coffeeneuring #5

Tuesday 1 November
66° humidity 94% wind 4-5 NE

looking west at sr54 and mpb

Pam told me about the wellness café at Florida Hospital. I decided to check it out. To make it worth the calories, I went out MPB to SR54. O rode the MUP along MPB. I prefer the road but it gets busy along this stretch and I wasn't sure I could keep my tired brain aware enough to be safe. 

looking south at sr54 and bbd

There is a decent shoulder along SR54. The wind was behind me and I cruised along. I had to stop briefly at Curley Road for the light and then again at BBD to cross safely. While waiting for the light, I realized I have never been to the Waffle House. We have homemade waffles and sausage every Sunday at home so there is no need to have waffles anywhere else.

non-descript entry for visitors

I rode south down BBD. The wind was with me and helped me get some good speed. I rode in the road instead of the MUP. The bike lane is clear.

I have not been to Florida Hospital. I followed the signs to the Wellness Center and looked for a bike rack. I found two in the back with the visitor parking. I locked up my bike and went in. The Café is very small but had a good variety of smoothies. Why do most smoothies include bananas? I ordered a berry blast. It was $4.82. 

There is seating inside but I prefer to go outside. At least there were other people around in workout clothes since the Wellness Center includes a fitness area. There was no seating outside so I took my smoothie to go. I rode back against the wind, SR56 to Mansfield. 

18.17 miles
12.82 mph

coffeeneuring #4

Monday, 24 October
61° humidity 80% wind 5 NNE

this is the barrier at the end of mansfield. there is a worn path along the right side.

I wore my long sleeve base but didn't need it. The sun was warm. I went out CLR to Mansfield over to Kinnan. Kennan is an abandoned future road. It was built to connect two counties but the counties cannot agree. There was no broken glass but shredded mattress someone dumped here. I rode to Cross Creek. 

no bike lane and a lower shoulder is no very bike friendly.

I had to stop to cross traffic to get across the road to Hunters' Green. My speeds were good with wind behind me. I went north on BBD.

cross creek and bruce b downs

I missed hitting resume on my Apple Watch and lost 1/4 mile. Oops. 
I rode east on Regents Park All the way around to BBD. I rode it back to Pebble Creek and took that to the shopping center. Regents Park and Pebble Creek are narrow roads with no bike lanes and no shoulders. The sidewalks are narrow and not meant for bikes. The pavement is bumpy in places due to the street trees. 

Tropical Island Smoothies and Subs is a small place with a big menu. I don't know how he can keep all of it fresh. I ordered a mango strawberry and kiwi smoothie. It came with some whipped cream on top! It was good and sweet but expensive. Smoothies are $7.99 and he was so nice I felt obligated to give him a tip. 

There is no bike rack around. They do offer seating inside and outside. I rode back with most of my smoothie. I rode home, against the wind. 

starve and wahoo will connect the dots but not the Apple Watch.

15.8 miles 13.8 mph

coffeeneuring #2

wasteful foam cup i cannot recycle

Friday, October 14
77° humidity 88% wind 3-7 NE

they look cool but do they attract birds?

i would expect to see purple martins in this type of bird house

I went out to Union Park. I stopped at the bird houses. They are interesting but I doubt many birds use them. They are probably too close together and not maintained. I accidentally hit resume and lost my average speed on Wahoo app. 

the trees are still too small to attract squirrels, there are several fake squirrels around the development

I rode to SR56 to BBD. I went across BBD and then down to Smoothie King at CLR. I had never there been before. I saw one bike chained to a street sign, a recumbent just sitting on the walk so I assumed there was no rack.

the rack is off the walkway but is visible from the shops

I got off my bike and saw the rack, unused. I locked my bike and went inside. SK is nicer than I expected. They have loads of energy bars and protein canisters. 

too many choices?

I got a Greek Yogurt with Strawberry and Bluberry. There were too many options. SK is expensive. A small Smoothie is over $5. I had a coupon and paid $3.20. 
There is seating inside but it was too cool to stay. There is no seating outside. I took my Smoothie and went home, against the wind. 

15.13 miles
13 mph

#coffeeneuring

20161023 cycling

Another good week of riding.

union park on monday

Monday
70° humidity 94% wind 5 NE
My body wasn't feeling it. I rode out to Union Park then over SR56. 
12.44 miles
13.58 mph

mount wesley?

Tuesday
Coffeeneuring #3
72° humidity 92% wind 5-7 NE
I was tired but wanted to get another challenge out of the way. I rode out to Union Park. I had to ride over the wooden bridge because kids were waiting for the bus on the sidewalk. I saw a girl riding her bike and wondered if she rode to school. I saw her bike parked near the bus stop when I left Union Park. 
I had to stop at SR56. I took a photo of the mound of fill dirt that has been there for months. Is it for the future road extension? 
I rode west on SR56 and had some good tailwind. But my legs didn't feel like pushing too hard. 
I rode to Wiregrass and rode through Paseo Drive to Fresh Healthy Café. There was no bike rack nearby so I locked my bike to a street light pole. 
I ordered a Green Tea Berry with energy supplement. $6.41
I sat outside and drank my smoothie. 
I rode home when I finished. It wasn't a good ride. My belly was too full and the wind was too strong. 
16.4 miles 12.9 mph

waiting at the light on wednesday

Wednesday
66° humidity 92% wind 4 NE
Cool. 
Legs just don't feel like pushing. 
Rode one loop. Stopped at Mansfield and accidentally hit stop instead of resume on Apple Watch. Had to start another ride. 
9 miles 13.7 mph

back at union park on thursday

Thursday
63° humidity 93% wind 5 NE
It feel like a great effort to ride. My right knee has been hurting a bit. I feel it at the bottom of every stroke. 
Rode to Union Park. 
Headwind on SR56. 
12.2 miles 13.4 mph

checked out meridian on friday

Friday
Very late start. 
75° humidity 88% wind 6 NW
I planned to go west and turned east on CLR. I turned around and went to BBD. The wind wasn't bad until I got to BBD. 
It helped me on SR56 but there was still some cross wind. 
Had to slow down quickly for a dirt hauler exiting the construction site. They cannot see and don't bother to ask for visual help. 
I went out Oldwoods to Meridian. They are building from the back first. 
The wind was really strong on the way back. 
13.63 miles
13.2 mph

union park welcome center on saturday

Saturday
55° humidity 77% wind 7-9 NW
Chilly and windy. Wore my blue sweatshirt. Almost felt like I could have worn my tights. 
Got to CLR and turned right because of cars and too lazy to stop. Turned around and went to BBD. Headwind on SR56. I went east on Oldwoods to Union Park. I stopped at the welcome center and found the maps and where the various parks are. 
Saw my battery was down to 36% and got the charger. I bumped my Apple Watch and it saved my ride so I had to start a new one. 
14.84 miles
13.6 mph

probably my highest mileage for a week since i started working full-time

This week 78.5
This year 2040

coffeeneuring #3

Tuesday, October 18, 2016
72° humidity 92% wind 5-7 NE

this is the best view at union park, at least the route i ride

I was tired but wanted to get another challenge out of the way. I rode out to Union Park. I had to ride over the wooden bridge because kids were waiting for the bus on the sidewalk. I saw a girl riding her bike and wondered if she rode to school. I saw her bike parked near the bus stop when I left Union Park.

mt wesley chapel?

I had to stop at SR56. I took a photo of the mound of fill dirt that has been there for months. Is it for the future road extension? 

I rode west on SR56 and had some good tailwind. But my legs didn't feel like pushing too hard. 

small & noisy with the mixers whirring

I rode to Wiregrass and rode through Paseo Drive to Fresh Healthy Café. There was no bike rack nearby so I locked my bike to a street light pole. 

I ordered a Green Tea Berry with energy supplement. $6.41
I sat outside and drank my smoothie. 

I rode home when I finished. It wasn't a good ride. My belly was too full and the wind was too strong. 

16.4 miles 12.9 mph

coffeeneuring #1

Coffeeneuring 2016: smoothie roads ahead

This is my second year with the challenge. I don’t drink coffee so I tried tea last year. Hot tea is too hot for Florida, iced chai is just OK. On a long ride last year, I tried a smoothie and realized this is my drink of choice after a ride. This year would just be smoothies.
I planned to start October 7 but Hurricane Matthew rolled through the area. I started almost a week later on October 13.

Thursday, October 13
70° humidity 93% wind 7-8 NNE

wooden bridge at union park

Windy. Rode up to Union Park. Rode my usual route backwards. 
Rode up SR56 in the road to Panera. I did the short loop at WRB. The road may be complete but I didn't try it. 

a cyclist at panera was hogging the lone bike rack with a cover for his bike. i locked up my bike and went inside.

I ordered a Superfruit Smoothie. I don't really care for the tang of Greek yogurt but it is OK and the calorie count is low. I got my smoothie and went outside to the patio.

the patio is nice but SR56 runs along side and there is car noise. 

Ugh. Don't slurp down Smoothie too quickly or risk a brain freeze!

i prefer not to ride on sidewalks but this is the quickest way to the light and is usually empty.

The ride back was a bit rough. I had a headwind all along SR56 and most of Mansfield. Also, my belly was full of smoothie. I forgot to hit resume after the stop light and lost some mileage. I lost some speed but gained it back once I turned away from the wind. 

13.68 miles (bike computer)
13.2 mph (bike computer)

#coffeeneuring

20161016 cycling

no empty blocks except sunday.

Monday
63° humidity 88% wind 6-7 N
Yay for cooler weather!
It was dark this morning and I needed my lights. 
One loop. 
Had to stop for ambulance on Mansfield. Ran into school traffic at JLMS. Two cars ahead stopped to let car turning left go. Car behind him snuck in behind him and cut me off. Asshole. 
9.03 miles 13.53 mph

union park bridge

Tuesday
66° humidity 83% wind 7 N
Carrot Weather said wind was NW so I went out CLR to BBD. I ran into a headwind on SR56 and lost some speed. I gained it back when I turned on Hueland Pond. Headwind along Mansfield until it turned south
8.13 mph 13.01 mph

Wednesday
70° humidity 90% wind 5-10 NNE
More time to ride today. I went to Union Park and tried another road. Kids were waiting at the clubhouse for the bus. I rode around the park to avoid having to slow down or stop. 
Wind was annoying and my legs were not up to the challenge. 
13.2 miles
13.02 mph

not so sweet smoothie

Thursday
Coffeeneuring #1
70° humidity 93% wind 7-8 NNE
Windy. Rode up to Union Park. Rode my usual route backwards. 
Rode up SR56 in the road to Panera. I did the short loop at WRB. The road may be complete but I didn't try it. 
Cyclist at Panera hoarding the line bike rack with a cover for his bike. 
Ordered a Superfruit Smoothie. I don't really care for the tang of Greek yogurt but it is OK and the calorie count is low. 
Panera has one lone bike rack. The patio is nice but SR56 runs along side and there is car noise. 
Ugh. Don't slurp down Smoothie too quickly or risk a brain freeze!
The ride back was a bit rough. I had a headwind all along SR56 and most of Mansfield. I forgot to hit resume after the stop light and lost some mileage. I lost some speed but gained it back once I turned. 
13.68 (bike computer)
13.2 (bike computer)

tasty but expensive smoothie

Friday
Coffeeneuring #2
77° humidity 88% wind 3-7 NE
I went out to Union Park. I stopped at the bird houses. They are interesting but I doubt many birds use them. They are probably too close together and not maintained. Accidentally hit resume and lost my average speed on Wahoo app. 
Rode to SR56 to BBD. I went across BBD and then down to Smoothie King at CLR. I had never been before. I saw one bike chained to a street sign, a recumbent just sitting on the walk so I assumed there was no rack. I got off my bike and saw the rack, unused. I locked my bike and went inside. SK is nicer than I expected. They have loads of energy bars and protein canisters. 
I got a Greek Yogurt with Strawberry and Bluberry. There were too many options. SK is expensive. A small Smoothie is over $5. I had a coupon and paid $3.20. 
There is seating inside but it too cool to stay. There is no seating outside. I took my Smoothie and went home, against the wind. 
15.13 miles
13 mph

the moon can be faintly seen beyond the bridge

Saturday
72° humidity 92% wind 6 NE
Late start. But I wanted to ride.
Drizzle in the beginning but I kept my glasses on even though they were useless.
Rode one loop to Hueland Pond. Drizzle got heavier but I kept going. No stops.
8.40 miles 14.01 mph

This week 69.4
This year 1961

20161009 cycling

Monday
73° humidity 96% wind 4 NE
Wind was annoying. 
I didn’t work until noon so I rode out to Union Park. I only stopped at the bridge then rode the rest of the way without a stop. 
11.6 miles 13.5 mph

Tuesday
75° humidity 93% wind 6 NE
Windy and warm. 
Still learning how to use my Apple Watch. I didn't know that it had to be turned on. I missed the first 5 minutes. Oops. 
Rode up to Union Park and tried some new roads. 
I was close to 13 miles so I rode down Eagle Station, Forest Glen and Allegro to make the miles. 
13.09 miles 13.15 mph

There is almost always two or people standing around talking. It seems like a good meeting place.

Wednesday
75° humidity 94% wind 5 NE
Overcast and windy. 
One loop. One stop. 
9.02 miles 13.43 mph

hurricane matthew brought grey skies to the area.

Thursday
78° humidity 92% wind 8-10 NNE
Windy. I struggled to get over 12 mph. 
I rode up to Union Park. Tallulah is all construction and muddy. I will avoid it in the future. 
13.08 miles 12.8 mph

ryan rode his bike through the strong winds which challenged me to do the same.

Friday
75° humidity 92% wind 16 NW
Hurricane Matthew brought a tropical storm to our area. 
Normally I would stay home with these winds. But I am on such a streak that I hated having an empty square. Also, Ryan went out so I felt I had to go.
I went out CLR to BBD. Windy. 
Headwind on BBD was really bad. The wind was with me on SR56. 
I went to Hueland Pond. It got windy again as the road turned west. 
Tailwind along Mansfield let me go 17 mph and not feel any wind on my face. 
8.08 miles 13.17 mph (13.4)

Saturday
77° humidity 89% wind 7-10 WSW
I went out to BBD to SR56. The tailwind was nice on SR56 but didn't help on MPB. 
I rode out to Union Park. Montgomery Bell south of Goddard is all construction zone. 
The ride back was tough. The wind picked up and it was all headwind. I went from 14.2 to 13.7. 
15.17 miles 13.62 mph 

matthew left and took away the clouds

This week 70 miles
This year 1892 miles

20161002 cycling

Four weeks of filling in the squares! Yay!

i stopped at a different spot for a change of scenery

Monday
76° humidity 95% wind 2 ESE
A bit muggy but cooler than sitting in the house. (AC is being replaced today.) I rode out to Union Park. Too much traffic this morning. 
Felt like I could keep riding. 
11.18 miles 13.70 mph

Tuesday
74° humidity 94% wind 2 SE changed to 2 SW Felt stronger
Rode out to Union Park. Up to 14.1 mph until I stopped. I forgot to hit pause and average rate dropped below 13 mph! Also headwind was bad. 
Sweaty ride. 
11.19 miles 13.41 mph (14.0 bike computer)

the wood bridge at union park is kind of cool but it is not built for pedestrians nor bicycles

Wednesday
73° humidity 93% wind 3 SE
Late start, short ride. 
The wind didn't bother me but the sun was right in my eyes. 
I rode out Mansfield to Hueland Pond to SR56. The fence at the construction site fell over onto the path. I had to slow down but stayed on the path. 
I pushed it trying to get to 14 mph. 
6.09 miles 14.24 mph

Thursday
76° humidity 90% wind 4 SSE-SSW
My body wanted to stay home. 
I had to stop for a school bus at Hillhurst and Beardsley. 
I stopped at Union Park. 
I stopped again at the high point north of The Ridge. There was a strong headwind on SR56. 
Construction worker walked right into my path without looking. I had to brake hard. 
Stopped the last time for the light at Mansfield. My legs were shaky. 
11.23 miles 13.31 mph

interesting clouds

Friday
75° humidity 94% wind 4 SSE
I forgot to look at the wind direction before I left. Headwind along Mansfield made me remember and I did a quick check whilst riding to make sure I was going in the right direction. 
I rode out to Union Park. I went opposite and found construction traffic blocking most of Watoga Loop. I stopped at the parking lot to get a different shot of the bridge. The sun was in my eyes and I didn't notice my finger blocking part of the lens. D'oh. 
Headwind on SR56. My legs just weren't into riding. I did my best to keep at a decent pace. 
11.24 miles 13.58 mph (13.7)

the clubhouse at union park looks fun

there is a splash pad and park that promotes gathering

Saturday
71° humidity 89% wind 4-5 NE
Cooler! And a bit windier. 
I went out to Union Park. I rode to the back and found a path behind the clubhouse. It is nice but not made for bikes. It puddles from early morning irrigation from the houses and the concrete was broken in one spot. The only creatures I saw were a dead(?) catfish, and three sand hill cranes which flew away once I was too close to them. The path ends at a dirt road. I won't ride it again. 
I lost some speed on the path and didn't feel like pushing it to gain it back. 
I stopped at Mansfield and waited for the light. Only I got impatient and thought I could go early only to see the light change and had to turn around. 
Headwind along Mansfield. 
12.03 miles 13.52 mph (13.6)

another year complete for national bike challenge

This week: 62.9 miles
This year: 1822 miles

20160925 cycling

It feels good to see those squares filled in even if the rides aren’t very long.

Monday
77° humidity 94% wind 1 SW
Late start and wind direction made me go out towards BBD. Even with the slight wind against me, I was at 14.3 by the time I got to BBD and 14.6 when I got to SR56. Some headwind caused me to slow down to 14.5 but I recovered on Mansfield. 
I ran into traffic at JLMS. 
7.13 miles 14.62 mph

Tuesday
76° humidity 95% wind 2 SE (felt stronger)
I tried to ride hard but my body wasn't having it. One loop. 
9.07 miles 13.66 mph

Wednesday
79° humidity 93% wind 3 NE (felt stronger)
Very late start. 
Rode one loop. Slowed down by bus on Beardsley. 
Barrels are blocking Hueland Pond at SR56. 
Headwind along Mansfield was strong. 
Stopped by light at WRHS. Forgot to hit resume and lost 1.25 miles. 
9 miles 13.32 mph

Thursday
73° humidity 94% wind 1 ENE
Sun not up yet, turned on my lights. 
I felt the wind but it didn't bother me. 
Bike computer showing average speed 2 mph faster than Wahoo app. 
Almost ran over a frog. It was lying in the bike path on Beardsley. I avoided it thinking it was a rock. I am glad it didn't get spooked and hop into my tire. 
9 miles 13.73 mph

Friday
73° humidity 94% wind 1 NNE
Late start, short ride. 
I went out Mansfield to Hueland Pond to SR56 to Mansfield. 
6.05 miles 13.84 mph (14)

Saturday
76° humidity 94% wind 2 NE
Later start. Not as cool. 
I had time so I rode out to Union Park. 
Then I rode up SR56 to Mansfield. 
Headwind along Mansfield slowed me down so and I tried to push. 
11.22 miles 13.81 mph (13.9)

This week 50.2 miles
This year 1759 miles