In Which A Long Ride on The Beast Tops 1,000 Miles

The far south end of the ride, the pond at the Ely City Park. Reflections of the way life used to be. You're welcome for the ear worm.

No, not the one ride—that would, indeed, be an epic ride—I mean that I rode about 35 miles today, and that puts me at 1,020 miles and some change for the year so far.

At one point, when I was about an hour into a three-hour afternoon ride down to Ely, I passed a gentleman stopped by the side of the trail. He was doing an odd sort of prance, which I assume, based, on our conversation, was probably due to a foot cramp.

Me: Is everything OK?
He: I’m fine, I just need some new feet.
Me: While we’re at it, I’d like a new butt.

Indeed, the main weak spot, the biggest concern I have going into the Tour the Raccoon Ride next weekend—especially if I ride The Beast—is the soreness of my butt. It was very sore indeed following today’s ride, which was done wearing proper bike shorts. On the other hand, I did do more than half of the length of one day’s ride (the tour is two consecutive days of about 60 miles), and I’m typing this without any serious lingering ill effects.

A train passes under the trail and over a bridge on the Cedar River. It was moving so fast that it made its own wind on the bike trail bridge.

Weakness number two is my back. It gets very stiff and sore on The Beast, and 60 miles will be a trial.

Still, I rode 35 today. I was going to credit myself with 30, figuring I had ridden 4 miles in the morning to get to campus, and then ridden to Ely and back to home in three hours in the afternoon. That would have meant I was going about 8 mph on The Beast.

But, here’s the thing. I was surprised, today, at how fast I was biking. I rode most of the route in 3-7, the fastest gears, because I’m so used to The Beast now that it doesn't feel like I’m “pumping” too hard in that gear. And, while The Beast can’t compete with Fancy Bike for speed, it didn't feel a lot slower than cruising on Francis. And on Francis, on a long trail ride, I go faster than 8 mph.

So I tried plotting my route on “Map My Ride.” And that’s where I came up with the 35 figure. I’ll go with it.

The gnats were out in force, and that was unpleasant, but otherwise it was a beautiful day for a ride. The sky was full of pretty puffy white clouds, the sun shone warmly (but not hot), there wasn't much wind—it was a day for flying on a bike.

I was tempted to do the Sac and Fox again, but decided to go to Ely just because I have not in a while. And so I did.

My butt would like to put in for a transfer. My back is threatening to spasm. Yet, I completed 35 miles at a fairly fast pace (over 10 mph) on The Beast. I think that makes for a good biking day, and it’s a decent omen for the Raccoon ride.

I do hope Francis is back for the ride. Still, if it must be The Beast, I’m starting to be more at peace with that. If the conditions are right, even The Beast can move.

Catalpa near Cedar Lake in bloom. Naturally, I stopped to take a drink and a picture (the drink was from water I carried, I do not subsist, like a bee, off of flower nectar).

In Which I Am Just 67 Miles from 1,000

I had hoped to go on a longish bike ride June 1, but it did not work out that way. Between some shopping and planting, and a very pleasant visit with two grandsons, followed by a Skype conversation with my oldest son in Paraguay (or anywhere else, for that matter), the day passed by quite quickly.

Then it rained and all hope of biking was done.

Still, biking is going well, if slightly behind schedule. I have ridden 926.4 miles in 2014, according to my estimates. Those estimates will be slightly less accurate for a while, until I get Francis back from the shop. The Beast has no computer, and Fancy Bike’s computer is reduced to a low battery warning, so recent miles have been guesses. But I’ve been riding relatively familiar routes, so I don’t think the accounting is wildly off the mark.

Anyway, I had hoped to be past 1,000 miles by June 1. I’m close, but not quite there. I’ll have to push for many more miles in June and July. I honestly want to be closing in on 4,000 by summer’s end, because I doubt I can do more than 1,000 miles once the school year begins.

Here is my monthly tally so far:

• January, 62
• February, 38
• March, 194
• April, 301.5
• May, 330.9

The miles are going up. And, I’m only a quarter century from my goal—one long day’s ride on RAGBRAI. I’ll get at least 120 miles in June in just two days—I just registered for the Tour the Raccoon Ride, which I’ll be completing with four other of the six members of RAGBRAI’s Team Joe.

From the web site of the Des Moine Bike Club, http://www.dmcycleclub.com/tour-the-raccoon/, the Tour the Raccoon logo.

Tomorrow? Some rain. Some sun. Some biking, I hope, when the clouds are gone.

Let the three most mile-filed months of the biking year begin!

Note: I know there is a math error in the headline. I'm 73.6 miles from 1,000. The figures are just estimates anyway, so spot me a few miles. I posted this and tweeted it and the headline is out there in cyberspace for all to see.