Ride Report: Solstice Celebration Night Ride

What a night!  It certainly wasn’t the biggest of these rides we’ve ever done.  There were exactly five of us.  In no particular order, Scott, Wini, Dan, Chris, and I were there and ready at ride time.

It was certainly the coolest evening that we’ve had for this in many years.  The indicated temperature was 77^OF at ride time.  After several previous years of blistering drought, this was a most pleasant change.

Folks rode well, with pleasant bits of chatter and light laughter.  That even held while we climbed the infamous Rockaway Rd into Senoia.

The early evening threatening clouds were tattering and blowing away as we rode out of Peachtree City.  In fact, the scattering of some tattered layers of clouds made for a spectacular sunset, as we turned onto GA-54.

Minix Road was on our route.  We turned onto it, about five minutes after local sunset.

Minix Road.  I recall a story.  Some years ago, an individual who was then new to all this road cycling stuff was chatting with me.  This person had then just recently befun to make solo explorations of the local roads.  He was relating yet another, “I cheated death” story.  I was listening with about half an ear, as I worked on a customer’s bike.  And then my attention was captured.  The guy was telling me he’d ridden into Tyrone via Minix Road.  “It was incredible!”  he said,  “There’s this awful climb on that road!  Have you ever done that?”

I indicated that, yes, I’d done that, and yes, I knew it was a stiff climb.

“Oh yeah!”  my new friend said.  “There’s this stretch that’s two miles long, and it’s ten percent!”

Huh?  Let’s consider that for a moment.  If a grade is 10%, then one climbs 528 feet in every mile.  A two mile climb of 10% would mean a rise of 1,056 feet.  Consider, Stone Mountain rises 825 feet above the surrounding land, and it’s visible for a long way.  I was as gentle as I could be when I pointed out that, if there was, in fact, a rise of over 1,000 feet locally, it should be quite visible from Peachtree City.  No, there is no two mile long, 10% grade on Minix road.

However…  Minix Road is four miles long.  It is pretty much a climb the whole way.  On the right night it can feel like this

K2

Last night, for me at least, Minix Road certainly felt like we were climbing a mountain!

After Minix Road we turned onto Palmetto-Tyrone Road, which becomes Castlewood.  I must say the pavement on this road has deteriorated considerably in recent years.  Rattle-rattle banga-BANG!  And then there was that stinkin’ steep climb up Castlewood, into Tyrone.  Once we passed that, things were pretty much smooth sailing all the way into the end of the ride.

In sum:  We road 38.1 miles, in 2:45.  It didn’t rain.  We had no big bad scary incidents.  Folks behaved well, and rode well.  It was a bunch of fun.  And personally, I am so very glad to be “back in the saddle again”!  Thanks you all!

Tonight is (Maybe?) The Night

The topic is the Solstice Celebration Night Ride.  More specifically, are we going to do it or not?

First off, for newcomers, what’s this all about?  We do a series of night time rides throughout the year.  These rides occur on (or close) to the quarterly and cross-quarterly “cardinal” points in the year.  (Because, why not?)  We do them on the Monday nights closest to the actual dates, because the traffic is usually lighter.

The “Celebration Night Rides” are group rides.  The groups stays together.  The pace is conversational, but moderate.  These are not rides for beginners.  They require some experience in group riding, and they take place at night.  In the dark.

Riders are required to have and use the  following: 

• Helmets
• Reflective ankle bands
• Reflective vest or sash
• Headlight (good strong ones with at least a three hour burn time)
• Tail light  (again a good strong one that will last through the ride.)

We’ll be going out for approximately 40 miles, riding a big loop that circumnavigates our town.  Ride time is 7:30 (sharp)

It’s a road ride, and road bikes are strongly recommended.

NOW TO THE REASON FOR THIS POST:

These rides are intended to be fun.  They are listed as going “Rain or Shine.”  The problem is, there is a difference between rain and STORM.

Tonight’s route will be on some roads that carry some traffic.  There is a distinct possibility of storms.  The forecast says “Some possibly strong or violent.”  So here’s the drill.  Watch the South Side Cycling Club Calendar.   Here 

We’ll make a decision between 6:00 PM and 6:30 PM (if not sooner).  You don’t even have to be a club member to do this.  If you look at the calendar and see today you will see an entry that says “730 PM Solstice Night Ride”  If that entry turns red, then the ride is cancelled.  Otherwise it’s a go.

Otherwise… If you get to the Fred Amphitheater, in Peachtree City, and are ready to ride at 7:30 PM, and weather has turned awful, we won’t go.  We like to ride, and we aren’t afraid to get wet, but we won’t be stupid about it.

Here’s hoping, and hoping to see you there.

Aw S**t!!

A Diary of Injury Recovery

It’s been eight weeks since I went THUD and cracked a rib.  The rib only “twinges” a little bit when I exert.  Good progress indeed.  In the past week I’ve added a good  bit of harder work, more stretching, more core strength work, and some harder climbing intervals on the bike.  That last bit is both rewarding and frustrating.  The rewarding part has to do with being able to tolerate doing it at all.  The frustration derives from realizing how much I’ve lost in the last eight weeks.  On any climb worthy of the name, either my legs catch fire, or I run out of air.  (Sometimes both at once!)  It’s all very much to be expected after such a long enforced lay-off.

In fact, in a perverse way, it felt good to feel so bad.  Not that I have ever enjoyed being out of condition, but rather because I was starting to move forward again.

On Saturday, I did  “full commute.”  By that I mean I didn’t “cheat” and truck clothing and stuff to work the day before.  I did the ride on the heavy commuter, with a full load of clothing, cleanup stuff, foods, rain gear, lighting, and all the other paraphernalia.  Carrying that load was tough going, but I did manage it.  The rib didn’t protest.  I had the thought that I was now doing it again, “for real.”

And then…

Saturday was one frantically busy day in the bikeshop.  The weather was great.  People were coming in for repairs, or to pick up their club clothing orders, or to chat, or to look at bikes and gear.  It was hopping.  That wasn’t enough.  Thanks to a an odd artifact of the vacation schedule, we were short-handed.  So we were all just dashing about the place.

It was in the midst of that dashing that I tripped over something in the Tech Department.  I started to fall, and I was moving forward at a good clip.  In the floundering attempt to catch myself, I managed to kick something.  Kicked it hard.  The instantaneous breathtaking pain radiating from my left big toe, told me I’d done something not good.

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I’ve been around for a while.  In a busy and active life, I’ve sustained a fair number of injuries, some quite spectacular.  Over the years 58 years since I first broke a bone, I’ve developed a personal scale of pain.

1 = Background irritation, bee stings, mosquito bites, paper cuts

2 = “The Ouch Threshold”  It hurts,  but it won’t hurt for long.  Keep going.  This category includes things like inadvertent cuts, barked knuckles, fingers pinched in doors, blisters, and minor sunburn.

3 = Better stop and attend to that.  Deep cuts.  Hard hits.  More serious sunburn.  Plant toxin irritation.  Big wasp stings.  Things that require first aid and/or prompt minor medical attention.

4 =  GASP-YOWCH!!  Hard fall.s.  Big cuts.  Serious burns.

5 =  Stop right now and go to the ER!  This level of pain usually indicates a serious injury, a broken bone, something that must be attended to and/or stitched promptly.

6 =  Don’t ask, you don’t want to know.  Gunshot wounds.  Knife stabbings.  Falls from 20 feet or higher.  Dropping a motorcycle at speed.  Hitting a tree whilst riding a motorcycle.

If there is a pain level 7, I wouldn’t know, as I’m sure I’d be unconscious.

Unavoidable Digression Ends>>

My Saturday toe-kick injury was somewhere around a 4.5 on my personal scale.  Sharp enough to make me believe I just might have broken my toe.

I hobbled my way through the rest of the day, and then prepared to ride home.

I have good coworkers.  They were concerned about me.  I was offered a ride home.  I want to thank them now.  (Thanks you two!)  I told them, “Usually, if I can make it into the saddle, I’ll be alright.”

I made it into the saddle.  (Although pulling my shoe off, and then shoving my foot into a riding shoe took me up the the gasping 4.75 on the pain scale.)  Oddly, once into the stiff riding shoe, my toe felt a bit better.  I did ride home.  All the way I was thinking,  “Please don’t be broken!  Please!  I do not want to extend my layoff any longer!”

Given the level of pain, there was a very real possibility that I had broken at least one bone in there.  I was as close to depression as I ever come.  The thought of prolonging recuperation and further deconditioning was just miserable.

I’m happy to report that the toe is not broken.  No broken bones at all.  The swelling has gone down, and the toe has turned some really impressive colors, but it’s getting better by the hour.  (Sweet relief!)  I’m good to go again.  So this will be the last post in the injury recovery series.  Time to move on, and get stronger!

Bon Chance, et Bon Route!

Imps & Demons

Folks, this one isn’t about cycling, it’s about this blog.  You may have noticed that I keep getting these almost plausible comments.  But on examination, they seem to have a touch of the old “Nigerian scam email” about them.  More, they always reference another website.

I’m frustrated.  It’s taking a lot of time to knock these things off of the site.  If any of you know more about how to combat this, please feel free to post me on it.

I urge you not to follow any links that anyone puts up in the comments.

I am very close to disabling the comments function.  This stuff has to stop.

In an attempt to deal with the situation, I’ve made some changes to the background settings.  I’d appreciate it if some of you readers would help out here.  I’d like a couple of comments from real people.  Please post something.  If it doesn’t show up, would you please email me?  Thanks.

I Hate following my own advice!

A Diary of Injury Recovery

Seven weeks ago, I went THUD and cracked a rib.  I’m “happy” to report that things are on track for recovery.

I am pretty sure I turned the corner in this last week.  Here’s a review.  I have gained some unwanted weight, thanks to the reduced activity levels.  I’ve lost a surprising amount of aerobic condition.  On the other hand, the rib is healing nicely, and I find I am capable of accepting increased training loads.  Not increased over previous norms, mind you, but definitely an improvement.

In the past week I reduced overall volume somewhat, from the “maintenance level” I had worked up.  At the same time I added a bit of increased effort.  How much?  Not much at all, but it’s a start. 

Here’s what I did:

• Increased stretching routine to about 2/3 of pre-crash levels.
• Began limited core/abs strength training, 10 minutes per day, 4 days per week
• Added two short hill drill interval sessions, of about 15 minutes each
• Used the fixed gear bike for two hours on one day.
• Rode 10 hours at low cardio levels, distributed over 6 days.

Folks, I’m here to tell you, by early Sunday afternoon, I had the thought that I just might have overcooked it a bit!  By the end of a very modest two hours of riding, I was feeling cooked.  I am happy to say that the feeling did not last.  Recovery and rest took me back to a happy state.

That sketch of the effort doesn’t look like much, does it?  But it’s a good start.  I’ll increase this coming week.  It’s time to reduce the unwanted weight, and increase the aerobic capacity again.  But gently.  Very gently.