superstructures
I realized long ago that I was born one hundred and fifty years too late. Had I arrived on this celestial orb in the year eighteen hundred and twenty-three, I'd never have had to explain to my contemporaries my distaste for automobiles, cellular telephones and mass-market media. So it is a great mystery to me that I fail to see the charm of covered bridges. On the surface, what's not to like? They're old. They're made of wood. There aren't many left. And yet, they fail to move me. After all, it's just a barn, isn't it - albeit a barn that spans a little bit of water. And where I come from, barns are a dime a dozen. Besides, as we (okay, Beth) discovered while training for Solvang, arriving at a bridge only means there's nowhere to go but up.
Still, we really couldn't have asked for a better ride with only three weeks left to train. We rode from Frederick, Maryland into Pennsyltucky, around Liberty Mountain and back. I was expecting a 75-80 mile route, but this was only a pleasant 65 miles. And it was mostly flat. The weather was perfect - sunny but cool with a slight breeze. In all, it was probably the easiest and most fun training ride I have done.
After the Solvang ride, I upgraded to clipless pedals. Clipless pedals, for those that don't know, clip the soles of your shoes directly to the pedal. (Don't ask me, I didn't name them. That's just what they're called.) As anyone who has made the switch will tell you, clipless pedals are notorious for making even the most agile gymnast feel oafish. Having your feet attached directly to your bike takes some getting used to - particularly in the stopping department - and most people take a tumble or five as they make the adjustment. As one who is coordinationally challenged, at best, I was feeling pretty good about myself that I had yet to hit the deck, and I had ridden with the new pedals enough that I thought I might get off scot-free. As we were riding into Thurmont, MD we came across another group of cyclists who were stopped and having a snack on a (uncovered) bridge over a stream. We had to slow down to make a turn just there, and one of the women asked me what we were training for. Sure enough, as I attempted to stop and answer her question simultaneously, I forgot to clip out and down I go. No harm was done other than what little pride I have, but that, my friends, is the story of my life in an instant: an attractive woman asks a question of me and I promptly fall on my ass.
Which brings me to everybody's favorite portion of our show: the part where I plead for cash. My fundraising is going a little more slowly than I anticipated this year, and with a month left I have adjusted my goal accordingly. I am now shooting for $3,000, which I feel is a little more realistic with the time that is left. I should mention that as part of my agreement with Team in Training, I am on the hook for four grand, regardless, so whatever I don't raise comes out of my pocket. So if I can get to $3,000, I am fine with putting up the rest of the cash myself. (Of course, if I can raise more than that, so much the better.) Once again, I cannot thank enough those who have already helped out with a donation. If you haven't yet, please consider it. Your donation is tax deductible and the money goes to a great cause - the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - that gets results. The five-year relative survival rate has tripled in the past forty years and the childhood survival rate is up to 80%. Please help us continue to fight cancer. Thank you.
Still, we really couldn't have asked for a better ride with only three weeks left to train. We rode from Frederick, Maryland into Pennsyltucky, around Liberty Mountain and back. I was expecting a 75-80 mile route, but this was only a pleasant 65 miles. And it was mostly flat. The weather was perfect - sunny but cool with a slight breeze. In all, it was probably the easiest and most fun training ride I have done.
After the Solvang ride, I upgraded to clipless pedals. Clipless pedals, for those that don't know, clip the soles of your shoes directly to the pedal. (Don't ask me, I didn't name them. That's just what they're called.) As anyone who has made the switch will tell you, clipless pedals are notorious for making even the most agile gymnast feel oafish. Having your feet attached directly to your bike takes some getting used to - particularly in the stopping department - and most people take a tumble or five as they make the adjustment. As one who is coordinationally challenged, at best, I was feeling pretty good about myself that I had yet to hit the deck, and I had ridden with the new pedals enough that I thought I might get off scot-free. As we were riding into Thurmont, MD we came across another group of cyclists who were stopped and having a snack on a (uncovered) bridge over a stream. We had to slow down to make a turn just there, and one of the women asked me what we were training for. Sure enough, as I attempted to stop and answer her question simultaneously, I forgot to clip out and down I go. No harm was done other than what little pride I have, but that, my friends, is the story of my life in an instant: an attractive woman asks a question of me and I promptly fall on my ass.
Which brings me to everybody's favorite portion of our show: the part where I plead for cash. My fundraising is going a little more slowly than I anticipated this year, and with a month left I have adjusted my goal accordingly. I am now shooting for $3,000, which I feel is a little more realistic with the time that is left. I should mention that as part of my agreement with Team in Training, I am on the hook for four grand, regardless, so whatever I don't raise comes out of my pocket. So if I can get to $3,000, I am fine with putting up the rest of the cash myself. (Of course, if I can raise more than that, so much the better.) Once again, I cannot thank enough those who have already helped out with a donation. If you haven't yet, please consider it. Your donation is tax deductible and the money goes to a great cause - the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - that gets results. The five-year relative survival rate has tripled in the past forty years and the childhood survival rate is up to 80%. Please help us continue to fight cancer. Thank you.
posted by hotrod at 4:56 PM
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