First mega ride!

Cat and I are planning one big, long ride (or two?) for the first weekend in May, to celebrate being out for the semester and to test our bike legs. This ride will go out to my parent’s house in Loudon County; we’ll take one day to go up and ride back the next–or stay an additional day, or get a ride home, depending on how our legs are doing.

I had tenatively looked up this ride and figured the distance to be around 25 miles. Today I mapped what looked like the best way to go on dailymile.com and discovered that the distance is actually closer to 30 miles! (It’s 28, nearly on the dot) That means that, including this week, we have only two more weeks of training. So far this week, neither of us has gotten close to hitting that, but we’re planning two more shared rides and I have another day to ride to work. That means in order for me to hit my goal, we need to be able to do two ten-milers. I’m a little nervous about the prospect of keeping these goals, but still feel like this is doable. Maybe not riding there and back in two days, but we can at least make it there and maybe even make it back with another day between….

As of now, we have no gear for carring supplies on-frame. However, I have ridden twenty-five miles in a day with a back-pack. Likely we can carry water, snacks, a change of clothes, cell phones, a small book or two, ibuprofen, and tire kit with no serious burden. potentially we can fit it in one back-pack and switch off carrying it.

In looking at the map to mom’s, I’ve got a few ideas for pit-stops:

*10 mile mark = Intersection of Schaad Road and Oak Ridge Highway. There is likely a place to stop here, use the potty, grab a snack and drink, enjoy the scenary for a hot minute.

*14 mile mark = a small park. We could take a long middle-of-the-trip break, nap, lunch, whatever right here.

*20 miles = Hardin Valley & North Campbell Station Road. Lots of new development here, sit-down food, cold drinks, last pit-stop in “city life” right here. From there we go into the edges of the county, tiny winding roads, and super close to the house.

 

Getting nervous and excited, realizing how close to the day we are! Perhaps this may happen after all…

Week Five!

Despite the stresses of last week, I was able to get in a lot of riding and also running, so i’m feeling really good!

Things that scare me:

-returning to the real world means more 10 hour (or longer) days, less free time, different responsibilities, and additional stressors.

 

Good things:

-only one more week of classes left, one paper to write, and then I’m on my way to May!

 

~A

Week Three

Welp, week two presented lots of rain and a road trip, which means not too much biking!

We’ve each had a chance to do a couple of small bike rides this week so far, but may be having a hard time coming up with 4 cycling days out of 7. Perhaps I can convince Cat to ride around first friday with me tomorrow night and take a longer ride? Even then, we’ll be at three days (for me anyway, possibly Cat has made four)

April is challenging for a number of reasons, not the least of which is surprising personal challenges which will make it very difficult for any excercise time for me (A) for almost the next two weeks. Add this to being the last month of the semester, and our first month of trianing doesn’t look very friendly!! I’m hoping that I’ll be able to at least ride to work at the Y and back three or four times, which will be better than nothing though not much altogether.

I’m not ready to give up our big goal just yet, but ask me again after I’ve had some breathing time in May!

We are supposed to take a mini-tourish to Mom and Dad’s the first weekend of May–however, in order to do that, it would be ideal for us to be doing 25 miles/week. I’m hoping we can each  make this happen for the last two weeks for March. That would put us roughly on schedule!

 

Biking things on my mind:

I’m so much broker than usual, what with the road trip and this unexpected week ahead of me. I’m looking forward to the CSA, which will likely free up some cash and make me feel healthier and more motivated.

May will bring loads of free-time, a more predictable sleep schedule, and warmer weather.

Biking gear has moved the periphery! Must get together a flats-kit from my supplies, at a min as we do more and more longer routes (not a problem recently, frownishly).

~A

 

 

Week One cont’d!

This bike tour has been an excellent diversion to school work recently! While that might sound like a not good thing, I think it’s been helpful to have something to focus on other than the ridiculous whirlwind which is life at this time. It gives me some perspective, something to strive for, something to look forward to.

Like Cat, I’m feeling sore in the chest from our push-up challenge, but I’m liking the feeling of being super active again, I enjoy that kinetic rush in a way that only a life-long couch potato can. And I’m looking forward to that feeling of power that comes with knowing that I have trained to do something I would not otherwise have been capable of, that I have shaped and distorted (or created) a body that can support itself in somewhat ridiculous circumstances. I do feel a bit like a super hero when I am riding 40 miles a day and getting up to do it again, meditatively peaceful slow rides through quiet areas; or running long stretches with only my mind to keep me company. I think these things, maybe because it’s still got a bit of novelty–and is at this current point still impossible! 🙂

Things that I’ve learned a bit about:

–Dirtbag bike touring is a handy word that describes my ideal trip (with a splurg or two thrown in?)

–We may need to make a couch-surfing page

—some fun blogs are out there. They make me feel motivated and like a part of cycling community again. Even the silly ones

–it will be ok if we do a shorter trip. That would be fun, too! But I’m still shooting for a longer one. 🙂

–cycling four days a week seems to be the minimum for training purposes. Once school ends, this will feel a lot more manageable. If it would stop raining and being in the 20s, then I could easily ride two days a week in commuting–granted short-distance, but HEY I’M TRYING 🙂

I think for now I’m just going to focus on soaking up information like I do best, and trying to locate a regular group ride we could join soon.

~AJ

Week 1

Well, it’s been about a little over week since A fixed my bike up (and Day 5 of our 100 push-up, 200 sit-up, 200 squat challenges). I keep getting really excited about planning this bike tour, much more excited than I am about school right now. 🙂

I don’t know if it’s the calisthenics or the biking, but my neck and shoulders have been the most tense lately. I look forward to the day when biking and push-ups don’t send my body into shock!

Cheers,

Cat

Getting started?

This is a blog for my lovely partner and me! We want to take a bike tour in the fall, and are starting a blog for the fun of it. 🙂

Neither of us has ever done a bike tour, and we are starting from a near complete “0.”

It’s a goal I’ve had for a long time, and is going to be a great adventure for the two us to embark on together. There’s lots of nervousness and guts and maybe we’ll get to the glory, eventually.