[vern]

Correction…the accident was at the Little Falls crossing, and not at Oak. I realized that riding in this morning.

[vern]

I just got an email from NBC that I at first thought was indicating I had won a pair of socks (Yay me!). But as I read further down I discovered this was just a come-on, and for the low, low price of $20.14 I could PURCHASE a pair of NBC socks (shipping included!). &%#! that!

[vern]

@cvcalhoun 89523 wrote:

So, why do we still have no prize announcement for June? I’m waiting with bated breath to see whether I got the toilet paper this month!

It’s dry leaves and grass for you!

[vern]

I left Crystal City about 4:20 and ran into showers/rain by Shirlington, which persisted until Wilson. The underpasses at Carlin Springs and Wilson were under water when I got to them. At Carlin Springs it was still mellow and only 3-4 inches deep, so I road through it and Wallah! the mysterious creaking from (what I thought was) the bottom bracket went away! The rest of the ride home to Reston was occasional light showers/drizzle, but I missed the drama. There was lots of debris on the trail between the Beltway and Vienna. All in all, it was a pretty nice ride.

[vern]

The rapidly forming line of storms to the west and southwest will make for an interesting commute home in a couple hours. Fireworks begin a day early!

[vern]

@cyclingfool 89390 wrote:

Good idea.

There was a flagman there as I came through, but he waved me through. They were untying things, and it looked like getting ready to pull the last of the water barriers out.

AS for Crystal City, I hear you. I’ve been riding along 4MR the last couple days for a change of pace, but I really got used to and liked my commute route through Crystal City, too, especially in the mornings. I think I’ll probably go back to it soon as my default route, but it’s good to have options again, so I can mix things up more.

Eads wasn’t too bad when there was no construction, though I really dislike it on Friday afternoons (Driver’s totally lack patience and judgment). I found that I missed going that way this morning…it’s a nice change of pace from the trail.

[vern]

The W&OD was crowded this morning, especially through Falls Church and Bluemont, but this evening it was almost a ghost town. That was good for me and my bike, as there were few witnesses to hear my bottom bracket protest so loudly whenever I pushed on the cranks.

[vern]

Great news! I can’t wait to try it out in about 45 minutes.

[vern]

My first real road bike was a Bianchi that I bought back in the mid-80’s…I loved that bike, and to date, that bike probably fit me better than any bike I’ve ever owned. I forget the model…I wish I had some spare change so I could talk to you about your Volpe.

[vern]

She brings Gas-x with her on her ride? Call me crazy, but I’m on the outside when I ride. When the need arises I just make my own wind. Don’t need a pill to cure that.

[vern]

I didn’t have a mileage goal and hadn’t really thought about it. I didn’t even keep track of my mileage (as in recording it) until I joined the NBC. My goal was to make my commute every day for one week (42.8 miles x 5), and as it turned out, the NBC motivated me to do that every working day in May. I rode 1003 miles that month, which I’m sure surpasses any previous personal best month by 350 miles or so.

And I’ve noticed this week that I am 1-2 gears stronger than I was on May 1st, so all that riding in May paid off!

So my goal for the remainder of the year is to ride as often and for as long as my body and schedule permits, making the full commute 3-5 days per week. The important thing is that I feel much better when I commute than when I don’t. And feeling good is, well…good.

[vern]

@culimerc 89016 wrote:

Yeah if your not near one of the “centers” there really isn’t anywhere to eat with out driving.

I carry my breakfast and lunch with me each day…milk, juice, oatmeal with fixings, fruit, and whatever I decide to eat for lunch. Problem solved.

[vern]

I eat after I get to work and have showered…and after coffee, except that I usually eat a piece of fresh fruit such as an apple or a banana as I walk to the gym to shower. After coffee, I almost always have a double serving of rolled oats (1 cup of uncooked oats) with walnuts and dried cheeries thrown in, with OJ to drink.

[vern]

@kcb203 88589 wrote:

Thanks for all the advice. A little more detail. In addition to biking, I also swim 3x a week, lift weights once a week, and run a couple times a week. The days I’m least eager to ride in are those where I already swam or lifted in the morning. Today, for example, I went to the gym at 6, and when I got ready to leave home at 7:30, my legs were tired already. I get plenty of sleep–in bed by 10 every night.

Perhaps I do think of my commute as Cat6 racing. Not so much on the days into DC, where I JRA due to the inherent slowness of the Custis and my 15 blocks on city streets (except for hammering the uphills on the way home). But on the days to Reston, I do think of it as my bike training most days, so unless I’m ready to go hard, I feel like I’m wasting energy that should be saved for a real training session. (I’m riding up Mt. Washington this summer and really need to get bike fitness like I’ve never had before.)

Logistically, the bike commute works for me. On the 3-4 days a week I’m in Reston, I’ve got a gym with towel service and a permanent locker to store toiletries, shoes, belt, pants, etc. In DC, I have to bring everything every day, but it all fits into my backpack.

It’s not an issue of my waking time. I’m up naturally between 5:30 and 6 without an alarm. I usually don’t leave for work until 7:50 on the DC days and 7:40 on the Reston days to be showered at my desk at 9. Four days out of five during the week, I’m doing another workout before even heading out the door. When I’m late, it’s not for oversleeping but just spending too much time at the pool or gym.

I swim 3 days a week. What I’ve done to give my legs a break is that when I swim, I kick very little so that swimming becomes primarily an upper body exercise. And my legs always feel better after being in the water.

[vern]

Today was an awesome day to get back to commuting after being away…I certainly didn’t have a problem getting warmed up. Sucks though how quickly my 55 year old body loses strength and fitness.

[Author]

Posts