The Suitcase of Courage

Cape Cod Training Camp(?)

Strange - I'm beginning this post the same way I ended the last post.  But believe it or not, this is a totally different picture of a different day.  Yes, there have been only TWO snow days so far this year, and I got a pic of each of them.

This picture is more special though since it was shot on the morning of our trip to Chatham, MA out on the "elbow" of Cape Cod.  I'd promised Mrs. Suitcase a little 3 day weekend away for her birthday and - bonus! - I got to take my bike.  But seeing this snow shocker when we woke up prompted me to get a trainer ride in before we left.

Good thing - all the way up that Friday it was snowy and rainy.  Just as well - I'd gotten my workout in and could take the rest of the day off to read & nap at the B&B.

The next day was cold but sunny.  And - as I was to find out - VERY windy.  The Mrs. had plans for the afternoon and I took advantage of the time to get out for a ride.  This is the shot of the bike at the B&B - "B&B&B" as Velomonkey pointed out.

I rode west into the wind toward Harwich on the Chatham branch of the CCRT (Cape Cod Rail Trail), averaging a bit over 14 mph for a lot of effort.  But as I turned at the Harwich rotary (yes, even rail trails in Massachusetts have rotaries) and headed northeast to Orleans, I had mostly a tailwind.

Nice.

After a stop and a chat with Jahn at Idle Times Bike Shop, I headed back south along Rt. 28 to Chatham.  Despite the cold and wind, the scene above was MUCH nicer than the scene last time I rode here:

(taken from SDC's helmet cam/blog) 

Well, that was summer time (more crowded) and, um, northbound.

Anyway, I had no incidents this time and was happy to get the pretty pic along Little Pleasant Bay.

I was even happier to get back to the Mrs and enjoy reading by the fire back at the B&B.  I'd only ridden 32 miles, but it was a nice triangle route and - given the wind - was enough of a workout for the day.  Click here for the route map and details.

We had to check out the next morning, so I needed to get up extra early if I wanted to get one more ride in.  Which I did.  But it was a LOT colder and - unbelieveably - even MORE windy than the previous day.  I only rode 12.5 miles and was out about an hour, but I got to explore a lot of the local roads and side streets in Chatham and got some great pics.  The one above is of the lighthouse - well, one of the lighthouses.  As I discovered later, like Old Saybrook, Chatham has two of them.

This is down by the Chatham Fish Market.  Many of the boats were already gone fishin', but these pleasure craft were still bobbing around with the sunrise.

Another shot up the beach a ways.  The wind was so strong here I almost got blown over while I was trying to aim the camera.

I'd seen the "other" lighthouse in the distance during my ride the previous day, but wanted to be sure and go back with a decent camera to capture it.

I'm not quite sure how you get out there - the land wasn't connected from what I could see - but it certainly looks lonely, and a bit romantic, sitting out there so exposed to the elements.

I was feeling pretty exposed to the elements myself by that point, and it was getting near time for the the non-bed "B" part of the B&B.  Two Eggs Benedict and a few muffins & coffee later and I was ready to get us all packed up and back on the road to home.

I hadn't meant for our weekend getaway to evolve into a 2 day training camp, but I can never seem to go to Cape Cod and not take my bike - no matter what the weather.  And despite the temperature and "breeze" the sun certainly made for some nice rides - my 3rd and 4th rides outside of the year(!)

But it's back to the trainer this week, in preparation for Six Sundays in Purgatory the Bethel Spring Series this coming Sunday.  Despite my recent rides, I don't have the miles in my legs I'd hoped to by now, but racing with the guys is always a blast no matter what my condition.  If nothing else, at least I'll get some good blog fodder and you should see more frequent posts here in the coming weeks.

And even my license came in the mail on Monday - just in time.  So I've got no excuses, ready or not.  How about you?  Hope to see some of you out there!

Rest Day Writing

 

January is the month of New Year's Resolutions and many of us promise ourselves to be better, do better, live better.  We want to lose weight, get fit - both financially & physically - do more of what we enjoy.  But as the days and weeks go by and the new year isn't so "new" anymore, we discover that the success or failure of our good intentions often depends on our time and motivation.  No time after work to exercise?  Are you motivated to wake up earlier to workout before work?

 

I'm lucky in that I have plenty of motivation for exercise - I can't let down my teammates.  And I make the time for it, especially this time of year, because my first race is March 4(!).  But I'm much less successful finding time and motivation to write posts for this blog - especially when there's no racing to write about.  Finding time and motivation for our resolutions is critical - but sometimes a solution is staring you right in the face.

 

Enter "Rest Day Writing"

 

I've posted before about the 12 step week program I follow for winter training.  It's a series of varied trainer workouts which is ideal given the vagaries of New England weather and, if I start on time, it takes me from the first Monday of the New Year right into the heart of the Bethel Spring Race Series.  It's a periodized training schedule and always includes at least one rest day per week - Monday.  Since my workouts are usually after work, Monday evening includes a time slot when I'd normally be on the trainer, but ain't (sic).  So I just discovered the perfect time to wash my cycling clothes and memorialize (even if only for my own benefit) my training/life from the previous week.  So while these posts may not always be terribly exciting, I hope at least that they'll be more regular and help me meet my New Year's Resolution to "Write More for my Blog."

 

In that spirit, I'll bring us up to speed.  I just finished my first month of training and it's had its ups and downs, but - fortunately - mostly ups.  After my first workout - which is supposed to be "easy" I just about passed out.  Yes, I know - pathetic.  I even skipped the REAL "first workout" which was supposed to be a "Threshold Estimator".  I've never been quite able to figure out how hard "hard" is.  Which comes first - the threshold number at which you're supposed to ride, or the ride during which you're supposed to estimate your threshold number?  It started to make my head hurt, so I decided to do the first - "easy" - workout.  And promptly bonked at the end.

I was beginning to think I had my work more than cut out for me for 2012.

Added to that, part way through my second week of training, I had a bad reaction to some antibiotics and ended up in the ER.  Fortunately, I wasn't there for long and just had to wait for my system to clear out, but I ended up having to repeat that second week.

But since then, things have been going much more smoothly.  My weight isn't coming down as quickly as I'd hoped at all, but at least I'm starting to feel better on the bike.  And I did my first threshold test on Saturday, completing my first training cycle.  The first test of the season is always the toughest, especially mentally.  I always psych myself up wondering whether I'll be able to do it again this time.  Thankfully, I was and did.  My threshold HR is actually up a couple beats from this time last year, but I'll have to do a little research to figure out whether that's good or bad.

Main thing is, I'm 1/3 of the way through my winter training.  My first race is under a month away and I'm getting my miles in.  Mostly indoors.  339 for the year so far.  And I got 40 of those miles in yesterday during my first outdoor ride since Thanksgiving weekend(!)  The days are even getting longer.  Go figure.

I know it happens like this every year, but each year I get older I'm a little more surprised when things start coming around.  Each year, that seems to happen just a wee bit later than the year before.  Maybe I shouldn't lay off the bike for so long around the holidays.  Thankfully, I have a whole wonderful year of riding and racing to look forward to before I have to decide that.

How are your resolutions going?  Finding it tough to get on the bike, whether indoors or out?  Spring will be here before you know it, so think creatively about how you can shoehorn in a little extra time and motivation.  Like rest day writing, you may be pleasantly surprised at what you find.