20171231 cycling

a full week of riding but not as much time spent on the bike

# 20171231 Cycling
Not a great week for riding. Work is wearing me out but riding helps keep going. I am happy with my milage for the year.

a family was taking photos on the bridge so I didn't take my usual shot at union park

Monday
Christmas
71° humidity 45% wind 3 NE
Cool and breezy. 
Casual pace. I couldn’t do much more. 
13.4 miles
11.92 mph

new light is bright and works well

Tuesday
49° humidity 82% wind 2 NE
Thank goodness for the bike light. It lights up more than the street lights. Only car lights were any match. My heart rate was still elevated for the first 10 minutes. 
Quick ride up to SR56 and back. I hate the cold. My right ankle and foot hurt
6.17 miles
11.76 mph

someone put a santa hat on the robot. does this affect its ability to operate?

Wednesday
61° humidity 90% wind 2 ENE
Sunny. 
My body is still tired. Easy pace
12.79 miles
12.40 mph

Thursday
59° humidity 89% wind 4 NE
I forgot to check the weather so I wasn’t expecting a strong wind. It slowed me down some because my body is still tired. 
Overcast. No stops. 
9.05 miles
12.17 mph

Friday
54° humidity 90% wind 3-5 NW
Grey and windy. My legs didn’t want to push. 
14.82 miles
11.81 mph

Saturday
48° humidity 90% wind 1 NW
Cold and foggy. Wind was not from NW but from NE. It didn’t matter. I did my short ride. I had remove my fogged up glasses. 
6.50 miles
12.14 mph 

Sunday
49° humidity 81% wind 6 NE
Sunny so it didn’t feel as cold. My warm gloves were still damp so I wore my bike gloves and thin fleece glove. My hands were fine. The wind was annoying. 
8.45 miles
12.17 mph

This week 71.3 miles
This month 548 km 340.5 miles
This year 3599

20171224 cycling

We had extended hours at work but I managed to get 71 miles. 
Foggy weather and a tire failure.

Monday
63° humidity 93% wind 2 SE
Foggy. 
Quick ride before work. 
9.09 miles
12.92 mph

Tuesday
65° humidity 92% wind 1N
Foggy but bright. I wore my sunglasses until they fogged up. 
It seems like I had to pedal harder for any speed. I forgot to check my tire pressure before I left and it had been awhile since I added any air. Then I turned onto Mansfield and could feel every pebble. I knew my tire was low. It continually lost air until I had to walk home from Allegro. I filled it when I got home and will see if it holds air or needs to be changed tomorrow. 
13.31 miles
12.04 mph

Wednesday
Changed both tires. Found a small piece of wire in the back that caused the flat. I changed the front tire because it was wearing out. 

66° humidity 87% wind 3 SSW
Sunny. It took nearly an hour to change my tires. I am slow and cannot get the tires on and off easily
Felt much faster but didn’t push it. 
Headwind along SR56 and Mansfield
13.49 miles
12.63 mph

Thursday
71° humidity 94% wind 2 SW
I didn’t register the SW in my brain and went my usual route. Headwind along SR56 and Mansfield. 
9.20 miles
13.28 mph

Friday
62° humidity 93% wind 2 E
Very foggy. Moisture clouded my glasses so I had to take them off. 
Lots of traffic in Union Park to avoid. Good pace. Didn’t push. 
13.57 miles
13.02 mph

Saturday
62° humidity 94% wind 1 SE
Foggy. Quick ride. 
6.57 miles
12.34 mph

Sunday
60° humidity 97% wind 1 SE
Too foggy and too dark. I still hadn’t put on my light and couldn’t see much. I had to take off my glasses. I should not have gone out Mansfield because there are no streetlights past Meadow Pointe. The MUP was even worse and I moved to SR56 as soon as I could. At least the bike lanes have a traffic line that has some reflection. I was tense and the Wahoo app picked up on it or was glitchy and showed an elevated heart rate. 
6:58 miles
11.93 mph

This week 71.8
This year 3528

20171217 cycling

I missed a day on Monday because of the weather. I rode when I wanted to stay home but I know riding helps me deal with the stress at work.

Monday
Too cold to ride. My streak ended at 258 days. 

splash pad at union park

Tuesday
57° humidity 70% wind 6 WNW or WSW??
I went out to BBD and rode to SR56. 
I went through Union Park. Avoided a driver in a pick up truck going to back up into his drive and didn’t see me coming. 
Moderate pace
14.74 miles
12.55 mph

so many inflatables at union park

Wednesday
62° humidity 59% wind 2 NW (felt more like 7-8)
I went out in the afternoon after it warmed up and I did my errands. 
The wind was stronger than reported. It was cool in the shade. Moderate pace. 
15.06 miles
12.61 mph

Thursday
Looked at three different weather apps to try and judge the wind speed and direction. 
49° humidity 77% wind 2 SW
Cold but at least very little wind wherever it was coming from. 
Beautiful sunrise but didn’t stop to photograph it knowing my camera wouldn’t be able to capture the colors and details. Also, I hate to stop so soon into my ride. 
Cows are being moved between pastures. 
No stops. 
Cold feet, cold cheeks, runny nose. 
9.23 miles
12.5 mph

dark skies at meadows pointe

Friday
62° humidity 87% wind 3S
Was sunny when I started but got cloudy then drizzled when I got MPB. 
Rode through Union Park. 
Headwind along Mansfield
13.10 miles
12.5 mph

i really need to change my tire before it completely fails

Saturday
55° humidity 89% wind 3 NE
Still dark when I started. I was glad it didn’t get as cool as forecasted. 
My body was tired and wouldn’t go any faster. 
9.08 miles
12.05 mph

why can't they just say it its a robot?

Sunday
62° humidity 85% wind 2-8 E
Wind reported at 2. I could hear it blowing and knew it was stronger. It was warmer too and felt good. 
My legs had no power, fighting the wind was not possible. 
Broken glass along Mansfield in front of TEWMS. 
14.05 miles
12.15 mph
This week 75.3
This year 3456

20171210 cycling

I have been very tired this week because of working late. I made a choice to ride easier on the longer rides.

i love interesting skies

Monday
63° humidity 76% wind 5 NE
Another easy ride. Sun came out halfway into ride. 
Saw an alligator swimming in a pond along Oldwoods east of MPB
13.52 miles
12.13 mph

Tuesday
71° humidity 74% wind 2+ SE
Late start. Warm and windier than 2mph. Easy pace. 
I rode out to Union Park. 
I saw the alligator laying next to the pond. It was bigger than I thought. 
Headwind along Mansfield. 
13.28 miles
12.64 mph

patchy fog and cool

Wednesday
64° humidity 78% wind 4 SW
Patchy fog and bright sun. 
Quick ride. 
Man in black truck stopped on crosswalk just as the light turned green for me and blocked me. He never looked my way. I slapped his bed to get his attention. He didn’t care. 
9.06 miles
13.19 mph

Thursday
67° humidity 87% wind 3 ENE
Foggy and overcast. 
Easy pace
13.51 miles
12.68 mph

Friday
69° humidity 83% wind 8 SSW?
It didn’t register in my brain and I went out CLR to Mansfield. Turns out I was right and the direction was wrong. The wind was more easterly and not that strong. Headwind along Mansfield. 
Moderate pace. 
13.46 miles
12.46 mph

Saturday
56° humidity 79% wind 10 NW
Cold, wet and windy. Quick ride with no stops. 
7.13 miles
12.34 mph

Sunday
55° humidity 62% wind 4 NNW +
I had to wait until it got warm enough to ride. That meant it was windier too.
Wahoo app added a slight jog so I earned more miles than I actually rode
15.93 miles
12.85 mph
This week 85.8
This year 3381

20171203 cycling

Monday
54° humidity 71% wind 5 ENE
Chilly and sunny. Steamy ponds. 
Car almost didn’t stop coming out of The Ridge. 
Truck didn’t stop coming out of Behavior Health. 
9.06 miles
12.68 mph

Tuesday
62° humidity 76% wind 6 ENE
Cool, windy and sunny. 
Guards at WRES let me go through, guard at Wrencrest makes me stop so I went on the sidewalk. 
13.47 miles
13.02 mph

huge flag at audi dealership shows how windy is was

Wednesday
69° humidity 75% wind 7 NE
I forgot to check the weather and dressed too warm and went the wrong direction for the wind. 
As I approached CLR, a van passed me and cut me off. He was blocking even the gutter so my choices were to slam on my brakes or ride in the grass. I chose and grass and got around him onto CLR. The wind seemed behind me so I turned around at the next block and rode to BBD. When I turned north, I realized how wrong I was. The huge flag at the Audi dealer also proved me wrong but I stuck it out to MPB. 
A driver in a SUV honked at me 3 times and pointed to the MUP. I gave the finger but didn’t follow as they drove into their village. 
I rode to Union Park. Come back to MPB, I was going at a good pace and misjudged the traffic, I didn’t want the driver to get mad at me for cutting him off so I drove onto the MUP. Ugh. I remember why I hate it so much. It is poorly maintained. 
15.78 miles
12.81 mph

overcast day along sr56 and mansfield

Thursday
65° humidity 73% wind 5 NE
Overcast and breezy. 
Quick ride. 
9.07 miles
13.05 mph
This month 364 miles

easy to see the line of a weather front looking north at mansfield and sr56

Friday
58° humidity 69% wind 4 ENE
Accident along Beardsley at Iverson. Three cars pulled over into the bike lane. Debris on the road. 
Car stopped on the crosswalk on Mansfield at SR56. She didn’t even look to see if anyone was coming from the east. I had the crossing signal but intended to stop. Another car stopped blocking half of the crosswalk when he couldn’t make the light to turn left. 
9.08 miles
12.86 mph

bridge, crow and robot

Saturday
63° humidity 71% wind 2 NE
Pleasant and sunny. Good pace. 
13.71 miles
13.26 mph

clear day at union park

Sunday
61° humidity 71% wind 3 N
Sunny and warm. Too warm with my sweatshirt. Easy ride. I didn’t check for speed and just pedaled. 
13.93 miles
12.47 mph
This week 84.1
This year 3295

20171126 cycling

An average week of riding. Cold weather delayed one ride and black Friday made my ride a bit shorter.

Monday
It was dark but pleasant, about 70° and breezy. 
I rode fast just to get it over with. I stayed on lit roads but some areas were still dark. 
7.23 miles
12.91 mph

looking southeast along mansfield

Tuesday
64° humidity 83% wind 4 E
It started out sunny but the clouds moved I once the sun was behind me. 
9.20 miles
13.22 mph

clouds moving in at union park

Wednesday
64° humidity 85% wind 5 ENE
My blue sweatshirt was still damp so I wore my lightweight fleece. It was OK until it got too warm and wet. I need a better jacket. 
I know I turned on my watch workout app but it must have crashed because there was nothing when I checked after five miles. Glad I still use Wahoo.  
13.62 miles
13.10 mph

overcast and empty field

Thursday
69° humidity 89% wind 2 ESE
Light rain in places. Wasn’t too bad. 
Legs tired from working late. 
Surprised to see construction crews working even getting sod delivery. 
13.28 miles
12.70 mph

i needed my lights on the way to work

Friday
I had to be to work at 7 for Black Friday. I rode to work
3.96 miles
11.62 mph
and rode home
3.90 miles
13.31 mph

Saturday
53° humidity 76% wind 2N
Chilly, sunny and foggy. I wore my long fingered gloves so I didn’t stop. Tired and I kept yawning. 
9.21 miles
12.80 mph

Sunday
61° humidity 71% wind 4N
Sunny. There is a barrel in the middle of the MUP heading east from MPB but I rode around it. It is Sunday and there are no crews working. The path has not been extended path the half mile. 
10.22 miles
13 mph

This week 70.5
This year 3212

20171119 cycling

It was an average week of riding. I finished my third year of coffeeneuring challenge.

Monday
69° humidity 76% wind 9 NE
Windy. I pushed through it knowing it would be a stressful day. 
9.08 miles
13.19 mph

clear skies looking west at mansfield and sr56

Tuesday
64° humidity 75% wind 12 ENE
Low sun in my eyes, windy. 
Somehow I pushed through the wind. 
The WoolX shirt was warmer than expected. I wore it under my short sleeved shirt and my arms were fine. The wind doesn’t penetrate as much as with my other base layers. 
9.28 miles
13.07 mph

strong winds making the large flag flutter

Wednesday
59° humidity 72% wind 10 NNE
I wore my older base shirt from Lands End. It doesn’t keep me as warm as my WoolX shirt. 
The wind was certainly annoying and I didn’t have the strength to push through it. 
I rode home and didn’t push. 
12.8 miles
12.17 mph

coffeeneuring #7 at shell on cross creek

Thursday
Coffeeneuring #7
61° humidity 68% wind 6 NNE
I was going to go to Mobil but I didn’t want to have to ride on BBD where there is construction. I decided to try to shop/gas station on Cross Creek. 
I have been avoiding going on Kinnan because there is too much debris and broken glass. Since the gate was broken, people dump furniture and must drive down the road and drink. It is a mess. My legs must have been tired because even when the wind wasn’t slowing me down, I could get any speed. Any thoughts of riding through Flatwoods were nixed. I went east on Cross Creek to Morris Bridge and turned back. The bike lane going west is not ideal. It was not paved well so it is bumpy. It has not been maintained and the grass has been allowed to grow over the pavement reducing it by half in some places. There is also debris including broken glass and palm fronds. When there was no traffic, I chose to ride in the car lane. 
Shell. There is no bike rack but a leaning picnic table. I locked my bike to the metal table. Inside is dingy. They have Domino’s pizza No brewed ice tea. Freshly made deli and hot foods. 
Contactless Pay wouldn’t word. Trouble with my debit card too. WTF. $1.81. 
I sat for a few minutes then decided to just go home. 
I rode back up Kinnan to Live Oak. I took the long way just to avoid all the broken glass. There was some broken glass along CLR but it was minor. 
15.34 miles
11.70 mph

clear skies at union park

Friday
62° humidity 66% wind 4 NE
Wind was stronger than reported. 
Sunny and not as chilly. Seemed like a struggled to get any speed. I need to check my tires. 
13.22 miles
12.51 mph

Saturday
57° humidity 70% wind 2 SSW (though other apps said SSE and even north!)
I added air to my tires even though they felt firm. 
Chilly and sunny. The sun was in my eyes. 
Not sure if it was the added air in my tires or the lack of wind but I rode faster with less effort. 
I had the light at Mansfield so I didn’t stop. 
9.14 miles
13.23 mph

clouds moving in at union park

Sunday
77° humidity 79% wind?? 4 NW or 5 SW Maybe both. It was windy.
Rode to BBD to SR56. I rode to Union Park and struggled on my way back.
15.32 miles
12.99 mph

This week 84.1
This year 3140

20171112 cycling

A good week for riding. I came close to reaching 100 miles.

overcast skies at union park

Monday
75° humidity 95% wind 2+ NE
I could tell it was going to be windier than reported, but I didn’t expect the fog and wore my sunglasses. I had to take them off at MPB because of the moisture. 
I didn’t have the energy to push. 
A women driving north on Hueland Pond almost didn’t stop. She acted surprised to see me. She has a stop sign but apparently didn’t think she had to heed it. 
13.23 miles
12.95 mph

Tuesday
68° humidity 92% wind 1 NE
coffeeneuring #4
I took the long way to Marathon/Dunkin Donuts. There is no bike rack, no places to sit inside. I walked into the convenience store first. They have soft drinks and frozen drinks but not much else. The DD is attached and I went into there for an iced tea. There are a few tables to sit at inside. The color scheme makes even a new store look worn. The tea was fine. They accept contactless pay. $1.09
The wind was strong so I went east on SR56 to BBD. (Though I did lose some speed when I had to slow down for a traffic light.)
18.17 miles
12.61 mph

looking west across mansfield at sr56

Wednesday
62° humidity 95% wind 0 NE
Chilly and very sunny. I wore new Columbia shirt that I hoped would wick the moisture but half way through my arms felt wet and cold. 
9.15 miles
13.50 mph

interesting skies at union park

Thursday
64° humidity 95% wind 0 NW
A little cool and very bright. Decided to keep it easy instead of trying to push. I probably ended with the same pace since I never got tired. 
13.65 miles
12.8 mph

coffeeneuring at speedway

Friday
66° humidity 78% wind 7 NE
coffeeneuring #5
I went my usual route until I got to SR56 and continued north on MPB. I turned east on Chancey to Fox Ridge. 
I went north to SR54 and went west. SR54 is busy and the shoulder is full of debris. It isn’t bike friendly. 
I crossed over at BBD then had to double back a bit to ride into Speedway. There are no bike racks, no places to sit. This is a busy location (I usually get my gas here but rarely go inside). The mart is small with the usual snacks and cold drinks. They also have coffee, tea, fountain drinks, slushees, donuts, prepackaged hot foots and the ubiquitous roller bar. 
No contactless Pay. Large iced tea was 83¢.
Riding back was better because the wind was helping most of the time. 
19.19 miles
12.31 mph

Saturday
62° humidity 77% wind 8 ENE
A little chilly. Windy. Sunny. 
Just one quick loop. 
9.15 miles
13.05 mph

wet ride for coffeeneuring at shell

Sunday
70° humidity 80% wind 9 ENE
The roads were wet and the sky was grey but bright. The wind was annoying. I went out towards Union Park. It started sprinkling and I had to take off my glasses. By the time I got to SR56. I was completely wet. 
I rode with the wind to BBD. I cut through the parking lot to Shell. 
Even though Shell is close, I rarely go there because the gas is expensive. 
There is no bike rack, no tables nor places to sit. This is a get-it-and-get-out kind of place. 
I went in and was chilled by the AC. They have fountain drinks and coffee and iced tea. I went to grab a cup and saw it said 7Eleven. I got some unsweetened tea and stood in line. But I left empty handed because their system was down and would only accept cash. I don’t carry cash. I rarely even carry my debit card. Oh well I was cold and wet and just wanted to be home. 
15.67 miles
12.35 mph

This week 98.1 miles
This year 3056 miles

20171116 coffeeneuring #7

looking west along cross creek

I was going to go to Mobil but I didn’t want to have to ride on BBD where there is construction. I decided to try to shop/gas station on Cross Creek. 

shell at cross creek and kinnan

I have been avoiding going on Kinnan because there is too much debris and broken glass. Since the gate was broken, people dump furniture and drive down the road and drink. It is a mess. 

narrowed bike lane because the grass grows over the pavement

My legs must have been tired because even when the wind wasn’t slowing me down, I could get any speed. Any thoughts of riding through Flatwoods were nixed. I went east on Cross Creek to Morris Bridge and turned back. The bike lane going west is not ideal. It was not paved well so it is bumpy. It has not been maintained and the grass has been allowed to grow over the pavement reducing it by half in some places. There is also debris including broken glass and palm fronds. When there was no traffic, I chose to ride in the car lane. 

i locked my bike up to the metal table and bench

Shell. There is no bike rack but a leaning picnic table. I locked my bike to the metal table. Inside is dingy. They have Domino’s pizza No brewed ice tea. Freshly made deli and hot foods. 
Contactless. $1.81. 

this is one of two coffee stations at shell

no brewed tea but the gold peak was acceptable

I sat for a few minutes then decided to just go home. 
I rode back up Kinnan to Live Oak. I took the long way just to avoid all the broken glass. There was some broken glass along CLR but it was minor. 

15.34 miles
11.70 mph

20171112 coffeeneuring #6

wet, gloomy ride

70° humidity 80% wind 9 ENE

The roads were wet and the sky was grey but bright. The wind was annoying. I went out towards Union Park. It started sprinkling and I had to take off my glasses. By the time I got to SR56. I was completely wet. 

no place to lock my bike. i was hoping that it was early enough and wet enough that no one was willing to ride it away but me.

I rode with the wind to BBD. I cut through the parking lot to Shell. 
Even though Shell is close, I rarely go there because the gas is expensive. 
There is no bike rack, no tables nor places to sit. This is a get it and get out kind of place. 

having "big gulp" pasted to the tea urn makes it seem a little less desirable

I went in and was chilled by the AC. They have fountain drinks and coffee and iced tea. I went to grab a cup and was surprised to see it was branded 7 Eleven. I got some unsweetened tea and stood in line. But I left empty handed because their system was down and would only accept cash. I don’t carry cash. I rarely even carry my debit card. Oh well I was cold and wet and just wanted to be home. 

15.67 miles
12.35 mph