8/5/11 Bike Ride

36.2 miles
2:07:07 ride time
17.09 MPH
1537 miles YTD

This was a ride with 2 stories to it, really.  The first is about the ride itself and the second is about the events around the ride.

First, the ride.  We were up in McBain, Michigan.  This is a small farming town in central northern Michigan.  I had never heard of it prior to meeting my wife, but just about everyone else in the world seems to know where it is.  Geographically, it has a really good combination of hills and flats.  Anyone who has driven into town along Stoney Corners Road between M-115 and M-66 will know what I mean by hills.  I took off from Gord's Lodge and noticed there really wasn't much, if any wind.  I decided to do the hills first so I did an out and back on Stoney Corner's Road (this is about 18 miles total).  I never felt like I was moving slow, but I didn't feel that fast.  When I got back to McBain, I decided to continue east instead of doing a repeat of Stoney Corners Road (this decision was based on time more than anything else).

Since I was now on the flat, I decided to push it and see if I could maintain a 18 mph plus pace.  Trying to maintain a higher than average pace is an odd thing.  It is hard.  It burns.  You want to quit and slow down.  And it feels really good.  You feel like you are really doing something that will make you faster and stronger, much like doing hill repeats will make you stronger, despite the pain and suffering.  I finished and saw that I had average a little more than 17 mph despite doing all the hills on Stoney Corners Road.  This, of course, is a nice feeling.  A wonderful sense of accomplishment.  I had that post-ride glow you can only get from a really good ride.

The other good thing about the ride was I wore my new Specialized RBX bib shorts for the first time.  They seemed pretty comfortable.  I'm not yet sure if they are that much better than regular shorts but we'll see.  I plan on doing an official review later on, probably after I ride a century with them.

Then there is what happened around the ride.  This story is less pleasant and basically makes me sound like a jerk.  Since I actually was a jerk, I shall have to share.  We were in McBain for a family reunion/80th birthday/60th wedding anniversary for my father-in-law's parents, Grandma and Grandpa Vander Heide.  As you can imagine, big family gatherings with people coming from all corners of the country can't go off without a few problems.  They can also involve a lot of hard work from many different people (including my wife and myself).  Without going into unnecessary detail, I didn't get to ride when I wanted to or when I expected to.  Both of my kids were sick and my wife had a lot to do in preparation for the events of the day.  Was I kind and helpful, willing to do anything and everything necessary?  No.  Did I sacrifice my ride for the benefit of others?  No.  I was a big surly, grumpy mess who just wanted to ride his bike.  I took off for more than 2 hours while my wife dealt with everything.  Basically, I was a big asshole.

What really gets me is I knew it all along.  It wasn't like I got back from my ride and realized, "Oh my goodness, look at all that has happened!  What was I thinking?!?!".  No, I knew the whole time what was going on and I just kept on riding.  Why?  I am no better than anyone else.  I can be mean and selfish and nasty and rude and arrogant and condescending.  I know this will all change in the end (and I will not be the one actually effecting the change) but I wish it would come sooner.  My basic goals in life are to be a good husband and father and on this day I failed.

The ride that wasn't

I was supposed to ride from Grand Rapids to McBain today.  That would be about 104 miles.  Was I looking forward to this?  Yep.  Am I going to ride?  Nope.

You might wonder why this is.  Why would someone give up such an opportunity?  It is a beautiful day.  The scenery would have been quite enjoyable.  There would have been such a nice sense of accomplishment.

I did not do the ride for the sake of my wife and her sanity.  I won't go into the boring details but 8 hours of "me" time would have put a lot of stress on my wife (I will say it involves getting ready for a long weekend away and a child who awakens at 5:40am screaming his head off).  In the long term, having a happy wife will be better for me than riding an unsupported century.  I think.  Probably.  I'm mostly certain of that.  It's too late now anyway. Oh well.

Camlebak Podium Chill 25 oz Review

I've been using this water bottle for about a month now.  During that month, it has been hot and humid here in Michigan.  My motivation for purchasing one came from Hammer Perpetum.  For those who don't know, Perpetum is a carb/protein drink meant to be used on long rides or runs.  Perpetum seems to work pretty well but it does have one downfall.  It goes sour after several hours, especially if it is hot.  I have yet to taste sour Perpetum, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to.  The Podium Chill seemed like a good solution.  I didn't actually buy one until I found the 25 oz size.  I typically take in a lot of fluids during a ride so a 20-21 oz bottle didn't seem worth it.  When I saw the 25 oz bottle, I snatched it up.

Here is a link to the Camelbak Podium Chill website, as well as a picture.  Something tells me that if you are reading this, you probably already know what they look like but you get a picture anyway.



I have not taken any actual temperature measurements with this bottle but it certainly keeps fluids cooler.  This is especially noticeable if you refrigerate the bottle overnight and then add some ice right before your ride.  I only have one Podium Chill bottle so I use regular bottles for the first hour or two and then use the Podium Chill.  After one hour, the water will still be cool, but not cold.  After two hours, the water seems to be lukewarm (not really warm but not really cool).  That is good enough for using Perpetum or keeping your water from being hot.

I'm already a fan of the Camelbak bottle with it's Jet Valve top.  I don't have issues with leaks and it is easy to squirt water into the mouth.  They tolerate the dishwasher well and don't give off any funky smells or have weird, chemically tastes to them.  Several of my normal Camelbak bottles are several years old and still function perfectly without any "uncleanliness".  I have heard that Specialized has come out with a new bottle that is supposed to be better.  Maybe I'll try it and see.  Who knows, it might be even better.

How I ride

One of my recent posts was on why I ride so I thought I should comment on how I ride.  Actually, the "Why I Ride" post started out as the "How I Ride" post.  After a paragraph or two I realized I was describing the "why" more than the "how".  I gave a little switcheroo to the name and there you go.

First off, I ride hard.  That doesn't mean I necessarily ride fast but I'm almost always thinking "You can go a little faster".  I probably average 16-17 mph on a typical ride.  I don't do "leisurely" very well.  My wife doesn't like riding with me because I am always pushing the pace when she would like to be more casual.  I'm in it for the exercise, to burn energy and expend a few (or a lot) of calories.

Yes, I should ride at a leisurely pace more often.  It would be good for me, especially if I have done a long ride the day before.  For some reason, that is not the way I function.  The same thing happens when I take a walk or a hike.  I feel like I am always slowing down and waiting for whomever I am with.

Michelle describes me as "goal-oriented".  This is pretty accurate.  "We are at point A.  We want to get to point B.  Le's get to it!"  Why don't I relax and enjoy the scenery more?  I'm an idiot sometimes.  Actually, I'm an idiot a good portion of the time.  I think it comes with the "Y" chromosome.

Michelle's family likes to do things together even if that means not getting much done at all.  Drives me crazy.  I just want to get something done instead of dawdling around talking about what we are supposed to be doing.  With time, I have grown to accept this and I've gotten used to it.  For the most part.  It still drives me a little crazy.

Back to the subject at hand.  Even if I am taking part in a non-competitive group ride, there is always that little gremlin saying, "Don't let them catch you" or "You can catch up with them".  This is just the way I am.  Why fight it, right?

The area I live in has a lot of rolling hills.  Much of my rides are either going up or down.  I like it this way.  It is pretty challenging.  I do try to find flat rides where I can work on my speed more, but I usually have to ride hills to get to the flat areas anyway.

So, as a summary: get on bike, ride hard, repeat.  That is how I ride.

7/31/11 Bike Ride

20.5 miles
1:13:39
16.7 MPH
1500 mile YTD

So here I am on a Sunday afternoon.  We have recently gotten back from camping.  Everyone is tired.  My son, David, goes down for a nap and Michelle follows right behind.  My daughter, Hannah, is told she needs to go in her room to rest.  She almost never falls asleep in situations like this.  But she did!  Must be time for a bike ride.

I rode "The Loop" today.  It is a 5 mile loop very near my house.  Basically, it is Bristol from 3 mile to Walker, then Walker back up to 3 mile and a short stretch along 3 mile back to Bristol.  There are 3 hills along the way.

1. Bristol - this hill is not terribly steep but does last a while.  It flattens out in the middle.  There is a 4-way stop near the top.  That's right, you sometimes have to come to a complete stop in the middle of a hill.  Typically, I ride this one sitting in the saddle.
2. Walker - this hill is probably not as steep as the hill on Bristol, but it is continuous and it feels longer.  This one I usually charge up out of the saddle.  Right at the top, you have to cross a narrow bridge and I am always concerned I'm going to get hit by a car.
3. 3 Mile - this hill is not as steep or as long as the other two.  Sometimes I stay in the saddle, but a lot of times there is a wind at my back, so I get up and out of the saddle and pound up the hill.

"The Loop" is a nice ride because I am never more than 10 minutes from home, I get to do several hills and there is this really fun part along Walker.  The fun part has a slight downhill that you wouldn't even notice while you are driving but when you combine it with smooth pavement, you can really get up some speed and be easily going 20-25 mph.  Each lap is almost exactly 5 miles.  If I want to cut a lap short, I can always jog down Richmond or Waldorf and get back home faster.  It works well for me.

Camping at Holland State Park

At this moment, most if my family is sleeping or trying to sleep.  We just got back from several days of camping at Holland State Park.  We were there with our friends, Matt & Sarah, and a group of their church friends.  It was hot and humid.  We spent about 5-6 hours of Saturday out on the beach at Lake Michigan.  Michelle and the kids actually went out on Thursday morning.  I wasn't able to go until Friday evening, after work.  I suppose that is why I'm not sleeping and they are.  Camping is a great way to make your kids exhausted, hungry and cranky.  What parent doesn't love a child who is exhausted, hungry and cranky?

Going camping always sends several thoughts rattling through my brain.  In no particular order:

• What defines camping?  We were in a tent this weekend while most people were in trailers.  Trailers have electric, running water and often AC.  Is this really camping.  If it is not camping, what is it?  Is it trailering?  No, that is a term you use when you are hauling something in a trailer (I always think of "trailiering" snowmobiles, because of my Dad).  Camping Lite?  Woosey camping?  The experience formerly known as camping?  I'm not sure.  We have other friends who would say you are not really camping unless you have no water source, no electric and you have to hike to your campsite.  I would call that backpacking, but hey, who am I to say?
• Why do we go camping anyway?  It is really a lot of work, especially in a tent.  You have no kitchen, no refrigerator, no bathroom, no tub or shower and you are only just barely protected from the elements (and that is if you have a good tent).  A tent has absolutely no soundproofing.  You cannot keep outside noises out or the wailing-child noises in.  Preparing for camping seems to take days.  Packing the van is always difficult.  You have to set up the tent, set up all your other stuff, get ice for the coolers, constantly move the coolers to keep them out of the sun, keep the tent closed to keep bugs out, pack everything back up while trying to keep track of your kids, bring it all home, unpack, wash everything and then put it all away.  Camping is more work than work.
• So then, why do we camp?  That is obvious...campfires!  Ahhh, everyone loves campfires.  We love campfire food, we love to talk around campfires, we love to just stare at campfires.  There must be something instinctual about it, because everyone loves it.  If you have kids, they love to run around, ride their bikes, go to the playground, look for frogs, go swimming, and eat s'mores.  Heaven for a child.  Have you ever met a 5 year old who didn't love camping?  They don't exist.  We camp because our children love it and, let's face it, we do a lot of inconvenient and difficult things for the sake of our kids.

I'm sure we will keep on camping, or whatever you want to call it.  Some of it will be in a trailer.  Some of it will be in a tent.  Sometimes we will be in a "modern" campground and sometimes we will "rough it" in a rustic campground.  I would love to go backpacking with the kids someday.  Sooner rather than later.  You have to admit, it is always an adventure.

7/28/11 Bike Ride

32.8 miles
1:57:45
16.71 MPH
1480 mile YTD

Typically I don't get to ride this far or this long on a weekday but the wife and kiddos are at a state park camping and I get a "Bachelor Night".  I got out of work early, hopped on the bike and took off.  Today's route was matching the last leg of the 100 Grand, which I did in June.  It follows Peach Ridge up to 14 mile and then turns west.  My goal was to see how far I could ride in 60 minutes and then turn around and see if I could make it back in an hour or less.  Strangely enough, I achieved my goal.  Normally I don't, on rides like this.  As I was heading north, it felt like the wind was at my back some so I was convinced the trip back was going to be slower.  I turned around at exactly 60 minutes and headed back.  In reality, the wind was mostly from the west.  This, of course, helped me on the eastbound portions of the trip and didn't seem to have any great effect on the south bound part of the route.  Overall, a very satisfying ride not least because I can kick back and relax afterwards.  I might even have a beer.  Scandalous!

One other thought that occurred to me while I was riding...I don't feel anywhere near as beat up after a long bike ride as I used to feel after a short run.  Two hours on the bike is less "stress" on the body than a 30 minute run.  Now, I know that cyclist can have issues with bone mineral density later in life (runners rarely do) but overall I like cycling way more than I ever liked running.