January Review

2010 Mileage: 691

After a day off the bike yesterday I did a couple laps in the park tonight after work. My knee was feeling much better thanks to a little rest. I felt good but the temperature was dropping quickly so I decided to make it a short night.

I racked up 43 laps in the Central Park this month. I also rode in weather ranging from about 10 degrees to in the lower 50's, along with plenty of snow and rain. It was definitely a month of easing back into the saddle and I can slowly feel my endurance coming back. I am getting pretty good at looking at weather.com and knowing exactly how many layers I need to be putting on to keep comfortable for riding. This new skill doesn't mean that I am not looking forward to spring time, because trust me I definitely am.

Snow for a Minute

2010 Mileage: 657

I woke up to some crazy snow coming down here in the city. I even got to ride through a couple inches of accumulation on the bike path this morning. It was a little slow riding the road bike but it was still peaceful and made me wish we got more snow here in the city. Two hours after I opened the shop it warmed up and the snow was all gone. My knee was hurting again today so I met with Per for just one lap in the park and then headed home. I'm going to try some exercises Kate gave me to try and fix this knee problem.

My Day With Leo

2010 Mileage: 639

Today I wasn't able to get out for the long ride I was planning on because I was busy on the computer wrapping up some work. I was able to get out for 3 laps in the park and 35 miles on the day so that was better than nothing. My knee didn't feel great tonight anyways so a shorter day was probably a good thing. Also the day at home gave me lots of time to hang out with Leo (our cat) and he was acting like he has been seriously neglected. That is not the case (he is spoiled like an only child), but he likes to act that way anytime he has the chance to get lots of attention. Needless to say between key strokes today he got more than enough attention.

The temps are supposed to drop in the next few days so I might have some chilly miles and slow days in the shop ahead of me.

...

2010 Mileage: 604

Another five laps in Central Park tonight for 43 miles on the day. It was a little cooler with temps in the upper 30's but still a nice night to ride. There was a group ride of about fifteen guys that I joined in with for my final half lap. They were holding a good pace around 25mph and I felt good that even at the end of my ride I didn't have trouble keeping my place in the pace line. I wish I would have hooked up with them a little earlier in my ride and it would have made today's miles go a lot quicker (literally, I averaged just under 18mph on the day). It is amazing what a difference drafting can make.

The number of cyclists (not commuters and delivery guys) in the park was more than I have seen since I got back on the bike after New Year's. I wonder if that is a sign that Spring is approaching. The snow in the forecast for Saturday would probably contradict my previous line of reasoning.

Lovely Weather

2010 Mileage: 561

We had a lovely (I am being sarcastic and actually mean soggy) day here in New York City.
Along with the rain came slightly warmer weather so when the rain stopped right as I was leaving work it made for some pretty nice riding. My gear was still soaked from the ride to the shop in the morning but with the weather in the 50's it didn't bother me too much. I wanted to take advantage of the warm weather and did 5 laps in the park for 50 miles on the day. It is amazing how relative warm is. I dreaded temperatures dropping in to the low 50's in the fall and now I cherish them. I didn't even have a bottle with me which was probably a bad idea but I felt good tonight and think I may be on the verge of getting back in shape (although "in shape" is very relative as well).

I Didn't Fall

2010 Mileage: 501

Last night Lindsay met me at the shop after work and we wandered up to Central Park for some ice skating. It was a fun hour of skating and Lindsay even did a little showing off as you can see below. Her spins can be a little more impressive (I can vouch for this fact) but she had to stop them a little prematurely due to the fact that she was wearing a skirt.

I am not nearly as impressive but I managed to not fall and I didn't even need to hold Lindsay's hand the whole time to accomplish this feat.

Today was another day with Linz. We met with my Uncle Roy, Aunt Joelle and cousins Liz and Matt for a very nice lunch. It was great to see them and we also got the tour of Matt's new apartment on the Upper West Side. We then walked across Central Park to Crate and Barrel for more wedding registering. I am considering going out for a ride tonight but that is going to require I get some motivation very soon here.

Commuter Cross #3

2010 Mileage: 496

Tonight was back onto the cyclocross bike for more stair running and hay bail barriers with Luca and Per in Riverside Park. I felt much stronger than on the first two of these rides. I also managed to keep my cell phone safely zipped in my pocket this ride. I ended up with 36 miles on the day between the Riverside Park riding, a few laps in Central Park and my commute.

Tomorrow night will be one year since Lindsay and I got engaged. We are planning on heading back to Wollman Rink for some ice skating and then out to dinner after. I am excited for our night out together and I just hope I can manage not to fall out on the ice.

Out to Piermont

2010 Mileage: 460

I dusted off the road bike last night for close to a hundred miles in the last two days.

Last night after work I rode four laps in the park with Per for 36 miles on the day. The amount of runners in Central Park on Tuesday nights is absolutely insane. I think every runner in New York City must meet there to run on Tuesday nights. Other than the crowd it was business as usual in the park, although the miles felt a lot easier (and went by faster, literally) on the road bike than on the tank I have been riding.

Today the weather was a little colder but still sunny and not too bad (high 30's, low 40's). The day started off great with sleeping in until 9:30 followed by a big breakfast and a good cup of coffee. I guess I need to point out that the good cup of coffee is probably what made this a great morning since I have been out of coffee at home for over a week and we have been drinking Maxwell House in the shop lately. There is nothing wrong with Maxwell House but it is definitely not Starbucks Sumatra. After breakfast I bundled up and headed out to make my way back up to the GW Bridge. Thankfully it was open today and I was able to ride 9w out to Piermont (and then back of course) for 58 miles on the day. The ride went well. I had the right amount of layers on, brought enough food and drank enough water.

I am hoping to do a few more rides of this distance and longer in the next few weeks. It was tough today as I haven't done that kind of distance in awhile, but I really enjoyed riding something out of the ordinary and getting away from the city.

...

2010 Mileage: 366

3 laps in the park and 31 miles on the day. The weather in the forties was a nice treat. All in all it was a pretty uneventful day. I'm hoping to avoid the rain tomorrow but we will see if I can actually be so lucky.

Not Worth It

2010 Mileage: 335

After an incredibly long and slow day at the shop I decided to head over to Central Park. This was a bad decision. I managed to get in one miserable lap before my feet were completely soaked and going numb. I don't know what I was thinking riding in 37 degrees and rain without shoe covers. The rest of my body felt fine but my feet made me head home early. I think cold and rainy is the worst weather there is. If it would just be 5 degrees colder it would snow and that would be wonderful.

Well the weather is supposed to be nice today so hopefully I can get a few more miles in after work today.

Thank You Luca

2010 Mileage: 315

Yesterday was Luca's second commuter cross ride. I at least had a better idea of what I was in for this time and made sure I ate properly before the ride. The ride was going great and we even had a bit of open field riding and some makeshift hay bail barriers in the mix. The outside temperature was also a lot more comfortable than the first ride. We stopped for a breather after about an hour of riding and I reached in to the back of my jersey to grab out my phone to snap a picture and to my dismay there was no phone there. If you know me you know that I tend to lose my phone way too often and I am out of insurance replacements until October so this was not a good thing. Luca, Per and I split up trying to retrace our steps and find the phone. I ended up all the way back to near where we met up and was begin to think that this was phone number two gone this month. Then I see Per riding up to me and he tells me that Luca is right behind him and Luca had found the phone. They had checked out a stair set that I had forgot about and found my phone there. This was a huge relief and made my night that much better. We finished with a lap around the park and I got home with 33 miles on the day.

I owe both of them some good beer for helping me look like they did (beer is a lot cheaper than a new phone would have been). Luca can pick his growler of choice from Kate and Andrew's favorite place in New York (Kate is my sister and Andrew is her boyfriend).

Today was a day off (both work and the bike) with Lindsay. We did a little babysitting on the Upper East Side and then headed over to Williams Sonoma to get the first of our registering done. That was a lot of fun and Lindsay even let me control the scanner gun contraption.

I am not looking forward to the combination of rain and sleet that we are supposed to get tomorrow, especially after the beautiful weather we had today. Maybe the weather channel will be wrong and I can get a few miles in after work tomorrow night.

Enjoying The Park

2010 Mileage: 282

I was planning on heading out to Central Park for a couple laps after work. I got a call from Per as I was leaving the shop (it was his day off) saying he wanted to meet up for the ride. Riding with someone else made two laps become four pretty easily so with four laps and my commute I had 36 miles on the day in a little over two hours. I made sure I ate before leaving the shop and felt much better in that regard as well.

I also came to the decision tonight on my ride home from the park that I am going to stop complaining about how repetitive and crowded the park can be and embrace its good qualities. I should be grateful that less than a mile from work I have a clean, well paved and (usually) automobile free loop to ride that is over six miles long. If I can ride elsewhere, and by elsewhere I mean get out of the city, I of course will, but I am resolving to be thankful for Central Park as a cycling loop. I would like to mention that I have always loved Central Park for everything else it has to offer. I even proposed to Lindsay at Wollman Ice Skating Rink in the park almost a year ago now (you can read the story here).

Note to Self: Eat More Before I Ride

2010 Mileage: 246

Today's ride didn't really go as planned. I was hoping to go over the GWB, grab some food and get some miles in on the other side of the Hudson. I got up to the bridge to find it closed and my stomach getting mad at me. I then paid a visit to the little red lighthouse under the bridge and ate the fiber one bar I had with me to try and remedy the fact that my breakfast was way too small.

I then headed back to, where else, Central Park. Rode 2 and a half laps in the park and then grabbed some food at the Deli across the street from the shop to be able to make it the five miles home without totally bonking. Only did 41 miles on the day, not what I hoped for but it is better than nothing. I need to eat more before I ride so I can stop having the problem of struggling mid-ride because my body isn't properly fueled.

It's supposed to hit 40 degrees out tomorrow and this cold spell (cold for New York City) is supposed to lift so I'm hoping the ice is gonna melt off the Hudson and the riding will become a little easier.

More Central Park

2010 Mileage: 205

I rode four laps in Central Park tonight for 38 miles on the day. I had Per and Luca to keep me company for most of the ride. Having the park so close to work is great for getting in night miles, but it can get a little repetitive and I am looking forward to something different tomorrow on my day off. We also didn't get the snow I was looking forward to. I left my knobby tires on my bike yesterday in anticipation of the snow and of course we didn't get it. Tomorrow morning before my ride I am planning on throwing on some slicks to make the ride a little easier, so with no snow on the forecast we will probably get 4 inches.

As far as work goes, spring can't get here soon enough. Let's just say I went through a couple hundred individual bicycle pedals from a bin in the mechanics area to pick out pairs and clean them up, or simply remove screws and other salvageable parts from the broken ones. After this endeavor I then went on to reorganize the clothing for no apparent reason, which then lead to reorganizing shoes and helmets, and then kids bikes. So basically about a third of the store. Per helped a bit with this and also stripped an old mountain bike of its completely useless parts for no reason other than to fill the time. Well I think you get the point, Winter in the bike shop can be a little slow.

Be Grateful for Your Riding Partner(s)

2010 Mileage: 167

Rode three laps in Central Park with Per after work today for a total of 31 miles on the day. Riding with someone else this time of year makes the time go much faster and the cold not seem quite as bad. Per is my normal riding partner here in New York and in the past we made sure we had some of the same days off so we could get in longer rides together. Now that we run the bicycle shop together one of us is always there which makes my day off rides much lonelier, but I must say I am still grateful to have him there for those after work rides (we both still haven't figured out how to get up early enough to get any mileage in the morning other than our commute) even if they are only a few laps. I also have to mention that I am grateful to have him there on the painfully slow days in the shop (like today) as well. I guess what I am saying is that it is good to have a friend/riding partner like Per and I am looking forward to Spring.

If it is going to be cold we should at least get the best part of it, fresh snow. I love riding to work with fresh snow on the ground so I am hoping that the forecast is correct and we're getting some in the early morning. It will be a nasty slush by tomorrow night but at least it will be enjoyable for about a half hour or so. Gotta love being a cyclist in New York City.

Harlem Hill

2010 Mileage: 136

I was finally able to get some real time in the saddle today. I wanted to ride Saturday but was instead stuck in front of a computer screen learning how to create and publish a website through a long process of trial and error. Even though it was dark by the time I left work tonight and I had nobody to ride with I still just wanted to spend some time on the bike.

I headed for Central Park with no real goal in mind and started on my first loop. I didn't think I would have time to get in that many laps so at the north end after doing Harlem Hill once I decided to loop back and do a repeat or two. Next thing I knew I was on repeat number six and decided to keep going from there and make it an even ten times around the Harlem Hill loop in Central Park today. I finished my lap and headed home for 32 miles on the day and about two hours in the saddle.

For some strange reason Harlem Hill always seemed like a challenge to me before today. It is not very steep or long (about 1/3 mile and 4.4% avg grade), especially compared to my favorite climb in the area, Alpine Hill Climb (1.4 miles and 7.3% avg grade). Maybe it is that I know I should be able to climb Harlem Hill faster if I would just lose a few lbs. where as Alpine makes everyone suffer (in a good way) regardless. Well the goal today wasn't speed but the climbs felt good and I'm not feeling it yet. Although I hope I do feel it in the morning, a little suffering means you are doing something right.

Commuter Cross

2010 Mileage: 99

Last night was Luca's inaugural "Commuter Cross" ride. I must say it was nothing like what I expected. It was pretty much 20 miles of paved paths that I think bikes are not allowed on in Riverside Park combined with climbing more stairs than I would care to count. It was a fun ride as most are with Per and Luca and we are considering making it a weekly ride. Running up and down stairs while carrying my winter/cyclocross/beater bike is not an easy task as the converted early 90's trek hybrid must be weighing in at over 30lbs. I also need to rethink the footwear for this ride as mountain clipless shoes can be a little slippery on pavement as Per and I both learned.

On a side note Lindsay and I are trying to book our honeymoon and are having a little trouble finding a place. We are trying to find something all inclusive in the Caribbean so if anyone has any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated.

First Real Ride of 2010

2010 mileage: 69

Well I was off work today and did my first mileage other than my daily commute. It was a short 29 miles that took me about two hours. It was slow and I could tell I haven't done any real riding in way too long. I went up the west side and over the GW bridge and back. I was considering riding my favorite road around, Henry Hudson Parkway on the Jersey Side, but the ice and impending sunset shortened the ride.
Tomorrow Luca claims to have a cyclocross loop planned out for us in Central Park after work. This could be interesting considering bikes aren't allowed off the main roads in the park and there is snow in the forecast. I'll let you know how it goes.

Here It Goes

If you are reading this you probably already know me and my story but I'll give a brief rundown for those of you who don't. I live in New York City with my fiancee Lindsay and our lovable and lazy cat Leo. I manage a bicycle shop in Hell's Kitchen. I was born and raised in Oakland County Michigan and about a year ago moved to New York to get engaged to the love of my life and we are getting married in May of this year.

Now I will get on to the two reasons I am starting this blog.
1) I am not always good at staying in touch with those close to me so this is going to be another attempt to fill them in on the goings on in my life.
2) I set a new year's resolution/goal of 10,000 miles on the bicycle in 2010. I have never set a mileage goal before so I will see how it goes and keep people updated. I think that this should be a reasonable goal with my weekly commute coming out to 50 miles but like I said, I'll see how it goes.

Thanks to all who read and I hope you enjoy.