BTWD Fallout

[Certifried]

So…. after being inspired to give cycling to work a shot, and actually managing to do the 21 miles to work… and then realizing someone fooled me and that it was (as mentioned in other threads) actually a bike back to home as well!…. I was pleasantly surprised with myself in actually making the 42 miles without killing myself. So, I biked in today again. I knocked about 45 minutes off my BTWD time (because of no pit stops lolol) and 11 minutes off my ride home (ok, so it’s mostly downhill on the way in). My metro ride, including hopping a bus to the Medical Center metro, is usually about 1:20. My ride in was 1:37. I’m thinking as I work to get in better shape, I can beat the Metro time.

A little background, since I’m new here. I’m 42, live in Bethesda, work in Suitland. I’m an average cyclist, it’s been 10 years since I was “really” doing serious rides. I used to mentor/coordinate the Cycle Across Maryland/Teen Challenge program in Anne Arundel/Howard counties, have done several CAMs including a few centuries. But 10 years later, I found myself at 255 pounds and arthritis slowly stealing my life from me. The arthritis is still there, and it’s pretty bad, but it’s mostly confined to my spine. Cycling actually is a freedom for me, as I don’t feel pain when I’m riding. OK, well, some pain, but it’s not back pain and that’s like heaven for me. The cycling will help to strengthen everything, hopefully increase some bone density, and will improve me mentally as well. I’ll still be in tons of pain, but hopefully I can deal with it better, and even a 5% decrease in pain is a huge life changer for me.

You all seem like a nice tight-knit group of people, hopefully you’ll welcome me in to the family with a friendly nod on the trail I’m not as angry as I look when I’m cycling LOL Oh, I also got my son in to cycling, so he rides with me occasionally. Here’s a pic of us from Bike DC.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1099[/ATTACH]

edit: and yes, I’m still a little pudgy, but hopefully the rides to work and, eventually, riding back home too will get me in to “fighting” shape! So no “moobs” or “mitts” comments, thanks LOL

Topic

[vvill]

@Tim Kelley 20527 wrote:

We take anyone! Strava…RideWithGPS…Daily Mile…Garmin Connect…..

Speaking of these, anyone interested in making a Strava “club” for BikeArlington?

[creadinger]

@Certifried 20452 wrote:

A little background, since I’m new here. I’m 42, live in Bethesda, work in Suitland.

Welcome back to the bike! I hope you can ease into it ok. I work in Suitland too, so it will be nice to see another rider on the roads in Southeast. So are you Census, Navy, or NOAA? Heh. I’ve seen a couple of regulars near the Douglas Bridge, but no one up in the Suitland area. The few I have seen tend to ride on the wrong side of the road (ahem WABA – education is still in need over there). I live in Arlington and commute 24 miles round trip by cutting through DC. I thought 24 miles was rough.

What route did you take? I head a little out of the way to take advantage of the bike lanes on Mass Ave and Alabama. The big-ass hill going up Mass Ave has even shown dividends on my weekend rides as well.

[Certifried]

@creadinger 20548 wrote:

Welcome back to the bike! I hope you can ease into it ok. I work in Suitland too, so it will be nice to see another rider on the roads in Southeast. So are you Census, Navy, or NOAA? Heh. I’ve seen a couple of regulars near the Douglas Bridge, but no one up in the Suitland area. The few I have seen tend to ride on the wrong side of the road (ahem WABA – education is still in need over there). I live in Arlington and commute 24 miles round trip by cutting through DC. I thought 24 miles was rough.

What route did you take? I head a little out of the way to take advantage of the bike lanes on Mass Ave and Alabama. The big-ass hill going up Mass Ave has even shown dividends on my weekend rides as well.

http://runkeeper.com/user/certifried/activity/90369023
Census I took the capital crescent trail down to canal, to Independence to Maine, M, First, across the Frederick Douglass, up Anacostia to Good Hope, Alabama, then Suitland Rd. It’s not a bad ride other than climbing Good Hope Rd… I did the CycleXMd year out in Western MD, didn’t have a lot of problems with hills at all, but that seems to be my biggest challenge since starting to ride again I need to really work on that.

I do have one question about the Frederick Douglas (or any narrow passing), who should yield? The poor sucker climbing or the guy zipping down? That’s so narrow on that bridge.

[KLizotte]

@Certifried 20599 wrote:

http://runkeeper.com/user/certifried/activity/90369023
I do have one question about the Frederick Douglas (or any narrow passing), who should yield? The poor sucker climbing or the guy zipping down? That’s so narrow on that bridge.

I think the person going down should yield. Has always seemed cruel to me to make someone re-start (or change position) on a hill and it’s no biggee for the person zipping down to wait a second or two.

[americancyclo]

@KLizotte 20603 wrote:

I think the person going down should yield.

That’s the same position the California DMV takes on hills, and as a previous resident of San Francisco, I wholeheartedly agree. Whoever is putting in the most effort gets the right of way.

[txgoonie]

@americancyclo 20607 wrote:

That’s the same position the California DMV takes on hills, and as a previous resident of San Francisco, I wholeheartedly agree. Whoever is putting in the most effort gets the right of way.

That’s SOP in mountain biking, as well. (Aside: it’s rather infuriating how few people actually follow it in practice, especially when it’s a guy barreling downhill versus a girl going up. I feel a lot of the time dudes would just bash right into me if I didn’t get out of the way.:mad:)

[Certifried]

@KLizotte 20546 wrote:

Overactive immune systems runs in my family too (RA, allergies, lupus, etc). Recent research shows that people with overactive immune systems have a lower incidence of cancer but they don’t know why. At least there is a small silver lining.

Looking at my family history, I’d have to say I believe in this 100%. Of course, 1 family isn’t hardly a sampling…. All my grandparents lived well in to their 80s/90s, no cancers anywhere (knock on wood). I’m somewhat convinced that I’ll live long in to my 80s or 90s (knock on more wood), unfortunately it will be a painful existence

Thanks all for the etiquette knowledge, that definitely seemed like the right thing to do. Though, the guy I met on the bridge yielded on his uphill before I got the chance to yield my downhilling. He looked mildly winded, so he might have been thankful for the break LOL

[creadinger]

@Certifried 20599 wrote:

I do have one question about the Frederick Douglas (or any narrow passing), who should yield? The poor sucker climbing or the guy zipping down? That’s so narrow on that bridge.

I have tried to go by the “uphill gets the right of way” rule on the Douglass bridge, but every time I try, the person ahead of me yields way before I get close to him. It’s usually the same guy. I was taught that rule from hiking. It was really great in the Adirondaks to see people step aside to let us keep our slow ascent up Algonquin Peak going. Chile though was another matter… all those damned Europeans didn’t yield for anything! In the crowded areas, the only reason we had any trail space at all was because I was 2x their size.

With regard to the hills – Good Hope road is rough! Mass Ave is long, but it has flat parts where you can catch your breath at least.

[Certifried]

Good Hope road is something I am determined to conquer. I haven’t let it beat me yet, but it sure kicks my ass.

[Author]

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