Bike-commute day 91—to home

Friday, 07 September 2011

A cyclist was coasting along the block parallel to Springfield Street..As I passed him, I said as gently as possible, "Hey there, you know that if you coast, you can only go downhill."

"Yeah, coasting is a quick way to catch my breath. Good thing there aren't many hills to climb on the bikeway."

He has a point. The bikeways of the Miami Valley might seem very flat, but typically a ten-mile ride will include a total of about 250 feet of climbing or descending. Usually, though, the climbs are gentle, 30 feet at a time or spread over a couple miles.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 77 to 83°F at 15:30
Precipitation: none
Winds: 5 to 10 mph from the north and east
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 00:59:27 for 15.85 miles
Heart rate: 128 bpm HRave, 146 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 18 cyclists, 11 pedestrians, 0 dogs
Playback of the ride

Bike-commute day 89—to home

Wednesday, 05 September 2011

For the first third of the commute this evening, I thought I was the only user of the bikeway. Then riders and walkers suddenly abounded in the two miles between Linden and Airway. Then again I was the lone user until I reached Riverscape, where another five users were waiting for the fountain to end its spray. As for me, I never wait for the fountain, but I speed through the curtain of water just below the zig-zag up to the Green Bridge..

Ride conditions
Temperature: 74 to 82°F at 17:30
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 5 mph, variable
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 00:41:04 for 11.95 miles
Heart rate: 133 bpm HRave, 152 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 20 cyclists, 17 pedestrians, 3 dogs
Playback of the ride

Bike-commute day 82—to home

Monday, 12 September 2011

I didn't intend to make a fast commute tonight, but I left a lot later than I should have. Nevertheless, I tried to keep my exertion down to a fairly low level.

I was working late to make up for a doctor's appointment tomorrow, when I'm scheduled for a cardiac stress test and an echocardiogram. Ch says I won't see Dr. Markus at the two tests, but that he may schedule another visit to discuss the results. I hope that there will be a written report or image for my records.

At Riverscape, The Unit was holding their Boot Camp Training. A group of thirty men and women were double-stepping up and down the stairs beside the sluice, and another group of twenty was performing calisthenics at the Y formed by three segments of ramp between the river bikeway and the Riverscape plaza. I pulled up to talk with Terry Perdue, who was guiding the aerobic work at the stairs. His enthusiasm is infectious, and I almost jumped off my bike to join in the stair climbing.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 80 to 83°F at 18:30
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 10 mph from the south and west
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 00:42:41 for 12.07 miles
Heart rate: 129 bpm HRave, 145 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 21 cyclists, 24 pedestrians, 3 dogs
Playback of the ride

Bike-commute day 72—to gym and home

Monday, 22 August 2011

All day I've had this dull ache in the upper back, focused between my spine and right scapular. I couldn't pinpoint any twist or strain that might have caused it, so I attributed it to a lack of rest or sleeping "funny." As I left work today, I considered whether any weight training would make it worse or if very light training would help relieve it. I opted for the latter, but only within a minute of taking the turn on Woodbine.

The workout was brief and gentle: two bench press sets with an empty bar and then carrying 20 pounds; dumbbell flyes with a set of 10 pounds and a second of 12.5 pounds; dumbbell military press at 12.5 and 15 pounds; two cable row sets at light weights; two cable pulldowns at light weights, and two sets of reverse flyes. The back muscles felt a bit better, less tense after the gentle use. Let's see how a good rest helps too.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 79 to 84°F at 18:30
Precipitation: none
Winds: 5 to 10 mph variable from the west
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 01:00:22 for 15.83 miles
Heart rate: 116 bpm HRave, 135 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 31 cyclists, 20 pedestrians, 1 dog
Playback of the ride

Bike-commute day 57—to work

Friday, 22 July 2011.

The heat was welling up early this morning, and during the ride I sipped more than half my bottle of water before arriving at work. Usually I don't drink at all on the morning ride, so now I have a new indicator of ride conditions. 


Ride conditions
Temperature: 78 to 84°F at 07:15, 86 to 88°F at 08:55
Precipitation: none, humidity 94%
Winds: calm to 5 mph from the south and west
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves.
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 00:41:27 for 11.88 miles
Heart rate: 127 bpm HRave, 144 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 2 cyclists, 5 pedestrians, 2 dogs
Playback of the ride.

Bike-commute day 53—to home

Thursday, 14 July 2011.

No gym stop today, because of a late start. And during my lower-energy ride, I planned our dinner: a Boboli pizza shell topped with mozzarella, asparagus chunks, onion pieces, baby portabellas, hard-boiled egg chunks, anchovies, and Parmesano-reggiano—a garbage bin pizza made from a variety of whatever leftovers are in the fridge. The plan was made before I reached Eastwood Park, and the course along the Mad River was faster, more energetic because of the slight tail wind.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 81 to 86°F at 17:30
Precipitation: none
Winds: 5 to 10 mph from the northeast
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves.
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 00:42:11 for 11.93 miles
Heart rate: 121 bpm HRave, 146 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 22 cyclists, 17 pedestrians, 1 dog
Playback of the ride.

Bike-commute day 52—to gym and home

Wednesday, 13 July 2011.

I noticed a relatively low energy level early on in today's ride, even before I stopped by the Shell station to replenish my lotto tickets. (C'mon, didja really think I needed to buy gasoline?)

The bikeway was still littered with debris from the rain-wind storm of Monday evening, so the lower energy gave me opportunity to use more care in avoiding the larger twigs and small branch pieces that remained. In the outer Belmont area, trees were still in the streets and power lines still down, making a small detour necessary again today. Shirtless workers hauled fallen branches to their treelawns, and two tree trimming trucks were busy making wood mulch.

My weight training consisted of three sets on each of four abdominal machines. I rationalized myself out of doing the leg lifts in the Roman chair, since I was "so far out of shape for my core work."

Back on the road, I seemed to gain some energy, though I knew my pace was below my average.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 82 to 87°F at 16:45
Precipitation: none
Winds: 5 to 10 mph from the north
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves.
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time:  01:01:20 for 16.09 miles
Heart rate: 119 bpm HRave, 141 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 15 cyclists, 12 pedestrians, 1 dog
Here is a playback of the ride.

Bike-commute day 45—to home

Wednesday, 29 June 2011.

Biking home and thinking of what to prepare for dinner. Known immediately: broiled Salmon with a Worchestershire glaze. Inspired by the business near the bikeway: broiled Goi cuon from Linh's Vietnamese Restaurant. With a short jaunt to their location, I resumed the commute with four rolls packed into the backpack.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 81 to 94°F at 16:55
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 5 mph from northerly
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves.
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time:  00:43:06 for 12.05 miles
Heart rate: 126 bpm HRave, 140 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 13 cyclists, 20 pedestrians
Here is a playback of the ride.

Bike-commute day 44—to home

Tuesday, 28 June 2011.

Chuck called me at work to find out when I planned to be home. He's making lasagna, a new recipe that he wants to showcase. One where the noodles are not cooked before baking, just soaked 45 minutes in cool tap water. I told him, "I'll be leaving pretty soon, but I plan on stopping at the gym for a short shoulder workout. So I'll be home about seven." "Well, just make sure you're home by seven. I'll bake the meal so it will be ready then." Never mind that I might want to shower to clean the crotch and prevent saddle sores.

As I neared Woodbine, where I would leave the bikeway to climb through residential areas to Cardinal Fitness at Forrer and Smithville, I deliberated It's 5:45 now, and getting there would be 5:55 and a workout would last until maybe 6:15 at the earliest, so that leaves a really tight 45 minutes to get home. I'd better not chance it, and instead push hard to get home much earlier. So I went north up the bikeway from Woodbine.

Lots of cyclists today, some in pretty good shape. I did a track stand at Airway beside a cyclist I had been tailing for a half mile, who maintained a good lead but had to stop for traffic. I pulled through at a letup in the cross-traffic, and I sensed his pullout also, nearly beside me but not quite. He took my tail, sheltered in the slipstream. I cranked up again to 90 rpm and kept it there or sometimes as much as 98. He stayed with me, silently. My sinuses filled. I wanted to blow out the accumulation, but when I made a half look back he made a sound to indicate that he was close enough to catch whatever spatter I would make. So I held off.

At the rise near Miami Valley Manufacturing, I called out, "Heads up!" for any cyclists hidden by the dense trees and dropped my open left hand as I slowed for the blind double corner. He stayed with me as I powered out of the second 90-degree turn. Same hand signal for the approach to Fair Park Avenue, and same powering into the canopy across the intersection. Again a hand signal for slowing to cross Smithville, but somewhere I had lost him. Or he had turned off.

I kept looking over my shoulder in the open areas west of Eastwood Park, but never saw him again. I hope he had a fun ride.

I'm of two minds about following another rider, drafting in the slipstream. Though the lead rider feels no drag from the other rider, there's a sense of having something of value that's taken without acknowledgement, especially if the drafter is a stranger who neither takes the lead nor pulls beside to introduce himself. It is a missed opportunity to meet another strong rider, to find an equal to share a long weekend ride with.

I could have used his pull in the leg along the Mad and Miami, where the headwinds cut down my speed and increased my time for the commute. But I still made it home in plenty of time to shower, download my Garmin data, and make the orange-avocado salad for dinner.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 81 to 86°F at 17:15
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 10 mph from the southwest, southeast
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves.
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time:  00:43:03 for 12.06 miles
Heart rate: 142 bpm HRave, 178 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 31 cyclists, 22 pedestrians
Here is a playback of the ride.

Bike-commute day 42—to gym and almost home

Wednesday, 22 June 2011.

The weather was perfect as I left work, though the sky was filled with growing cumulo-congestus clouds and variable winds were buffeting the trees in the parking lot. Generally the wind was from the south, so I anticipated a quick ride up to Eastwood Park—enough time, I thought, to make a quick side trip to the gym and do some shoulder and arm exercises.

On my way to the gym from the Woodbine crossing, I saw a guy in his pickup who I had seen often working in his garden. I turned around for an introduction—his name is Scott—and a bit of information about each other. He recognized me from my passings to and from the gym, and mentioned his former use of a bike that now hangs on pegs in his garage, his promise to his wife that he might buy her a "recumbent tricycle," and his knowledge that the bikeway is so close. He also spoke of his trade recently of his gardening services for a window-installed air conditioner, and that the trade meant several hours per week of visiting his friend's home for the garden work. I mentioned my stop at the gym on my bike-commute, and he nodded in corroboration of what he assumed had been the case.

He was gone when I biked back from the gym, and the winds had kept their strength and direction, so I arrived at Eastwood Park in faster time than usual. The winds were not at all against me as I headed west-southwest along the Mad River, but the heavy cloud cover had turned ominous. I saw cumulo-nimbus forming above where I assumed Moraine lay, and possible wisps of rain falling in the area of Trotwood. With just the right timing, I could make it home before sprinkles dropped at home. I warned Rick the Walker as I passed him that he might not make his return before the storm.

As I dropped through the underpass to Findlay Street bridge, I noticed a severe wobbling in my front wheel, and I slowed to ease the angled response needed for the turn. The wobbling increased, and the front wheel softened as I slowed to a stop: the tire was flat. Well, that means I won't beat the storm home, even with the fastest of tube changes. Better call Chuck, since the storm could be severe. He was out shopping at the Siebenthaler Kroger, and I gave him my location for picking me up.

I walked the bike up to the corner of Monument and Findlay, where Chuck would expect to see me, and began to replace the tube. By the time I loosened the nuts, pulled off the wheel, pried off the tire bead, and replaced the tube, light sprinkles started to fall. As I thumbed the bead into the rim and pumped up the tire, the sprinkles had turned to a light rain. Worse weather was on its way from downtown, and I saw Chuck coming from the same direction.

I returned my tools to the seat pouch, packed my bike and the front tire separately into the back seat, and took the passenger seat. The storm unleashed itself as we left the gravel side lot, and became more and more ferocious as we headed west on Monument. Chuck was full of I-told-you-so about the day's prediction of rain and I-worry-about-you for the potentially unsafe riding conditions. I, defensive, argued that I, but for the flat, would have been home before the storm had reached this intensity. The topic shifted and returned and shifted again as we turned onto Salem and toward the last mile home.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 79 to 84°F at 17:15
Precipitation: none, until the flat, then an extremely heavy thunderstorm
Winds: 5 to 15 from the southwest
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves.
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time:  00:40:07 for 11.45 miles
Heart rate: 125 bpm HRave, 144 bpm HRmax
Bikeway users: 18+6 cyclists,* 2 pedestrians, 1 dog
Here is a playback of the ride.

*6 bikes parked or laid beside the bikeway, riders not seen

Postscript
I checked the tube replacement on Thursday morning, reseated the tube, and shook in a lubricating dose of baby powder. Some time after returning the wheel to the front fork and inflating to riding pressure, I heard a huge POP! and the tube had exploded the tire off the rim. So Thursday became a drive day.

Bike-commute day 39—to home

Friday, 17 June 2011.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 70 to 81°F at 17:05, 84°F at 18:55
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 10 mph, from the west
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves.
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 00:47:07 for 13.03 miles
Heart rate: 133 bpm average, 154 bpm maximum
Bikeway users: 22 cyclists, 10 pedestrians,  1 dog
Here is a playback of the ride.

Bike-commute day 35—to work

I hoped to have started out as early as 07:00 this morning, but didn't get out the door until 07:48. So I whipped myself as I rode my commute for the first time in six days. I had taken some errand rides over the weekend, but no commutes to allow for bringing Chuck home from the airport and making his first couple days comfortable. And so today, Thursday, was my first bike-commute since Friday.

From today on, I'm changing my morning routine to eat a breakfast bagel at work, after the commute. I plan to continue brewing a latté or French roast drip coffee before the ride, consumed while I feed Howard, read the Wall Street Journal, and do other tasks before I leave for the morning. For example, today I watered the plants in the front yard and a few that needed water in the back yard while I waited for the WSJ delivery.


Ride conditions
Temperature: 75 to 79°F at 06:55, 81 to 85°F at 10:00
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 10 mph from the north-northwest
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves.
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 00:44:47 for 11.86 miles
Heart rate: 126 bpm average, 146 bpm maximum
Bikeway users: 4 cyclists, 3 pedestrians, 1 dog
Here is a playback of the ride.

Bike-commute day 34—to Courteous Mass and home

I rode hard and fast to make it to Courteous Mass a few minutes before the scheduled start time, and I arrived by 17:20.

About 20 cyclists took part in a ride from Fifth/Third Field to the Second Street Market, then past the Cannery and south on Wayne Avenue (waved hello to Janelle at Press) to Fifth Street and through the Oregon District. We followed Fifth Street past the Neon Movies to Wilkinson Street, went north to Monument, and crossed the Monument Avenue Bridge. Then a block north to Belmonte Park North between the Dayton Art Institute and the Masonic Temple. From there, we took Belmonte Park East to Grand Avenue, turned left to Belmonte Park North and north to Five Oaks Avenue. Then we went east to Forest, north past Corpus Christi Church to Helena, and east to cross the Great Miami River and turn south on River Bend Road. Then we joined the bikeway, crossed the Green Bridge, took the underpass below Patterson Boulevard, and ended at the Bicycle Hub. (about 8.5 miles in 45 minutes)

Ride conditions
Temperature: 81 to 88°F at 16:30
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 5 mph variable
Clothing: Skinsuit; ankle socks. Open-finger gloves.
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed-gear
Time: 01:18:10 for 17.59 miles
Heart rate: 116 bpm average, 145 bpm maximum
Bikeway users: 22 cyclists, 7 pedestrians, 1 dog
Here is a playback of the ride.

Bike-commute day 32—to work

With another warm day in Dayton—finally Summer may be here, and with the long biking day yesterday, I'm treating today as a recovery day. My aim during the commute in was to keep my HR around 120 bpm, which I suppose is 75% of my maximum. (More on this after the break.) Even with the relaxed pace, my time was only a couple minutes longer than my best time this year.

I heard a bit of Der Hirt auf dem Felsen on WDPR last evening, and as I passed under the Findaly Avenue bridge, the song came to me again, and I whistled parts that I remembered from my favorite performance by Elly Ameling (soprano), Hans Deinzer (clarinet), and Jörg Demus (piano). The quiet, plaintive melody expresses by paradox the exuberant, joyful experience of commuting on such a bright Summer day.

Whenever I stand on the highest rocks, gaze down into the deepest valley, and sing and sing, distantly from the dark vale rebounds back to me the echo, the echo of the cliffs. The further my voice reaches, the clearer it returns to me from below. From below. My love lives so far from me and I thus ache for him, across the distance.

I'm consumed by a deep grief, joy has left me, hope has left the Earth, and I am here lonesome. I am here, so lonesome. So longingly the song rang in the forest, so longingly it rang through the night, it draws the hears to the heavens with wonderful power.

 It is a sublime joy that closes the work, in which the voice, clarinet, and piano interplay motive after motive.

Spring wants to come, my joy the Spring, and now I'm making myself ready for wandering. The further my voice reaches, the clearer it returns to me from below.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 70 to 75°F at 07:05, 83 to 87°F at 09:55
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 5 mph from the southwest
Clothing: Skinsuit, ankle socks, open-finger gloves.
Bike: Lotus Legend fixed gear
Time: 00:47:20 for 11.98 miles
Heart rate: 112 bpm average, 130 bpm maximum
Bikeway users: 4 cyclists, 8 pedestrians
Here is a playback of the ride.

More discussion about HRmax and HRrecovery...

A day of two bike rides

This was a busy day for cycling, that I had enough time for using the bike for transportation for two purposes. I first got on the road to go to the gym for a quick upper body workout.

Distance: 20.97 mi
Time:  01:28:43
HRave: 127
HRmax: 150

During breakfast, I had cooked pasta, mixed it with fines herbs, pepper, olive oil, and a hard bleu cheese, and then refrigerated the food. During the hour after returning from the gym, I broiled a large cut of salmon in a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. While this was cooking, I cleaned and drained a mix of kales and radicchio, chopped a fennel stalk, and squeezed a fresh lemon onto this as I added it to the cold pasta. When the salmon was done and cooled a bit, I cut it into thin slices, bagged them in their cooking juices, and packed up everything in my backpack.

The north bikeway goes to Taylorsville Reserve, and the Dayton Gay Volleyball Gang have a holiday potluck picnic and volleyball day in one of the Taylorsville shelters. It is nearly adjacent to the bikeway, though you have to trek through a prairie area to get to the shelter. I arrived with about 45 minutes of biking, and assembled the pasta salad before I changed from my skinsuit.

By 4 p.m., I was changed and repacked again, ready for the ride home.

Distance : 26.65 mi
Time: 01:55:01
HRave: 124
HRmax: 153

Bike-commute day 30—to home with a thunderstorm

This was a time trial day, made necessary by an impending thunderstorm. Even as I started out, I knew it would be a high intensity ride to beat the storm home, if possible.

My times were very good for the first and second checkpoints. Then I felt the first drops of rain just past the Findlay Street bridge, which continued very lightly through the next half mile. I stopped momentarily under the Keowee Street bridge to guage the intensity and decide what to do to pass the storm. I decided to push quickly to Brixx, where I could eat something while the storm rolled through. The storm unloosed exactly as I reached the restau and lasted while I had a grilled chicken balsamic salad.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 83 to 85°F at 18:20
Precipitation: none, then a cloudburst
Winds: 5 mph from the southwest
Clothing: Skinsuit; ankle socks. Open-finger gloves.
Bike: Trek 850
Time: 00:46:08 for 12.38 miles
Heart rate: 133 bpm average, 151 bpm maximum
Bikeway users: 9 cyclists, 7 pedestrians
Here is a playback of the ride. 14th Garmin day.

Bike-commute day 25—to gym and home

Friday.
Busy.
Gotta get home in time to eat a quick meal, feed Howard, shower, and make it to the performance of Bernstein's Mass that is a joint performance of the Dayton Philharmonic and the WSU Theatre Arts deparment. Then afterward, stop at Press to see Kevin Tunstall's newest pottery.

Ride conditions
Temperature: 83 to 93°F at 16:25
Precipitation: none
Winds: calm to 5 from the southwest
Clothing: skinsuit; ankle socks. Open-finger gloves.
Bike: Trek 850
Time: 00:57:17 for 16.55 miles
Heart rate:124 bpm average, 136 bpm maximum
Bikeway users: 4 cyclists, 3 pedestrians, 1 dog
Here is a playback of the ride. 9th Garmin day.