2021 mileage: 2538.5
Ended April today by being able to get back outside again. It was comfortable riding outside in shorts (45° when I started at 11:15, up to 52° at the end), even though I was fighting an energetic wind (15-22 mph out of the northwest).
I rode the Packard/Platt Square (13.7 miles) in 1:26.
2021 mileage: 2524.8
On this day we are experiencing a pretty much daylong cold rain. Consequently I was forced to ride on the stationary bike in our home, and was very glad for that option.
I was doubly challenged technically today. First, the cable connecting my battery to the phone was not working, and as I cannot do a longer ride without being plugged in to the battery, I had to remedy that. Fortunately, I recalled that a couple of weeks ago I had ordered a backup cable from Amazon just in case of such a need—I retrieved that, and voila! I was soon back in business.
Secondly, when I watch video during a ride, I rotate the phone 90° so that I can place it on the magnifying screen that we have, and it automatically rotates the view from "portrait orientation" to "landscape orientation." However, today, the view would not change, no matter what I did. I was finally able to research the condition using Google, however, and take care of it by accessing the phone's Control Center and changing one setting.
Anyway, as a result of these setbacks, my time to ride was limited, so rather than watching the entire movie The Sound of Music (one of my favorites), I could only watch a bit over half of it, riding 20.0 miles in 1:42.
I forgot to mention yesterday that my ride put me over 2500 miles for the year. As my goal for 2021 is 5000 miles, I should be very encouraged to have gotten halfway there before the end of April—and, in fact, I am. However, if history has taught me anything, it's that I can probably count on some stretch later this year when I can't ride due to mechanical or medical issues (or both), so I'm trying to bank as many miles as possible now.
2021 mileage: 2504.8
Today I began my ride at 9:00 a.m., fully intending to ride to Matthei Botanical Gardens. It was going well early on, and I was encouraged. But then a bit less than an hour into the ride, it began to rain, so I stopped at Lillie Park (about 8 miles into my ride) to check the forecast.
The Weather Channel on my iPhone said that the rain was due to linger for a couple of hours. It was light, but still bothersome, turning my glasses into prisms—so I cut back on my plans and "just" rode the Platt/Packard Square (13.7 miles) in 1:37.
I know this is still a substantial and worthwhile ride ... but it certainly pales in the face of the 30+ miles I had wanted to do!
As I approached home, riding in front of Briarwood Mall, I got these pictures of trees looking springlike.
While riding, I listened to John Denver. I love so many of his songs—Rocky Mountain High;Thank God I'm a Country Boy; Take Me Home, Country Roads; Grandma's Feather Bed; Matthew; This Old Guitar. Today I was particularly struck by Annie's Song, which he wrote for a woman named Annie Martell who became his wife, and which I had memorized and played and sang to my former wife (my children's mother) many times. I am saddened that I never got to sing it to Michelle.
I have no Relive video to share today—Relive issued me an apologetic statement, saying that they were sorry as they knew I really wanted the video, but occasionally they run into technical issues with the data that make it impossible to create the video.
2021 mileage: 2491.1
We have experienced a dramatic warm up in the last 24 hours. I began yesterday at 11:15 in 42° conditions; today when I started at 12:15 it was 71°, and up to 76° when I finished, and it's supposed to get over 80° this afternoon.
With this weather, I wanted to ride my long ride to Matthei Botanical Gardens today. But just as I was preparing to leave, I noticed that my phone's charger had come unplugged, and it was not charged up fully. As it would be quite calamitous for me to need to contact someone for emergency assistance on the road and be unable to, I felt it necessary to charge the phone before leaving. Because of other schedule issues, that made it too late for me today to do the long ride (3:45, give or take), so I cut my plans back and just rode the Packard/Platt Square, reveling in the new warmth. This gave me 13.7 miles in 1:37, and though it left me shy of 2500 miles for the year, I should easily make that mark tomorrow.
2021 mileage: 2487.4
Today I waited until 11:15 to ride so that it could warm up a bit (although at 42°, I wouldn't really call it "warm") and rode a round trip to Baker Rd. (19.2 miles today, in 2:06). Today the wind was out of the east—12 mph when I finished, but it felt like more than that at times while I was out there—and that was unusual. It meant that I had it at my back on the way TO Dexter, but was riding into it on the way home, so that the first half was significantly faster (and considerably easier) than the final half.
2021 mileage: 2468.2
Wanting to ride early again today, I began at 7:10, and while the 42° temperature was by no means intolerable, the healthy 17 mph wind out of the west-northwest presented quite a challenge. I didn't notice it so much in the early miles of my ride, which was south and east, but then during the latter half, as I struggled into it, it really cut down my speed.
Since I did a longer ride yesterday (22+ miles), I scaled back today and rode the Platt/Packard Square (13.7 miles) in a brisk time of 1:27. And, going back to my boyhood, I listened to a playlist I've created featuring song hits of the sixties. I was inspired by this t-shirt that I got recently:
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2021 mileage: 2454.5
Today, I needed to ride early in order to beat the rain that's moving in. So I left at 7:30 (at that, a half hour later than I had intended) and rode a round trip to Matthei Botanical Gardens. However, I shortened it significantly, and instead of my normal round trip of 31+ miles, today was 22.8 miles (in 2:34).
This truncation was achieved by riding the long east-west axis on the sidewalk beside Eisemhower/Packard, rather than going all the way south to Textile Rd. and then riding the path beside it, as I usually do.
I went through Gallup Park both on my way to Matthei and on my return home, and on this later leg I got a picture of the canoe rental area in the park, on the Huron River.
The temperature was enjoyably refreshing when I began (42°), and up to 53° by the end.
2021 mileage: 2431.7
I went out at 11:00 a.m. today, and rode a round trip to Baker Rd. The wind, still out of the west, had abated somewhat from earlier in the week, but it was still vigorous enough to provide me with a good hearty challenge on the outbound leg of my ride, toward Dexter.
I took a very slightly shorter route home, in order to stop by the library and pick up a book I had requested. (They have arranged for contactless pickup for patrons.) But this still gave me a good solid ride of 19.1 miles, in 2:08. It also put me over another milestone (of a sort), as I now have over 200 hours of elapsed riding time for the year.
2021 mileage: 2412.6
Today is the 51st anniversary of the first Earth Day, which occurred in April 1970. I was then a seventh grader, and I remember it quite clearly. So it was good to be able to do an outdoor ride today.
It ALMOST didn't happen, though. When I began (at 11:00 a.m.), I figured I'd have no trouble with the 42° temperature, fortified by my St. Olaf Choir fleece over a hoodie, and my gloves. But what I didn't reckon with was the brisk, snappy 14 mph wind out of the west. When I stepped out into it, I very nearly decided to turn around and go ride inside on our stationary bike today.
I'm glad, however, that I persevered, and rode the Packard/Platt Square (13.4 miles) in 1:26. I experienced an unfortunate incident, however, about 2 miles into the ride. I came up behind a man walking a small dog. The walkway was wide at that point, and I slowed and gave him a wide berth. However, he was evidently startled by my passing him without a verbal warning (which, of course, I can't give), and as I pulled away from him, he called out angrily, in a gravelly voice, "Say something, bitch!"
Precisely in the event of such occasions, I had a nice air horn mounted on my old trike, but it died a few years ago. I got a new one, but never was able to get it installed on my old trike, and I'll have to redouble my efforts now to see if I can't get it onto the new one.
I felt very badly about having left him with this negative impression, but of course could have done nothing anyway, so I just threw my hand up in acknowledgment of having heard him, and kept on riding. This was balanced, though, and to some degree washed away from my thoughts, by a nice occurrence about 2 miles before I finished. I came up behind my friend Doug Franklin (as I have several times previously) on his daily walk, and I called out as best I could, "Hi, Doug!" Knowing me and my verbal capabilities well, he called out heartily, as I passed him, "Hello, Allen!"
I reached a new mileage milestone for the year today, too (2400), and with a realistic shot of finishing April with 2500, i'm feeling pretty good about my chances of making my goal of 5000 for the year. With weather having kept my outdoor rides down in number so far this year (today was only the 26th one), I would not be nearly so far along without disciplined use of the stationary bike—but then, that's precisely why we got it, so I'm very grateful for that option.
2021 mileage: 2399.0
Our cold and snowy weather remains—right now, at 11:30 a.m., it's 30°—so this morning I rode again on our stationary bike (26.5 miles in 1:51). And I'm on a roll right now with movies based on novels by Nicholas Sparks—today's was The Best of Me.
2021 mileage: 2362.6
Today is unseasonably cold, and consequently I caved in and decided to ride inside on our stationary bike. (Right now, at 1:30 p.m., it's 34° with light snow, but much less windy than yesterday—however, much more wintry weather is on the way, as we are supposed to get up to 3 inches of snow (!) by tomorrow morning.
While riding today (27.4 miles in 2:02), I watched yet another movie based on a Nicholas Sparks novel—The Longest Ride.
2021 mileage: 2335.2
Yesterday was highly windy; consequently, I wimped out and took the day off. Today was nearly as windy (currently 23 mph from the west), but I pushed myself to ride anyway, and did a round trip to Dexter (Baker Rd.), for 20.2 miles in 2:14. (I took a slightly shorter route there, but then finished with two laps in our complex when I got home in order to get me over 20 miles).
2021 mileage: 2315.0
It occurred to me that for some readers, the whole world of "recumbent trikes" may be quite unknown and mysterious. I do it because balance issues resulting from my 1993 Traumatic Brain Injury render riding a regular bike to be unsafe for me. (I found this out the hard way in 2013 and 2014 when several falls from one gave me a broken clavicle (or collarbone , a broken rib, a concussion (despite the helmet), and numerous other injuries. Here is a picture of me on the trike (Michelle took it a few summers ago):
Leaving at 7:15 this morning, it was nice and brisk (36°), but by no means intolerable. I did a round trip to Matthei Botanical Gardens (32.3 miles in 3:30), going through Gallup Park both on my way to the Gardens and also on my way home. And by the time I finished, it had warmed up nicely, to 50°.
On the outbound leg of my trip, when going through the park, I met with (relatively minor) calamity, when riding this walkway over a main wooden bridge into the park. The walkway is relatively narrow, and in attempting to keep left so I wouldn't hit the wooden curb, I was insufficiently cautious (unlike several previous times when I've negotiated it without incident) and drifted left into the chain link fence, ripping off my mirror which extended from the end of my left handlebar. A trip to the biking store (probably tomorrow) will remedy that.
On the way to the Gardens, I got this picture of the Huron River while passing through Gallup Park.
And on the way home, I got this companion picture.
2021 mileage: 2282.7
Last week's temperatures (exceeding 70° easily, and even approaching 80°) seem impossibly distant now. Today, the temperature of 43° when I started at 11:30, combined with a touch of wind (12 mph from the southwest) persuaded me to rein it in and settle for a very modest ride, so I settled for a single round trip to Marsh Park. But at least I pushed myself along at a good speed, finishing the 10.2 miles in exactly 1 hour, no minutes, and no seconds—the best time I have ever ridden this route.
I felt a little disappointed to have such a short ride, but now back home in my chair, warming up, and remembering how I was feeling both cold and tired out there, I'm glad to have kept it short.
2021 mileage: 2272.5
Yesterday I took the day off, as it was quite windy and then by the time I got home late in the day with Michelle and considered riding our stationary bike, I was exhausted, and fell into bed for a nap so I could stay up and watch the Tigers last night.
Today the weather is considerably worse. We've been experiencing a "wintry mix" of snow and rain ... when we walked out to the garage this morning to get the car and take Michelle to school, I broke into a bit of It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. 😎
At any rate, I climbed onto the stationary bike today and rode (23.8 miles in 1:43), watching the movie The Last Song again (based on the Nicholas Sparks novel), as I did on April 5.
2021 mileage: 2248.7
I generally try to hold myself to a minimal daily ride of 10 miles (a round trip to Marsh Park). However, with a relatively busy day awaiting me, today I allowed myself to settle for a shorter one, just doing a loop through Silo Ridge, a subdivision through which I ride on my way to the park. This gave me 6.4 miles in 43 minutes.
When I began, at 8:15, the calm and brightly sunny conditions were most welcome, but the 39° reading was refreshingly brisk! Accordingly, my hoodie was perfect, and I felt that it would have been beneficial had I worn gloves. And any onlookers must have wondered what institution this man wearing shorts had escaped from! 😎😎😎
This tree which greeted me upon reentering our complex reflects last week's unseasonably warm weather, not today's!
2021 mileage: 2242.3
After taking yesterday off from riding in order to clean and lube my chain, which I hadn't done yet since getting the new trike in October, I rode to Matthei Botanical Gardens again today (like on Saturday), though I pared a few miles off the return leg by going west from Platt along Packard rather than returning all the way south to Textile. But this still gave me a ride of 27.0 miles for today (in 2:54), which seemed adequate.
I shortened my return home because I was eager to have more time to make progress on a new composition for full orchestra that I just began this morning.
As I approached the Gardens, on the trail that runs roughly parallel to Dixboro Rd., beginning where it intersects with Geddes, I took the following picture.
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I left at 11:45 in 54° cloudy conditions, and though it was cool, the hoodie I wore had me comfortable. However, at Matthei, I sat for a few minutes before starting my trip home, as always, and experienced some rain ... light showers began just before I reached that turnaround point, and then while I sat, the rain increased in intensity, but only for a few minutes before it backed off and then stopped.
Coming home I rode through Gallup Park, as I did on Saturday, and afterwards when riding on the sidewalk along Huron Parkway over the river, I took this picture.
2021 mileage: 2215.3
Several times this year I have wanted to ride my 30+ mile round trip to Matthei Botanical Gardens, which I last did on November 20. But the time never felt quite right (mostly for medical reasons). Today, however, I got it done! Sunrise was at 7:02 today, enabling me to ride early, as I like to. I was, however, somewhat lazy, and rather than starting at 7:00 as I had intended to, it was about 7:15.
That early, it was still cool (48°), enough so to make a hoodie feel very welcome. But at the end of the long ride (31.7 miles in 3:38), at about 11:00, it had warmed up to 67°.
I experienced one glitch with the MapMyRIde software on my phone (though not a major one). About three and a half miles into the ride, I stopped for a brief break, and put the software into PAUSE mode, as I always do. But for some reason unknown to me, it stopped the ride entirely, and would not allow me to restart it. So, rather than one unbroken video, I have two—one of this first short segment, and then the second (and far longer) one, showing the bulk of the ride.
Today was also a milestone of sorts—the 100th day of the year (though I've only ridden outside 20 times, including today).
Coming home from Matthei, I went through Gallup Park, and got to enjoy (along with numerous fellow riders, walkers, and runners) a lovely Spring view of the Huron River.
2021 mileage: 2183.6
Leaving at 11:00 today, I planned to ride my 30-plus mile round trip to Matthei Botanical Gardens, which I hadn't done since November 20. The temperature was agreeable -- 64° and sunny. But my right knee was still complaining, and combined with a healthy south wind of 15 mph (which would have been at my back much of the way to Matthei, but into whose teeth I'd have had to battle during the return leg home), I was persuaded to scale back and just ride the Platt/Packard Square (13.l7 miles in 1:39).
I was also pleased to see two friends in the early part of my ride -- Doug Franklin, doing his daily walk, and Jim Alvey, riding toward me with his blinking headlight which helps me to identify him despite my poor distance vision.
I rode while listening to Music at Midday on Classical Interlochen Public Radio, and just as I was finishing up, a delightful percussion ensemble arrangement of a Billy Joel song (Root Beer Rag) came on.
Root Beer Rag by Billy Joel, arranged for percussion ensemble
2021 mileage: 2169.9
Several times in the last month (since I last rode it on March 10), I've wanted to ride my 20-mile round trip to Baker Rd. (Dexter) -- but each time I've been persuaded by lingering tenderness in my right knee that this would be unwise, so I've held off. Today, however, I got it done! (20.3 miles in 2:26.) I refused to push very hard, and as a result my time was slightly slower than my average (which isn't good to begin with). But I didn't worry about speed, and was just glad to be able to ride.
2021 mileage: 2149.6
Today is even a nicer day than a yesterday, with a high of over 80° forecast for this afternoon. Accordingly, I left at 10:15 this morning so that I could be home in plenty of time to watch the 1:00 Detroit Tigers game, and it was already 65° (up to 78° by the time I finished).
Riding the Packard/Platt Square, I just took it easy, not pushing myself too hard, and still got a decent time (13.6 miles in 1:34)—and I was pleased to see my buddy Doug Franklin again, walking on the trail a little less than 2 miles before I finished.
2021 mileage: 2136.0
I set off at noon today in the nicest riding conditions overall that I've experienced yet this year—65° partial sunshine (that climbed to 71° during the ride), so that I wore very comfortably the following t-shirt 😎:
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I set off intending to ride my 20-mile round trip to Baker Rd. However, early in the ride I was experiencing again the tenderness in my right knee that has plagued me recently, so I decided to scale back my plans, and ride a shorter route that I used to run "back in the day" (7.8 miles, in 1:02).
2021 mileage: 2128.2
Michelle and I have been away from last Tuesday through Saturday, and then on Sunday I could not ride because of it being Easter and we went away to visit family. So I was eager to resume riding today; but, as it turned out, I couldn't, as back and foot pain prevented me. So, instead, I watched the Tigers get PUMMELLED (!) this afternoon, 16-6, and then tonight I climbed back on our stationary bike and rode (24.8 miles in 1:43), while watching another movie based on a Nicholas Sparks novel (The Last Song).
2021 mileage: 6002.0 I am seeing the old year out with a day off -- something I hate to do. But a combination of factors brings it about: (1...
