First brick of the year
I have a strange relationship with weekends at times. Lazy weekends leave me feeling rested, rejuvenated, and generally recharged and ready to start the week. Busy weekends (like this one) leave me wishing that I had another day to just rest. But lazy weekends are boring, busy weekends are active and fun. Can't have it both ways. Thus, the strange relationship.
This weekend was indeed busy, and a little different - it's a bizarre when the weather allows for snowboarding one day, and a long (warm!) bike ride the next. But that's exactly what I did this weekend.
Headed out to Afton on Sat morning with PW and GH. Hit the slopes around 10:30, knowing that we'd be best served getting some boarding in before it really warmed up in the afternoon. Conditions were actually pretty good for late season - didn't have to contend with any patches of ice, and the snow seemed relatively fast - much faster than 2 weeks ago when we got about 6 inches of fresh snow and conditions were so slow that I went home after only 3 hours. Later in the afternoon, the clouds cleared, shadows appeared and it really started to warm up - then my board started to feel a little slow but still pretty decent. PW commented how the hills at Afton have started to feel shorter now that our abilities have improved since last year, and he's totally right. Last year the hills in the Highland area seemed long, and perfectly suited to our abilities. This year, they're still lots of fun but they start to feel a little less challenging. Come next year, I envision more trips up to Spirit Mountain for variety - the main run there is longer so you can build up more speed (for better carving) and they have a great run that meanders through the woods with a little terrain which kicks ass.
Today, I had planned on getting the road bike out and doing a long ride. I just getting ready to get ready to ride when Darkling Child called asking if I wanted to ride out St Paul direction, and I said "sure". Had planned on riding alone, but Darkling was mentioned the hills out past the High Bridge, so I thought it sounded like a good plan - I need hill work in a major way if I'm going to put in personal best at Wildflower this year. The last time we rode together, she rode her Trek road bike, while I road my mtn bike with slicks as an "equalizer". My mtn bike is currently set up with knobby tires (which I put on a few ago to race in the "Snowball's Chance in Hell Formula Ice Race and Snowy Dash For Cold Hard Cash". Hadn't bothered to take the knobbies off, so I figured I just leave 'em on for even more of an equilizer effect. It worked. They equilized the crap out of me today.
Rode east on 42nd St, up West River Rd, across the Franklin St bridge, Darkling almost hit another pedestrian turning onto East River Rd, down to Summit Ave, Summit into St Paul (down the switchback hill), across the High Bridge, and out another maybe five(?) miles on Hwy 13, rested at some big scenic overlook for some snacks, then headed back. For me I think this was 47-48 miles round trip, a little less for Darkling since I had to ride to her place to start the ride. This was my first time riding on the far side of the Mississippi out by St Paul, and there are some decent hills out that way. The High Bridge alone kicked my ass - but maybe because it was the first real hill of the ride, and my legs didn't know what I planned on throwing at them - who knows. Anyway, it was a fun ride. A little messy though - the melt is on big-time and I have a fender but Darkling's bike was kicking up a monster rooster tail of spray on the downhills.
People came out of the woodwork to bask in the warm weather today (according to my thermometer at home, it hit 60 degrees!) I swear everyone with a kid or a dog was out walking around at some point. Saw the first shirtless (unfortunately male) joggers of the year out today - there were a whole pack of 'em running in the bike lane on Summit. Lots of roadies out too.
Got back to my place and threw on my running shoes for a quick jog around Calhoun - Calhoun was an absolute madhouse - the jogging path is still iced up in places, meaning walkers, runners, baby strollers, bikes and rollerbladers are all crowded onto one path, making for a lot of dodging and weaving. Still a good run though. So that's my first brick (combined bike/run workout, for you non-triathletes) of the season. More than enough to justify a giant dinner. And a big root beer float.
This weekend was indeed busy, and a little different - it's a bizarre when the weather allows for snowboarding one day, and a long (warm!) bike ride the next. But that's exactly what I did this weekend.
Headed out to Afton on Sat morning with PW and GH. Hit the slopes around 10:30, knowing that we'd be best served getting some boarding in before it really warmed up in the afternoon. Conditions were actually pretty good for late season - didn't have to contend with any patches of ice, and the snow seemed relatively fast - much faster than 2 weeks ago when we got about 6 inches of fresh snow and conditions were so slow that I went home after only 3 hours. Later in the afternoon, the clouds cleared, shadows appeared and it really started to warm up - then my board started to feel a little slow but still pretty decent. PW commented how the hills at Afton have started to feel shorter now that our abilities have improved since last year, and he's totally right. Last year the hills in the Highland area seemed long, and perfectly suited to our abilities. This year, they're still lots of fun but they start to feel a little less challenging. Come next year, I envision more trips up to Spirit Mountain for variety - the main run there is longer so you can build up more speed (for better carving) and they have a great run that meanders through the woods with a little terrain which kicks ass.
Today, I had planned on getting the road bike out and doing a long ride. I just getting ready to get ready to ride when Darkling Child called asking if I wanted to ride out St Paul direction, and I said "sure". Had planned on riding alone, but Darkling was mentioned the hills out past the High Bridge, so I thought it sounded like a good plan - I need hill work in a major way if I'm going to put in personal best at Wildflower this year. The last time we rode together, she rode her Trek road bike, while I road my mtn bike with slicks as an "equalizer". My mtn bike is currently set up with knobby tires (which I put on a few ago to race in the "Snowball's Chance in Hell Formula Ice Race and Snowy Dash For Cold Hard Cash". Hadn't bothered to take the knobbies off, so I figured I just leave 'em on for even more of an equilizer effect. It worked. They equilized the crap out of me today.
Rode east on 42nd St, up West River Rd, across the Franklin St bridge, Darkling almost hit another pedestrian turning onto East River Rd, down to Summit Ave, Summit into St Paul (down the switchback hill), across the High Bridge, and out another maybe five(?) miles on Hwy 13, rested at some big scenic overlook for some snacks, then headed back. For me I think this was 47-48 miles round trip, a little less for Darkling since I had to ride to her place to start the ride. This was my first time riding on the far side of the Mississippi out by St Paul, and there are some decent hills out that way. The High Bridge alone kicked my ass - but maybe because it was the first real hill of the ride, and my legs didn't know what I planned on throwing at them - who knows. Anyway, it was a fun ride. A little messy though - the melt is on big-time and I have a fender but Darkling's bike was kicking up a monster rooster tail of spray on the downhills.
People came out of the woodwork to bask in the warm weather today (according to my thermometer at home, it hit 60 degrees!) I swear everyone with a kid or a dog was out walking around at some point. Saw the first shirtless (unfortunately male) joggers of the year out today - there were a whole pack of 'em running in the bike lane on Summit. Lots of roadies out too.
Got back to my place and threw on my running shoes for a quick jog around Calhoun - Calhoun was an absolute madhouse - the jogging path is still iced up in places, meaning walkers, runners, baby strollers, bikes and rollerbladers are all crowded onto one path, making for a lot of dodging and weaving. Still a good run though. So that's my first brick (combined bike/run workout, for you non-triathletes) of the season. More than enough to justify a giant dinner. And a big root beer float.
posted by equipoise at 8:00 PM
1 Comments:
It will be easier once it stays lighter later. I really don't care to bike after work right now except for utilitarian purposes because of all the debris, potholes and crazy cars that seem way worse in the dark.
Once it's lighter longer, we'll get fun 30-50 mile rides in during the week and will feel less the imperative to get it all done in our 16 hours of weekend daylight.
How I feel about bike paths: we don't belong on them. If we can't stay near the posted speed limit on mixed paths (10mph in mpls), there's a road right there that we actually do belong on. I think it's dangerous and crazy for speedy cyclists to be riding recreational paths without a compelling reason.
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