Rick's Spin Class

We rode just an hour today in the 9:15 am spin class at the "Fatness Center".

Rick as brutal as usual, making us do high intensity intervals.

Burned well over 1000 calories! My watch didn't get a reading for the first 15 minutes until I reset it. Got over 900 calories for 45 minutes; so the total calories burned must have been much more.

Brian's Spin Class

Brian's noon-time spin class at the "Fatness Center" was a blast. We rode hard for 1.5 hours.

Calories burned: 1300

Spin Cycle

I was first on the waiting list for the Saturday morning spin class -- and sure enough they called that I got in.

I arrived a bit early and warmed up for about 15 minutes. Brian's class went over an hour -- excellent. He left when he started cramping. Soon it was just down to Steve and me. We finished together, getting in just over 2 hours.

My cycling shoes are still wet!

Calories burned: 2100

My animal totem for the Furnace Creek 508

Many thanks to Sandy for designing it!

Back to Spinning

Since it's too nasty to ride outside, I decided to take a one hour spinning class at Wow Fitness.
The new instructor was energetic and gave us a good workout. Burned about 500 calories, which is not exactly a record. (I sometimes hit 700+ with the "Helenator" and Rick, the owner.)

Bingo has been called

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you -- I completed the mileage challenge with that last ride! I have exactly 3000 miles.

I also failed to mention that I did laps around the housing area behind the motel until I reached 120 miles!

Yiipppee!!

That doesn't mean I plan to stop riding! (The stormy weather in Oregon might have a say, however.) Hmmmm, maybe we need to take another trip to a sunny place!!

Century #29: Assault on Arizona Hwy 90

Rode 120 miles today. Visted Huachuca City, Benson, Ft. Huachuca (passed main gate), Palominas, Hereford, and back to Sierra Vista. It wasn't entirely flat, not-so-windy today, but very sunny!

I still got a little red even though I was wearing SPF-30 (water resistant, etc).
After the ride I discovered that my front tire was soft. Found the culprit -- a small piece of wire from retread casings (which were everywhere). Pulled out two chunks, but found only one hole in the tube. Even so, I think the Ritchey "Tom Slick" tires held up well considering all the rough roads, glass, and tire fragments that I ran over. (I tried hard to avoid the stuff.)

At the 2002 and 2004 Pac-tour training camps (held here in Sierra Vista) I had a lot of flats on my Air Friday travel bike, which used 20" tires. Couldn't get tires that are as durable as Continentals (can you say Gator Skins, GP 3000/400? I knew you could).

Fortunately I'm now riding a travel bike that can use my favorite (700c) tires (guess which ones!). Who knows, maybe I'll get some more Tom Slicks for my Breakaway when these wear out.


Mileage: 120
Calories: 4906
Temp: 79F and sunny!
Climbing: 2725 ft
Avg altitude: 4128 ft.

Century #28: El Tour de Tombstone

We're reporting in from Sierra Vista, AZ. Today I rode my Richey Breakaway 101 miles. Headed out to Huachuca City and Benson (via Hwy 92/20) and took Hwy 82 to Tombstone. Absolutely sunny -- high temperature of 80F.

Mileage: 101
Calories: 4636
Temp: 80F
Avg altitude: 4058 ft.
Climbing: 2765 ft.

Do you suppose it's ok to toss the food??

Century #27: Decker loop, Brownsville, Shedd, Peoria loops, Tangent, Philomath

Welcome to Brownsville.	Historic church in Shedd.	Amtrack train that came blowing by soon after I crossed.

Played hookey from work today -- actually my boss encouraged me to try to get a century in today. The weather is about to turn soggy for a few months, actually about 6!

Distance: 101.6
Average temp: 47F
Cadence: 58/94
Average: 17.7 mph
Calories: 4043
Climbing: 1255 ft (mostly the Decker loop)
Miles-to-medal: 223.2 miles
Ascent-to-date: 72,855 ft (only the centuries)

Century #26: Shedd, Brownsville, Rowland, Peoria Rd loops

It never really warmed up today. The fog didn't burn off until around 1pm as I approached Brownsville. Saw a bunch of wild turkeys on the way out of Brownsville on the Rowland loop!


Rode 98.4 miles -- almost ran out of daylight!

Calories: 3875
Climbing: 1360 ft.
Avg Speed: 17 mph
Miles-to-medal: 324.8
Cadence: 59/87
Counties visited: Benton, Linn

Go Beavs!!! This just in -- Oregon State beats #3 USC!

Nutzo Nutria

Top candidate for my totem at the 508 next year! Thanks Echnida!

You see, at the Furnace Creek 508, racers don't get assigned numbers. Instead you pick an animal totem, possibly one that begins with the same first letter of one of your names...

Century #25: Bellfountain, Harrisburg, Peoria, Peterson Lp, Philomath Lp

Barely squeaked this one out before it was completely dark!!! Rode the first 57 miles on the Ritchey/Alps and my new orthotics. My left calf, which had been sore from a spinning class earlier in the week, started giving me problems. It felt better to pedal out of the saddle!

The left calf always gets it when I start back to the spinning class -- I'm missing a soleus thanks to getting "whacked" during my record attempt across MS in '97. Of course the "Helen-ator" led my first class back -- "I'll be baaach!" Seems the spinning bike engages the muscles a little differently than my road bike.

Near Peoria, I came across a rider in the his aerobars wearing a Chronos TT helmet. I concentrated on catching him and it took a while. (The calf felt a little better when I hammered.)

I think the new orthotic/shim for my left shoe is somehow working my calf more. Scott Peterson (my orthotics guy in Bend) had said that he put in more correction since I had adapted so well to the old ones. Perhaps my position on the bike isn't exactly dialed in -- nothing like a longer ride to point that out!

I stopped at the house after 57 miles and changed bikes and shoes. Pulled out the red De Rosa. The calf still hurt on the upstroke, but I decided to push on. After a few miles it settled down and actually got better. Aha!

Another reason I'm doing bike changes during rides is to simulate what will happen in a long event. Good to know in advance how this works out. Sometimes it is helpful to change saddles and shoes to alleviate a problem. (No problems with my feet and bum these days!!)

counties visited: Lane (nuclear free!), Linn, Benton
climbing: 1500 ft
calories; 3263
miles: 91
temp: 59F (but comfy -- a bit windy!)
cadence 59 avg, 89 max
avg speed: 17
Miles-to-medal: 423.20

Century #24: Kings Valley, Monmouth, Independence, Buena Vista, Albany, Decker + Peterson Loops (120 miles)

Before I started my ride, the Weather Channel said it was 39F, but my outdoor thermometer said it was 34F! Nonetheless it was clear outside and no real excuse not to ride!

I left at the last possible moment, 9:15, to attempt to intercept the MVBC "long" ride to Monmouth. (It warmed to a blazing 40F now!)

I saw nobody in Philomath and though I rode slowly, nobody caught up with me. Maybe they took a different route? Didn't spent much time at the Kings Valley store and pushed on. Absolutely gorgeous in Kings Valkey this time of year!

In Polk County I saw a few signs for "Tom Ritchey -- Polk County Commissioner". Don't know about the politician, but the Tom Ritchey who made my Breakaway has my vote.

It eventually warmed up to 70F by the time I finished my first 73 miles. I made myself a grilled sandwich (thanks to Mr. Foreman) and took off for some more miles. I swapped my De Rosa Primato for the Ritchey and changed into my newer shoes with my most recent orthotics (with greater correction than the old ones).

The Ritchey felt funny for a few miles but I eventually settled in. I felt as though my pace picked up riding the Ritchey. I think the De Rosa needs a little work. There's a little creaking noise on every down stroke of the pedal; might swap pedals to see if it goes away.

The Ritchey, in comparison, is quiet. The PP 247 pedals on this bike are very easy to clip into -- it's as though magnets are pulling your shoes in!! (The older pedals on my De Rosa have almost 16,000 miles on them -- maybe they're tired! I *do* grease them from time-to-time.) I've already ruled out the BB, I've already reinstalled the crank arms and BB to the proper torque.

Counties: Benton, Polk, Linn
Distance: 120 miles
Climbing: 4040 ft (not the flattest ride)
Calories: 5311
Avg cadence: 62 (91 max)
Low temp: 39F, High: 70F
Miles to medal: 514.20

Tip of the day!

"If your bike is under 20 lbs and you get dropped on a hill, it's not because of the bike." -- Lon Haldeman

I'm a winner ... of a Giant Rincon Mountain Bike

At the health fair at work, I entered a drawing for a bike and it turns out that I won! (Now I can't say I never win anything!)

Verry cool. Since I converted my '96 Stumpjumper to a commuter, soon I will have a bike I can use out in the nearby McDonald-Dunn forest this winter!

Tip of the day

TIP: RTFB!

Excessive hugging a crewmember at the side of the road won't get you across the finish line.

We saw this at the 508. We encountered a rider embracing someone at the side of the road. We felt for him thinking he had just DNF'd. To our surprise he passed us later on, only to be found pulled over -- once again -- hugging someone...

Such a foul is verbotten when Sandy is the chief! And don't even think about wimping out and getting in the vehicle -- she'll lock the doors! :-)

Century #23: 112 miles, Brownsville, Harrisburg, Bellfountain, Decker

I extended the MVBC ride to Brownsville into a century. Started out with arm and leg warmers and a capilene undershirt. It warmed up enough in Brownsville to remove the arm warmers and shirt; by the time I hit Decker Road the temperature started to drop so I put the arm warmers back on.

The most pleasant part of the ride was the section from Hwy 99 to Bellfountain. Hardly any cars at all. Passed a pumpkin patch between Harrisburg and Monroe -- I guess these pumpkins are rejects considering they should have been harvested already.

Calories: 5300
Miles: 112
Elevation gain: 1965 ft.
Cadence: 61 avg, 93 max

My 508 Totem: Nutria!

Myocastor coypus

Nutria are gnarly, seem to cause a lot of havoc, and are virtually indestructable. I've actually seen one at the cooling pond at work. There are signs that say, "Don't feed the nutria."

See http://www.nutria.com

Crewed for the Hoary Marmot at the 508

The photo shows John Henry Maurice (the Hoary Marmot) receiving his medal from race organizer Chris Kostman.

The crew consisted of Sandy (chief), Ron, and me. We had a good time and worked very well together -- this was the best crew I've been a part of.

See http://www.the508.com for the webcast. I posted some of my photos at http://www.capitolvelo.com (click on Gallery).

Next year it's my time to step up to the plate -- I already have one of the best crew chiefs (and *accomplished* racer) in the business willing to help me. Believe me, a good crew chief is crucial!

Tip of the day

Sandy's pet peeve: Excessive photo-ops at the start line are for people who aren't certain that they'll get to take pictures at the finish line.

What does Mark do on a friday?

..and every other day of the week?

I ride my '05 Ritchey Breakaway travel bike! This bike rules -- particularly when tricked out with a pair of HED Alps wheels. (The Breakaway's stock wheels are quite good actually!) The bike is equipped with Ultegra 9-speed shifters, a SRAM cassette, and Ritchey most-everything-else. (Great stuff I might add).

The Breakaway is a *full-size* bike that comes with its own travel bag. You can check it as luggage and fly with it for no extra charge. This travel bike weighs a scant 20 pounds, not bad at all. (Besides, it is much more responsive than my old 26 pound folding bike, which I sold on ebay. No more 20" tires -- and flats -- for me.)

Got a great deal on the Breakaway from the Beaverton Bike Gallery (fantastic shop). Before the Lance Armstrong Foundation ride, I was shopping for some shoes and left with the bike -- but no shoes. (I was looking for a pair of Nike Poggio shoes that I had bought there a few years ago.)

I put the Alps on this bike because it has *vertical* dropouts. The rear wheel kept slipping on my '95 De Rosa Primato, which has *horizontal* dropouts. I could get it to stick on the De Rosa only by "hogging" the skewer, making it a pain to remove the wheel. Seems the locknuts are made of an alloy material that doesn't bite into steel very well. I think HED intends for these wheels to go on a bike from *this* millenium, most of which have vertical dropouts...

Since I bought these Alps wheels with a 10-speed Campy cassette body, I had to use a Wheels Manufacturing shim kit (Shift-7) to respace a loose 9-speed Campy cassette. I picked up a Miche 9-speed cassette (Campy compatible) from Universal and replaced the shims. I also had to adjust the derailleur stops because the cassette is slightly offset in position from the original wheel.

I took the bike out on the Decker road loop, which has a bit of everything, including a nice climb and descent. The drive train was spot on! (Who says you can't mix components?) Yeah, I could have purchased a Shimano cassette body from Hed, but they say you have to redish the wheel and that seems like a lot of trouble!

Century #22: Shedd, Waterloo, Lebanon, 2X Decker Loop

The weather was a bit cool this morning (52), gradually warming up to 76F by the afternoon. I couldn't tempt anyone to extend the 60 mile MVBC ride to Waterloo. (I tried to entice them to stop in Brownsville for a sandwich... no takers)

We had a hard time crossing Hwy 34 to bypass the bridge construction on Tangent Road. Seems there was an OSU Beaver game at 1pm -- that explains the steady stream of cars toward Corvallis.

Once I got back home, I made a grilled sandwich (thanks to George Foreman) and went out to do two laps of the Decker loop.

Miles: 121.1
Calories: 4994
High temp: 76F
Average speed: 18.5 mph (19.5+ for the first 70 miles)
Average cadence: 62

Century #21, Brownsville, Crawfordville, Sweet Home, Waterloo, Lebanon, Shedd

I couldn't bring myself to get up for the 7am start of the 200K brevet in Corvallis. I waited until it warmed up a bit, around 9am, and decided to try to intercept the riders in Crawfordville. Instead of going to Coburn and Marcola, I took the shortest route to Crawfordville via Brownsville.

I waited at the Thriftway control in Sweet Home and had a turkey sandwich (great deal at $1.99). I figured I must have been ahead of the group at this point. From there I followed the cuesheet for the remainder of the course.

For this ride I put the HED Alps back on my '95 De Rosa Primato. (These wheels sail in the headwinds coming back on Peoria Road.) I really have to snug down the rear skewer or the wheel will slip in the horizontal dropouts.


102.6 miles
3553 calories

Century #20, Marcola Century

The MVBC ride captain decided to replace the 76 mile to Brownsville with the "Marcola Century". See http://www.mvbc.com for the route.

It started out cool (low 40s), but eventually warmed up. I got by with arm warmers, "kneekers" and a wind breaker. We flew down Peoria Road -- I had a 10+ mile pull with the speed ranging from 22 - 26 (slight tailwind). The group (Lyle, Tim, Henry, Elisa, and me) stopped in Coburg where I had a turkey sandwich and a Gatorade. (It was great riding with these guys!!)

On the rollers to Brownsville (from Crawfordville), I was summoned to the front -- that was a first!! :-) I felt great and had a good pull the rest of the way into Brownsville (even "won" the sprint for the sign by coming off the front. :-)

We later stopped in Brownsville for sour cream and chicken tamales at the restaurant that was formerly an antique store. (We had planned to eat at the eatery up the street, but it was overflowing with members of a motorcycle club).

Great day to ride a century! (We averaged 19.6 for the first 81 miles; 18.4 overall).

107 miles
4900 calories

Century #19, Kings Valley, Monmouth, Decker loop, 101 miles

Rode with the club to Kings Valley (via Wren) and Monmouth. It tried to rain a bit on the way back on Hwy 99 and we faced a stiff headwind. None of the other riders wanted to "extend" so I added on a Decker Loop to get in my 101 miles.

My Polar was a bit fiddly at the start of the ride. The watch started picking up the speed sensor better as it got warmer.

Calories burned: 4200

Post TT report

Went out for the Monday night recovery ride with Capitol Velo. (See http://www.capitolvelo.com). Rode my '93 Colnago equipped with a corn-cob (11-19) cassette. Took some long pulls into the wind and felt pretty good. Had no soreness or problems whatsoever!

Sure wish the season wasn't winding down!

I plan to put in another century with the Mid-Valley Bike Club on Saturday.

187.1 miles (centuries 17-18) 12 hour TT

I came in 5th!!! Missed 4th by 4 miles. The ride started for me at 7:07 am at the Imperial Lodge in Maupin, OR. For a while I was the virtual "lantern rouge" jersey holder.

I always start slow -- not by choice, that's just how the machinery operates. Slowly I start to catch riders. By SR44 I caught a couple and on Hwy 97 I caught a few more on the looong rollers. After 85 miles I felt pretty good and rode hard. After doing the 111 mile long loop, followed by the 26 miles short loop, I was ready to hang it up -- Terri had said earlier that's all you needed to be an official finisher.

Sandy Earl refilled my bottles, one with water and one with Sustained Energy and a couple of Endurolytes (electrolyte replacement tablets). She put me in the shade to cool off "in case I wanted to start up again".

She said to just go out and do a "victory" loop. Well I got started and managed to eek out two loops and 19 miles toward a third one when time ran out. I grabbed a couple wads of beef jerkey and drank some Diet Coke on one of the refueling stops -- it did the trick. At times I felt good and could hammer; other times I soft pedaled until the "lights" came back on.

Sandy Earl and Mark (after 138 miles)

In case you didn't know, Sandy Earl is a champion of RAO and holds several 12 and 24 hour TT records. Her deep experience makes her a crew-chief extraordinaire. Thanks Sandy! (Her rider, John Henry Maurice, took 5th place in the 24 hour TT -- he's training for the Furnace Creek 508.)

Apparently my slow climbing pace that put me at the back of the race early was what helped me advance later in the race. My climbing speed was fairly consistent throughout the race.

The top three finishers were impressive in how fast they could go so late in the game! Chris, a nationally ranked time trialist from the UK, wore booties and a pink skinsuit, along with matching pink hair. Absolutely amazing -- he averaged nearly 18 mph to take the win!! He blew past me on a descent in Tygh valley, but I managed to catch him in the hills. We went back and forth a few times and after we got back to HQ he put the big hammer down in the hills out of Maupin, never to be seen again!

I had a good time and glad I rode the entire 12 hours (minus one break at the HQ).

According to my Polar:
elevation gained: 12,675 feet
average cadence: 59 (usually average between 59 - 61)
calories consumed: 8383 (can I have dessert?)
total distance: 187.1 miles (I rode partway toward the finish after the 12 hours was up)

Also see
ROF website: http://www.raceacrossoregon.com/roftt
Sandy's site: http://echidnadreamingcycling.com/

Century #16, Bellfountain, Harrisburg, Peoria, Philomath

Got off to a late start (2:30pm or so) and managed to get in 91.4 miles before dark. (Rides between 90 and 100 count as a "personal" century, BTW.) Burned about 3500 calories according to my Polar 720i.

Started with Heed in one bottle. Stopped once in Harrisburg for a Diet Pepsi and to fill my bottles with water. Ate a breakfast bar and a trail mix bar along the way. It wasn't very hot on this ride -- it was only 69 when I rolled into the driveway.

I put the HED Alps back on the De Rosa Primato in preparation for the 12hr TT next Saturday. Since the bike has horizontal dropouts, I really have to snug the rear skewer to keep the wheel in place. The Wipperman chain was "clicking" a bit in the 12-tooth cog, meaning that my chain needed some lube. (I use Boeshield T9 exclusively.)

Century #15: Buena Vista,Jefferson, Scio, Albany, Oakville

Rode with a group from the MVBC and we extended the "long" ride to 105.

We crossed the ferry across the Willamette in Buena Vista and rode over to the Mexican bakery in Jefferson. On our ride we crossed two covered bridges and stopped in Scio for a snack. Got a bit hot (93F) later in the day.

I drank a bottle of Sustained Energy, two food bars, an apple pastry (Mexican bakery), a 20 oz Gatorade, and a 32 Diet Pepsi. (Took a couple of endurolytes too.) My Polar 720i says I burned about 4000 calories on this ride. (Not a record -- I burned over 5000 on my century around Crater Lake.

All in all, I felt pretty good at the end of the ride -- plenty of kick left and took a long pull on the way back on Peoria Road.

Century #14, Crater Lake Rim Tour

Century #15 at Crater Lake (August 26, 2006)
101 miles, 9600 ft of climbing (all above 4000 ft elevation)

Rode the 29th annual Crater Lake Rim Tour, sponsored by the Mid-Valley Bike Club. The 62 mile ride started at Diamond Lake. I extended the ride into a century by riding around the rim twice for about 9600 ft of climbing. The ride started out in the low 40s and warmed up to 79F for my second loop.

Met Mark D. from Capitol Velo -- he took my photo with my new Nikon Coolpix L3. (Do I look cold or something?) Yup, the water really is *that* blue!! (Crater Lake is 2000 ft deep -- the deepest in the US and 7th in the world.)

Nancy Meitle and her small army of volunteers did a splendid job making this a fun tour. My wife Paula helped out at the lunch stop as she has for the past two years.

BTW, that's my red 1995 De Rosa Primato equipped with Campy Chorus 10-speed components. (Steel is real!) I bought it in 2002 and have since put nearly 15,000 miles on it.

Century #13, Yaquina Wheels Lighthouse Century

Century #14, Second Annual Yaquina Lighthouse Century
102 miles

Nice ride! Starting at the Yaquina Head Lighthouse, we rode to Newport, Toledo, Elk City, Siletz, and Lincoln City. We had a nice tailwind coming back from Lincoln City. It was a little chilly at the start (52F) and only warmed up to 68F along the way -- perfect cycling weather!

Custom t-shirts were available at the finish line, made to order. The back of the shirt had a list of all the riders who preregistered, including me. Averaged about 17.5 with about 3500 feet of climbing, mainly short hills. Good snacks at the SAG stops!

Century #12, Monmouth - Decker Rd - Greenberry Store

Monmouth - Decker Rd - Greenberry Store
95.7 miles

It was hot -- 95F -- by the time I finished this ride. I extended the club ride to Monmouth to get in my century. I stopped at the Greenberry store on Hwy 99 only to find they were closed!! However, their water spigot still worked. I'm not sure I ran the water long enough, but I had no ill effects from drinking it.

Century #11, Covered Bridge Rim Tour

Covered Bridge Bicycle Tour (August 12, 2006)
132 miles

It doesn't make much sense to drive to a century that starts nearby! I rode 16 miles to the event, did the century, and then rode home -- for a total of 132 miles.

The ice cream served at the end of the ride really hit the spot! I think the new starting line at the Linn County Convention Center is much better than the nearby Timber-Linn Park. More parking and better facilties!

I'm a little "biased" toward this great ride -- I'm not just a rider but the webmaster (since '99). See http://www.coveredbridgetour.org

Century #10, Roaring River + Decker Rd.

I extended the 80 mile route to a century by adding on a loop over Decker Rd. On the first part of the ride with the MVBC, we stopped at the Fish Hatchery at Roaring River to feed the fish and fill our bottles.

This was one tough ride. We had a couple of young Cat 3 riders who were "taking it easy" and therefore were pouring on the coals. Our ride camptain, Henry, was there on his 'bent -- he's always fast!!! There's no escaping him!!

See http://www.mvbc.com/mvbc/RouteSheets/B650.html

Century #9, Marcola Century

Marcola Century, 104 miles

Instead of riding to Armitage Park as scheduled, we extended the MVBC ride to include Marcola and Brownsville.

Century #8, Alsea Falls + Decker loop

Alsea Falls + Decker loop - 07/22/2006
97.3 miles

I rode both our long and short rides to combine for a century. By the time I finished, it was 100F -- hot! (It hit 105F later in the day. This is western Oregon, not Death Valley!) Lots of climbing and I felt great!

Century #7, Monmouth, Jefferson, Albany, Decker Loop

Monmouth, Jefferson, Albany, Decker Loop - 07/15/2006
100.6 miles

Rode the "long" ride with MVBC, followed by a 27 mile Decker Loop

Century #6, Brownsville + Decker

Brownsville + Decker - 07/08/2006
91.6 miles

Rode 60 miles with the Mid-Valley Bike Club to Brownsville and back. After reloading at home, I went out for the Decker Loop. Hot!! 91F

Century #5, Northwest Tandem Rally

NorthWest Tandem Rally - 07/01/2006
Event URL - http://www.nwtr.org/2006
98.4 miles

Extended the 70 mile ("hilly long") ride to 98.4 miles. (I rode a single at the rally.) To borrow from Ron White -- "I don't know how many tandems it would take to kick my a$$, but I knew how many they were going to use." Apparently it took two strong tandem teams. I could not stay with them! Fun ride!

Great food and lots of friendly riders who kept asking where the rest of my bike was.

Century #4, Marcola Century

This was an MVBC club ride -- I think I was the only one to ride it this time around. ( I came across a few riders from Eugene on the stretch between Coburg and Marcola.) I brought along an extra bottle of Sustained Energy and a few Tiger Milk bars (these always go down easy and taste good).

I stopped once on the ride, at the grocery store in Marcola. Had a bottle of Gatorade and filled my water bottles. Great day to be riding!

See Marcola, Route: http://www.mvbc.com/mvbc/RouteSheets/B690.html (104 miles)

Century #3, Watermelon Rides

The Watermelon rides, hosted by the Salem Bike Club, started in Monmouth this year. The ride featured some great scenery with rolling hills out in Kings Valley.

See http://www.salembicycleclub.org.

Century #2, Strawberry Century

Strawberry Century, Lebanon, OR

I volunteered and rode this event. Got up at 5am, a time when I'm usually in the middle of my "beauty" sleep which apparently isn't working.

Around 9am I took off and hammered out a century. The food at the Brownsville stop hit the spot -- pasta salad.

At the finish line, we were served Strawberry shortcake! (Lebanon, OR is strawberry country; they grow some really sweet berries here.)

As usual, the Santiam Spokes club put on a first class event! See http://www.santiamspokes.org

Why ride centuries?

My goal this year is to ride 3000+ miles and earn a "10-dollar medal" in the UMCA's "Year-Rounder" century challenge. See http://www.ultracycling.com/standings/year-rounder.html

It's easy to ride a century-a-weekend once it becomes a habit. Just do it!

While it's nice to earn a medal -- the real goal is the journey of losing weight, fitness, riding with friends, and enjoying the scenery. (Because I like to ride hard, some people think all I see is the white line, but I *do* look up once in a while.)