37 miles: Kevin Rhodes

I always enjoy riding with my karate buddy Kevin. Instead of traveling the same roads I normally ride, he takes me on a tour of Williamson County. Kevin is from Lubbock, about my age, enjoys cycling, karate, loves his family, and God so we get along great. Today he got me lost down some Country Road and getting lost in the country is one of my favorite things to do when cycling.

We have decided to enter the Tour de Cure together in May. 80 miles on Saturday followed by 80 miles on Sunday. The Tour benefits The American Diabetes Association. I still need to register, create a donation page and maybe make some custom jerseys. That would be cool. My boss, Jane, has asked me to design some AlphaGraphics cycling jerseys so that works out nicely. A little advertising with our fundraising. Kevin created a spreadsheet for us to train by and that's perfect for me. I loved the spreadsheet that Patsy created for the Aldrete Family Fitness Challenge because nothing motivates me more than documenting my successes......and money.

I will keep you posted on our progress. My friend Mark Callahan has been very involved in the Tour de Cure. If anyone wants their company to sponsor a great team, let me know and I can put you in touch with Mark. He is going all out!

Have a great weekend.

Carle

Cycling Steiner Ranch

I took a different route today. Instead of my normal rides I chose to focus on hills. Feeling a little groggy I decided not to go all the way down to Mansfield Dam but turn into Steiner Ranch instead. I have never been down these roads before so I found myself going at a slightly slower than usual pace - not much really but down these steep hills I did grip the brakes tightly. My back didn't hurt when standing up on the bike so I pushed myself to be stronger on the inclines. It was a beautiful day but at these heights the greatest challenge was the crosswinds. As soon as I cleared a group of trees or a building the winds came hard and fast over the tops of these hills. So hard sometimes that I thought I was going to blow over.

The views were beautiful. I still feel the need to compete somehow with the landscapes that Cindy enjoys while cycling Charlottesville, VA. These are a few that I took with my phone. I now take my cell phone with me as a safety precaution because the more that I ride the farther away from home I get. And if I encounter any mechanical trouble or take a spill like Patsy did I'll be in trouble without it.

I made it up the biggest hill today without stopping. I was so proud of myself. It felt like my lungs were baking as I gasped for more HOT air. Have you seen one of those cartoons where the character is yelling and his mouth is like 4 times bigger than normal? That is how I imagined myself as I went up this hill. I guess that little chuckle I made was just enough to stay positive when the pain in my legs kicked in. I can't say that I'll try this again any time soon but knowing that I made it made a big difference in my heart.

Anyway, I'll be on the stationary bike at the hotel for the next few days. We'll see how that goes. I'll be thinking about you guys and remembering my trip through Steiner Ranch.

Pedal Thru the Pines!

This was my first time attending this ride so for those of you who have never heard of this event, here is a brief summary of why we ride:

"The 7^th Annual ride through the beautiful Bastrop Pines supports the mission of the Family Crisis Center, which offers programs and services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse in Bastrop, Fayette, Lee and Colorado Counties."

Members of the Austin Endurance Cycling Meetup Group joined up at the Chestnut Theater in Bastrop before the ride. We met some new people like Adam and Chris and saw regular biker buds like Matt, Todd and of course there was the leader babe, Patti. As I said, this was my first time Pedaling through the Pines so I didn't know what to expect, except of course the first hill that Weiland mentioned so I thought/hoped that was the end of the hills. In order for me to complete 63 miles I needed as few hills as possible. Well, that was far from the last hill. Ugh, I have never encountered so many hills. Todd said that one of the park hills had a 22% grade. It was a short lasting hill but at the beginning of a metric century it was tough. My family has camped in this park before but I have never seen it or appreciated it's beauty like I did while cycling. Flying down some of these steep and winding park roads was a thrill but left no real site seeing time because I needed that speed to get up the next hill. You also might notice that I have no photos of the hills - no way was I reaching for my phone while going up or down in this place. I was exhausted but happy to be out of the park. I saw flat roads and thought the next 53 miles would be more of the same. NOT!

The first rest stop was great. I saw bikes there that I had only dreamed about. Teams of cyclists pulled in wearing the same jerseys, all with top of the line equipment and Italian bikes. What would I do with one of those bikes? Right, I know. I'm perfectly fine with what I have but a guy has got to drool once in a while.

I felt like I was going to collapse a few times during the 63 miles but this was more than appropriate. When I saw the second stop was across from a cemetery I found it funny to see bikes standing along the edge. It was as if they knew I was coming.

Every stop we made we got a chance to listen to others complain about the wind. Patti may have complained about the wind once but that is only because it blew the sweat off my face and onto her. =) Now, don't get me wrong, the wind was strong but it just does not compare to the winds in the Hutto area when you ride the Round Rock Salt Lick Ride. There were so many trees in Bastrop that it gave you shelter long enough to get ready for the next gust. You don't get that kind of break in Hutto. So, if you'll listen I would choose to complain about the hills. Not that they were bad or unfortunate, the hills were just a real challenge and I am a better cyclist because of them.

If you haven't been fortunate enough to meet our buddy Patti, I encourage you to join her meetup. She really helped me get over the last few hills of the day. I chased her often and we had some great conversation. We haven't known each other long but my kids love her - they feel like she could be one of my sisters.

For me, I would love to do this ride again next year. I think that it helped me train for the Tour de Cure and I need all the help I can get.
Finally, this last image is one that Adam shot. It is a beautiful view of the last hills before reaching the highway. It looks peaceful but it was not. The wind came gusting in hard from the left and at 35 mph your entire body is flexed including your butt in an effort to keep the bike vertical.

Until next time,

Carle

MapMyRide.com - Road Cycling - Medium Intensity: Ride to the Arboretum on 07/28/2009

MapMyRide.com - Road Cycling - Medium Intensity: Ride to the Arboretum on 07/28/2009

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A New Year & Another Chance To Start Over

Wow that felt great. I went and rode with the Kevins today. Had my thermals on and that was more than enough to be comfortable for 28 miles in this weather.

Kevin 1 wasn't feeling well and had to turn back but thank God for him because he got me out of the house. Now that the weather is cold I really need a lot more encouragement/prodding to continue cycling… All ride invitations are welcome.

Kevin 2 stuck with me for the trip through Twin Creeks and back. It's funny, I fly down that hill a lot faster wearing pants than I do in shorts because I was not afraid of crashing. With the wind and the cold my eyes did water a lot and it was difficult to focus at 40mph. Anyway, we had a good chat about the church and it was a very enjoyable ride. We looked around at all the people walking and jogging and wondered how many of them were out there because of new year's resolutions. Although I am not one to make resolutions I do set goals for myself and I felt very much like part of the crowd.

What do you do to keep going?

Hellacious Winds Today

Oh my gawd, I am totally exhausted. This will be short because I just don't think that I have it in me to type much. Kevin and I traveled 50 miles today and the first 30 were against the wind. Now I have cycled the Hutto, TX Salt Lick ride with Patti's Endurance Cycling Group and that can be a real test but today was my most challenging ride to date. I have never encountered winds like this in my life. Kevin and I took turns drafting (thank you Kevin) but I have got to step up my training before the 65 mile Pedal Through the Pines on March 7th.

I am going to ice my back now and relax. Have a great week everyone.

Hittin' the Hills

Saturday's weather was nothing like we've seen these last couple of days. Temps in the mid 40's, Kevin and I were proud of the fact that we even made it out there. The subject of this posting may sound like we were intentional in our selection but the truth is we chose the hills to avoid the wind on our normal routes.

In the Great Hills area of Austin, we hit Yaupon, a steep 8% grade. The caution sign is at the top of the hill and I saw it just before we flew down! We turned to go back up and it looked ever so daunting. This photo does NOT do the hill justice. As I gasped my way up the hill, I sucked in so much cold air that my throat became really sore. Kevin seems to think that we should start repeating this climb regularly until we can make it 6 or 7 times. I want to be optimistic and think positively but seriously, is that possible for me? What kind of time frame are we looking at for successfully accomplishing a goal like that?

Is there anything that I can say or feet/time that I can calculate that will convey to you in words exactly how challenging this hill really is?

The afternoon temps are now in the 80's again and I'm riding in the morning before work. All my friends and cycling buds are somehow on Spring Break, enjoying this awesome weather and riding during the day. You guys suck!

Dam Ride Last Saturday

Kevin and I are still training for the Tour de Cure. Last Saturday we elected to do hills and not little ones but a big dam hill. For those of you who do not recognize the scene, this is Highway 620 that leads down to the dam by the lake. As I was taking this photo I could feel the bike picking up speed quickly and the wind was rushing at me. I would be lying if I said I wasn't afraid when putting my phone back in my jersey. You do not want to go down this hill with only one hand on the bars.

"A casual spin around the neighborhood may be an excellent recovery workout, but to challenge the cardiovascular system and reach peak fitness, you have to invest a little more energy. As with running, that means quality workouts like tempo rides, intervals, and hills."

"Short, high-intensity, steep climbs will raise your anaerobic threshold and give you that “top end” for tough sections on the mountain bike or particularly steep climbs when out road cycling."

We only clocked 50 miles but it was a great ride. We even stopped at a little taco stand in Lakeway, between the drive thru beer barn and the fireworks store.... And James claims that there is no culture in this part of town. Bah! Anyway, note to all, greasy barbacoa tacos are better than any energy bar out there.

The Steiner Ranch and Lakeway areas are very hilly and we got a great workout. In fact, I am certain that this workout will be a tremendous help in future rides. No one wants weak legs. =)

Click here to check out
The Austin Endurance Cycling Meetup Group!

ACA Ride_Cotton Capers: 42 miles

What a day! We met at 1:00 and I was so excited to finally train with our Meetup Leader, Patti - but unfortunately she left her shoes at home. She insisted we go on without her and have fun. FUN INDEED!!

It was a gorgeous day. I thought maybe it was going to be a bit chilly but nah, it was perfect... except for the WIND. This is the opposite side of town from where I normally ride but wow - it was exactly what I love about riding in Austin. It had everything including very small towns, farms, ranches, cows, horses, sheep, goats, and I had no clue where I was. It looked like I had driven hours outside of town but apparently these beautiful scenes are just past the city limits. There were a few narrow roads but thank God for light country traffic, there was only a few farm trucks and horse trailers which allowed us to ride together more often.

When we were separated from the rest of the group (too slow to keep up with the Elite) I relied on Matt and his map reading skills. I forgot my map on my first ACA ride, "What an idiot! Gawd!" I thought it was amazing to ride up to the New Sweeden Church, I had to take a picture of it. The church was a tiny little place just 30 feet from a cotton field. Anyway, it was when we almost rode up to it the second time that Matt took a closer look at his map. Don't get me wrong, if it was not for Matt I might still be out there trying to find my way back.

I thought it was hilarious riding through Manor. Obviously I was getting tired because this was part of our route, it's just that I never imagined myself cycling on that side of town, so far away from home. The last few hills were killer. I really didn't think I was going to make it up one very long and windy hill but I pushed through and was so happy to be back to my truck. It took us 3 hours which included a couple snack stops to visit with other cyclists and map stops to make sure we were on the right road. This 42 miles seemed like so much more and I am sure that my legs will be hating me tomorrow.

Can't wait for the next ride guys! That really was fun.

45 miles: Tuesday Afternoon in Hutto

Hooray for the Austin Endurance Cyclists Group. Today's ride was fun but boy was it tough. The wind would not leave us alone so at times some of the tiny hills we did encounter were just exhausting. It wasn't quite as cold as I thought it would be, I finished strong but I guarantee you that I will sleep well tonight. I am wiped out. It took us about 3 and a half hours to ride the 45 mile loop. That's pretty slow but as Patti put it, this is January in Round Rock and the wind blows strong over those plowed corn and cotton fields.

Along for the ride were fellow endurance cyclists, John, Todd, Cliff, Patti, Amy and Heidi. Todd the cycling machine led the pack until it was his time to leave us. I missed him terribly because I drafted nicely behind him while he was with us. After that we all took turns leading and taking a little shelter from the wind. These are all good people and I am lucky to be riding with them. Encouragement, support and friendly conversation is everything you need to get through this ride. Well, that and some GU, Clif Shots, Clif Bars and a few liters of water.

Ya know, there were parts of this ride when we didn't see a single car or person for miles. I really want to ride this route again this summer when it's warmer. Did I mention how chilly and windy it was?

There were some beautiful sights along this route. I saw cute little ponies, cows, donkeys, but the best sights were the Manville water tower, another stretch of smooth road and my truck when we returned to the Salt Lick restaurant.

I have got to sign off and get to bed now. I went to karate tonight and I should have stayed at home. My entire body is tired and I fear my brain is not producing a decent story here. So goodnight all and thanks for a fun afternoon. I enjoyed the brisket and the friendships.