The Suitcase of Courage

Ready or Not . . .

My final appointment with the orthopaedist was yesterday and he said the collarbone "is healing nicely."  It's about 85% healed, but it'll take about a year to be totally back to normal.  I asked him if he was clearing me to race and - not unexpectedly I suppose - he didn't answer me directly.

"Just don't crash because if you do, it will break again."

He apparently needs a better understanding of crit racing.

So, since I've been planning on doing the Naugatuck race for a while now, and there's only one more crit after this for the season, I'm going to go ahead and race at Naugatuck tomorrow.

Wish me luck - and give me a wide berth in the corners, 'k?

Cycling Fun Friday

In the tradition of Why Cycle Wednesday, and also inspired in part by Jim's Friday Morning Pick Me Ups, this is the first of a new series - "Cycling Fun Friday."  This will be an occasional posting of fun things I've found during my travels through web and blog land.

The first item from our bag of fun is a follow-up to this week's WCW.  If you enjoyed that video - and who wouldn't - you'll love this MUCH longer (10 min.!) version.  Just be sure you have iTunes installed, since the URL opens the iTunes store where you get the free download.  You'll need to choose "Tour de France: Best footage ever?  Apple TV version" - it's choice #3 in the list (at least on my computer).  Once it downloads, play it - full screen, with the volume cranked up.  This longer version has a KICKIN' section toward the end set to "Keep Hope Alive" by The Crystal Method.

If you don't want to go racing after seeing this video, have someone check your pulse cuz you ain't alive.

The second item from the Fun Bag (as opposed to the Hurt Bag) . . .

Yes boys and girls - it's

Phil & Paul Bingo!

This came courtesy Mrs. Suitcase - she's part of the Tour de France KAL and has come across some cool fun stuff - including Ribby Man.  He has to be seen to be believed.  These knitters are a stitch! (sorry, couldn't resist.  It's Friday)

And finally - courtesy of CommuteByBike.com - is a neat little widget that shows how much you can save in gas alone by riding your bike to work.  Of course, this is in addition to all the calories you'll save.

 

And wouldn't we all MUCH rather eat an ice cream sundae on these nice summer days than feeding our car more liquid gold?

Thought so!

It was so good, I added it to the upper-right corner of the site (in place of my ranking . . .hmmm  . . .).

Speaking of adding new content, check the left side of the site under "Recent Reads" for my 3-sentence review of "Roadie" - and also a GREAT (though perhaps immodest) new photo of yours truly, taken by Sarah at the Plainville crit last year.

Hope you enjoy these little diversions - and be sure to let me know if you have anything to contribute to the Bag o' Fun.

And whether you're training, racing, or just enjoying a nice summer ride, have a wonderful weekend!

Why Cycle Wednesday

Speaks for itself . . .

Courtesy Carlton Reid and Quickrelease.tv

If anybody knows what the music is, I'd be much obliged.

I think the song may be "A Kaleidoscope of Mathematics" by James Horner which is from the "A Beautiful Mind" soundtrack.

Vive La Tour!

Just Missed It

Despite the many miles logged last week, I just missed my week (weak?) record of over 220 for the week.  Admittedly, I didn't end up riding yesterday - and that 220 was due primarily to my GYGIG ride last year - so I know I could have set a new PR.  Maybe soon . . .

But certainly not this week.  The "plan" (or what suffices for my so-called training plan lately) was to ride max miles this past week and then scale way back this week (my version of a "taper").  I go to the orthopedist on Friday and I'm expecting him to clear me to race.  Good thing, since I hope to race the Naugatuck crit next Sunday.  It'll be my first race since crashing Memorial Day weekend.

Hopefully I'll have better luck.

This past week has been a blast though, riding-wise:

• I got out on my first group ride in a long time on Tuesday night - and it was very fast (great descents).
• Then on Thursday I rode to work and back - setting a PR of 19.3mph avg for the 42 mi return trip.
• Friday, I had a great ride with coworkers Larry (on his first new bike in 35 yrs) and Rick (on the bike he rode across America a few yrs back).
• And Saturday, Guido came over to join me for what was going to be a long, quick ride, turned into a more-liesurely shorter ride, and ended up being a liesurely long ride.  But my legs were still pretty shot from all the riding last week - and the additional climbing I hadn't expected.

And the reason I "just missed" my PR for weekly miles this week?

This is what I did instead of riding yesterday.  Let's just call it a rest day.

Hope you had a great weekend!

Means of Masochism

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, one definition of masochism is "a willingness or tendency to subject oneself to unpleasant or trying experiences."

I'm surprised it didn't add - "see, Cyclist"

I'd been looking forward all week to today since it was forecast to be the first really nice day of the week and, therefore, I planned to ride my bike to work.  By "plan" I mean I actually tried the "Public Transit Combo" approach to my commute - but without the public transit.  I had to drive in to work yesterday since I had an office function I had to attend last night, so I took an extra set of office clothes, extra set of cycling clothes, and shower stuff and left them in the office locker.  Plan was to ride in this morning enjoying the lack of backpack or panniers (and their extra weight).

There were only a few minor problems with this plan as things developed.

1. I had more fun at the office function than I expected to.
2. Consequently, I ate far more than I (or any other rational person) should have - and followed it up with a cappuccino - and about 5 more cups of coffee.
3. And I stayed much later than planned.

I got to bed about 12:30 (actually not too far off from my "usual bedtime") despite needing to get up at 4:30 to be on the road by 5 and into work at around 7:30 or so.  But the coffee(S) decided I needed only about 90 minutes of sleep.  And the Crohns decided it didn't like all that I ate.  So after spending most of the night either in the bathroom or tossing & turning, I figured I wouldn't be able to get any sleep anyway, so I got up.

Any sane person, given similar circumstances and the fact it's a work day, would probably either (in order of relative desirability):

1. Call in sick.
2. Go in late.
3. Take the bus/van in.
4. Drive in.

Notice what isn't on this list.  Here's where our definition comes into play.

For the masochist cyclist, there is - of course - a 5th option:

5. Ride your bike into work as planned you wimp no matter how far it is or how bad you feel.

And did I mention it was a BEAUTIFUL morning this morning?  And, no, I am not a "morning person" (of course.  It would be too easy if I were).

But I figured the LAST thing I needed was to hang around in a lot of still, heavy, humid, hot air and get queasier and greener.

So onto my bike I got.  And the cool breeze in the face was, as they say, just what the doctor ordered.

Of course, it was a headwind.  And I loved it.

Biking to Work:Long Distance Commuting

(We interrupt our regularly-scheduled Why Cycle Wednesday to bring you this Special Presentation)

There was a lot of ink/pixels expended on Bike to Work Week and Bike to Work Day this year, but I noticed that most of those stories had to do with commutes of up to 10 miles or so.  IMHO, if your commute is less than 5 miles, you really should give biking-to-work a try.  All you need is a bike, preferably with a chainguard and fenders (to keep your clothes clean) and a backpack to carry your stuff.  You can just substitute a bike for your car and a backpack for your briefcase.  Admittedly, it's not quite as professional looking as your BMW and Coach bag, but you can look WAY cooler.

Check it out.

If your commute is over 5 miles to, say, 10 miles or so, it starts to get a little more complicated.  The weather can change a bit in that distance (especially in New England).  Maybe you wear "junkie" clothes and carry your nice work clothes on a rear rack in saddlebags.  Or maybe you just want to be extra prepared for any kind of weather/mishap and/or need to carry a lot of stuff.  If so, a backpack may not cut it (despite my experience last year).  You'll probably want a rack and panniers.

I don't want to repeat all the other good tips/advice/guidance for those "normal" commuters - which I would define as those that ride up to 10 miles one way to work - that's been much more ably covered here, here, and here.  Incidentally, the BEST overall go-to site I've found for this sort of thing is here.

But if your one-way commute is over 10-20 miles, read on for what I hope you'll agree is some helpful information.

First off, let me admit that I do NOT regularly ride my bike to work.  I've done it three times (so far).  So I'm certainly no expert.  But with a commute that is over 40 miles one-way, I've learned a lot - and made a lot of mistakes - so you can build on my experience and tackle a long bike commute yourself, even if only occasionally.

"Normal" Commute

Riding to the office in the morning - Riding back home in the evening.

The first time I rode my bike to work, I tried to do it the "normal" way: I packed all my stuff in a backpack and rode in.  The only modification from the "5 mile commuter" was that I wore cycling clothes (riding 80 miles in your Dockers ain't gonna be comfortable).  I didn't have to plan ahead that much, since I was carrying everything I needed with me (shower stuff, change of clothes, etc).  If you want to know what NOT to do on a long 1-day round trip commute - as well as get some tips on what works well - read my account here.

I did this again recently, but this time with a rack and panniers.  The "panniers" I use is actually a small garment bag that fits on a bike rack - perfect if your job requires a suit - and has room for all I need to carry.  Only challenge was "hybridizing" my racing bike into a touring bike(?!)  But based on a comment from Adam, I got a seatpost rack and was in business.

Not exactly race-ready, but one of the fastest "commuting" bikes you'll see . . .

 

Upside: you got everything with you.  Downside: This rig almost doubles the weight of the bike, adding 14 pounds.  The panniers themselves are heavier than the backpack and of course there's the weight of the rack.  But at least it's off your back - especially nice during the hot summer weather.

Just keep in mind that your bike will handle MUCH differently with this setup.  You won't want to get out of the saddle and swing the bike from side to side - very unstable.  And be careful going too fast around corners until you're used to it.

Of course, going uphill will be MUCH harder too - but just think how fast you'll (think you'll) be when you strip off all that stuff to race!

"Hybrid" Commute

Driving in, Riding Home/Riding in, Driving Home

Last month, I tried something different - which long-distance commuters (who are also weight weenies) may find easier to do.  I drove in to work one day with everything I needed, and rode my bike home that evening (leaving the car at work).  I then rode my bike back to work the next morning and drove everything home at the end of the (second) day.

The beauty of this is that your car is moving everything, rather than your legs.  Drive in all dressed for work, but pack your gear as if you're going for a ride after work (er, cuz that's what you're doing).  Just be sure to pack the next day's work clothes and shower stuff (if you plan to shower after your ride back into work the next morning - recommended, according to your office mates).  Drive everything home the next day after work.

Only downside I can think of is that it requires you to drive in - a problem if you either don't have a car or the whole point of riding in is to save gas.  But you DO only do one round trip over the course of two days, saving a day of driving.

And you get to spread out your commute over two days as well, making this a great way to ease into the longer commutes.

Public Transit Combo

For those of you that usually carpool or take the bus rather than drive, you can do a combination of the "Normal" and "Hybrid" commutes.  Just take all your stuff (except your bike of course) in with you the day before Ride Day, but be sure to pack an extra set of cycling clothes since you'll be riding to AND from work as on a normal commute.  Bring your stuff back home the day after Ride Day.  This requires a bit more planning ahead, but you won't have to haul an extra 14 pounds on your bike either.

And how much is THAT worth to a weight weenie?

I'll probably try this approach next time - and will let you know if I forgot anything . . .

"Half" Commute

Driving in part way, riding the rest of the way

I've heard that many people do long commutes this way, but I haven't tried.  The reason is simple.  By far the quietest and most scenic part of my commute is between my house and the half-way point to the office.  Check out my pics if you want to see what I mean.  If I drove to the half-way point and rode in from there, I'd have only the busy, noisy (relatively) urban part of the commute to ride on.  And it's not worth the trouble, to me anyway, of driving part way.  1/2 way to work for me is only 20 miles - and I don't have to figure out a safe, secure place to park my truck during the day.

But it IS another option - and would be preferred if the latter 1/2 of the route is better for biking.  Drive through all the bad bits and save the good bits for your bike.

So there you have it - some additional options for getting to work by bike.  For more tips/info, check out my new category on commuting (right side of site, scroll down).  I'd love to hear from others who've beeing riding their bikes to work - no matter what the distance.  And remember, it doesn't have to be a political statement - or even due to the high gas prices.  If you just love to ride, and want to get some massive miles in without a huge additional sacrifice of time, give bike commuting a try.

Weekend Fun

Mrs. Suitcase and I had another fun summer weekend - though it did require some minor modification given the forecast (which could never make up its mind what it wanted to do).

Ever since I had to postpone a planned Memorial Day group ride, I'd been looking forward to finally getting to do it the Saturday of Independence Day weekend.  As my first group ride since breaking my collarbone, I was especially looking forward to wearing my new "Great Comebacks" jersey that I had gotten from a friend at the GYGIG ride last month.  While I didn't feel quite worthy of the jersey (having never had ostomy surgery), I did want to raise awareness.  And I thought it would be cool to commemorate a small comeback of my own.

So we invited a bunch of folks to ride, and Mrs. Suitcase had the brilliant idea of morphing the ride into more of a ride/party so non-riders could come too - including some of her friends participating in the Tour de France Knitalong (seeing as how Le Tour was starting the same day).

Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate.  While we were able to get a ride around Cornfield Point on Friday, Saturday morning greeted us with rain.  So I had to scramble to call off the ride part of the party and have folks come over later.

Cornfield Point

Castle Inn, now a private residence

I should have just "cancelled" on Friday since it seemed as soon as I'd let everyone know the ride was off, it stopped raining - and didn't do any more than sprinkle the whole rest of the day.  I actually think I saw the sun at one point in the afternoon.

Thankfully, our friends were understanding and enthusiastic about getting together and watching the Tour despite not getting to ride.  It was fun to see the racers (SDC, Hobgoblin, Dorothy) explain to the non-racers what was going on - and the race was exciting enough to rival some of the energy of a Super Bowl Sunday (but, admittedly, without the great commercials).  We even got the special treat of an actual racer in full kit joining us part-way through - Guido on his way back from racing Fitchburg earlier in the day(!).

It was really great to have so many good friends - new and old - join us for the day and promise to get together again for the "raincheck" ride. 

After everybody said their goodbyes - and seeing that it STILL was not raining, and there was a little daylight left - I got on my bike, leaving my Great Comebacks jersey in the bag for now, and did a short, but hard, ride around town.

Sunday was even stranger weather-wise.  Same forecast as the previous few days - "Thundershowers" - so we planned on going to the Florence Griswold museum to see the Impressionists in Giverny exhibit - perfect for a rainy day.

But it didn't rain.  So instead of being limited to just the indoor exhibits, we were able to get out to see the gardens and the rest of the estate.  The view of the river behind the museum was amazing - probably hasn't changed much in over 100 years.

As an aside, Old Lyme - which is where the "FloGris" is located - is just across the river from us and definitely worth a visit.  I've posted a few pics from my rides through the area, which has an impressive collection of old New England homes and churches.  It even has a great little ice cream and sandwich shop - perfect for an after-museum snack (and they make a killer strawberry malt milkshake - ask me how I know).

Having eaten WAY too much over the previous 36 hours - not to mention the ice cream and milkshakes - we got out for one last ride of the weekend, and caught that rare (lately) summer visitor - the sun - before he dropped behind the horizon on North Cove.

All in all, a very busy - but wonderful - weekend.

Rainy agrees.

 

 

Weekly Update

Just had another wonderful weekend with family & friends - including a Tour de France party on Saturday and a visit to a museum on Sunday.  More details later - stay tuned!

Did just want to do a quick update on the mileage since I broke through a couple barriers this week.

Despite the weather - which was volatile at best - and the fact that I didn't get to do long rides Fri/Sat/Sun as planned, I still was able not only to post my highest weekly miles so far this year, but I broke through 2000 miles total for the year as well - pretty good I think considering I had to be off the bike so much in June.

Check it out:

Dip in February due to sickness; big dip in June due to broken collarbone.

It's amazing how many miles you can get in when you ride your bike to work - which I was able to do Wednesday.  Very cool.  If the weather cooperates this coming week, I hope to do even more miles - just in time for a low-miles week/taper for (possibly) the Naugatuck Crit July 20.  Fingers crossed for the OK from the orthopedist next Friday . . .

Hope you all had a good weekend too - looking forward to reading up on all the weekend ridin' & racin'!

River Valley Tour

As soon as I got the all-clear last week to get back on road, I knew exactly what ride I wanted to do.  It takes my favorite part of the Essex loop, mixes it with a trip over one of the oldest swing span bridges in the country (by the Goodspeed Opera House, a Victorian gem), and adds a ride on a ferry over the Connecticut river (with views of Gillette Castle).

Here's a map of the route to orient you:

I got off work just a little early that day so I could do a much-needed lawn mowing.  When I saw what time it was when I finished, I thought my plans were toast - I figured the ferry would be closed.  But a quick check of the 'net indicted that it was open until 645p - so I had just enough time to get on my bike and see if I could make it . . .

I saw this church along the way in Deep River and couldn't resist stopping long enough to shoot it (all pics from the camera phone).

Got to the ferry - UGH!!!  Just missed it.  That's it, going away.  Fortunately, I was witnessing the SECOND to the last trip.  So I waited for it to return and get me to the other side of the river.

4 quarters later, I was able to walk aboard with my bike and enjoy the ride across.  That's Gillette Castle up on the hill, with a commanding view of the CT River valley.  This hill is the southernmost of a string of 7 hills dubbed "The Seven Sisters."  William Gillette, a famous actor from the turn-of-the-century most noted for his portrayals of Sherlock Holmes, built this 24 room mansion on a 120 acre estate.  It even had a small narrow-gauge railroad that clung to the cliffs - much to the dismay of his many guests. 

The Chester-Hadlyme ferry is the second oldest continuously operated ferry service in the country, but folks are attracted primarily by the views.  That's Hadlyme landing in the distance.

Southerly view from the ferry down river.  The best 8 bits you'll ever spend.

One last view of the castle.

I've mentioned before how different the topography is on the "other" (east) side of the river compared to my side.  As soon as you get off the ferry, you're confronted with a decision presented by a fork in the road.  The choices are "up" or "up further."  I figured the "up further" route was just kidding - how bad could a road called "River Road" be?  If I tend to avoid roads with "hill" and "mountain" in the name - and for good reason - I figured a river road couldn't be all that bad.

It actually wasn't that bad, but it certainly wasn't flat.  Lots of moderate rollers that kept stepping up and up out of the river valley to Route 82.

82 is a busy, rolling road, but smooth with wide shoulders.  The payoff for your earlier effort comes as you head into East Haddam and the river once again - a nice long, somewhat steep, descent, with enough of a curve toward the end to test your cornering skills.

Just watch out for the cars that may be backed-up and stopped waiting for the bridge to close . . .

That's what's going on here.  The bridge had opened to let some boats through and the traffic was backed-up like rush hour.  But the delay gave me a chance to snap this silhouette of Goodspeed Opera House.

From this point, you head back across the river over the bridge (beware of the open steel grid deck) and back south.  Fortunately, you're only on busy Rt. 154 for a short while before you take a right.  And go up again (the price you pay for avoiding traffic).  But this route is MUCH quieter, rolling through rural farmland until you descend into the little village of Chester.

I was trying to beat the sundown home, so didn't get a pic - but hopefully this will give you a taste of the town (courtesy © Leif Nilsson - Nilsson Spring Street Studio and Gallery):

The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful - just doing tempo to get home quickly.  But, as if to punctuate such a great afternoon, I got a leadout toward the end . . .

Yes, a set of circumstances that would make SDC drool with anticipation presented itself to me in Centerbrook.  There, stopped at a red light, was one of those little (not full size) dump trucks usually used for landscaping.  I pulled up to it - just about 4 o'clock off the right - and hoped when the light changed he'd be going my way. . .

He did - and I slipped in behind enjoying the motorpacing all the way to the next light - almost a mile away.  Too bad the Garmin wasn't working right - I didn't dare look down to check my speed and it would have been nice to know.  I know it was fast.

All in all, this Tour of the Lower Connecticut River Valley is a pretty darn near perfect ride.  Let me know if you try this ride yourself sometime and, if you want someone to trade some pulls with, I'll definitely join you.

Serendipity

As part of a recent checkup, I needed to have some bloodwork done.  It just so happens, I drove in to work today because I have to leave early.  So I figured today would be a good day to go to the lab.

So out to the truck I go, in awe of what a perfect, sunny summer day it is, and regretting that I didn't just take the whole day off to ride (and do some stuff around the house, too, of course!), when I remember . . .

I brought my bike with me today so I could drop it off at the shop on the way home.

Maybe you can guess where this is going.

Yes, instead of driving the short distance to the lab, I rode my bike.  No Garmin, no HRM, no lycra or helmet (certainly not recommended, but you gotta seize the moment).  Nuthin' but the bike.  So I rolled up my pants and off I went.

I made a few discoveries along the way:

• Hartford city streets are among the worst on the planet (despite the stratospheric taxes. Go figure).
• Bluejeans are not an acceptable alternative to cycling shorts for riding (could a seam be more uncomfortably placed?).
• Despite the fact that I commuted in yesterday and needed a recovery ride, I was still tempted to keep up with traffic. And gave in.
• No matter how well you lock your bike in the city, you're still gonna worry about it.

So I get to the lab after an almost-perfect ride, lock up the bike, go in and take a number.  After a (thankfully) short wait, I'm called up and hand the gal my slip.

Unlike my regular monthly bloodwork, this one required me to fast.

Of course, I'd forgotten all about that.  Back on my bike I go, and ride back to the office.

Wasting time going to the lab: Frustrating.

Knowing you have to go back, and this time probably without your bike: Disappointing.

Getting to go for an unplanned, totally spontaneous bike ride in the middle of a workday morning:

Priceless.