tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14641462009-07-13T17:50:00.843-07:00Riding the bicycle, mile by mile...Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.comBlogger245125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-78097023803746939702009-07-13T16:47:00.000-07:002009-07-13T17:50:00.855-07:00

2458.4; 40.9And I'm on the home stretch of a year owning this bike, trying for a little over 100 miles a week for the next four weeks to put it up near 3000 miles (any bets?).I scouted Sweetwater Springs Road on Friday. It's an eight-mile back road with some pretty serious climbs, twists and turns, one-lane stretches, and a lot of cow gratings. Very little traffic, as it's mostly vineyards,

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-51447044036603522432009-06-24T15:08:00.000-07:002009-06-24T15:19:14.249-07:00

2310.3; 52.2. Yeah, longest ride so far, but only by about half a mile. Really tried to keep the energy up, via 8-mile rests and small snacks. STILL got sluggish around 35 miles, but did manage to continue for (evidently) 17 more, stopping more often, but pressing onward. Man that WIND! It seemed particularly bad on the last stretch, the westbound Rodota trail. Stopped in at the shop to make appt

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-53333904639716929292009-06-23T16:01:00.000-07:002009-06-23T16:10:54.857-07:00

2258.1; 20.9I snuck in five miles on Saturday with John, going up to Andy's produce for a veggie drink and some fruit to bring home.Today, I just never got comfortable; never got in any kind of groove like I usually do. It seemed like every inch was Work--even the downhills were uncomfortable. I will attribute it to my "weekend condition," nyuk nyuk, having not ridden (seriously) since Friday.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-76728759685365078012009-06-19T16:23:00.000-07:002009-06-19T16:39:27.718-07:00

2232.0; 49.4If I'd known I was this close to 50, I'd have gone around the block! Usually I remember the starting mileage and have it running in my head all day, but today I wasn't sure. Another Petaluma lunch run. I rather like these, because I feel I can eat and drink whatever I damn well please after riding 27 miles over hill & dale to get there--BUT keeping in mind that I have to ride similar

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-19573523140873725522009-06-17T14:10:00.000-07:002009-06-17T14:24:20.611-07:00

2182.6; 34.3Almost the same loop as Monday, but on a whim more or less, I took Vine Hill Rd. instead of Laguna Rd. I managed to do that full section of Vine Hill without stopping, so I guess I've progressed! It added only a mile to the loop, but added a pretty major elevation gain too. I think I'm good for Petaluma Friday.West County Trail near O'Reilly: woman reins in her kid as I approach and

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-70771140944432726562009-06-15T13:43:00.000-07:002009-06-15T13:49:16.155-07:00

2148.3; 32.9 And so almost 50 miles on a week where I hope to clock a hundred (I did the short Forestville round-trip yesterday). Nothing much to report, except a little more fearlessness on the big downhills, and another 2 lbs lost at naked weigh-in this morning, for an even 200 lbs. and officially halfway to my stated goal.Nice day for riding; not too hot or bright out; not a lot of people on

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-22164960621639233212009-05-27T14:03:00.000-07:002009-05-27T14:14:11.905-07:00

2009.5; 38.4It's kinda (not) interesting to land on mileage that corresponds to the current month and year...Hope to get one or two more rides this week, try to keep my weekly average around 100.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-22811337587016318892009-05-20T14:15:00.000-07:002009-05-20T14:33:08.852-07:00

1939.8; 32.9That's total miles on the Marin bike, and mileage for today. Other info I track: Miles per week (61.7), month (241.1), quarter (513.3), and year (799.0); calendar days since start of quarter (50) and year (140); riding days since start of month (7), quarter (17), and year (33);Average miles per calendar day this month (12.7), quarter (10.3) and year (5.7);Average miles per riding day

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-83282830796513492592009-05-19T13:31:00.000-07:002009-05-19T13:56:51.340-07:00

1906.9; 28.8Just a "short" ride to maintain the momentum from the big 40+ rides last week and before. Windy but pleasant riding on the Rodota trail to Santa Rosa and the Greenway back out to Willowside--a reliable 13 miles. Then took Willowside up to Guerneville Rd., to Vine Hill, to Green Valley, to the West County Trail. Instead of heading directly home from there, I went on out to Forestville

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-84939097237148986642009-05-15T20:34:00.000-07:002009-05-15T20:48:14.858-07:00

1878.1; 51.3Bigger ride still. This also included some major, major hills, and the corresponding downhills, one of which (on Spring Hill Road) got me a new speed record, I think, at 37 mph--without even pedaling!I had guilt-free pasta and half a beer for lunch in Petaluma after 26 miles. After lunch, it was a bit of tough going for a while, but I stopped for a longish break in Cotati and seemed

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-40731445176408592062009-05-13T12:45:00.000-07:002009-05-13T12:55:09.962-07:00

May 11: 1803.0; 48.1May 13: 1826.8; 23.8Neglected to blog the 48-mile ride, longest to date on this bike (longest ride ever: 65 miles, but that was not intentional!). It was good.The 22 miles from here to Healdsburg must be one of the nicest rides in the county, at least on a weekday. On the bike path from Sebastopol to Forestville, then down the hill to the river and Westside Road following the

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-32728809070865195922009-05-08T14:11:00.000-07:002009-05-08T14:23:17.289-07:00

1754.8; 39.5The usual 8-mile start out to Forestville, down the Mirabel hill, along and across River Rd. to Wohler and Eastside. Then a deviation over to Windsor Rd and up through the town of Windsor, before heading back south on Old Redwood Hwy, to Fulton Rd., and then to the old familiar bike path again. After about a week of rain, I was very much ready to get back out and continue piling on

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-15098197384374762262009-04-27T13:20:00.000-07:002009-04-27T13:27:23.465-07:00

1715.4; 33.1. This ride's getting familiar. 8 miles of West County Trail to Forestville, down to River Road and then Wohler > Eastside > Trenton/Healdsburg > Laguna > Guerneville (I guess all that's about 12 miles) and the 13 miles of bike path boomeranging through Santa Rosa.Bit of a chill and a pretty strong headwind today, and it felt like the tires could use a little air (but not quite enough

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-25232220450440680762009-04-20T12:57:00.000-07:002009-04-20T13:05:20.746-07:00

1631.1; 33.0Just tracking miles on this bike now, since it's pretty much the only one I ride anymore unless it rains. New goals for the 2009 "biking season": keep riding; get to 2000, maybe a bigger round number; do one or more "centuries."Last two rides, I've gone for bigger miles off the "end" of the West County Trail in Forestville, continuing down to the river (and make no mistake--that's a

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-2811088522984442752009-02-23T09:48:00.001-08:002009-04-30T06:33:39.133-07:00

The meme: "Think of 15 albums (CDs, if you're under 40), concerts, or other musical events that had such a profound effect on you that they changed your life; dug themselves into your soul. Music that brought you to life when you heard it. Royally affected you, kicked you in the wazoo, literally socked you in the gut is what I mean. Now, imagine you're one of those pompous, pretentious 'rawk'

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-44724451828492975942008-12-31T04:50:00.000-08:002008-12-31T04:53:28.875-08:00

I was walking in Petaluma the other night and, passing Velasco's, saw a Mexican family just leaving, waiting to cross Washington Street.It used to be common lore that the restaurant where all the trucks were parked was a "good" restaurant. I wondered if it held true that the Mexican restaurant where Mexicans eat is a "good" Mexican restaurant. Just as the WALK sign came on, the youngest child

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-55124412069798045562008-12-28T15:11:00.000-08:002008-12-28T15:28:28.848-08:00

I've been burned out on a job. Five years of tech support did it to me--twice. Burnout is now a pretty well recognized effect of extended continuous thankless stress in any kind of work (r play, for that matter), especially if you find that it really wasn't your life's ambition to do this thing. "Burnout" is also a shorthand phrase increasingly used by managers to identify a reason for less

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-87888352213722794532008-12-03T16:18:00.000-08:002008-12-03T16:24:09.523-08:00

1455.9; 1105.6; 21.7Sickness, travel, and thanksgiving all conspired to keep me off the bike in November--only 4 rides all month, and those the shortest possible. My blood sugar hit 200 two days this week and I knew it was time to get back on. MAN it's hard, when used to breezing through 25, 30, 40 mile rides, to go back to 16 and 20 mile rides, huffing and puffing. Well, 17 yesterday and 20

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-80976561320546597352008-11-19T13:56:00.000-08:002008-11-19T14:22:52.539-08:00

1400.9; 1050.6; 16.6There's a kind of weather we have, I guess people call it Winter, but I think of northern Cali "Winter" as full-on rain (even though it's usually somewhat warmer when it rains). This weather, like today's, is chilly, overcast, brisk--like Fall almost anywhere else.I haven't been getting out on the bike much, and really need to. My blood sugar is still not terrible--nothing

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-69490800762053348032008-11-16T19:49:00.000-08:002008-11-16T19:53:27.918-08:00

1384.3; 1034.0; 16.5Mitch Mitchell died about a week after we saw him at the Experience Hendrix show. Sigh.12 days since the last ride, and that one was 7 days after the previous one. Well, I've been traveling, and then sick. This slacking has been reflected quite apparently in the blood sugar.But riding was surprisingly easy--at least the relatively gentle slopes of the trail to Forestville and

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-66623904955127719572008-11-04T07:30:00.000-08:002008-11-04T08:53:52.818-08:00

Nob Hill Masonic CenterSan Francisco, CA (8:00 - ~11:30 pm)http://www.experiencehendrixtour.com/Mitch Mitchell & Billy Cox of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, plus Doyle Bramhall II, Eric Gales, Buddy Guy, David Hidalgo, Eric Johnson, Robby Krieger, Jonny Lang, Chris Layton, Mato Nanji, Cesar Rosas, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Hubert Sumlin. A phalanx of guitar players tried to conjure Jimi Hendrix in

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-18300330329222651792008-10-28T16:38:00.000-07:002008-10-28T17:01:32.820-07:00

1351.2; 1000.9(!); 40.5Yes, passed the 1000-mile mark on the odometer while coming back into Sebastopol after a rather tiring 40-mile round trip to Petaluma and back. Of course, having mentioned that I haven't had a flat in several weeks, and having wondered why I've had three flats in the rear and none in front, I got a flat on the front tire. It was actually sorta good, because it made for a

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-44290299659323865652008-10-27T14:59:00.000-07:002008-10-28T08:00:32.667-07:00

1310.7; 960.4; 31.5Hop Kiln is as far as I got today, heading out Westside Road to the 15-mile mark, then turning around.Here's a feeling I *really* don't like: going down a steep hill that ends in a "T" with cross traffic, and squeezing the rear brake lever as far as it goes, and still going 9, 10, 11 mph. That was Covey Rd. today. Covey is parallel to Mirabel Rd. between Forestville and River

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-70186016324229547592008-10-24T13:26:00.000-07:002008-10-24T15:50:11.173-07:00

1279.2; 928.9; 31.9Wasn't sure where I was going when I left this morning--in fact, not sure where the hell I'm going still--but ended up going out to Forestville and then across River Rd., intending to get to 15 miles then turn around, but then not wanting to go back up the Mirabel Rd. hill, so continued on across River Rd. to Eastside to Mark West Sta, and on out past the aiport to Shiloh

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1464146.post-57435729144615170102008-10-22T12:49:00.000-07:002008-10-22T12:55:12.627-07:00

1247.3; 897.0; 27.0Wanted to get a few more miles, and want to try to improve my "personal best" for the week, but fell short of 30 and by the time I got home I didn't really mind--over 25 is enough for today, including as it did another road I probably won't do again--Llano Rd from 12 to Todd, and Todd over to 116--though not as bad as that stretch of Occidental.

Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07765033366952806943noreply@blogger.com0