WOW! It’s been nearly four months since my last entry. As stated in September, I’ve returned to my roots and have been doing shorter club rides to recover from last year’s setbacks. The photos below were taken during  26-mile coffee shop rides. Snow, rain, ice and frigid temperatures have kept me off the bike for weeks. But it looks like the weather may be turning around soon. Sunday was a good day for a club ride. About 20 riders met and formed 3-4 groups to ride a series of out-and-backs along the roads of Poquoson, VA. I rode about 25 miles today. Here is a map of most of my ride. It’ll be good to accumulate more miles in the coming weeks. Continue reading “Things to Come…” →

Hello,

It’s been over four months since my last entry. I’ve seen many ups and downs during that time. You may recall that I suffered a back strain during my ACP 300km in April. Something unexpected happened after I rode in the Tour de Cure the following weekend: I suddenly found myself with absolutely no desire to ride my bicycle. It was actually worse than that. I had no motivation to do anything. I was suffering from chronic fatigue, chronic joint pain and a general feeling of blah! 😦 It was bizarre. I also put on about 20 pounds… as if I needed that. I went through two months of just going to work and going to bed. I had a series of blood tests and various doctor’s appointments. The results have been inconclusive so far. I’m still awaiting a follow-up with an endocrinologist. Continue reading “Changes for Captain Overpacker; I’m Still Alive…” →

2013 was a good year for cycling! Those who rode with me in the 2011 Bike MS Ocean to Bay Ride may recall me saying after the first day century, “I don’t recall ever finishing a century where I could say I felt good afterward, was glad I did it, or that I was looking forward to the next one.” So it’s a bit ironic that I joined RUSA, an organization which is focused on ultra-distance riding, the following year! Sixteen of my rides exceeded 100 miles in 2013! These rides include eleven 200 km rides (126-130 miles), one 300 km ride (189 miles), 124 miles during my attempt at a 400 km ride, the Tour de Cure (103 miles), the Civil War Century (104 miles), and the Sea Gull Century (101 miles). Those rides total just over 2000 miles. I rode another 3300 miles with local groups. My mileage goal in BikeJournal.com was 5000 miles. I made that goal fairly easily, even with many “bad weather” and “I don’t wanna get up” days. Can I ride more in 2014? Probably. Will I? Who knows?  😉 Continue reading “2013: Overpacker’s Year In Review” →

I didn’t think I’d see a day when I’d consider 100 miles to be “just a century.”  Now I ride 200 km (>124 miles) rides every month of the year in pursuit of Randonneurs USA’s R-12 award.  I also completed a 300 km (189 miles) brevet while attempting to earn a Super Randonneur award.  I failed during the 400 km (252 miles) brevet.  But I will try again.  These rides are in addition to “regular” century rides ridden with local friends.  Some were surprised to learn I had to find my own way back to the host hotel when I abandoned the 400.  Apparently, some of  the things which make randonneuring different from other forms of long distance cycling had escaped them.  They know I carry a bunch of stuff, affectionately calling me “Captain Overpacker,” in my drive to be self-sufficient.  However, the full meaning “self-sufficient” may need further explanation. Continue reading “What is an “Unsupported Ride?”” →

With my first permanent behind me, I’d like to share a few observations and perhaps some rookie mistakes.  It’s very easy to look at the relatively low average speed required to complete a brevet on time and assume it will be easy (the speed, I mean).  Like many road riders, I cheat myself by tracking only my “rolling average” speed.  I prefer to see that I averaged 18-mph on a brisk ride since that reflects my active effort.  But the fact remains that hills, intersections, turns, breaks, and mechanical difficulties all impact the average speed during a long ride.  It doesn’t matter that my rolling average during my first 200km ride on October 7th was 15-mph or that I hung out at 18-19 during my best stretches.  My overall average speed with stops was 12-mph instead of a more favorable number.  Add the fact that I left 10 minutes after the clock started and you can see how minutes count.  I had 13 hours to complete 127 miles and I took almost 11 including my delay at the start.  That still left two hours to spare.  But what if I had had a flat?  Or two flats?  Or a broken spoke?  Or maybe a split tire or other casualty that required a longer stop?  Continue reading “My Rookie Mistakes” →

Greetings!

Why read my blog?  I’m a new randonneur and will write from the perspective of a novice rider.  I have a dry sense of humor and tend to be a bit sarcastic and gritty (without profanity).  That alone could make my entries interesting to those who understand my wit.  My goal is to complete a Super Randonneur series (200km, 300km, 400km, and 600km events) in 2013.  I’ll share my experiences to include my triumphs, my shortfalls, and my journey toward “getting it right” with regards to packing, dressing, gearing, nutrition, resting, etc.  My blog will be geniune and complete, even if I eventually quit, which I hope won’t happen.  So check out my blog and let’s see where it goes.

Until Next Time,

Scott, RUSA #8059