Today in Training: .85 miles: mildly concussed.

Woohoo! New helmet day!

Took me a while to get up and going this morning (and bizarrely the cat was acting all affectionate like he didn't want me to leave) but I was determined to use this day off to get some miles in. But a few horrible Irish tourists walking in the bike lane had other plans for me. Despite it being a clearly marked bike lane, these 2 do as NY tourist do and ignore all signs and continued strolling. All it took was clipping the woman's arm and I was down for the count. (You do not get 500 points for winging a tourist, instead you get road rash on your hip, a chunk of meat out of your elbow and a mild concussion. Oh and a chunk of foam out of your helmet.) Thank you to the kind stranger who stopped and held my hand and attempted to get the police officer to summon medical help—I don't think I really needed it, but was willing to be safe rather than sorry, but I'm pretty sure that medical help still hasn't shown up. My PSA for the day is ALWAYS wear your helmet... this was slow speed on an uncrowded bike path and now I'm going to (fortunately) be spending the rest of the day not on the bike and not in the hospital.

Not pictured, my smashed to shit Blackberry screen and wounded pride.

T-Minus: 33 days

Fundraising to go: $455
Total training miles ridden: 1320.54
Total books read since started: 28

Today in Training: Wormtown Tour

I want it known, I had nothing to do with the missing half of this sign.

Had another day to kill in the 'Burn/The Woo, so I did as much of a tour of the Paris of the 80s as I could without hitting one of those famous 7 Hills of Worcester. (which is not easy, let me tell you)

Pride o' the Woo: Miss Worcester diner

T-Minus: 66 days

Fundraising to go: $1215
Total training miles ridden: 909.85
Total books read since started: 25 (Read quite possibly the worst book I've ever read before. Click here to find out what I thought of Miranda Beverly-Whittemore's "Bittersweet")

Today in Training: Working out the kinks

mmmm strawberries...

Looks like I've got another batch of metatarsalgia in my foot which for those of you without WebMD, means it's a big ball of nerves that feels like you're stepping on a marble...every time you take a step. The good news is that it doesn't hurt so much when I'm riding, the bad news is the only way it clears up is if I stop riding for a few days. This is the 2nd batch I've had in a month or so, but I'm noticing the pattern that it happens when I'm in a string of days when I'm riding in sneakers (and not hard soled bike shoes). Gonna have to solve this one soon or else it's gonna be a long painful summer.

Not wanting to overdo it, I stuck to my new favorite loop: Gray->New Gloucester via Mayall Rd which takes you by one of the farms Pineland Farms uses for their produce (they also have pick-your-own strawberries and if you stop and stand on the bridge the air smells like Strawberry Shortcake ...mmmm) It's a nice easy 12 mile loop—FLAT! which I need every once in a while.

T-Minus: 71 days

Fundraising to go: $1215
Total training miles ridden: 862.35
Total books read since started: 23 (finished Walker Percy's "The Moviegoer" today. Didn't love.)

Today in Training: still hot, still too lazy to ride outside

Oh good, 27.56 miles to go.

Another gorgeous 80º+  day, another day when I'm too lazy to saddle up and hit the backroads for my mileage. But I'm still at the gym, pushing pushing pushing to get myself...somewhere.
On the plus side, I FINALLY finished John Irving's "A Prayer for Owen Meany" which I started when I began this training madness (at 640 pages PAPERBACK...  I read on that tiny little iPod that's featured in the photo, well let's just say that's a shitton of swiping.




Picked the Cannondale up at Rainbow today and I should give it a whirl but I'd so just rather be on the dock with a beer. It's 5 o'clock somewhere... thank god it's here.

T-Minus: 72 days

Fundraising to go: $1215
Total training miles ridden: 850.15
Total books read since started: 22

Today In Training: It's too damn hot to be outside.

Okay, it's not *that* hot, but hopefully it won't be 85º with 75% humidity in September when I'm doing this ride. But then again climate-wise all bets are off so I guess I should be preparing for the worst. Instead I opted for another indoor ride while the bike I'm going to be riding for the summer (the trusty old Cannondale) was being tuned up. (turns out, you actually need to service the chain every once in awhile. Duly noted.) It also meant taking my Speedplay pedals off the bike I've been using for training (the perfunctory Marin) but not re-attaching them to the Cannondale, because I can't imagine riding in NYC clipped in. I was really hoping Speedplay was going to come through with the pedal covers I ordered 3 months ago, but alas, they seem eternally on back order.) It means that I can either ride my bike outside and inside with standard pedals or I can can ride it only indoors with the Speedplays. (or I can get a hernia every time I try change the pedals out.) So we'll see.

Been a week of limited training, with the holiday and the heat, but I managed an indoor 30 miles today. Long way to go...but rewarding myself with a Fluffernutter and a dip in the lake. Ahhhhh.....

T-Minus: 73 days

Fundraising to go: $1215 (The see me rollin', they hatin'!)
Total training miles ridden: 820.15
Total books read since started: 21

 

Today in Training: ACADIA!!

I actually tried to enhance the colors on this and it looked worse. #nofilterf'reals Sand Beach, Acadia, NP

 

 

I have never been to Acadia National Park and figured I’d probably run out of time (and weather) if I actually sat down and planned a real trip, so I just set the alarm for 6a, threw the old Terra Linda on the back of the car and headed north. It was a GAH-HOAR-JESS day—sunny, light breeze, about 68º—and perfect for riding the 20 mile Park Loop. The park is amazing and I’m definitely coming back when I have more time to take a few days.

T-Minus: 88 days

Fundraising to go: $1365 (over the halfway mark! big props from the Climate Ride rider support crew!)
Total training miles ridden: 621.51
Total books read since started: 16

From the top of Cadillac Mtn—I didn't ride up the road, but some other suckers did!

Another view from Cadillac Mtn, looking out at the Porcupine Islands and Bar Harbor (aka BAH HAHBA)

Today in Training: Gray->Raymond->Frye Island and back

Cheap thrills of Raymond, ME. Nathaniel Hawthorne's boyhood home.

Back in the (sore, sore) saddle for another 33.6 after a day off celebrating the longest day yesterday. Hopped on the bike for a trip to the ferry to visit some old friends on Frye Island.

Nice and sunny on the way there, but it became overcast on the way back. These Maine hills are good for training but killing my butt!

I may need to keep the speed boat on retainer for more quick getaways.

T-Minus: 89 days
Fundraising to go: $1365 (over the halfway mark!!! thanks everyone!)
Total training miles ridden: 602.01
Total books read since started: 15

And I mean if you haven't donated yet, what are ya waiting for, ya mug!

Today in Training: Inaugural blog post!

I figured I'd dust off the old (very old, very dusty) blog to document my journey in training for my 300 mile Climate Ride in September (for those of you unaware here's my story! and you can donate here too!) I'm getting some fairly high mileage this week but it's only because I'm back in the gym. 

Indoor training has definitely got its perks:
• I can only wear so much sunscreen—I'm turning darker than my old Finnish grandmother, I'm starting to loop around to purple.
• 2 1/2 hours on the bike is spent always in motion, as opposed to outside where you're stopping for traffic lights and fighting the wind and hills
• distraction... indoors, I can check emails, surf the web and I've also set a goal for myself to read 100 books while I'm training which makes the time go by that much faster. Today on the bike, I finished "The Cheapskate Next Door: The Surprising Secrets ofAmericans Living Happily Below Their Means" by Jeff Yeager—a fitting inspiration, because Yeager did his entire book tour by bike! This one's classified as "humor" but he really has truly practical advice for anyone who wants to easily save money. Gotta love a guy who tells everyone to go check his book out at the library. 

Miles to go before I sleep, but check back for daily updates here! 

T-Minus: 91 days
Fundraising to go: $1515
Total training miles ridden: 568.41
Total books read since started: 15