Dead last on the bypass

Feb. 14 Spin class with Margie at the JCC
Feb. 15 TRK class with Maria at the J
Feb. 16 Spin class with Andrew
Feb. 18 Rode 26 miles Swampscott to Manchester and back. Strava Cycling iPhone ap, which I stopped accidentally in Salem, reads 23.9 miles, 1:51:09, 400 feet elevation gain, 12.9 mph average, max speed 26.5 mph

The other day, I had been whining to Chris at Marblehead Cycle that even with all this fitness stuff, I felt like I had plateaued. However, on an impromptu ride with Cyclopath Lynda B. from Salem to Singing Beach in Manchester, I felt like I had my legs under me. This normally would not be the case for a midwinter ride on Feb. 18. I rode the steel frame, Allez, and she rode her steel Soma, and we marveled at our steel front forks. She could not get over the fact my bike had drop shifters on the downtube. And, yes, she is right, you do have to think before you shift, which makes you realize that you really do have to shift down before the hill or else.
It was good to see Lynda and have someone to shoot the breeze with while riding. This wasn't the longest ride we've ever done together. It wasn't the most meaningful. However, it was a nice surprise. There we were, the sun was shining, we were dressed just right for 45 degrees and we were rolling steel.

The only problem is that when we took the bypass, we just sat up and soft pedaled it. The Strave Cycling ap tells me that there is a Time Trial or TT on the 0.8 mile Sgt. James Ayube Bypass of Bridge Street in Salem. My time of 2.42 put me dead last on a list of 29 riders. The winner, Patrick Smith, was able to ride the bypass at a time of 1:36 at an average speed of 29.1 mph.
He must have been mushing the commuter rail at the time.

Cold ride

16 miles on steel frame Specialized Allez, 1:18:44, 12.2 mph average, 307 feet of elevation gain, 24.9 mph max speed, looped around Marblehead Neck and Beacon Street


Sometimes, no matter crappy it is out, you just have to ride.
I did manage to stop and see Chris at Marblehead Cycle. He's been riding, too, commuting from home to the shop. He's able to ride his regular bike because the roads are so dry. So it seems like everyone is going to have an early jump on the season, which is great.

I can still swim

Feb 8: TRX class with Maria

Feb. 9: 1-hour spin class with Andrew, 20 miles, 465 calories burned

Feb. 11: Swam for a half hour at the JCC

With the cold weather and the usual time crunch, it's been impossible to find time on the bike. However, the JCC triathlon I signed up for is looming. With that in mind, I headed to the pool Saturday. After swimming for a half an hour, the family water fun class started and so I went home. Having forgotten to bring goggles, my eyes burned for much of the day. I don't know how they are going to herd us into that pool for the triathlon. It's going to be a nightmare in that locker room, a "you must take a soap shower" scramble before jumping in the pool. I'm going to swim as much as possible, just so I don't panic and drown. I'm debating whether to swim tomorrow, too. Today, I can't lift my arms over my head.

I'm feeling the tug of laziness.

Beware the bonk

Feb. 4: Birthday hill repeat ride, two Greenwoods, Marblehead Neck, 15.2 miles, av. 14.4 mph
Feb. 5: 5 miles to the bike store
Feb. 7: 5:40 a.m. spin class at the JCC with Margie

Birthday ride

Nate, a commenter, has wisely counseled me to stop spinning and ride longer at moderate speeds, but given the weather and time constraints, I'm going to stick with spinning for now. I was glad to get out on Saturday and repeat the killer hill that is Greenwood Avenue in Swampscott. Usually, this time of year, if I tried that, I'd only be able to make one attempt and wind up in the ER. So, having done the hill twice makes me think all this working out is working, though I have been gaining, not losing weight, primarily because I have a poor diet, and maybe I'm getting a little bit of muscle.

On Sunday, my 11-year-old daughter insisted on riding the path to Marblehead Cycle before lunch with her friend and I. For the first half of the ride, she rode as fast as she could over the stone dust path, but when we all arrived for lunch, she was exhausted and not feeling so good. She had not dressed warmly and her ears were frozen. After a quick refueling stop for mozzarella sticks at Cafe Vesuvius, we headed back down the path, and before we got to the end, she bonked. She could barely pedal. She must learn that you need to fuel before you ride, you need to keep your extremities warm, and you need to pace yourself.
These are lessons we all forget from time to time

Playing hookey and looking at Lance's legacy

Thursday morning: Skiing at Bradford Ski Area in Haverhill
Friday: 15 miles in 30-degree weather

I played hookey on Thursday, and skied Bradford. My friend, Ron, and I took as may runs as we could before 1 p.m. Today, I hopped on the red Allez and rode a slow 15 miles around Marblehead in the cold. I learned an important lesson, today. If you use your iPhone as a cycling computer, make sure it's fully charged or it will crap out.

What will be Lance's legacy?

I saw the news that federal prosecutors had dropped the doping case against Lance Armstrong. The Associated Press reporter does a good job of summarizing why a cloud will remain over Armstrong's legacy, and why this will not be the end of nagging doubts among everyday cycling fans:

The hurdle for prosecutors wasn't so much to prove whether any particular cyclist used drugs, but to determine if Armstrong and other team members violated federal conspiracy, fraud or racketeering charges.

Read the AP story in The Sporting News to get Armstrong's reaction.
The gist of this story is prosecutors wanted to see if there was a doping conspiracy afoot, not so much to answer the question whether or not Armstrong used performance enhancing drugs. Armstrong has never tested positive. In my opinion, doubts will linger among some fans, and I do not know if that is a good thing or a bad thing for the sport. Clearing the air is always a good thing, and I think cycling fans were looking forward to some sort of trial to see what evidence came out of it. Then, there's the work Armstrong's Livestrong is doing by giving hope to those who struggle with a cancer diagnosis, and for whom the odds are long. That's what sets him apart from other riders caught up in the doping scandals in the minds of many cycling fans. I lost a good friend to breast cancer, so Armstrong's work gives me and others inspiration, so that is what gives him a pass in the minds of many.
Having met Tyler Hamilton on the MS Global 2011 ride last summer, I met someone who was humble, helping and generous with his time and advice to fellow riders. So, it pains me to think how this might rebound on him and his family. I'm hoping we can all move past these dopey episodes and the sport betters itself.
As a naive cycling fan, I want to look past the faults and failings of the great riders from the not to distant past. Cycling fans want to celebrate their achievements because they know the riders are only human, and their greatness on the bike makes us believe we can achieve something in our lives, in the saddle, maybe conquer that great climb up Greenwood Avenue or win the Tuesday night sprint up Marblehead Neck, someday.
Then again, maybe not

All signed up

Wednesday 5:30 a.m. TRK class followed by 6-mile ride to Marblehead Cycle
Thursday 5:45 a.m. spin class with Andrew

OK. I signed up to climb the hill. I received some encouraging words from Larry V. on Facebook:

Well alright there, Ethan. Get ready for a great experience. You might think it's gonna be hard and it will. But what it is Is work!!

I figure, this year, I know a lot of people who are racing, so I will have other riders like Larry who I can pester for advice on training. I don't know yet if I can sign up for a formal training program. I face my hours being cut at work, and the field I am in appears to be on its last legs. I am thankful I have a job, however.

Yesterday's TRX class with Maria was a killer. She did not let up, and I forgot a water bottle. I'm used to those small sips while riding, but she had us going from one exercise to the other, it was all I could do to keep up and not fall off the straps. I don't know if this early season work will pay off, or even if I can keep up this pace, but I'm hopeful it will pay dividends down the road on the road.

Now, it's time to play hookey and head to Bradford for a few runs before school lets out.

Work, work, work