2nd outdoor ride of 2021 - Monday, March 8, 2021

2021 mileage: 1763.3

It was absolutely GLORIOUS to be able to ride outside again today! I enjoyed a temperature of 53° when I began (at noon), climbing to 62° by the end, under partly sunny skies with a touch of wind (which was not burdensome).

Most of the snow is now gone, though a few patches persist where it was formerly piled high. But such spots are now few and far between.

I rode the Platt/Packard Square, and as I often do, I passed Lillie Park (near the intersection of Platt and Ellsworth), where Michelle and I walked yesterday. As I told her,  I am often tempted to ride down into the park. Well, today I did.

The only (mildly) daunting aspect was the climb back out, since hill climbing is considerably more challenging on a trike than on a bike. On a bike, you can stand, and gravity assists the downstrokes of your legs, but we trikers have to do it all with pushing forward. However, this challenge was met and conquered.

This gave me a total ride of 14.3 miles, in 1:46. The nice weather is supposed to continue tomorrow, and now I am already wondering whether I should try for the 30+ mile round trip to Matthei Botanical Gardens, or try for something more moderate first. At this point, I'm leaning toward Matthei.

(Relive) video of today's ride

Sunday, March 7, 2021

2021 mileage: 1749.0

During this morning's ride (1:42, 24.3 miles), I watched the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz.

Its song Somewhere Over the Rainbow is greatly acclaimed. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was also given the Towering Song Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts ranked it Number One on their first Songs of the Century list.

It has, as well, a very special place in my heart. When my daughter Christy was an

 infant, I used to dance slowly with her cradled gently to my chest in the living room of our home in Minnesota, singing it to her, to put her to sleep each evening.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Saturday, March 6, 2021

2021 mileage: 1724.7

For today's ride (24.4 miles in 94 minutes), to accompany it I made an odd choice of movie, watching a 1992 film that had a huge impact on American pop culture, but which I had never seen, as I was deeply immersed in being a music professor at the time—Wayne's World. I suppose I'm glad to say that I've now seen it, but I can't honestly say that I was missing much in not having seen it for all those years!

                 Trailer for Wayne's World

I also reached a milestone of sorts, as now, after today, there are 300 days left in the year, which is slowly (but steadily) shrinking.

Friday, March 5, 2021

2021 mileage: 1700.3

Extremely weak effort on the stationary bike today (only 12.1 miles, in 49 minutes). while I watched the second half of Safe Haven, which I hadn't gotten to yesterday. But at least it was enough to snake me over a new mileage milestone (1700 for the year).

Thursday, March 4, 2021

2021 mileage: 1688.2

I didn't ride yesterday, as Michelle and I went to Hastings (southwest of Lansing, just a little over 100 miles) to get our second shot of the (Moderna) COVID vaccine. Then, today, I took it kind of easy on myself, too, just doing a brisk 70 minutes (18.5 miles) while watching the first part of a 2013 film based on a 2010 novel by Nicholas Sparks, an author I like very much. I had planned to do a 2-hour ride, covering the entire movie, but found my energy flagging, and in light of the vaccine, I saw no reason to push myself.

Clip from Safe Haven

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

2021 mileage: 1669.7

During today's ride on the stationary bike (36.7 miles in 2:34), I watched Funny Girl , the 1968 movie musical that presented Barbra Streisand the opportunity for her film debut, reprising her Broadway role, and playing acclaimed theatrical performer Fanny Brice.

"People" from Funny Girl

Monday, March 1, 2021

 2021 mileage: 1634.0

Ah—another mileage milestone for the year broken today (1600)! I was sorely tempted to ride outside this morning, due to the (rare) bright sunshine we enjoyed. However, a 36° temperature at mid-morning which was to fall throughout the day, coupled with a robust 20 mph wind, enabled me to withstand the temptation!

Instead, I went dutifully in to our stationary bike, and did a nice substantial ride (40.8 miles in 2:53), while enjoying a rewatching of My Fair Lady, which I had recently watched (a week ago today).