Rider's Log 1.24.09 Big Dry Creek/Standley Lake Mud...broken chain

I headed west on the Big Dry Creek Trail this afternoon and rode around the north side of Standley Lake along the shoreline.  The water is lower in the winter so a lot is exposed that's normally under water.  there's open space to ride right along the water to the bald eagle boundary.  Gary (my mtn bike) and I had a fun time in the mud.  Unfortunately, the mud gunked up my old chain and it failed.  Too bad i didn't have my chain tool with me.

I skate pushed and rolled my bike down to the Sooper's at Church Ranch and Wads and Laura picked me up. 

I sure was enjoying exploring around the lake in the places where i normally can't ride.  I'll be back.

Distance:  about 10 miles  Time: about an hour  Avs:  i don't know.

 

 

somehow my phonecam color got set on "aqua."  nice effect.  the first pic is of the shore of the lake looking west towards the mountains. the second is my bike with great globs of gooey, righteous mud.  i had to stand on stones to keep from sinking in the mud.  my chain broke about ten minutes after.

Rider's Log 1.18.09

19 miles  1:40.  11.9 AVS

Big Dry Creek Trail-Cotton Creek Trail-128th Ave-BDCT-home.

60 degrees.

Rider' Log 1.17.09 - first ride of the year

It feels really good to post a January date for Rider's Log.

Rode my "time trial" loop.  Its a 20 mile lollipop that takes me from my house out the Big Dry Creek Trail to I-25, north on Huron to 144th, around McKay Lake, south past Legacy High School and back home on the BDCT.

Temp was 60 today.  I rode with long sleeve base layer and long sleeve jersey, full finger gloves and shorts.  i was comfortable.

Distance: 20 miles  Time: 1:33       (did this same ride 8.28.08 in 1:10)

Rider's Log 4.13 and 4.15

Both days about 17 miles up and down the Big Dry Creek Trail and three lung busting shots straight up the City Park Hill. (last summer i was doing 10).

April goal: 200 miles. So far: 34.

Rider's Log 3.29.08 - too much?

Distance 25.1 miles. Ride time 1:58. Total time 2:00. Avs 12.7 mph. Temp high 60s

BDCT to I-25 then west and north around lake east of McKay Landing. Back to BDCT home. My time to I-25 was sub28 but was wind aided. My legs were empty west bound and i really crawled back. I'm thinking that the interval work has taken a toll on my legs this early in the season w/o enough recovery time and a long ride mileage base. 82 miles in 4 days with a couple of days of intervals/high intensity. Nutrition could make a difference, too. i had two eggs for breakfast at about 9:30 which was nearly two hours before the ride. My tank could have been empty.

A great 4 days of time on the bike. I'm looking forward to some long 3+ hour rides on the trail system and really looking forward to early sunrises and hitting the road on the road bike.

March goal: 120 miles. Total so far: 188. I'll need to sneak in 12 easy miles tomorrow afternoon to hit the 200 mark. 200 miles in March will be the most since 2002 and living in sunny Arizona.

Rider's Log 3.28.08 - BDCT - Standley Lake

Distance 16.2 miles. Ride time 1:23. Total Time 1:25. Avs 11.7. Temp 50 (gear note: @50 degrees i started with under layer and cold weather jersey = too cold. added wind jacket and it was perfect. shorts fine)

West to Standley Lake and road "the hill" 3 times and did not feel good or strong. (it is still March after all) Rode back on BDCT to Front Range Community College and then back home.

There is a big difference between doing flatland intervals and high % grade intervals! Reminder: if you want to get strong on hills/mountains, you've got to ride hills and mountains. I'm still hoping to find a short cut strategy for mountain strength.....

Saw nothing of interest other than the usual scurrying prairie dogs. They crack me up, those little buddies.

March Goal: 120 miles. So far: 163. 200? if i ride 25-30 today and a few tomorrow.

how are you doing on your exercise goals for 2008?

Rider's Log 3.26.08 Intervals

Distance 24.2 miles Ride time 1:48 AVS 13.4 mph

Big Dry Creek Trail to I-25 to Farmer's High Line to Big Dry Creek +

Did the Carmichael 2x2 interval workout: warm up, 5 2x2s, 5 minute recovery, 5 2x2s. rode another 12 miles after.

Rode down the spur off the High Line trail that's parallel to I-25 and over the pedestrian overpass over I-25. It was actually kinda spooky - a 4' narrow path totally fenced in with chain link 30-40 feet over car and truck flying by at 80 mph.

the interval training is amazing. i'm looking forward to discovering the results of this workout when i jump on the road bike and head into the mountains. at some point, i'll need to increase the maximum output intervals to 7 or 8 minutes so i can take on the steep rises in the canyons.

I am so encouraged to be riding in March for the first time in 4 years.

March goal: 120 miles. So far - 120 miles. I'm gonna try and top it my 40 or 50% in the next two days.

Rider's Log 3.22.08 -BDCT-Intervals

Distance 21 miles Ride time 1:34

Average Speed 13.1 Big Dry Creek Trail to I-25 to Wadsworth to home. 2x2 intervals

After warming up, I did 5 sets of 2x2 intervals (2 minutes maximum effort/2 minutes recovery) followed by 5 minutes recovery then another 5 sets of 2x2 intervals. I finished the last interval north of City Park and rode on to Wadsworth and turned around there. My AVS was 14.1 at the end of the intervals; 13.1 by the end of the ride.

These little dawgs are all over the open spaces and run their fat butts like crazy when i come by. sometimes, if they realize it's too late to run, they strike a pose and freeze. i think they do this hoping to go unseen. hawks are often circling overhead looking for a good meal of dawg meat.

96 miles in March. Goal is 120.

Technorati Tags: cycling,rider's log

Rider's Log 3.21.08 - Big Dry Creek Trail and more

Big Dry Creek trail to I-25 to connector to Farmer's Highline Canal to Cottonwood to BDCT to home.

20 miles. WINDY. 18mph east bound. 11 mph westbound.

75 miles this month.

Technorati Tags: rider's log,farmer's highline canal,big dry creek trail,westminster,thornton,northglenn,bicycle

Rider's Log 3.15.08

10 minute warm-up. Big Dry Creek - I-25 and back. 10 minute cool-down. 55 degrees, full finger gloves, tights; comfy.

20 miles 1:33 ride time

my goal is to get 120 miles in March. 55 so far.

Rider's Log 3.08.08 - 1st ride of 2008

Big Dry Creek Trail to I-25. 16 miles in 1:20. tail wind east. 55-59 degrees.

Need to wear full finger gloves at that temp. legs were fine in shorts

i hope i left some winter weight on the trail.

Rider's Log 9.9.07 M13 Standley Lake

"Hey M13."
"Yeah?"
"We own this lake now. It's our lake."
M13 smiled big. I know he did. even though he was riding in front of me, I know he did.

55 degrees. Sky was spitting. One lonely sail boat on the lake.
3 times down the "big hill." Top speed descent - 33.3 mph. Bike FLOATs at that speed.
nursed a flat back to the house so last 4 miles was full speed.

Distance 18 miles.

tear of joy and satisfaction.

Rider's Log 9.1.07 Standley Lake

On a whim, I asked M13 if he wanted to ride with me on Saturday morning last week. He was so down with that! After watering up and getting the tires nice and plump, we headed west along the Big Dry Creek trail towards Standley Lake. It was great fun. We went around the south side of the lake on the single track all the way to the west side bald eagle habitat boundary. I was riding under my normal speed and kept expecting M13 to wear out and want to turn back. Quite the opposite was true. I'd look over my shoulder to see if he was keeping up and there he was, right on my wheel. It was great! His brake pads are totally worn down from the neighborhood riding he does and they give him very little stopping power but it was cool because he just bombed down the hills that i was squeezing that brakes for! youth....
On the way back around the damn, we found a fun hill to mash our way up and fly down. On our way back home i told M13 that i would suffer on that little hill again just to be able to fly down. M13 was all over that so we rode back up the hill and flew down again.
Total distance - 18 miles. A great ride with a great boy!

Wondervu try Friday (Rider's Log 8.30.07)

Wondervu - 26 miles from my house. Elevation 8900 feet. 3600 feet of climbing.
I'm gearing up for another attempt on Wondervu on Friday morning. I rode an hour and a half on Monday and did intervals yesterday. I won't be able to ride Thursday morning - 8:00 appointment with a volunteer leader. If I don't make it all the way up on Friday, I'm confident that I'll make it on Monday morning. Stay tuned. I'm going to take the camera.

Update...
I did ride this (thursday) morning! Out of bed at 5:20; on the bike at 5:40. Was still dark outside but the moon is nearly full - so very cool. Temp was 55 and rained yesterday afternoon so there was a really cool, mystic fog over the creek behind our neighborhood.
10 miles, 50 minutes on the Big Dry Creek Trail. Riding felt effortless - easier than walking. didn't eat anything so my tank ran low the last 15 minutes. looking forward to coal creek canyon and the wondervu attempt tomorrow morning.