Hike and bike...

Sunday, January 13, 2013

It was still unseasonably warm and Heidi was home and had suggested a trip in the kayaks.  That worked for me, but when she came outside and saw the clouds threatening rain, decided a hike in the park might be safer.  She was probably right, but I’d have risked the kayaking.  Still…the park is good and Dakota could use the exercise, as well.

I placed a warm bucket of water and a rag in the trunk for the clean-up we’d need to do on Dakota before she could re-enter the car after the hike and headed out.  It was extremely muddy, so I steered Heidi off-trail and onto my marsh circum-navigation hike.  At first she thought I was trying to make the hike more difficult, but when my trail merged back onto a hiking trail with two inches of mud on it, she understood. 

It was easier without the snow, but we still managed a decent workout over the next 70 minutes.  Dakota was a filthy mess when we returned to the car, but the warm water did a decent job of making her presentable.  We returned home with about two hours until dinner and skies still threatening.  I considered riding the bike and the chances of rain weighed against a return to the trainer with plummeting temperatures scheduled for tomorrow…and decided to ride.

The thermometer had dropped to the forties, but I still figured it was warm enough to forgo gloves and a hat.  I was mostly right as I headed out, but the temperature continued to drop over the course of the 90-minute ride.  Then… a flat.

I don’t mind changing flats…I’m kinda like the father in ‘A Christmas Story’ acting like I’m in the Tour de France and need every second to get back on the bike and in the race.  I was on UB Express though and didn’t know how easily the rubber would come off.  I was carrying a spare tube, a pump, and a cell phone.  Holly was in the middle of preparing dinner and calling her to pick me up could be risky.  The tire was not completely flat so I opted for pumping it up and seeing how far I could ride.  I was about 40 minutes from home and knew it wouldn’t make it that long, but if I made it ten minutes between pumps, it was doable.

I actually made it 15 before having to stop again.  The next was ten minutes and then eight, but I could smell the finish and rolled in the driveway almost completely deflated…and with ten minutes to spare until dinner.

I’m happy I made the trip.  I rode strongly and love UB.  I can see big rides this spring as I prepare for ‘Tour Ohio’ and believe UB may be the bike for the trip.  I’ll have to see if I can outfit it with panniers, but I feel very comfortable on it and would like to go with a road bike verses a hybrid if possible.

And yes…I know that Lance has conducted an interview with Oprah and that it likely wasn’t to tell her what a good guy he is that he was always riding clean.  I will not lie.  Tears formed at the corners of my eyes as I considered the implications.  I’ll watch the show on Thursday and hear what the man has to say.  Time and again I’ve defended him in this blog.  Yes…I admired his accomplishments, the way he trained and the obstacles he overcame to become the greatest cyclist the world had ever seen.  He was my one and only athletic hero…the first since Muhammad Ali.  I suppose I’ll have more to say in the Friday edition.

Hike duration:  70 minutes.  Bike duration:  90 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  80 for the hike and 120 bpm on the bike.

Calories burned during workout: 350 for the hike and 1275 on the bike.