20171101 coffeeneuring #3

in front of the sorting pens along wiregrass ranch boulevard.

Sunny but cool in the shade. 50º humidity 90% wind 2 NE

cows in the pen

I started out on my usual route then turned north on Wiregrass Boulevard. I wanted some more miles before I reached my destination. I heard some cows as I was going around the first roundabout and circled back. They were 3 small calves in the pen. Were they being weened? I got off my bike and walked to the fence and took some photos. They seemed curious and took a few steps towards me but didn’t come up to the fence. 

I continued to Chancey and went west to Seven Oaks. I rode south to SR56 and turned west. 
Gate is on SR56. I rode around the building looking for a bike rack. There was none. I locked my bike to one of the round metal tables.  

i have tried a boiled peanut once. it was mushy and gross.

Gate is not as big as RaceTrac and Wawa, They did have coffee, cocoa (out of order), shakes and smoothies, only sweet and unsweetened tea, sodas. They had some pre-made hot sandwiches a roller bar and frozen yogurt. They have insulated foam cups which some people prefer. They do have contactless payment in case you forget your wallet. $1.06

I sat outside in the shade, out of the wind. The tea was OK. 

I rode back on SR56 to Northwood Palms and rode through to CLR the east towards home. It was windy on the way home and I didn’t feel like fighting it. 

17.84 miles

20171029 cycling

rainbow looking west along sr56

Monday
75° humidity 89% wind 3+ SE
Still dark and a few raindrops. 
Vehicle parked next to MUP at The Ridge. He was facing me with his lights on. I couldn’t see past his vehicle and could have run into his open door that was encroaching into the path. Asshole. 
Rainbow appeared as the sun rose. 
9.19 miles
13.46 mph

overcast looking west on sr56

Tuesday
72° humidity 94% wind 1 NW
Rode out to BBD. Felt tired and didn’t get much speed despite the light wind.  Roads were wet and a few puddles to avoid. 
11.27 miles
13.01 mph

my tire is showing wear though it isn't very old

Wednesday
61° humidity 64% wind 4-6 N
Wind had a slight westerly direction so I was going to turn north on Mansfield. But the traffic lights were out at CLR and Mansfield so turning south was easier. It made riding up MPB and SR56 a little more difficult. But then there was no headwind along Mansfield. 
13.63 miles
13.32 mph

tetley choices at racetrac

Thursday
54° humidity 74% wind 2-5 NNE
I didn’t get very far before I had to turn around for my debit card.
Wind was annoying and chilly. Two days ago I was in bike shorts and t-shirt and sweating. Today I am in bike tights and long sleeved base and sweatshirt. My blood is Florida thin.
The flag at MPIII was flapping until I stopped to take a photo.
I rode out to Union Park before going west to RaceTrac. There are sidewalks but they are narrow and have barriers which make it impossible to pass anyone else. Crossed SR56 then crossed back to RaceTrac.
No bike rack but fence to lock bike up. So many choices inside. No hot foods nor drink because they were upgrading. I wouldn’t have wanted anything anyway. Many iced tea choices and from Tetley. The tea tasted good. No contactless payments. It is a good thing I went back for my debit card. Twelve ounce iced tea was $1.17.
Tables outside. I chose to sit in the sun.
I went south to CLR and then had the wind against me the whole time. Also, part of CLR has no bike lane nor any shoulder.
18.25 miles
12.44 mph

union park

Friday
57° humidity 84% wind 3+ NE
Sun was warm but the wind was chilly. 
I missed 5 miles on my Apple Watch because it didn’t start when I pressed it. I was wearing long sleeves and didn’t check. 
No work yesterday so I was well rested and it showed with my speed. 
13.76 miles
13.83 mph

Saturday
59° humidity 91% wind 1 ESE
Sun was not up, a little chilly. Not wind meant a faster ride. Felt good so no rest stop. 
9.23 miles
13.61 mph

i hate riding in the wind

Sunday
65° humidity 90% wind 10 NW
I do not like to ride in the wind but I couldn’t miss a ride. 
I went out BBD. I finally got a tailwind when I passed the mental health facility so I rode to MPB. I sailed on MPB then got slammed by the wind as I turned north on Beardsley. 
11.14 miles
12.84 mph

This week 87.4
This year 2875

20171026 coffeeneuring #2

I had to turn around for my debit card. I didn't think I would get lucky twice with being able to use Apple Pay.

The flag at MPIII was flapping until I stopped to take a photo.

The wind was annoying and chilly. Two days ago I was in bike shorts and t-shirt and sweating. Today I am in bike tights and long sleeved base and sweatshirt. My blood is Florida thin.

I rode out to Union Park before going west to RaceTrac.

There are sidewalks Along SR56 but they are narrow and have barriers which make it impossible to pass anyone else. I crossed SR56 then crossed back to RaceTrac.

There is no bike rack but a short fence to lock my bike up.

There are so many choices inside. There is a variety of iced teas, slushies, sodas, frozen yogurt and hotdogs. There was no hot foods nor hot drinks because they were upgrading. I got unsweetened ice tea. It was good. Twelve ounce iced tea was $1.17.

There are a few tables outside. I chose to sit in the sun.

I went south to CLR and then had the wind against me the whole time. Part of CLR has no bike lane nor any shoulder but that portion was short.

18.25 miles
12.44 mph

20171022 cycling

bruce b downs looking east to ironwood blvd

This was a good week for mileage. I was on “vacation” from work but mostly stayed home. Andy & I went to Orlando overnight and I rode after I came home. I put off starting the coffeeneuring challenge until Friday.

this pond was drained for weeks so they could reshape it. how long will it take to fill it back up?

Monday
75° humidity 96% wind 1 NE
Hazy and little wind. I stopped at the drained pond in Union Park. Yesterday, I didn’t see that it actually had been graded below. It still looks pretty cool. 
The fence has been repaired where the car went through along SR56. 
15.38 miles
13.58 mph

mansfield blvd

Tuesday
71° humidity 94% wind 5 NE
Cloudy and windy and wet. Rain earlier so the roads were wet. I stayed clear of most of the construction knowing the roads would be muddy. 
Headwind along Mansfield. 
13.66 miles
12.97 mph

windy at meadow pointe 3

Wednesday
80° humidity 64% wind 6+ NE
Sunny was getting low but wind was still strong. Lots of traffic. 
Loved the tailwind along SR56. Headwind along Mansfield was rough. 
8.56 miles
12.65 mph

glitchy robot at union park

Thursday
72° humidity 89% wind 5+ NE
Sunny and windy and less humid. 
I heard Deputy Robot say “Step away from the machine.” when it was not near any human or animal. 
13.92 miles
13.16 mph

meh iced tea at wawa

Friday
72° humidity 92% wind 5+ NE
Coffeeneuring #1
I rode to Union Park then west on SR56 to Wawa. I had never been before. They have a small bike rack and tables outside. The iced beverages are separated from the hot beverages. I chose iced tea. I walked around looking at items and to hide the fact I wasn’t sure where to check out. 
The tea wasn’t very good but it was only $1.07 and I could use Apple Pay. 
The two miles home were tough because the wind was against me again. 
16.02 miles
13.01 mph

i hate the wind

Saturday
73° humidity 93% wind 8+ ENE
I should have gone out earlier before the wind picked up. The gusts nearly stopped me in my tracks. 
The tailwind along SR56 was nice but the headwind along Mansfield was brutal. 
13.86 miles
13.04 mph

half mile path done, waiting for the rest of it to be paved

Sunday
75° humidity 89% wind 4 E
Sunny and windy. Felt stronger than reported. 
Checked my mileage before I turned onto the SR56 extension MUP. It is just over a half mile paved. 
Headwind along Mansfield
10.30 miles
13.09 mph

This week 91.5
This year 2789

#cycling

20171020 coffeeneuring #1

This is my third coffeeneuring challenge. The first year, I tried visiting coffee shops and found they just don't work for my rides. Most of my rides are for fitness and I tend to think of them as a chore to get done. I just can't spend the time to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee, or tea in my case. Last year I tried smoothies. The smoothies were OK but expensive and filling and not so good when I still need to ride home. This year I thought about pit stops to get a quick beverage and be on my way. I thought about the spirit of coffeeneuring and how it started as stopping for coffee. Though drinking coffee is not required, I think hot coffee should be an available beverage. This meant that places like CVS and Walgreens were not allowed. However, almost every gas station has become a place to fill up your car as well as yourself. Some even have small cafés attached. I rarely go into these places and coffeeneuring is a good chance to check out these places.

if only i liked coffee. so many choices.

a decent variety of protein bars in between king sized candy bars

I have been on "vacation" this week but still managed to put my first coffeeneuring trip off until the end of the week. I decided to tack on my coffeeneuring on the back end of my regular ride. I rode out to Union Park then along SR56 to Wawa. I had never been before. They have a small bike rack and tables outside. The iced beverages are separated from the hot beverages. I chose iced tea. I walked around looking at items and to hide the fact I wasn’t sure where to check out. 
The tea wasn’t very good but it was only $1.07 and I could use Apple Pay. 
The two miles home were tough because the wind was against me again. 
16.02 miles

there are tables in sun as well as some in the shade

unsweetened tea is always an iffy beverage as it sometimes can sit for days

20171015 cycling

cows along sr56

Monday
77° humidity 95% wind 2 SE
Windy, wasn’t as strong and neither was I. More school and construction traffic but I missed the bulk of cars at JLMS. 
13.28 miles
11.55 mph

sr56 extension looking east

Tuesday
76° humidity 94% wind 3 ENE
I decided to try pumping my tires and that made all the difference. I feel like a fool for riding with low tires and wondering why I seemed to have no more speed? Sigh. 
I stopped at the SR56 construction site and saw that the base layer of pavement is down. The path is also paved and there is no barrier to it. I really want to see how far it goes. I might try this Sunday when there won’t be any workers present. 
13.30 miles
13.06 mph

sr56 at mansfield

Wednesday
73° humidity 94% wind 2 NE
Wind is more of an annoyance these days. Amazing how it doesn’t bother me when I can pedal faster. I think these weeks of struggle have made me stronger and faster. I was getting complacent. 
9.01 miles
13.53 mph

deputy metro at union park

Thursday
70° humidity 94% wind 2 NE
Chill in the air? Sun in my eyes!
I rode to Union Park. There is a rocket looking security droid by the bridge. After I rode around, I stopped and went closer. Later, I looked online for deputymetro.com and found that it is a security robot that patrols Union Park. A bit weird. 
Heart doing some weird jumps. Had to slow down at WRES because HR was too high. 
13.98 miles
12.79 mph

union park

Friday
72° humidity 92% wind 3-6 NE
Sunny and windy. The robot deputy was patrolling today. Though it just seemed to be going back and forth along Oldwoods. 
I forgot to hit resume when leaving Union Park and lost a half mile. The I forgot to hit pause when I had to stop for traffic at SR56. Sigh. 
13.51 (13.98) miles
13.03 mph 

cows along sr56

Saturday
75° humidity 94% wind 4 NE
Cloudy and windy. I didn’t need my sunglasses until Mansfield. 
Headwind along Mansfield. 
9.13 miles
13.32 mph

sr56 extension looking west toward meadow pointe blvd

Sunday
74° humidity 90% wind 4+ ENE
Wind felt stronger than 4 mph or maybe I was weaker from drinking last night. 
I rode through Union Park. There were quite a few crews working on a Sunday. The pond they were draining is empty. Kind of cool the way it looks it is not flat on the bottom. 
I rode east on the SR56 extension. The path only goes about a half mile right now. I saw two other cyclists riding in the road. 
14.57 miles
12.84 mph

This week 87.2
This year 2697

20171008 cycling

This week was windy and I really hate wind. Some days I just didn’t have much energy to push and get to 12 mph. Still, I was happy with the miles I did do.

most of the week was overcast & windy while hurricane nate went through the gulf of mexico

Monday
75° humidity 92% wind 6 ENE
Wind was a bitch. Thought my tire was tearing apart. I heard and saw som rubber flapping around. I didn’t want to stop until I had to. After a mile or so, it finally fell off.
Landscaping truck blocking path at The Ridge.
9.05 miles
12.29 mph

cows along sr56

Tuesday
74° humidity 81% wind 8 NE
Ugh. The wind was bad. I couldn’t go any faster and I tried. And by the time I got to where the wind was behind me, I was too tired to really take advantage of it. 
13.28 miles
11.56 mph

clear skies by union park but the wind was still there

Wednesday
72° humidity 83% wind 6NE
Another windy day. I worked late last night so I had no energy to push through it. Lower humidity makes it feel better. 
13.48 miles
11.19 mph

very gloomy and dark at sr56 and mansfield

Thursday
73° humidity 87% wind 8 NE
More wind. There is a portion of fence out on SR56 MUP east of The Ridge. I think it happened Monday night. Today I noticed a floor mat that said Jagermeister. Can I assume this was a drunk driver crashing through the fence?
Headwind along Mansfield
9.47 miles
11.49 mph

Friday
76° humidity 95% wind 4 NE
I had to drive Andy to school so it had to be a short ride today. I was glad for a someone break in the wind. 
Ran into school traffic. I got around the cars driving in the bike lane only to find a car sitting in the bike lane just past the school entrance. His flashers were on and someone got out of the car. I called him an idiot and smacked the mirror. I realized I shouldn’t have don’t that and pedaled as fast as I could. He caught up to me two blocks later and slowed down and rolled his window. He wanted to know who said he was wrong. I said the law. He said “What law?” I said Florida law. “Florida law, eh.” Do you think you are too good for the law? And he drove away. Black Prius Florida Golf plate JCI 46P Though the I could be a 1. 
I wasn’t at 30 minutes so I drove around Deer Run until the exercise ring was closed. 
6.70 miles
12.62 mph

a car ran off sr56 through the fence and into the pond

Saturday
79° humidity 91% wind 4-6 SE
Humid and windy. Not a pleasant ride. 
Stopped at the crash site on SR56. The Jagermeister floor mat is gone. There was part of the windshield and a purple EMT glove. The tracks go into the pond. 
Headwind along Mansfield was brutal. 
12.89 miles
11.46 mph

cows and whips clouds

Sunday
79° humidity 91% wind 6 SE
More wind, less energy. I didn’t fight, just pedaled. Looks like the split up some of the angus heard in with the other herds. I only saw two angus in their field which had been mowed. 
Headwind along Mansfield was bad. 
13.52 miles
11.23 mph
This week 78.3
This year 2610
#Cycling

20171001 cycling

bus picking up kids at union park

Still struggling to get any speed. At least I was (barely) over 12 mph this week.

construction outside of union park

2017.10.01
Monday
76° humidity 93% wind 3 NE
Windy, cloudy. 
Headwind along Mansfield was fierce. 
12.94 miles
12.14 mph

mum along sr56

Tuesday
73° humidity 94% wind 1 ENE
More humid and less windy. Still, the effort I put in should have gotten me over 13 mph and even closer to 14 mph. 
9.03 miles
12.23 mph

clear skies at union park

Wednesday
74° humidity 93% wind 1 NE
A little better. I was able to get over 12 mph but I still had to work for it. 
12.91 miles
12.28 mph

waiting for the light at sr56 and mansfield

Thursday
73° humidity 93% wind 1 ENE
Steamy ponds. Sunrise might have been nice if I had the time to stop. 
Seems easier to push. 
9.01 miles
12.50 mph

union park

Friday
72° humidity 93% wind 5 E
Wind was annoying but I kept pushing. Finally caught up to 12 mph at mile 10 and almost lost my gain on Mansfield. Headwind along Mansfield. 
12.85 miles
12.06 mph

sunrise along mansfield and sr56

Saturday
74° humidity 95% wind 3 NW
I went out CLR to BBD then to SR56. 
8.58 miles
12.16 mph

another month of no missed rides

September
480 km
298.26 miles

union park

Sunday
78° humidity 92% wind 4+ ESE
Wind felt stronger than 4 mph. It was annoying as I kept losing speed. 
Gained some back going west but still had to push to stay at 12 mph. Headwind along Mansfield. 
13.23 miles
12.00 mph
This week 78.5 miles
This year 2532 miles 

20170924 cycling

union park splash pad

Monday
72° humidity 91% wind 2 NNW
Legs felt a little better today. Schools are open again so many buses on the roads. There is too much construction starting in the back of Union Park. It is time for a new route
15.02 miles
12.29 mph

cloudy morning at union park

Tuesday
72° humidity 94% wind 1 N
Still no legs. 
Cars coming out of The Ridge and Behavioral Health almost didn't stop. Sigh. 
12.70 miles
11.85 mph

clear morning at union park

Wednesday
76° humidity 85% wind 3 NE
Late start due to backing up iPhone. Wind felt stronger. Somehow I managed to keep a decent pace but nowhere near where I would like to be. 
12.93 miles
12.27 mph

black angus cows at sr56

Thursday
71° humidity 95% wind 2 NE
Sunrise. I am not sure the sunglasses help when the sun is directly in my eyes. Struggle to get to 12mph. 
9.04 miles
12.07 mph

looking west on sr56 and mansfield

Friday
72° humidity 93% wind 3 NNE
Wind was annoying. I pushed it but could not get up to 12 mph. 
I saw one hot air balloon. I saw two yesterday. Too lazy to stop. 
9.48 miles
11.95 mph

looking west at sr56 and mansfield

Saturday
73° humidity 93% wind 4 NE
Is this the new norm? I just can’t seem to find any speed in my legs. Even when I push hard, I can’t get faster than 12mph. Sigh
9.00 miles
11.81 mph

small lots at union park

Sunday
77° humidity 94% wind 6 NNE
Windy. I didn’t push too hard but tried not to go too slow. Getting old = getting slow. 
12.92 miles
11.38 mph
This week 81
This year 2453

20170917 cycling

Still riding everyday but miles and times are going down.

Monday
74° wind 16 SW
Hurricane Irma is moving away but it is still very windy. Stayed in Deer Run and checked out the neighborhood. Small branches and dead palm fronds down. 
5.51 miles
10.55 mph

Tuesday
74° humidity 90% wind 4 SE
Short ride. Mostly leaves and small twigs. Some signs down. The Behavioral Health lost some vinyl siding. 
6.04 miles
12.17 mph

foggy morning at the pasture at sr56 and mansfield

Wednesday
69° humidity 94% wind 1 SE
Cooler and foggy. 
I had to push hard just to get to average 12 mph. 
9.01 miles
12.11 mph

union park

Thursday
75° humidity 95% wind 2 E
I think Irma took my legs because I can't seem to get any speed no matter how hard I push. Ugh. 
I accidentally hit end instead of pause on my Apple Watch and ended up with two short rides.
13.01 miles
12.19 mph

Friday
75° humidity 93% wind 2 NE
I don't know what have happened to my legs. They seem to have lost their power. I have to push it hard just to average 12 mph. 
12.96 miles
12.05 mph

Saturday
75° humidity 94% wind 2 NE
Short ride because I wasted time on the computer. 
Rode hard but still didn't go that fast. 
6.49 miles
12.30 mph

early morning ride along southbound wiregrass ranch boulevard

Sunday
74° humidity 94% wind 1 N
I went out to BBD because of the wind. Some areas of CLR were dark because of the trees or the lights being out. I thought the lights were out on BBD but realized that there aren't any north of CLR! It wasn't too bad because there were lights from cars and businesses. But after the hospital, there is nothing! I just kept my eye on the faint line between the car lane and the bike lane. If there was any debris I couldn't see it to avoid it. 
It was dark along Chancey but I could see lights in the distance. There are streetlights in the area where there is no development! They end after the third roundabout but dawn was approaching. 
I didn't even try to get to 12 mph. It was stressful enough just seeing enough of the road to keep riding. 
9.47 miles
11.37 mph
This week 62.4 miles
This year 2373 miles