CYCLING IN HADES

Tom fixing Ed's flat tire before today's ride

Hot, hot, hot, brutally hot! Cycling in South Florida this time of year is liken to running a marathon in a sweltering inferno somewhere in the depths of Hades. Today’s bike ride was a perfect example of the remorselessness of our mid-summer climate.

Without a hint of exaggeration, the heat and humidity in these sub-tropics basically sucks the life right out of you. Having spent most of my life in these parts, I’m still not accustomed to the suffocating summertime weather.

My wife and I are looking forward to our upcoming vacation in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, where we are hoping that a smidgen of relief awaits our arrival.

Someone remind me to pack our jackets – that is if I can find them.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/350222438

ESCORT RIDE ON ROAD-BIKE

To all of you, my valued readers, reading my posts regarding my escort rides are probably repetitive and boring. To me, riding alongside my wife while she does her training runs are priceless. These rides mean more to me than all the long-distance rides in my cycling archives.

During each one of these escort rides, I’m reminded of the strong bond that my wife and I enjoy – a rarity in a world where the media and masses seemingly promote separation and individuality.

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1539921

WET MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE ON TRAILS AND SIDEWALKS

My goodness how fast the weather changes here in South Florida. According to the weather radar, I had a two to three hour window to ride the trails and sidewalks in my general area without too many concerns.

Well, after ducking into Einstein’s Bagel Shoppe once (for water and to stay dry) and then a shuttered office building when the rain really began coming down, I got the hint that stormy, wet weather with lightning was well upon us and wasn’t about to dissipate any time soon.

But all was well, because I managed to make it back to our truck at my wife’s work place before I became a cycling human sponge. After throwing the bike and helmet into the rear of the truck, I made a quick phone call to my wife assuring her that I had safely completed my shortened ride.

I then drove the four-miles to our home where our two kitty cats were waiting to be fed their mid-day snack. In fact, all three of us are enjoying a mid-day snack as I type.

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1537259

HALF IMPERIAL CENTURY ROAD-BIKE RIDE

Two days ago, it was Ed’s 82^nd birthday. Ed is one of our road bikers. I was absent Wednesday during the cake celebration during their cycling break at Einstein’s Bagel Shoppe, so this morning we had a celebration of sorts by cycling half of Ed’s age, a 41-miler. It gets pretty bad whenever you can no longer bike the amount of miles that matches your age or blow out the amount of candles that matches your age.

Maybe I should remember the above comment two months from now when I turn 72 years of age, because I’m planning on riding 72 miles-with-smiles on our near my actual birth-date.

Because of the geographical location where everyone else’s ride ended this morning, or near noontime, I continued on for nine additional miles for a total of 50.22 miles.

This morning’s ride felt like a walk in the park. Quite honestly, I believe I could have done an Imperial Century with ease. But I would have had to do it alone, and that’s no fun.

Gee, I wonder if anyone will accompany me on my planned 72-miler.

 

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/348579118

INTENSE GYM WORKOUT IN THE AFTERNOON

During this strength training session, I went from one resistance-machine to the next as quickly as I possibly could, doing the reps on each machine to the max. Doing reps to the max means doing them until my body trembles.

In all, I worked out on 15 different machines within a time frame of 34 minutes.  The rapidity and intensity of this workout clearly shows on the heart-rate monitor.  See HR in the link below: 

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/348125071

RUNNING AND WALKING IN COUNTY PARK

Hot, Hot, Hot. My husband and I left the park just in time as the traffic from the summer campers started to pick up.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/347966363

ESCORTING WIFE IN COUNTY PARK ON MY ROAD-BIKE

Once again, I had the pleasure of riding alongside my wife while she did a training run/walk inside the county park.

I am just itching to do a long road-bike ride, but it's best that I wait another day until I'm fully recovered from yesterday morning's bilateral lower-back injections.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/347971858

MTB ESCORT RIDE

I rode behind and alongside my wife while she did a training run, handing her the water bottle whenever she would ask for it.

I had my handlebar-mounted Contour Video Camera rolling the entire time, but nothing out of the ordinary happened other than a red fire truck passing by on Flamingo Road with its siren blaring and red lights flashing.

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1524790

SOLO ROADBIKE TRAIL RIDE

Two tropical birds that were not about to move

This morning's spur-of-the-moment road-bike ride began at 9:54 a.m., yet the average temperature still was an uncomfortable 89.4F.

After dropping off my wife at her work place, I started out on the Orange Drive bike trail heading east. My turn-a-round point was a half-empty McDonald’s parking lot at Griffin Road and US441 in Davie. Lots of road traffic in that area.

I hadn’t a clue where I was headed from there, but I did want to find a new bike trail in the area of Orange Drive and 75^th Avenue that I had noticed on Google Earth.

I found the bike-trail and promptly followed the yellow brick road to a western-styled Dairy Queen that would be perfect for one of our weekday rest stops. This particular DQ has a shaded outdoor patio with tables, which would be perfect for our feisty gang. I’m thinking that we could solve many of the world’s problems in the shade of that patio, all while eating ice-cream cones and sipping on smoothies.

From that area, I rode on many bike trails and wide sidewalks – all in the cities of Davie and Cooper City.

Only because my water bottle felt light and empty did I end today’s ride so early. Shame on me for not carrying two bottles. 

After riding my MTB the past few rides, today’s ride on my road-bike felt really easy. Aside from the heat and humidity, as well as my empty water bottle, this would have been a perfect day for a metric century or beyond.

 

http://app.strava.com/activities/68790516

STRENGTH TRAINING AND SWIMMING

Yesterday’s workout consisted of a slow stroll to and from our fitness center plus a mini-workout inside the gym on some of the upper and lower-body resistance machines. We really were not in the mood to push the walk or the strength training session, so we agreed that it’s okay to have an off day.

Before the crows began their crowing early this morning, we were jumping into our condo’s 55-foot swimming pool for some easy swim training. It’s not that we’re training for anything, we are simply trying to maintain a certain level of fitness without wrecking our skeletal frame by race-walking or running excessively.

 

The laps, for both of us, were slow and easy. Our focus was on proper stroking and proper breathing. We accomplished both!

LONG-DISTANCE MTB RIDE

Unwilling to venture out on most of the traffic-clogged roads during this morning’s scheduled group bike ride, I mapped out a 40+ mile sidewalk and bike-trail ride yesterday on RidewithGPS and then religiously followed the turn-by-turn directions this morning beginning at 7:20 a.m.

All directions and distances on my Garmin Edge 500 were right on the money, which I suppose is a plug for RidewithGPS and the Edge 500. I have to say in all honesty, though, I’m very impressed with the program’s ability to map out a ride. I’m also impressed with the Garmin Edge 500’s turn-by-turn instructions.

Anyhow, I did meet up with my wheel mates at the Weston coffee shoppe during my 1^st of two breaks.

I took a brief 2^nd break atop Mt. Trashmore where some of our locals fly their small model airplanes. There were no model planes being flown today because of the strong wind, but there were three van-loads full of preteens at that location doing what preteens do best, make noise. All in fun, though! According to the lettering on the side of the vans, they were from a local karate school. If nothing else, I felt safe in their company.

I suppose it was because of my MTB that today's 42-mile ride was fairly exhausting. That and the heat and wind were enough to slow down even a much younger cyclist.

With twelve miles to go, all directly into the strong wind, I spotted several buzzards gnawing on some road kill next to the sidewalk where I was riding. They looked to be a menacing flock of vultures, very hungry and determined to peck out a meal. Problem was, their morning meal was nothing more than a small possum that more than likely was hit by a passerby in a car – which made me think of myself and the fact that I was slowing and showing signs of exhaustion. 

Well, I have to tell you, the thought of being pecked by a flock of buzzards instantly motivated me to a level previously untapped. Suddenly my MTB was like a road bike, and the rider began putting the pedals to the metal.

All in all, this morning’s MTB ride was a gorgeous ride on many tree-lined sidewalks and bike trails. I was so in awe when riding through some areas that I found myself stopping the bike and then snapping pictures with my smart phone. 

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1512997

ESCORT MTB RIDE IN COUNTY PARK

I rode alongside my wife on my MTB while she did a 5-mile training run in our county park.

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1509751

1/2 METRIC-CENTURY SOLO/GROUP MTB RIDE

This morning’s bike ride was a ½ metric century, solo/group MTB ride through the towns of Pembroke Pines, Cooper City, Davie, Weston and Sunrise. I was the only cyclists on a MTB, while all others rode their road bikes.

I rode the first half of today’s ride by myself before joining Sandy, Tom and Ron at Einstein’s Coffee Shoppe in Weston.

Oscar Wind Park in Sunrise, FL

On the way to the coffee shoppe, one particular park that I rode through was partially flooded because of all the rain that we've had the past couple of days. I thought it was fun riding through ½ foot of water on sections of the park’s curvy bike trail.

After consuming hot coffee and our individual snack of choice, we decided to ride along the bike trail that parallels Interstate 595 before riding on even more bike lanes through the Town of Davie until we exited the trail at the intersection of Griffin Road and Palm Avenue. So that I could remain on safe sidewalks, it was at that intersection where I parted the group for the final time.   

98% of today’s ride was on sidewalks or bike trails, with the lone 2% on a couple of safe residential streets. 

This was an easy, fun ride in near perfect weather!

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1501723

MTB ESCORT RIDE + RUN TRAINING

Bob: 

I rode alongside my wife, Janet J., on my MTB while she did a training run/walk around our neighborhood and in the shopping mall's expansive parking lot.

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1496515

 

Janet: 

I did not want to get out of bed this morning, but I am glad I did. After having nearly a 1/2 foot of rain yesterday, I thought it would be too wet outside. Surprisingly, most of the water on the pavement had drained off.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/342257515

MTB RIDE ON A SATURDAY MORNING

This morning I did an impromptu mountain bike ride east to Palm Avenue via Griffin Road's sidewalk and then west to the Vista View Park area via the Orange Drive bike lane and adjacent horse/cycling trail.  Had there not been an entrance fee to the park, I would have done some repeats up and down Mt. Trashmore inside Vista View Park.     

I stopped once at a covered rest-stop along the South New River Canal at Orange Drive and Boy Scout Road to snack on cheese crackers and Gatorade.  It was rather comical sitting there watching the impatient motorists maneuver through the T-bone intersection. 

I noticed a great deal of improvements regarding the roadside shrubbery along Griffin Road when cycling back to Flamingo Road from I-75.  They've made the entire area a sub-tropical paradise of sorts compared to what the area used to look like.  Kudos to the county/city workers for doing such a fine job.

Another note of interest was all the ground owls spotted when cycling the bike lanes in the middle of Rock Creek.  That area evidently is a safe haven for owls and other birds native to this area.      

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1492592

WALKING AND LIFTING

This was a very slow, casual walk to the fitness center and back with my wife. We walked along the lake enjoying the sub-tropical scenery, stopping twice to take pictures of ourselves with the lake in the background. We never paused the Garmin 110, which accounts for the slower-than-normal pace.

http://www.mapmywalk.com/workout/325758615

OUR PLEA TO ALL MOTORISTS

To all motorcar and truck drivers, I surrender! You win! Look at me and please note that I am waving a white flag indicating that I have had enough of this nonsensical slaughter.

I concede to all you careless, uncaring, distracted motor-vehicle drivers, males and females alike, young and old, that the roadways are yours and only yours. You and your car culture have handedly won the rights-to-the-roads battle.

Can we agree that you’ll keep your two-ton four-wheelers on the roads while I keep my 20-30 pound bicycles on the sidewalks and bike paths? Additionally, I’ll promise to only cross your charming streets when moving from one bumpy sidewalk to another if you’ll promise to look both ways when pulling out of all driveways and side roads.

Do we have an agreement?

Thanking you in advance,

Robert J. (Ex-road biker)

Note: The State of Florida, in particular Broward (My County) and Dade Counties in South Florida, has been determined to be the most dangerous area within the borders of the United States of America for road cyclists. I owe it to my magnificent wife and two lovely daughters to no longer be reportedly suicidal by riding my road and mountain bikes on this area’s major roadways. (Some quiet residential roads will be the exception)

MTB RIDE WITH THE ROADIES

Bob's MTB (Mountain Bike)

Not in the mood to ride fast this morning, the only day of the week when we typically pick up the pace, I rode my MTB to the meet-up spot knowing full well that no one would expect me to ride at an advanced pace. My plan worked!

Riding the 12 miles to the coffee shoppe with Ed and Rey, the slow ones in our group, was perfect. The ride was nice and slow, possibly reaching a high of 16 mph at one point. Other than that one time, our cruising speed was between 12 – 14 mph.

My wife running along Johnson Street

Oh, I forgot to mention that I rode alongside my wife for 5 ½ miles prior to meeting up with my wheel mates at the meet-up spot. My wife did another one of her run/walk training sessions around the shopping mall’s huge parking lot.

After enjoying our one coffee break in Weston, I was assured by Sandy S that if I rode back with the faster group, they would ride at a moderate pace, slow enough so that my mountain bike and I wouldn't be left behind. I agreed! Riding back with Sandy, Ron, Greg and Doug would give me a chance to show them a new route that I discovered during yesterday’s solo ride. They concurred, and away we went.

They really liked the new route, which had us cutting across an expansive area along a canal from Flamingo Road to Hiatus Road on a previously undiscovered asphalt bike lane.

Greg, helping Doug stand after crashing his bike on a curve.

We experienced one mishap during today’s ride, that was when Doug took a 90 degree turn too fast for conditions. It had rained previous to us entering the Rock Creek housing area, so the streets were still wet. Despite my word-of-caution to slow it down around corners, he didn't, which resulted into him doing a poor rendition of someone attempting to slide into home plate – on asphalt.

Doug is okay, by the way. His bike is fine, too. After brushing off his self and after we checked to see if there were any serious abrasions, he remounted and away we went. 

You can bet that from that moment on, he manipulated the remaining corners very slowly.  So did we!

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1483727

SOLO MTB PARK-TO-PARK RIDE

Entrance to the Nature Center

I made it! Hooray, hooray!!  I made it back to my truck (I was parked at my wife’s place of employment) just in time before the bottom fell out. Close call! I had just enough time to quickly wipe down the bike prior to placing the two-wheeler back into the truck.

And man did it ever pour when driving the four miles from my wife’s work place to our home. Because of poor visibility, traffic was at a crawl. I was surprised to see most motorists exercising caution during the downpour.  Good for them!

In all, I rode through four parks and passed by the entrance to another one.  The parks were Tree Tops Park, Robbins Park, Flamingo Gardens, Long Key Nature Center and Natural Area, and Vista View Park where Mt. Trashmore looms high and inviting.

Atop Mt. Trashmore looking east

I couldn't resist the mountain’s naive invitation, so I geared down the mountain bike and zoomed up the 8% gradient with the greatest of ease. It was during the long, laborious climb that my heart rate peaked at 120. My average HR for the entire 21-mile ride was only 88 bpm.  Needless to say, this was an explorer ride, not an aerobic-type ride.  

For the most part, this morning ride was on bike paths, horse trails and sidewalks. Only on brief instances did I need to enter onto a roadway. I’m learning that our county has numerous biking trails, something I’m discovering with each solo MTB ride.

http://app.strava.com/activities/65846673

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/339934135

GROUP/SOLO 1/2 METRIC-CENTURY BIKE RIDE

I rode with Sandy, Greg and Ron to Einstein's Coffee and Bagel Shoppe in Weston at a moderately fast pace.

After leaving the coffee shop with two others in our group, Ed and Rey, I parted from them after crossing over I-75.  They wanted to do a different route than what I wanted to do.

I then did a solo ride through Vista View Park, continued south on Dykes Rd, rode east on Sheridan Street, and then south on Flamingo Road.

I ended my 1/2 metric-century bike ride with some sprints through CB Smith Park, a large county park that's located a mere 1/2 mile from my home.

It was an enjoyable ride but another hot one in the sub-tropics.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/339451769

MTB’ing ALONG THE ATLANTIC OCEAN WITH MY WIFE

Hollywood Beach just south of the bandshell

Me:  While my wife did a training run/walk along the Hollywood Beach Boardwalk, I rode alongside her on my MTB.

After she logged in over five-miles, we stopped at our favorite sidewalk café on the boardwalk and enjoyed a delicious breakfast with four of our local running friends.

From there, my wife speed walked back to our vehicle that was parked over two-miles from the boardwalk café. I followed, except when it was time to zoom down the bridges without having to pedal. Weeeeeeeeeee

It was a fun morning in the hot sub-tropics of South Florida.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/339017192

http://app.strava.com/activities/65443708

 

Wife:  After parking our truck at a food store parking lot 1.3 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, my husband and I went eastward towards the beach boardwalk. Most of this training session was done on the Hollywood Beach, Florida boardwalk. We crossed over two bridges on the way to the beach, which accounts for most of the elevation gains.

Crossing over the intracoastal waterway on Sheridan St.

I walked (2 minutes) and ran (30 seconds) throughout the training session while my husband rode alongside me on his MTB. My average heart rate was 144 bpm while his was only 77 bpm. How unfair is that!? LOL

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/338798488

 

Wife:  After enjoying breakfast on the beach boardwalk with my husband and four of our friends, I speed walked back to our truck that was parked over two miles away from the sidewalk café. By then, it was unbearably hot.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/338798505

POURING RAIN, BUT WE RODE ANYWAY

I rode with Ed, Ron and Sandy to the City of Weston's Dunkin Donuts and back through driving rain storms! What we don’t do for a good cup of coffee!

Near the end of our ride, my wet cycling shoes and socks weighed as much as my bike, or darn close to it.    

Prior to riding with the guys, I rode alongside my wife for 5.5 miles while she did a training run.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/337858169

http://app.strava.com/activities/64934423

INDEPENDENCE DAY MTB RIDE

Independence Day MTB ride with Sandy S and Carol C.

Carol and Sandy at Stirling Rd. & Hiatus Rd.

This morning’s Independence Day mountain-bike ride with Sandy and Carol was done on a combination of roadways, bike paths, horse trails with poop, curvy tree-lined sidewalks, and even walking paths through city parks. I loved biking on the curvy, undulating sidewalks in the City of Weston. Those particular sidewalks account for half of our 160 feet elevation gain. That’s some tough climbing, folks!

At around mile 18, we stopped at Einstein’s Coffee and Bagel Shoppe for a break from the sun and wind, which was their typical self this morning - bright and gusty.

After consuming one package of cheese crackers and then a quick visit to the latrine, we shoved off in the general direction of where we began this morning's entertaining bike ride, the intersection of Stirling Road and Hiatus Road in beautiful Cooper City, Florida USA.  

Happy Independence Day!

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1464991


NEIGHBORHOOD 5K WALK

After noticing numerous Independence Day 5K’s taking place around town, I decided to make up my own right here in my neighborhood.  The only drawback was, I didn't earn a run/walk t-shirt to add to the hundreds that already clog up my dresser-drawers and closet.  Maybe not receiving a shirt was a good thing. 

I didn't really push myself during this walk.  Wisely, I stuck to my plan of speed-walking every two minutes for 30 only seconds.  When I wasn't speed-walking, I was doing what some people call “power-walking,” which amounts to walking a bit faster than my normal walk.

Average Temperature was 88F with the real feel at 96F.  There were no clouds to protect the old body from the sun, which means that I better get myself in that shower and wash off the gobs of sunscreen that I rubbed on my face, neck and head.

Adios mi amigos…           

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/337590327 

EASY BIKE RIDE

This morning’s bike ride was a hot, easy-breezy ride with Ed and Gary. The three of us agreed before pedal-up time that we were going to take it easy because of the ruthless heat and steady wind. We even allowed the elevation gains and the 15-20 mph wind to slow us down. Imagine that!

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/336939219

http://app.strava.com/activities/64468978

NATURE PRESERVE BIKE RIDE

After escorting my wife for 5 ½ miles while she did a training run, I hooked up with Sandy, Tom and Greg at the meet-up spot for a small group ride. Ed and Gary were there as well, but they did not ride with our group of four.

After our coffee break at Einstein’s Bagel Shop, we rode through the town of Weston in route to the Chapel Trail Nature Preserve. http://tinyurl.com/mongakt

After standing at the end of the raised walkway for fifteen minutes, enjoying the steady wind that was coming across the marsh at a good 20 to 25 mph, we rode directly east on Sheridan Street (into the wind) all the way to Flamingo Road – at which time I parted from the group, headed south on Flamingo Road, and then extended my morning’s ride by riding through CB Smith County Park.

For me, this was a difficult ride – especially the second half. The heat index was at 97 and the wind was coming in from the SSE at 17 to 25 mph. I was hungry, I was hot, and my leg muscles burned. But I still enjoyed myself, and that’s what mostly counts.

The group’s overall pace was 13.5 mph – my overall pace, which includes 10 miles of sidewalk riding, was a measly 11.2 mph.

I blame the wind!

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1456268