331 Miles

Riding from the Old Home Place

2009-11-08T16:17:00.000-08:00

On Sunday I went for a 40 mile ride. Not really unusual, except that I left from my parents' house. It's the same house I grew up in from 1974 to 1988, and I haven't ridden a bike there in over 20 years.

I left the house at 7am, and the first part of my ride took me along some back roads that I selected because they helped me avoid a dangerous section of farm-to-market road. When I was a kid, we rode on this same stretch of dangerous road, but we road AGAINST traffic, moving into the proper lane whenever a vehicle approached. Luckily, they didn't approach often. My dad caught us doing this one day on his way home from work and about lost his mind. As a parent, I would too.

Within a mile of starting, I was chased by no less than 6 dogs. That was the only negative thing about the ride. I had expected close calls and roads unfriendly to cyclists, but it was a solid, smooth ride. The road conditions were great, with smooth, clean pavement. Additionally, there were signs posted asking motorists to "share the road". My Mom said that she has seen groups of cyclists on this section of road, and I know that TexBiker has ridden it before too.

Cyclist-Friendly Sign on FM 2090 West of Splendora

I had decided to log 40 miles on the ride, so I simply rode until the odometer hit 20 mph, and then turned for home. I turned around in the parking lot of a local volunteer fire department facility. I ate a gel, drank some water, and took a snapshot of the bright blue doors and faded sign.

Montgomery County Rural Volunteer Fire Department - Station # 42

I turned for home, and realized that I had been riding with a tailwind, and would be facing a headwind on the ride home. Luckily, it wasn't too much wind (<10 mph), so I just put it out of my mind and rode. As I rode past stands of pines, I was startled several times by the sound of squirrel claws as they chased each other up and down the tree trunks. I saw Fall colors, falling leaves, and muddy roads filled with ruts from the offroading enthusiasts. All the same stuff was there from when I was a kid, except now I was seeing it from a road bike and not from my pick up.

The dogs chased me again as I neared my parents' house, but even that couldn't shake me from my positive ride. I finished wanting more miles. It was a great ride, and now that I know how friendly the local roads are to cyclists, I'll be riding more when we visit my parents.

STATS SUMMARY (Details including map can be found HERE)

Distance: 40.2 miles
Avg Speed: 18.0 mph
Max Speed: 23.3 mph
Elevation Gain: 189 ft (seriously!)

My First Urban Houston Group Ride

2009-11-02T20:20:00.000-08:00

After a month with very few rides, I decided last weekend to join the Bike Barn (Kirby location) Sunday Shop ride. The ride is advertised as "covering a variety of Houston neighborhoods" and is "not recommended for beginners. Must have intermediate to advanced cycling skills and be able to maintain a minimum of 15 mph for 25 miles." Disclaimers like these always make me nervous, because many cyclists seem to take them as a challenge. I expected the speed would be faster, but part of my decision process in choosing the ride was accepting that I would meet the challenge and ride hard and fast.

I was prepped and ready, sitting on my top tube at 7:15a, and met two other riders that were first timers. We chit-chatted about the challenges of finding good group rides in Houston, and figured out that we all shared the goal of not getting dropped. Being new to the ride, we were all concerned about getting separated from the group on a ride with LOTS of turns. The ride leader got our attention and announced we were ready to start, and we rolled promptly at 7:30a.

For the first few miles, we moved so slowly that I wasn't worried about getting dropped. Instead, I was worried that I had misread the ride description and that it was a novice ride. We rolled as mob, breezing through stop signs and barely hitting 12-15 mph. I wasn't keeping track of our location, but simply following the group. We very abruptly exited an oak-shaded neighborhood and crossed the Southwest Freeway via the Woodhead Bridge. I don't know that I've ever driven across the bridge, one of several that connect the gentrified urban neighborhoods on either side of the freeway.

Aerial Shot of Bridges Across US 59 Near Downtown Houston

As we pedaled north, we crossed through many intersections with stop signs or signals. It may have been dozens. It was uncomfortable for me, but we treated all but the largest of intersections as yields. If not for taking this approach, the ride would have disintegrated and taken hours longer. As I got used to the start and stop of the intersections, suddenly the group hit Waugh Drive / Heights Boulevard, and the hammering began.

We sprinted along Heights Boulevard from intersection to intersection, signal to signal, frantically riding through the serene, tree-lined boulevard as shown in the photo below. A small group separated at one of the signals, and as it was too dangerous to roll through, they became the rabbit for our chase group. We rode hard in the 23-28 mph zone, and within a few blocks we caught them. I was no longer worried about being challenged on the ride.

Oak Trees Along Heights Boulevard

The surges and sprints continued as we headed south along the Elysian Street Viaduct. It dumped us into downtown Houston, and we passed Minute Maid Park and Toyota Center, although I didn't have time to really take a close look. It was a new and fulfilling experience to ride on the smooth, wide streets of the city center.

Google Satellite Map of Houston City Center with Route Shown in Red

We left downtown Houston, and cruised past my alma mater, the University of Houston. We connected with Macgregor Way, speeds still in the 25 mph range, peaking at 32 mph as we passed near Hermann Park. As we neared Kirby Drive, a few riders turned off for the shop, but I stayed with a group that added on another few strenuous miles.

I finished with some interesting stats:

Distance -- 31.7 miles
Avg Speed -- 18.4 mph
Peak Speed -- 32.2 mph

It really felt like a tougher ride, and the Garmin Connect ride data supports the feeling. My heart rate was in the 160-170 bpm range for most of the ride. I didn't realize it during the ride, but after the ride I realized that the difficulty was exaggerated by the yo-yo effect of all the intersections. The start-stop sprints were taxing, and without going too deep into the analysis, it looks like the post warm-up average speed was probably nearer the 20-22mph range.

It's important to note that the ride did break into groups. A slower, intermediate level group separated fairly early in the ride, and finished about the same time our faster, extra-mileage group finished. The ride description is accurate -- if you can't ride at 15mph, you'll get dropped on this ride. It's a strenuous ride through a wide range of scenery in urban Houston, and I would definitely recommend it for any new or visiting Houston riders. I'll be back, and ready for the surges and pounding heart rate.

40 Miles after a Month Off

2009-10-25T12:27:00.001-07:00

The last time I was on my road bike was September 19, 2009. I've commuted to work a couple of times, and have been jogging regularly, but a long list of excuses has kept me off the road bike. This weekend the family and I planned to visit Victoria's parents outside of Cleveland, Texas, and I made sure the bike made the trip too. It was time to break the cycle.

I woke up on Sunday, and put on my cool weather kit -- summer bibs and jersey, with arm & knee warmers, skull cap, and full finger gloves. It was in the high 50s, clear, with a moderate wind. The weather was perfect, and I decided I would put in a solid 40 miles. I was worried about my fitness, but I also knew that I didn't have a choice. I could continue to not ride, or I could literally get back on the bike.

As I warmed up, I felt okay, but could tell I'd been off the bike. I was riding into a headwind, and struggled to maintain 18 mph over the flat terrain. My quads burned a little more than usual as I held a 95-100 RPM cadence. The ride felt a little more strenuous than usual, but nothing extreme.

I made the turnaround at Mile 20, and had the wind at my back. I started hitting 20+mph with the same effort, but now felt really warmed up and in the groove. I spun along, stopping only to take a photo of a mileage sign showing the distance to my old hometown.

When I finished the ride and uploaded the data, I was surprised by what I saw. I finished the 40 miles with an average speed of 18.7 mph, and a heart rate of 149BPM. The last time I did the same route, which was in early August, I finished with 18.8 mph, and a heart rate of 137BPM. The heart rate difference is most likely due to the headwind. Otherwise, I basically performed identically.

I'm not foolish enough to think that I'm in the same cycling shape as I was a month ago. I've started to slip just a little. The running helps with general fitness, but it's not the same as training on the bike. Likewise, commuting helps, but it's not training. Truth is, as my situation in Houston stabilizes, I'll be riding more. As that happens, I'll be crafting my rides to make sure they bolster my bike fitness. Until then, I'll keep running, commuting, and trying to squeeze in a road ride per week or so.

2nd Bike Commute, 1st Injury

2009-10-20T19:05:00.001-07:00

Late last week I installed my new bike rack and panniers, and properly mounted my taillights. I also fabricated a very basic bracket to attach the front fender to the fork. When finished, the commuter rig looked like this:

Although I expected my homemade bracket to be totally mediocre, it's actually not bad. I used a flat piece of aluminum, cut to length, deburred, and drilled for mounting. It works pretty well, except it really needs square holes and carriage bolts or two mounting holes to help square the alignment. I like the way it looks, and as long as I keep the bolts tight, it will function properly.

I installed all of this hardware and equipment last Wednesday night in preparation for a Thursday commute, but that night my oldest daughter took a trip to the ER. All is good now, but I had to postpone my 2nd commute to Tuesday. On Monday night, I loaded the panniers with notebook, clothes, toiletries, and shower shoes, then woke up early Tuesday morning and was on the road by 5:45a.

I immediately appreciated the panniers. It is much more comfortable to ride without a backpack, and except for when turning, I really didn't notice that the panniers were even there. I kicked them a couple of times when clipping in, but after a few stops I figured out how to engage the pedals without ever touching the panniers.

At one point in my ride, I have no choice but to travel on a busy road. There's just no way to get to the office without choosing the lesser of multiple evils. It's busy enough that today I decided to ride on the sidewalk. As I made a left turn on to the busy road, I had to execute a very sharp s-shaped series of turns in order to get on to the sidewalk. The weight of the panniers took me by surprise as I started the turn. As I quickly unclipped and attempted to transfer my weight and rebalance, I crossed up the front tire. I hit my knee pretty hard on the bike, and came to a complete stop at the entrance to the sidewalk. I pushed the bike over to the sidewalk and had a look at my knee.

The knee didn't hurt much, but blood was already dripping down my leg and into my sock. What the heck? It was dark, but from the street lamp I could tell that I didn't have a big injury. It looked like a puncture wound. I inspected the bike, and found the source of the damage. When my knee hit the fender of my crossed-up front wheel, I hit it hard enough that a protective cap on the end of a fender stay was punctured by the fender stay, which then punctured my leg. Check the black caps in the below photo.

I made sure nothing was rubbing on the bike and that the bleeding had stopped, and then rode on to the office. Once there, I snapped this photo of the injury:

The wound is only about 3/8" long, but it's pretty deep. The end of the fender stay gouged a little channel into my leg, but I'm happy that it wasn't just a straight puncture. I cleaned and dressed the little wound, and it feels fine now.

I learned the hard way not to underestimate the impact of panniers on bike handling. I'll think twice before I try to make another series of sharp turns at low speed. I almost forgot -- even with the injury, it was another great bike commute in Houston!

Sick and Tired of Not Riding

2009-10-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

The whole family has been sick this week. It manifested as a cold for Vic, Lola, and me. For Betsy, it meant two trips to the emergency room. We're all recovering, but it has meant that riding time has been scarce.

I haven't been on the bike in over a week, although I have at least run a few times. My fitness is holding for now, but I need to get on the bike this week. I plan on commuting by bike twice this week, and then working in a ride next weekend. Perhaps I'll ride with a local group or shop ride. Regardless, I'll be back on the bike. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired, and the best way to break the cycle is to ride.

The 1st Houston Bike Commute -- My Bike and the Route

2009-10-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I promised to provide more details on my commute. I'm about to tell you more than you ever wanted to know.

PREPARING THE BIKE

You've read about my conversion of my Marin Hawk Hill MTB to a hybrid. I took it a step further before my first commute ride, and bought full fenders, a rack, a new taillight, and panniers. As you can see in the photo below, I've installed everything except the rack and panniers.

The fenders are Planet Bike Cascadia ATB fenders, and they installed with minimal fuss. The biggest issue is that the front fork that Speedo installed to replace my suspension fork has a larger-than-normal gap between the wheel and the fork, and I had to temporarily zip-tie the fork to the fender. I'm working on making a new bracket so that I can properly gap the fender to the wheel, as well as give the fender the right stability. Unlike the front, the rear fender installed with no issues at all.

I did not install my Planet Bike VersaRack Disc because the M5 x 45mm screw for the lower mount was not long enough. Since I'm using the same mount hole for both the rack and the fender, I needed a little longer screw. I ordered some from Fastena l (highly recommend for hard to find hardware), and they should be here Monday, which will be just in time to install the rack and hang my new Axiom Typhoon panniers.

Perhaps most importantly, I installed both of my headlights on the bike, and a new taillight. The main illumination is provided by my Cat Eye HL-EL 500, which is the same design but less bright than the HL-EL530. I also put my smaller Cat Eye headlight on the bike, and set it on blink for visibility. The taillight is a Planet Bike Blinky Super Flash. It is truly the brightest taillight I have ever seen on a bike. It hurts to look at it. Seriously. Just to add a little more safety, i threw my old Cat Eye taillight on my backpack to provide some backup.

With everything installed, I was confident that the bike was ready enough for the 1st commute. I made sure the tires were properly inflated and that my emergency seat bag was stocked, and rolled out at around 5:45a.

THE ROUTE

I mapped out the route a couple of weeks ago, drove it last weekend, then remapped it again before I rode. I eliminated as many busy streets as I could, used bike lanes and routes where possible, and used footbridges to cross two Houston bayous. Check out the detailed route in the below map.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/tx/houston/746125486446446148"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Bunker Hill to Sugar Land Work Commute&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/find-ride/united-states/tx/houston"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Bike Rides in Houston, Texas&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;
Unfortunately, west Houston is not a cyclist's paradise. I didn't count, but I bet I roll through 20 stop signs on my 15 mile route. I also have to cross two busy streets without a traffic signal, as well as ride on the sidewalk of a couple of busy streets. The sidewalk riding is maybe 5% of my route, but I'll be trying to find a better route. Even with the problems, I still think that overall the route is good, and relatively safe.

Without photos, the details of my commute will put even the most dedicated bike commuter to sleep. I'll leave you with a few highs and lows:

I had to make a quick stop when a high school kid turned in front of me. Luckily, I was ready for it.
Using the footbridges required me to navigate a few feet of path with offroad conditions. This might be an issue when it rains.
I felt great when I rode on the sidewalk. Not because it was smooth or comfortable, but because I was scared out of my wits to ride on those particularly busy streets.
I travel through an extraordinarly wide mix of property -- the obvious wealth of the Memorial Drive corridor, industrial areas near my office, and lower middle class neighborhoods dotted with gang tags and homes in need of repair. The worst cycling? The Memorial Drive corridor. Drivers were speeding, and cut it way too close for comfort.
It was EXHILARATING to commute by bike. I felt like I accomplished something before I even got to work.
I enjoyed ringing my bell at folks. Especially when it's gentle ting-ting sound startled them.

I promise to take photos over the next few weeks, and give you some examples of the good and the bad. In the meantime -- ride your bike to work. If I can commute in Houston, then you can commute wherever you are.

My 1st Bike Commute in Houston

2009-10-07T20:31:00.000-07:00

This post is actually a prologue to a more detailed post that will follow in a day or two. I've been so busy with the new job, trying to find a house, and being a Dad and husband that I haven't really had time to write a more descriptive post. I can't leave my readers hanging too long, so I wanted to give you a little insight into the 1st commute.

The high points (or low points) are:

There are way, way more cars in Houston than in Austin or the Rio Grande Valley. Even at 6:45a, I encountered bumper-to-bumper traffic on some of the larger streets (Beechnut and Bissonet, for the Houstonians). I used the sidewalk for a few blocks on both of these. It sounds bad, but this type of riding accounted for about 5% of my overall commute.

I used neighborhood streets to avoid traffic, which really worked out well. It required me to cross a few bayous (errr...large drainage ditches to non-Houstonians) using foot bridges, but that was actually nice, as you can see in the photos.

One of the most dangerous sections of my commute is on Wilcrest, which is a major street, with 2 lanes each direction and a bike lane too. The cars pass VERY close, and they're usually exceeding the 30-45mph speed limits. I'll be trying to find another way around this section. As you can see in the photo below, cars rule this street.

View of Bayou from Foot Bridge

One of the Foot Bridges I Cross (Dismount for Pedestrians!)

Wilcrest Drive -- The Friendliest Bike Lane in Houston (REAL PHOTO)

Overall, it was a great first commute, with only a few minor problems; as such, I'm hoping to make the commute a twice-a-week occurrence, perhaps starting next week. If you want to hear more about the commute, click back in a few days for details about my commuter rig, the commute details, and the fun of showering at work.

Getting Ready for my First Houston Bike Commute

2009-10-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned, I'm in the process of prepping my mountain bike to be a commuter bike. Due to a few constraints, I was targeting this Tuesday as my first bike commute day. The shower at work needs tile repair that will be completed by Tuesday. My fenders and rack will arrive Monday and be installed Monday night. Based on the convergence of all of these details, Tuesday looked like THE DAY. Until I remembered I am working Sunday.

Due to current business conditions, my team is working rotating Sundays. Tomorrow is my first Sunday, and it struck me as a great day to ride to work. I can test out the route under minimal traffic conditions, and get empirical evidence of what I'm in for when I ride during the week. It's 14 miles each way, so I'll also get in a little exercise.

I still need to take care of a few basics. I need to go by a bike shop and pick up a seat bag since my old bag was packed away by the movers. I might buy some plain ol' Eggbeaters, as my Candy pedals are a tight fit with my new shoes. I'll throw some stuff in my backpack, including a change of clothes, baby wipes and deodorant. In other words -- I'll "make do".

I'm looking forward to a good ride tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.

P.S. For those of you that want a homework assignment and know something about Houston bike routes, think about how you would ride from the intersection of Gessner and Briar Forest to the intersection of Corporate Drive and the Southwest Fwy (Hwy 59). Discussion to follow...

Adios Mexico

2009-09-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, I drove from Mission, Texas to Houston. I've made the trip dozens of times, but I'm 99.999% sure that I will never be employed in the Rio Grande Valley again, and any trips back will be strictly for pleasure. I made some great friends while living there, especially my cycling pals, and I hope to make it back down to ride with them, but I will never again be employed in the maquiladora industry.

When I was employed in the maquiladora industry, there were days when my co-workers and I would commiserate about our mutual misery. It wasn't any different than any other jobs -- I had great days and terrible days. I think that overall it was a great experience, but I remember on one particularly bad day, I promised one of my buddies that when I left Reynosa for the last time, I would play "Adios Mexico" by the Texas Tornadoes as I drove through U.S. Customs. I didn't keep the promise back in October of 2008 when I left for my temporary position in Austin, and I have regretted it for months.

On Sunday, I made up for breaking the promise. After watching movers pack up our house, I drove the family back to Houston. I played the song, and then my daughter, not realizing why I played it but loving the accordion beat, asked me to play it again. A double shot of "Adios Mexico" was just what I needed to break me out of the funk of leaving behind a life in the Rio Grande Valley, and starting a new one in Houston.

Early Morning Solo

2009-09-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

When you ride alone, you always self pay. No drafting, nobody to help change a flat, nobody there for conversation. It's just you and the bike. Lately, most of my rides have been self pay. I haven't found a local group that rivals my experience with Team McAllen, but I will continue searching. Until then, I'm on my own.

My last ride was solo, and through Bastrop and Buescher State Parks. I'm riding this route frequently, as it's near Victoria's cousin's house in Smithville, and we are frequent guests. I was on the road at sunrise. I paused at a utility right of way to absorb the beauty. To the east, I could see the sunbeams through the early morning mist.

To the west, the red dirt of the right of way made me wish I had a mountain bike. It won't happen. I'm converting my MTB to a commuter road rig, and I'll be picking it up this weekend. Having the bike should lead me to more time in the saddle, which I struggle to find right now.

While riding through the peaceful forest, I saw about a dozen deer. I stopped to take a photo of this doe. She seemed to be solo as well, but I think she had friends nearby in the forest. She let me take her photo, then ran into the forest and watched me from relative safety while I put my camera away and got back on the bike.

I'll be trying to squeeze in another self pay solo ride this week. This time, it will be on the streets of Houston. Maybe not as peaceful, but a ride is a ride.

Preparing the Urban Bike

2009-09-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

The bike lanes of Houston, at least the few that I've seen, are full of potholes, glass, cracks, and debris. I don't want to ride my road bike if I start commuting. My buddy Speedo was reading my mind, and provided me the mechanical encouragement shown in the below photograph.

It might not be obvious to you, but Speedo replaced the stock no-name front suspension fork on my Marin Hawk Hill MTB with a rigid fork. I've been wanting to do this for awhile, but hadn't made it a priority, primarily due to my out-of-work negative cash flow. Speedo decided to order the fork, go get the bike from my garage (he has the keys right now...long story), and install it. He also cleaned the bike up and waxed it. Now THAT was a surprise! Many thanks, Speedo.

Since the conversion to hybrid is basically mechanically complete, as I've replaced the tires and front fork with non-MTB versions, I now have to think about the final accoutrement that would make it a nice commuter ride. I'm thinking about:

A set of fenders that are disc brake compatible. It rains quite a bit in Houston, and I don't want to get overly wet and muddy just because it starts drizzling. I'm thinking about Planet Bike Cascadia ATB Fenders.
My handlebar grips kill my hands after a few miles. I want to replace them with some Ergon GP1 grips.
I need to install a headlight and taillight. I have a Cat Eye HL-EL500 Opticube that I'll use, but I'll need to buy a taillight. I'm thinking about buying the Cat Eye TL-LD1100. You can't have too much taillight in Houston.
I need an underseat bag, as I always used a Camelbak when I used the bike for offroad. I'll attach my RoadID Firefly Supernova to it to provide more visibility from behind.

I have a Performance Bike gift card, courtesy of my parents, and between the card, Craig's List, and eBay, I'll be trying to find some deals on this stuff. Even though I'm employed now, I don't want to go broke on this.

See you on the city streets of Houston!

A Strange Sensation in my Legs

2009-09-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I rode 30 miles through Bastop and Buescher State Parks. I've done this ride before, and was looking forward to the ride as it is one of the more scenic and enjoyable routes that I've ridden. Unfortunately, within a few minutes of rolling away from Victoria's cousin's house, I felt a strange, tingling sensation in my legs.

I can only describe it as feeling like thousands of tiny vibrations, and it increased with speed. It wasn't painful, so I didn't bother to stop and investigate. When I reached my turnaround point at Bastrop State Park, I finally stopped to try to find the root cause. That's when I noticed that my legs looked like a jungle.

I'm a roadie, and a leg shaver. I've also been a bit lazy over the last couple of weeks. The first week I was travelling and not riding, so when the weekend came and I went out for a ride, I thought "my leg hair is still short enough; no need to shave". Then another week went by without riding. When I planned my Saturday ride, I knew I needed to shave, but as the ride approached, I couldn't make time to shave. As a result, on Saturday my legs were the hairiest they've been since I started road cycling.

During the ride I was feeling sensations in my legs that I haven't felt in over 3 years. It felt like sea grass moving with the rhythmic motion of the waves and currents. Or wheat blowing in the wind. It didn't feel good. As I passed other cyclists on Park Road 1C, I knew that they were staring at my legs, mortified by my rebellious, anti-cycling hygiene. I was embarrassed, and wouldn't look them in their Oakley-shaded eyes.

When I made it home, I shaved. Or rather, I clipped. Afterwards the shower floor looked like a small poodle had been groomed there. Luckily, the plumbing was able to handle the hair, and didn't clog. My legs were back to normal.

I know many will debate about the culture of leg shaving in cycling, and I won't be surprised with comments that follow that thread. Having ridden both clean and hairy, I'm going to continue to try to stick with clean. That is, unless I get too lazy again.

P.S. I changed my blog subtitle, my location, and the 'about me' section. I decided against a rename, and the changes that were made are very minor. Thanks for all of your suggestions!

Dog Tired

2009-09-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

It's unusual for me to feel tired. I don't mean physically fatigued. Of course I feel fatigued after physical exertion, but today I feel tired. How I got to this point is obvious when I look back at the events of the week.

Monday through Friday, I got up at 5:30a every day and ran my normal 3 mile loop. I took Wednesday off, but still got up early to go into work to meet with an employee. 5:30a isn't that early, except...
Lately I've been crawling into bed around 11p. Then I read for a few minutes. I'm probably asleep by 11:30p. 6 hours sleep is not enough for me. I need about 7 hours. A little more or a little less is okay, but I notice the deficit if I'm only getting 6 hours. The late hours are a function of living with family. They stay up later, we stay up later. I think I'll need to break the cycle.
This week was my first week "on my own" at the office. My trainer left to go back to his normal assignment, and the facility is now mine to manage. It has added significant stress, although I don't find myself during the day thinking "wow, this is stressful". It's just a constant buzz, and I know from experience it will subside as time goes on and improvements are made.
On Saturday, I woke up early and went for a 3o mile ride through Buescher and Bastrop State Parks. I didn't feel tired or even that fatigued, but I'm sure it contributed.
Saturday night was the Longhorns' home opener. We went to the game, then got back to the home base in Smithville around 10:30p. I set an alarm for 7:00a, with intentions of riding in Bastrop State Park again. I laid my head on the pillow thinking I would be getting up with a full 7 hours of sleep, and would have another great ride. I felt sleepy...

My daughter woke us up around 8:00a. My alarm hadn't gone off as planned. Apparently I set it for "weekdays only". I wasn't frustrated; instead, I was happy to be resting. My head felt fuzzy, my eyes puffy, and my body seemed glad to be resting. Only then did I realize I had been truly tired.

I'm taking Sunday off for a much needed day of rest. As I type, I already feel better. I'll ride Monday morning, and I know I won't be tired as I start.

Renaming my Blog

2009-09-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

I think it is time to rename my blog. I created the blog when I moved from Austin to Mission, Texas, and the title is based on the distance between the two locations. The subtitle refers to "living and cycling in South Texas", and the "About Me" section mentions that I am trying to get back to Austin, or maybe Houston. It's all wrong. It doesn't align with what is happening in my life.

I already live in Houston. I'm 331 miles from lots of places, but that doesn't matter since I have no plans to move to or from any of them. I like the history of the "331 miles" name and it has deep meaning to me, as it is associated with a very trying section of my life, during which I found cycling, perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not. What I'm dancing around is that I really want to stay with the "331 miles" name, but it just doesn't make much sense in the context of my current life.

The result is that I've been mentally batting around a few name ideas. I'll probably subtitle the blog with "formerly 331 miles", even if it's an afterthought. Here are a few ideas.

Urban Cycling Cowboy

I'm not really a cowboy, although I wear jeans and sometimes boots. I know how to two-step, and can talk redneck. I live in an urban environment, which happens to border Pasadena, where the movie was filmed.

Houston...We Have a Cyclist

SUPERCHEEZE. I know. But it's so cheezy....it's almost good.

I Want to Run Over Bud Adams with My Road Bike

You have to be an good ol' days Oilers fan to understand. Not sure if he lives here anymore, but you never know.

Hammering in Houston

The blog is mainly about cycling, right? And cycling means the occasional hammerfest. Not my fave...

Living and Cycling in the 4th Largest City in the USA, which if You Don't Know is Very, Very, Very Car-Centric

Houston has a little tiny sprawl problem. Just so ya know. Not too many bike commuters, but there are more than I thought there would be. Might subtitle this one with something that contains the word Houston, just for search purposes.

Some of these are jokes, and some are not. Regardless, please hit me with your best critical shot in the comments. I'm not in love with any of them, so don't worry about hurting my fragile feelings.

NOTE: I love Larry Gatlin's "Houston (Means I'm One Day Closer to You)" song. But I couldn't figure out how to plagiarize it and twist it into a decent blog title.

Urban (Cycling) Cowboy

2009-08-31T03:00:00.000-07:00

Before I left for training last Sunday, I had intended to get in an afternoon ride in Houston. I mapped it out using a Houston Bikeways map as a reference, and managed to find a route that originated from our temporary home and which traveled along bike lanes for 90% of the route. Due to weather and other commitments, I didn't get to ride the route that week. After an almost 2 week hiatus, I decided to ride it Sunday.

Unfortunately, I hadn't been feeling well. On Friday, I had a grilled chicken breast from a restaurant in the Tampa airport. I won't give the name, but let's call it "T.G.I. Stomach Cramps". My stomach was in lockdown Friday night, and this continued until late Saturday night. I got up Sunday morning to ride, put on my new Crocs Prepair slides (thanks cousin!) and kit, then prepped for the ride. Stomach cramps were gone, but as you can see, leg hair was not. Obviously, I've been lazy for the last 2 weeks.

I headed out on the route shown below. I knew that the route contained a wide mix of paths, including: heavily travelled, multi-lane streets, industrial routes without bike lanes, residential streets, and a few sections without bike lanes. Even though the mix seemed less than optimal due to the necessity of stop signs and signals, it was the best loop route I could find.

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/tx/houston/739125165696166182"&amp;amp;gt;26 Mile Bunker Hill Loop&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/find-ride/united-states/tx/houston"&amp;amp;gt;Find more Bike Rides in Houston, Texas&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

I headed out about 6:45a. It was light enough that I felt comfortable leaving the headlight at home, but I did use my taillight. The first mile or so of the ride did not have a bike lane. I travelled along Briar Forest, and hammered up to 21-23mph so that I could quickly reach the section that included a bike lane. From there, the next 8 miles or so all had a bike lane. Unfortunately, the bike lane was often muddy, wet, dirty, or filled with cracks and potholes. I frequently found myself using the lane, but did so safely. I eventually reached a park just north of I-10 on Kirkwood, with a bike path that followed Addicks Dam. The entry was blocked to car traffic, and the path was smooth and well marked. It was a great riding surface, although there was a little too much human and dog traffic for really fast cycling.

It didn't last long, and a few minutes later I was on the worst street of the loop: Britmoore Road. Britmoore is full of potholes, repaired potholes, debris, and has no bike lane. It travels through an industrial area, and I was passed a few times by service trucks that seemed to be in a big hurry for a Sunday. I'll have to find a way to get around Britmoore on the next ride.

The route continued on to Clay Road, and it was a pleasant surprise. The bike lane was smooth, the traffic was fairly light, and it was smooth sailing all the way to 290. When I saw 290, I realized I had missed my turn, which should have been Blalock. I turned around, and instead of riding back to Blalock, which has a bike lane, I turned on Bingle, and headed south.

Next time, I won't travel on Bingle. It had more traffic than I'm comfortable riding with, had no bike lane, and it was the only time during the ride where a car honked at me. I rode through nice neighborhoods into the Memorial area, then picked up Memorial heading west. Although Memorial doesn't have a bike lane, it is heavily used by cyclists, and I felt comfortable spinning along at 20+mph.

As I neared home, I stopped to take a photo of my bike and a street sign:

This was taken on Bunker Hill near Memorial. There is a very nice, wide sidewalk along the road, but it's just not feasible to ride a road bike on it. It has too many transitions, drainage grates, and foot traffic. My morning jog route uses this path, but I frequently see runners IN THE ROAD because they don't want to deal with the grade changes, cracks, etc. In fact, this morning I saw a dude running BACKWARDS in the street. I guess I should petition the local government to put up signs that say "Pedestrians on Roadway Prohibited".

Overall, it was a great ride. As usual, my Garmin puked, so I guess I'll finally send it in for warranty repair. Based on my frequent checks of speed and cadence, my guess is I was able to ride at 20+mph during periods of sustained effort. My stomach issues did not drag me down at all. I was nervous a few times during the urban ride, but overall, the loop route was a good one that I will probably tweak slightly and then ride again.

A Houstonian's Guide to Tampa

2009-08-28T11:10:00.001-07:00

I'm not really qualified to write about this topic, other than I'm sort of from Houston, and have spent a grand total of about 2 weeks in Tampa, Florida. I think people write about things for which they have even less knowledge and experience, so I'm exercising my blogger's rights, and writing my own Houstonian's Guide to Tampa. Here's the outline, with a book to follow:

People

People in Tampa are very similar to people in Houston. There's a ton of folks from the Midwest and Northeast, and you're just as likely to hear a Jersey accent as you are a Southern accent. It's very similar to Houston in the oil boom years. Unlike Texas, though, I did not see any "I'm not a Native Floridian, but I Got Hear as Fast as I Could" bumper stickers or stickers from a similar genre.

Weather

Absolutely no difference. Hot and humid, with afternoon thunderstorms.

Landscape

If humankind left either Houston or Tampa, within a few years the plant life will reclaim the ground. The only difference is that the earth beneath the plants will be swampy in Florida, and a blend of swamp and mud in Houston.

Dining and Nightlife

Both Tampa and Houston have all the chain restaurants you want. The inside of the hotel rooms look the same. Did I mention that I was working while I was in Tampa, and I'm a boringly (but happily) married man?

That should cover 99% of the traveling population. For the rest of you, please buy my book...or pamphlet.

Would You Rub my Neck Please?

2009-08-27T16:48:00.001-07:00

I woke up today, took a shower, and when I was drying my back I felt my neck meat tighten up into a snarl of barbed wire. This happens every few months, and is related to an old injury. About ten years ago I was following the Body for Life program, and was doing some seated dumbbell shoulder presses. I was using poor form, straining and pushing my head against the headrest (unlike Mr. Man in the below photo), when I felt something pull in my neck. Since then, I wake up with a stiff neck every few months or so.

Usually, I take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory, and painfully muddle my way through the day(s) until my neck loosens. Today, the longer I sat in new employee training, the more my mind focused on the pain in my neck. During a break, I looked up the nearest location for Massage Envy, and made an appointment.

When I made the appointment, I thought the receptionist said "Marcella" was available for the massage, but when I arrived I realized it would be "Marcelo". He showed me to the room, and I explained that my neck was killing me. He asked me to describe the pain, and then acted like treating it wouldn't take the full hour. I mentioned that I was a cyclist, and he said he would also work on my calves, hamstrings, and quads.

He left the room, I disrobed down to my whitey-tighties, crawled under the sheet. I waited on him, secure in my manhood, and he came back into the room and started working on my neck and back. As usual, it was slightly painful. It felt like he was singulating each muscle, and as he found tight spots he would mention them to me. Each time, I knew he had hit one BEFORE he said anything. The relief was incredible. He worked for about 30 minutes, then moved down to my legs.

I've never had deep tissue massage on my legs, and it was intense. At one point, he worked my calf in a way that caused my foot to cramp, but then he worked on the pressure point in the foot until it released. It felt amazing. He talked about calcium deposits, drinking enough water, pressure points, constrictions, and other things I don't really understand or necessarily believe. But what I do know is that when he was finished, I felt great, and had much less pain in my neck.

If you've never had a massage, get one. It's not inexpensive, and I've paid anywhere from $40 to $60 per hour, but it's well worth the cost if you have the funds. It will treat what ails you.

Exercising but not Feeling Fit

2009-08-26T16:42:00.001-07:00

I haven't ridden a single mile since August 15. That's a lifetime to me. Since then, I've been exercising almost daily, but it just doesn't feel the same. Here's the breakdown:

Sun Aug 16 -- Off
Mon Aug 17 -- Ran 3 miles, 6mph, ~325 calories burned
Tue Aug 18 -- Ran 3 miles, 6mph, ~325 calories burned
Wed Aug 19 -- Off
Thu Aug 20 -- Ran 3 miles, 6mph, ~325 calories burned
Fri Aug 21 -- Ran 3 miles, 6mph, ~325 calories burned
Sat Aug 22 -- Ran 3 miles, 6mph, ~325 calories burned
Sun Aug 23 -- Ran 3 miles, 6mph, ~325 calories burned
Mon Aug 24 -- 30 minutes on exercise bike ~200 calories burned
Tue Aug 25 -- 30 minutes on elliptical cross trainer ~200 calories burned
Wed Aug 26 -- 30 minutes on exercise bike ~225 calories burned

Sorry that I was too lazy to create a table for the data, but regardless, there is an obvious difference between this level of exercise and cycling. When I ride, I generally spend at least 2 hours on the bike. And in general, I burn 2000 or more calories. And for the last 5 months, I was doing that at least twice a week. These paltry 200 calorie days just don't match up. As a result, I don't feel as fit.

I'm going to make it a priority to get on the bike this weekend, even though Vic, the kids, and I are going to my parents' for a family gathering. Next week, I think I'm going to bite the bullet and try to commute by bike one day, even if it means riding in the rain. I must figure out a way to get on the bike more.

P.S. I don't enter a lot of contests, but I sure would love to win a new rig from MADSEN Cargo Bikes. Click through and help me win!

Trading Running for Riding

2009-08-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

I love to ride my bike. But as long as I've been riding, I've supplemented my riding with running. I don't love running, nor do I hate it but I do view it as a necessity. I've learned over the past 39 years that if I don't exercise 4-5 days out of 7, I will gain weight. Since I can't ride 5 days out of 7, I run when I can't ride.

Since I've started a new job and am living in a new city, I haven't been able to ride as much, so I've been religiously waking up at 5:30a and running in the neighborhood. I run 3 miles at a little faster than a ~~6 minute pace~~ 10 minute pace, so it's not really running...it's more like jogging. But I still burn about 300 calories, which is what's important. It also gets my metabolism cranked up for the day, and gives me a sense of accomplishment.

The below map shows the route I take every day. Join me! I'll be the guy sweating buckets, and pushing the strands of spiderweb that pop up every night out of my way.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/tx/houston/357125107998582839"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;3 Mile Loop in Piney Point&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/tx/houston"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Runs in Houston, Texas&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Limbo

2009-08-18T18:29:00.000-07:00

A little over two weeks ago I started my new job in Houston. Last week, my daughter registered at her new elementary school in Houston. Both vehicles are now EZTagged, which lets us zip through the Houston toll roads. I've finished my first group ride with Northwest Cycling Club. We're settling in, but not completely -- we don't have a home.

Fortunately, Victoria's cousin lives in Houston, has a large home, and a generous heart. She's allowing us to stay with her, so we've moved in to two of her upstairs bedrooms. Meanwhile, the house in McAllen was put on the market the week I started my new job. Speedo is providing some periodic housesitting services, which is much appreciated. My parents are temporarily keeping Eric (our outdoor cat), and Victoria's parents are keeping Riley (the indoor cat). Although I know we've covered the bases for now, until the house sells I'll feel like we're in limbo.

Limbo might be synonymous with unease, but in our case, it is assuaged by my finally being employed, but more importantly, by having family and friends that are so extremely helpful. Thanks, ya'll!

First Houston Group Ride

2009-08-17T04:25:00.000-07:00

I apologize to my readers for not updating more frequently. Between the new job, temporary housing, and related details, I have not been able to squeeze in time for the blog. I'll figure it out, but in the meantime, the posts may not be as frequent as they have previously been.

This past weekend I completed my first Houston group ride. Based on advice from friends and online research, I chose the Northwest Cycling Club Saturday Ride. I had to drive 30 miles to get to the ride start, but on the way I noticed lots of other cyclists doing the same thing, which made me feel a bit better about polluting. I arrived at 7:00a, saw about 75 cars in the parking lot, and realized this was going to be a big ride.

As the 7:30a start time approached, I estimate that about 125 cyclists gathered around the ride starter to listen to announcements and prepare to ride. I've only ridden in groups this size on organized charity rides, so I was skeptical of organization. But promptly at 7:30a, the starter directed the first group to roll out, and I was encouraged by the punctuality. As I recall he categorized them as 20 mph +. Only about 8 riders rolled, so not wanting to bite off a ride with too much fast pulling, I hung back for the 2nd group. This group was more than 20 riders strong, and we quickly formed a double paceline and sped up to 20 mph. My skepticism regarding organization was gone, and I felt I was on a good ride with a good group.

A few miles passed, and the fast group merged with our slower group. And not too much later, the fast group split again; my guess is they were hoping that a few more riders would join. Another 6-8 of us granted their wish and went with them. From there on, it was a personal hammerfest. It was a strong, fast ride, with riders breaking away and forcing the pack to pick up speed and chase them. I loved it, but it wasn't without it's group nuances.

One of the riders had the physique of rugby player, and was sporting a black kit. A New Zealand All Black, perhaps? His upper legs were as big as my torso, and he was the kind of rider that would easily sprint up from the back of the group, grab a buddy, and break away for a few minutes. Midway through the ride, I noticed the speed increasing. Over a few minute span, we ramped up to nearly 30 mph. As the speed peaked, suddenly All Black was out of the saddle, and taking a few riders with him. Dang it. As I saw a wide gap open up, I realized that I had missed a city limits, county line, or some other sprint marker.

After we passed the stop-sign-warning-sign that marked the end of the sprint, I rode up next to All Black and asked if I had missed a sprint marker. He said that I had, and I congratulated him on a strong sprint. He said something like "I didn't give it my full effort, because I have a cracked crank". He then turned to a buddy and asked "hey was that my full sprint?" I smiled politely, and then as quickly as was safely possible I dropped back to ride next to someone that wasn't quite as full of themselves and had more reliable equipment.

Overall, it was a great group ride. I finished more than 44 miles, with an average of 23 mph, and a max speed of 33 mph. For me, that is a "wow" ride. I'll be back, and I'll even give All Black the benefit of the doubt...at least, I will if he replaces his crank before it catastrophically fails.

POSTSCRIPT: As seems to be the norm, my Garmin powered down midway through the ride. It captured some of the stats, but not all. The average MPH I quote above is based on data given to me by a fellow rider. I'm sending this thing in for repairs, but in the meantime, here's the link to the ride data that it DID capture.

Cycling Across the Trinity

2009-08-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

Due to my starting a new job this week and my wife finishing hers, my kids were staying with my in-laws. Vic drove up from south Texas on Friday, we spent the night with cousins, then drove out on Saturday to both pick up the kids and spend the weekend with the in laws and extended family. Since I hadn't cycled all week, I made sure Vic was okay with me cycling on Sunday, and took the bike.

On Saturday afternoon, my father-in-law and I scouted the area for a good route. I had some ideas, but wanted to drive some of the potential routes to verify surface and safety. The routes were in rural east Texas, where I grew up, and even while riding in the truck with the windows up I swore I heard the faint notes of "Dueling Banjos". My father-in-law mentioned several times that some of these folks back in the woods might not look to kindly on a lycra-clad fancy lad riding through their area. Undeterred, I picked a route that combined some larger roads with a VERY backwoods segment that followed some winding, narrow country roads.

I woke up Sunday at 6:00a, and was on the road by 6:20a. I thought the banjo-pickers wouldn't be up that early. It was humid and warm, typical east Texas weather, and with virtually zero wind. A few miles from the start I ran into a little fog. Fog makes cycling dangerous, but it was beautiful. Thunderstorms were in the area, highlighted by the rising sun, and I stopped to snap a photo.

2 miles later, I connected with Highway 105, and had a nice wide shoulder. I paced up to about 20 mph, enjoying the smooth pavement and lack of traffic. It couldn't last, and eventually I found an area that had been drenched by the thunderstorms, and the roads were still wet enough that me and the bike got filthy. Even with the grit, I felt great. It's always nice to get back on the bike after a week of only being able to find time to jog.

On the way back, I stopped to take a photo of the Trinity River crossing. Trinity...I started modifying the religious concept to match my addiction to cycling. The first thing that entered my mind was an idea from my buddy Speedo. He says that cycling jerseys should be a combination of red, white, and black to symbolize the trinity of blood, bone, and bruises. Don't know if I agree with that, because I really like other colors. What about other cycling trinities? Gears, wheels, and a frame. The Tour, Giro, and Vuelta. Calves, quads, and glutes. Regardless of the trio, they symbolize the religious fervor that most of us cyclists put on the activity.

I didn't stay in my trinity-inspired reverie for long. I focused on completing the route and not falling on the slick road. I finished 37 miles in 1'57", with a moving average of 19 mph. I was pretty happy with that, considering it was my first time on the route, streets were slick, and I hadn't ridden in a week. If you want more ride data, including a map that you can use to find the Trinity, you can find it here.

P.S. Ultimately I didn't ride on the more rural, isolated roads due to some nasty chip-seal. I didn't realize how bad it was when driving on it, but once on the bike it was bad enough that I changed the route.

First Few Days in Houston

2009-08-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

I think of myself as being an Austinite, as Vic and I moved there as newlyweds in 1994, and lived there (mostly) until 2006. Since the move to south Texas was always planned as a temporary move, we frequently talked about the move back to Austin. It almost happened, but instead we're relocating to Houston, and on Monday I started my new job.

I almost hate to admit it, but after two days here, Houston already feels like home. It should, because even though I think of myself as an Austinite, the city and I have history. I grew up 40 miles from Houston, and attended the University of Houston from 1988 through 1994. I'm an Astros fan, was an Oilers fan, and I've always liked the city. Vic and I were were married here at the University of Houston A.D. Bruce Religion Center Chapel. We both like Houston.

Unfortunately, it's not quite as cycling-friendly as Austin or even south Texas. The car-based sprawl is intimidating to someone that is used to starting rides from home. For my first few days here, I've replaced cycling with jogging. Today, I'm trying to find a Wednesday evening club ride. If I can locate a good ride that doesn't require 20 miles of driving, I'll count my first few days in Houston as extremely successful, and will have another reason to like the city.

The Wind is Your Friend

2009-07-31T07:11:00.000-07:00

If you're a cyclist, you've heard this phrase. If you're like me, you usually want to punch the person that says it.

In fact, the wind is not your friend. It is just another element that cyclists face when riding. You can lump it in with chip seal, gravel on the road in a turn, debris in intersections, cyclists that hit the brakes in a paceline, and other challenges you encounter on the road. The wind might be a friend if you use it to your advantage in a race or to take a rest when you have it at your back, but it hurts so much when you ride into it, if it's a friend, it's the worst ever.

Yesterday, I met Speedo at 5:30p to ride the scheduled Thursday night Team McAllen ride. Much like Austin, where the official temperature is taken in a low spot near the airport and always seems to be much lower than what everyone really experiences, Speedo tells me that the wind speed at McAllen is taken next to a hangar at the airport, and is always lower than what we really see out on our rural rides. So when I checked the wind speed history on Weather Underground and saw the below graph, I knew why yesterday's ride was so tough.

It's a bit hard to see unless you zoom into the image, but we faced winds of 15-20mph, with gusts of 25-30mph. We both think that is a 5-8mph underestimation. As we rode side by side, Speedo commented that he was leaning over about 30 degrees to counteract the wind, and that was while riding in my generous leeward side. And not only was the wind stiff, it was blowing air that was superheated: 100F at the start, 92F at the finish. If the wind was indeed our friend, it was counteracted by the actions of its weather buddy Mr. Temperature.

When you cycle in Texas, you have no choice. I know...Texas ain't the only hot and windy locale, but I write about what I know. Speedo and I faced the hot wind, and rode 25 miles. We hammered, but we could only hold 16-18mph into the wind. On the back side of our loop route, we pushed up to 35mph. Is that the part where the wind was my friend? I think not, as friends don't usually push your heart rate to 95% of your max. I told Speedo that I wasn't about to puke, but I could see the point of no return.

We did four loops, 6 miles each, and I was cooked. I had consumed 2 bottles of sport drink, and half a bottle of water. It was time to go home. As tough as these 25 miles were, I LOVED IT. If not for other commitments, I would be out there again today, accompanied by my friend Speedo and my supposed friend the wind.

For the data-philes, here's a link to my ride data. I wish it accurately portrayed the pain.

POSTSCRIPT: Perhaps I'll write another blog post about this; if so, here's a preview. About 1.5 years ago, I decided to train for and ride a 2-day ride from McAllen to San Antonio. I used a technique I've used in my professional life: find some mentors with proven ability and skills, and learn from them. I didn't tell them, but I chose Speedo, the Major, and Dutchman. I rode with or near them every chance I got, and still do. Their mentoring has been invaluable and I have enjoyed their friendship. When I leave the valley, I will miss them all.

Getting Two Job Offers During the Recession

2009-07-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

Over the last 5 months, I've been very open about my job search. I've blogged about it, tweeted about it, and frequently updated my status on LinkedIn and Facebook. I've received lots of encouragement and advice, and when I posted to LinkedIn that I had received two offers, one of the members of my network immediately asked me what I had done to be able to get two offers.

Since I was out of work for 5 very long months, I know the frustration of not having offers, not getting call backs, and thinking more about what happens if you don't get work instead of how to go about getting work. I'm going to publish what I did over the last 5 months, not because it is groundbreaking, but because it led to 2 offers and perhaps someone else will find it useful in their job search.

Clearly Defined the Jobs and Industries for my Job Search

Most of us have held more than one title during our careers. In my case, I have been an engineer, an engineering manager, a program manager, an IT consultant, a manufacturing manager, and a plant manager. I narrowed my search to 3 job titles: plant manager, senior engineer, and program manager.

Additionally, I decided to focus my search on electronics manufacturing, medical, and energy. This was based partially on my geographic focus, but also on factors such as future growth, opportunity, and match to my background.

Focused my Search Geographically

I spoke with my spouse, and decided I would only look for jobs in Texas. Specifically, I would look in Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and McAllen, and by that order of preference. Before I narrowed my search, I was getting calls from recruiters all over the USA. If I had not narrowed my search, I think I would have been overwhelmed with non-productive inquiries.

Revised my Resume to Match Career Goal

This one might sound simple, but I took my 3 job titles and created 3 different but similar resumes. I then created 3 geographic versions of each: one with my current address, one with a family member's address in Houston, and one with a family member's address in Austin. The math is easy: 9 different resumes. Depending on location and job, I would select and submit the best match of the 9. It's important to note that when interviewed, I quickly mentioned that the address was temporary and that I was transition from South Texas to another geographic location based on job availability. I didn't want anyone to think I was a liar, and simply being totally straightforward during the interviews resolved the potential issue.

I also revised the content of my resume using feedback I received from job search websites, recruiters, and friends. I made some very drastic changes based on feedback I received from The Ladders.

Networked and Used Social Media

I networked 3 basic ways: by phone, by e-mail, and by social media. The day after I was laid off, I sent a global e-mail to all my professional contacts telling them my situation. I then called a few key contacts. Lastly, I updated my LinkedIn profile and status.

IMPORTANT NOTE #1: one of my offers originated through a former boss that noticed my status change on LinkedIn. I had communicated with him about once every 6 months since leaving the company some 8 years ago. Weak link? Yes, but strong enough to get my name in front of a recruiter.

I also used Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to keep my network updated. I updated them daily, often more than once per day. It is amazing how much positive feedback and referrals you can get from friends and acquaintances that you primarily only know through social media.

Worked the Job

I worked on my job hunt from 8a to 12p every day, and often more. I was lucky to review all of my automated search e-mails, websites, and network messages in 4 hours. Some people say it's a full time job -- I disagree. It's not truly full time, but sometimes it's HARDER than a full time job, and it always feels like more is at stake.

I also attended two career fairs, which were a total waste in terms of job leads, but helped me hone my interviewing skills. They also made me feel like I was actually accomplishing something, even if I didn't land a job through the fair.

Diligently Worked Job Sites

There are tons of job sites. Three that I really like and used daily were Indeed, Trovix, and The Ladders (paid subscriber). I also dabbled with Careerbuilder and Monster, but it wasn't fun. I received more spam and junk from Careerbuilder and Monster than I did real job leads.

IMPORTANT NOTE #2: The offer that I eventually accepted originated with Indeed, although Indeed was linking to a posting on Monster. I WOULD HAVE NEVER FOUND THE JOB THROUGH MONSTER if not for Indeed.

Turned Down Inferior Positions

I wasn't scared to tell potential employers that I wasn't interested. It's a key part of building your career, even if you're hungry for employment. I told two different employers, Eaton and Scott Fertilizer, that I was not interested in pursuing the opportunity they presented. It scared me to do it, but I knew that the jobs were not right for my career. If I had accepted one, I would have missed out on two very good offers.

Executed on the Basics

This one might be obvious, but it's important. Any time someone talked to me about a job or my career, whether they were an employer or recruiter, I sent a thank you note. I prefer e-mail for recruiter follow-up, but I sent letters on 100% cotton paper to anyone who interviewed me. I also followed up any application with a phone call, e-mail, or letter IF I could find good contact information.

I hope someone out there finds this useful. Me? I hope it's the last post I ever write about job searching. I'd rather be cycling, and writing about cycling!