the shelf (I know, it's a stretch)


Then if you go into the teens you just need a lot of words that ride with teen.


Season Miles: 138

Madone Fever

Looking at the forecast for the coming week it looks like Wednesday could be a dandy with sunshine and 50+ on the docket. I am itching to get the 'real' bike out for the first time this season.

I am not sure it is clean enough out there on the road to have the Madone brought back into action though. I will have to play that one by ear when the time comes.

Daylight Saving Time caught me off guard this year. I had the old VCR set to record the final stage of Paris-Nice but it is set for the OLD time, meaning now I am off and I can not switch it because I am out of town. Luckily it appears that Versus is going to repeat the two hours of coverage on Monday afternoon.

I was able to watch the Saturday stage live on-line on my laptop. EPIC ending to a great stage. Brutal weather and a successful attack at the end marked by that wild 'almost crash' was some high drama. I liked the entire Paris-Nice race this year. It's great to see cycling on TV again.

False Start

March can be a very frustrating time of year.

Just when you think winter has released its cold grip and you get outside on a bike the next day it looks and feels like December again. Frustrating.

I wanted to try to get out Friday but other duties called. Saturday now and the wind is howling and the sky is ugly. No ride this weekend. No matter, again, other chores call.

The week ahead looks like a mix of dry and rain. But the good news is that the temps are at least supposed to be around 40 for much of the week. The last of the snow should be melting away from the bike paths. 

I guess we could use a good rain too, washing away all the salt, grit, sand and grime from the the roads. Even getting rid of at least SOME of all that crap would help.

Don't forget...Paris-Nice conclusion to watch this weekend...my version of March Madness...let the pro cycling season in Europe begin!

Back to Botanical

Like visiting an old friend you haven't seen in a while I ended up back on my beloved Botanical Gardens route today.

Hazy Sun/Clouds

42 degrees

24 miles

I headed out today on the heavy old Trek 7500FX just to get back-to-back rides in before the rain and snow hit. I wanted to explore how clear my route to Whitnall Park actually was. I had to detour at the start, where the path at Bluemound is still buried in snow and ice.

But once around that, the only time I had to dismount was for a bit of an ice burg under the overpass at Wimmer Wetlands. The new blacktop in Root River Parkway is such a welcome change from the potholes I battled there for years.

As I turned into Botanical Gardens I suddenly decided that in honor of today marking the first climbing of this year's Paris-Nice race that I would go ahead and climb up my old friend "Barn Hill".

When I got to the top I decided to check on someone I know who works with the Friends of Botanical. She wasn't in, so I left a message with the nice lady I was chatting with behind the desk named Diane.

Having not eaten anything all day (I know, my bad) I had stuffed two granola bars into my jersey pockets as I headed out the door. Granola bars never tasted better as I munched on them inside the garden's new building.

I must tell you that throughout the season, of the 3,000 to 4,000 miles I ride, none are more beautiful than the ones I do in spring at Botanical Gardens when the crab apples are in full bloom and your legs and mind have a freshness  about them that only comes at the start of another riding season. Soon enough the crab apples will bloom there.

But for now I was just happy to be out on those sloppy roads getting a taste of being back outside once again.

Season Miles: 115

Paris-Nice Inspired

Dark, dank and cold. 

But inspired by watching the first stage of Paris-Nice on Sunday I went out and did 18 miles or six laps of the Elm Grove crit course.

I can not think of a single cyclist who could watch Sunday's stage and NOT be inspired watching Jens Voight in a successful breakaway. It was a fun stage to watch.

The thing I can not understand about the pros in this race is actually how little gear they are wearing. Bob Roll mentioned it was only 34 degrees as they rolled out of the suburbs of Paris. Chilly. But many looked like they were in the Tour de France in July, wearing only bibs. That's why they call this the race to the sun, because they leave the cold of Paris behind and end up in the warm sunshine of the south of France.

Meantime, it was 39 out there for me today and I had four layers on top!

I was plenty warm and felt good to be out there despite the poor weather. There is still a little ice on the roads too, so you have to ride with your head in the game. No shortage of road salt either, so I continue to use the third-string Trek 7500FX bike.


It's all good though...better than having to resort to the trainer, which I totally hate at this time of year.


Season Miles: 91