Sunday, October 19, 2008
Sunday 19 October 2008 - ride
posted by: Martin
Hrs. Sleeping: 6
Pulse (waking):  
Pulse (rising):  
Difference:  
Weight:  
Body Fat:  
Time of Day: 8:00 AM
Distance: 70 miles
Time (total): 5:20
Time (moving): 4:23
Time (stopped): 56 min
Speed (moving): 15.8 mph
Speed (overall): 13.1 mph
Total Ascent: 2676 feet
Weather: 40 to start, low 50s at the end
Workout Type: tandem ride

Breakfast: cereal
Lunch: 2 enchiladas, beans, beer, lots of crackers with Nutella
Dinner:  
Workout Food: 2 small bottles, each with 2 scoops Perpetuem and 1 scoop Endurox R4, LARABAR

Course: Fremont Caffe Ladro, Logboom Park, Snohomish, Woodinville, Burke Gilman Trail, home
Results:  
Comments: Oi... Shelley and I bit off a tad more than we could chew today. I thought the ride to Snohomish would be okay and it probably would have been but I decided to tack on 10 extra miles by riding to the 'official' start in Fremont. That and it was kinda cold and we had to work a bit to keep up on the way north.

So, when everyone else turned left to go to Snohomish proper, we decided it was probably better if we didn't stop and jut got home as fast as we could; so we turned right. Good thing we did.

On the way home (which is hillier than the way out for sure) we slowed down. Then we got a flat that required me to boot the tire as well.

Note to self: change the rear tire, it's worn out!

Then we got another flat on the trail. :( At leas the weather was fantastic at this point or I would have been crying. Still, my legs were toast and Shelley's bottom was sore and every time we rode over one of those damn cracks in the trail it did not feel so good for her. Rats.

I did not really bonk, I was just empty. It was one of those rides where you just want to be home. Yesterday.

On the other hand it was shaping up to be a super group! At Logboom we met Clint C and Alison H on their tandem, Brian and Rosanna S on their tandem and Mick and Martha W on their tandem. Nice! Too bad the group had a rigid route; once when we were in front with the Walsh tandem and turned right, the entire group turned left. Not so nice. Not a word from anyone either. :(

Sometimes when this happens I think it's no big deal and sometimes I think it would have been nice to at least speak up. Today I was torn. :)
Equipment: Co-Motion Robusta tandem, Rolf wheels, 30/42/55, 12-25

I think a 27 would be nice to have... both for the middle and the big ring. There were a couple of hills that were a bit of a struggle in the 42x25. Not coming up Interlaken tho, that was all about the 30.
road ride | tandem ride
Sunday, October 19, 2008 4:00:46 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 

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 Sunday, October 05, 2008
Sunday 5 October 2008 - tandem ride
posted by: Martin
Hrs. Sleeping:  
Pulse (waking):  
Pulse (rising):  
Difference:  
Weight:  
Body Fat:  
Time of Day: 10:30 AM
Distance: 40 miles
Time (total): 3 hours
Time (moving): 2:26
Time (stopped): 33 min
Speed (moving): 16.3
Speed (overall): 13.3
Total Ascent: 1886 ft
Weather: upper 50s, dry, calm, partly sunny
Workout Type: ride

Breakfast:  
Lunch:  
Dinner:  
Workout Food: water

Course: across I-90, across Mercer Island, north through Beaux Arts, Kirkland, Juanita, Burke Gilman trail, Interlaken, home
Results:  
Comments: Shelley and I went for a spin around the north end of Lake WA and it was another super day out! WE rode to uBRDO, had some coffee, chatted with Scott and then finished up.
Equipment: Co-Motion Robusta, Rolf wheels, 30/42/55, 12-25
road ride | tandem ride
Sunday, October 05, 2008 11:15:38 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 

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 Monday, September 08, 2008
Monday 8 September 2008 - ride
posted by: Martin
Hrs. Sleeping:  
Pulse (waking):  
Pulse (rising):  
Difference:  
Weight:  
Body Fat:  
Time of Day:  
Distance: 20 miles total
Time (total):  
Time (moving):  
Time (stopped):  
Speed (moving):  
Speed (overall):  
Total Ascent:  
Weather: low 70s, sun, dry
Workout Type: errands on a bike

Breakfast:  
Lunch:  
Dinner:  
Workout Food:  

Course:  
Results:  
Comments: I had to file some forms with Seattle Schools, see the doctor, meet Cameron for an appointment in the University District and then head back up the hill for a JCV board meeting in that order.

On a nice day it makes you realize that this is exactly what bikes are for.
Equipment: Raleigh town bike
road ride
Monday, September 08, 2008 10:46:55 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 

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 Saturday, September 06, 2008
Saturday 6 September 2008 - ride
posted by: Martin
Hrs. Sleeping: 6
Pulse (waking):  
Pulse (rising):  
Difference:  
Weight:  
Body Fat:  
Time of Day: 8:00 AM
Distance: 70 miles
Time (total): 4:30
Time (moving):  
Time (stopped):  
Speed (moving):  
Speed (overall):  
Total Ascent:  
Weather: mid 50s to start, 70 by the end, partly cloudy, muggy, dry
Workout Type: ride

Breakfast: cereal
Lunch: 2 fried eggs, 4 pieces of toast, peanut butter, beer
Dinner: Pho, beer
Workout Food: 2 large bottles each with 2 scoops Endurox R4 and 2 scoops Perpetuem,

Course: Snoqualmie Falls
Results:  
Comments: What a great day! I met a couple of guys at Hec Ed and then we picked up some more at Leschi and proceeded to head east. The pace was conversational the whole way and I was able to remove clothing all the way to the finish meaning it kept getting warmer. :)
Equipment: Ti Cycles Hyak, Neuvation wheels, 42/53, 12-25
road ride
Saturday, September 06, 2008 1:58:51 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 

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 Saturday, May 17, 2008
Saturday 17 May 2008 - ride
posted by: Martin
Hrs. Sleeping: 6
Pulse (waking):  
Pulse (rising):  
Difference:  
Weight: 181
Body Fat: 8
Time of Day: 8:00 am
Distance: 88 miles
Time (total): 5:15
Time (moving):  
Time (stopped):  
Speed (moving):  
Speed (overall):  
Total Ascent:  
Weather: mid 60s - upper 70s, sun
Workout Type: ride

Breakfast: 1.5 Pop Tarts, smoothie
Lunch:  
Dinner:  
Workout Food: 2 large bottles each with 2 scoops HEED and 2 scoops Endurox R4, 1 bag of Shot Bloks, 20 oz Gatorade

Course: Leschi, across Mercer Island, Newport, Issaquah, up to the plateau, old Issaquah-Fall City, Snoqualmie Falls, Weyerhaeuser loop, Fall City-Carnation Rd, NE Carnation Farm Rd, Ames Lake Rd, Redmond-Fall City Rd, E Lake Sammamish Pkwy, SE 56th St, W Lake Sammamish Pkwy, bike trail, Eastgate, across Mercer Island
Results:  
Comments: This first hot ride! And oh did I suffer...

I started out feeling fine and flew up the last rise on Issaquah-Fall City and I felt fine going up to the falls too but then after taking a long pull on the loop Clint C, Dave H, Alan W and Alistair L stormed by me on the steep bit. From then on I was shaky and just got worse. I was shelled unceremoniously going up Ames Lake and was hating it on the flats thereafter.

I totally limped home and did about 8 mph from Lake WA to my house. Shit.

Dave and Alan were both riding really well, especially Dave. He went with every single acceleration.
Equipment: Ti Cycles Hyak, 42/53, 12-25, Neuvation wheels
road ride
Saturday, May 17, 2008 4:04:08 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 

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 Sunday, May 04, 2008
Sunday 4 May 2008 - ride
posted by: Martin
Hrs. Sleeping: 6
Pulse (waking):  
Pulse (rising):  
Difference:  
Weight:  
Body Fat:  
Time of Day: 8:00 am
Distance: 77 miles
Time (total): 4:30
Time (moving):  
Time (stopped):  
Speed (moving):  
Speed (overall):  
Total Ascent:  
Weather: low 50s - upper 50s, pretty calm, dry
Workout Type: ride

Breakfast: cereal
Lunch:  
Dinner:  
Workout Food: about 6 Fig Newtons, 2 large bottles each with 2 scoops of Endurox R4 and 2 scoops of Perpetuem

Course: Leschi, Seward, Renton, Cedar River Trail, Jones Rd, Ravensdale, short loop of Ravensdale RR, Issaquah-Hobart Rd, May Valley, Coal Creek Pkwy, across Mercer Island, Leschi, Madrona, Union, home
Results:  
Comments: What a great day! Towards the end it seemed warmer than the 59 degrees that it was and I was able to take off my knee warmers (20 miles to go) and arm warmers (5 miles to go) which felt really good.

Today Alistair L, Jim K, Dave H and I previewed the new finish for the upcoming RR this weekend and it was a great group. I'm realizing I really like groups of 3-5 riders, the pace is more consistent, mechanicals are dealt with more efficiently and you stick together more easily.

Coming off loads of rest I felt great today and pulled a lot. Dave and Alistair were also strong but they had ridden some hill extravaganza yesterday and were somewhat tired.
Equipment: Ti Cycles Hyak, 42/53, 12-25, Neuvation wheels

ASIDE - ever since I put on these new Dura Ace cranks I have been riding a 42! I guess I knew that when I purchased them (all lengths except the 180s came with a 39) but I just totally spaced it out...
road ride
Sunday, May 04, 2008 10:54:50 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 

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 Sunday, April 20, 2008
Sunday 20 April 2008 - ride
posted by: Martin
Hrs. Sleeping:  
Pulse (waking):  
Pulse (rising):  
Difference:  
Weight:  
Body Fat:  
Time of Day: 7:30 am
Distance: 74 miles
Time (total): 5:15
Time (moving):  
Time (stopped):  
Speed (moving):  
Speed (overall):  
Total Ascent:  
Weather: low to mid 40s, snow at times, some sun
Workout Type: Hank ride | team ride

Breakfast:  
Lunch:  
Dinner:  
Workout Food: two large bottles each with 2 scoops Endurox R4 and 2 scoops Perpetuem

Course: Hank ride - around Mercer Island counter-clockwise
team ride - Leschi, Seward Park, Rainier to Renton, Coulon, McDonald's hill, May Valley, Issaquah-Hobart, Issaquah, Squak Mountain, Newport Way, across Mercer Island, home
Results:  
Comments: I could not bear to get out on the rain bike today... once that thing is put away once it's hard to pull it out again. So instead I got soaked on my race bike. :(

For a while it looked like it would not be too bad but on the island the roads were really wet and there was SNOW on the ground and it was melting off of the trees.

Alastair L was on the team ride and he wanted to go long and do a hill so when he suggested Squak I impulsively went along. It was just him, George G, Jim K and Mike from Dewar's. The way up was brutal as usual and on the way down it started to snow! Luckily it was pellets and we did not get any wetter.

I was first to the bottom (only second to the top, George was first!) and when I got there I was alone. After waiting a bit Alastair showed up and said George had gone off the road on the descent and was fixing a flat. Finally everyone rolled up and George had a huge skid mark on his tire and it was really thin. They had booted it but it did not hold. It blew again a few 100 m down the road and he had to call home.

Alastair and I each got in quite a few good efforts on this ride today as no one else seemed to want to pull. It felt good and I was plenty tired when I got home. I was laughing at the weather... we got snowed on three times and it would alternate with sun and dry conditions. Totally nuts.
Equipment: Ti Cycles Hyak, 39/53, 12-25, Neuvation wheels
road ride
Sunday, April 20, 2008 12:20:18 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 

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 Saturday, April 05, 2008
Saturday 5 April 2008 - ride
posted by: Martin
Hrs. Sleeping:  
Pulse (waking):  
Pulse (rising):  
Difference:  
Weight:  
Body Fat:  
Time of Day: 7:15 am
Distance: 72 miles
Time (total): 4:40
Time (moving):  
Time (stopped):  
Speed (moving):  
Speed (overall):  
Total Ascent:  
Weather: low 40s, cloudy at first, partly sunny at the end, pretty calm, NO RAIN
Workout Type: ride

Breakfast:  
Lunch:  
Dinner:  
Workout Food: 2 large bottles each with 2 scoops Endurox R4 and 2 scoops Perpetuem, half a sleeve of Fig Newtons

Course: 23rd, Lake City Way, Log Boom Park, Hollywood Hill, blah, blah, blah, Avondale Rd, blah, blah, blah, Ames Lake, Union Hill, Slough trail, Lake City Way, Interlaken, 19th, home
Results:  
Comments: Nice! This was JUST what the doctor ordered... Tony B, Jeff D and Kurt A and I went for a longish, zero stress ride. The tempo on the hills was anything from sorta hard to pretty stiff but we chatted throughout the rest of the ride and always regrouped at the top.

I pulled a lot and felt good all the way. And my back did not hurt! YES. I did stretch it a couple of times towards the end of the ride but no pain. I like that.
Equipment: Ti Cycles Hyak, 39/53, 12-25, Neuvation wheels
road ride
Saturday, April 05, 2008 12:04:14 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 

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 Saturday, February 16, 2008
Saturday 16 February 2008 - ride
posted by: Martin
Hrs. Sleeping: 5
Pulse (waking):  
Pulse (rising):  
Difference:  
Weight:  
Body Fat:  
Time of Day: 8:00 am
Distance: 84 miles
Time (total): 5:35
Time (moving): 5:01
Time (stopped): 34 min
Speed (moving): 16.7 mph
Speed (overall): 15 mph
Total Ascent: 5080 feet
Weather: mid 40s to start, wet roads, upper 40s (50 maybe) and dry roads at the finish, very little wind
Workout Type: ride

Breakfast: cereal
Lunch: 24 oz (?) Jamba Juice
Dinner: salad, nachos, beer, chocolate covered peanut butter filled pretzels
Workout Food: half a sleeve of Fig Newtons (8 maybe?), 5 scoops Perpetuem in one big bottle, 3 scoops HEED in another

Course: University Village, Leschi, across Mercer Island, Newport, Issaquah, up Sunset, Issaquah-Fall City Rd, Fall City, up to the falls, Weyerhaeuser loop, down the falls, up Issaquah-Fall City Rd, Black Nugget, bike trail along I-90, across Mercer Island, Leschi, up Lake WA Blvd, Arboretum, up Interlaken, 19th, home
Results:  
Comments: Yes, a solid five hour ride if ever there was one. And I love this route! The roads were kind of muddy the further east we went but we all stayed dry and it was not too cold. In fact, I took my gloves off for the last 15 miles or so.

I started out strong and this time we rotated out to Issaquah. When we hit Issaquah-Fall City Greg K and I found ourselves off the front a bit and so I encouraged him to try and stay away. We hit out at at about 90 percent. At one point I saw Tony B try to bridge and he made it more than half way across but then faded back. Our lead kept growing and when we got to Hwy 202 it felt good. Although Greg nearly lost me as we crested that last hill on this road - ouch.

Climbing the falls Greg went to the front and set a reasonable temp and with about 300 m to go I tried to go. Near the top Brad K flew by me (on his carbon fiber race bike!) and Tony and Greg were not that far behind. We stopped at the top for water.

The Weyerhaeuser loop is one of my favorite bits of road. Super scenic, super isolated and one damn good hill. I pulled all the way up the gradual climb and into the steep section and then Tony and Brad shot past me again. This time it was early enough that I was able to reel Tony back in and we crested together behind Brad.

Then I got tired. And Brian S and Dustin V got stronger. What's with that? Dustin was complaining of a cold all day long and when we climbed back up Issaquah-Fall City he simply gave it a twist of the wrist and pulled away. But Brian was not far behind him! That guy always gets dropped around half way and then gets this enormous second wind and kills it all the way home.

And that's how it went. Dustin and Brian were off the front, Greg was getting in as much work as possible and I was just barely able to hold Greg's wheel.

The last two miles were super slow. And when I say super I mean 12-14 mph on the flats.
Equipment: Bianchi Volpe, 38/50, 12-25
road ride
Saturday, February 16, 2008 9:49:53 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [1]  | 

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 Saturday, February 09, 2008
Saturday 9 February 2008 - ride
posted by: Martin
Hrs. Sleeping:  
Pulse (waking):  
Pulse (rising):  
Difference:  
Weight:  
Body Fat:  
Time of Day: 8:00 am
Distance: 75 miles
Time (total): 5:00
Time (moving): 4:25
Time (stopped): 35 min
Speed (moving): 16.9 mph
Speed (overall): 14.9 mph
Total Ascent: 4037 feet
Weather: humid, low 40s, dry at the end
Workout Type: ride

Breakfast:  
Lunch:  
Dinner:  
Workout Food: food bar, 5 scoops Perpetuem in one large bottle, 3 scoops HEED in another

Course: University Village, Leschi, across Mercer Island, Newport, Issaquah, up Sunset, Issaquah-Fall City Rd, north across 202, golf course rd, up Tolt Hill Rd, Redmond-Fall City Rd, E Lake Sammamish, 56th, bike trail, across Mercer Island, home
Results:  
Comments: My back blew up today followed shortly thereafter by my legs.

The first 40 miles were great. I pulled a ton and led the charge up and over Issaquah-Fall City road and then pulled all the way to Tolt Hill at about 21-22 mph. Then I got a flat. And then I felt like dirt.

Boy, Tolt Hill is steeper than I recall... :( Luckily by this time everyone else was feeling a bit less frisky and Brian S waited for me so I got it fixed in short order and resumed the climb. But then my back started complaining. For some reason there was just no dealing with it today and when my back acts up it makes riding much less fun.

Brian bonked hard here and Greg K gave him a gel but we had to throttle it way back for a stretch along 202. Coming back along Lake Sammamish Brian got his second wind and amazingly kept getting stronger and stronger. To his credit it must literally have been a case of running out of food and not fitness related. We stopped in Issaquah briefly so Brian could get a Snickers and Gatorade and combined with me fading it felt like he sped up massively again. Ouch.

I really crawled across the island and then took the shortest route home. No messing around with Madrona or Union today, no sir.
Equipment: Bianchi Volpe, 38/50, 12-25

With my new rear wheel! That's right, Martin finally gets off his ass and builds a new rear wheel - turns out I had a pair of rims sitting in my basement and only had to buy spokes. No more S-bend in the rim, nice.
road ride
Saturday, February 09, 2008 9:28:40 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 

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 Sunday, February 03, 2008
Saturday 2 February 2008 - ride
posted by: Martin
Hrs. Sleeping: 7
Pulse (waking):  
Pulse (rising):  
Difference:  
Weight:  
Body Fat:  
Time of Day: 7:45 am
Distance: 73 miles?
Time (total): 5 hours
Time (moving):  
Time (stopped):  
Speed (moving):  
Speed (overall):  
Total Ascent:  
Weather: upper 30s to start, dry, calm, around 40 at the finish
Workout Type: ride

Breakfast: cereal, banana
Lunch:  
Dinner:  
Workout Food: half a food bar, 5 scoops Perpetuem in one big bottle, 3 scoops HEED in another

Course: University Village, 23rd, Lake City Way, Log Boom Park, Hollywood Hill, Avondale, up Ames Lake, up Union Hill, Willows Road, Lake City, Interlaken, 19th, home
Results:  
Comments: First really hard hill today and all is well.

As we rode out of town on Lake City Way I saw Mick and Martha W heading south. Those guys sure ride a ton and are always in such good spirits about it! Something to aspire towards for sure.

Going up Hollywood Hill Greg K went to the front and upped the pace a bit. I had been chatting in the back with some other guys and when I saw this I went to bridge. Oof... It took a bit but I got on just as the hill starts to flatten out. As it turned left and kicked up Greg looked back, saw me and stood up and gassed it proper. I was afraid I was going to blow so I just increased my cadence and stayed in the saddle. After about 100 yards I caught him and then testosterone took over. Since I was only at 98 percent, I stood up and jumped by him. :) Ouch! I had to shift down and sit down in short order but I held the gap to top where it levels off again. What a lung burner.

Then we kind of dorked around and eventually descended down Avondale Road and headed south along the Carnation Valley and up Ames Lake and Union Hill. This time I decided to ride temp from the bottom and so went to the front right from the start. After a bit I looked back and I was alone so I upped the pace a little. Soon I was basically at my limit when what did I see just behind me but the shadow of a certain Tony B... Nice.

By now I was going basically as hard as I could without (hopefully) blowing sky high. This ascent has so many rollers and I always forget which one is the last one so I tried to peg it at around 90 percent or so. Accelerating out of the saddle was not an option this time so as the road leveled off some towards the top of Union Tony was able to come around me. But I grabbed his wheel and that little rest was just what I needed. After a few seconds I was able to come around him and then we swapped the lead a few times and just kept speeding up. This felt great!

Finally we got to the next intersection and doubled back to grab the rest of the bunch. I was tired but elated. And Tony seemed pretty ecstatic too - that's contagious. :)

I pulled a lot today and felt good on the hills - now I just need to be able to do this when the pace does not slow down so much on the flats.
Equipment: Bianchi Volpe, 38/50, 12-25
road ride
Sunday, February 03, 2008 5:00:01 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [4]  | 

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 Sunday, January 27, 2008
Sunday 27 January 2008 - ride
posted by: Martin
Hrs. Sleeping: 6
Pulse (waking):  
Pulse (rising):  
Difference:  
Weight:  
Body Fat:  
Time of Day: 7:30 am
Distance:  
Time (total): 4:15 or so
Time (moving): maybe 3:30?
Time (stopped):  
Speed (moving):  
Speed (overall):  
Total Ascent:  
Weather: mid 30s, a couple of sprinkles but then clearing, not much wind
Workout Type: Hank ride | team ride

Breakfast: smoothie
Lunch:  
Dinner:  
Workout Food: bar, 4 scoops Endurox R4 in one big bottle, 3 scoops HEED in another

Course: Hank ride - around Mercer Island counter-clockwise
team ride - Leschi, around Mercer Island counter-clockwise, north end of Lake WA via Juanita, Burke Gilman, Interlaken, 19th, home
Results:  
Comments: Ugh... the cold sure makes my legs heavy. Then again, yesterday when it was even colder I felt relatively good. So maybe I'm just tired from yesterday?

The Hank ride started out at the usual tempo and by 'usual' I mean as fast as John M wants to go. Today he was on a single speed bike with a 42x16 (he claimed it was a 39x16 but it sure looked larger to me based on how fast he was moving and pedaling...) and so when we were on the flats the pace was mercifully moderate. But on the first climb it was just as fast as always and I was sucking wind. Hard.

When I got back to Leschi only about eight people showed up so I suggested that we do something besides riding down Rainier and everyone liked it so we went around the north end of the lake and it was nice.

One funny story - after climbing a hill in Bellevue this woman on the ride was gasping for air and asked us to slow down as she could not shift to her small chainring and HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO SO FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS. I had her pull over right away and fixed it. Seems the shop she took her bike to had just left the cable tension way too tight and although the limit screw was okay, the cable prevented it from dropping down. Easy fix. Later on in the ride we started a descent and when this same woman tried to shift to her big chainring the chain fell off. I happened to be behind her and was passing as this happened and noticed that she was grabbing her brakes to stop and fix it. I yelled out, "Shift it back on slowly while you ride." and bingo, it came right back on. She was so stoked! As our group assembled at the bottom of the hill she turns toward me and deadpans, "Martin, I have so much to learn from you!" Oh man, I almost burst out laughing and at the same time felt somehow inappropriate. :)

After Juanita we decided to ride the trail home and guess what - it still sucks. Even when there are very few people on the trail like today when it's super cold out, the surface is so darn bumpy that it just is not fun to ride. Oh yeah, and we almost collided with this kid on his Big Wheel for crying out loud. When was the last time you saw one of those, eh?
Equipment: Bianchi Volpe, 38/50, 12-25
Man, my rear wheel is kinda bent and won't stay true anymore... I've only been able to milk it this long because I have disk brakes. Time to rebuild. Not bad for a wheel that is over 15 years old!
road ride
Sunday, January 27, 2008 10:21:48 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 

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 Saturday, January 26, 2008
Saturday 26 January 2008 - ride
posted by: Martin
Hrs. Sleeping: 5 (maybe...)
Pulse (waking):  
Pulse (rising):  
Difference:  
Weight:  
Body Fat:  
Time of Day: 8:10 am
Distance: 64 miles
Time (total): 4:00
Time (moving): 3:42
Time (stopped): 18 min
Speed (moving): 17.4 mph
Speed (overall): 16.1 mph
Total Ascent: 2913 feet
Weather: mid 20s at the start, mid 30s at the finish, dry at first, sprinkles at the end
Workout Type: road ride

Breakfast: 7:30 - cereal
Lunch: 3 tempeh 'tacos' (tempeh, dressing, tomatoes and lettuce in a pita), chips, avocado
Dinner:  
Workout Food: bar, 4 scoops Endurox R4 in one big bottle and 3 scoops HEED in another

Course: Leschi, Seward Park, Rainier, Renton, Jones Rd, up Cedar Grove, left on Issaquah-Hobart, up Tiger, right on Issaquah-Hobart, May Valley, down McDonald's hill, Renton, Rainier, Lake WA Blvd, Leschi, up Madrona, home
Results:  
Comments: God, I could not sleep last night... I woke up at about 3:30 and that was it. So I dorked around on the computer for a few hours after realizing sleep was futile and was about to head out for this 8:30 ride that a friend was organizing when I remembered the 8:00 am ride...! I got on the horn and called Greg K who graciously opted to head south and pick me up instead of going north as was his original plan. Am I a lucky guy or what.

I got out of the house at about 8:10 and Greg had said to meet him at Leschi at 8:20. I'm glad I made it.

It was so cold today. My legs felt slow and heavy and at first I thought that my brakes were rubbing. I had just put on new disk brake pads and when I sailed out of the driveway and got to the first red light I realized that I was not stopping... I had to back the adjusters all the way off to install the pads and had not screwed them back down. Crap. I almost literally had to drag a foot as my brake levers were against my bars and my velocity was only changing ever so slightly.

Once I survived that boner maneuver I pulled over and cranked 'em right down. Like too much. So when I got to Leschi the first thing I did was adjust them as best I could. I got it pretty close but in my head my pads were still rubbing ever so slightly. Okay, I could hear them so they were rubbing, just not very much. :)

The pace was a tiny bit faster today than the last few weeks which was good. I needed that. Going up Cedar Grove the group split up a little but that is such a short hill and we got back together right away. Going up Tiger was a different story. I thought I was going to be slow but Greg got on the front and set a steady tempo that separated him, me and Paul from the rest pretty quick. And it felt fine. About half way up I was able to ride past Greg and we dropped Paul on the first steep pitch.

ASIDE - I was noticing that I was breathing almost half as rapidly as Greg. That's not to say I was not out of breath, but Greg was kind of panting super fast.

At the top we waited for everyone and then descended. It was WARM at the top of Tiger. And it lasted almost all the way back down to Issaquah-Hobart.

On May Valley we fell apart. Greg suggested we rotate and it just didn't happen. Gaps opened up, the pace was too fast and then too slow - good grief.

By the time we go to Seward again I was very tired. It seems I can only go about three hours and then I fold. Maybe it's because I only ride for a little over three hours...? You think?

A good ride - super company.
Equipment: Bianchi Volpe, 38/50, 12-25
road ride
Saturday, January 26, 2008 7:44:38 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 

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 Saturday, January 19, 2008
Saturday 19 January 2008 - ride
posted by: Martin
Hrs. Sleeping: 6
Pulse (waking):  
Pulse (rising):  
Difference:  
Weight:  
Body Fat:  
Time of Day: 8:00 am
Distance: 58 miles
Time (total): 4:24
Time (moving): 3:59
Time (stopped): 25 min
Speed (moving): 14.6 mph
Speed (overall): 13.3 mph
Total Ascent: 5401 feet
Weather: 40 (it felt colder at times), overcast, mostly dry with some sprinkles at the end
Workout Type: ride

Breakfast: smoothie
Lunch: 2 helpings of coffee cake with fruit
Dinner: veggie stir fry, pita, humus, salad, 2 big beers
Workout Food: 4 scoops Endurox in one big bottle, 3 scoops HEED in another

Course: University Village, Leschi, across Mercer Island, Newport, up 164th, up Cougar Mountain, down the zoo road, Issaquah, up Squak (Wildwood Blvd), back down, Newport, up Montreux (NW Village Park Dr), up Lakemont Blvd, Newcastle Golf Rd, Coal Creek, across Mercer Island, Leschi, Madrona, Union, home
Results:  
Comments: I think I've figured out how to dress for these damp, cold days! I go with a long sleeve undershirt, a short sleeve jersey, a long sleeve jersey and a vest for a wind block. On my legs I go with roubaix-weight leg warmers over roubaix-weight knickers and top it off with shoe covers and Gortex lobster mits over my OR Gripper gloves and a cap under my helmet. Can't forget the cap... it helps a lot! I was quite comfortable today.

It was a super bunch today. All the usuals (Greg, Brian, Jim, Tony) were there. We rode pretty slowly between the hills and on the hills everyone went their own tempo. For some reason I was going up the hills faster than everyone else but I know Greg and Tony and maybe one other person could have beaten me, they must have been holding back. But I wasn't going super hard, just a steady, moderate speed. And I kept it up for all three hills so I know I was not digging that deep.

I've decided Brian S is the king of not being able to pace himself. He always starts out too fast and then when he dies it's a spectacular death and he has to slow way down. Today he said he was pretty hung over and so in an effort to get rid of the poison he went up Newport with a little more passion than everyone else. Sure enough, when we got to the first real hill he was back in the bunch and then on the second hill he was at the back. These things take time to learn I guess...

On our way up Cougar this new guy Paul and I went all the way to the top. That's twice to the tippy top for me in as many months! I never did this last year at all.

On the descent I was miles ahead of everyone. Because of all the snow and ice the road was very heavily sanded but my disk brakes made it no problem. And I did not freeze! Almost everyone else was complaining of the cold after the descent and my hands and feet were just fine.

As we rode away I noticed I had a flat, crap. Everyone got a head start and Tony, Paul and Brian waited for me. Squak was fine, just churning it out and whereas on Cougar Paul was going like gangbusters, this time he fell back a bit towards the top and it was Tony that summited with me.

I had forgotten just how steep it is to ride up through Montreux... damn. My 38x25 had been okay so far but there I was wishing I had a 27.

I didn't really start to feel beat down until we headed back across the lake. Then it always sinks in. Madrona was ridden slowly as was Union. But I was super happy with the way I went up the big hills. To quote Ice Cube, "It was a good day".
Equipment: Bianchi Volpe, 38/50, 12-25
road ride
Saturday, January 19, 2008 4:37:22 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [1]  | 

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 Monday, January 14, 2008
Sunday 13 January 2008 - ride
posted by: Martin
Hrs. Sleeping: 6
Pulse (waking):  
Pulse (rising):  
Difference:  
Weight:  
Body Fat:  
Time of Day: 8:00 am
Distance: 58 miles
Time (total): 4:10
Time (moving): 3:35
Time (stopped): 36 min
Speed (moving): 16.1 mph
Speed (overall): 13.8 mph
Total Ascent: 3139 feet
Weather: mid 40s, dry, sun, calm
Workout Type: ride

Breakfast: cereal, Clif Builder's bar
Lunch:  
Dinner:  
Workout Food: Clif Builder's bar, 4 scoops Endurox in one big bottle, 3 scoops Heed in another

Course: Hec Ed, Log Boom Park, Norway hill, Simonds Road, Juanita, Bellevue, around the south end of Lake WA, Rainier, Lake WA Blvd, up Lake Park Dr, up 31st, home
Results:  
Comments: The weather today was outrageous! The sun seemed almost out of place. We enjoyed it and rode rather slow today which was fine with me. It was a big social, outing.

I ended up being first to the top of all the hills but towards the end I was so flat. Oh man, I was ready to call a cab once we got to Rainier Ave.

Today I tried to ride somewhat larger gears on all the hills to hopefully gain some strength. I think it just left me dead.
Equipment: Bianchi Volpe, 38/50, 12-25
road ride
Monday, January 14, 2008 3:51:38 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 

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 Sunday, January 13, 2008
Saturday 12 January 2008 - ride
posted by: Martin
Hrs. Sleeping: 5
Pulse (waking):  
Pulse (rising):  
Difference:  
Weight:  
Body Fat:  
Time of Day: 8:00 am
Distance: 63 miles
Time (total): 4:12
Time (moving): 3:35
Time (stopped): 37 min
Speed (moving): 15.9 mph
Speed (overall): 13.8 mph
Total Ascent: 3815 feet
Weather: started out mid 40s, pouring rain and finished in upper 40s and dry with some spotty sun
Workout Type: ride

Breakfast: cereal, kefir
Lunch: fried egg, 4 pieces Wasa bread, cheese, apple butter, pasta, garbanzo beans, sauce
Dinner:  
Workout Food: 4 scoops Endurox in one big bottle, 3 scoops Heed in another

Course: University Village, Leschi, around Mercer Island, Newport, up 164th, up Cougar, down Cougar, up to Newcastle Golf Club, Coal Creek to 405, Lake WA Blvd, Coulon Park, Rainier, Seward, Lake WA Blvd, Leschi, Madrona, Union, home
Results:  
Comments: I'm learning that Martin + bed does not always = sleep. :( Man, I woke up at 5 again today...? Maybe the weekdays program my body or something and then on the weekend I just can't figure out how to relax.

I met the gang at University Village and we headed south to pick up Brian at Leschi. From there it was counter-clockwise around Mercer Island and then half of the bunch had to head back home so just Greg K and Brian S and I carried on.

By now the weather had mellowed out but I was dogging it! My legs felt like lead and every hill was a bit of a chore for sure. Greg had tweaked his neck last night and was riding really slowly and Brian was also tired from something or other so I was the first to the summits but it felt like I was going at 70 percent.

We decided to ride up Cougar. I got to the saddle and was looping back when Brian rode up and gestured towards the summit... It ended up being a good thing actually, I would not have done that extra .25 miles on my own and it's always nice to feel like you did it all. From there we rode back down to meet Greg and then went up to the Newcastle Golf Club.

Evidently, Greg had access to some amphetamine in this transition as he blasted up the road to the golf club. At first I was in disbelief and then I tried to catch him. I was totally pegged in the saddle and only gaining ever so slightly. As the summit approached I knew I was going to have to do something to I stood up, shifted up and just managed to pull even as we crested the summit. Holy crap. What an effort.

Then we noodled home. Thank god.
Equipment: Bianchi Volpe, 38/50, 12-25
road ride
Sunday, January 13, 2008 3:38:07 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 

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 Sunday, December 30, 2007
Sunday 30 December 2007 - ride
posted by: Martin
Hrs. Sleeping: 7
Pulse (waking):  
Pulse (rising):  
Difference:  
Weight:  
Body Fat:  
Time of Day: 9:00 am
Distance: 44 miles
Total Time: 3:00 (moving 2:31)
Speed: 14.4 mph (moving 17.3 mph)
Total Ascent: 1899 feet
Weather: upper 30s, dry, slight breeze, mostly cloudy
Workout Type: ride

Breakfast: smoothie
Lunch: chocolate, burrito, carrot juice
Dinner:  
Workout Food: 4 scoops Endurox in one big bottle, 3 scoops Heed in another

Course: Leschi, Seward, Renton, Lake WA Blvd, around Mercer Island, up Madrona, through the Arboretum, Interlaken, 19th, home
Results:  
Comments: Another weather window - what luck!

Attendance for the team ride today was pretty sparse (go figure, it's cold out and it's the holidays) but those that showed up were fun. Greg and Suzie K were there, Brian G was there, Tony B was there and Bill B was there.

The pace was nice and mellow until we got the island and then it started ramping up. Due entirely to the efforts of Greg who was "feeling great". At first when the pace was not so high Greg was never off the front. We would rotate on the right side and he would just sit there on our left and keep pace. After the pace picked up another notch and Greg got back on the front I tried to ride alongside him but the burned me off in about two miles and I was forced back in line.

Of course Brian was also pretty on form so whenever it was his turn to pull the pace did not drop at all. The times I was in front I gradually slowed and then the line just came around me. :( On the very last incline before the longish descent coming up West Mercer Way Greg had just pulled for what seemed like ages. Brian got out of the saddle and jammed up this short hill and it was I could do to just hang on to his wheel. Greg held mine no problem. We dropped everyone else. Nice.

At the bottom of this descent you have the option of going up a longer, gradual climb or bailing out and getting on the bridge as soon as possible. Greg shouts out, "I'm going up!" Ouch. I Held on for about half of the hill and then started to fade back. Near the top Brian got out of the saddle to beat Greg but it looked hard.

By the time we went up Madrona it was just Greg, Suzie, Jill and myself. Jill was slightly ahead of Suzie and Greg says something to the affect of, "Don't let he beat you Suzie...!" so it was another sprint to the top. The KOM victory must have inspired Suzie because through the Arboretum she was right on my wheel. Greg pulled for a bit, then I took over and then Greg blew by me too fast for me latch on. NO problem for Suzie though! And then she sprinted by him to win the bridge prime!

All I could do then was crawl home. I better hurry up and downgrade.
Equipment: Bianchi Volpe, 38/50, 12-25
road ride
Sunday, December 30, 2007 2:13:40 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)  #    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  | 

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 Saturday, December 29, 2007
Saturday 29 December 2007 - ride
posted by: Martin
Hrs. Sleeping: 6
Pulse (waking):  
Pulse (rising):  
Difference:  
Weight: