Another PR on the bike!

I had a GREAT ride in to work again today. I'm really beginning to enjoy these bike rides, except for the dogs. Today I tried pouring dog food out as they approached but they took NO interest in it at all. I ended with a new PR for the ride in of 1:23:50. Today, I felt like I could have gone for a short run after the bike. That's really exciting for me. I hope to start working in some 3 mile runs after the bike in in preparation for an international distance Tri this summer/fall. I'm hoping for a run tomorrow.

My interesting sight of the day on the bike made me wish I had my BlackBerry out and ready to take a picture this morning or the fancy camera mount above. As I was cruising along, two men in an OLD, BEAT UP pickup truck passed me towing 3 small trailers all attached to each other. It was quite the sight!

I also stopped along the way for a quick break to grab a cache continuing our 100 days challenge. This cache would have made day 3 but I didn't find the cache. I had set a 5 minute search time limit knowing I hate to DNF (Did Not Find) a cache but I also had to get in to work. I searched for the cache for 7 and then for my speedometer for another 3 so my total stopped time was 10 minutes. UGH! Good news though, I managed to grab another cache during lunch while out meeting Melissa at the bank to set up our NC bank account.

On the job front, I'm enjoying my new job, getting to know the new church body and trying ot remember all their names, etc. I'm learning to use iMovie to create the video announcements at the church. I've shot and edited a couple simple one scene videos last week for the announcements and they turned out OK. Today I started my first multi scene video and I'm looking forward to finishing it up tomorrow. I may just post it here when done... we'll see.

Final ride results: 26.5 miles, 18.9 mph avg, 1:23:50
Bike miles this week: 63.1
Bike miles this month: 93.9
Run miles this week: 0
Run miles this month: 0

Until the next ride, run, swim or cache...

Dogs & Geocaches

Had a great ride into work this morning. I have three dogs that come to "greet" me and chase me as I ride past them. The two bigger dogs just bark and generally stay along the edge of the yard but the small one gnarls, growls, barks and bites at me. Pastor Damon suggested I bring doggie treats but the pepper spray really sounds better to me. Today they were waiting on the road, spread out across both lanes running AT me. UGH! the two larger dogs on the outside and the little one in the middle. As I approached, the two larger moved off to their yard and the small one turns and chases after me. I'm telling, I think this dog wouldn't hesitate to BITE me if it could catch me. Luckily the adrenaline kicks in as the hair on my legs and arms stands straight up and I don't have an issue out "running" it. Perhaps tomorrow I will remember doggie treats and I'll see how that goes.
I also picked up a Geocache along the way this morning. Yesterday we went out as a family and picked up our 500th find. This also marks the beginning of a challenge that I'm undertaking... 100 consecutive days of caching, 100 caches in 100 days. Today made #2 of the 100 goal. I'll also be keeping you up to date on this as it progresses.
Final ride results: 26.6 miles, 17.8 mph avg, 1:29:35
Bike miles this week: 36.6
Bike miles this month: 67.4
Run miles this week: 0
Run miles this month: 0

How to fix a flat on the road 101

Hello to anyone who actually reads this blog.
I headed out for a short 45 minute ride this morning (after sleeping in). Melissa stayed home today passing on another Monday morning ride with me so I was on my own this morning. I headed down toward Snow Hill again anticipating going 22:30 and turning around but by that point I was so close to Snow Hill I decided to go all the way down to Lenoir Community College where Melissa I biked to last week Monday. I made it down in just over 24 minutes averaging 22.4 mph. WooHoo! What a great ride. I took a short water break and headed back home. My rear tire seemed low and I would shortly realize the importance of testing the tires and topping them off BEFORE heading out on a ride. I decided to stop and top off the tire with my new CO2 cartridge. I assembled the device and filled the tire and everything went well until suddenly the tube went BAM!!!! and now I had to replace the tube(first time doing this on the side of the road). Now frustrated with myself after this rookie mistke, and after changing Eli's tire this last week I looked down at the tire and realized I didn't have the wrench needed to remove the wheel so I messaged Melissa (my princess in a shining white dress) to come rescue me. Shortly after texting her I had a moment of clarity and realized that I have quick release on my road bike and didn't need a wrench (Duh!) so I began the process. As I finished the repair and mounted the tire, she and Eli arrived so I loaded the bike into the van and we drove home. We arrived to breakfast on the table and sat down for a great breakfast of scrambled eggs, goetta and blueberry muffins.
Final ride results: 11 miles, 20.1 avg, 32:50
Bile miles this week: 11 miles
Bike miles this month: 40.8 miles

Until the next ride, run or swim...

Tuesday, June 1

I biked into work this morning. We left the car the church on Sunday so I'll drive back home tonight. I had a record best time this morning of 1:25:25 averaging 18.8 mph for the 26.7 mile ride.
Totals:
This week: Cycle 45.7 miles, 2:45
This month: Cycle 26.7 miles, 1:25

Monday, May 30 - Memorial Day

Melissa and I had a GREAT bike ride in the morning. We headed down to Snow Hill from home on Hwy 91 and cruised all the way down to the outskirts of town to Lenoir Community College and stopped for a water break there. After that we turned around and headed back home. This was Melissa's longest ride to date at 19 miles with an average of 14.4 mph. She did great! Among the many interesting things we saw was a spanish church that seemed to have its power from the house up the street. We could see an orange and then black extension cord running along the ditch from the neighboring house (about 500-700 feet away)! Other interesting sites included a turtle and what seemed to be a manure processing plant. YUCK!

Eli and I even got in a 2.5 mile ride together in the late afternoon. It was great. We biked up to the cemetery and then to the south side of town and back.

Later in the day, we hosted the Masters Commission guys that helped us move in. We served some great new recipes including grilled nachos, citrus lime chicken & chili lime grilled corn. The guys shot some hoops, played guitar hero and then we had some killer air hockey games. Fun times!

Changes are coming to this blog with the new year

I will be taking the helm on this, my blog, beginning next year, 2010. I'm looking forward to this project. I plan on keeping anyone reading it (if there's anyone left) on my continued fitness journey, my spiritual walk, our family life and other events going on. It should be an exciting year!

Steve really finally has a blog!

I've just recently been given the opportunity to post entries here, my blog. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my ghost writers for all their hard work in getting this blog off the ground. It's been fun posting through them and seeing what tidbits of my life they have deemed blog worthy, from simple Twitter and Facebook updates, stories I share or simply a random quote. I don't have anything exceptional to share, just a quick note to say "Hi" and let you know that now I really do finally have a blog. :)