Durham and 20 of #30DaysofBiking

It was an absolutely gorgeous evening for a ride. I followed a normal route up the American Tobacco Trail and then out Riddle Road Spur. Usually I flip around at the end of the spur and head back. Today I realized there was a nice sidewalk that teed into the trail. Then I noticed a bike lane. Then I set about happily getting lost.

The bike lane goes for a few miles and includes a couple of nice hills. It traverses an industrial park so nice low traffic and ample riding room. Again it astounds me how many industrial parks have sidewalks and no pedestrians. Easy riding ended at Durham Technical Community College. This might prove convenient in the future. Maybe I can try my luck at updating Google maps as well as they currently do not show a bike lane in this area. Eventually I meandered back to the ATT and over to Tobacco Road in downtown Durham. Nice bike rack:



These spinners near Durham Performing Arts Center made quite a site in the evening sun.



I rambled aimlessly around downtown taking in the sites. There were events at Durham Performing Arts Center, Carolina Theater, a Durham Bulls Game, and possibly a convention at the Sheraton. Durham was really bustling tonight. Rolling here and there around DPAC I found myself on a deck overlooking the ball game:



I'm not sure the bicycle was exactly supposed to be here but no one was making a fuss. I paused long enough to appreciate the view and then pressed on in my taxing relaxing ride.

I strolled leisurely down the trail taking in the sites and then the darkness. It was a gorgeous night for a ride. The world was calm and comfortable. This weather could really stick around for a few days, weeks, or months.

Lost in thought and reveling in the weather I strongly considered riding late into the night. The forecast for Sunday is quite foreboding. I could ride late on Friday, all day Saturday, and enjoy the rain from the dry side of the glass on Sunday. In the end I opted for a "normal" schedule. I internally shook hands to sleep tonight and ride long on Saturday. I'd really like to see a 120+ mile day. That would leave enough mobility to walk and drive a few errands on Sunday...

IF you're not riding at this time of year then you really are missing out.  Day 20, 20 miles on the day, 425 miles on the month.

The Simple Joy of Biking, 19 of #30DaysofBiking

Blogging can be a two way streak. For those who have responded, thank you.

Building momentum to reach escape velocity today afforded a pic of my new Ergon BX2 pack. I keep the cover on to help keep it clean and dry. I haven't escaped the feeling of guilt that comes with getting new stuff dirty. It will eventually get broken in and the delicate handling will pass.

You can vaguely see the shoulder straps floating loosely off my back. The pack weight really does sit on my hips. Numerous fit adjustments allow a very comfortable fit. There is a great video on all the adjustments. My favorite is the ability to extend the semi-rigid frame so that it spans the length of my back. I use the XL setting, supposedly for 6'2" and above though I'm only 6'. Vents and spacing keep my back dry of sweat. Organization and accessibility are mediocre. It's different and I am still learning.




Escaping out onto two wheels the ground was still damp with cloud cover hanging around. The lack of rain the forecast was a pretty stiff contrast to the lingering humidity and clouds. So long as the rain held it was perfect weather for riding. If the rain didn't hold it really didn't matter. The ride must go on.




Consecutive days of riding are great practice. I've pretty much abandoned speed at this point. It's all about saddle time. My last few rides have focused on enjoying time in the saddle. I'm still riding and it's a starkly different experience. This is rolling into Durham. You can faintly discern the water tower above the brick building.




One of my new favorite routes loops around Al Buehler Trail with a short stint on 751 before plunging deeper into Duke Forest.




Trails there are quiet and peaceful. Nice tree cover in some places. There are a few really nice climbs. Many of the trails have deep gravel yielding great training.




Eventually I found myself close to home. I'm not exactly sure how. It was gorgeous evening and night for riding.

The police department likely has no idea how much entertainment their speed signs provide. This is 28mph on the mountain bike with knobbies while driving one handed and operating a camera. I hope it stays up so I can get in more tests.




Today was a simple joyful ride. Weather cooperated beautifully. My left knee complained from the beginning so I'm thinking of another cleat adjustment.

It was simply a great evening on the bike. What are you waiting for? Get out and ride.

Recovery Miles

Today rather unexpectedly became recovery miles. On Friday the plan was three days of as many miles as possible.

First Friday evening didn't go as planned. Something felt off and work felt on. After leaving the office I covered the couch for the evening "resting up" for Saturday. Friday dinner was limited calorie soup after burning and then cutting the roof of my mouth earlier this week. I'm on self imposed soft foods until it heals.

Saturday morning something still felt off; and it just devolved from there. I managed to eat a banana for breakfast. And that was it for the day. In the afternoon a migraine joined in the party. I kept three Advil and water down for a half hour nap and then woke up to throw up. Then fever and chills joined in for the party. It was a long evening meditating away a migraine. Meditation involves slowly rolling my head. I rolled enough to mediate pain and slowed or stopped as necessary to avoid puking. Talk about a delicate balance. Sleep finally settled in for the evening.

Sunday morning was normal enough for auto-pilot routine to kick in. I weighed in at 192lbs, a new low for my adult life. On the bike by nine I briefly considered coffee and oatmeal at Starbucks and then kept pedaling south on the trail. I nibbled a Honey Stinger bar while rolling.

The American Tobacco Trail (ATT) was pleasantly busy with Sunday morning bikers and runners. I stopped to move this little guy off the trail:


He was the poisonous variety and fortunately very docile; cold I suspect. He was laying out to soak up sun. Unfortunately that meant laying in the middle of the trail. The volume of people and kids around didn't seem like a good combination so I helped him off the trail.

I found the south end of the trail, headed north, and then followed bike lanes and greenways to Lake Crabtree. The lake looks low this early in the year.



Making my way around Umstead I opted for another lakeside repose. My neighbor to the right had to cut their relaxation short due to illegal parking. Ah the benefits of biking. I didn't quite catch a nap but the downtime was great.



I stopped at Umstead water station to fill up. A guy there was checking out my setup. He then asked if I was training for Tour Divide. The guy was Tony Cervati from Type1Rider.org. I must be doing something right if he can guess my goal by my setup. That also speaks to the unique nature of the event and the requisite combination of gear.

After good conversation the miles beckoned. Lake Crabtree looked nice in the afternoon sun.



The beavers have been hard at work along the White Oak Creek Greenway.



This stretch is always a welcome site as home is nearby. Shade from the trees is also great. Its a cozy little section of trail.



And finally the setting sun from atop the last hill on the way home. I frequently enjoy the sunset vista from this location. It's either the view or the proximity to home and most likely a little of both.



Today's ride was just to be in the saddle pedaling. With recent calorie deficits I only wanted to be moving and accumulating saddle time. Friday was light on calories but I don't know how light. Saturday I ate one banana. Sunday I consumed 1160 calories while burning 6600. I had Recoveite immediately after ride and chicken noodle soup after fetching it from the grocery store. I'm happy with 85 miles after being sick and calorie deprived.

I really noted benefits of the new Ergon Pack today after adjusting it to my newly hollowed waist. The pack holds weight on my hips rather than shoulders. I moved the water bladder into the frame bag so the bag isn't terribly heavy but still noticeable. I look forward to riding with more weight to see the weight-on-hips idea hold up, literally.

My only other new variable for today was shoe soles. I removed the flat insoles from and replaced them with Specialized soles that should support my foot better. I didn't notice significant difference but I'll reserve judgement given the other extremities of the day.

Making Conditions Favorable

Nobody can make people healthy or happy. Somebody can make greenways, railtrails, and open spaces. Those make conditions favorable for happiness and healthfulness. Lower barriers mean more participation. Day 11 of #30DaysOfBiking.  Day 11 without soda.

Day Ten of #30DaysofBiking

Day ten is just a relaxing evening stroll. Helmet, shoes, a bike, and whatever happened to be on it. The sun was getting low and leaving long shadows.



Sun blazed through at the occasional tree break.



RailTrails are great. I like to imagine walking/biking paths on all right of ways. Imagine the possibilities...

Eighty Seven Miles for Easter Sunday

as well as day eight of #30DaysOfBiking. I was "done" after 74 but the alliteration(?) was just too tempting so the pedals kept turning. One secret to high mileage riding is occupying the mind so miles become blurs rather than monotonically increasing numbers.

It was refreshing to see so many families out enjoying trails today. I also find it a bit sad that a few specific cultures were under represented relative to local demographics. So many seem to not appreciate the free entertainment and associated health benefits.

Something went awry near end if the ride as I developed dry heaves, dizziness, and chills. It was reminiscent of heat stoke but I had six liters of water today. Perhaps the refill in Umstead came with a little something extra. Good motivation to add an inline filter. Back home it was all I could do to lay in the bath tub and then sit in the floor to snack from the fridge. The chills and aches persist but heaves have passed. Here's hoping for some rejuvenating sleep.

Be Part of My 2012 Tour Divide Effort

I'm working to finalize details with two months until go time. Tour Divide provides plenty of details. I need to ride and focus on riding to avoid a repeat crash from two weeks ago. Dang you Tom Petty!

I will work on pedaling the passes and bypassing the bears.  I could use some help if anyone feels interest or inclination and would like to share in one heck of an adventure.  I need:

• Technical Communication Consultant - figure out cell coverage, mobile device, communication, SPOT device, camera. Figure out power for all. I need to be self sufficient for at least 3 days at a time including nighttime operations.
• Navigation Officer - help me find and stay on route including water, lodging, food, resupply. Help me arrive at Pie Town while it is open. Shops along the TD route seem to keep odd hours.  Also help translate all the southbound directions to northbound directions. Bonus points for helping with GPS basemaps, tracks, and waypoints. Hopefully some elevation profile work as well. 100 miles per day is one thing. 100 miles with 14k feet of climbing is quite another.
• Charity Coordinator - I'd like to raise money for a charity while doing this. Even $0.01 per mile adds up if I can complete all 2745+/- miles.
• Communication Officer - help with publishing and keep folks updated. Emergency contact if willing
• Nutritionist - how to carry enough calories of the right kind
• Packer - optimize the kit to as little as possible then figure out how best to carry it

I'm not asking anyone to "do it for me"; rather I'm looking for help to "get it done". There are many fun and interesting challenges to planning this trip. I'd love to share this adventure with others. I welcome any participation.


It's been a busy few days since my last update. I mentally and now really signed up for 30DaysOfBiking. That means biking every day in April. Before getting back on the bike I had to learn some tough lessons from last weekend's ride.

My left cleat placement gets credit for my IT band issues. Adjustment is done and it seems better. Allergies literally took the wind out of me. I'm now on constant Allegra after trying Claritin and Benadryl. My right foot is partially due to compensating for my left side. Another part is lack of support in my shoes. I tried inserts in the shoes only to find inadequate space for the additional material. I'm leaning toward exchanging shoes for a half size up. My lower back and left lower tricep were also sore. The lower back was manageable. The tricep was not. That degraded further to irritate a perennial issue I have just inside my right shoulder blade that quite literally takes my breath away. After a few tender days I realized much of this was due to a weak core. The left tricep is still painful and I'm taking care of it as best I can. Planks are back in my morning routine for added core strength. All of this also leads me to the need for aerobars. They provide yet another hand position on the back and, possibly more importantly, a substantially different torso position.  Further they allow me to use more glute and hamstring muscle when pedaling. My speed is up to 12mph from 10mph using aerobars. Aerobars are helping increase speed, decrease time in the saddle, reduce back and shoulder strain, and they give extra hanging space for gear. It still requires some work as the mounting displaced my headlights. Another item to figure out...

I also added back relief by moving water out of my pack and into my frame bag. This helps with additional water capacity as well. It looks like I can get 3liters bladder in frame bag with room to spare, 1.2 liters in frame bottle cages, another 3 liter bladder in my pack when necessary. I need to add two additional cages and bottles to the front fork. I am also looking for a way to put water on or in my saddle bag. Amid all of this I ordered a new Ergon BX2 Cycling Pack. This gives more organized storage and claims to put weight on hips rather than shoulders. Again I'm looking to add capacity without shouldering it on my body.

Short term goals now:

• Plan a trip to the GAP/C&O trail in April. I'm hoping for a round trip 600+ miles for training and testing out my kit
• Mount lights with aerobars. I like riding at night and suspect it will be required at times
• Integrate Ergon Pack
• Add water capacity
• Add some higher intensity and higher speed training - the best recovery from the bike is off the bike.
• Daily track what my route would be. I can learn and memorize details of the route one day at a time in April and then again in May. This includes resupply, lodging, elevation, navigation, alternate routes, and hopefully GPS testing.
• Optometrist appointment to see if I can get wraparound sports glasses in prescription with transition lenses
• Order any remaining items and get them integrated for long test rides 

April is busy and I hope everyone can get out and ride.