Checkpoints

Incline leg press - 300lbs
My run today felt like a run, not a plod.

You know those hard foam roller things, that you can use to work the lactic acid out? I've used them, to no perceptible gain. Last night, my legs were just so achy and sore, I dragged the roller out and used it. It really worked this time!

The garage is painted

whew.

I really am going to paint the garage...

As I'm planning to be riding all next weekend, have to get the points in this weekend :-)



SO, yesterday was the Portland Velo ride, then I came home and primed the garage. Looks better than it has EVER (and we've lived in this house since 1980).

Fitz was golfing today, and I was going to paint. You'd think there was a paint color called "Garage", and you'd just go to Home Depot and buy it. No. The Architect-in-Residence (for another couple of weeks) thinks it should be a light green. Or a gray. Or a terra-cotta. I'm for plain white - the garage needs all the brightening it can get. So, Fitz went to Home Depot this morning. The ceiling will be white. The walls will be Navaho White.

And with best intentions, yesterday evening, I checked my email. Partner-in-cycling-adventures Cecil was up for a bike ride (gee, what a surprise). After letting her know that I could't go for a long one, we agreed to meet at my house at 10:30 and do "something".

And such a nice day for a "something", too. We crossed over Hwy 26 at the pedestrian bridge, and climbed up to Skyline via 119th/McDaniel/Laidlaw. Brief stop at the development with the street names "Appellate Way" and "Supreme Ct", for Cecil to get some pictures. Then west on Skyline to Old Cornelius Pass. I have NEVER seen so many cyclists riding on Skyline in one day. It seemed that every cyclist in the area was up there!

Glorious view from Skyline School.

Then crossing Cornelius Pass (very scary. I'd sooner cross Hwy 26 at Frogger Junction!) and down Old Cornelius Pass, then west on Phillips, stopping to admire the cute baby llamas in the llama herd.







South on Helvetia. Note to self - do not be anywhere NEAR Helvetia Rd the weekend before Halloween. Every person not riding a bike has gone to the Roloff's pumpkin patch (yes, the Little People, Big World folks) and is driving too fast on Helvetia, which is two lanes, no shoulder, and ditches. Pretty much ok they rest of the year.

A stop at Longbottom's (pumpkin pecan scone to share), then east on Evergreen (second scariest part of ride - going through the shopping center), south on 173rd, east on Walker, cutting over to get into the neighborhood north, after 153rd. And then home, the usual way.

Now I've got a bike store errand, then I'll paint... Really.

The Portland Velo Fall Colors Ride

I wish I had taken my camera...

From the summit of Plumlee, we could look to the south, and see the pond, vineyards turned fall gold, deciduous trees in a variety of colors, plowed fields, and nursery stock in strips of gold, orange and red.

Riding through the Fernhill Wetlands, we saw a heron flying just above the waterway.

Berryfields on Hornecker all glowing red-gold.

The sky was brilliant fall blue. NICE day for a ride!

The Aqua-Cyclist Ride

Portland Velo had an easy 35 mile out and back on Dairy Creek Rd today. Cecil and I (both aqua-cyclists, who ride aqua bicycles) thought we'd do it, riding to the start.

Met Cecil heading down to my house (guess she got to the meet point first). It was raining. The forecast was rain, downpours, rain, rain, rain... And high 40's-low 50's. Ooooh, perfect.

Headed west; my right foot was starting to get a bit damp. Hmm. New booties, too. Forded Lake Evergreen. The water was probably almost up to my bottom bracket. Feet went into the water, pedaling (slowly). So now both feet were wet. Arrived at Longbottom's to find an empty parking lot, and John saying: "folks are inside. The ride has been called off." Cecil wanted something hot to drink, so we went in. Goodness, those Portland Velo folks look nice in their matching breakfast outfits. A group of 10 came by, and then left for the ride (race team, I think) We did some Showers Pass jacket endorsements. After assuring everyone that, yes, we WERE in fact riding, and having some coffee and a bit of scone (and wringing out gloves and socks), we started out.

(Rickey, we MISSED you!)

It was a nice ride. Kent A joined us for awhile as we headed up Dairy Creek Rd, but took off when I stopped to eat at the turn around. The fall colors on Dairy Creek are looking good; don't know how much longer they'll last.

Headed back out Dairy Creek, then pulled over at the (defunct) store to put on dry gloves. Cecil thought she'd wring everything out at the point, and Mike G came by as we were lightening our socks and gloves. Our shoes were sopped, but we couldn't squeeze them out. Pulled on dry gloves, and continued east.

Stopped at Longbottom's briefly, only to run into Fitz (!) who had just dropped Brian off at Hillsboro Stadium for the marching band competition (poor kids). Off again, heading home.

We elected to turn left in front of Nike to get off Walker Rd - lots of traffic, heavy rain, and bike lanes full of tree debris and wet leaves.

Cecil and I concluded that we are a very bad influence on each other, and hope it will continue for a good long time. We do much stupider stuff together than we ever would separately.

Up the Park Way hill, then I turned off to go home, and Cecil headed out for her last 10 miles.

Epilog: 55.7 miles. Hot shower, very tingly toes. Hot soup.

Replaceable parts

My Lemond Zurich is approximately 270 miles shy of 10,000 miles. In that time, it has had 2 chains, a rear hub overhaul, and tires and tubes. That's it.

I was starting to wonder a bit about the integrity of the rims. A few folks took a look; recommendations were varied. (Wheelsets are Not Cheap).

As it also needed a new seatpost bolt and a bar-end plug, I rode it over to Bike Gallery in Beaverton for those little bits, and to get an expert reading on the wheels.

We started out with the easy stuff - a bolt for my seatpost clamp and Buzz Kills to replace the bar-end plugs, along with a conversation with Marc M, fellow aqua-cyclist from Portland Velo.

Then Mark P (my go-to bike mechanic at BG) took a look at the rims. Marc M was "you got 10,000 miles on your wheels?" Mark P - "these are pretty worn", plus comments about catastrophic failures on a ride (one in a year is plenty, thank you!), etc, etc. Plus the chain was worn, and a new cassette (also original) would probably not be a bad idea.

They had some Bontrager Race specials - complete wheels with tires and tubes, for a very good price. We figured my original Bontrager Race Lites were now the Bontrager Race :-) The wheels looked identical, so if anything, it was a slightly different rim.

As I rode over, the work would have to be done there, or I'd have to bring the bike back. Mark had time, so I sat and adjusted my helmet straps, and he swapped everything out. I did have my Conti GP 4 Season tires put on the new rims - no need to use the new tires until I'd worn out the old ones.

Then I got the standard lecture on "you need new brake pads", which I promised to put on this afternoon :-), and your shift cable is fraying (ok, new one of those, too).

Off to swap the brake pads for Kool-Stop dual compound ones...

On Persistence

stubborness. endurance. persistence. 99.9% slow-twitch muscles.

There have been two rando rides recently, where riders generally much faster than me have started, but not finished. It has been mentioned, "well, if Lynne can do it..." with the unspoken subtext "anyone can do it" or "it can't be THAT hard".