Bike to my physio appointment.... I'm guessing for distance and time... the Strava mysteriously disappeared--yet again. :(

It was dark and foggy... not fun, but there was very little traffic to worry about at that time in the morning... 5:15 a.m. start time!!! :o

Bike from physio to work... all city riding.

Ride from work to Erbsville to join the club for the Tuesday Road ride. This is supposed to be an intense interval workout in the hills West of town, but tonight it turned into a wet sufferefest. Started raining just as we started riding and we rode through rain for most of the time. On the sign sprint into Bamberg, I was in the very back of the group, but gave it a go anyway. There was one guy going for it, and I passed EVERYONE in the group except for the lead out man. However, I started about 5 seconds late... plus had to ease up to make sure I passed everyone safely. I came close though... i was flying again on that sprint.

Then, we headed further west to the Greenwood hill... I ended up in the lead going into the hill. I just don't have the power to keep up with the hill climbers. So I settled into a tough pace and kept it up as long as I could. Then, as we finished the climb I noticed we had lost a guy... so eased up to bring him back to the fold. It was my good friend, and he's been complaining about lack of power/stamina on hills and in to the wind. So, I stayed with him... when we got on to a flat, he was still having trouble holding my wheel. So, I moved back beside him and pushed him ahead 2 or 3x and we finally caught up with the group going up the next big hill. He made it about 2/3 of the way up before failing again... but by then I was just hanging in too as I worked hard to get him there. One other rider (club pres) dropped back with us, and we rode together for the next 5-8 km... where they turned for home and I kept heading south to my home. It was a good evening... if not for the rain.

Then I picked up the pace and kept riding steady for home. Did a couple hard intervals up hills... and worked hard into the wind. When I got to the Sandhills Speedway, I let 'r rip... just put the pedal down and rode as hard and as long as I could. I maintained a steady 40 km/h and almost made it to the last sideroad before my legs just quit. I eased up for about 500m, then picked up the pace over the last hill to the stop. I then kept a steady effort to Baden.

Great night for riding... humid, sweaty and totally wet. Good effort.

In zone: 51:57
Calories: 806

therapy on the ankle.

Rode from work to Erbsville, then rode with the group.... and then steady ride home.

The time and distance are a guess... the HR info is missing about 30 minutes... and the Strava gave out (battery on phone was used up)... so i'm just guessing on everything.

Sweetums and I took our bikes to the park with us... there are some AMAZING cycling trails in the Pinery and we have never tried them out. It was a perfect day to try them out... did the entire main loop and then hit the beach to cool down. Perfect!!

No idea of distance... just swam out into the lake for a bit, whilst Sweetums and I were at the park. It was a GORGEOUS weekend... and we took the opportunity to go to the beach together (all the boys were busy).

Whilst there, I took a wee swim in the water without the wetsuit. It was ok, but a little rough. I couldn't keep going and maintain a straight line... ended up going out further then I would have normally. I tried swimming out into the wind then coming back... going out was difficult and I really wasn't making much headway. After 5 minutes of that, I just said fogetaboutit... turned around and made it back in 3 minutes. Then just tootled around in the water coming to shore.

Water was cool, but lovely. Air was warm, but not horrible... sky was blue, sun was warm, what more could you ask for? :)

We parked at one of the trail heads at the North end of the park, then walked along the trail to the beach. I remember in the past, this being a VERY out of the way beach with NOOOO body around... unfortunately, people have discovered this beach and it was busier than I expected.

It is a lovely walk in the bush though... about 1.5 km in... and another 1.5 back--if you go the right way. Unfortunately, we took a wrong turn on the completely unmarked trails. After walking for 10 minutes at least, we stopped and asked the woman ahead of us if she knew where the parking lot was. She thought we were going the right way too, so I checked the GPS. We were almost out of the park and heading in the wrong direction. So we turned around and headed back that 10 minutes and got back on the right trail. It was still another 15 minutes to the parking lot though.

All this would have been fine... except Sweetums was worn out, and my foot/ankle were starting to act up by the end. Not terrible, but enough to know that I had pissed them off a little. Also didn't help to walking for 45 minutes in sandals. My feet are a little owwiee too. :o

Time walking is the entire time ... heading to beach + heading back from beach + the unwanted detour.

Found out late last night that The Train of Pain (an informal group, part of the Waterloo Cycling Club) was doing a ride this morning. As there is only one child home today, and it was an early start, I figured I'd get in a few hours before our day was going to start.

Rode in to Waterloo to the meet up (left late so had to go faster then I wanted) at Starbucks. Got there as most people were arriving chatted for a little, then headed out. On the way out to Bamberg, they were feeling their oats and the pace picked up quickly. So, when we came close to the Bamberg sign sprint, I was free and saw the lead out forming up... so I gave it some extra and pulled into the line. It started very early though and by the time I came around the front, there was still 500 m... and I was maxed out. I couldn't turn the cranks over any faster and had to sit up and let the other guy take the sprint uncontested. The two of us rode easy after that until the stop sign... were we waited for the two stragglers and regrouped.

Now we started riding in a steady rhythm until the BIG hill... heading up Greenwood Hill, I was at the front and did the best I could, but I just don't have the stamina to take these hills at speed. So, I fell off the back with my friend and worked to keep him in contact. Down the other side, he and I raced down and caught the group at the next stop. He told me then to stay with them, he was not feeling the love today.

After the next turn, we rode out towards Poole and Millbank... another sprint took place at Kingwood... which started about 2 km out. I again was in the mix, but it started far to early for me. When I came around in front, I was still a kilometer out... again maxed out on gears and by then had nothing left.... so sat up and let the other guy take it uncontested again. I gotta learn when to attack and when to sit on someone's wheel to let them burn themselves out. ;)

After Kingwood, I lost contact on the hills, but not far off, and was able to catch them on the hill outside Poole, as they had let up and I was able to use my momentum to bridge back in. We then rode a steady effort through to Millbank (steady at 40 km/h :o ). In Millbank, I waited to see if any one was turning off, but no one did. So I was going to stay with the group... then as we were heading out of town, one guy was told, he should turn here, if he wanted to be back in Waterloo by 10... so he did, and I joined him.

We then had a nice ride back to Bamberg together, chatting and enjoying the lovely day. We parted company then and I headed home... my legs were not feeling strong any more as we were riding at great speed for a long time, but it was fun.

The first 40 minutes were steady but not to hard... the next hour was fast with a couple intervals... then the next hour was again steady but manageable. I can go at a steady pace of 32+ km/h all day... but throw in some hard hills at speed and sprints and I thrash my legs pretty quickly... gotta do some more hard training to bring those legs back into line.

In zone: 1:32:00
Calories: 1500

Morning ride... riding steady to stay warm... was a little nip in the air this morning. I didn't have arm warmers on though, that would have made a difference.

Lovely sunrise, well behaved drivers... mostly... there always seems to be one... and why does that ONE have to be driving a big ass pick up truck pulling a trailer???? sigh

In zone: 24:12
Calories: 416

Ride from Physiothearpy to work... all city driving, so there is no speed.

Evening ride home... I wasn't trying to set any records as there was a steady headwind, but I wasn't taking it easy either. Just getting home with out being harassed by the stupid drivers. Took the least traveled route home (hilly, too), because it breaks up the headwind sections into manageable bits... about 2 km sections of headwinds every 15 minutes. The hilly parts are mostly tree lined, so I don't have too much in the way of crosswind either... so you're just dealing with climbing.

Good ride home... would have been perfect except for the headwind. :)

In zone: 30:30
Calories: 408

Another lovely morning... cool in the valleys, warm and foggy on the hills... moon setting behind me, sun rising before me... just the absolutely most beautiful morning. Wish I could stay out there for another hour. :)

Took the quietest, hilly route again... I saw only 4 cars until my turn onto the normal road about half way to work, and that was unusual, I would be lucky to see 1 most mornings on those roads. After that... dozens of cars, but not a single idiot.

[rant]I think I shocked a few people riding along Huron Rd in town, I saw them move over into the other lane very early, but then they weren't passing me, because I was doing the speed limit! I just laughed... this is the stretch of road that has the "BIKE WAY" (as it's called by the city), which bicycles are supposed to use. I wrote an email to the city complaining about this situation. If I were to ride on this "lane" (actually it's part of the sidewalk), then I would have to be a pedestrian at all crosswalks. I would also have to watch out for pedestrians using the other half of the sidewalk... I don't know about you, but if I'm walking/jogging on a sidewalk, I would NOT appreciate a bicycling flying by me at 50 km/h... but hey, that's just me! So, I ride on the road, and take the ENTIRE lane. I don't ride three feet from the curb, I'm riding where I would ride a motorcycle.... where I should be. If people don't like it, they can take it up with the city... because I'm not endangering MY life and pedestrian's, just for the sake of some jackass on the road that can't change lanes or slow down. [/rant]

Good quality ride this morning.

In zone: 24:49
Calories: 383

Hard work tonight... it was a brisk Southerly breeze. This isn't all bad, but it's 75-80% awful. Worked hard for that entire westerly stretch, then had nothing left for the downwind section. I was hoping to have a PB on the segment just before home, but didn't have the leg strength... about 1/2 way through, the legs just stopped turning over. So I reduced the pain and just finished strong, not insane. Only about 20 seconds off my best time though... however when you ride a route so much (as I do), it's not even in the top 5. :o

Good ride home... except for the one a$$hat who yelled at me to get off the road... as he was passing me illegally, with another car approaching us. Really? I'll get off the road if you do. I'm not doing anything illegal, so go take a long jump of a short pier.

In zone: 40:26
Calories: 508