After the accident yesterday I turned around and came back home. Then I did what I do best when I'm upset, stressed out or unhappy, I ate and ate and ate like there was no tomorrow. I ate breakfast again as soon as I got home and then ate the food I had for lunch at work at 9am. Then some more food at 11am and just sat around. All I could hear and feel was the thump of my car being hit. Finally I got dressed and went out for a two hour ride to clear my head. Although I chose to ride the path north to the boat docks I found myself yelling at people talking on the phone while at a few of the intersections the path crosses. Then I saw a few riders without hemets on the road and I'm try to figure out why.
From this day on I will not wave, nod or even acknowledge any rider that doesn't have a helmet on while riding on the road. Say what you want I don't care. Yes, it is your choice if you want to be the village idiot.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Black Friday, car/bike accident
I haven't been able to ride to work lately because the only days that have been
dry and sunny have been mostly Tuesdays and Thursdays, and that's when I do the spinning classes. Thought about it last night, but with partially wet roads and overnight frost, I didn't want to hit that thin film that forms on the roads fall and get hurt, so I decided to drive. I take the same route even when I drive to work because it is a much nicer and peaceful ride.
Nothing nice or peaceful about today's ride. As I was driving across 21 or Brecksville Rd., I was broadsided by a cyclist. At first I thought it was a deer since there are so many of them in that area, but then I realized it was a person and a bike laying on the east side of the intersection. I ran there and called 911 right away. I never saw him and after a close inspection to make sure he was somewhat responsive, I noticed neither him nor the bike had any lights or reflectors of any kind. Four squad cars and EMS were there immediately and started working on him and asking him questions. He was riding his bike to the bus stop to pick up the bus for his ride downtown to work at the government bldg. He was not wearing a helmet either, and from what the cops told me, it looks like his head hit the top of my door.They also found a chipped tooth on top of my car under the bike racks. Ouch!
And to think that I've been made fun off because when I ride to work, I have between 5 and 7 blinking lights on the bike and backpack. But I have also had drivers slow down and tell me they can see me from a mile away.
Needless to say, I'm all shook up as I sit here writing this. I have been hit and have hit cars riding a bike, so I know how it is.
Please wear your helmet and have more than one blinking light front and rear. Learn from what happens to others. Not that I want anything to happen to anyone, but it is a lesson for all of us who ride bikes, it just happens it was me today. It could be YOU tomorrow.
dry and sunny have been mostly Tuesdays and Thursdays, and that's when I do the spinning classes. Thought about it last night, but with partially wet roads and overnight frost, I didn't want to hit that thin film that forms on the roads fall and get hurt, so I decided to drive. I take the same route even when I drive to work because it is a much nicer and peaceful ride.
Nothing nice or peaceful about today's ride. As I was driving across 21 or Brecksville Rd., I was broadsided by a cyclist. At first I thought it was a deer since there are so many of them in that area, but then I realized it was a person and a bike laying on the east side of the intersection. I ran there and called 911 right away. I never saw him and after a close inspection to make sure he was somewhat responsive, I noticed neither him nor the bike had any lights or reflectors of any kind. Four squad cars and EMS were there immediately and started working on him and asking him questions. He was riding his bike to the bus stop to pick up the bus for his ride downtown to work at the government bldg. He was not wearing a helmet either, and from what the cops told me, it looks like his head hit the top of my door.They also found a chipped tooth on top of my car under the bike racks. Ouch!
And to think that I've been made fun off because when I ride to work, I have between 5 and 7 blinking lights on the bike and backpack. But I have also had drivers slow down and tell me they can see me from a mile away.
Needless to say, I'm all shook up as I sit here writing this. I have been hit and have hit cars riding a bike, so I know how it is.
Please wear your helmet and have more than one blinking light front and rear. Learn from what happens to others. Not that I want anything to happen to anyone, but it is a lesson for all of us who ride bikes, it just happens it was me today. It could be YOU tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Fall pics
Haven't had that many chances to take good fall pics this fall. It's either too dark, raining no camera or phone to take them. I don't think the colors have been as bright as last year, although yesterday's sunny weather did bring some brightness out. It doesn't matter, fall colors bring a certain peace when you stop to appraciate them, so stop and do it, take time out of your busy life and take a deep breath.
The pics are basically from the same area on 3 different days in Brecksville.
The pics are basically from the same area on 3 different days in Brecksville.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
From great to half good
Two weekends ago it was great, this past weekend, not so great. Saturday was windy were they had to fish the little kids playing soccer out of the woods after the winds deposited them there. Sunday, rain all day.
Well, Saturday wasn't that bad, it was my nephews wedding and I was very proud of both of them. I stared at this for most of the night.
Well, Saturday wasn't that bad, it was my nephews wedding and I was very proud of both of them. I stared at this for most of the night.
Yuengling beer, just a few of them, 3 to be exact and it was enough. I like a good beer once in a while.
Sunday, I slept in until 9 after going to bed around 1:30am. Didn't do anything the whole day, except eat and watch football. Great Sunday indeed. Too many M & M's and chocolate kisses, felt like I ate half a pound of chocolate. Oh well, got it out of the way and back on a regular trainig routineto get ready for
TSE.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Great weekend
What a great weekend we just had, close to 80degrees both Saturday and Sunday. Got up early Saturday headed to the soccer fields to set up the goals and watched the sun fire up the leaves on the trees. Went home loaded the car and headed down to Mohican on the single speed. Temps were on the cool side but got hot i a hurry by the end of the ride. Sunday, more of the same. Met Ken in Medina and down to Mohican again, better take advantage of the dry weather, it may not last long. The trail was so dry it was actually dusty in some places. Had a great time both days. The leaves and the pine needles covering the trail made it worth the drive both days.
Hopefully the weather will cooperate and I can make it back Saturday.
Hopefully the weather will cooperate and I can make it back Saturday.
One pic from the Michigan race. Going up a short but very steep little hill. I did got off the bike and ran it up, it was faster than trying to ride it. It was cold and windy, look at the banner flags.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Grampian Challenge race report
I've been looking forward to this race ever since I found it here in the race calendar link.
Got up at 4am and was out the door at 4:30 am for the 3 1/2 hr drive. All week I kept looking at the weather and radar report hoping it would get better but it never did. I decided to go anyway. It rained most of the week there but not like here and Michigan soil being sandy I thought it would be ok. My drive on the turnpike was terrible, at times it was raining so hard I was doing 45mph and I could hardly see in front of me. Doubts started creeping in to my head, I stopped at the last rest stop before hitting I 75 to check the weather radar before deciding whether to keep going or not. I sat there drinking pumpkin spice coffee eating bagels and banana nut bread from Starbucks looking at the weather. I'm the only one in the cafeteria area and I'm sitting in a far corner by myself when some numnut sits behind me to drink his coffee and eat his greasy burger for breakfast. You know, I'm sitting way out of the way and this guy has to go out of his way to sit behind me. I wouldn't have been so mad if it was only that, but the problem was I almost threw up the coffee and bagel I had just ingested, that how bad he stunk. I got up before I goy any sicker and got in the car and decided to keep going since it seemed to be clearing north of Detroit. The roads were almost dry when I arrived at Addison Oaks park but a mist was in the air and the wind was howling with mid 40's temps, cold very cold. As I parked I ran into Jason from XXC magazine, nice guy down to eart and likes talking about bikes and races, what's not to like. Signed up, got dressed and did a little bit of a warm up. I'm bloated with the coffee, bagel and nut bread I ate a couple hrs before and I'm not feeling very good. The race starts on a wide open field with experts, elite and 39-40 taking off first, 3 minutes later the rest of the field is off. From wide open grass field to a paved bike path and then double track with a few short climbs. I was pleasantly surprised as how good the double track was, lots of traction very little mud and fast. By the way the course was about 75% gravel roads and the rest split between double track and about 4-5 miles at the end of flowy, smooth fast beautiful single track. The first 25 miles I fought my body, I felt my legs were locked and I couldn't get any speed going. I kept fighting the feeling of despair as riders pass me like I was standing still. Somehow after 25 miles I got going where I was passing everybody that had left me for dead a few miles before. Long gravel roads with false flats is what I enjoy as I spin my way at a good pace and other riders are trying to power their way. Many tried to hold my wheel and I would just spin faster and ride them off my wheel, I was time trialing every section of gravel roads and feeling good. Did I mentioned it was windy, 25-30 miles and hr and it seemed it was a head wind the entire race. with 7 miles to go we hit a double track and I'm following a single speeder and we took the wrong turn and climbed a short steep road to nowhere, we ended up losing about 5 minutes and it cost me at least 2 spots at the end. We turned around and start hauling down the trail, I have nothing to lose so I'm leaving everything on the trail. We hit the single track and I keep hitting it hard, finally I dropped my two companions and keep pushing as hard as I can, my legs are finally starting to cramp with the effort but I keep on pushing it harder after every turn and short climbs, finally out of the st an back to the paved path and open field we started on, I looked at the clock and it said 2:43 even with the 3 minutes we waited to start after the first wave. Got cleaned up went to check the results and I eneded up 7th. out of 22 in the 50 plus and the official time was somewhere in the 2:47's go figure. Getting lost cost me a few spots but it was my own fault for following and not taking charge myself. I made up most of the time in the last 15 miles when I started feeling better but at the end it wasn't enough, I had lost to much time at the beggining.
Overall, I had a great time, liked the race and the course and probably will do it again next year. Next year, I'll now to stay on top of my training, the last 3 weeks I really didn't do much and I could feel it in my fitness.
I was very dissapointed in the fact that there was nothing to eat or drink at the end of the race, at least I didn't see anything.
Looking forward to the last long organized ride of the year, The Red Flannel Metric in November.
Got up at 4am and was out the door at 4:30 am for the 3 1/2 hr drive. All week I kept looking at the weather and radar report hoping it would get better but it never did. I decided to go anyway. It rained most of the week there but not like here and Michigan soil being sandy I thought it would be ok. My drive on the turnpike was terrible, at times it was raining so hard I was doing 45mph and I could hardly see in front of me. Doubts started creeping in to my head, I stopped at the last rest stop before hitting I 75 to check the weather radar before deciding whether to keep going or not. I sat there drinking pumpkin spice coffee eating bagels and banana nut bread from Starbucks looking at the weather. I'm the only one in the cafeteria area and I'm sitting in a far corner by myself when some numnut sits behind me to drink his coffee and eat his greasy burger for breakfast. You know, I'm sitting way out of the way and this guy has to go out of his way to sit behind me. I wouldn't have been so mad if it was only that, but the problem was I almost threw up the coffee and bagel I had just ingested, that how bad he stunk. I got up before I goy any sicker and got in the car and decided to keep going since it seemed to be clearing north of Detroit. The roads were almost dry when I arrived at Addison Oaks park but a mist was in the air and the wind was howling with mid 40's temps, cold very cold. As I parked I ran into Jason from XXC magazine, nice guy down to eart and likes talking about bikes and races, what's not to like. Signed up, got dressed and did a little bit of a warm up. I'm bloated with the coffee, bagel and nut bread I ate a couple hrs before and I'm not feeling very good. The race starts on a wide open field with experts, elite and 39-40 taking off first, 3 minutes later the rest of the field is off. From wide open grass field to a paved bike path and then double track with a few short climbs. I was pleasantly surprised as how good the double track was, lots of traction very little mud and fast. By the way the course was about 75% gravel roads and the rest split between double track and about 4-5 miles at the end of flowy, smooth fast beautiful single track. The first 25 miles I fought my body, I felt my legs were locked and I couldn't get any speed going. I kept fighting the feeling of despair as riders pass me like I was standing still. Somehow after 25 miles I got going where I was passing everybody that had left me for dead a few miles before. Long gravel roads with false flats is what I enjoy as I spin my way at a good pace and other riders are trying to power their way. Many tried to hold my wheel and I would just spin faster and ride them off my wheel, I was time trialing every section of gravel roads and feeling good. Did I mentioned it was windy, 25-30 miles and hr and it seemed it was a head wind the entire race. with 7 miles to go we hit a double track and I'm following a single speeder and we took the wrong turn and climbed a short steep road to nowhere, we ended up losing about 5 minutes and it cost me at least 2 spots at the end. We turned around and start hauling down the trail, I have nothing to lose so I'm leaving everything on the trail. We hit the single track and I keep hitting it hard, finally I dropped my two companions and keep pushing as hard as I can, my legs are finally starting to cramp with the effort but I keep on pushing it harder after every turn and short climbs, finally out of the st an back to the paved path and open field we started on, I looked at the clock and it said 2:43 even with the 3 minutes we waited to start after the first wave. Got cleaned up went to check the results and I eneded up 7th. out of 22 in the 50 plus and the official time was somewhere in the 2:47's go figure. Getting lost cost me a few spots but it was my own fault for following and not taking charge myself. I made up most of the time in the last 15 miles when I started feeling better but at the end it wasn't enough, I had lost to much time at the beggining.
Overall, I had a great time, liked the race and the course and probably will do it again next year. Next year, I'll now to stay on top of my training, the last 3 weeks I really didn't do much and I could feel it in my fitness.
I was very dissapointed in the fact that there was nothing to eat or drink at the end of the race, at least I didn't see anything.
Looking forward to the last long organized ride of the year, The Red Flannel Metric in November.
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