Back to the Future

It's been a month since we returned from Tour of the Unknown Coast and Healdsburg. Time passes quickly. It's just dawned on me how little time I have left to prepare for our cycling trip to the French Alps in September. I spent March and April gearing up for TUC but since getting back I've been a little lazy about riding. Oh, I've been riding, but not with much focus. I think it's the weather. It was very summer-ish the week we returned but it's been more winter-like the past few weeks. Including today. I tried to go for a ride but was stopped twice at the front door. The first time it was a light shower, so I went back inside to wait for it to pass. When it looked sufficiently dry I put my bike in the car. I noticed the neighbor was painting his house. I figured if he can paint his house in the rain then I can ride in the rain. Because that's how we Portlanders roll. Or not. I went back inside to put on leg warmers and by the time I stepped on the front porch again it was raining hard. I paced inside for a few minutes then decided it was over. I changed out of my bike clothes and into my yogi clothes, did some stretching and then got on the bike trainer, neither of which I have done since April. But with just 10 weeks to FA (French Alps) there is no more time to spare. I have to start focusing again on what's looming ahead.

Toward that end I've been scouring cycling websites to find 'event' rides (like TUC) that have suitable routes for me. Each event ride has its own personality (flat v. hilly; elevation gain; scenery; location) so it can take some digging to find one that's just right. I've got my eye on two events in late June. The first is the Tour de Blast, an 80 mile up-and-back to Mt. St. Helens, on June 23. The second event is the Mt. Adams Century on June 30. Both have elevation gains in my range but, more important, very lengthy climbs, which is what I'll be facing in the FA. This makes them good practice rides for Europe. As always, I'd plan on doing the long climbs but shorter total mileage than the full event. And, of course, we have to wait to see if the weather will cooperates. In the meantime it's back to cycling-with-a-purpose closer to home, including some time on the indoor trainer.

Time to post our year-to-date stats for the end of May. Clearly, Chris's 105,000 feet of climbing in May for that water bottle (which has yet to arrive) gave him a slight lead over me in the Elevation Gain  category.

But Who's Counting, We're Just In It for the Scenery

ELLEN YEAR-TO-DATE, ENDING MAY 2012

YEAR-TO-DATE
Distance	868 mi
Time	74 hours
Elev Gain	80,171 ft
Rides	35

CHRIS YEAR-TO-DATE, ENDING MAY 2012

YEAR-TO-DATE
Distance	2,344 mi
Time	170 hours
Elev Gain	255,300 ft
Rides	74