The Katy

Three of us - Mike, Sean an I - rode the Katy from Rocheport to Columbia and back. It was a little cool early, but we warmed up quickly and were comfortable all the way. The ride out was taxing, since it was against a 8-10 mph wind, and we were happy to make it to Columbia for lunch and a rest. The ride back was more with the wind and went very fast. We did 36.63 miles in 3:04:32, an average of 11.9 mph. My Forerunner says we burned 2040 calories. Whoohoo! -- Rob

Short One!

Just a nice easy 3 miler due to work obligations. Averaged in the 11:00 minute range so all is good.

Planning on a good ride in Rocheport Sunday with Rob and Sean. Looks like the weather will be perfect! Hope the autumn colors are peaking to make this a great ride....Mike

Smithville Trail in Autumn

With leaves crunching, and the occasional snap of a twig under my wheels, I traversed the Smithville trail. Just a 20 mile round trip but the day was gorgeous. The greens of summer had given way to the reds, rusts, and golds of autumn and I found myself counting my blessings as leaves took turns doing cartwheels across my path. The weather could not have been more perfect! The sky was as blue as it could be and the eagle that flew above was just icing on the cake! Man, what a nice ride! Even the geese had been replaced with hundreds and hundreds of ducks, although the ducks were in the water and not blocking the trail. I even noticed that the trail was clear of goose poop! I've never seen duck poop, so I suppose they poop in the water. Can't wait to go swimming!

If our trip to Rocheport on the 31st is as nice as today, it will be another super riding experience!......Mike

Beautiful Day, Nice Ride!

Kind of a different riding experience for the Interurban Rd. today. Not one car passed me all the way from Ferrelview to Deerborn and only one bike passed me as I was pulling out of the shelter house in Camden Point. As he passed me he asked how far it was to Deerborn. Well, since he obviously hadn't make that trip before, I told him it was only 26 miles or so. He had that lost puppy look for a second or two before I told him it was only about 5 miles. He just laughed! He was on a high end carbon fiber road bike so it was no sense trying to keep up with him.

As I pulled into Deerborn I crossed the main highway and made a turnaround in front of the Corner Cafe. I noticed the aforementioned cyclist getting off of his bike in front of the cafe. I asked him if he had ever eaten there before. He said that he hadn't so I just shook my head. Again, I get that lost puppy look! I just laughed and told him it was actually a pretty good place to have breakfast or lunch and that a ton of cyclists eat there ever Saturday and Sunday. He invited me to join him for lunch and, although I wasn't planning on it, decided it would be a chance to meet another biker.

His name was Mark and he's retired military (Army officer). Talk about a sweet deal, his wife is a director for AT & T and his kids are in school. He can ride anytime! We had lunch together and shared some interesting stories. I had him cracking up with casino stories!

We rode the first mile together coming back and since I told him previously that I wasn't in a hurry and that he should ride on, and he did. All in all it was a nice ride, nice day, and the lunch with a new friend was just a bonus! FYI, Rob, the tenderloin is fabulous! I almost couldn't finish it!......Mike

Well, it's something!

Ran 4.5 miles and felt slow and heavy. Haven't done much the last week so I shouldn't expect much. Like they say, "You only get out of it, what you put in!" Not much in, not much out! On the other hand, I did do something......Mike

Running again, someday

I'm going to tell a story and it might sound like I'm feeling sorry for myself. I'm not, I promise. Well, maybe a little. If not being able to run is the worst thing I have to endure, then I've got no problems.

This weekend was Kansas City Marathon weekend. The races had more than 11,500 entrants, and I knew several people at work who were planning to run. They all wanted to know if I was running, too, and two or three of the novices even asked me for tactical advice. By the time the week came to an end, I'd really heard enough about a race that I wanted to be in, but couldn't.

Things only got worse on Saturday, though, because for the first time a local television station televised the first three hours of the race. I watched, of course, and my envy grew. We headed for a wedding at noon, and it wasn't long before I learned that the groom's sister had run her first marathon in the Twin Cities two weeks ago, finishing in under 4 hours, an incredible accomplishment. In the evening at the reception she was still all pumped up about it, and while I loved hearing about it, it gave me a strange feeling of being left out.

The whole marathon scene this past week really got me thinking, and I finally figured out a couple of things:

1 - I miss the races for sure. I miss all that enthusiasm, energy and excitement. I miss testing myself and being in the discussion with other runners.

2. Maybe more than anything I miss the enjoyment of rigorous exercise. I like what it does for me mentally as much as physically. It's this feeling of well-being, of satisfaction. I imagine my body and mind thanking me - giving me health points - for working out.

I know my injuries will heal and I'll run again, but I'm impatient. It's already been 5 months since I last ran. But I'm grateful I can still ride, and once a week I can ride pretty hard. That helps.

Until I can get back out there I wish all my running friends all the best. I still want to hear all your stories, and I plan to have a few of my own to tell in the not-too-distant future.

Oh, hey, I rode 34 miles Sunday, averaging 14.7 mph. Loved it. -- Rob

Back to the Katy!

Rode down to Clinton, MO, where the Katy Trail terminates heading west, with Rob, and a friend from our Knights of Columbus council. Rode 36 miles on a beautiful fall day and headed back home. The End!...... Oh yeah, I almost forgot, ran into Roy Blunt in the crapper at McDonalds in Clinton. No big deal, I make most of my friends in the men's bathroom. I even made a dollar last Friday in the men's bathroom at the Riverside Red X!......Mike

ASK ME ABOUT THE DETAIL REGARDING ABOVE STATEMENTS. NOT WHAT YOU THINK!

Nice Little Run!

Bike was in the shop so I decided to get a nice run in since it was such a beautiful day and great to be alive, albeit barely, 68 now, you know. Ran 6.5 miles on a very hilly route. I have noticed that the biking I've been doing has really helped me with hill running. Took it nice and easy and walked a full minute every mile. Still averaged in the 11:00s....Mike

Back on wheels

October is here and I finally have the doctor's permission to resume normal activities. Normal, as far as I'm concerned, would mean running again, but I know that is still not possible. The few running steps I've taken in the last couple weeks have always resulted in groin pain. Even walking at a pace faster than what you'd use in the house results in pain. There is something wrong there that has nothing to do with my now-repaired hernia. I have another appointment with the doctor in 11 days.

It seems I can ride, however. I started with 11.6 on Friday, then 15 on Saturday and 20 on Sunday. The last 10 miles on Sunday were into a light wind, and I worked harder than I probably should have. Now, two hours after finishing, my groin is a little sore. The bike's in the shop until mid week, so I'll be taking it easy for a few days. -- Rob

Easy Rider!

Wasn't planning on doing anything today except rest after yesterday's long ride. However, Rob wanted to try and get some kind of ride in, so we went to the downtown airport and rode three laps around the complex. One loop actually figured out to be 3.8 miles and after three laps we called it good. Weather super! A nice easy ride on concrete sure did feel good after the trail ride yesterday........Mike