Sunday, November 19, 2006
an uneven november
My personal ride schedule has been a bit rough this month, and it looks like it will be that way for a while longer.
Consider - last week, I was running a little late on my way to the Saturday morning club ride from the fountain downtown. I had misjudged how warm it was, and realized I was wearing too much the moment I wheeled Belle out of the garage. I peeled off a couple of layers of wool and rode hard for downtown.
I felt pretty good about it. Throwing the chain up onto the big ring, I cranked my way up Grace Street, churning away on bigger gears than I normally turn. I got through the lights just right, and all was well until I hit the intersection with Main Street.
It was Veteran's Day, and for the first time ever, there was a parade in downtown Greenwood. It was a short march - probably from about Hampton Plaza down to Oak Street - but it also blocked my way. It took me a minute to pull back out of the line of backed up cars, cut through the parking lot of Main Street United Methodist Church, then down Merriman and working my way the long way around.
I got to the fountain area around 10:18, and yes, they'd gone. I decided I'd see if I could get in a decent solo ride, so I went down the trail and took the usual route out towards Briarwood Road. I met Fred coming the other way on Alexander Road - he was suffering from a bad cold and was heading back in. I decided there was no way I was going to catch the other riders, so I took a left on Mt. Moriah Road.
I headed down Scotch Cross Road towards Ninety Six, but decided to cut the ride short. Hitching Post Road called to me, with its hardpacked dirt leading eventually back to the Canadian Mist Highway. The descent was great - a fast roll down over the dirt, across the little bridge, and then up onto the pavement as I worked my way up the hill. I looked over and saw Christmas decorations taking over a yard.
Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving. Bad enough when the retail world does it, but to see this in someone's yard? Sheesh. I turned and rolled back to take some photos to document the sheer tackiness, then headed back towards Greenwood. I had something like 24 miles for the day when I got home.
Tuesday night I had planned on riding in the woods - until I got home and realized I had forgotten to charge my lights. So much for that. Thursday I remembered to charge my lights, but something came up, so no riding then, either. I had at least gotten in my commuting miles, such as they were.
Yesterday I got to ride, accompanying Jim, John Campbell and Zac Lake, Drew, Dewey and Ann H. on an out and back to Cedar Springs Road. Along the way, I tried to talk Zac into joining me on a ride with Ainsley over the dirt roads in January and February. Campbell tried to take a sign from his own son - the nerve of it! - but Speedy Young Zac promptly caught and dropped him.
We worked our way back to Greenwood, and I pulled in with 36.7 miles for the day. ¶ 7:52 PM
My personal ride schedule has been a bit rough this month, and it looks like it will be that way for a while longer.
Consider - last week, I was running a little late on my way to the Saturday morning club ride from the fountain downtown. I had misjudged how warm it was, and realized I was wearing too much the moment I wheeled Belle out of the garage. I peeled off a couple of layers of wool and rode hard for downtown.
I felt pretty good about it. Throwing the chain up onto the big ring, I cranked my way up Grace Street, churning away on bigger gears than I normally turn. I got through the lights just right, and all was well until I hit the intersection with Main Street.
It was Veteran's Day, and for the first time ever, there was a parade in downtown Greenwood. It was a short march - probably from about Hampton Plaza down to Oak Street - but it also blocked my way. It took me a minute to pull back out of the line of backed up cars, cut through the parking lot of Main Street United Methodist Church, then down Merriman and working my way the long way around.
I got to the fountain area around 10:18, and yes, they'd gone. I decided I'd see if I could get in a decent solo ride, so I went down the trail and took the usual route out towards Briarwood Road. I met Fred coming the other way on Alexander Road - he was suffering from a bad cold and was heading back in. I decided there was no way I was going to catch the other riders, so I took a left on Mt. Moriah Road.
I headed down Scotch Cross Road towards Ninety Six, but decided to cut the ride short. Hitching Post Road called to me, with its hardpacked dirt leading eventually back to the Canadian Mist Highway. The descent was great - a fast roll down over the dirt, across the little bridge, and then up onto the pavement as I worked my way up the hill. I looked over and saw Christmas decorations taking over a yard.
Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving. Bad enough when the retail world does it, but to see this in someone's yard? Sheesh. I turned and rolled back to take some photos to document the sheer tackiness, then headed back towards Greenwood. I had something like 24 miles for the day when I got home.
Tuesday night I had planned on riding in the woods - until I got home and realized I had forgotten to charge my lights. So much for that. Thursday I remembered to charge my lights, but something came up, so no riding then, either. I had at least gotten in my commuting miles, such as they were.
Yesterday I got to ride, accompanying Jim, John Campbell and Zac Lake, Drew, Dewey and Ann H. on an out and back to Cedar Springs Road. Along the way, I tried to talk Zac into joining me on a ride with Ainsley over the dirt roads in January and February. Campbell tried to take a sign from his own son - the nerve of it! - but Speedy Young Zac promptly caught and dropped him.
We worked our way back to Greenwood, and I pulled in with 36.7 miles for the day. ¶ 7:52 PM
