commuterDude: Post 7-Eleven

July 4, 2016

Post 7-Eleven

The concurrent pursuit of R-12 and P-12 awards has been interesting, thus far, having wrapped up this third month of action. I'd almost forgotten to do it, in fact - the old habit of only pursuing one long ride per month being the "norm" in some ways had me, again, suddenly seeing the 100km requirement as "opps, I haven't done this yet!" So, in fine fashion I managed to sneak one in with a couple gents and captured some photos along the way. Enjoy:

Paul in the early miles, leading the charge south.

Sometimes randonneuring requires creative thinking.
(Photo by Josh Stadler)

What do we do? Refer to the socks, that's what we do.

Southbound on Old KC Road.

A lone rain shower, west of Paola, KS. as we make our way to the halfway control in Osawatomie,

Awesome perspective shot from Josh manages to get all three of us in the frame!
(Photo by Josh Stadler)

That lone rain shower becomes an attention-getter again, so I grab this shot while we enjoy a mid-ride snack at the "We-B-Smokin'" BBQ joint. This little gem is right on the tarmac at the tiny municipal airfield between Paola and Osawatomie, and definitely worth the trip. For under $3.00 you can get a mound of fries the size of your head, and they have cold beer.

This was a great ride with a couple great guys. We did a blistering-fast control at Osawatomie and ended up on-pace to do a pretty darn fast 100km, overall - but, ultimately opted to stop for a nice, relaxed lunch at this great BBQ place at the Paola airport instead. Worth it.

The two weeks off the bike between vacation and transportation duties keeping me from riding to work had definitely taken a toll. I felt disconnected, lethargic, and heavy... still do. I have to do some serious work to get where I need to be ... that's not the "two weeks" talking, but many, many months of anti-calorie logging and laziness - basically. There's so many goals and aspirations I have on my list suddenly, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed - so I need to buckle down. While I did "behave" on vacation, I certainly didn't lose any weight - and certainly didn't hit the gym. Enough self-loathing, already. Time to DO WORK.

On that note ... why am I spending SO much time at the computer??

Gotta go...

No comments:

What is bicycle commuting?

Simply put, bicycle commuting is the act of travelling to a place of work or education by bicycle. In many areas it is common to combine bicycle commuting with public transport. Worldwide, the bicycle remains the most common commuter vehicle, and bicycle riding the second most common form of commuting, second only to walking. While the absolute number of bicycles in existence globally is unknown, it is clear that significantly more bicycles are manufactured than automobiles. In the United States about 40% of automobile trips are two miles or less; using a bicycle for these short trips can reduce your emissions and expenses. If you live within ten miles of work, you could save thousands of dollars in fuel, insurance and automotive maintenance costs each year. This webpage seeks to highlight bicycling as a viable transportation platform and a fun, exciting, healthful way to improve your life! Visit the commuting links below and get started today!

What is Randonneuring?

The French term "randonnée" loosely translates as a long tour or ramble along a defined route, and persons embarking as such are dubbed "randonneurs". In cycling, the term defines a hard-riding enthusiast attempting a long-distance randonnée (called a "brevet", usually 200 kilometers or greater) within a certain time allotment. Non-competitive by design, randonneuring encourages camaraderie: riders test themselves against the clock, the weather, and a challenging route - but not each other. Randonneuring's ethos embodies self-sufficiency and mental toughness; support vehicles are not allowed and brevets are held regardless of weather. Randonneurs USA (RUSA) organizes brevets in the United States under the auspices of the Audax Club Parisien (ACP) and the Randonneurs Mondiaux (RM), and rider's results are recognized world-wide. This website seeks to highlight the excitement and challenge of long-distance bicycle riding by sharing personal ride accounts, with the hope of growing the sport. If this type of bicycle riding interests you and you'd like to find out more, visit the RUSA webpage to find rides in your area!

For ride announcements and discussions on randonneuring in the greater Kansas City area, visit KC Ultra Cycling, and join the KC Ultra-Cycling Email List:

Subscribe to KCUC

Email:

Visit this group

Courtesy Randonneurs USA

What is Ultra-Marathon Cycling?

Just as the 26.2-mile marathon represents a benchmark for runners, bicyclists generally consider the "century", riding 100-miles, a worthy endurance challenge. Ultra-marathon cycling involves exceeding that benchmark, often several times over, offering the long-distance challenge of randonnuering with a more competitive flavor. This is the world of 24-hour races, double-centuries, and beyond. Where randonneuring rewards all finishers equally and emphasizes self-sufficiency, ultra-racers compete for time and placing, maximizing speed by utilizing support crews for hand-ups and fast repairs. Event courses can be long and scenic, but may take the form of many laps of a looped course. Winning ultra-distance events requires the rare combination of endurance and a high average speed. Randonneuring and Ultra-Marathon often complement one another: brevets can offer base-training to prepare for racing, and fast randonneurs often enter ultra events for a new challenge. Visit the World Ultra Cycling Association's website for more information.

Courtesy World Ultra Cycling Association

July 4, 2016

Post 7-Eleven

No comments:

What HITS?

Email? Email!