A Hot One

Ride Stats

Distance          33miles

Time                2hrs 32mins

Max speed      26.4mph

Ave speed       13mph

Max temp       102F

Lunch              Egg salad on wheat at Cumberland Farms in Wareham

Mary's Pond

 

A week of not doing any long distance rides can make one feel like doing make up rides. Today was that kind of day.  The temperature on the bike computer peaked at 102F.  Even without the presence of humidity, 102 is hot.  Again the mind was wandering during the ride and the miles passed quickly.  It seemed such a short time ago that this route from Fairhaven, Ma. to Wareham Ma. on the back roads was very difficult.  A person does get more fit the more he rides, but a new carbon fiber bike takes a lot of the difficulty out of the trip.

Mary's Pond is close to the halfway point to Wareham.  On the return trip with the temperature just under 100F, it was very tempting to pull over and run into the pond.  This was a very popular alternative to spending time at the beach on the ocean for many locals.  Something went awry with the ownership of the land and the pond and it has been off limits to the public for years.  The idea stuck though and upon returning home, a quick change out of the riding kit into beach wear got me ready for an ocean swim.

Entering the ocean can be breathtaking.  Although recovery is quick, that first dip when one finally dives in can force a gasp and those quick little breaths when the cheeks puff out for a few seconds. It's not unusual to see someone take a long time trying to get the gumption to take the plunge.  Many stand, adjust, move a couple of feet deeper, adjust, and jump when a wave approaches so as not to get the privates wet and cold.   Once your in though, there is nothing better than swimming the Atlantic.  Sharks and all.  

After A Week of Rain and Soccer

Soccer Camp, Rain, Double Sessions.   Those combined to keep me off the road bike for over a week.  The Marin miles were down a bit, but that bike still got almost 40 miles.

Lucky Lucy Lu the Welsh Terrier had a day of bad luck when she got mauled by a boxer.   Lucy is fine and she has not even the slightest inclination that she was within seconds of dying. He had her by the neck and was just about to do the shake.  I had seen and studied the Dog Whisperer whenever he had to separate an attacking dog from it's foe.   I have to say that it works, it's simple and easy.

Because of other commitments coaching soccer is limited to two days a week working with the keepers.  That's fine for all concerned. Keepers don't usually get much training and the three at the high school are eating it up.

Sunday Stats.

Miles 31
Time  2hrs 40 mins
Max speed 26.4

A good ride that had a shaky start.  The desire to ride was not there at the start.  That's happened before and as usual, things began to kick in nicely.  During the college years when road running was part of the off season training, doing math problems mentally would help the miles pass unnoticed.  Today was a few other things that got me into the riding zone.  There was a pretty long gradual climb on  this route that I was dreading enough to consider changing the route.  During this ride while the mind was wandering, I settled on a disturbing thought.  I couldn't shake it and it was actually getting me angry. So angry that I was huffing and puffing on the verge of yelling obscenities at my mental foe.  When I  finally snapped out of it I realized that the huffing and puffing was not my anger, but the hill I had been dreading.   Sort of like highway hypnosis, but on a bike. I had climbed that hill without even noticing I was doing it.  It was just as difficult as ever, but evidently, I slept through it.  

I was conscious long enough to snap a few photos.  Near the end of the ride I was overtaken by a couple of couples on tandems.  We talked a bit before I crossed the dreaded yellow line to snap a candid shot of them. 

These are big sunflowers

 

Thuhs

Marin Miles.  Those are the miles on the commuter bike, a Marin Belvedere. Doing errands or putzing around town, always with a camera.  Things that are seldom seen from a car window.

 

The Tom Sawyers

 

The dog walker

 

The runner

 

The boaters

The hurricane barrier

The Fort

The Fishermen

The Tree

The Rock

Lo Mismo

Miles           21
Pedal time   1:31
Max speed 31.6mph
Ave speed 13.8

The Usual.

Sunday was mixed feelings about riding.  I wanted to ride but not too far which led me to choose the circle route I have been doing for years.  At the turn around point in Rochester Ma. there are a few alternatives to add miles.  Or it can be used as a turn around spot.  That's what happened when I thought I left the coffee pot plugged in and on with only a 1/2 inch of liquid in the bottom.  I tried calling a neighbor to go check without success.  Being at the halfway point I couldn't decide to keep going or turn around.

There were 57 Marin miles this week also.   Those are miles put on the old commuter bike, (back when I used to work), doing stuff around town.

This afternoon is the first step in deciding if I take a football coaching position at one of the local high schools. All are in need of a fitness and keeper coach, and my offering to coach pro bono is working in my favor. It's been seven years since I had my own team and I really don't know if I'll enjoy coaching like I did back then. I also have to feel out the head coaches to make sure we will be able to work together.

Tremont Nail Factory

Yoga Bike

Bike Stats

Distance           32.7 Miles

Pedal Time       2 hrs 31 mins

Ave Speed      13 mph

Max speed      24.7 mph

Yoga was tough today. With only two more sessions of the free "yoga in the park" series, Jody our instructor added a bit of difficulty.  It didn't deter my ride plans on one of the usual routes.  

A friend recommended a sub shop in the town of Wareham Ma. as an alternative to my usual Cumberland Farms Egg Salad Sandwich on wheat bread.   I did bike by the company store and low and behold, the company was still there.  Or the building anyhow.  Tremont Nail has moved to another city but the building in Wareham was rebuilt in 1848 after a fire destroyed the original remains.  I didn't go into the company store this time, but will visit it next time I ride this route.

The building was built, like most of that era, on the river in order to use the flow of the water to run some of the machinery and unfortunately to get rid of the waste.  As usual in those days, there was a bit of environmentalism which can be seen by the building of the "herring run" that provided a way for the spawning fish to return upstream. 

We ended the day at AHA night, a second Tuesday of the month event,  in New Bedford, Ma.  with a nice Korean dinner and local white wine.

 Herring run alongside the waste chute.

Clean water 

Fairhaven Ma. Town Hall steeple

Marin Miles

A few years ago I  bought a commuter bike specifically to be a winter beater.  It's not one for speed, or comfort and the best thing that can be said about it is that it's functional.  So functional that I ride it every day.  To the market, to yoga, the beach, the packy and any other trip that needs to be made around town. Things like the daily trip to the library or the two or three times a week ride to the docks for rowing.

A recent addition is the super market grocery bag to go along with a regular touring pannier on the other side, a handlebar bag and a trunk bag.  It carries not only groceries and 6 packs but yoga mats and blocks, a rowing seat and beach chairs.  The big stuff like the mat and beach chair get bungeed on the rear rack.

I do keep track of my miles on the web site bikejournal.com.  It was for commuting, touring and the occasional road ride.  Now it's all road ride and the new category, Marin Miles.   This week "the Marin" and I logged 56 miles doing stuff around town that I used to do by car.   Add a couple of 40 mile road rides to end up with a pretty good week of riding. 

Exploring

He's out riding again. Ho Hum




Dist.              33 miles
Time riding    2:51
Max speed    34.8 mph
Ave speed    11.6

Click any picture to make it big.

It was difficult riding from the get go.  The mind was O K, but the legs were resisting.  It's happened before and usually the kinks worked themselves out. Today it was three hours of protests from them. But we got through it.

The original plan was to ride hard on the usual "Fall River" route but it ended up being a mix of riding and sightseeing.  A sign directed me to "Aviation Training School" which is very well concealed at the outskirts of the municipal airport.   In the woods, so to speak.

The Aviation School "D" student's test results. 

There is a road leading to a reservoir that I had never biked.  It's been years since I went out that way for anything and this was a good a time as any to check it out.  It reminded me of roads you see on 1950's era movies.  Not much of anything out there.

It was a good day's riding which brought me through city streets and country roads where I met another rider, saw some sheep and was able to sneak up on two women in period dress taking a break form working the Whaling National Park in New Bedford.  Old house, old road, old garage and a boat.

A pretty good day indeed.

Got to get through the city first. I beat the light BTW.

The road from 1952

Some really old and not in good shape houses out there. 

Old garage. 

Hey ewe.  

Never forget old "what's his name" I met out in the middle of nowhere.  He had a map fortunately. 

Women in Whaling era period costumes taking a break from greeting the tourists.

As usual, there is at least one boat in this blog.

Views From The Boat

Our Steer-er Marika

Rowing the inner harbor

Palmers Island Light

Fairhaven Shipyard