HURRAY FOR THE WINTER SOLSTICE!
Sunday, December 21, 2014
From here on out until June 21, we get a few more minutes of daylight each day!
JMH
Sunday, December 21, 2014
COLD WITH LIGHT SLEET...
12 Mile Ride Through the Corning Riverfront Preserve
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Two things this year have made it very clear to me that I enjoy biking but I don't love it in the way I love running and snowshoeing... the first was finding stretches of the Maine Lighthouse Century ride just plain tedious. Hours of riding along country roads with the prospect of hours more to go... sigh. Thank heavens a good chunk of the 2nd half was along the seacoast so at least there was some interesting and (for me) unusual scenery.
The second was getting out of the car today at the Corning Preserve, setting off into the damp cold and mild sleet, with my hands burning after I'd barely started, and thinking how nice it would be to cut the ride short and go back home. Honestly, if I wasn't struggling to hit 2000 miles before the end of the year, I probably would have done just that. Riding on a grey, damp, cold winter day just isn't all that appealing to me.
The ride did get better once I'd warmed up, enough so that I did a second loop down through the riverfront park before loading the bike up, cranking up the heat, and heading back home. But if it wasn't for needing the miles to hopefully make that goal - I would have been much happier going for a run today.
JMH
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
THE SNOW SURE IS PRETTY...
4 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
OK, 90+ minutes to ride 4 miles is definitely nothing to brag about... but there were extenuating circumstances, like the 2-3 inches or of very wet, dense snow I was riding through... and the wind blowing even more snow in my face for half the ride. It was slow, tough going and had me seriously questioning my decision to drive all the way to the bike path for what I quickly realized would be a much shorter ride than I had hoped for.
Actually, I was lucky to be riding at all... I tried going off the section that had been been plowed the day before, where the snow was more like 8 inches deep and found myself making no headway at all.
But on the plus side, the snow-covered trees were very nice to look at, and it sure was peaceful... if I had started earlier (it was getting dark by the time I finished) I probably would have stayed out for a few more miles.
JMH
4 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
OK, 90+ minutes to ride 4 miles is definitely nothing to brag about... but there were extenuating circumstances, like the 2-3 inches or of very wet, dense snow I was riding through... and the wind blowing even more snow in my face for half the ride. It was slow, tough going and had me seriously questioning my decision to drive all the way to the bike path for what I quickly realized would be a much shorter ride than I had hoped for.
Actually, I was lucky to be riding at all... I tried going off the section that had been been plowed the day before, where the snow was more like 8 inches deep and found myself making no headway at all.
But on the plus side, the snow-covered trees were very nice to look at, and it sure was peaceful... if I had started earlier (it was getting dark by the time I finished) I probably would have stayed out for a few more miles.
JMH
Tuesday, December 09, 2014
Sunday, December 07, 2014
Saturday, December 06, 2014
A THOROUGHLY UNPLEASANT
AFTERNOON & EVENING
Saturday, December 6, 2014
I had hoped to stop somewhere along the way to CT for another short walk, but the rain got heavier pretty quickly as I headed south... I'm glad I went out earlier today, and I was lucky that it had eased off at that point. Even the drive wasn't particularly pleasant, between the rain and the idiotic way many of my fellow drivers behave behind the wheel.
I find traveling at this time of the year somewhat frustrating... I got to my motel in CT a little after 5 PM and even if it hadn't been raining steadily, I wouldn't have had many options for being outdoors, since it was already dark. Two more weeks and we start regaining a few minutes of daylight each day...
JMH
AFTERNOON & EVENING
Saturday, December 6, 2014
I had hoped to stop somewhere along the way to CT for another short walk, but the rain got heavier pretty quickly as I headed south... I'm glad I went out earlier today, and I was lucky that it had eased off at that point. Even the drive wasn't particularly pleasant, between the rain and the idiotic way many of my fellow drivers behave behind the wheel.
I find traveling at this time of the year somewhat frustrating... I got to my motel in CT a little after 5 PM and even if it hadn't been raining steadily, I wouldn't have had many options for being outdoors, since it was already dark. Two more weeks and we start regaining a few minutes of daylight each day...
JMH
COLD & RAINY... BLEAH
0.6 Mile Walk at Six Mile Waterworks Park
0.8 Mile Walk at Buckingham Pond
Saturday, December 6, 2014
I couldn't summon the motivation to go for a run or a ride in the cold, steady rain this morning... guess it was just as well I cancelled my trip to NJ to run the 1st of the Winter Series trail races, though it would have been nice to run through Lewis Morris Park in a different season (I ran there back in June.)
Instead I took care of some errands and then went for two short walks... first along the shore of Rensellaer Lake, at Six Mile Waterworks Park, and then one lap around Buckingham Pond. I would have done at least one more lap around Buckingham, but it was getting late and I didn't want to get on the road to CT too late in the afternoon.
One plus to the lousy weather - not many people out on the trails!
JMH
0.6 Mile Walk at Six Mile Waterworks Park
0.8 Mile Walk at Buckingham Pond
Saturday, December 6, 2014
I couldn't summon the motivation to go for a run or a ride in the cold, steady rain this morning... guess it was just as well I cancelled my trip to NJ to run the 1st of the Winter Series trail races, though it would have been nice to run through Lewis Morris Park in a different season (I ran there back in June.)
Instead I took care of some errands and then went for two short walks... first along the shore of Rensellaer Lake, at Six Mile Waterworks Park, and then one lap around Buckingham Pond. I would have done at least one more lap around Buckingham, but it was getting late and I didn't want to get on the road to CT too late in the afternoon.
One plus to the lousy weather - not many people out on the trails!
JMH
Wednesday, December 03, 2014
8 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Well, that was annoying. I was about 6 miles into a fairly pleasant ride when it started raining lightly... which had me questioning if I wanted to continue on past the lot where my car was parked. The question became moot about a mile later when it started raining pretty steadily - and I was riding into the wind, no less. It's one thing to keep riding in the rain during the day... doing so at night is just masochistic. So I ended my ride after doing about half the distance I'd planned and headed back home a bit earlier than I'd expected.
Hopefully the weather will be decent enough this weekend that I can get some riding in after the races I'm running Saturday and Sunday mornings...
JMH
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Well, that was annoying. I was about 6 miles into a fairly pleasant ride when it started raining lightly... which had me questioning if I wanted to continue on past the lot where my car was parked. The question became moot about a mile later when it started raining pretty steadily - and I was riding into the wind, no less. It's one thing to keep riding in the rain during the day... doing so at night is just masochistic. So I ended my ride after doing about half the distance I'd planned and headed back home a bit earlier than I'd expected.
Hopefully the weather will be decent enough this weekend that I can get some riding in after the races I'm running Saturday and Sunday mornings...
JMH
Monday, December 01, 2014
20.9 Mile Ride on the Mohawk Hudson Bike Path
Monday, December 1, 2014
In theory this was a great December afternoon for ride, with temperatures in the low 40's... until the wind was factored in. Heading west was tough going... but on the flipside, turning around and heading east was great...
Riding today meant that I've now been out on my bike at some point during every month of 2014. I don't know that I've ever managed to do that before... January and February are usually tough months for me riding... I also rode far enough tonight that I have 75 miles left to ride in the next 30 days, to hit 2000 miles before the end of the year. It's definitely doable... if the weather cooperates and the bike paths remain clear.
JMH
Monday, December 1, 2014
In theory this was a great December afternoon for ride, with temperatures in the low 40's... until the wind was factored in. Heading west was tough going... but on the flipside, turning around and heading east was great...
Riding today meant that I've now been out on my bike at some point during every month of 2014. I don't know that I've ever managed to do that before... January and February are usually tough months for me riding... I also rode far enough tonight that I have 75 miles left to ride in the next 30 days, to hit 2000 miles before the end of the year. It's definitely doable... if the weather cooperates and the bike paths remain clear.
JMH
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