10 August 2011 Ride:

Rain, glorious rain.  We've had lots of it today, over an inch.  Fortunately, it rained while I was at Community Meals and by the time I got home the rain had stopped.

But, I had the strangest ride today.  I was feeling very worn out and decided to keep the ride to the minimum 60 minutes; it turned out to be one of the hardest 60 minutes I've ever had.  I felt as if I was falling asleep at the wheel and had to shake my head to stay alert.  At times, I felt as if I might even pass out.  Muscles felt tired and weak and it was quite a struggle to finish the hour.  A cold of the muscles?

Today's Ride:  61mins.  10.02 miles.  72 - 80 degrees.  Miles YTD:  5,255.18

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9 August 2011 Ride: 68...Yes!

Yesterday when I was riding, there was a hint in the air of something past, something that we had endured.  This was the coolness to the wind that I mentioned yesterday.  It was the same feeling after coming through the ice storm a few years back and the one, two, three punch of snowstorms this past winter followed by record-breaking cold temperatures.  The wind yesterday suggested that we may have seen the worst of the heat and there was a collective feeling of relief as well as weariness.

What a welcome sound last night as the storm blew through.  Eerie at times as the wind really howled and I watched the skies for something more ominous, a funnel or signs of barn doors flying through the night to indicate the winds reaching hurricane force.  But there was only the constant flash of lightening from all directions followed, finally, by rain.

And, this morning, the wonderful sight of the weather station reading 68 degrees, the first time we have dipped into the 60s seen the beginning of July.  One would think that I would be hopping on the bike at the first opportunity to take advantage of the coolness.  However, it seemed that the pushing to the limits and the heat from the past week had really caught up with me.  I ended up sleeping late and waking in a dense fog.  I relished the coolness but rather than wanting to ride in it, my body wanted to relax in it, like a sleepy rainy day where all one wants to do is cocoon. And as dazed as I felt, getting on the bike might have actually proven dangerous.

So, I lingered longer over breakfast and, with cobwebs still filling my head, I made my way out to the garage where I have a major clean-up project going on and a more tolerable temperature was very much welcomed.  Now, at 11:30 AM, 84 degrees and a fog still creeping about in the cranium, I'm about to head out for part one of a planned two part ride.

I came across Nick running hose from a pond to newly planted trees probably a hundred yards away.  When he told me his name it sounded familiar and I realized that he was the owner of all those trophies I saw in the trailer. 

Alas, all the pictures today were taken with the new camera.  The Canon does not seem to be harboring any ill-will.

After the first ride today, a couple of hours back in a much warmer garage, standing on a stool, hammering and prying away at dismantling a storage loft that is no longer needed.  Didn't realize how tiring that was until I got back on the bike for the second leg of my ride today.

Okay.  The new camera is starting to impress me.  This was taken from over 300 feet away and the old camera would: 1) not be able to zoom that far and; 2) not have anywhere near the same clarity at that distance.  There were originally five deer but these were the only two brave enough to continue to stick around.

Today's Ride:  2hrs. 16mins.  25.24 miles.  84 - 90 degrees.  Miles YTD:  5,245.16

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8 August 2011 Ride

A most unusual cloud formation on the morning walk.  I see a tadpole.  The interesting thing about this cloud is how quickly it changed.  Within a minute, the tail shrank so that there was only a grey ball and another minute or two later the entire cloud was gone while the surroundings clouds barely changed.

The problem with doing a 100 miler is that it leaves little time to do a proper posting.  So many different thoughts during the ride and I barely remember any of it by the time I sit down to write. 

I felt surprisingly rejuvenated this morning.  After doing a food run for Community Meals, I did the daily ride on the bike trail starting at 9:00.  This was the perfect route for a day-after ride; even though the muscles weren't sore they were tired and I moved sluggishly. 

The wind was blowing a bit harder than yesterday and it had a different feel to it.  It took me a moment to realize that it actually felt cool and wasn't just moving hot air around like the past several days. 

Near North St., I passed Barry bicycling with Lily in the basket.  Barry said that she has gotten spoiled and doesn't want to walk anymore.

By mile 15, the legs finally limbered up and I was able to push a bit harder.  A couple of miles after that I ran into recumbent Roadie, Tom.  That turned out to be a good distraction as we rode and talked for a couple of miles and gave me a good excuse not to think about riding faster.


Later, I headed for Bedford Camera to look into getting a new camera.  I ended up getting a Nikon that has better magnification capabilities, better this, better that and is somewhat larger that my current Canon.  All sorts of anxiety over the decision to get a new one.  Loyalty, for one.  The Canon and I have been through so much together and it has survived multiple drops, even being dropped in a half inch of water in a gutter.  I feel like a traitor getting another camera.  And, now, I have to learn the ins and out of how this new camera operates.  But, truthfully, I never did learn how to fully operate the Canon.  Today, at Bedford, the woman I was speaking with pointed out a feature of the camera I never knew about.  Getting a new camera locally has a very distinct advantage over buying one online;  if I have any questions about how to operate it, I certainly will feel comfortable dropping by and asking. 

So, as I'm comparing the Canon to the new Nikon, I took the picture below of a pen flashlight on the counter.  Could be the last photo you'll see from the Canon...but I doubt it.

Today's Ride:  2hrs.  22 miles.  80 - 90 degrees Miles YTD:  5,219.92

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7 August 2011 Ride: One mile for every degree...almost

Didn't stay up to try and see the Northern Lights the night before but the light show last last night was a close second.

What is it that gets into our heads that a 100 miler is a good idea when we know the temperature will hit above 100 at some point in the ride?  Via Mountainburg, no less, which includes a few mighty fine climbs.  It's got to be more than just bragging rights because that's a heck of a lot of work just to say "I did it."  And, even then, a person has to have a lot of determination just for that.

I think it's about wanting to push one's self to the limits, to see just how far we can go and the satisfaction that comes from reaching those boundaries.  Of course, maybe it's just plain craziness.

 Today's ride started off in a light drizzle and then tapered off until I reached the Brentwood rest stop, about 25 miles into the ride.  From there to Mountainburg, it rained off and on which was good for keeping cool but not so good for going down the hills into Mountainburg.  The road had deteriorated considerably since my last trip there with heavy cracks and small pot holes.  The rain obscured the faults and they would take me by surprise at times and I felt as if I was holding on for dear life; I am not a big fan of downhills unless they are on nice smooth pavement.  Needless to say, I was glad to reach the bottom.

 Besides liking the composition of the lettering and the window, I found it humorous interpreting the "FREE HAY" in a different light; a message to the powers that be to free from prison a citizen by the name of Hay.

While I wasn't crazy about the rain as I went downhill, I did appreciate the cloud cover.  Like clockwork, when I turned around to head back up the hill, the clouds gave way to the sun.  

By the time I was off Mt. Gaylor and coming out of Winslow, the temperature was starting to rise in earnest.  I was surprised to see a bicyclist heading south so late in the day (noon)  and it turned out to be a friend and fellow colleague of Carol's, Jon.  He lives up on Mt. Gaylor near the fire tower so he was actually returning home.

 I'm slow and steady so I knew it would be close to 4:00 PM before I would make it back home.  I suspect that by mile 70 the temperature had hit the 100 mark and the going was getting a bit slower.

I made my way home via the bike trail wanting to check up on the status of the shoes; nothing had changed and they were still in the same position as the other day.


Reaching my road, I have one more small semi-steep climb.  At the top of the the rise is a T.  To the left, it is .6 miles to home.

But I have a ritual or tradition that I have been sticking to fairly religiously.  To the right, it is .4 miles to a cul-de-sac.  No matter how tired I may be even if I have reached my goal for the day, I almost always (99%) go right.  It's a way of saying to myself that I still have a bit extra to give, I still can push another 8/10ths of a mile.  So, even today, with the heat beating down and the goal well reached (100.3 miles at the T), I turned right to push that limit just a bit further.  It was good to get home.

Today's Ride:  8hrs 20mins. (Actual time: 9hrs 30mins). 102.6 miles.  77- 103 degrees.  Miles YTD:  5,197.92

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6 August 2011 Ride: Ghana

No, I'm not headed for Ghana but Carol and Rachel are headed that way today.  Carol is going as part of a University program that is getting involved with Vital Voices, an organization that helps with the economic development of women businesses in developing countries.  Rachel gets to tag along.  I'm not sure if I could have tagged along or not but I think my daily ride would be in jeopardy if I went.

So, I get to enjoy the beauty and discoveries of northwest Arkansas this week; there will be time to myself to ride and get things done around the house.


Yesterday's ride in 108 degrees may have gone well but my body and legs definitely feel more weary after the ride in the heat and sun, more so than a usual 30 mile ride.  A morning ride was definitely in order..

I left at 6:00 for a ride down Hwy 45 to the town square.  Along the way, I caught sight of the figure below watching the sunrise.

I'm investigating new cameras that will be slightly heavier but have better telephoto and low-light capabilities and I'm looking forward to getting that and, thus, better capturing those shots in the distance.

I rode up and down a deserted Dickson St a couple of times, enjoying having the road to myself Saturday at 7:00 AM.

At one spot on Dickson, a fellow photographer.  Turned out he was taking shots of a couple in various doorways and stairways on Dickson. 

Today's Ride:  2hrs. 29mins.  31.85 miles.  82 - 89 degrees.  Miles YTD:  5,095.32

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5 August 2011 Ride: The Beat Goes On

Yesterday, I was like a zombie trying to get through the day.  I saw just how wiped out I was when I ended up sleeping through the night, a rarity.  With the same grueling pace the past few days, I decided to shake up the biking schedule even if it meant riding in the heat of the day.  Working around the house in the morning and running errands in the early afternoon, I ended up on the bike trail, starting at the south end, a bit around 1:45. 


 A few pre-ride pictures:

 At First Thursday last night in downtown Fayetteville, I was talking with David, whom I didn't know, and it turned out I passed him on the trail on my ride Thursday morning. 

 Morning walk.

Coming around a curve on the trail, I spotted this mattress that had succumbed to the heat and had to take a break.

 

These shoes are taking on a life of their own.  I talked to John Erwin this morning and he spotted them as well yesterday when he was on the trail.  Today, someone had placed them together.  

 It was 104 when I left the house and I figured it was at least 105 or 106 by the time I got on the trail. I barely took notice of the 104 reading; after all, yesterday was 110 and the heat was now par for the course.  In the winter, when we had one single digit day after another, I seemed to quickly adapt to riding in the cold weather without giving it much thought.  And the same seems to be happening with riding in the heat. 

 

 Lake Fayetteville.  I like all the activity that seems to be occurring in this otherwise stagnant structure: a door and a window open, gravel on the catwalk, lines hanging down from the railing and the winch inside makes it seem as if something is going on inside as well.

A couple of miles from the end of the ride on the trail, this tall flower in the creek bed caught my eye.  It was rather stunning and a sharp contrast to all the dried grass and the receding water line of the creek.  I almost didn't stop as I was eager to get back.  But, 1/4 mile down the trail, I turned around to get some pictures.  I like the pose above as the flower seems to be gazing pensively over the creek.

 Compared to the other flowers I have photographed the past few days, this one really stands out because of its size, 6-8 inches across, which seems quite remarkable in this heat.

Making sure to stay well hydrated with lots of electrolytes, the ride was really quite pleasurable.

Today's Ride:  2hrs 44mins.  32.01 miles.  106 - 108 degrees.  Miles YTD:  5,063.47

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