My Most Recent Ride 2014 (Part VII in a series)

Great, any idea when? Morning...afternoon???

 

Morning. So far it is a "go".

 

Will the weather hold.

So far I have gone about 433 miles this summer. Goal is to go over 500, the polar front has arrived early in Wisconsin. I am hoping for at least another few nice days, to get it done. The rides this year have been wonderful. We have an amazing network of Rail to Trail routes. Very forested and very pretty with lots of wild flowers, I may have even seen a cougar, so it has been a great summer. Originally when I reached my goal I was going to buy something for the bike (ie bags or a trailer) that would help me tour and bikepack next summer. But I have been inspired by the ALS Challenge that has been sweeping the US, so when I reach 500 miles I am going take a long cold drink out of my water bottle and dump the rest over my head. Then Im going to write a check to a deserving charitable organization.............

 

Put in about 10 miles yesterday. A little vague on it because of satellite communication failure.

Jens was away on a work fishing retreat at a stream that runs into Sweden's 4th largest lake which also happens to be its deepest.

So, with all of Loke's walkies needs falling to me, I decided to walk down for the trike, hitch up the trailer and go for the weekly American Food store run. I lightened the trailer some. After all, the goal is to build me up, not blow out my knees and I sometimes buy drinks which can add up in weight pretty quick.

Oh! I think Jon's affirmation of goofy actually helped. Didn't feel self-conscious at all in my blue and gray cycle clothes as I marched along with a backpack. Thanks, Jon!

While I was getting ready, a woman about my age came along and put a Jack Russell into a crate in a car. Then she walked over to ask about Loke and the trike. We had a nice chat for about 15 minutes before Loke started woofing impatiently.

Once she was away, I turned on the GPS and waited until it said it was ready. Within 50 yards, it suddenly lost satellites. Found them a few yards on. Then a tiny bit further, lost them again. I think in about a half mile, it lost satellite communication some 5 or 6 times. It had random straight lines drawn _all_ over the area, turning .5 mile into almost 4. Must have been clouds and bad satellite positioning, because after that, the Garmin was its normal self.

Loke ran well. No limping, hopping or lurching. I headed toward the river and turned north on the extension to stop for a workout session for my arms. They recently built a little 'workout' park made entirely of logs. I did that once earlier in the week and oooooh my upper body felt it. Feeling it a little this morning too, so obviously, it's getting me stronger and next time I can add to it.

I could feel the trailer, particularly on any sort of slope. Just adding to the level of exercise. Loke didn't mind it at all except once when it startled him because the snail I tried to avoid hitting got hit by the trailer. It gave a bigger than usual rattle he wasn't expecting.

Didn't pick up as much from the store as I expected, so I probably could have left my little tent in the trailer, but hindsight and all that.

We arrived at the apartment with about 7.5-ish miles. Jens called around 4 pm to say he'd be arriving at the station around 5. He timed it perfectly with me getting ready to go out for another ride to drop the trike off at the garage. I suddenly had to rush.

Jens' phone call seemed to have given Loke a shot of adrenaline. I think he believed we were on our way to meet up 'daddy'. He was doing his best impression of a sulky horse, with a high speed trot of about 9 mph (which is usually a lope), while craning his head around as if searching for something. I felt rushed, but still took a bit of a meander on the way back to the garage for Loke's sake. Arrived with something over 2 miles. It's still on the Garmin and I don't remembered how far exactly.

Got everything back in, safe and sound and started hoofing it back to the apartment. Surprisingly, I made it. with like 3 minutes to spare. Jens didn't have to wait on me at all.

Loke still had plenty of energy to harass Jens. Clearly I need to quit underestimating him.

Terii

 

14 something miles today. The Garmin worked fine. I just kept forgetting to turn on the tracking again when I'd pause it for Loke breaks.

Was foggy and 40 F when I woke up. Once it cleared it really cleared. Loke and I headed out the door about 10 am. Flawless. An absolutely perfect day for riding. Temps in the low-mid 60's, not a cloud to be seen in the dome of blue above and even in my 'broken foot' state, I walk faster than the current wind speed.

Rather than do just the River Loop, I decided to head out to Ulva Mill which has been ages.

A lot of people were out to enjoy the perfect weather. Lots of cyclists on the road and the paths were packed with people walk, jogging and 'low key' biking.

I was really enjoying the day until an incident took the shine off the ride. Loke and I spotted a vole scurrying across the road just in front of us. Right then, a car went to pass me. If I'd not been there, allowing the car to stay in its lane, the cute little critter would have been fine. The tire didn't seem to hit it, but the poor thing tumbled and laid still. I rolled to a stop wondering if it was dead, but then it groggily rolled to its feet. Cars were coming, but I waved them to a stop as I gave it a nudge with my toe.

My heart sank as it wobbled in circles. Still hoping it was just stunned and not actually injured, I picked it up and gently tucked it in the grass at the bottom of the ditch where, if fate is kind, it shook off the shock and went on its lucky way. Not knowing just left me really worried and upset though.

Would have been a perfect ride if not for that....

Terii

 

I love little critters, even the pesky ones, as long as they stay out of my house. Things I would ordinarily pound into the dust for intruding I will help out outside...weird I guess.

 

Rode the green way today. It is really getting eaten up with tree roots. I hope the city works on them soon. 13.3 miles. Have an afternoon Doctors appointment I have to get to. Darn!

 

Dr. Appointment? Not for anything serious I'm guessing if you were out riding before hand.

13+ miles today. The longest ride of the year with the trailer in tow. Headed downtown for the American Food store, but drew the ride out by heading for the city forest where I meandered the trails with the trailer rattling along for 2 or 3 extra miles.

Jens called while I was in the Woods. Loke, who'd been imitating a slug for the entire outing, suddenly became a young husky with a mission. He knew Jens had called and maybe he thought 'daddy' was somewhere in the forest and needed to be found, or was waiting to pick Loke up with the car. Who knows what goes through that fuzzy head. For about a mile, he was pulling us along the trails so hard he could hardly breathe because of his collar. Goof.

The rest of the way was fairly uneventful. Not a bad outing. The weather was close to perfect with puffy clouds in a blue sky, ideal temp and zip for wind. No stunned, potentially dying little critters which is always good.

Terii

 

Nope routine stuff. As you get older you get to see more doctors more often. Oh boy!!! :

 

Glad to hear it, Jon!

16.(something) miles today. Jens bullied us out the door at about 9:30. At least he was nice enough to drop us off (and pick us up) at the garage.

Fog was retreating as we started rolling around 9:45. SUN shining on the fog bank that just seemed to be hurrying out of reach.

Headed out into the country side, toward Börje Church, but made the turn toward Läby Church, to the shopping centre where I generally buy food, off to and through the city forest before coming to downtown Uppsala and finally home.

And you know what? I felt GREAT! I can actually tell that my fitness is significantly (to me) better. Some hills, I was able to take a gear or two higher. The others that I still needed my granny gear for, I was able to spin better and climb a bit faster. Only two hills on the entire outing that I had to creep up at less than 2 mph with less than 40 RPMs. HUGE improvement.

But more than that, never at any time, even when gritting my teeth to push up the steepest hill did was I gasping like a beached whale and feeling as if I might faint. Breathing faster and deeper? Yes. But never gasping. It was AWESOME!!!!

Loke was less a husky and more like a giant furry slug for the first half of the ride, though that has no impact on my hill climbing. About the time we approached the city forest, he seemed to perk up.

We passed a school where a lot of the kids were out, kicking a soccer ball around. One of the boys came running like, eyes wide and the biggest grin. He absolutely loved the trike. For once, Loke didn't get all the attention.

We had just emerged from the city forest when a guy yelled and waved. He dodged traffic to cross to me. Ended up talking with him for over half an hour. A VERY chatted Armenian guy who loves cycling and running. He was fascinated with the trike as much as the boy had been. He even asked if he could sit on it, but the boom was waaaaaay too short for him to even get his feet on the pedals without hitting his chin with his knees. Hehe.

He has a dream of cycling or running from Sweden to the city of his birth in Armenia.

Took a while for me to extract myself and make an escape.

A VERY great day and an awesome ride for the fact that it was so obvious that my fitness has improved.

Terii

 

7.3 miles today.

My back didn't feel up to walking the half-mile with handlebar bag, camera bag and pod bags slung with water, so I drove so Jens didn't have to. Found a close by spot to park, other wise, I would have driven back home to make Jens drop off and pick up.

Took the trailer with me, determined this time to try one of the steeper (but short) climbs in the area with it. While I was settling things, a boy about age 7 and a girl about 5, came walking across the drive into the garages. The girl stopped and stared at Loke as the boy went to put a trash bag away in the garbage shed. The girl suddenly asked if she could pet Loke. I said 'of course'.

She had a huge grin on her face and said his fur was so soft. The boy came over and let Loke sniff his hand first. He asked what breed Loke was. Then he said, 'When I want to make my horse go, I go (made a popping sound). Do you do that with him?' I told him I use 'Move out'. I explained I used the English words because I was from the US. His eyes got really wide and he went, 'Oh!'. He patted Loke a few more times then said, they had to go or their dad would worry.

Cute pair of kids. I had a huge grin as I started out just from that brief interaction.

The hill wasn't nearly as bad as I expected with the trailer. Creeping up in granny gear, yes, but not killing me. Always good. I guess next time I take the trailer, I'll tossing in an extra 2 or 3 pounds in the form of a soda bottle filled with water.

I've been very pleased with myself this month, managing to do a ride every other day for most of it. Maybe just 2 exceptions, the last one just the previous week because of a brief (thankfully) cold.

I think I'll actually go out again tomorrow, maybe with the trailer again. Then again on Wednesday. After that, I won't be riding until Sunday at best. All my cycle clothes will be clean and fresh for the trip and I want both Loke and I to be rested up and strong for braving the brutal winds on Bornholm.:

Terii

 

Made a blog post yesterday. The usual babbling about the local rides with whatever might have happened to make them interesting which are already highlighted on here.

There are a few photos of some autumn colour such as it is as well as the foggy day with some autumn scenery.

http://terii.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/where-did-the-time-go/

Terii

 

6.55 miles. Chilly and unpleasant miles for the most of it. Between 37 to 41 F, mostly in the lower end of that, brisk winds. That wouldn't have been so bad except getting rained on 3 times. The first time was the worst with the highest winds and the heaviest rain. Loke kept giving me sidelong looks as if to say, 'Why are you keeping us in this? I'm smart enough to get out of it!'

My legs are like noodles. This ride was harder than the last with the trailer. Maybe it's because my legs weren't recovered form the last? Or perhaps it was the extra weight of the 1.5 litre of the foulest water I've ever seen in my life. Or both. Either way, I feel like I had a work out!

Terii

 

I am not doing any riding up here in the Northwest but boy, are they bike and pedestrian friendly. I wish I had my bent up here and some time to ride it!

Will post some pictures when I come back.

 

Northwest? Where you at Oregon or Washington? Thought you bought the folding SWB to take on trips? Have you ridden that thing yet???