Morning Stats
Distance: 16.00 miles
Time: 01:00:00
Terrain: Road: Rolling
Bike: Fuji Sandblaster SX XC Mtn
Club: 2010 TerraTrike Car-Free Challenge
Weather Conditions: 7:30a – 60F, sunny, cool, moist air. Chipmunk index of 5.
Morning Ride
Notable things:
- Longest commute of the year: 16 miles. Not bad. Especially since I did it in 1 hour.
- Almost killed the 4th chipmunk I saw, or maybe I should say he tried to commit suicide under my tire. That sucked but we both made it out alive.
- Got to observe a wild turkey and her 7 – 10 kids trying to cross the road on Judson Ln. Luckily, Judson is a school zone and it’s very curvy, so people going down that way in the morning are dropping school kids off and being wary of things in the road. Last month, I helped a snapping turtle get across the same road in almost the same spot, so the locals must be used to wildlife crossing there.
- Muddy! Even trying to avoid the mud, I got pretty grody.
Looking forward to the ride home. I also noticed today that they finally approved my picture for my profile and my bike picture in my bikejournal.com profile. I laughed so hard when I saw the bike pic. Yes, I did submit that, but it was awesome to see it actually on the profile page next to the description of the sandblaster. I’ll replace it with a real pic some day.
Evening Stats
Distance: 16.00 miles
Time: 01:05:00
Terrain: Road: Rolling
Bike: Fuji Sandblaster SX XC Mtn
Club: 2010 TerraTrike Car-Free Challenge
Weather Conditions: 6P – 78F, sunny, light humidity. Chipmunk index of 1.
Evening Ride
I’m listening to Gonna Fly Now – you know, the training montage song from Rocky – because I cranked today. Average speed of 16mph on the way to work, and 14.8mph coming back??? On a what? A dirty old rusty mountain bike that makes noise and has a shifty crankshaft???? Ohhhhh snit. Oh, and what? Part of that was off road? Yeah, you know what’s up.
Man, what a totally excellent ride to cap off another crap day at work. But today’s ride was all about the ride. I didn’t think about work for a second of it. The major hurdle for me now is that hill as you leave Canton and head into New Hartford. That thing is just a monster to me. I watched a guy on a road bike stand up and crank up the whole thing. It looked like he didn’t lose a bit of speed. It was inspirational. So the bar has been set. I want to do that!
Well, I upped my mileage for the commute yesterday and today. Maybe next week I’ll try for the full commute on bike. Tomorrow I think I’ll take it easy and just go from New Hartford again, and I won’t watch my time closely. I need to give the legs a break. I’ve never done this much riding in my life, but I see how people become such avid cyclists. The endorphins and stuff firing off in your body is just exhilarating.
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life
Morning Stats
Distance: 11.60 miles
Time: 00:48:00
Terrain: Road: Rolling
Bike: Fuji Sandblaster SX XC Mtn
Club: 2010 TerraTrike Car-Free Challenge
Weather Conditions: 9a – 56F, overcast, light mist. Chipmunk index was 3.
Morning Ride
Have you ever seen a baby chipmunk? I did. I was riding along, just about to hit the off-road part of my ride, when I saw something like a big bug run across the pavement, closely followed by a chipmunk. As I got closer, I realized that it was a baby and mama chipmunk. I nearly had a heart attack because of how cute the little guy was.
The only other notable part of my ride was almost biting it right into a huge puddle. I was trying to avoid the puddle and I got too far off the track, got my handlebars yanked sharply to the left by some shrubbery, but my body momentum kept going straight and nearly launched me into the puddle. Somehow I was able to pull it through and oversteer back to the right, which simply made me go through the middle of the mini-pond and get my feet soaked. Not nearly as bad as falling in would have been. I’m not against getting wet on a recreational ride, but this is my commute to work! I can be dirty, but not to that degree.
Evening Stats
Distance: 11.60 miles
Time: 00:50:00
Terrain: Road: Rolling
Bike: Fuji Sandblaster SX XC Mtn
Club: 2010 TerraTrike Car-Free Challenge
Weather Conditions: 5p – 54F, on and off light showers. Chipmunk index of 3.
Evening Ride
My ride home went by quick, but felt exhausting. The legs just didn’t want to work to their potential. That’s OK sometimes. I was trying but couldn’t fully appreciate all the beauty, as I had crap on my mind leftover from work. Bogus!
Later in the evening, I went for a walk with my wife, which turned into a hike because we found a path into the woods which ended up dumping us at the top of Mountain Rd., no more than a quarter mile from my house! There are some great mountain biking trails back there that I will definitely explore this weekend or next.
All’s well that ends well!
life
Morning Ride Stats
Distance: 14.80 miles
Time: 01:15:00
Terrain: Road: Rolling
Bike: Fuji Sandblaster SX XC Mtn
Club: 2010 TerraTrike Car-Free Challenge
Weather Conditions: 7:30 – 9:15a: 54F, overcast. Chipmunk index was a 3, but felt like a 4.
Morning Ride
I extended my commuter ride a bit today from 11.6 miles to 14.8 miles. I’m inching up to the 16 mile commute, which is the farthest commute I’ve ever done. As I recall, last time I tried that, it was maybe my second or third ride of the season, and I had to take the rest of the week off because my muscles were so pissed. This time, I’m working my way up.
Today’s pace was casual because I had a new challenge. I had to carry some camera equipment to work in a pretty big case – maybe 8″ x 16″ x 24″. Weight wasn’t the problem … it was the bulk and how to strap it to my fairly small rack. Somehow, i managed with 3 bungee cords and by stuffing my lunch and work clothes into the case as well. Then I realized I had nothing bright-colored on to get drivers’ attention. So I stuck a piece of neon colored paper I found in my car onto the back by slipping it under one of the taught cords.
The ride home should feel a little more natural without the extra weight … just hoping the rain comes and goes before then. I’m noticing that inclines which I used to strain to surmount are starting to seem easy!
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Evening Ride Stats
Distance: 14.80 miles
Time: 01:10:00
Terrain: Road: Rolling
Bike: Fuji Sandblaster SX XC Mtn
Club: 2010 TerraTrike Car-Free Challenge
Weather Conditions: 3:50 – 5p: 50F, raining. Chipmunk index was a surprising 1.
Evening Ride
Wet!
I like riding in the rain. Being out there without a car reminds me that we’re not meant to live sheltered lives. Having shelter is a good thing, clearly, but we tend to stick to it like it’s the real deal and “outside” is just a vacation spot only to be enjoyed under certain conditions.
To me, the rain feels clean and fresh, and it makes the air so nice to breathe – a natural filter. Now I’m home, I’m dry, I’m warming up by the fire, and I’m remembering that the hills seemed flatter today. My legs are feeling strong and powerful. I really like the way we can see and feel changes in the body. I’m also doing Yoga to work on flexibility, and I think it’s starting to pay off as well.
life
I’m not going to put in all the usual huzzah that I usually include in my posts because today’s ride was frankly too short to write much about!
The weather was cool and crisp, but sunny, and my ride was only 2.8 miles each way. I rode to the beginning of the Sue Grossman Still Water Greenway, put on my roller blades, and went roller blading with my wife, Sharry. The most interesting part was that she was able to identify several weed species that we saw along the trail which are edible, thanks to her recent weed walk with Russ Cohen, where participants learn all about the edible (and inedible) things that grow all over the place in the Northeast. So we found a nice source of rocket (a little pink or white flower that’s great in salads).
The END.
life
Ride Stats
Distance: 12.00 miles
Time: 01:08:00
Terrain: Road: Hills
Bike: Fuji Sandblaster SX XC Mtn
Club: 2010 TerraTrike Car-Free Challenge
Weather Conditions: 9 – 10a: 61F, sunny, low humidity, cool air – the best weather this year, in my opinion.
The Ride
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Today’s ride was excellent on many levels. Weather, attitudes, struggle, beauty in nature, mystery, and triumph all came into play during this ride. I plan to make this a regular route.
The weather kicked ass. Sun on my back, cool air, no humidity … it was gorgeous, and it was written on everyone’s face that I passed and greeted. The only lady who didn’t say “hi” to me was the one crossing her street on the way to church. At first I thought, “oh sure, talk to a crucifix but not to me,” but I quickly started trying to think more positively, like, “she didn’t hear me,” or “she probably thinks I should be in church, not on my bike.” Fair enough.
I proceeded on my Burr Pond route that I devised on Google maps this morning. This gave me an opportunity to explore the new additions to the Sue Grossman Still River Greenway trail. They’ve done a great job with it. I can’t wait to roller-blade along it and see how far it takes us. It’s supposed to eventually connect downtown Winsted to downtown Torrington. I hope they’ll keep it up. While short, it’s currently in much better shape than the Farmington River Greenway, which has become rather bumpy and cracked from roots beneath (not that I care – I’m a mountain biker for chrissakes).
My casual cruise then took a major turn as I started up Burr Mountain Rd. I never really paid any attention to what a climb it is when we’d gone to the pond up there in the car, nor did I realize how much more of a climb there was past Burr Pond itself! I’m not sure if I’m reading the topography map correctly, but it looks like it was a 600 – 800 foot climb over a 1 mile distance. It was really steep at points. I stayed on the bike, but I did have to stop about 4 times.
About half way up the climb, I decided to investigate the temperature of the water at Burr Pond to see if it was anywhere near suitable for some swimming next weekend. This turned out to be a very fortunate opportunity for me to watch a couple parent geese with their chicks as they enjoyed the grass, the water, and the sun. It was a cute family scene. One little chick kept jumping into the water for 20 and 30 second swims, then would join everyone else rooting around for whatever geese eat. The water temperature, incidentally was more than warm enough for swimming.
Continuing up the endless climb of Burr Mountain Rd., I checked some directions I had scrawled on some scrap paper. I needed to be on the lookout for Peck Rd. on the right. I asked someone if Peck Rd. was still up ahead, and he said it was, so I pushed ahead until finally, as I coasted down a blessed downhill, I came across an unmarked but very wide road on the right. I circled around debating my options. ”Worst case scenario,” I thought, “is that this dumps me back onto Burr Mountain Rd. or meets up again with Old Route 8.” No big deal. So I took it. My next turn was to be a left onto Mountain Rd. The next left I arrived at was unmarked. ”What the heck – one random turn deserves another, right?” I thought, and I took that. As I cruised down this, I started to cringe as it looked like I was headed for a cul-de-sac. Alas, thankfully, it was a wide, round-edged, 3-way intersection, and lo’ and behold: this one had a street sign: “E. Wakefield Blvd.” It was exactly where I had wanted to be. My hunches had been correct (it doesn’t often turn out like this when I guess at directions).
The rest of my ride was very enjoyable, through consistently hilly. The road kept dropping down along the mountain to the water line of Highland Lake, then would retreat back up, and then dip down again. I decided that this area is where I hope to one day have a house. The lake is so beautiful, and some of the properties would be amazing for parties and get-togethers.
I came out of the ride with a new goal: I want to be able to climb Burr Mountain Rd. without stopping. My deadline is winter.
life
Ride Stats
Distance: 23.80 miles
Time: 01:56:00
Road: Rolling
Bike: Fuji Sandblaster SX XC Mtn
Weather Conditions: 8 – 10am: 61F, sunny, beautiful, really windy!
The Ride
Today’s ride was beautiful, but pretty tough on my legs, to be honest. My usual route is from the commuter lot in Collinsville to Tunxis. This time, I rode from my house down to Collinsville and back – big difference! The mileage is nearly the same … just .3 miles farther each way, but heading down to Collinsville, it’s just about all down hill. Getting there was easy, but I wasn’t very good at coming back. I stayed on the bike the whole time, but 2 or 3 times, I just gave up and dropped it down to the easiest gear and climbed at walking speeds!
My time getting there was 45 minutes. Coming back took an hour and 11 minutes!
Despite an amazing cleaning and tune-up that my buddy Daren did to the old girl yesterday, she was still fairly rattly. I think things have just gotten pretty far out of alignment over the years. I abused the heck out of that bike, and not just in the mountain bike way … I also left it out in the rain, let it get rusty, used WD-40 for my lubricant despite my fellow bikers pleading with me not to. It’s a great bike. I love it. Not that I wouldn’t take the Terratrike if offered, mind you!
life
I’ve entered a contest which mandates riding your bike or trike or unicycle every day from May 15 to June 15. My route is the same as usual – 11.6 miles each way, so 23.2 miles a day during the week, and whatever I log on weekends. My weekday rides should come out to at least 464 miles. Of course, I may get bored with such a short ride once my legs start to adjust, in which case I might go for the 16 mile ride from New Hartford. Did that once … wasn’t quite ready and was exhausted after it.
Part of the contest is journaling the rides, so I’ll be doing so here.
Today, I practiced more patience and higher cadence. Until now, I’ve been trying to keep the bike on the hardest gear as much as possible, thinking I was doing myself a favor. But I started noticing soreness in the tendons or whatever those things are right behind on either side of the knee on Tuesday. I looked up some riding tips and the advice was the same everywhere I went: use a comfortable gear … your legs will still get strong and they will tell you when it’s time to move to something harder. Today, I put that theory to the test, and the ride was so fun and beautiful! It flew by.
My current speed is about 13.3 mph. My ride is mostly paved, but has maybe a 2 or 3 mile section of easy off-road paths. There is a new fun obstacle right near the commuter lot in Unionville … a tree came down across the path, along with a tangle of vines. The only way is over, so you have to grab your bike and hoist it over. I’m getting pretty good at traversing it, staying constantly moving, constantly moving forward. I love stuff like that. I’m not praying for more trees to fall, but this one breaks up the ride a little bit.
life
If you’d like to update a production web site or application from SVN but are worried about the security implications of having .svn directories exposed to the public, see the following simple solution:
http://www.svnforum.org/2017/viewtopic.php?p=5366&sid=da041ae2fa53fa923d632559721a51de#5366
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I had a working report in Access 2007. It sourced a query called Rosters. The report grouped by several course-related fields, and then in the detail section, it printed names and student IDs. The effect was a stack of printable student rosters.
Then I needed to change the Rosters query to do a little filtering. I did that, saved it, and ran the report again. Suddenly, all the student details were outputting “#Name?”
The usual culprit is changing the names of fields in the query, but that was not the problem this time. The report has simply gotten disconnected from its data source in ONLY the details section. That’s what made it so weird.
The resolution was to click the “Add Existing Fields” in the menu, then drag in one of those fields to the details section, then save, then run the report, then get rid of the extraneous field. From then on, it preserved the connection.
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