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Hmm, apparently I’m alone in remembering a century as something that is much more fun afterwards than during. Especially the last 25 miles.

It’s a leap from rides under twenty miles to going all day in the saddle. I remember thinking that if I sat down at the 78 mile rest stop I might not get up again. It is fun. I’m doing it again. But I’m not sure I’d attempt 100 miles without a few long range rides first. If I did, I’d have alternate plans for getting back if I decided enough was enough. And for what it’s worth, I’d make sure my saddle was the most comfortable one I could find.

ann

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I agree with Dickie.

The HR monitor is like riding with a lie detector. There are moments when I’m sweating like a pig, gasping for breath, positive the pace is killing me and I need a cold drink— Right Now! But when I look down I discover my heart rate is not particularly fast. Then I stop whining to myself and get on with it. Or I turn the damn thing off.

I’ve also learned that when I start to cough and have the sensation I’m about to throw up, my heart rate is a little to high and I need to back it off a bit. It’s always the same number give or take three beats per minute. Lactate threshold be damned. I have the Vomit Threshold instead.

HR monitors are worth playing with at least long enough to get a sense of how you feel at any given rate. Once you know, it helps for figuring out how long to stay out on a ride or how long to maintain a level of effort. And it’s fun to play with the data.

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Try exploring Annandale via Google Maps. When I clicked on the bike route suggestions, roads that are bike-friendly-ish popped up marked in hash marked green. That way you won’t waste time driving to a place to ride. And yeah, I do that all the time, but as the days shorten, daylight becomes more scarce. Even if you drove a mile to an area with many connecting residential streets, it will save you time. And if you have a cross bike or a mountain bike, or even a tough hybrid, you’re close to the CCT that picks up at Audrey Moore Recreation Center.

Have fun. Ride safe.
ann

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More information.
http://arlington-va.patch.com/articles/bikes-sparkle-in-crystal-city

I’ve been down in my basement trying to figure out how to wire 300 LED lights onto a petticoat. I probably should have consulted with Dirt about this little project before I ended up with six DD batteries that somehow need to be concealed in the dress. For some reason I bet Dirt would know a thing or two about this sort of problem.

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Yes.

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I’d think about getting someone close to you, as in a five minute ride away.
Because you’re obscenely young and fit, you’ll probably only need the occasional flu shot or prescription for a minor infection.
When you’re sick, driving or riding is hard. So find someone close.
If anything changes with your health, you’ll need a specialist. That’s when someone who understands athletes matters.

And don’t shy away from using a large practice where you’ll see a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant. They’re great too.

And frankly for simple things like routine immunizations, sports physicals for kids, or minor problems, I have had great experiences with the Minute Clinics in CVS. They even declined to see my sick child on a Saturday afternoon because he was too sick for them to handle. So I believe they use a responsible triage system.

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@Dirt 29754 wrote:

Those bike lanes look creamy. What do they taste like? I’ll let y’all know tomorrow.

For God’s Sake Man, don’t taste the green lanes. You know the story about green M&Ms….

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I’d like to give a thumbs up for Culpeper. I was there over the summer for a triathlon and the roads are scenic, rolling, but not jaw dropping. The town is interesting and there are good places to eat. It would be a lovely weekend of biking fun.

ann

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True Confession: I love trying out other people’s bikes. Sometimes I’m really surprised. Whatever bike you choose, try an assortment. In heavy traffic I like flat bars and sitting up. I have the imaginary feeling that I’m seeing more. Otherwise, drop bars are much easier on my knees, hips and ankles. I learned this renting bikes on vacation.

Test ride an assortment. Get on them and try out a variety so you can honestly say you chose a specific bike because it suited you and not anybody else.

Congratulations, have a great time picking one out.

ann

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eminva, I know where you live. If I see you with a blinky light, I’ll disable it.

Blinking headlights on the trails at night drive me crazy. We won’t even go into what I’m doing on the trails at night, but whatever. The blinky lights on the back don’t bother me, probably because they are lower.

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@5555624 29612 wrote:

Agreed. My rule of thumb is that if it’s bright enough for me to see and ride comfortably — as in not “I can barely see, but if I ride 3 mph, I can find my way” — on an unlighted trail, it’s bright enough for me to be seen. Years ago, my NiteRider Digital Pro 12E lights cost more than my bike.

If your light is on your helmet, can’t you just point it at the lock? While I sometimes wear a helmet light, my main light is always on the bike — I always want a light pointing the direction I am going — and there have been times a helmet light would be handy to grab something out of a pannier, unlock a lock, etc.

99% of the time I wear a helmet. Last night I rode my bike from the GMU parking lot to my classroom saving myself a six minute walk. I did not wear a helmet. When I came out of class it was dark and I mounted my light on my handlebars before I unlocked the bike. Ok, not the brightest thinking but eventually I fumbled around and unlocked the combination.

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What? You didn’t get to keep the pins as souvenirs of your misadventure? What’s wrong with our healthcare system?

Talk about a fantastic conversation starter….Wanna see my pins?

Thank goodness you’re all better. The end is in sight and think of all the fun you’ll having getting into century riding shape in less than a month!

ann

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Please don’t go cheap on lighting.

Spend whatever it takes to be seen.

I like helmet lights because I can immediately bring light into any direction I’m looking. And yes, I realize how incredibly silly they look. Fine. I really don’t like the idea of a lot of blood on the ground. Especially if it’s mine.

Don’t forget to light up your rear. And not just because I like a good show.

And add a reflective vest to the mix just because it’s fashionable.

Ok, that was a complete lie. But in these situations so much is at stake a giant yellow ArliingtonBikes vest could make the difference between you being around to take the trash out next week and you being something that’s scraped up off the asphalt.

Every single time I come home from late night class sessions at GMU I count at least six bikes without lights. It makes me ill.

Another thing that you can consider is a lock that lights up in the dark. Fumbling with a combination in the dark brings back nights underneath the bleachers during high school. But that’s another story for another day.

Be safe.
ann

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For a thrilling ride try starting on Fairfax Drive in Arlington. And just. Keep. Going.

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I’m not offended at all. You know me. Most of the time I’m hooked up to a damn chest strap and a stinking heart monitor trying to eek out another mph because I have this insane idea that triathlons are a fun hobby. Out there most days I’m sweating like a barnyard animal and wheezing like I’ve been smoking my entire life. Every now and then I love to put on girl clothes and a ridiculous pair of heels to see if I can manage to ride my bike in another way. I work hard, and I play just as hard but with a whimsical, self-deprecating, “isn’t this the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever seen on a bike” way.

It would be soooo easy to make my bikes too serious. And what is the fun in that?

Right now I’ve got 300 battery operated lights that I’m trying to attach to a dress for the next Diamond Derby. It’s pure fun and silliness. Otherwise I’m just staring at another six weeks of tedious swim-run-bike-swim-run-bike yuck.

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