Razor Burn

Don't shave your legs for the first time without reading up on how to do it. It's quite painful.

Why do it: (1) better situation if you get gnarled up, (2) ticks bounce off your legs rather than have something to cling to, and (3) more comfortable(?).

If you are going to do it:
Read up on tips from the internet. There are some decent tips out there.
Shave in the direction of the hair for the first few times. (Really, it makes a difference.)
Baby oil, moisturizer, and baby oil.

I'm glad I experimented with this weeks before the trip began, or I'd be quite the grumpy camper.

Waa-wa-Wachusett

Yesterday I had the pleasure of heading out to Wachusett with three of the Westford Wheelers: Michael Dwyer, Peter Nelson, and Bill Seldon. In the warm morning, Peter and Bill accompanied us to the Bolton flats at a nice social pace though the shady back roads. I am quite happy that I kept reminding myself to spin easy on the hills en route to the mountain. As we approached Sterling, I became a little more apprehensive of the big climb, but was well distracted with the amazing views - I had been asking, "Are we at the base yet?" several times during our approach.

Upon turning onto the Wachusett roads, it was quite obvious where the mountain started. The first long straight away rose constantly upwards with a vanishing bend that suggested this was only the beginning. I am still surprised with the ease of the ascent. I fell into a great cadence in a granny gear and just keep chugging along. My legs didn't feel dead, I wasn't fighting my body, I was just spinning my legs. Because there were no cars yesterday, we were able to take the "wrong way" up - shorter and steeper.

During the climb, the sayings of Steve Prefontaine (a 5k runner from Oregon and at the origin of Nike) were drifting through my head: "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." and "A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts." Needless to say, I rocked the last 300 meters around the final bend as the climb started to catch up to me.

The way back all blurred together from zoning out to just the road and nature. There are short views that stand out: shadows dancing across the road with a full green canopy on a windy descent, views that stretched for miles farther than we traveled, and rushing of fresh air and sun delighting my arms, legs, and face. I wasn't winded until the last few miles - and on such a warm day I'm quite happy with that! I couldn't have asked for any better! I guess I'm lucky that Michael had punished his legs on Thursday and had a race the following day.

Regardless, I had a fantastic semi-involuntary nap shortly after getting off the saddle. I feel a great sense of accomplishment having ridden 20 miles farther than my previous best, and climbing the mountain so well in the middle.

And you know what? I feel great today! A bit tight, but otherwise fantastic!

Thanks Michael, Bill, and Peter! [And thanks to flickr.com users for the photos.]

Don't Ride Close in Towns!

Ok, so last week was pretty rough. Sorry I haven't written in a while. I backdated this blog to the relevant day.

There we are, the 3 swing lunch cyclists, heading out for a quick ride, venting and laughing as we go. I picked up the pace a bit as I got into my rant, then slowed down a bit to make sure not to loose the other 2. Keith flew by me shortly thereafter, and I naturally jumped in line - careful to leave at least a bike length back and a few feet to the side as we were approaching Concord center. Within seconds I catch a glimpse of white coming to a screeching stop over his left shoulder. (A car going the opposite direction had stopped just short of taking a left turn that would have surely flattened us.) As Keith swerved right and threw on the brakes, I reached for my brakes - less than an inch from my fingers, yet too far. I had just touched the levers when his bike was next to mine and then his front wheel turned sideways. A split second later I was thinking, "So this is what it feels like to crash on a road bike going pretty fast." Our bikes, with us on them, were quickly horizontal, and just when I thought James might be able to avoid adding to the pile-up, his front wheel was over my back tire.

I was more concerned about the condition of my new bike than my heath directly afterwards. I guess I'm lucky to be thinking that way. I had the slightest scrapes ever possible, and some late onset whiplash (always wear a helmet!). Keith was sent to the hospital with a chip on the wrist and a fractured elbow.

My bike saw some $350 of repair at International Bike in Brighton, and it still should have a new front wheel, too. Wow. 3 seconds and all that change! Bent handlebars, bent rims, tweaked cog. Days off of riding.

DON'T RIDE CLOSE IN TOWNS!

O'Naturals Community Night

Last night almost 20 people showed up to O'Naturals specifically to support me - 10% of all purchases benefitted Bike & Build. It was fantastic to have such a great turnout! I met some new people, and put faces to names.

I want to thank everyone who came!

Notably, Bob, thanks for the insight about the impact of the stories that I will later share. He related a small anecdote about how the young boys in Africa spark life into the older generations when retelling the exciting stories of their "coming of age adventure period".

Thanks Ken, for coming all the way from Framingham! It was great to meet you, and I wish you luck on all of your charitable events!

And of course, thank you Mr. and Mrs. Gould for your unrelenting laughter. It inspired my mom to ride the PMC, and that in turn got me into cycling.

Another Ride with Everett

Ok, so I hadn't posted in about a week because I spent last weekend exploring Reykjavik, Iceland. Absolutely fantastic landscape - comparable to the moon! During our car rental experience, we got lost and ended up on top of a volcanic crater, how often does that happen?! I did manage to squeeze in a few hours touring around the city on a 500 pound mountain bike - oh how I missed my new bike!

Back to the usual grind, I did about 2 hours today with Everett. This time not only was I smarter about not doing 40 miles of hills the day before, but I also took the first hour easier. Constantly reminding myself to spin easy on the hills in the first half, helped give me a kick on the way back. About an hour and a half in, we did some speed-work with a paceline at about 25mph. This felt great! Pushing hard at 25mph for a minute or so, then getting carried at the same speed. This is obviously the way to head across the country. I still have some pacing to learn though, as I was dropped like a rock on the last hill, but I do see some significant improvement over the last ride.

I really enjoy the great conversations with people I wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity, if it weren't for Bike & Build.