In Which I Work To Earn Sore Legs

This morning, on top of Brentwood Drive hill. I climbed the hill from east and west. I've looked at hills from both sides now.

On the MMU Bike Club shirt, there is a quote: “I can’t feel my legs when I’m with you, but I love it.”

That sums up today’s ride. I was to go to campus and do some scheduling work on the Fall Faculty Series, but was waylaid by sunshine. I rode the trail route, and Argent just did not turn towards campus. I started out about 10:30 a.m. and two hours later found myself, a bit bleary and sore, resting at a picnic table in Ely.

Pond in Ely City Park. View about 12:20 p.m.

What is it? Yeah, if you look at picture above you can probably figure it out. The table I'm sitting at in Ely.

All in all, I rode about 44 miles today in three rides. I did about 5 this morning going to and from the gym (several hill climbs of Brentwood Drive in there, the gym is about a mile from my house, to get 5-miles on that 2-mile round trip does require a somewhat less than the crow flies kind of route). I did three hill climbs this morning, which was pretty good.

The ride to Ely and then to campus must have been in the low 30s. I recall that I had ridden 20 miles to get to Ely, so that seems about right. Although I rested for 10 minutes in Ely, I think that’s just a mid-ride intermission, so the ride to MMU from there was just a short second act.

Ride number three was to come home. I did stop in my office, managed to wolf down lunch quickly while dealing with some emails, and then I took a 30-minute nap. At this early point in my RAGBRAI training, a warm 30-mile ride will wear me out.

I haven’t been getting as much time on bike as I would like, but today does count as a significant ride. It also shows that I do need to train pretty hard—RAGBRAI will be 60-mile hilly rides on days in a row, and right now one 40-something ride left me pretty worn.

Although, to my credit, I did ride the Brentwood Hill one last time on the way home. I figure that, just like happens so often on RAGBRAI, finishing a long ride with a hill climb is good practice.

May 29 view of Cedar River from trail in late afternoon. My daughter and I were riding.

Anyway, the preceding paragraph would have been the end, but wait, there is more. Last Sunday, one of my daughters and I took a late afternoon ride of some 20 miles or so, down to the first bridge past Mt. Trashmore on the Cedar River Trail and back. On the way, we stopped at Greene Square, and then looked at the Grant Wood statue at the library. I also photographed another statue near a brewery downtown.

May 29--my daughter and I with father-daughter art at CR Library. Brewery pair from same day below.

It occurs to me that my daughter, sister and I should do a Tour de Grant ride. If it's a weekend, my wife might be persuaded to come, too, and we could try the new ice cream shop in New Bo. What do you guys think?

Sun nears horizon near the end of our Sunday ride. Beautiful, warm sunny days in Iowa!