Short Ride with Judy

Rode the short ride via Crystal and Broadway with Judy today. She let me set the pace, pretty much the same as it has been, but today, don't know if it was from battling the wind, but I got home tired. Up until now my rides had left me feeling refreshed, and I had enjoyed marginal improvement in my ability to sustain an anaerobic effort, and noticeable improvement in recovery rate since my coronary artery stent surgery last July. Today I found I was having to abbreviate my anaerobic bursts, and taking much longer to recover -- more like before my surgery. We'll see what develops in upcoming rides...

Weather: 82°F, sunny, wind: W 20-30mph, moderate humidity
Terrain: rolling, some shade
Distance: 6.3mi
Speed: (avg) 11.8mph; (max) 34mph;
Avg Cadence: 69rpm 

Fun Day with Debbie

Judy and I had a lovely day and a nice ride in Chester today with our dear friend Debbie. I won the "Little Old Lady Award, averaging 10 mph.
Weather: 77°F, sunny, with a gusty wind
Terrain: hilly
Distance: 9mi
Speed: (avg) 10mph; (max) 38mph;
Avg Cadence: 66rpm

Two Little Old Ladies

(by Tony) Had a nice ride with friend and neighbor Preston today between the storm fronts:
Weather: 77°F, cloudy, still, very muggy
Terrain: rolling
Distance: 6.3mi
Speed: (avg) 11.7mph; (max) 36.4mph;
Avg Cadence: 67rpm

A Little Bicycling Ditty

A little bicycling ditty I wrote many moons ago: 'The Black Forest -- a Memory'

► Play 'The Black Forest -- a Memory'

Together up the shady winding paths,
Where tall trees sing in slumber's silent tones,
Laughing, we rode our bicycles alone
High into the silent sleeping clouds
That crowned the mountain up whose side we rode.

And the clouds in their waking yawned and stretched and rained
And rained and rained and poured. And we rode on
Until we dribbled and giggled our way
Into a shed, (placed there, no doubt, for us,)
And ate liverwurst on buttered bread.

A mostly true story inspired by a trip I took as a wee child through the Black Forest in Germany.

Little-Old-Lady Rides Again

(by Tony) Same course as yesterday, but odometer registered .05mi less -- must be riding straighter lines. Cadence, (avg 65rpm,) definitely needs work!

Weather: 90°F, mostly sunny, still, a bit more humid
Terrain: rolling, some shade
Distance: 6.3mi
Speed: (avg) 11.9mph; (max) 34.6mph;
Avg Cadence: 65rpm

A Bearded Little-Old-Lady on his Bicycle

(by Tony) Struck off with greater confidence today. Both legs felt pretty good, though hills are still a challenge, and I still find myself, at times, pedaling in squares, and hitting the chainstay with my affected foot. Did remember how to reset my cyclocomputer, so I did get some stats today:

Weather: 88°F, mostly clear, no wind, dry
Terrain: Rolling, some shade
Distance: 6.4mi
Speed: 11.5mph (I know - little-old-lady pace - but it's what I can do.)

A BEARDED little-old-lady on his bicycle

First Post-Stroke Bike Ride

Got my bicycle out of mothballs for the first time since my stroke last July.  Short hilly ride -- 6 mi -- no stats; didn't remember how to reset my cyclocomputer. Bike performed  flawlessly, (once I put the chain back on,) and my body seemed to do what it was supposed to. My post-stroke balance problems did not seem to affect my riding much, although I did wobble some under 4mph, and I was not as precise on my lines at any speed. Took it easy, and felt pretty good, for the most part. My left-side weakness manifested itself mainly in difficulty maintaining a cadence above 88 rpm without losing rhythm, and a tendency to toe out with my left foot, such that my left heel frequently hit the chainstay. All in all though, I'm pretty happy with this ride, and feel encouraged for the future.