Thursday, December 27, 2018
Hoot Owl 200K Brevet
The Hoot Owl 200K Brevet was last July. It was a hoot to provide ride support! I wrote an article about it for American Randonneur magazine. I promised the editor that I wouldn't make a blog entry until the article came out. It just did! Not only is it a fun article about a fun ride, it's also great to remember the summertime warmth during these cold winter days.
Saturday, December 22, 2018
Peach Peloton - The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Today was my first Peach Peloton of the season. Chad Madan, the official organizer this year, didn't want to start until December. We got rained out the first two Saturdays of December, and then last week I did the Chops & Hops Populaire with my rando buddies. So, I've been looking forward to finally riding Peach Peloton today.
We rode from East Macon toward kaolin country. Some of our Macon cyclopeeps don't like to venture that far to start, and so today it was just my Georgia Neuro teammates, i.e., the hardcore riders: Allen, Bill, Cal, Cody, Robert, Stoney, Van, and me. It promised to be a tough ride, but I was up for it. Not only was it a great ride, it was like an early Christmas! Check out all the cool gifts I got:
1) Van brought our new 2019 team kits, which just came in. Robert also ordered mini jerseys for our main team sponsors. The mini jerseys are about six inches long, and you can hang them on a window:
2) The guys waited for me at the end of the first attack zone. It was a long, downhill stretch on Myricks Mill Road. I have a hard time keeping up on the downhills anyway, and so I didn't stand a chance with it being an attack zone.
3) I'm grateful for old man bladders. A couple of guys were taking a nature break when I caught up at the end of the Myricks Mill attack zone. I kind of had to go myself, but I didn't want to delay the others any longer than I already had. I figured I could wait a while, stopping by myself if I had to. Fortunately, Bill, who didn't go at the end of Myricks Mill, called for a pee break a few miles later.
4) I was able to hang on during rotations by sitting on the back.
5) The second attack zone wasn't super attack-y. Cody and Van opted not to participate, and so I rode on their wheel until we regrouped.
6) I didn't get dropped until mile 68! That left only 19 miles I had to ride by myself. I was so glad to last that long. I'll admit that it was also nice to ride at a less insane pace for the remaining miles.
7) It was encouraging to learn that I still can do a long, intense effort. I haven't had a hard group ride since Tuesday Worlds ended for the season a few months ago, and Tuesday Worlds is less than half the distance of today's Peach Peloton. We'll see how the other Peach Peloton rides go this winter training season. Even if I get dropped, though, I'm glad for the challenge.
Merry Christmas!
We rode from East Macon toward kaolin country. Some of our Macon cyclopeeps don't like to venture that far to start, and so today it was just my Georgia Neuro teammates, i.e., the hardcore riders: Allen, Bill, Cal, Cody, Robert, Stoney, Van, and me. It promised to be a tough ride, but I was up for it. Not only was it a great ride, it was like an early Christmas! Check out all the cool gifts I got:
1) Van brought our new 2019 team kits, which just came in. Robert also ordered mini jerseys for our main team sponsors. The mini jerseys are about six inches long, and you can hang them on a window:
 |
| The spine is back this year! |
3) I'm grateful for old man bladders. A couple of guys were taking a nature break when I caught up at the end of the Myricks Mill attack zone. I kind of had to go myself, but I didn't want to delay the others any longer than I already had. I figured I could wait a while, stopping by myself if I had to. Fortunately, Bill, who didn't go at the end of Myricks Mill, called for a pee break a few miles later.
4) I was able to hang on during rotations by sitting on the back.
5) The second attack zone wasn't super attack-y. Cody and Van opted not to participate, and so I rode on their wheel until we regrouped.
6) I didn't get dropped until mile 68! That left only 19 miles I had to ride by myself. I was so glad to last that long. I'll admit that it was also nice to ride at a less insane pace for the remaining miles.
7) It was encouraging to learn that I still can do a long, intense effort. I haven't had a hard group ride since Tuesday Worlds ended for the season a few months ago, and Tuesday Worlds is less than half the distance of today's Peach Peloton. We'll see how the other Peach Peloton rides go this winter training season. Even if I get dropped, though, I'm glad for the challenge.
Merry Christmas!
 |
| View of a kaolin plant from the store stop in Gordon |
Friday, December 21, 2018
Chops & Hops Populaire
Sometimes it's good to put aside the power data, speed, and competition and simply ride bikes with your friends. That's exactly what I did last Saturday at the Chops & Hops Populaire. Wayne, our new Audax Atlanta Regional Brevet Administrator (RBA), wants to offer some social rides to our group, and he's getting us off to an excellent start.
A populaire is a 100K event. This was only my second one. Both times the group rode it audax style, meaning that everyone purposely stays together. Maybe I didn't ride Chops & Hops as fast as I could have, but the camaraderie more than made up for it.
The ride was scheduled to start at 8:00 AM in Watkinsville. It had rained all day the previous day and overnight, but the clouds were supposed to clear fairly close to ride time. We checked the radar as we gathered in the parking lot. If we waited an hour, we just might miss the rain. So, we headed down the road a few blocks to a coffee shop.
It was great to get caught up with everyone, especially Robert N. This was his first ride back since a serious hand and wrist injury in a crash a couple of months ago. I was so glad he was feeling up to the day's ride. After coffee, tea, and muffins, we all were well fortified for the ride.
Thirteen of us rolled out:
Just a few miles into the ride, we came to an intersection blocked by a sheriff's deputy. A running race was underway, and this was the turnaround point. Fortunately, we were allowed to proceed on our route. It was a unique adventure to ride among the runners.
I would be on my bicycle much longer than the runners were running. We all probably thought we were getting the better end of that deal.
Later that day, I looked up the race online and discovered that it was the 20th Annual Will Chamberlin Memorial Santa Stroll 8K. Will helped us in Monticello for many years with the Deer Dash 5K. It was particularly meaningful to me to learn that that's what this race was.
It turned into a beautiful day for riding. I reveled in the sparkling December sunshine and great companionship.
When I was mapping the route ahead of time to upload to my Garmin, I was pleased to see that we would be going down the steep hill at Hard Labor Creek state park, opposite of the direction I usually ride. As I continued mapping, however, I realized that the route was out and back to Rutledge. We got to make the big climb after all.
We cruised the remaining 18 miles or so back to our starting point. Afterwards, everyone gathered at Chops & Hops. Good food, good beer, and good friends - a high point of my holiday season!
A populaire is a 100K event. This was only my second one. Both times the group rode it audax style, meaning that everyone purposely stays together. Maybe I didn't ride Chops & Hops as fast as I could have, but the camaraderie more than made up for it.
The ride was scheduled to start at 8:00 AM in Watkinsville. It had rained all day the previous day and overnight, but the clouds were supposed to clear fairly close to ride time. We checked the radar as we gathered in the parking lot. If we waited an hour, we just might miss the rain. So, we headed down the road a few blocks to a coffee shop.
It was great to get caught up with everyone, especially Robert N. This was his first ride back since a serious hand and wrist injury in a crash a couple of months ago. I was so glad he was feeling up to the day's ride. After coffee, tea, and muffins, we all were well fortified for the ride.
Thirteen of us rolled out:
 |
| Wayne was taking the picture; someone else was off taking a nature break |
I would be on my bicycle much longer than the runners were running. We all probably thought we were getting the better end of that deal.
Later that day, I looked up the race online and discovered that it was the 20th Annual Will Chamberlin Memorial Santa Stroll 8K. Will helped us in Monticello for many years with the Deer Dash 5K. It was particularly meaningful to me to learn that that's what this race was.
It turned into a beautiful day for riding. I reveled in the sparkling December sunshine and great companionship.
 |
| Andy sporting a cool Audax Atlanta jersey |
I enjoyed the opportunity to ride with Neil. Neil might not be fast, but he's amazing. He's nearly 75 and keeps on keeping on despite several broken bones in recent years. Brian gave multiple pushes to Neil to help him up the climbs. Wayne joked that it was like Neil had an e-bike. Actually, he had a B-bike!
 |
| I get by with a little help from my friends. |
We cruised the remaining 18 miles or so back to our starting point. Afterwards, everyone gathered at Chops & Hops. Good food, good beer, and good friends - a high point of my holiday season!
 |
| Me, Andy, and Neil |
 |
| Jim, Tim, Brad, and David B. |
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| Beer connoisseurs Brian and Robert N. enjoy a flight |
Sunday, December 2, 2018
Bike Church (and Other Sources of Spiritual Nourishment)
Yesterday was December 1, the first legal day to put up Christmas decorations at Polyhound Farm. Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of hope. It's been a wonderful weekend to start the Advent/Christmas season. I feel much less Grinch-like this year than usual, maybe because I intentionally focused on gratitude each day during November.
Even so, in recent months I've somewhat disconnected from my church. I haven't been getting a whole lot out of it. I want to go to church to learn about God, to talk about ways we see God at work in the world, and to share that good news with the world. Maybe my attitude is the problem. It's about God first and foremost, not about me. Also, I've come to value the church because it's the only organization I know of that intentionally calls different people - sometimes radically different people - to live, love, and work together as one. Therefore, I keep trying.
In the meantime, my soul is hungry. It's been getting nourishment from some alternate sources.
Bike Church
Yesterday (Saturday) it rained all...day...long. The first Peach Peloton of the season was cancelled. At least I was able to plan around it. I made Saturday my off day for this week, which is highly unusual, and rode Friday afternoon instead. Then, I spent all day Saturday getting caught up on laundry and decorating for Christmas. I can't remember the last time I spent a whole Saturday at home! It was a gift.
Because I had Sunday afternoon plans (see below), I figured out a way to have a longish ride on Sunday morning. Regular Sunday school was cancelled because of an alternate program. I decided to skip that and just go to the worship service - enough time for a ride.
Soon after sunrise and breakfast I headed for Allison Lake in the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge (PWR). The rain had stopped sometime during the night. It was about 67 degrees. If you had told me I would ride in shorts and a short-sleeved jersey on a December morning, I wouldn't have believed you. But that's just what I did, and I was quite comfortable.
The sky was mostly overcast, but the light was intriguing nonetheless. As I headed farther south and into the PWR, the sun even peeked out from the clouds from time to time. The remaining raindrops on the trees sparkled in the sunlight.
Every morning is unique in its lighting, vegetation, and other delights if we simply take the time to notice. It's as if the great Artist starts with a blank canvas and says, "Hmm...what will I paint today?"
I felt better on the bike than I had in a month. For most of November I had a stomach ailment. I was still able to ride, but I never felt like I had my usual energy. This morning I finally felt like my muscles were getting power again. It felt great!
This morning I rode in gratitude for the strength and health to ride; time and schedule flexibility to ride; a good, reliable bicycle and equipment; a good night's sleep and nutritious breakfast; a wonderful day to ride; and quiet roads in one of the most beautiful places I know.
Coffee with Jesus
Church was pretty good this morning, but I have to admit that these days I'm getting a lot of my theology from the comic strip Coffee with Jesus. It's published on the Facebook page of Radio Free Babylon on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It has about eight characters, all drawn in a 1950s style. Each character is always shown in the same pose. One of them typically has a conversation with Jesus over coffee. The strips can be funny or though-provoking, and sometimes they hit uncomfortably close to home. It amazes me how much the authors can convey in just a few panels. Here's one of my favorites from the last several months:
Maybe there will be another sustaining installment of Coffee with Jesus tomorrow morning...
Macon Christmas Parade
My friend Kathleen, owner of Ocmulgee Outdoor Expeditions, had invited me to ride on her bus in the Macon Christmas parade this afternoon. I was interested from the moment I learned about it, but did I want to go to Macon on a Sunday afternoon? Perhaps more importantly, could I convince Robert to go with me?
Toward the end of last week, I thought about my weekend activities. I already knew my ride schedule would be out of whack because of Saturday's rain. We could go out Sunday night instead of the usual Friday night. Plan, plan, plan... Oh, what the heck - the things that make life most fun are simple but out-of-the-ordinary things like riding a garish turquoise bus in a Christmas parade!
Robert and I had paddles festooned with ribbons that we stuck out the windows of the bus to help "row" it.
It's kind of funny when you think about parades. People are in the parade, and people stand on the side of the road watching. They smile and wave at each other. There's really not much to it, but everyone loves it.
It was a joy to see the marvelous, varied people in the crowd. To think that God loves each person, and each is a one-of-a-kind reflection of the Creator. This is also one of my favorite aspects of serving communion as an elder, which I got to do last Sunday.
After the parade Robert and I ate, drank, and made merry a little while longer in Maconga.
I certainly don't have all the answers, but these verses are some of the wisest and most comforting words I know:
Seize life! Eat bread with gusto,
Drink wine with a robust heart.
Oh yes—God takes pleasure in your pleasure!
Dress festively every morning.
Don’t skimp on colors and scarves.
Relish life with the spouse you love
Each and every day of your precarious life.
Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange
For the hard work of staying alive.
Make the most of each one!
Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!
This is your last and only chance at it,
For there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think
In the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed.
- Ecclesiastes 9:7-10 (The Message)
Even so, in recent months I've somewhat disconnected from my church. I haven't been getting a whole lot out of it. I want to go to church to learn about God, to talk about ways we see God at work in the world, and to share that good news with the world. Maybe my attitude is the problem. It's about God first and foremost, not about me. Also, I've come to value the church because it's the only organization I know of that intentionally calls different people - sometimes radically different people - to live, love, and work together as one. Therefore, I keep trying.
In the meantime, my soul is hungry. It's been getting nourishment from some alternate sources.
Bike Church
Yesterday (Saturday) it rained all...day...long. The first Peach Peloton of the season was cancelled. At least I was able to plan around it. I made Saturday my off day for this week, which is highly unusual, and rode Friday afternoon instead. Then, I spent all day Saturday getting caught up on laundry and decorating for Christmas. I can't remember the last time I spent a whole Saturday at home! It was a gift.
Because I had Sunday afternoon plans (see below), I figured out a way to have a longish ride on Sunday morning. Regular Sunday school was cancelled because of an alternate program. I decided to skip that and just go to the worship service - enough time for a ride.
Soon after sunrise and breakfast I headed for Allison Lake in the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge (PWR). The rain had stopped sometime during the night. It was about 67 degrees. If you had told me I would ride in shorts and a short-sleeved jersey on a December morning, I wouldn't have believed you. But that's just what I did, and I was quite comfortable.
The sky was mostly overcast, but the light was intriguing nonetheless. As I headed farther south and into the PWR, the sun even peeked out from the clouds from time to time. The remaining raindrops on the trees sparkled in the sunlight.
Every morning is unique in its lighting, vegetation, and other delights if we simply take the time to notice. It's as if the great Artist starts with a blank canvas and says, "Hmm...what will I paint today?"
I felt better on the bike than I had in a month. For most of November I had a stomach ailment. I was still able to ride, but I never felt like I had my usual energy. This morning I finally felt like my muscles were getting power again. It felt great!
This morning I rode in gratitude for the strength and health to ride; time and schedule flexibility to ride; a good, reliable bicycle and equipment; a good night's sleep and nutritious breakfast; a wonderful day to ride; and quiet roads in one of the most beautiful places I know.
Coffee with Jesus
Church was pretty good this morning, but I have to admit that these days I'm getting a lot of my theology from the comic strip Coffee with Jesus. It's published on the Facebook page of Radio Free Babylon on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It has about eight characters, all drawn in a 1950s style. Each character is always shown in the same pose. One of them typically has a conversation with Jesus over coffee. The strips can be funny or though-provoking, and sometimes they hit uncomfortably close to home. It amazes me how much the authors can convey in just a few panels. Here's one of my favorites from the last several months:
Maybe there will be another sustaining installment of Coffee with Jesus tomorrow morning...
Macon Christmas Parade
My friend Kathleen, owner of Ocmulgee Outdoor Expeditions, had invited me to ride on her bus in the Macon Christmas parade this afternoon. I was interested from the moment I learned about it, but did I want to go to Macon on a Sunday afternoon? Perhaps more importantly, could I convince Robert to go with me?
Toward the end of last week, I thought about my weekend activities. I already knew my ride schedule would be out of whack because of Saturday's rain. We could go out Sunday night instead of the usual Friday night. Plan, plan, plan... Oh, what the heck - the things that make life most fun are simple but out-of-the-ordinary things like riding a garish turquoise bus in a Christmas parade!
 |
| Magic bus! |
 |
| My organic chemistry (OH-OH-OH) TOMS are also perfect for the Christmas season (HO-HO-HO). |
 |
| "There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." - Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows |
 |
| Note Kathleen in the rear view mirror! |
It's kind of funny when you think about parades. People are in the parade, and people stand on the side of the road watching. They smile and wave at each other. There's really not much to it, but everyone loves it.
It was a joy to see the marvelous, varied people in the crowd. To think that God loves each person, and each is a one-of-a-kind reflection of the Creator. This is also one of my favorite aspects of serving communion as an elder, which I got to do last Sunday.
After the parade Robert and I ate, drank, and made merry a little while longer in Maconga.
I certainly don't have all the answers, but these verses are some of the wisest and most comforting words I know:
Seize life! Eat bread with gusto,
Drink wine with a robust heart.
Oh yes—God takes pleasure in your pleasure!
Dress festively every morning.
Don’t skimp on colors and scarves.
Relish life with the spouse you love
Each and every day of your precarious life.
Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange
For the hard work of staying alive.
Make the most of each one!
Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!
This is your last and only chance at it,
For there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think
In the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed.
- Ecclesiastes 9:7-10 (The Message)
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