Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Turkey Day!

There is still snow and ice on the ground around the South Sound area. Not too good for riding your bicycle but it is pretty.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Time to ride indoors to stay in shape!

Wow, the weather the last few days has not been very bike friendly and it is supposed to get pretty chilly tomorrow!

Just checking in and adding a new post to see if anyone is still checking it out from time to time.

July 18th 5:30 - Team Rock Ranch crosses the finish line!

This entry is late (which seems to be usual for me lately) but feels great to be adding. As good as it felt for the riding to end last Sunday, it was sad that the break in riding meant the end of the 2010 STP adventure. The five of us (Bob, Duane, Joanne, Mike, and Shannon) enjoyed a good dinner before whisking Mike to Portland International.

I'll be back to add more thoughts and notes as I think of them. At this point I just wanted to make the entry that Team Rock Ranch made the complete route and thank everyone that helped us along the way. Thanks to those who adjusted their schedules to work around our training rides and other events as we prepared for the STP.

So... who's ready for STP 2011? :)

That's riding...

It turns out that two Team Rock Ranchers got up close and personal with the roadway yesterday. They took place about 2600 miles away from each other but during the same day none the less.

The new "Plan C" rig (combination of Plan A and Plan B) didn't work out too good yesterday. The gals waited for me while I swapped the pedals back to the road bike so I could use it for our 100 mile ride.

The 100 mile ride turned out to be 88+ miles. The late start, cool temps, and fast approaching darkness had us cutting the route short.

Ride safe and ride often!
D

Just one week away!

It's kind of scary... only one more week before the big event!

The 100 miler tomorrow should be a great training ride and gauge of how ready we are for the STP.

Hope everyone is doing good and beating the heat.

July 4th - Independence Day

It is a typical July 4th in the Pacific Northwest. The weather is a little chilly with chance of showers. I'm wearing shorts but packing extra layers in the van just in case.

Joanne and I don't have a ride planned today. We're booked at two events today (food related!) so our day will be spent fueling up and watching local fireworks later tonight :)

Hope everyone keeps all their fingers and toes!

Final push for miles before June ends

Joanne and I got in a chilly 50 mile ride on Sunday. The weather turned good for riding on Wednesday so I was able to ride to work Wednesday and Thursday. Joanne and I are planning on riding to work tomorrow (Friday).

This was a good week, I've put in almost 120 miles so far this week. Our ride tomorrow is our last chance to ride before the 85 mile ride on Sunday (YIKES!).


The registration confirmation email has been sent. I've printed Shannon's, Joanne's, and mine so we can pick them up at REI before the day of the event.

Mike, I believe yours is being sent to Alabama but let me know if you got the email or not.

Ride safe and ride often!
D

Yikes! It is June now... almost a 3rd gone already

Thanks for the saddle suggestions Mike! There were some great ideas listed and it got me to thinking that a few could be combined to make an interesting bicycle seat.

Here's my latest thought on a great new saddle. The hi-tech solution would be a saddle that randomly changes the dimension of the seat so we're never in the same spot for too long.

Maybe we can get someone to build the "self adjusting air pocket bicycle saddle". It might not be ready in time for the STP though :)

June is just around the corner

This week has been a rough one. I had Monday off and the weather for a ride but a bug I caught kept me from putting in any time on the bike or trike. It's Thursday now and this bug isn't showing any signs of giving in yet.

Putting in the miles...

Howdy Team Rock Ranch!

Based on the emails it's clear that we have already completed the STP mileage at least one time around as a team. It would be fun to capture total miles covered during the training. Next year we'll have to log miles after January 1st up until the event.

So, anyone thinking about doing the STP in one day next year?

OK, we can take one event at a time. My saddle has worked out great for the 104 miles I road last week. The lack of saddle soreness could be related to being on the bike more often. It wouldn't be fun to lose any ground so I'm thinking about having the bike available at work during lunch to ride around on days I don't ride to work.

A new goal for the first week in June is to ride the bike everyday of one complete week. It doesn't have to be for a long distance just as long as I have at least 30 minutes in the saddle.

Training in the Merry Merry month of May

Joanne and I finished our 50 mile ride today. The weather was great, not too hot not too cold not too windy not too shabby at all!

The real test will be getting on the bikes and riding again tomorrow. I am at 83.5 miles for this week after our ride today. It would be a great motivator to get out tomorrow and ride at least another 16.6 miles to make the 100 miles in one week training goal.

Chances are good for the ride tomorrow. The neck and shoulders are sorry and a knee is stiff but I am not nearly as saddle sore as I expected after 50 miles. More tomorrow :)

Saturday's Lunch Ride

Duane & I rode to Jimmy's on Yelm Highway on Saturday, 5/8. Riding 32 miles total, and helping to reduce the lunch calories by a few hundred! To return home to mow and start weeding the flower gardens. It was a very tiring day, but feels good when we accomplish so much in one day.

Sunday was spent having lunch in Everett with the folks and sister Bev...no riding time this day! Duane is out weed wack'n, and me I'm loading software I got for my Birthday.

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful women in the world! Peace!

Rubber to the road- I just rode in from Lacey and boy are my arms tired!

Joanne and I did get a chance to ride to work this Thursday (May 6th). Joanne ride her bike and I gave the trike a try. It was 19 miles each way taking the bike trail the majority of the way. It was pretty chilly for the first part of the ride but it warmed up nicely on the way in. My arms wanted to cramp when we first started but they settled down after a few miles.

I departed from work at 4:00 and Joanne left about 4:40. She caught up to me around the 11 mile mark. We shared a Powerbar, had some water and finished out the last 8 miles. We found a rain cloud and got a light soaking for about 2 of the 3 last miles. It was a little refreshing at first but then it got pretty chilly!

We're going to ride to meet mom and dad for lunch today. It will be about 15 miles one way. The weather is really nice today and it's tempting to ride more but yard work will have to come first today. We will both be on two wheelers today. I'm giving my arms a break today!

That's about it from Rainier.

Bugs in the teeth report

It's May already?!

Time sure is going by fast so far this Spring. Joanne and I got a ride in the last week of April (29th). The flat was fixed and I was ready to hit the road... then I decided to try to move the crank arm adjusters up one notch. It didn't work out so good so I raised the seat a few times (even over the max height mark) but couldn't get the right knee to have full rotation. Joanne headed towards Tenino and I headed back to the shop.

The trike was there all aired up and the hand cranks were in the new position (opposite like a bike) so I got the idea to catch up with Joanne on the hand-cycle. Joanne put in 20 miles that day and I got in 15 (ended up 2.5 miles behind Joanne, she made good time).

We're pretty set on riding to work this Thursday (May 6th). Joanne has done that distance several times so she shouldn't have any issues. The ride to work will be about one mile shorter than my longest ride on the trike (Mellow Yellow and I did 21 miles on the trail last year). The test will be how strong I feel riding the same distance back home after work!

I did ride home from work once last year. It took me three hours! I'm pretty sure my average pace will be faster than 6 mph this time. I'd better bring my cell phone just in case...

First flat tire...

Joanne and I got in 11 miles last Thursday night (4/22). It was getting late and cold so I wimped out and headed home after really just warming up. We out in 40 miles last Sunday (4/25). We did 22 miles on the bike trail then took the direct route home on the road. The road was shorter but it gave us some experience gaining elevation.

The puncture must have happened not far from home. It wasn't noticed until Monday morning when I was checking out the bike. Got a new tube and will replace it tonight or tomorrow night so I'm ready to ride again this weekend.

Big Wheels keep on turning!

Sounds like Shannon is aiming for her 40 miles this week. It should be nice tomorrow for a ride. Mile reported success on his Metric Century ride (67.66) or 2/3 of 1/2 of the STP as he put it :)

Joanne got in over 30 miles on Thursday. She rode home from work then met up with me on the trail. She rode extra to ride along with me while I finished my 21 miles. My clipless clamp came loose so I had a heck of a time getting it off the pedal. Ended up taking my shoe off and leaving it on the pedal.

Today we put in over 27 miles. We rode on the road for the first time in a long time. We used Rainier Rd to go to lunch but took the trail home. The 10 miles on Rainier Rd went fast. Left the house at 11:15 and made it to meet mom and dad at 11:56. We were hungry and a little muddy!

I ended up on the ground again today, slowed down too much going up a hill and didn't get my foot out of the clipless in time again. Luckily I was able to fall towards the grass on the side of the trail. No scraps or bruises but I need to get better at hills and quick stops.

Ride often and safe!
D

Miles, crash, stupid body!

The weather is turning out good for putting some miles on the bicycle. I was able to get 20 miles in after work last night and 10 miles in this afternoon. It will still take some time to get used to "sitting" on a bicycle for a few miles! It's important to keep at is so I don't lose this ability once it's gained back again.

Had another bicycle crash this afternoon, about 3.5 miles into the ride. A car was coming to the bike trail crossing about the same time I was so it was time to 1) click out of the pedal 2) apply the brakes. I'm sure this is what my mind told my body but the result was more 1) apply the brakes 2) get up off the ground.

The important thing... there was only one person around to witness it! The nice lady had a look of concern for me until I waved that I was fine. She didn't laugh at that point, maybe she is really a kind soul or very polite.

OK, what might have really happened was that my foot didn't get out of the pedal and I didn't notice and still applied the binders. My hands weren't paying attention to the situation :)

Our bodies do seem to want to work against us. We can resolve ourselves to lose fat and gain muscle but our bodies will start burning the muscle and storing fat at the first sign of fewer calories.

Sure, I know this is natural but why can't our bodies get with the program?

You can spend weeks gain muscle and endurance but once you stop the body goes into jellyfish mode. It seems that the body should decide to burn extra fat to keep the muscle but it doesn't. Oh well, it keeps us moving :)

Fine tuning for the rides

Howdy, Joanne and I didn't make a lot of progress this week. We did get a chance to talk finding a reliable driver for drop off and pickup. The times need to be nailed down so the planning can get started.

Joanne and I are learning more about our bicycles. There were times when they weren't very comfortable to be on for long periods of time. We would notice it at the end of the rides or by how our muscles felt the next day.

The first improvement we both needed was to get the handlebar height within an inch of the seat height. Joanne needed to raise hers about 3.5 inches. I needed to raise my handlebars around 9 inches (yikes!). The type of stems we have do not allow for such drastic changes. It took replacing the stems with adjustable ones. Joanne's new stem did the trick for her. She was able to give it a try but I need to pick up an adjustment ring to take some of the slack out of the steering tube (the new stem was shallower than the original one).

The adjustable stems don't come long enough to make up for the 9 additional inches I was looking for. The alternative plan was for me to switch over to Joanne's Giant Sedona instead of riding my Giant Cypress. The switch was made last night and the Sedona was ready for a test ride.

It only took a few feet to realize that the Sedona wasn't going to work for me. The seat post was already one inch above the minimum mark and the seat was still too low. The alternative alternative plan... switch back to the Cypress and see how it feels with an adjustable stem added.

The bike shop was still open so I made a dash to town to pick one up. The seat is still at least 5 inches high then I would like it to be but at least it is closer now with the new stem. The Cypress is ready for another test ride. The moon saddle has been put back on, the crank adjusters too. I'll really have to focus on getting enough bend to keep moving the pedals further out with the goal of not needing them by July. Each inch I move the pedals is another inch I can move the seat down. I should be ready to ride the STP by the time they meet in the middle!

Back in the Saddle again...

Today was very nice. Too nice for Joanne and me not to get on the bikes and put in some time behind the handle bars! We did a good 20+ mile ride with just a few breaks. One around the 7 mile mark to have some water and see how I was doing. Another break when we found some keys on the trail and luckily the person looking for their lost keys! The last break was around 15 miles for water and an energy bar.

This is how my training went this week so far (I'm taking tomorrow off!). Below are some pictures of the bike, check out how high the seat has to be with the pedals shortened! Also, I'm going to post a video on Facebook. Joanne was handling the filming.

3/23 Tuesday - 10 minutes on trainer
3/24 Wednesday - 20 minutes on trainer
3/25 Thursday - 20 minutes on trainer
3/26 Friday - 30 minutes on trainer (20 pedaling, 10 adjusting seat and shoes!)
3/27 Saturday - 20.5 miles on the bike trail with Joanne. We averaged a good speed almost always over 10 mph and even up to 21 mph down hill. That was a blast!

20.5 miles is 10% of the STP ride but I like to think of 20.5 miles as 20% of the daily distance!

Wonder how still I'll be tomorrow!

Minus a wheel plus a cabin

Yesterday was a good day for me. I was finally able to take a short spin on a two-wheeler. A device to shorten each crank pedal was required to get back in the saddle. These attach to the crank arm and allow you to mount the pedals in four different locations. 

Tonight was my longest ride (using the trainer) of ten minutes. I have no idea what the distance was but next I'll go for 20 minutes, then 30, then a trip to Yelm and back (13.4 miles). I'm behind on the training guide so I'll try to catch up as much as possible. The right knee is bending just over 80 degrees so it will be great if I can move the pedals one spot each month and be at full crank length by the beginning of July.

Team rock ranch has a spot for Saturday night. Now we need to track down drivers/support for the day of the event!

Nice and not so nice weather for riding

Joanne and I got in a ride after lunch with mom and dad. We hit the trail at Chambers Lake fueled up on Applebees's calories!

The idea was to explore trails we had not ridden yet. This lead us to the Olympia Wooded Trail (or something like that) which was very scenic and we were excited to ride somewhere new. We learned that this area is where quite a few of the homeless in the area camp out. As far as camping goes, it is a beautiful place to be.

All this riding was in pretty nice weather. We took a familiar way back along the freeway and up some pretty good hills. Wheeler Street still robs your breath just like we remembered it! At this point it looked like our ride wasn't going to be very long unless we added more western trail riding to the route.

We gambled on the dark clouds and lost that bet! We got pretty drenched riding in the rain the last 2.5 miles. We ended up at 11 miles each (9.5 dry and 2.5 wet).

Good weather in the PNW for riding

It's supposed to be nice today and a good day for riding. It looks like Shannon will meet here to start off a ride with Joanne. I'll take the trike to the bike trail and do some 1/2 mile top gear sprints for a bit. The idea is to time out my "cruising" speed on level ground. I'm shooting for a 12 - 13 mile an hour pace.

Mike, are you doing any events this weekend or hanging out on the stationary bike? 

Update... Shannon and Joanne put it 30 miles yesterday. My ride was 17 miles. There were times when my speed got close to 12 - 13 miles per hour but I couldn't maintain that for long.

My best timed 1/5 mile drag (first and only one) from a dead stop in the 21st gear was 2 minutes 45 seconds. That's 10.90 mph. It sure works the arms!

Why does every road seem uphill, every direction upwind?!?
LOL. 10-mile road race tomorrow; that'll make about ~80 miles this week.

22 miles today (on a stationary bike!); 52 for the week. Plus about ten on the tennis shoes:). OMG

If you are sick... PLEASE STAY HOME!

It was bound to happen sooner or later. The crude that gets around has found me and decided to hang around and beat up on me for a while. I've been up for less than three hours but feel like I've put in a full day already!

Time in the saddle

Joanne and I got a chance to put some time in on the bikes. It was almost dark by the time we got home but we were able to log more miles. Joanne rode 17 to 18 and I rode 13 miles. It was pretty warm when we left the house but it cooled off fast after the sun settled.

I'm off to work on another new training contraption... should be fun when it's done.

30th Anniversary of my 16th Birthday

It's a little wet today so it looks like I'll be doing any STP training inside today. The BMW needs fired up to make sure it stays in good working order for the new owner in Canada. Bryce will be helping me get it to "Ship Happens" near the border in March.

Registration for the STP opens on Feb 1st so I'd better get a reminder out to the rest of the team!

When America shines, she shines bright!

This is a little off the "STP 2010" subject but the reports from Haiti have made me pretty proud of our response.

We as a nation have a good and big heart when it comes to our fellow citizens on this planet. It doesn't always seem like it when the news reports all the quibbling and bickering over health care and helping those in the USA. We care and we come together when the going gets tough. 

Oh sure, bonehead statements like those from Rush Limbaugh and Pat Roberts will always happen either out of misunderstanding or to boost ratings.

Hopefully we will figure out how to fix things here before it turns into an urgent crisis for us. 

First ride of 2010

Joanne and I took advantage of the good weather to get in our first rides in 2K10. My ride was 13 miles at around seven miles per hour. Joanne road an extra four miles for a total of 17 miles. Her pace was easily twice as fast as mine at times.

We'll see how we feel tomorrow of the ride today. It already "feels" like my arms are going to be sore tomorrow!

Sale-O, everything must go!

Well, not everything... but both my motorcycles now have new owners as does my '68 Chevy pick-up. "Goldie" was a great work/farm truck. We bought it in 2001 and it never failed to start up when called upon for duty. She might sit for almost three months and still start without issue each and every time. Come to think of it, maybe I should have kept that battery! It was the second battery (Sears Die-hard, tried and true!).

The BMW needed more work to get going, plus a new battery. It fired up after draining both float bowls and adding fresh fuel to the tank. I'm glad it's going to a good home. It took a bit but I was able to get back on "Barney" (it's purple and "Old Skool" :) ) but I'm still a long way from bending my knee enough to get my foot on the braked or foot peg.

So... that was my exercise so far this weekend. Working on vehicles and jamming at church today. So, I'd better come up with a nickname for the treadmill and give it a spin tonight!

A bit of a soaker in the Pacific Northwest

We got some rain today but over all it wasn't that bad. All it took was a hat to still talk a walk at 10:00. Lunch was a little wetter after I started out but luckily my coat had a hood. The days are getting longer and more sunshine is starting to be available when the clouds allow.

We're fortunate that just a little winter weather is all we have to worry about. Our thoughts and prayer are with those in Haiti and their family members around the rest of the world.

B.B. King once said...

If you ain't got nothing to say, shut-up. He was talking about playing the guitar but it is that quote that comes to mind as I make this blog entry.

It's strange times again. The politicians are back at it in Olympia and just about everyone is thinking, BOHICA!

It is what it is.

Time to get off this chair on do some thing related to training (or just exercise in general).

Go Team!

I'm here sipping on a "Pipeline", a great Porter made with 100% Hawaiian Kona Coffee and too high strung to sleep. My hope is that by the time I finish this post and the "Pipeline"... sleep will be on it's way.

The hawks fired Jim Mora after only giving him a one season shot. Some will think this is good and some will think this is bad, I am on the side that thinks he should have gotten another year to prove himself.

Two things came to mind when reading the Mora news. 1) Who is the coach of "Team Rock Ranch" and 2) "How can I become the coach, get paid millions whether all five or none of us finish the STP?"

Not really, 2) "Who is our coach?" was my second thought, the other one was #3 :)

I'm not sure if we need a coach, but that is something for the team to decide. What we do need is more communication and communication more often.

So, I am renewing my commitment to get out here and add a new post or at least a comment every day from now until the STP (minus times when stuff happens and I do miss a day, that's LIFE!).

Stay focused or
Get focused

Feb 1st is the start of the registration day... we might not be ready for the road by that time but we need to be committed!

That Duane dude

Get out and ride!

He'll come from Alabammy... with a banjo on his bike...

We got word that we could have a 5th team rock ranch rider in the STP this year!


Island Mike... from Alabama... welcome aboard!

Day of relaxation on the 1st day of 2010

Yesterday we had a great lunch with mom & dad at Applebee's. Good food and not to many calories, Joanne and I both had a salad.

Then it was off to Target for some exercise walking around the store. Thanks go to my sister Karen for the gift card!

We got some items related to the STP this year. Joanne got some sweat pants and I got an "Exercise Bike". It's not the full size type that you sit on, it's the type that you can sit in a chair and spin. It'll be great for watching TV and putting in some time instead of just exercising.

Today I'll put some time in at cleaning the shop then some spinning time on the trike.

Welcome 2010!

The first entry for 2010... that's one for one so far this year :)

What's the plan?

To spend more time in the saddle/seat to be ready for the ride in July!

Oh... and to communicate more! and...

To have more entries than the number made in 2009. Fourteen shouldn't be too hard to beat.