A Belated Thanks to Keith

So the person responsible for my ability to start cycling in the first place, certainly demands some due credit. I was interested in road bikes as I am quite familiar with their cousin, the mountain bike. But to truly love a sport, you must have the right equipment to do it right, and do it often.

Recognizing my enthusiasm and athletic energy, Kieth casually suggested that he might be able to give me his wife's old bike. To be honest, I didn't think it would come to fruition like most casual - but well intended - comments. Lo and behold, a few days later, I come to work and see the old Schwinn.

Steel grey with a bright pink "SCHWINN" running down the crossbar and covered in dust, there she stood. No tires, no tubes. The remnants of an old computer hung like a resilient spider web to the frame. Little did I know that this 15 year old bike would lead me to take on a cross-country trek in the name of ameliorating poverty housing.

She was ready to wake from the long hibernation after a lengthy trip to Belmont Wheel Works for the necessary repairs, equipment, pump, tools, maintenance supplies, shoes, and clips. Although slightly awkward compared to the clunky mountain bike, she rode beautifully all the way down the bikepath from Arlington to Belmont and back. And thus it started!

Since then, I've enjoyed many a ride from work during lunch hour with Keith and James. The 16.5 mile "Carlisle" loop repeatedly relieves stress from the morning to let us return to work refreshed, albeit muscles spent.

Powering through the hills, absorbing the blue sky and sun, slicing through the wind, yes, it's a phenominal way to spend lunch hour.

Thanks, Keith, for making it possible.

Training Schedule

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pia1VEBDSlfzabdBgb58Aaw

Thus far I have only entered January's riding / running schedule. But I will be posting February and March's soon. Yoga and weight training are probably not going to make it onto the spreadsheets, but for those who thing my workout is sometimes light, add in 2 powerful sessions of free-weights and at least one yoga class per week.

Saddles

I tried a new saddle monday night on the trainer. It looks quite techie and feels super light. On the other hand, it's much more rigid than the squishy one I was used to. Yesterday I took it out for a light spin (can't ride for long during rush hour) to see how it would fare on the roads. Not too bad, but I don't think I have it set up correctly. It also created some slight chaffing, but is this the "breaking in period" or should I bail on it? I'm going to give it a 12mile ride to work today, and bring the old one as a backup in case I want to swap it.

Fundraising is going slow as of late. I've rolled out a few good conversations and generated some good interest, but there is still a long way to go.

Ok, back to writing letters!