Great weather to ride!

Last weekend we had a real warm up here into the 50's & I took advantage. Met up with some Team Tania buddies & did a 47 mile morning ride. Saturday I took my friend Robin (who's also my son's friend's dad,) for a 50 mile loop from home to Carversville, then to Sergeantsville NJ & back through New Hope. It was cold at the start in the 20's, but in the 30's when we finished. The Sergeantsville General Store is one of the best places I've ever been to for a rest stop for some Wonton soup & dumplings.


Work is slow today, so I may get together with Robin again for a 30 miler to New Hope & back.


I can't believe how close the trip is getting. It's only about 6 weeks away. In 4 weeks, I ship my bike out to San Diego. Here we go!

2 months to go...

I leave for San Diego on Sunday, March 29th. I've booked my flight & made arrangements to transport my bike. Last month, I had my bike overhauled; new chain, new cables, cleaned the derailleurs, trued the wheels, adjusted everything. Except for some last minute things, I've got just about everything I need equipment-wise & clothing-wise.

I'm spinning 1 to 2 times a week & trying to get out at least once a week for real rides. The recent weather here at home has made that a little difficult. When it gets down to 15 degrees, I must admit I wimp out. Snow & ice on the ground have also made me reconsider a couple of times. So, what else can I do? Like I said, there's spinning classes. I'm doing some strength training on my own as well as with a trainer at the gym. Aikido practice once or twice a week also helps just to keep me moving. I seem to have plateau'ed (sp?) on my weight loss, but I'm ok where I am for now. I'd rather concentrate on getting ready to ride rather than losing weight. Besides, I've been told that we'll all lose about 10 lbs in the first couple of weeks on the road. Makes sense.

I'm still trying to hit my target fundraising, but I'm making good progress. Right now, about $1600 of the $2500 target has been donated by generous friends, family & colleagues. I appreciate all those who've helped me so far.

For the next 2 months, I want to concentrate on riding as much as possible & mixing up short intense rides (15-25 miles), mid-length rides (30-50 miles) and a few longer rides (50+ miles) as time & daylight permit. Anybody who wants to join me is welcome. In fact, please join me. It's always easier to ride with someone than to ride alone. It's also an extra incentive to not skip it & goof off knowing that a partner is expecting me.

Stay tuned, it's coming closer!