30th ride

Yesterday I did not ride, suffering from the heaviest cold I have had in a very long time (gotten, I suspect, because of Sunday morning's long ride in the cold rain). Today, though, although my health is still not back to 100%, I felt it would be a terrible waste of the 73-degree sunshine if I didn't get out there, so I did a 9.7-mile "Platt Big Block" in 62 minutes. This gave me 230.5 miles for the month of April, smashing the record for what I had done in any previous month, but - I hope - shy of what I will ride in any subsequent month.

I learned a good lesson, too. It is MUCH different crossing an intersection on yellow on a bike than it is in a car! I experienced no danger today, thanks be to God and careful drivers (the latter of which I know I can't always count on), but it was firmly imprinted on me that I need to err in the direction of being overly conservative when crossing intersections - particularly during rush hour.

29th ride

This morning was a huge step forward for me as a cyclist, as I did my first organized ride -- the Ride for Recovery for Dawn Farms in Ypsilanti. They offered rides of 10 miles, 25 miles, 40 miles, and 100 miles, and even though the farthest I had ridden previously was yesterday's 16.4 miles, my friend Marie Brazeau from our small group at Zion Lutheran Church had challenged all of us, "Let's ride 25 miles! I'm going to." However, largely due to the weather, Marie ended up just doing the 5K (3.1 mile) walk.

What success I did experience (and it was, admittedly, minor) was attributable largely to my friend Doug Tidd. As Doug was the one who got my into cycling, I think he probably feels some sort of paternalistic responsibility - at any rate, when he found out a couple of weeks ago that I planned to do this ride, he registered for it himself, and then picked me up this morning and drove us to it. Even more crucially, he pulled out a spare rain slicker he had, telling me, "Try this on." Amazingly enough, it fit, so garbed in this bright orange covering I was able to survive over 2 hours of riding in cold (low fifties) wet (a steady, though mercifully light, rain) conditions. The forecast I had seen called for rain to begin late morning, and for it to be in the low sixties by noon, so I dressed accordingly. But the rain dogged us throughout the trip, and the only thing mercifully absent was wind.

A number of my friends from Zion were there, and when I saw Sue Strickland (Michelle's former fellow Spartan Marching Band member!) before the start, I introduced her and Doug. Then a little shy of halfway into the ride, Doug experienced a flat tire, and, since he was going to be a while with repairs, he told me to go ahead, not wanting me to stand and get cold. I considered trying to introduce a touch of levity by asking, "What if you can't catch up?" But in the end, I decided it would best to let that go.

Shortly after leaving Doug, Sue's husband Kahle rode up beside me, looked at me in surprise, and said, "Why, hello!" We rode together for nearly 10 miles, and I was very glad for his company. Finally, with only 7 or so miles left (we felt), he asked me, "Are you doing OK, Allen? Are you sure? Would it be OK if I picked up my pace?" I was fine with this, and so bid him farewell. Then as we were closing in on the finish, I missed a turn (onto Bemis Rd.) and so ended up lengthening my ride by a little over a mile.

My final time was slower than I had hoped for, finishing in about 2 hours 20 minutes -- too long to be out in that cold rain! But I thank God that I was able to find my way back to Dawn Farms, where we started, and was soon warming myself in the barn, enjoying the "Recovery Lunch" they had spread out for us. Doug came in only a couple of minutes after I arrived, and by that time I was already sitting and eating with my Zion friends, who said that I looked in pretty poor shape, as wet, muddy, and cold as I was. Here is a picture of the members of our Zion small group who were there, with me in the aforementioned bright orange rain slicker.

But anyway, I'm very glad to have done this, and, as I grinned and told Doug on our trip back to Ann Arbor, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!"

Also, a word of thanks to my old friend Steve Brownell. We were best friends in elementary school, but have only rarely seen one another since his family moved away in sixth grade. (We lost track of one another for decades.) As I said, this event was a fundraiser for Dawn Farms, and Steve's very generous contribution last night helped me to surpass the goal I had set -- in fact, inducing me to increase the goal! (He called me "old friend," and hastened to add, "I use 'old' as a term of endearment." But I don't mind freely admitting that my years are starting to add up, and am glad to 'own' getting older.)

28th ride

After our terrific picnic with Christy's family this afternoon, and they left, I went out at 3:30 with my heart singing and rode a moderately lengthy loop of 16.4 miles around the northwestern parts of Ann Arbor, toward the end stopping in at church to do my weekly preparation of the projections for use in tomorrow's services. After not riding yesterday because of a peculiarly askew schedule, it felt good to get back on track today, and absolutely wonderful to ride in the springtime sunshine, with a temperature in the mid-sixties allowing me to ride in shorts for my first time. Although, at 1:29 (for a speed of just under 12 mph), my time was far from good, it is steadily improving, and that satisfies me for now.

27th ride

After poor weather and a crowded schedule made it impossible for me to ride outdoors yesterday (though I did get in an hour on the elliptical at LA Fitness), I was glad to be able to get back to it today. I rode to work this morning, and then the rain returned, along with plunging temperatures and wind, so that I was thinking for much of the day that I'd just do the relatively short ride directly home after work. But by the time I was finished, the skies had cleared enough to let a little blue sky show (which made for a very favorable combination with the maize sun), the rain had stopped, the winds had abated, and it had warmed up enough to make a longer ride feasible (though it was still far from balmy). So I did a considerably longer ride, to give me a daily total of 15.8 miles in 1:18.

26th ride

Today, I put up with a measly 5.64 miles for the day, in 35 minutes. I rode to work this morning, and then home from work directly. I had hoped at one point earlier in the day to do a longer ride home - but the weather had turned dreary by the time I got out of work, cooling off and growing gray and windy, threatening rain (which was forecast, but ended up waiting until after I got home). And at this point, I'm not at all certain I'll be able to ride tomorrow, as more rain is being called for.

Comparison

Now, while I'm getting avidly into bicycling, and yet the memory of my running (both mental memory and kinetic memory) is still keen, I felt it would be good to set down my thoughts comparing the two activities.

I still miss running extremely much, but am enjoying bicycling greatly. I really think, though, that of the two, bicycling is somewhat "easier." (However, ask me if I still feel this way after I participate in the 25-mile fundraising ride for Dawn Farms this coming Sunday, given that the furthest I've ridden so far is the 14.5 miler I did this past Saturday -- or after I do the 53-mile ride down to Mom's that I hope to do this summer.)

25th ride

Michelle and I had a 6:00 appointment this evening, so, grateful for the lengthened daylight of this season, I decided to wait and do my ride after it (having been unable to ride earlier in the day). So I went out at 7:00 p.m. and rode my 8.8-mile Textile Big Block in 45 minutes. This was a slight improvement over my first traversing of it, back on March 27 in 47 minutes.

It was lovely weather for a ride -- 54 degrees and sunny. And as I pedaled, I thought on an anthem that I remember Mom singing with the church choir when I was a boy. But I'm grateful for the Internet, as I know I could not remember all the text on my own, 4+ decades later.

All in the April evening,
April airs were abroad;
The sheep with their little lambs
Pass'd me by on the road.

The sheep with their little lambs
Pass'd me by on the road;
All in an April evening
I thought on the Lamb of God.

The lambs were weary, and crying
With a weak human cry;
I thought on the Lamb of God
Going meekly to die.

Up in the blue, blue mountains
Dewy pastures are sweet:
Rest for the little bodies,
Rest for the little feet.

Rest for the Lamb of God
Up on the hill-top green;
Only a cross of shame
Two stark crosses between.

All in the April evening,
April airs were abroad;
I saw the sheep with their lambs,
And thought on the Lamb of God.

24th ride

Like the last couple of weeks, I combined my weekly data entry work at church with my need for a ride (weather permitting -- as it has been so far), and rode over there. I'm finding this to be a very happy combination. Rather than doing a direct there-and-back, which is 6 miles, I felt it would be almost criminal to waste the 46-degree spring sunshine, so I lengthened it a bit, and rode 11.4 miles (in 70 minutes), to push my mileage for the year to 197.7, in about 20.75 hours of riding.

I left on my bright orange sweater that I had worn to church this morning, and between that and my reflective harness, when I got home I raised my arms in triumph and told Michelle, "IT IS I -- DR. VISIBLE!"

On the downhill stretches, I am absolutely loving my new bike, with its ability to gear up and keep on pedaling!

My biggest concern was being able to get home in time for the Tigers game, but I was able to time it perfectly, sliding into place before the TV about 2 minutes before first pitch.

23rd ride

I did not ride the last two days, due to cold and ferociously windy weather. Thus well rested, I did my longest ride to date this morning, setting out at 6:45 (the time of sunrise - I checked) to go a 14.5-mile route I call the Saline Loop. I never ran it before arthritis forced me to stop running, though I wanted to. But I did run a good chunk of it (almost half) on Saturday, August 28, 2010, going 6 miles to the home of good friends (Bryce and Josie Babcock) in Saline, but then wimping out and accepting a ride back from Bryce rather than running the round trip.

This morning was cool (31 degrees when I began) and crisp, with early morning sunshine proving a blessing. I was glad to have all my safety features - the flashing taillight on the bike, my reflective harness, and my helmet, and Road ID bracelet, as well as my cell phone. It was exciting, as I pushed on beyond roads I have ridden before and into new areas. But I have in mind significantly longer rides for the future, including a 25-mile fundraising ride for Dawn Farms next Sunday, April 28. This summer I hope to ride to my mother's home some Saturday morning (a little over 50 miles), and some Saturday in the fall I want to ride to my in-laws -- a little over 70 miles. But I'll just keep gradually building, and it seems to me these goals should be feasible.

22nd ride

Happily, I was able to ride to work this morning, in cool, crisp, bright spring sunshine. And then after work, in order to make my goal of riding at least an hour a day, I lengthened my route (still in nice riding weather), going down State St./Rd. to Textile, turning west and going over to Lohr, and coming up home along the Lohr-Textile Greenway, that broad paved path which makes for a nice finishing reward. This gave me a total day's ride of 12.3 miles, which I did in 62 minutes.

The day contained two minor mishaps. This morning, when just starting out, after I had left our complex and turned right on Lohr Rd., my phone fell out of my shirt pocket - but I heard it clatter on the pavement, was able to stop safely and find it - undamaged! (Note to self -- carry it elsewhere in the future!) Then this afternoon, at some point unknown to me, some papers fell out of my shirt pocket, and I only discovered this after reaching home. But it was nothing irreplaceable.

21st ride

The rain that had plagued us throughout last week returned early today, thus torpedoing my hopes to ride to work. However, the weather improved throughout the day, and I got out sufficiently early from work that I was able to work in a good ride before the 5:30 meeting I was surprised to learn I had to be at. So I rode a route I call the Platt Big Block (east on Eisenhower and Packard to Platt, south to Ellsworth, and then back west), making a side trip up State Street to my workplace at Briarwood for the meeting, and then concluded with the ride home afterwards, for a total ride of 12.5 miles in 74 minutes (my best pace yet), in lovely spring weather (FINALLY!). This brings my mileage total for the year to a still extremely modest but steadily improving total of 159.5.

Safety issues

During yesterday afternoon's ride, after I left church and was headed east on Scio Church Rd., I was riding comfortably in the marked bike lane when an inattentive driver in a SUV came up behind me and swerved into my lane, whooshing past my left elbow by not more than six inches. (I am tempted to say "an inattentive moron," but I realize that such an attitude would serve no constructive purpose.) I realize how quickly I could have become a spot on the pavement, and have been silenced (even more than I am now) forever.

I always pray for God's assistance in not only protecting me, but also in helping me to ride with good judgment and caution. I am happy to praise and thank Him for His care in this instance, and I am not tempted to change my strategy. It does, however, raise my awareness of my own need to exercise great caution when I am driving around cyclists - an issue of which (I am ashamed to say) I had been heretofore relatively unconcerned.

20th ride

As the seemingly never-ending rain that plagued us last week has moved out, I was able this morning to resume my goal of riding to work each day, leaving at 7:30 for the 2.4-mile ride, to get me there easily before my 8:00 start time. And after work, wanting to meet my goal of riding at least an hour a day, I did a more extended route than usual, going down State to Textile, then west past Lohr (where I usually turn) clear over to Ann Arbor-Saline Rd., and then up home. This gave me an 11.8-mile afternoon ride of about 72 minutes - still not terribly speedy, but much better now that I can pedal on downhill stretches (with the new bike), and I look to continue to improve.

The beginning part, south on State St./Rd., was a challenge. Most of it is gradually uphill, and I was going into what seemed a ferocious headwind (though, in reality, it was probably not all that fierce). The new bike, though, with all its working gears, helped me meet the challenge.

As I neared our home, I did a short side trip to stop at Performance Bike. In my ride yesterday afternoon, my taillight, which I had attempted to put on the new bike, rattled off. I heard the light when it struck the pavement, and was able to stop and find it, but I could not find the mounting bracket. So I had prepared a note at work to explain this, and the staff at Performance Bike was extremely helpful. They replaced the light free of charge, and when I grinned and said I was "tool challenged," they gladly agreed to put it on for me. (While doing this, they found the old mounting bracket, which was still on the bike - a good illustration of why Michelle and I call me Blindo.) Also, during today's ride, I reached up at one point and inadvertently knocked my mirror off of my helmet. In the wind, it quickly blew aside into the high weeds, and when I went back I was unable to find it. So I did at least enrich the coffers of the bike store by buying a new mirror.

19th ride

Last Sunday afternoon I rode to church to do the weekly data entry work that I do there, and I did the same this afternoon. But I chose to measure out a 10.2-mile route that was not direct, in order to help me meet a mini-goal I set at our Weight Watchers meeting this past Thursday night of riding for at least an hour every day - a goal I've been able to keep so far. (In fact, today I kept it doubly, having gone to LA Fitness for an hour on the elliptical before early church this morning.) And it was, of course, a great joy to ride today on my new bike - ALL THE GEARS WORK! And it's so smooth and new.

18th ride - and new bike!

Today was a big day -- HUGE! -- in my new life as a cyclist. First I did in the early part of the afternoon my longest ride so far, going 12.5 miles in about 1:28. This was a slow pace of about 7 minutes/mile, but still hampered by the old bicycle I was borrowing from Doug. From July 2011 through June 2012 I worked as a transcriptionist at University Hospital - during the last half of 2011 for the Pathology faculty, and doing "History and Gross" reports during early 2012. I really enjoyed the work, and felt I did well at it, but got eased out due to the combination of a numbers squeeze and my lack of seniority. So today I decided to ride a loop to the hospital (following the route I took there most days on the AATA bus), around it, and then home following the route Michelle and I followed after she picked me up each day.

It was not without adventure, but nothing major. In the early part of the ride, after turning right from Lohr Rd. onto Ann Arbor-Saline, I rounded the corner on the sidewalk, and then when the sidewalk ran out and I had to get up onto the pavement, there was about a 3-inch offset from the shoulder up onto the road, and I couldn't negotiate this. The bike slipped sideways, and when I went down, my helmet bounced nicely off the pavement - making me VERY glad I was wearing it. Then later, in the middle part of the (chilly) ride, I experienced the novel sensation of hearing the snowflakes click off the helmet.

After the ride, Doug Tidd contacted me. He had been convinced that, with my plans to do the 25-mile ride on April 28, and the evident enjoyment I had been getting out of cycling, it was time for me to get a new bike to replace the old one he had loaned me. (We had already spoken about this in recent days.) So he took me over to Wheels in Motion on the very eastern side of Ann Arbor (almost in Ypsilanti), a store he patronizes, where the owner DeWight helped us. I test drove (in the back parking lot) and bought a new Trek bike, with which I am very pleased. The only (very minor) downside of it is that, whereas I had assured my daughter and son that they could be sure I would do my best to get a blue bike, the one I got is black. They had a blue one, but Doug successfully talked me out of it. The store personnel were very helpful, repairing my helmet mirror which had broken off during my fall, and reattaching it, and DeWight very kindly offered me a generous discount. So I am very, very pleased with this new acquisition, and am certain that it will make my ride on April 28 much more feasible.

After we left Wheels in Motion and Doug brought me back to my home, he took some pictures of me on the new bike.

New activity

On Sunday morning, April 28, I'm going to participate in my first bicycling organized activity - a fundraiser called Ride for Recovery, for Dawn Farm, an organization in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

For 40 years, Dawn Farm has met community needs with compassion, creativity and hope. From their humble roots in 1973 to the current array of community programs, Dawn Farm’s plainspoken ideal has always been the same—to be the place where addicts and alcoholics could go for help, regardless of their ability to pay.

For many years, Dawn Farm has offered a continuum of services to help addicts and alcoholics achieve long term recovery. With residential services, supportive transitional housing, outpatient treatment, sub-acute detoxification and a range of active outreach programs, Dawn Farm has always been there to help.

Anyone wishing to help contribute to my efforts is welcome to visit my secure fundraising page -

www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/allenborton/ride-for-recovery-2013/

17th ride

For today, my shortest ride to date will have to suffice. I didn't suspect I would be able to ride to work this morning, after being up until nearly midnight watching the NCAA championship basketball game (which Michigan, unfortunately, lost). However, our cat, Bo, faithfully woke me up at 4 a.m. crying to be fed, and, though I stayed in bed for 20 minutes or so trying to get back to sleep, eventually I could see it was a fruitless quest, so I got up and got my day started - and decided I might as well ride to work after all. So I did this two and a quarter mile ride in 13 minutes.

I did not ride home, however. I worked my longest day yet - at Firestone, that is. While teaching I routinely prepared my lectures at 4 a.m., and worked the day and into the evening. But today I worked from 8 a.m. until 6:15 p.m. The day was especially long because one of my major duties is shuttling cars to and from the nearby car rental agencies at the Ann Arbor airport, and since last week was spring break, they had "a ton" of vehicles that had been returned to them from road trips to Florida, needing service. I was very busy today shuttling these, and will be also tomorrow.

So I called Michelle to say that I was very willing to ride home, but asked if she would like to pick me up. When she arrived, I told her that the combination of the long day, the light rain, and the heavy traffic along the route I'd need to ride at that time of day made me think it might be wise to ask for a ride. At this she cracked wise, and said that it scared her that I was beginning to show some common sense. This remark was most apt, as this is a notable and significant shortcoming of mine. Then tomorrow morning I'll drive, and at the end of the afternoon, after picking her up, she'll return me to Firestone so that I can ride the bike home.

16th ride

This morning, I had to surrender my hope to ride to work most every day, because of my desire to attend an 11 a.m. memorial service for a friend at church who had died last Tuesday which meant that I needed our car. So, instead, I rode after an unusually long work day (I didn't finish until after 4:45). I was very tempted to take the easy way out and go to LA Fitness and work out on the elliptical, and for a time it seemed as though the weather might conspire to make that a necessity. But then the rain which was pretty unrelenting during the morning and early afternoon halted, and by the time of my ride, a little past 5:30, a little sun was even peeking out.

I had to talk myself into riding, given the day's schedule. But despite the tiredness I talked myself into riding my 8.8-mile "Textile Big Block," and this was my first time of re-riding a route I had done before (back on March 27). I made a slight improvement in time, as well, finishing in 46 minutes today as opposed to 47 minutes before. But I don't think I can make very significant improvement in my speed until I get the gearing issue resolved.

I may have to ride tomorrow afternoon, too - with the University of Michigan playing for the NCAA national basketball championship tonight, and a tipoff time of 9:23 (Eastern), which is past my usual bedtime, I'm not thinking I'll be ready for an early ride tomorrow.

15th ride

Today's was significant in that it enabled me to pass 100 total miles for the year -- the first of many such achievements, I hope and expect. I waited until after the Detroit Tigers lost their game to the Yankees, dropping in 7-0 in rather listless fashion, and then rode (with heavy heart) along a route that replicated a good portion of a 10-mile route that I ran numerous times. Poignantly, it was the last "longer" run on which I was ever to set out. I cannot say "to do," because about halfway through it, I began to experience severe back pain and the inability to remain straight upright, and I ended up having to take out the emergency bus fare I always brought with me, climb on the Ann Arbor bus, and ride home. That was on Saturday, July 2, 2011. A little over a year later, I was finally diagnosed with arthritic inflammation affecting one of my vertebrae, and a few months later the knee surgeon I consulted told me it was affecting my knee, too, and I had to accept that running was now a thing of the past for me.

Ironically, the problem on 7/2/11 occurred right near the office of the chiropractor who treated me during the spring of 2012, when I was still seeking an answer to what was happening, and with whom I became friends (as well as his daughter, who worked there, and his receptionist - all of them Christians, I was happy to find).

Anyway, today's ride was 9.1 miles, and took me 53 minutes of riding time, plus a journey down to my church to do the weekly attendance data input work that I do for them. Included in this 53-minute ride were some significant downhill stretches on which, as previously noted, I had to coast along -- but the flipside of that is that, of course, I first had to pedal up the other side of them.

14th ride

Today's ride was a good one for where I am in my current state of development. I left just past 7:00 a.m. in still brisk conditions (32 degrees, so I was very glad for my coat and gloves) and rode an 11.5-mile circuit that I'm calling the Carpenter Big Block - up to Eisenhower, then a long stretch east on Eisenhower/Packard to Carpenter Rd. in Ypsilanti, down to Ellsworth, and back home. I had run it once before, back on Saturday morning, April 11, 2008, in 1:57. That was my peak year for fitness and a good year for mileage, as I ran 1000.2 miles in 2008. Today, I rode it in 1:21 (a relatively slow ride of just over 7-minute miles) - interestingly, though, given my relative fitness in 2013 and 2008, I'd judge it to be about equally physically challenging to ride that distance now as it was to run it then. At least I keep building, though, which is all I can expect at this point.

13th ride

Today was another day when I was unable to ride to work. On Fridays, the company that provides and launders our work uniforms (Cintas) picks them up, and since I dress at home, each Friday I carry my uniforms that need to be laundered to Firestone to drop them off. Since I could think of no way to carry them on the bike, I asked Michelle to drop me off today.

Needing to ride, though, I decided to kill two birds with one stone. Each week, I prepare and show the projections at our church (scripture and song lyrics). After this afternoon's Detroit Tigers home opener (a victory over the hated New York Yankees), I rode over to church to prepare the projections, pedaling with my heart singing in joy, and then rode home afterwards. This 6.1-mile round trip was enjoyable in the cool late afternoon and early evening sunshine, and took me just over 37 minutes.

12th ride

Today I was able to get back to my plan of riding to work most days. This morning's ride, brisk (in the low twenties, I believe) at 7:30, but bearable in my coat and gloves, followed my new (slightly revised) route of about two and a quarter miles, which I did in just under 14 minutes. And this afternoon, as it had warmed to 55 degrees with nice sunshine, I was almost too warm in the coat! My route home, of a little over 3.4 miles, took me about 23 minutes, just pedaling nice and easy at the end of a lengthy workday which was more physically demanding than most. The day's ride brought me up to 70 miles for the year - a still measly total, but one which is steadily growing.

It was funny that when I left work, decked out in my full panoply of newly acquired safety gear, one of my colleagues chuckled, "Man, your driving must have gotten worse! Having to wear a helmet and a safety harness now!"

11th ride

Tonight ended up being kind of a comedy of errors. I wore the visibility harness I had bought when I went to get Michelle, and though she restrained herself from an outright belly laugh, she felt that it made me look like a safety guard! By the time the game finished, I drove to Emerson School to pick up Michelle, who had put in a long day of prepping at school (during her break, no less!), and we got home, it was after 8:00 p.m. Then, when I donned my biking helmet so we could attach the mirror to it, I first put it on backwards, totally cracking Michelle up. Then, fortunately for me, she came out with me to help attach the mounting bracket to the bike for the flashing taillight I had acquired. And in the midst of all that, I forgot not only my gloves, but my watch, too. So, even though it was not quite as cold as Monday's 30-degree ride, tonight's 31 degrees was plenty cool enough to convince me to cut my plans for 20 laps in half, accomplishing 10 laps in (presumably) slightly under a half hour, like on Monday.

As I rode, I reflected how this summer, there will doubtless be occasions when, whizzing along on a downhill stretch, the breeze from the speed will doubtless be welcome and feel very good. But tonight was definitely not one of those times.

Change in routine

My friend Doug Tidd, who has gotten me started on cycling, was concerned about my safety, and so, following his recommendations, I made a couple of small tweaks to my routes to and from work. I did not ride to work today, wanting to first pick up some auxiliary gear, but will put these changes into effect tomorrow. These changes are designed to provide me with better riding surfaces, and less traffic to deal with overall (though they are a very slightly greater distance, which is all to the good).

On the way home from work, I stopped and (again at Doug's recommendation) first picked up from REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.) a reflective singlet vest designed to enhance my visibility to drivers, and then, from Performance Bike, a mirror to attach to my helmet, and a flashing light to attach to the rear of the bike. I drew smiles from the twenty-something store clerks when I told them, via my laptop -- "I ran until a couple of years ago, but have had to stop now on doctor's orders, due to arthritis. (I find this totally outrageous for a mere 56-year-old!)" With these additions I feel sure that my riding, about which I already felt comfortable, will be much more secure.

As I write, at a little before 4:30 p.m., the Detroit Tigers are playing in the first inning of their second game of the season, another late afternoon contest in Minnesota. Because of this, like on Monday, I will ride laps inside our complex tonight. But whereas on Monday I could only do 10 laps because of the cold (30 degrees) and my not having worn gloves, tonight should be a different story - it is currently 42 degrees on a nice sunshiny afternoon - and I will wear my gloves to ride, so am hoping and planning to do 20 laps.

Rides 10A and 10B

I have decided that I am going to ride to work each day for the next few months, weather permitting. Yesterday I took my old laptop and left it there, along with a cord to charge it, so that I can communicate without having to try to carry a laptop with me on the bike.

So I put this plan into motion this morning. Since I begin work at 8:00, and didn't know for sure how long it would take, I left at 7:15. (At 21 degrees, this made for a brisk and refreshing start to the day, even with gloves and coat.) But the 2.1-mile ride only took about 13 minutes, so in the future I'll be able to leave considerably later.

After work, sticking with my plan after riding in a clockwise direction in order to optimize my traverse of intersections, it made for a somewhat longer ride, about 3.4 miles. I forgot to stop my watch when I got home, fighting both the cold weather and a bit of a breeze, but I believe it was right around 20 minutes.

I had considered trying to do another ride this afternoon or evening, but think now that, given the persistent cold, I'll just let this suffice for today.

The friend who got me started on this new way of life (Doug Tidd) commented that I seemed quite committed to it -- and I'd say that's true, that I'm as committed as I was to running. I want to make it an integral part of my daily activity, and a pathway to help me regain the fitness that has for so long been lacking. (A few days ago, I sang the old "Batman" theme to Michelle -- only changed to "Fatman"!)

9th ride

After having ridden outside last Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I was pleased about the nice little 4-day streak I had going. However, when it needed to come to a halt yesterday because of Easter and my wife Michelle's birthday, that seemed to me to be good reason for it.

Today I looked forward to getting a new streak started. However, it was also opening day for the Detroit Tigers - my great passion. Their first game was in frosty Minnesota, at 3 p.m. Minnesota time - 4 p.m. for us here in the east. This enabled me to finish a pretty complete work day and get home just in time for the beginning of the game, which Detroit won 4-2, playing a pretty good game overall. So, with my heart singing, I went out afterward to ride.

However, due to the length of the game and the rapidly waning daylight, I felt it wouldn't be safe to ride out on the street with no light and no reflective gear. So, I rode laps inside the circle of our condo complex - affording me a good paved surface, minimal (indeed almost no) traffic, and continuous proximity to home should I have any trouble. I had measured it out at 0.4648 miles, and did 10 laps in 28 minutes, for a total of just over 4.6 miles. This strikes me as a pretty paltry effort, particularly in light of the fact that I had hoped to do 20 laps. But I had stupidly gone out without gloves, and with the temperature having dropped to 30 degrees, after the first couple of laps I could barely grip the handlebars - the fire that the game had built in me very quickly cooled off. So, I contented myself (as I often did while running) that at least a small effort was better than none at all.