Thinking back

Yesterday as Kay and I were driving back from South Dakota I glanced at the clock and noted that it

was about the same time exactly a week ago that the MRC rode triumphantly into St. Charles. For a few moments I was right back in the saddle chewing up the miles.

I'll remember a lot of things about those four days, but the best part was the final day - a perfect day for a long ride, and a ride that was perfectly executed by our team. I finished the day feeling like I have at the end of a couple of my marathons - like it didn't beat me, I beat it.

The ride is going to be a feel-good memory for a long time.

KATY Trail ride is history

The Men's Running Club of Kansas City went riding last week, covering the KATY Trail from Clinton to St. Charles in four days. First thing we did was find a helpful citizen to take our picture at the depot. From left, it's Jerry Adams, Rob Perschau, Mitchell Krasnopolar, Jody Cox, Bill McClave, Sean Joyce and Steve McClave. Mike DeGhelder rode with us over half the way as well. The ride was recorded at lengths varying from 220 to 243 miles, depending on side trips to bike shops. We averaged right at 12 mph while enduring something like 14 flats, three broken spokes, a blown tire (not just the tube), and a full day of rain on Saturday.
I forgot to turn my GPS watch on several times during the ride, but it was on when we started and when we ended, and enough in between to come up with these numbers: Elevation gain 5,185 feet; elevation loss 5,478 feet; average speed 11.8, average moving speed 12.1 miles. Ride time was roughly 20 hours and 42 min.

Nelson Island Bike Ride

Saturday, Dan Lara and I ran short runs with Runner's Edge (Dan - 8 miles, me - 6 miles), then we met Rob at the Nelson Island trailhead for a 2-hour, 20-mile bike ride.  We had a blast with the beautiful fall morning and lots of fellow bikers and runners out on the trail.  At the end, I took this picture of Rob and Dan with all the women bicyclists we met on the trail.  We were somewhat disappointed when all they wanted to know was "Do you guys know this Mike the Elder DeGhelder guy?" and "Do you think he ever rides this trail?"  and "Do you think we could meet him and ride with him here?"  Geez....

Core Exercising My Way Back In

After missing half of June, all of July, and most of August for lots of summer related issues, I've started back running and bicycling.  Immediately, my left hip and glutes were very tight!  So tight that after an 8-mile run in early August, I could barely walk.  So I've taken to heart Eladio's simple core exercises and stretches that hit the mid-body and am slowly beginning to build my base.  Ran 6 last Saturday and 6 this Saturday with Runner's Edge and felt much better this week.  Biked 33 miles in the Bike for the Brain ride last Monday (Laobr Day) and realized I need to log more bike rides to be comfortable on our Katy ride.  Lastly, I attended Eladio's seminar with a sports therapist 2 weeks ago and am trying to remake my stride to the forefoot strike featured in the book Born to Run.   My goal is to completely rebuild my stride to proper running form and build my mileage base this fall, with core exercises a  part of my daily routine.  I'm also mixing in a half mile for now of barefoot running on my gym's indoor track 3 times a week to help me relearn my stride.  I'll slowly build that base and also move to shoes that have less heel to toe vertical lift over time till I get to flat shoes (my current Brookes have a 12 mm vertical lift, which is common.  Minimalist shoes have 0 mm vertical life).  It's my fall makeover, and if I can pull it off, it should set me up well for the long haul!

Sidewalks for dogs, streets for runners

You want to know why runners don't like to run on the sidewalk, why the street is normally the better choice despite the many ignorant drivers out there? Uneven surfaces, cars blocking the way, low-hanging trees, hoses, people backing out, children playing.

And then this morning ...

This isn't the real woman
and dog, but it's close.

Narrow sidewalk. Just a connector from one trail to another for a couple of minutes. I'm approaching a young woman on a walk with her dog. A pit bull. On a leash connected to a sturdy full-body collar. The animal is young, good looking and muscular. It doesn't look mean, but is obviously interested, maybe concerned, about me.

I'm on alert. Woman and dog stop and move to one side so I can pass. And that's my plan: stay on the sidewalk and pass on the right. Isn't the sidewalk primarily for humans? Animals can give way. Owners should see that their animals give way. Some do, and some don't, but she did., and I was going to take my piece of the sidewalk.

As I came within speaking range, the woman spoke. She was pleasant, but firm.

"He does not want to play."

Oh, I said.

OH! I thought as I realized what she was saying. Come too close and risk losing a leg. I get it.

Deftly and in stride I veered onto the grass and donated the whole sidewalk to the animal.

I should have been in the street anyway.

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For the week I had 34.1 miles

Good and Bad!

Yesterday was supposed to be a total rest day since I ran Saturday, but I wanted to check out the construction of the new trail going into Riverside.  I ended up walking around three miles without any knee issues. 

Today, I chose to run again and tested myself again at English Landing with a 2.5 mile run.  The run itself went just fine with the first mile in 12:09 and the second mile in 10:39.  The last half mile was 4:25 which meant I was on an 8:30 pace.  I fully intended to run another 1.5 miles for an even four miler, but when I bent over to stretch my back I almost went to the ground in pain.  I've done something to my back now.  Jeez, always something!

Took 600 mg of Ibuprofen and applied an ice pack.  Seems better, but not quite right yet.  Will apply two Michelob Ultras before bedtime to help sleep.  Hopefully, all will be well tomorrow.

A race, sort of

The Star was a sponsor for Sunday's Komen run, and as such had several comps to hand out. I know I said I wasn't going to race anything this year, but I like the idea of this event, and it was free to me, so I signed up for the non-competitive 5k. That meant I didn't get a chip and wouldn't figure in the official results.

I got downtown early and went for an easy 4 mile run to loosen up prior to the race, and to get in the mileage I wanted to start the week with. Those miles were done at a 10:32 pace.

Untimed and timed runners were allowed to start together, so I lined up in the 9-minute pace group with "real" runners all around me. I thought if I could come in at 27 min. it would be just fine with me. I like the idea that I wasn't being timed and was under no pressure to truly race.

If you've ever run the Komen race you know it's always crowded at the start. If you're serious about time, you have to start at the front. Otherwise, you'll be trapped in the middle of the herd for a good half mile. That's where I was, and actually it allowed me to ease into the race and gradually build my speed.

The first mile is mostly downhill, and I did it in 8:45. The next mile is all up hill, and it's kind of a grind, but I was able to do it in 8:10. The last mile is about 50-50 up and down hill, but none of it steep, and I finished with a 7:42 mile. My self-computed time was 25:33, for an 8:10 pace.

The results for this year's race aren't posted yet, but I would have placed 4th in the same age group a couple of years ago with 25:33.

Racing again was kind of fun, but I still have no plans to do it again this year. Maybe I'll throw in a nearby turkey trot later in the year.

Still Surprised!

Well, I tested the waters again this morning.  I went down to English Landing with a goal of running (no walking) for exactly three miles.

Since my hips were really sore and tight from cranking it with Sean yesterday, I took it very slow to let the hip muscles warm up, and loosen up, as evidenced by my beginning pace.

I decided to just get the three miler in without a goal pace in mind.  Goal pace, that seems like a foreign term to me now.

Anyway, the knee never gave me any indication of discomfort, so I kept going.  As it turned out, I could have added an additional mile, but I have nothing but time.  There's no hurry, so why take the chance?

My mile splits were:  14:55, 12:58 and 10:23.  I got down into the low tens and high nines for awhile in the last mile.  It just took me forever to loosen up the hips.

Since the bike is in the shop, I'll run again tomorrow and I'll keep building mileage, just like I was training for some kind of road race, until my knee starts giving me trouble again.

Another Long Ride!

Sean and I headed up to Smithville for a forty miler yesterday.  Weather was just about perfect with heavy overcast and just a slight breeze.

For the third time since last Saturday, riding with the Riff Raff group, I kept hearing this clack, clack, clack, tic, tic, tic. in my bike.  I shifted around to see if it would stop, but to no avail.

I took it in for the second time this week to determine what the problem was and it turned out to be the lower gear sprocket.

I was just glad they finally found out what the problem was!
I sure couldn't ride it in October with that noise and worry about something breaking down.

At any rate, Sean and I completed the ride okay and we saw three wildlife in the first 5 miles, two more wildlife in the next 5 miles, and several wildlife on the south route.  This was for you, Bill.  Hope you go nuts trying to figure out what we saw.

Since my bike is going to be in the shop waiting for parts, it looks like running is an option, but I'll take it easy and see if I can run three slow miles.

Not sure what to think!

Not sure how much to get excited about this. 

Since I'm riding tomorrow with Sean, and Saturday with Rob, I didn't want to ride today, so I put on my running shoes and headed down to English Landing, not knowing what to really expect.  Although I ran recently, and didn't have any trouble with the knee, I felt I might be tempting fate with another run. 

Throwing the proverbial caution to the wind, I walked for about a quarter mile then reset my watch to zero.  My intention was to just run, not jog, for the two miles. 

End result was two miles averaging 10:41 with a top end of 8:12.  This was a result of just running slowly at around high elevens for the first mile and turning it up a notch, then two notches, for the second mile.


It felt sooooo good just to be a runner again!!!!  Even just putting on my shorts and Hood to Coast singlet felt great!  Those of you who ever played tackle football know what I mean when you put on those shoulder pads and that helmet.  There's just a psychological transformation that occurs and you're ready to go to war.  With me, the war was with myself and father time.

Don't know what the next run will bring, but for now, I can call myself a runner again!

Now, I have to convince Chris that I need new shoes!!!

Moving up in the age group

I needed some way to mark my 63rd birthday, which is today.

People who golf want to shoot their age, but 63 would only get me two-thirds of the way around the course.

I could spend $63, but where's the challenge in that?
I considered running 63 miles, but thought I might not make it to work on time (next week).

So, I ran 6.3 miles. That was easy enough to do, but it got me to thinking that if I'm still running when I'm 90, that 9.0-mile run might be a little tough.I'll probably be retired by then, so at least I'll have all day to do it.

I'll have to check this out, but I think I burned a few extra calories today just because my Garmin watch knew I'd gone from 62 to 63 years old.
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Last week, almost by accident, I recorded my highest weekly mileage of the year: 34 miles. It happened because I ran 8 miles on Sunday instead of my usual 4-6, then ran every day but one because I was unable to throw in more than one day of riding.

I haven't run any distance real fast yet, but I have had a couple outings averaging under 9 min. per mile. My rehab'ed foot sometimes gets a little puffy after longer or faster runs, but it's nothing that a little ice can't handle.

Longest 30 miles ever!

Well, I showed up in Prairie Village to join the Riff Raff riders to give it a try.  If I'd known how tough the course was going to be, I wouldn't have gone!  Hills way too tough on the out trip, but we took a different route on the return that wasn't bad at all. 

Highlight was having breakfast with a large group.  I estimate there was at least 30 riders, but not sure.  We dropped three on the way out and now I know why.  I should have expected something was up when the group groaned after Bob Pisciotta made the announcement that they would be riding Corrington Street.  That street was a real bugger!  Very long and just steep enough to wear your butt out at half way up!

I realize it would have made a difference if I was riding a road bike and weighed less that I do.  However, I don't intend on investing in a road bike just so I can join these group rides.

I told Mitchell that I doubt I would do another group ride due to not knowing the routes ahead of time.  I've done two group rides now, one with the clock tower group and this one.  I think I'll stick to either riding with my buds or just going by myself.  I can pick the course! 

I know all this sounds negative, but I'm at the age now where I just don't want to push myself to that extent.  Too many things breaking down now!

Missed a Week!

Well, I missed just about a week of riding due to work obligations, but did manage to get out this morning for a short ride in Smithville.

Just rode the short trail (18.4) and called it good.  I got started a little late and was kind of tired, so I cut my ride short.

I did see 5 deer in the first five minutes and one on the return trip along with a huge turkey. 

Weather was super nice with heavy overcast, slight breeze and temps in the 60s.

Riding with Mitchell tomorrow along with the Riffraff riders.  Should be fun!

A minor milestone

Very nice day today, so I went down to English Landing Park for what I thought might be 4, 5 or 6 miles. I'd run kind of hard on Friday, averaging under 9 for 6 miles, then rode 28 miles on Saturday, so all I wanted to do was a few easy miles along the river.

Even though it was only 73 degrees, the sun was high and bright and it seemed warmer than it was. I was content to run my early miles north of 10, and after a couple miles I was nice and loose and thinking I'd definitely go 6. The easy pace helped me adjust to the temperature and I was feeling good.

My pace naturally picked up as I worked through miles 3 and 4, and by the time I started on my fifth mile I was planning to do 7. Miles 5 and 6 were right at 9, and as I got to the turnaround that would give me 7 miles, I decided to go out a little farther and shoot for 8, which would be my longest run since last September. Miles 7 and 8 were in the middle 8's.

Once I finished I felt like I could have gone another mile or two, but I figured there was no point in pushing it. I'm not training for a race.

This makes for a nice start to the week, which will be short because we are traveling during the second half and I don't know when I'll be getting my workouts in from Thursday through Sunday.

How About That!

Well, I either did something semi-courageous, or something really stupid this morning! 

A week ago, while photographing a basketball tournament, I had to get back to my display area in a hurry.  So, I ran across the gym floor to my area.  I never did feel any kind of pain or discomfort at all in my knee.  In the past when I did something like that, I always felt a sharp pain or two, or at least, some degree of discomfort in my knee.

I've had this on my mind for a week and a half now and it occurred to me that it might be possible for me to at least try to get in some kind of walk jog effort.  If the knee flared up, I could always stop!

So, I put on my running shorts and my Hood To Coast singlet for the first time since my knee injury on December 24th, 2011.  I can't tell you how good that felt just to put on my running shorts, even though I knew it was going to be iffy.

Since my running shoes had a bunch of miles on them already, I thought it best to head down to English Landing and run, excuse me, walk/jog, on the soft trail.  It was also a better decision since I wasn't sure about running on any hard surface.

Well, I started my watch and walked about a quarter mile or so, and then began a light jog.  I felt nothing in the knee with regards to any degree of pain, so I kept going until I felt like I should stop and walk.  Well, that just never happened!  I kept jogging, but soon got to a pace that was more of a slow run rather than jogging.

Well, I ended up running 2.5 miles in 33:58 counting the first quarter mile of walking and around a mile of jogging.  My last half mile was at a 10:30 pace.  Probably shouldn't have chanced it, but what the hell!

It really felt great to just be able to run.  I think a combination of cycling and glucosamine/chondroitin has helped my knee situation.  Anyway, I'd like to think so.

Okay, now what?  Well, I'm thinking about riding one day and running the next.  We'll see what happens, but it sure felt good to run at least one day again!

Well, That's Just Great!

Just wonderful, two days of either unpreparedness or near disasters! 

After yesterday's fiasco with Rob and his flat tire with no tube, no air and forgetting to give me the keys to his truck which would have resulted in another 12 miles of riding back and forth.  Not to mention that Rob, who gave me a shot in the previous blog Re:  Giving me the driving directions 3 or 4 times when there was only two turns to remember, also forgot to mention that he told me to be sure and turn right on Main Street (in Grandview) which would take me right to the high school where we parked.  He did say that the street might be named Grandview Road and, since he lived in the area for years, he knew that was the directions to the high school.

BTW, if you are ever riding/driving south on Raytown Rd. and want to go to Grandview High School, turn right on HIGHGROVE RD. not Grandview Rd. or Main Street.  It's a good thing ONE of us remembered the truck keys and had enough common sense to realize Highgrove Rd. was the correct turn to get to the high school.

Okay, now that I've covered my ass with yesterday's fiasco, you would think today's ride with Sean Joyce would be uneventful.  Not so!  On the way to the Smithville Trails we heard a strange sound at the back of my car.  It sounded like my deck lid wasn't shut all the way and I may have hit a small bump and it bounced up and back down.  At least that's what it sounded like.  Not so!  When we arrived at the Anita Gorman Trail Head and got out of the car, Sean noticed that the left side main strap that hooked to the top on my trunk lid had broken loose and our bikes were tilted to the right side of my car.  Lucky for us, the rest of the bike rack held together long enough for us to make it to the trail head.  We immediately thought of Rob the Rescuer. 

We called Rob and informed him of our dilemma.  He told us to call him back when we were almost finished with our ride and he would meet us at the trail head and truck our bikes back home.  I thought about telling him to check the air in his tires before setting out, but we were in too much of a pickle to give him any stuff.

The ride itself was very interesting compared to past rides on the Smithville Trails.  We saw 17 Rabbits in the first 22 miles, a deer, a huge, and I mean HUGE, turkey with three little hens, and about 40-50 turkey vultures in a tree.  That scene was almost out of a Hitchcock movie!
We also saw a guy on a product called a fly board that was powered by a jet ski.  The propulsion from the jet ski shot him in the air about 10-15 feet where he either hovered or floated around in his choice of direction.  It was very cool to watch this.  I'll have Sean forward the pics he took.

Here's to better days on the roads and trails

It had to happen sometime

Okay, well, NOW I'm prepared.

I knew when I bought my first patch kit a couple weeks ago something like this was going to happen. Denial was so sweet.

Mike and I drove into the eye of the storm Saturday morning for a ride around Longview Lake in Grandview. Dark clouds loomed just to the west, and as we rode away from the truck, a light rain started falling. Since there was no lightning, we decided to chance it anyway.

By the time we'd ridden maybe 3 miles the rain had stopped. The going was a bit slow, as there were dozens of runners from Runner's Edge on the trail, several of whom we knew - or Mike did. We stopped to tale with a few of them, including Dan and Amy.

About mile 3 I realized I'd left my water bottle in the cooler in the truck, so now I had to share Mike's supply.

A couple miles later we got separated when Mike stopped to talk with an RE runner. I decided to give him a call to see where he was, but there was no phone. That, too, was still in the truck.

We hooked up again and rode on. The trail was really nice - more scenic than we remembered it from years past, and there were a lot of riders, runners and walkers all over the place. A very active venue.

We got to the north side of the lake and rode across the dam on the nice, wide shoulder of the road. One of us mentioned how clean and roomy the shoulder was, and that's when it happened. First, one tire pinched a rock and it shot out like it had been fired from a gun. Immediately after that my rear tire crushed a piece glass. It was flat 15 seconds later.

We were 10 miles out. I had a patch kit, but neither of us had air, or, for that matter, a tube.

I reached for my truck keys as I suggested Mike ride back for the truck, but he wasn't sure of the way via the short route - the streets - so he suggested I ride his bike while he walked. That didn't work because my clips didn't match is pedals (neither one of us thought about swapping shoes).

After giving Mike the directions to the truck 3 or 4 times (straight, left, straight, right), he was off.

Three minutes later, he was back. I never had given him the keys to the truck. Whew! Close call.

I got a nice 2.35 mile walk in while Mike rode to the truck. Along the way, two or helpful nice people asked me if I needed assistance, but I declined. Mike made it back quickly, since the street route was 4 miles shorter than the trail route had been. I was glad to see him even if I did have to listen to his cracks about how I was no Boy Scout (right, and where was HIS spare tube and pump when we needed it?).

Neither one of us got our intended workout in, but there was one positive - I got a chance to learn how to replace a rear tube myself. Plus, since a tube is nothing without air, I bought a small pump that I could attach to the frame of my bike.

Now I'm prepared.

Short Hot Ride

Meant to begin my ride around 6:30-7:00 but didn't get out of the house until 11:30.  Went to Smithville and intended to ride out and back on both trails, but called it a day after hitting the Bone Bender and Smoken' Davey trails.  It was just too hot and I ran out of motivation to complete the ride.  Maybe tomorrow, maybe not!

This was supposed to be posted yesterday!

Rode 24 miles on the Interurban Road from Ferrelview to just past Camden Point.  Nice day, but it was getting hot by the time I finished.  Corn getting high as an elephants ass.  Is that how that song goes?  Anyway, I intended to ride 40 or so today, but it just wasn't going to happen.  My old legs need the rest.  I'll tackle that goal tomorrow!

False Start

I am still battling a bad chest cold I caught last Tuesday.  Over the weekend, I got a lot of rest, and by Monday felt good enough I packed my bike for a Spin Pizza ride after work.  But late afternoon, I didn't feell 100% and it was really hot, so I headed over to my air conditioned gym where I ran exactly 1 mile.  Turns out I wasn't ready to come back yet.  Felt like crap after the 1 mile run, so I walked a second mile and headed home.  Tuesday, my cold was worse, not better, so I'm back to cold medicene and a planned doctor's visit at week's end if I can't kick this one out by then. I'm losing a lot of time here, but getting healthy has to be job one.

Back to Back Rides

I usually don't ride the dad after a really long ride, but I just felt so good this mornig I thought I would get in some extra mileage.  My intent was to ride an easy 20, but by the time I got out the door it was too hot.  However, I did manage to get in a 10 miler, albeit slow.  Only averaged 11.9 mph, but wasn't concerned.

Longest Ride/All new territory!

Since I missed the last four days, due to soreness in my quads, I decided to make it up, big time!

I have logged two rides of 60+ miles, with the first one occurring two years ago on the Prairie Spirit Trail with Sean Joyce.  The second one was three weeks ago, again with Sean, but began the ride with Bill, Jerry and Rob who bagged it at 40 miles due to family obligations.

Okay, so I pretty much knew I could ride 60 miles or more, but how much more?  Last night I made up my mind to set a goal of riding 80 miles today.  Wasn't sure how it was going to go, but I packed five water bottles (two were in the freezer), three Cliff Bars, 25 glucose tablets, a quart of chocolate milk and a P B & J sandwich.  Okay, so I was prepared, now what?

I left the house at 5:37 and headed to the Smithville trail with a plan to ride the north trail twice and the south trail twice.  I parked at the Anita Gorman parking lot, unloaded my horse, packed my saddle bags and rifle (coyotes, you know), and headed across the bridge to the Bone Bender trail head.

The weather was cooperative with a slight breeze and temps in the 70s.  I rode past the right 90 degree turn that ends at the Smokin Davy Trail head and continued just another 2 tenths of a mile or so.  At that point I was at 11.20, I believe.  Turned around and headed back to Anita Gorman.  Was surprised that I didn't see any deer yet, but that was to come.  However, I did almost run over several damn squirrels.

Got back to the car with 22+ miles logged, refreshed my water bottle, ate a Cliff Bar, and headed out for the 18.4 round trip on the AG trail.  Weather still great with a little wind, but very nice!

Plan was working perfectly, as I logged my 40+ miles when I returned to the car.  Same routine as last paragraph with regards to refreshing myself.  Okay, big mental boost as I was half way to my goal!

Headed across the bridge again to log another 22+ miles.  Still no deer!  I was 4 hours and 2 minutes into my ride before I saw the first deer.  She came from my left and practically jumped over the trail in front of me at about 20 feet away. 

Made the same turn at the "T" and headed back to AG.  Second deer at 4 hours 38 minutes,
was  a complete surprise to both of us!  I came around a right hand turn and there she was
about ten feet away.  I startled her and she startled me!  She leaped into the forest and that was that!

Got back to the car and was mentally and physically relieved that the hard part was pretty much over.  WRONG!  See refreshment paragraphs.

Headed down the AG trail for one last out and back.  Was feeling pretty good at this point, but the sun was starting to pop through and the temp was rising fast.  I still had some cloud cover, here and there, and the shade helped as well. 

Was starting to tire around the 70 mile point, but was energized by the fact that it was my longest ride ever!  Mentally, this also kind of made up, to me anyway, for bailing out at 46 miles at the Rock Island Ramble.

Made the turn at the Cabin Fever trail head and headed back to the car.  At this point my water was not cool, but wasn't hot and I made up my mind that I would kill the bottle with five miles to go.  I figured I could make five miles out with a half bottle of water in me.

At five miles to go, it hit me, big time.  I was tired, hot and hungry!  Oh, I knew I was going to make it, I just wanted it to be over!  It was over soon enough and it felt like finishing my first marathon, well almost.

Totals:  6 hours, 36 minutes of ride time, 81.18 miles logged at 12.20 mph average with top end at 24.7.

Back to work

It's back to the routine now that my little 10-day break from work is over. I didn't get as much riding in as I thought I would during the break, but did get out a couple of times, once for 41 miles.

The highlight of the period was a run along the Lake Superior waterfront in Grand Marais, Minn. on a cool Saturday morning. Beaches, lighthouses, sailboats, water. Not too hard to take.

I continue to run at a maintenance level - around 25 miles a week. In the last couple of weeks I've finally reached a level of conditioning that allows for much easier hill climbs. In the early weeks after resuming running, those relatively little hills were really tough. Just about the time I thought I was never going to turn that corner, it all improved. You just gotta hang in there, I guess. Still have no plans to run any races this year, at least not until after the Katy ride.

Got out for a 6-mile run early this morning. It was already 78 at 5:45 am, but the sun was behind the clouds and it didn't feel all that bad.

This post is for Monday July 1, 2013

Rode with Rob and Lowell on the Cliff Drive route.  Took them by the house I mostly grew up in (still trying), Northeast High School (alma mater), and James School which was where I attended from 4th thru 6th grades. 

We ended up with just under 20 miles, but the weather was terrific! 


This post is for Wednesday July 3rd, 2013

Rode the Smithville trails with Rob and his friend Jody.  We rode both ends of the trails and logged 41 miles.  I have to tell you, that this was the best ride I've experienced for several months.  I have never felt stronger, other than when I was in top marathon shape.

I never got tired and was never breathing hard, even though I was really cranking it!  I have to believe that it was the result of my body adjusting after the Rock Island Ramble a week and a half ago.  That ride was the toughest test ever for me.  Even though I bailed out at the 46 mile point, I non-the-less benefited greatly from this ride.

I have really gained a lot of confidence this past week with regards to my biking.  I'm now ready for the next challenge.

Declaration of Independence

I am still out with a bad chest cold, so no running or biking update.  But I did want to tip my hat to Mike DeGhelder who quite a few years ago pointed out that the Star reprints the Declaration of Independence every July 4th.  So I've made it a habit to read it annually.  I still marvel at the document and consider my now annual re-reading a special part of my celebration of July 4th!

Great Saturday Ride!

Rode with Sean, Jerry and Lowell on the Interurban Rd. this morning.  Super nice day with a little wind and not too hot.  However, it did start to warm up towards the end of our 40+ miler.

We rode from the Embassy Suites to Deerborn which is about 20.5 miles one way.  Jerry rode from his house and added on an extra 6 miles total.  It was just a nice ride!

Afterward, Jerry, Sean and I had breakfast at the BIG BISCUIT, which turned out to be a great place to have breakfast!  It's right in our neighborhood and just opened a few months ago replacing the old 54th St. Grill.  Needless to say, the place was packed!  Lowell, due to a birthday committment, wasn't able to join us for breakfast.

I think I averaged around 12 mph for my 40.55 total miles, topping out at maybe a little over 21 mph.  don't really know for sure as I left my Garmin upstairs and I'm too tired to go get it.  When I get upstairs I'm headed for my recliner for a much deserved nap!

Note:  There were more cyclists on the Interurban today than I can ever recall.  Every club/group in town must have incorporated the Interurban Rd. in their routes today!

Might ride today if I feel up to it.

CHECK THIS OUT!

Gentleman,

Please check out the below link to a video that is presently on youtube!  The video features Ken Weiner's Creative Candle products in the White House.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2012/04/03/new-way-tour-white-house

Is this great advertising, or what?

What a Contrast!

What a difference a couple of days can make!

I left early and headed up to Smithville just when it started to sprinkle.  I didn't think rain, to speak of, was in the forecast, so I headed up to the lake.  Half way there, I noticed the rain picking up just a bit and thought about returning back home.  The rain didn't seem to increase so I decided to get my ride in.  My only concern was possible slick asphalt which meant I had to take it easy on the curves.

At first, I intended to ride 40 miles to get a good start on the week, but my legs were still just a bit sore from Saturday, so I opted for just riding the Anita Gorman/Cabin Fever trail.  I also remembered to try and relate the biking to marathon training with respects to incorporating an easy run after a hard/long run.  I surely considered Saturday a long run, relatively speaking, kind of like a 16-20 miler while marathon training, so I backed off and did a nice easy 18.37 miler.

This ride turned out to be one of the most enjoyable I've experienced!  I had the trail to myself as there were no runners, walkers, or even another cyclist for my entire ride.  This is quite unusual for Smithville.  On ANY given day of the week there is always people using the trail!  The only sound I heard was a few birds and the tic-tic-tic-tic of rain drops hitting my helmet.

To top that off, it wasn't warm or cool, it was just kind of neutral, which was also something new to me.  I was never warm or cool, just super comfortable for the entire ride.  It was also eerily quiet, except for the birds here and there.

This ride was almost the opposite of Saturday!

Total of 18.37 miles, average speed 11.3 mph topping out at 15.4 mph.

I'm Just Glad I Didn't Sign up for the 2-Day Ride!!!

I would echo Mike's comments on the Rock Island Ramble yesterday with regard to the temps, the humidity, and the wind.  It combined to make a very difficult day!  I felt bad that the three of us -- Mike, Mitchell, and me -- ended up riding apart but in those conditions, we each had to ride at our individual comfort pace.  I told Mitchell that in those hills, I would have had trouble going (a) slower, or (b) faster than my comfort pace.  Yesterday was a day to find one's sustainable pace and stick with it.

That said, I have great memories of the ride.  We passed through three beautiful stops -- Civil War sites in both Pleasant Hill and Lone Jack, and a surprisingly beautiful downtown Lee's Summit.  I had a funny moment when I was congratulating myself on having completed 46 miles at stop #4, when I realized that the other riders coming in were all century riders with 76 miles under their belts!  Life is definitely a humbling process.

I spent the rest of my day when I got home recovering -- a hot shower, a 90-minute nap, dinner and a home video in the air conditioning.  It took the entire evening for me to get back to normal.

The Three Meals --  Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner -- showing off their true colors!!!

I'll close with 3 shots from yesterday -- our group and the Aide/Mary duo that missed their turn for the 46 mile loop and ended up riding 70 miles!

Aide and Mary

 



Mike, Bill, and Mitchell in our formal poise

 

MAJOR BEAT DOWN!

I was so looking foreword to our 70 mile ride yesterday, but just like a marathon, things can be unpredictable right up the the last minute.  One can be prepared and ready, but sometimes circumstances, which in this case turned out to be the weather, can throw a major curve in your plans and preparation.

I knew it was going to be hot, but when you combine that element with humidity, wind and major long hills, it was just too much for me.  A younger Mike DeGhelder, say around 60, would have fought through it, but at 70+, it was time for some discretion. 

The ride began easy enough as it was only in the 80s, but trying to keep up with my younger counterparts on their nice road bikes, was just a challenge I shouldn't have taken.  Just like in a marathon, you'll pay for going out too fast.  I started feeling the effects shortly after the first sag stop at around mile 12.5.  From then on I was just trying to survive.

I made it to the 46 mile sag stop in Lone Jack where Bill and Mitchell were waiting for me.  This was actually the pattern for the day, ride ahead then wait for Mike, ride ahead and wait for Mike.  It got to where the highlight of the day was seeing Mitchell and Bill at the sag stops. 

As I sat there in the heat hydrating, Bill asked me if I was okay.  I told him I had felt better, then he asked me if I was going to continue.  With only 24 miles left to go, I told him I had to finish this.  However, the longer I rested the worse I felt.  I came to the wise conclusion that I could not finish this ride. 

I was calling the phone number for one of the roving sag vehicles when one pulled right into the sag stop in a pick up.  This was fortunate as most of the time you might have to wait a half hour or more for someone to come and get you.  I loaded my bike along with another rider who was 15 years younger than I who also couldn't make the 70 miles and he had a ROAD BIKE! 

I was feeling kind of guilty for bailing out of my committed 70 miler.  It's just not my nature to quit something like that.  I have never quit a marathon, even though I was cramping or bonked!

I changed my clothes and retrieved my pre-paid lunch of a pulled pork BBQ sandwich, pasta salad, cookie and a cold soft drink and sat down in the air conditioning of J. Bean's restaurant and waited for guys.  Eventually they all made it, but the effects of the day were evident.

Have bike will run

I wrapped up my workout week this morning with a pre-dawn run of 5 miles, giving me 25 for the week. That's the most I've run in a week since last September.

I didn't ride at all this week. My main bike goal was to wash the dang thing, but I still haven't done it. I acquired one more accessory for the October ride: my first patch kit. It was described as a "Large," so I was surprised at how small it was: not quite the size of a pack of cigarettes. What do I know? I'm pretty sure that now that I have it I will have to use it.

I'm off to my 45th high school class reunion this weekend, and I'm not even taking running shoes. I can't imagine a scenario where I'll be doing anything other than drinking beer with people who's names I can't remember.

Everyone have a good run and/or ride Saturday.

It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times!

Now where have I heard or read that before?  Hummmmm!

Okay, so it really was a good ride and it was a bad ride.  How does that occur anyway?

Well, the good and best of times, was that the weather was perfect with temps in the 70s and a slight breeze.  Smithville Lake was as placid as I've ever witnessed with slight movement on the main body of the the lake and the coves being absolutely glass smooth!  It was perfect for skipping stones!

The bad part, or worst of times, was not realizing that the storm Sunday left a ton of debris on the trail in the form of small limbs, twigs and some branches.  Since I was on the north (Bone Bender) trail first, the sun was in my eyes and the first time I came around a curve I just couldn't see the trail very clear and started bouncing all over the place.  For just a few seconds, I thought I was going to lose control of the bike.  It was jumping back and forth just an inch or two, but since I couldn't see what was going on, I was in a slight panic.

From then on, I just had to be extremly cognizant of the situation and just ride slow, especially on the curves!  Of course, this issue was only prevelant in the wooded areas where there was tree cover on both sides of the trail.  I certainly looked forward to the open areas.

The south trail, for some reason, wasn't nearly as bad, so I pretty much enjoyed the back half of my ride.

Totalled exactly 40 miles with a 12.1 mph average, topping out at 16.6 mph.

Rough Trail Ride

Sean, Rob and I ventured out to the Little Blue Trace to get in a, what was to be, a 22 miler.  Forgetting how long the additional trail on the south end was, we decided to go ahead and ride the entire trail, north and south.  Ordinarily, this wouldn't even be an issue, but Rob and Sean were under some time restraints.  BTW, Sean hadn't been to the Little Blue Trace trail, so Rob and I wanted to show him another riding option.

We headed south on the new part first which, by the time we returned to the parking lot, ended up being right at 8 miles.  Ride was fairly uneventful until, on the return ride, I rode into a bunch of sand that was put on the trail route, probably to fill in low spots or small ponds.  I came to the proverbial  screeching halt and had to walk my bike out of the quicksand.

We continued on to the north part and Sean decided we had enough time to ride the entire trail.  The north end of the trail was fairly rough due to cyclists riding the trail when it was too soft from previous rains.  I can remember running this trail several times during marathon training and was never comfortable running through those bike ruts!

All in all it was a nice ride and the weather, other than being just a little windy here and there, was pretty favorable.   Got in a 30 miler, but my pace averaged only 11.9 mph.

Note:  Riding crushed limestone trails is much tougher than any place else I've ridden.  However, the Katy should be better maintained and shouldn't be as rutted up!

Spirit of the Marathon II

Lucy and I joined Carl and Leslie Vansant last night to watch Spirit of the Marathon II.  The movie is simply stunning.  By far -- and I mean by far -- it is the best running movie and/or documentary I've ever seen.  It is extremely well told, with beautiful stories of the 7 runners they track through the Rome Marathon.  You just fall in love with each runner, their stories, the challenges they are overcoming in life through their running, and the human spirit we all obviously share.  Life is indeed a marathon event.  It is an extremely uplifting movie to runners and non-runners alike.

All four of us highly recommend it to anyone!

Mid week ride for a change

I can't remember the last time I got a mid-week ride in, but I finally did today. It seemed like it was too warm to run, and I had already run two days in a row, so it was either sit in front of the tube or ride.
It was ride.
I didn't go far - about 17 miles - but the route to and through the Riss Lake neighborhood was pretty hilly. I didn't try to race it, but I managed an average of 13.2 mph. Those 28 mph downhills really help the average.
So far this week I've got 58 miles in on the bike - pitiful next to Mike's total (what is it? 5,000?) - and 11.5 on foot. If you count Saturday as part of this week, my ride total goes up to 94. Alas, Saturday was last week.

Sometimes it's good to change your mind!

I wanted to get out before the heat set in today, but was just a little apprehensive regarding the wind.  Wind was in the forecast, but when I went outside, it just didn't seem that bad?  Not sure of where I wanted to ride, but wanted to get in at least 30 miles, I headed for the Interurban Rd. at the last minute, due to it being close.

It didn't seem quite so hot and there was a slight breeze making it very comfortable.  Since the Interurban Rd. can be quite boring at times, I decided to pass the time by identifying birds, but the only one I recognized was the one a guy gave me from his car.  I think he was a Redheaded, barrel chested, tally whacker!

At any rate, I decided to cut the ride to 24 miles for some reason.  I think I was just tired from not getting enough sleep last night.  I'm sure glad I did!  When I headed back, it was right into the wind and it was brutal!  I usually don't mind working into the wind, but this was a strong cross wind that make it just a little scary when cars passed.

Ended up with 24 miles at 12.4 mph topping out at 24.3 mph, obviously downhill.

Setting on 104 miles for the week so far.

Was going to rest, but.................

Lately I've been resting after a long ride, but today I just felt like getting a short easy ride in.  I went to the downtown airport and did six laps.  In the past, I thought that it was four miles around the downtown airport, but it's actually only around 3.73 according to my Garmin. 

I was just going to do 5 four mile laps for an even 20 miles, but after the first lap, I decided to go ahead and add the extra lap to ensure I had at least 20 miles.  I ended up with 22.40 miles at a 13.1 mile average, topping out at 21 mph.

Really feeling good lately with regards to my training for the Katy Trail ride.  Now, I'm looking forward to the Rock Island Ramble 65 miler on the 22nd.

Second Longest Ride

Yesterday was just a really fun day to ride, although I was getting pretty leg weary at the end.  Jerry, Bill and Rob opted for a forty miler at the Smithville Trail due to not getting much riding time yet.  Sean and I have been getting together for longer rides and we have a little more time in the saddle, so we added on another 20 miles.

The weather was very favorable although we did fight some wind problems here and there.  Fortunately, there was plenty of tree cover to shield us for most of the ride.

What made this particular ride special was that five of the eight guys, committed to our KATY Trail ride in October, were riding together for the first time since we formed the team.  Lots of fun and guy stuff!  Plans were discussed regarding future, and longer, rides on weekends.

I only posted 84 miles during the week of June 2-8, but have a great start on this week with the sixty miles logged Sunday.

It's going to be a fun and interesting summer!

Smithville Lake 42 - 60 Mile Bike Ride

Today, I skipped summer Sunday School and drove up north to join Mike, Rob, Sean, and Jerry for out and backs on the Smithville Lake paved trail system.  We had a ball.  Rob, Jerry and I rode the first 2 legs with Mike and Sean -- 11 miles north, and return to our cars, then 10 miles south with return to our cars.  For Rob and me, who rode a small segment at the north turn, total distance was 41.6 miles.  Jerry's total was 40 miles.  Our average moving speed was 13.3 mph.  Mike and Sean then added a second outing of 10 up the north leg for a total of 60 miles each.

The trail is a very wide paved trail that makes for a very easy bike ride.  The north loop is heavily treed and a bit more hilly.  The south loop is more open and flat.  Overall, a great first real bike ride of the season for me, and a fine showing by our MRC!

Our Group at the end of 42 Miles

Jerry Adams

Sean Joyce

Earlier at the 11 mile mark.  Nice view of the trail

Rob Perschau

We'll let anyone join this group!

Mike the Elder DeGhelder.  Famous for his most excellent color coordination.  Accessories are his specialty!

Finally, Wind at my Back!

Okay, I knew I needed to get in a ride today and tomorrow, since I missed the last two days due to the rain.

My dilemma was that I just didn't want to drive anywhere, but, on the other hand, as you know, I ain't too crazy about riding in the street either.  Screw it!  With confidence in my new flashing tail light and my bright yellow jersey, I headed straight from the house to Prairie View, north on PV to Belvedire, west on Belvedire to Congress.  North on Congress to the north side of Zona Rosa, then east on PV to Old Tiffany Springs Rd. (just on the north side of Best Buy, Target, etc.  I was always curious as to where this road lead to, so I ventured on.

I rode all the way to the end of Tiffany Springs Rd. to where it takes a bend and becomes Old Stagecoach Rd.  I hit a dead end (no outlet sign) and made my U-turn.  I returned back to where you cross over I-29 by the old Ramada Inn and turned right on Prairie View.  I rode PV north to where it ends by the airport.

On the return trip, I rode PV back to Congress, south on Congress past Zona Rosa, past Parkville High, and wound my way back to 9 highway.  Rode south on 9 highway to 45 highway and took the trail back home.  Totalled 28.7 miles, averaging 11.4 mph, and topping out at 27.2 mph

The only really good thing about this ride was that I had the wind at my back on the return trip.
Note:  The only reason I detailed the route was so those that live north would be familiar with it.

Our first few days in Paris

We arrived Sunday 2 June (2/6/13 in Europe).  As expected we were pretty tired, but did walk around a little and found (Elliot got a recommendation from someone on the plane) a great restaurant that we could walk to for our apartment in the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris.  

On Monday, we took a 11 - 12 km bike ride / tour of the landmarks.  The touring companynis Blie Bike Tours.  It was a great introduction and we didn't have sore feet from walking.  Some photos while we were stopped and while riding...

I took the next two while riding.

And of course, I enjoyed a crepe during the break.

This morning  I ran through Montmartre, very hilly, but fun.  I tried to follow a mapmyrun route, but quickly got lost.  I knew sort of a loop and ended up in a business area.  I stopped for two sights, 54 Rue Lepic, the apartment of Vincent Van Gogh in 1886-1888, and the Moulin Rouge.  I had read that van Gogh lived near me and did remember the address.  So when I went from the 20s and then noticed 60, I walked back and found the small plaque on a very ordinary apartment building.  I also walked up the stairs along the funiculaire.  Montmartre is the tallest hill in Paris.  It is residential with lots of families, so it's nice to come back to after being a tourist.

How About That? Three Days in a Row!

Was contemplating either riding from home down to Parkville or going north along 9 highway.  I almost decided to head out the Little Blue Trace, but thought it might be more enjoyable if Sean and or Rob were along.  Sean has never rode there and it's time he incorporated different routes during his training.

At the last minute, I decided to just head up to the Interurban Road and get in a 25 miler.  Don't know why I settled on a goal of 25 miles.  I think I was relating it to running, where you don't want to load up on heavy mileage too many days in a row. 

I was a little taxed  from yesterday, so I took it fairly easy and got in 25.2 miles averaging 12.5 mph with a top end of 23.3 mph.

Today's ride gives me 82.7 miles for the week

Nelson Island Ride

Sean, Rob and I headed out to Nelson Island today to add some mileage and more time in the saddle.  We didn't get in the mileage we wanted yesterday at the clock tower ride, so we decided to ride again today.

We kind of toyed with the idea of a 40 miler, but changed our minds when we came to a low bridge where the water was higher than we were comfortable with.  Actually, due to some super steep up and down hills that taxed us physically, we though it best to shorten the mileage, so we made our turn around at that bridge.

On the way out we noticed what looked like a new alternate route, but since Rob nor I were familiar with it, we decided to stick to the old main trail.  We took the alternate route on our return trip and discovered that it eliminated all the super steep up and down hills!  It made a huge difference!  I don't know when they constructed that alternate trail, but it sure made it a lot more bike friendly!

For me I clocked an even 30 miles at an average of 11.4 mph and topping out at 21.8 mph at some point.

Weather was very favorable with some wind on occasion.

Rolling and running

Finally managed to get a little bit of cycling into my week, joining Sean and Mike in our first Clock Tower ride. While the ride didn't quite match my notion of ideal, it did at least give me the opportunity to get almost 3 hours of time in the saddle. More than anything I need to get into saddle shape before the October KATY ride.
I've also managed to gradually increase my running mileage while limiting my weekly outings to 3. My runs all feel harder than they should, but I'm always happy to have done them. Weekly mileage has climbed gradually throughout May and into June, and I finished the last week with 17.5. I was encourage enough to even buy a new pair of running shoes.
Looking forward to increasing my rolling and running mileage in the coming weeks.

My First Clocktower Ride.

Well,
Rob, Sean and I ventured out to OP this morning to have our first experience with the Clock tower riders.  Nice folks, had a nice breakfast, watched George help Sean change a flat tire, and rode back.  Other than watching Tim (one of the CT riders) try to devour a large stack of pancakes about the size of Delaware covered with four bushels of strawberries and 6 gallons of whipped cream, the ride was fairly uneventful.

What do I call eventful?   Well, first of all, if you know me and my riding preference, I really like riding the trails or roads that have really light traffic, like the Interurban Road up north.

Speaking only for myself, I was fairly nervous pretty much the entire ride.  Just way too much traffic, and too close, for my comfort level!  There were two incidents, involving Rob, that bothered me.  One driver just came too close to Rob at the end of the OUT part of our ride.  The other was when a driver made a right hand turn in front of Rob.  I believe Rob kind of anticipated that and no harm became of him.  I wasn't looking forward to giving him CPR anyway!

Again, speaking just for me, I probably won't do that ride again.  There are just too many places close to home where I feel much safer, plus better scenery on the trails.

Since our target mileage for today was 40 miles, and we only rode 27, we decided to ride again tomorrow beginning at Nelson Island.  Hopefully we can get in a 30 miler!

BTW, per Bill's request, I'm posting a total of 118 mies for the past week.  Posting today's mileage would fall into this week from Saturday to next Sunday.  It would be interesting for each of us to post our weekly mileage of running OR riding.  Sooo, this week begins with a 27.5 mile ride.  My goal is to post a minimum of 150 miles from today to next Saturday

Bayshore Marathon Report!

I ran -- and enjoyed immensely -- the very beautiful Bayshore Marathon out of Traverse City, MI last Saturday.  The course is an out and back with 12 of the 13 miles right along the Grand Traverse bay on a small road with gorgeous homes and lake views.  We hit perfect weather -- 37 degrees at the start, but warming quickly with the full sunny day building to 62 at the finish.  I was very undertrained for this race...only one 18 and a 20 for my long runs (lots of 14's and 16's otherwise) but with low mid-week mileage.  On all but one of my long runs, I would run out of gas at 13-14 miles and drop down to 14/15 minute miles -- reflective I believe of low mid-week mileage.  Going in, my plan was to go out at 11:00's and hold sub 11:30's as long as possible (my comfortable pace), then walk if needed to finish.  My "A" plan was 5:00; "B" was 5:15-5:30 (which I expected), and "C" was to finish.

Turns out, I had a solid "B" plan day.  I averaged 10:47's for the first 4 miles before settling into steady 11:12's through mile 15.  This was followed by progressivly slower, but still steady 'running' (no walk breaks except for the aid stations) of 3 miles at 12:29's, then 4 miles at 13:35's, and finishing 4.2 miles at 14:12's.  A higher, properly trained mileage base would have held those back miles up.  Finish time was 5:19 for a 12:02 average pace.

This was my slowest marathon ever, but one of my most fun.  I was proud to keep moving, and can see that I'm on the road back to better running here.  The course and crowd was fabulous.  My sister Kathy and husband Hans came out and cheered me at 5 different points from the second half to the finish.  I was totally taking in all the Northern Michigan experience I could as I have a long family history of vacations in that part of the world, and I was in effect 'drinking it all in.'  At some point during my return leg I thought "this IS the best way to drink in the north woods...nothing slows down time like the back half of a marathon!"

My sister, Hans, and I had a great weekend celebrating her 65th birthday for the rest of my weekend.  All in all, this was a very special, memorable marathon weekend that has me psyched and ready for a summer full of long bike rides, our fall Katy Trail trip, and continued long distance training!

Here are some pictures from my weekend:

Kathy and I at the mile 19.4 aid station

Kathy and I at lunch after the race

Kathy and Hans on a beautiful trail we hiked on Sunday

Northern Michigan is beautiful!

Precarious, but I got it in!

I wanted to ride today, but wasn't sure about when it was going to start raining again.  Chris told me that the rain was predicted to return around 3:00 PM so I took off for the Interurban Road around 11:00 AM with a goal of getting in another 40 miler.

The first part of the ride was humid with a pretty good breeze in my face.  The clouds cover came and went along with the heat and humidity.  The ride from Ferrellview to Deerborn was rather pleasant watching the tall grass swaying in the wind and noticing the corn height was around a foot now.  It was also nice to see all the greening of the trees.

I rode through Deerborn to where the highway crosses over I-29 just north of town.  At that point I had a decision to make.  I was at 18 miles into my ride, but if I was going to get my forty in, I had to add on another 2 miles.  At this point, I was pretty concerned about the weather.  The wind had picked up considerably  and I was beginning to feel a drop of rain here and there.  Easy decision, I headed back to the car!

The ride back to the car was the roughest 18 miles I've ever rode.  The wind was as strong as I can ever remember on that route.  Believe it or not, at one point, I was actaully having to pedal DOWNHILL!  It was a long slight downhill, but the wind was so strong in my face that I had to keep cranking.  I didn't get to enjly very many downhill coasting opportunities!!!!

I ended up with a 36 miler averaging 12.9 mph with my top end at 24.8 mph.  I was kind of surprised at my 12.9 mph average.  I rode faster than that on the windy Smithville Trail!

Note:  I had already put my bike on the rack and was taking my helmet off when the rain hit!
            Could not have timed that any better if I planned on it!

Confidence Building!

Finally figured out how to get back on the MRC blogsite.  Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm technically challenged at times.

Anyway, I rode 42.2 miles by myself Friday (May 24th), rested the 25th and rode 40 miles with Sean yesterday the 26th.  Looks like Rob is up for a ride today, so I just might take advantage of the holiday and get some more mileage in.

Anyone up for planning group rides on future weekends?  The marathon training sessions are pretty much completed, so now is a good time to start planning rides together. 

Anyone up for a 50 miler this Saturday if your not running or helping with Hospital Hill?

Ride of Silence

I was touched by the support of the MRCofKC at the Ride of Silence last night.  There were around 100 riders that participated.  As the organizer, I was pleased with the turnout.  My wife joined the ride, too. Sad to hear so many fallen bicyclists, but remembering them in this way helps.

I wore my Nathan's Ride vest. I first wore in a few days after the accident in a ride to support Nathan and hope he would recover.

The bicycling community came together last night to continue the grieving for cyclist that have been killed.  I exchanged several emails with Monica whose 12-year old brother was killed in 2003.  She came with her family. I gave her one of my extra helmets as did another bike club member.  She said she'll be back next year and will try to be in better shape.  It was good to see someone trying to make a positive change in her life.

I was interviewed as part of the kansas city ride of silence.

http://www.kmbc.com/news/kansas-city/Event-brings-cyclists-together-to-ride-remember/-/11664182/20167926/-/ufhx0jz/-/index.html

Thanks again to Mike, Katie, Sean, and Bill for coming.   (Did I miss someone?)

Great Spring Running

Saturday's Runner's Edge route was a little hilly but the weather was perfect.  I did 12 miles and felt great.  I now drink 16 oz. of water with a dissolved Nuun tablet before the run and then at the half way point, I swallow a Salt Stick capsule.  This seems to keep my electrolytes where they need to be so I avoid any issues.

This morning, the poodle and I ran an easy 3.5 and he got to play at the Penn Valley dog park. 

I love nice spring weather!    - Ken

Well, it's something!

Due to a busy week, plus a slight degree of procrastination, I wasn't able to get in any kind of a ride this week.  I rode the 34 miles last Saturday, but wasn't able to do anything until today.  I wasn't even going to ride today, but I called Rob and he said he had just enough time to get a short ride in.

We drove up to Smithville and got in a quick 18 miler and drove home before Kay tore Rob a new one.  He really needs a new one anyway! 

The ride was just perfect, with just a enough pedestrians and cyclists, to make it interesting.  Weather was great with blue skys, small clouds, and glass smooth water on the lake.

We usually stop more than we did today to enjoy the view and to take on some water.  However, Rob was not looking forward to gettin a new one teared so we didn't waste much time getting the ride in.

Really looking forward to getting the group together to get in some longer rides on the weekends.

Why I Went to Graduate School

Occasionally, I am lucky enough to have a business trip that is so fabulous, I simply say myself "This is definitely WHY I went to graduate school!"  Last week was just such a case.  I flew out to Vancouver, BC to present our company's work to the annual conference for White Spot -- Canada's oldest restaurant chain.  They were celebrating their 85th birthday as a chain and our trip included performances at their conference dinner by the last three years' winners of Canada's equivalent American Idol show, plus a trip Friday night to the Vancouver Canucks Stanley Cup playoff game in their corporate suite.  The trip hit three days of beautiful sunshine and warm, spring temps (this was during our May snow in KC...) and I got in three beautiful runs while there.  On Wed and Friday, I did a quick 3.5 mile loop in a very nice park 2 blocks from our hotel.  And on Saturday morning, I got in a 14-mile run on an urban trail that wound its way from our suburb right into downtown Vancouver.  It was a really fun week!  I'll close with 2 pictures -- one of Central Park, where I ran my 3.5 mile loops, and the other of what I only assume are distant relatives of Mike DeGhelder's at the Vancouver playoff game!  Would only every business trip be as nice as this one was!



Central Park running loop

Canadian Relatives of Mike DeGhelder.  (the skirt was a dead giveaway....)