Two in...Two out

That's the breathing technique on the training and fitness rides. Everyday at lunch it's a 10 mile spin around the industrial park complex. The tour is in less than three weeks and I also want to lose 30 lbs by Friday.

These are "head down, hammer into the wind" rides and I try to keep the spining high. Tomorrow may see a slower pace on the road to Wheaton again, and maybe some photos.

The evening walks have been long but slow. My dog walking partner is still recovering from a collapsed lung. I find myself walking at half pace and he next thing I hear, "can we slow down please".


Tonight we'll be looking at an almost 1/2 moon with Jupiter as bright as ever. Last night things were so clear and bright, I was knocking on neighbors doors to come out and take a look.

Before the star gazing dog walk, we will be hosting a send of dinner for #2 brother. Richard and Rochelle will continue thier east coast holiday with a visit to Maine before driving home to Florida.

Hey Boo Boo!

We're going to have a pick in-ick in New York. All systems are go from Cape Cod. The advanced team of Eglwng, hubby, and sons are scouting the area for good bars and places to buy salsa. (Everyone knows the best salsa is from New York).

Crys is all packed and standing at here doorway waiting for the dismissal bell to ring. I'm trying to figure out how to fit all those bikes in and on my car. We are all checking the weather reports every 30 minutes, and my spandex shorts are tide clean and woolite fresh.

I did two hard days of training, one for fitness and the other to work on my camera skills while riding.
All I need to do now is get a haircut and cut the grass. (oh and buy a pack of zig zag's).

Later

Runny Nose and Popcicle Toes

a
Yesterday's training ride just may be the impetus to get me into riding for fitness again. Commuting is fun, but these faster rides kind of get to you.
Noah, a blogger in Kansas City, is going to find this to be true very shortly. Maybe it's the nicer weather and more daylight. Whatever, biking just feels better the last few days.


I did the same 21 miles but today I took my camera along. A couple of things that seemed so unique yesterday, like the golfers and horse farm, today felt mundane. I think the cold got to me. My nose was running the whole ride and my toes felt like popcicles.

The cranberry bogs are planted and fertilized. The different color flags? Someone knows why, but not me.







New houses are being built that are the size of small hotels. Most have a family of three or four. I passed by one that had a camper that is bigger than many trailers I have seen a family of four live in. The VW is a nice touch. Kind of reminds me of the extra large pizza with four toppings a side of fries and a diet coke.


I also saw a few guys cutting lawns. Every one was on a riding mower. This blogger can sure use some help with the connection of riding mowers and guys with size 40 pants.




Here are the photos, that were all taken in Rochester, MA.

Training for NYC

ESteve, who is riding the Five Borought next week and I did a training ride on the East Bay Bike Path. I ride it often and every ride exposes something new.

After three years of trying to meet up with the Narragansett Bay Wheelmen for the weekly "Cafe Ride", it finally happened. One rider broke the stem while putting air in her tire. A couple were worried it may be an omen. If you believe that stuff, I guess it could be. It wasn't. I wanted to give this groups shovels for something to lean on .

Off we went on the EBBP for a thirteen mile ride to the Bagle Shop in Bristol R.I.
The group began to pull away and I stayed with Steve. He took the winter off and I could see he was struggling. Not unusual at the beginning of any activity.








We decided to let the group go and we would have breakfast in Warren. "The Restaurant", is the preferred breakfast stop when I ride with my 20 something year old neighbor, Joey. The staff make breakfast a pleasure. (College age waitresses, if you know what I mean). Anyhow, back to the ride. Steve mentioned that he suffers from ashma, and when he said that I completely understood his slow start. Then he mentioned that he had two, "TWO" donuts on the drive to the parking area. Now I'm thinking, {{{{if I take a poll on what caused Steve's lethargy, would the votes lean towards asthma as the cause, or DONUTS!!!!!?}}}. (Bike Riding Donut Guy, you have an opinion on this?)

No matter. We had a nice ride that began on the cool side, with fog and a low cloud cover. An hour or so into the ride, it began to clear, and we got some sunny, rather warm conditions for the latter part of the ride.

After breakfast, we decided on a couple of side trips. We stopped briefly at the Veterans Memorial in Bristol and also took a side trip through and around Colt State Park.

Here is the slideshow of our 32 mile ride, with some blues music.

Mattapoisett

The wind was unexpected, I was tired and it wouldn't have taken much for me to ditch this ride. As usual, it passed un-noticed and the ride becomes the natural thing to be doing.

I took note of the progress of the rebuilding of the East Fairhaven School. Both the kids went there and it's also where the Mariner Soccer League was born in 1977.

I was going to ride out to Marion, Ma. where the annual Boat race to Bermuda originates. The tired legs told me to make this an easier recovery ride. The back roads to Mattapoisett would suffice.

Those roads took me past old fish hatchery


and a cemetery dating to the early 19th century. Most of the houses also have plaques that tell of the original owners and the dates of the home. It's very common around here and most date to the early or mid 1800's.

Thinking about lunch at the Oxford Creamery had me drooling. It's a seasonal business and the place is packed on the warm summer evenings. The line was outside the door, the parking lot was full and there was no room at any of the outdoor tables. Water would have to do for now.

The ride then took me down to the waterfront. Crescent Beach and Point Connett were devastated by Hurricane Bob in the early 90's. Strawberry point had twenty two homes vanish when a thirty foot tidal surge hit. Those homes are now rebuilt, and all on stilts.

There was a woman rider I saw a few places. I caught up to her at the crossing that took us back to the country roads for the return leg, and tried to start a conversation. I asked her where she was heading, she was very vague and very slow in getting started. I took the hint and moved off. Not long after, I was taking a couple of final photos and heard "on your left". I caught the faintest smirk as she passed and let her put some distance between us. We ended up taking the same roads and I wonder if she thought me a predator?

Lots of families, people on bikes and lots of teens on bikes. That's nice to see.
The wind on the return leg made the ride difficult. I ended up doing a pretty good training ride along with a photo taking ride.

The weather will allow commuting to work for at least the first three days. If I can get out of bed at 5AM.

Here is what I saw with some music.