2018 mileage: 960.7
After not riding the last two days, despite our glorious weather (my passion for riding lost out to my passion for watching the Detroit Tigers, and happily they won both games), I was glad to get out today, particularly in light of the problem that prevented the long ride I had planned this morning. I had not ridden outside since April 11, and today was only the 9th time I've been able to all year, due to our persistent wintry weather (it was snowing as late as earlier this week).
Late this afternoon, after watching yet another Tigers win, I rode a single round trip to Marsh Park, covering the 10.1 miles in 1:14. Although clouds had moved in, obscuring the bright sunshine we enjoyed earlier in the day, the 57° temperature seemed virtually tropical compared to most of the year so far.
This morning when I went out at 10:00, having planned a long ride, I found that the back tire was flat, having expired sometime since my last ride 10 days ago, evidently due to the cold we've experienced. Not knowing yet how to change a tire, I was stymied. But just yesterday we got a hitch put on our 'new' 2015 Honda. A few days ago, Michelle and I had salvaged the trike rack from our totaled old Honda from the yard where it was towed, so I was able to put it on our car and drive the trike over to Wheels in Motion, our local cycling shop, where they changed the tire for me.
A nice perk, too, was to find the bathrooms at the park, which have been locked ("Closed for the season") since October, were open again today.
Saturday, April 21, 2018
Saturday, 4/21/2018 -- A new problem
I was hoping to do a good long ride this morning -- roughly 20 miles, to Baker Rd. (Dexter) and back. However, when I went out to the garage, the back tire was without air -- and it wouldn't allow me to pump any in, just hissed emptily while getting no fuller. So I've texted my bike expert friend, Doug, and await assistance to figure out the problem.
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
8th ride of 2018 - Wednesday, 4/11/2018
2018 mileage - 899.6
I rode outside today for only the 8th time this year. Perhaps our weather of recent weeks, which my brother has taken to calling Second Winter, has finally transformed into spring. When I began today just before noon, it was 45° and sunny—quite agreeable conditions, despite the breeziness we felt.
However, by just past my turning back for home after having reached Marsh Park, a light cold rain began to patter down on me. Though I had, to that point, been waffling about whether to ride one round trip to the park or two, the arrival of the rain made up my mind, and I gladly settled for a single round trip, completing this 10.1-mile ride in a slow time of 1:21.
I am so glad to be counting (this year for the first time) my indoor riding "miles" in my statistics. Of the 899.6 miles I've ridden this year, 800.3 of them have been indoors!
Discouragingly, while shifting I noticed some shooting pain and discomfort in the area of my right hand where I broke the bone at the base of the little finger when I fell last August. This leads me to suspect that it will be a permanent condition.
My use of the word "patter" above to describe the arrival of the rain recalls a humorous incident from my youth. I was very close to my maternal grandmother (1897-1999), who was a lifelong pianist and very proud of my musical ability. (When I say "lifelong," I really mean it ... she used to play to entertain audiences in the silent movies back around the time of the Titanic's 1914 sinking, and played to entertain her fellow residents in the nursing home until shortly before her death.) We frequently played piano duets together, and on one such occasion in my early teens we played at her Hudson, Michigan home for a luncheon meeting of the Hudson Women's Club. The reporter for the small town paper misquoted the title of one of our duets, causing us to giggle over it for the rest of her life. We played the popular song "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head," but in the paper it said, "Mrs. Myers and her grandson Allen entertained with numerous piano duets, including 'Raindrops Keep Pattering On My Head.' " 😁
I rode outside today for only the 8th time this year. Perhaps our weather of recent weeks, which my brother has taken to calling Second Winter, has finally transformed into spring. When I began today just before noon, it was 45° and sunny—quite agreeable conditions, despite the breeziness we felt.
However, by just past my turning back for home after having reached Marsh Park, a light cold rain began to patter down on me. Though I had, to that point, been waffling about whether to ride one round trip to the park or two, the arrival of the rain made up my mind, and I gladly settled for a single round trip, completing this 10.1-mile ride in a slow time of 1:21.
I am so glad to be counting (this year for the first time) my indoor riding "miles" in my statistics. Of the 899.6 miles I've ridden this year, 800.3 of them have been indoors!
Discouragingly, while shifting I noticed some shooting pain and discomfort in the area of my right hand where I broke the bone at the base of the little finger when I fell last August. This leads me to suspect that it will be a permanent condition.
My use of the word "patter" above to describe the arrival of the rain recalls a humorous incident from my youth. I was very close to my maternal grandmother (1897-1999), who was a lifelong pianist and very proud of my musical ability. (When I say "lifelong," I really mean it ... she used to play to entertain audiences in the silent movies back around the time of the Titanic's 1914 sinking, and played to entertain her fellow residents in the nursing home until shortly before her death.) We frequently played piano duets together, and on one such occasion in my early teens we played at her Hudson, Michigan home for a luncheon meeting of the Hudson Women's Club. The reporter for the small town paper misquoted the title of one of our duets, causing us to giggle over it for the rest of her life. We played the popular song "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head," but in the paper it said, "Mrs. Myers and her grandson Allen entertained with numerous piano duets, including 'Raindrops Keep Pattering On My Head.' " 😁
Thursday, March 22, 2018
7th ride of 2018 - Thursday, 3/22/2018
2018 mileage - 736.7
I rode outside today for only the 7th time this year. Under bright sunshine, by the time I began, at 12:30, the temperature had rocketed up to a dizzying (almost tropical) reading of 41°, and by the time I finished, it was 43°! I settled once more for a single trip to Marsh Park, though, covering the 10.1 miles in 1:18.
I'm so glad to be counting the miles I've ridden inside in my statistics this year for the first time! By comparison, last year on this date I had only accumulated 334.9—but then, I was much more disciplined about bundling up and pushing myself out to ride in the cold, when I only counted outdoor miles.
As the picture, taken on one of the boardwalks along textile Rd., shows, small traces of winter do persist ... but they are shrinking.
I rode outside today for only the 7th time this year. Under bright sunshine, by the time I began, at 12:30, the temperature had rocketed up to a dizzying (almost tropical) reading of 41°, and by the time I finished, it was 43°! I settled once more for a single trip to Marsh Park, though, covering the 10.1 miles in 1:18.
I'm so glad to be counting the miles I've ridden inside in my statistics this year for the first time! By comparison, last year on this date I had only accumulated 334.9—but then, I was much more disciplined about bundling up and pushing myself out to ride in the cold, when I only counted outdoor miles.
As the picture, taken on one of the boardwalks along textile Rd., shows, small traces of winter do persist ... but they are shrinking.
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
6th ride of 2018 - Wednesday, 2/28/2018
2018 mileage - 566.4
HOW ASTONISHING! Who would have ever thought that I could ride outside in shorts on the last day of February in Michigan! But, even though falling temperatures throughout the day made me abandon the t-shirt I had envisioned wearing during the heady warmth of this morning (mid-sixties) in favor of a long-sleeve tee, the 60° temperature when I began at 2:30 (falling to 58° by the time I finished), even coupled with a mild wind (16 mph from the southwest) was quite agreeable.
I went a single round trip to Marsh Park, but augmented it slightly with a jaunt down Interfirst Drive (near the park), and then a loop in Stonebridge on the way home, giving me a ride of 14.4 miles in 1:45.
I am so glad, too, to be counting in my stats now all the miles I rode on the stationary bike at LA Fitness this winter!
HOW ASTONISHING! Who would have ever thought that I could ride outside in shorts on the last day of February in Michigan! But, even though falling temperatures throughout the day made me abandon the t-shirt I had envisioned wearing during the heady warmth of this morning (mid-sixties) in favor of a long-sleeve tee, the 60° temperature when I began at 2:30 (falling to 58° by the time I finished), even coupled with a mild wind (16 mph from the southwest) was quite agreeable.
I went a single round trip to Marsh Park, but augmented it slightly with a jaunt down Interfirst Drive (near the park), and then a loop in Stonebridge on the way home, giving me a ride of 14.4 miles in 1:45.
I am so glad, too, to be counting in my stats now all the miles I rode on the stationary bike at LA Fitness this winter!
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
5th ride of 2018 - Tuesday, 2/27/2018
2018 mileage - 552.0
Today I enjoyed glorious conditions—mostly sunny skies, only a light breeze, and an unseasonably warm 52° temperature when I began, up to 56° when I finished! But it only resulted in a puny little ride, a single round trip to Marsh Park without even tacking on a little extra as I did yesterday. And I was slower than molasses in February—10.2 miles in 1:19. Oh well ... I just need to keep plugging away at it, and eventually I know it'll pick up some.
Today I enjoyed glorious conditions—mostly sunny skies, only a light breeze, and an unseasonably warm 52° temperature when I began, up to 56° when I finished! But it only resulted in a puny little ride, a single round trip to Marsh Park without even tacking on a little extra as I did yesterday. And I was slower than molasses in February—10.2 miles in 1:19. Oh well ... I just need to keep plugging away at it, and eventually I know it'll pick up some.
Monday, February 26, 2018
4th ride of 2018 - Monday, 2/26/2018
2018 mileage - 541.8
Today I rode outside for only the 4th time this year, and the first time in February (along with January 11, 26, and 27). The temperature finally has reached a point where riding outside is not akin to self-flagellation—it was 48° when I began, at 12:30, and 49° when I finished. with beautiful bright sunshine throughout. I did have to deal with a condition which was blessedly absent for all of my inside rides this winter, that being wind. But, at 12 mph from the west-southwest, it was noticeable and a mild impediment, but nothing overly challenging.
With both time and my stamina somewhat short, I didn't push myself too far, just doing a single round trip to Marsh Park, and one loop of Stonebridge on the way back home. That subdivision is where I took the following picture.
At any rate, this 13-mile ride took me a lengthy 1:32.
Today I rode outside for only the 4th time this year, and the first time in February (along with January 11, 26, and 27). The temperature finally has reached a point where riding outside is not akin to self-flagellation—it was 48° when I began, at 12:30, and 49° when I finished. with beautiful bright sunshine throughout. I did have to deal with a condition which was blessedly absent for all of my inside rides this winter, that being wind. But, at 12 mph from the west-southwest, it was noticeable and a mild impediment, but nothing overly challenging.
With both time and my stamina somewhat short, I didn't push myself too far, just doing a single round trip to Marsh Park, and one loop of Stonebridge on the way back home. That subdivision is where I took the following picture.
At any rate, this 13-mile ride took me a lengthy 1:32.
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