CR Biker: In Which There are Unexpected Interruptions

Nov. 16--I had a work meeting at the Mount Mercy graduate center, a 2-mile bike ride from the main campus. When it was over, I stopped by Cedar Lake to enjoy a November sunset.

Nov. 30, above and below--on final day of the month, I ride my bike down to Cedar Lake again after work. Nice place to see late afternoon sun!

How was your November on two wheels? Mine was a mixed bag.

The first part of the month was warmer than usual, and I got some rides in, but then came a sudden shift to colder weather. We’ve had snow, and while I will ride in cold, I do try to avoid snowy streets.

So, maybe it’s not a surprise that my miles were down a bit this month. In October, I rolled for almost 235 miles. In November, Map My Ride shows 204.5 miles, giving me a total of 3,176.81 for 2023.

Nov. 13--Bicycles in rack at Mount Mercy University--warmer weather early in November.

Nov. 29--Student biking on campus after snow. I biked that day too, but stuck to dry pavement.

Nov. 29--Getting ready to hop on my bike for ride home at sunset.

As I get ready for sunset ride home, I'm being monitored by Squirrel Spiderman, who climbs up the 6-story building where my office is.

My goal for the year is 3,300 miles, and it does seem attainable, as long as there aren’t too many more bumps in the road in December.

Like snow. But Mother Nature wasn’t the major problem with my November miles. Instead, my health was.

Made this image Nov. 17 of new gloves my wife got me--nice reflective wear for winter riding! I wear a reflective vest, too.

I had hoped to do one or two longer rides over Thanksgiving break. We get Wednesday through Friday off of classes at the university where I teach, so I was thinking maybe a longer ride Wednesday. I have a daughter-in-law who just this year learned, as an adult, to ride a bicycle, and she has been getting into longer rides. My son, her and their son were all coming over to visit Thanksgiving week, and I was hoping to take her out and show her some of the local bike trails.

Maybe I hoped too much. It's like a war movie where the friendly character dreams of all he will do once he gets home. Somehow, you know that dude has a target on his back.

And Sunday night of Thanksgiving week, I had a lightly scratchy throat. Not that unusual for me, it can be a symptom of dry winter air, but still, I felt “off.”

I woke up Monday morning with my throat still in mild discomfort, and also a headache. Not a bad headache, and I have sleep problems, so awakening with a mild sinus pain can just be a symptom of Monday. Yet, I wondered. I just didn’t feel quite right.

And thus, I tested. A home COVID-19 test. Positive. Damn.

My son, daughter-in-law and grandchild all packed up early and left Monday—which I don’t blame them for. They didn’t want to risk getting ill miles from their home. My oldest daughter was to come down from Minnesota, but decided not to, again, understandably. There was no family gathering for turkey day. And no long bike rides that week, as my body was occupied fighting off a bat virus.

To be honest, it wasn’t much of a fight—my body won that battle handily. I’m in generally decent health, I am only 65 (COVID tends to be dangerous for people in their 80s, and I’m not there, yet) and I am fully vaccinated, with my most recent COVID shot in September. I never ran a fever, my symptoms were not terrible, and I recovered in due time.

Nov. 21--Tuesday of COVID week, the family is all gone and I'm getting crazy cooped up. It's a cool, cloudy day, and I figured nobody would be on the trails, so I masked and went for a short ride. I was socially distant, pretty certain no virus transmission happened that day.

I even, several times that week, went on short bike rides, masked and distant from others, although I was too tired to put in many miles.

On Thanksgiving Day, I staged a sort of ninja raid on my office—going there when I knew the building would be empty to get some files so I could catch up on work. Still, my biking time was nowhere near what I had been hoping for.

I was alone on Thanksgiving Day. My wife went to a daughter's house, but a turkey dinner delivery was made later, so I didn't totally miss out. On my own, I ride down to campus to get some files--much sunnier day.

My Thanksgiving Ride ends up drawing a turkey picture.

I did enjoy some nice rides the weekend BV (before virus). On the 11th, the day was cloudy and cool, but I rode to the end of the Grant Wood Trail.

And on Sunday the 12th, I rode via trails and streets out to Lowe Park, where, although we’d already had some frosty nights, the last bees were visiting fading flowers.

Nov. 12--Milkweed seen on trail ride out to Lowe Park.

Nov. 12--Milkweed in the garden at Lowe Park.

Nov. 12--One of the final bees of fall visits a fading flower at Lowe Park.

In meantime, snow has fallen and the bees are gone, now. So, happily, is the virus. I had some unexpected detours, and thus fewer miles, this month. Things don’t look good for the first weekend of December—I am busy most of the day Saturday, and snow is possible Saturday into Sunday.

Still, I bicycled more than 200 miles in November and have far less than 200 to go to reach my 2023 goal. I have lights, winter clothes and, knock on wood, my health—so I’ll keep rolling!