Donut Overdose!!

What a great ride David & I enjoyed last Sunday! It was an AMC Road Bike Ride,  a 55 Mile Fall Foliage Tour of the Farms ~ Manchester. 

These rides have been posted throughout the riding season, but we've been hesitant previously because we weren't so sure we could keep up -- especially on the hills. Their average speed is posted at 15-18 MPH. Closer to 15 MPH, we can handle but if the group was quicker, we could have had issues. 

However, although we've been blessed with an extended Indian Summer, the weather is much cooler. That means more comfortable. Add to that the fact that Dave and I have roughly 2700 tandem miles tallied up so far this year -- AND -- that we've had a few faster-than-our-average rides on our own familiar routes in recent weeks. The hills can still be challenging, but we are handling them a lot more efficiently!


So we were pleasantly surprised that we were able to prove to ourselves that this ride was within our capabilities!

 
We passed through miles of scenic, mildly familiar territory. We rode by tobacco fields and dairy farms. But all along, there were piles upon piles of branches and debris along the roadside - a result of October's freak Connecticut snowstorm. Winds from that storm left many residents without power for over a week in duration and the cleanup efforts were still in the works. Heck, we even saw a man up on a ladder alone operating a chainsaw! That made for interesting conversation during the ride.

Finally, we pulled into a parking lot for a rest stop / bathroom break. I was very grateful to see there was a Dunkin Donuts in this plaza. I needed a rest room urgently! (While Dave is able to hop off the bike just about anywhere there are trees, I usually wait until we find suitable facilities.) So since I was carrying our money for the day, I asked Dave if he would get us a bite to eat, while I visited the ladies room. I pulled out a folded twenty dollar bill from my jersey pocket and rushed inside.

Inside the ladies room, I am fascinated to see the depth of instruction necessary for Dunkin Donut employees to properly wash their hands.  <--

Since the technique is fresh in my mind, I most effectively wash my hands and head out to the doughnut counter. ; )

  
I see Dave directing the young lady to fill a bag for us. The variety of kinds he is ordering surprises me. Normally, we share an ice coffee and a single goodie that we split in half. Then I realize, he was special ordering Munchkins -- phew!

We head outside to sit with the other cyclists and Dave proceeds to peek inside our bag. Inside there is a bagel stick, two jelly sticks, AND a pile of munchkins! Then we have an ice coffee to share and a Vitamin Water to fill our empty water bottles.Wow!


I think Dave was also having a conversation with a fellow cyclist while he was placing his order. But he did admit to being hungry! We offered up the extra sweets to others who were happy to help us out with the doughnut overload.

On the way back, we did especially enjoy this speedy rolling downhill which we were encouraged to lead. Dave loves these things! I love it too, but my love for speed on unfamiliar roadways is mixed with a strong sense of trepidation.  : )

Make it or Break it

Ha! Here's a funny Craigslist ad I came across recently...

They say when a couple gets on a tandem together, it will either make or break their relationship.  I guess this one didn't make it.

A Gaggle of Geese and a Rafter of Turkeys and a Murmation of Starlings

With daylight savings time in effect and an Indian Summer forecast on a mid-November day, Dave & I were given reason to try to squeeze in a quick 15 mile loop tandem ride at sunrise. We were rewarded with a few spectacular wildlife sightings.

Our most recent tandem rides before the daylight savings time shift took effect were near dusk, when we've had occasional close calls with deer. Those encounters were somewhat scarey for me.

Our area is quite rural, and our route brings us around numerous farms. During the first part of our ride, it was the cows who seemed most interested in us as we pedaled past them. Many followed us with their eyes as we rode by.

On Route 49, a scenic road fairly close to home, we pass by a Turkey Farm... Surprisingly quiet. It is getting closer to Thanksgiving.

As we continued on, we noticed a tractor in the distance on a turf farm. That's funny, we didn't realize there was a turf farm on that road before.

Then to our left, I point out to Dave a group of wild turkeys feeding in a corn field. There were maybe a dozen or so. (Is that enough to be considered a gaggle?)

As we went on further, we both commented to each other that we could hear geese. We looked far and wide, and even upward... as we went further ahead past a cluster of trees, finally we could see the geese - throughout a huge cornfield - possibly thousands of them as far as an eye can see! What an amazing sight. (Did you know a group of geese is called a rafter?)

And then, wow... starlings! As we turn the bend passing yet another stretch of farmland, feeding here was a murmation of starlings! With our approach, they rose into the sky all at once.

Birds of different kinds all found early morning feeding abundant in cornfields, but each kind of bird collected with their own on different stretches of land.

This entry on our blog has inspired me to research the proper terms as to what various groups of birds are called. Even though I am officially a grandmother this year, I continue to experience new sights with wonder and learn new things everyday!

Sunny & Cold November Weekend

It's November. It's cold. Last night we had to turn back the clocks. I hate that. It means darkness before 5 pm. That's the end of weekday after-work rides. Blah!

BUT... What a great weekend this one was for bicycling!

On top of our list, my 7-year-old daughter, Katie, has mastered BICYCLE 101 --

No more training wheels!!

WE ARE SO PROUD OF HER!!

Her accomplishment was on top of two great days of cycling for Dave & I -- We rode with fellow Thread City Cyclists on Saturday morning for 35 miles. Although it was cold, there were 9 of us all layered up for warmth, and the sun was shining. It was a great group of friends with a stop in Eastford at Coriander Cafe & Country Store. There we enjoyed a great break with coffee and tasty treats. The route was mostly rolling hills, quite an enjoyable ride!

For Sunday, we met up with fellow tandem riders, Joe & Lisa. Somewhat warmer but still sunny and cold, we took a 25 mile route through Scotland, CT. This was a hilly ride, but the uphills meant thrilling downhills! We spent some time afterward at Joe's home, and we relaxed with great conversation and delicious pizza.

While we are sad to see these ride-able days slip away, we'll bundle up and brave it so long as there is no snow or ice on the roads.

On a side note, some residents of Connecticut are still -- unbelievably -- with out power 8 days after last weekend's freak October snowstorm. My thoughts are with them. While Dave & I were out for just over 24 hours this time, with the not-too-long-ago storm, Hurricane Irene, that hit us in late August, we were out for a full week, and I know how frustrating it is to be without light and modern day conveniences -- and now, throw in the cold temperatures too.

Some of our fellow TCC members gave of their time today to help clear a bike path of fallen tress which resulted in the aftermath of the storm. I had no idea it was as bad as this! Wow.

Keeping Up Connections

It feels good to know you've made a difference in someone's day. Maintaining family connections is important -- not only for your own well-being, but for the impact on those you love.

Over the weekend, Dave & I visited with elderly relatives.

Sometimes we get so busy in our day-to-day activities, and in keeping up with the demands of work and home, that our days are a blur. Modern technology has impacted face-to-face interactions too. With voicemail, email, texting, and online calendars jammed with appointments and commitments, it's with us always, right in the palms of our hands. These devices may have been developed to make our lives easier, but we feel compelled to respond immediately, so we end up more stressed than ever!

Every now and then, we should stop to take a quiet moment, and consider elder family members and others we know whose lives are not so intertwined with modern technology. Imagine what it might be like to have failing senses -- eyesight and hearing diminish, and oftentimes there are other health conditions in the mix as well. The world closes in as driving privileges are lost, friends pass away, opportunities for social activities are fewer.

On Saturday, we visited my grandfather who is 94 years old. He lives alone in a apartment. He was suffering from a migraine headache when we arrived, but still so happy to see us. We brought him donuts. We also changed the batteries in his hearing aids, read him his mail, and took out his garbage. We sat and talked. We had my 7-year-old daughter, Katie,  with us and she gave him a big, big hug!

On Sunday Katie went to her Dad's house. We were free to get in some cycling, and although the weather was a little on the cold side, we had made that our day to get out on the tandem and get some exercise. But where to ride?

Our visit on Saturday was very gratifying. In fact, we enjoyed the time spent as much as I'm sure my grandfather did. So on Sunday, we decided to visit David's elderly aunt in Rhode Island. It was 30 miles to see her and 30 miles back. We got on the tandem and made it our mission -- not only to gain the benefits of pedaling -- but to brighten her day!

The smile on her face made all the pedaling all the more worthwhile!

Small acts of kindness can mean a lot.

Taking Off the Training Wheels!

Over the weekend, we picked up where we left off a couple of weeks back in our efforts to teach my 7-year-old daughter, Katie, to ride her bicycle without training wheels. This has evolved into a longer-than-summer-long process for us. In fact, we have had several periods of on-and-off training sessions with Katie over the past three years or so.

For Katie, this has not been an easy process. But she has not given up -- she has fallen, we've wiped away the tears, and she has gotten back on the bike. She is very close now, but still there's progress to be made before she'll be free to ride independently!

There was a unique kind of bicycle race happening on Saturday, and David wanted to attend -- It was the CCNS Donut Derby at Devil's Hopyard State Park in East Haddam, CT. (DO-NUT Just Have One! The CCNS DONUT DERBY is like no other cycling race you've done this year. You get rewarded for eating Donuts. The more you eat the faster you will be! For every Donut you eat, 1 minute and 30 seconds is taken off your total time. The person with the fastest total time wins!) And since this event was held at a park, there was plenty of open space around, so we figured it would be an inspirational environment where we could work with Katie on her riding skills!

It proved to be an excellent spot for her to gain new skills! Not only was this a fun cycling event where David had the opportunity to chat it up with his racing buddies, but we were approached by two different people there for the event who are experienced teachers.  They were both super-nice to offer a bit of coaching for Katie.

David and I worked with Katie together for a stretch of time. Then I worked with her alone while David met up with some friends who had just finished racing. Our drills were for Katie to practice balance. She was on a gradual downhill and not pedaling -- working on rolling and staying upright only.

Then we were approached by a racer named Lars. He had just completed the race and was heading back to his car when he spotted us. He introduced himself and explained that he teaches children and even some adults how to ride a bicycle. His first bit of practical advice: Remove her knee pads and take off her pedals!

Lars went to locate the proper wrench to take off Katie's pedals. Upon his return, he demonstrated to Katie how to effectively "row" with her feet. He lowered her bicycle seat, and looking like a crab in the sand, he "paddled" with his feet to push off on the bicycle.

This worked better because now those pesky pedals were not in the way. It wasn't too long before Katie's confidence level was up, and she wanted her pedals put back on. But as it turned out, with pedaling in the mix, the whole combination of new skills was too much.

A mom with her young son were nearby. She was on roller blades, and her child who was just 4-years-old, was riding a small bicycle without training wheels! Katie seeing this little boy going so fast on his bike gave her reason to believe it was possible for her to do it too!

The young mom was great with Katie. She asked Katie if she would like if she acted as a guide from behind and she would roll along with her while Katie attempted to pedal. This went on for a while and Katie made more improvement, but she fell twice. On the second fall, she cried. I gave her a hug, wiped the tears, and we gave her a break. That was a lot of concentration and effort, and she was clearly tired.

On our way back home, we passed a bicycle shop, so we decided to stop. The lady on the roller blades suggested to us that Katie's bicycle might be just a little too small for her. Since we had purchased her bike at a yard sale last year for just a few dollars, we thought that browsing new bikes might also help to give Katie a sense of added excitement for this learning process. After all, Christmas is coming up soon!

The following morning, Katie and I went out to the driveway together. She asked for the pedals to be removed again. Dave removed them and we worked on perfecting balance once again. We told Katie if she can ride on her own by Christmastime, a brand new bicycle could be hers!

Exercise & Finding Motivation... When biking isn't always an option

Whenever I have an opportunity to get on the tandem, I jump at it! I am excited and happy about getting out and getting the exercise. The whole experience, with the easy flow of conversation between us, the sunshine and the wind, and the changing scenery from turn-to-turn makes for an enjoyable adventure -- time after time!

When I have an opportunity to ride my single bicycle, but David isn't available, I enjoy that too. But it requires somewhat more motivation. I know I will have to prepare my own route, and I anticipate the hills with a hint of anxiety. I'm not so used to shifting on my own. And, I must keep my eyes more glued to the road, without soaking in the changing scenery quite as much.

It's late October and the riding season is closing in on us. The days are shorter and colder.

On days when the weather isn't cooperating or it's suddenly dark out when I finally have some time available, I need to resort to Plan B. Why is it that I have such great difficulty with my Plan B options?

I have a gym membership. But the gym is 45 minutes away. It was great when I was previously employed nearby.  I would get out of work and go. But now, there is a drive to consider -- 45 minutes there, an hour class plus changing time, and 45 minutes back home. Well that's a 3-hour commitment.

There are a few options that are closer, mostly evening fitness classes held at local school gymnasiums. But then I think, "Why should I spend the money for those classes when I have a great gym membership?"

I do have an elliptical machine in the basement. I feel super relaxed afterward, and I wonder why I sometimes dread getting on it beforehand. Maybe it's because I have so much to get done -- either with the house or my computer work upstairs. I find myself weighing the value of time spent this way... or that.

Then, even if it is getting a bit dark outside, I can always take a walk. It's not a bad option, and it's good for me because my doctor told me that even with all the cycling I do, the reason behind the stall in my weight loss is because my body is "used to the movement of cycling." Apparently, I need to mix it up.

I am also considering Yoga classes for the winter season. There is a great studio about a 15-minute drive from our home. They have evening classes David and I could both take. However, they charge a $15 per-person drop-in fee. Hmmmm... that's $30 for both of to attend a single class.

There is another option available -- a drop-in yoga class at a different studio, about 20 minutes away from our home. Their charge is just $5 per class. That's affordable. But those classes are held on two weekday mornings. That's time out of work. And David would not be able to go at those times. So, I would need to motivate myself to get there.

Our bicycle club does offer some wintertime group activities that we are interested in trying this year -- cross country skiing and snowshoeing. However, if they do these on a Saturday, I have my 7-year-old daughter with us, and I'd need to find childcare. That creates another dilemma -- if I have my daughter on Saturdays and she is with her father on Sundays, then I really should find some kind of activity that we can do together to get her involved in as well for Saturdays. After all, we have Sundays to ourselves.

We tried indoor roller skating with her. It was a decent workout that was a change of pace. Katie likes it. But Dave & I did were not comfortable in the skate rentals, and we were not loving the loud, rap-style hip-hop music either. We put in a special request for some of our old favorites, but the young lady we asked was unable to find alternate tunes. After circling the rink so many times, we were mildly bored within about 45 minutes time.

Downhill skiing. Now THAT is something we have all enjoyed in the past! Problem there is the cost. It's way too steep for our budget.

Still considering the options. I know for sure that if I don't find some kind of exercise to do on a regular basis, I will gain weight over the winter.