Cycling on a beautiful July afternoon

Today was a rarity for the summer of 2009 -- a nearly perfect weather day. Having anticipated this, I opted to take 1/4 of a personal day to ride my bike, my ride starting at about 4:45. For only the second time this year, I headed east to the Meacham Grove and Spring Creek preserves, which were frequent destinations in prior years. I then turned north on Medinah Road and coursed my way along neighborhood streets to Weathersfield Way, which I then rode westward for very nearly its full length. I next rode through parts of Streamwood and Bartlett before returning home, with the total mileage for the ride reaching 27.5.

I also take pride in the fact that my average speed for this ride was 14.2 mph, which matches my previous fastest pace for 2009, which took place just eight days ago. However, today's ride was twice the distance of that earlier ride, which confirms the fact that my average riding speed is improving.

This is probably my last ride for July, so it's time to review my riding statistics to date. My total mileage for July was 216.6, which is my best month for 2009 and my third best month ever. [My three best months have always been Julys -- #1 in 2008, #2 in 2007 and #3 in 2009]. I also completed my second "age in miles" half-century ride, which boosted my seasonal total over the 700 mile mark. With today's ride added in, my total mileage now stands at 739.7. My July contribution to the Lance Armstrong Foundation will be $55 and my total "One for All" contribution for 2009 now stands at $337.

Looking ahead, I need 152 more miles to crack 3,000 miles for my three-year "One for All" total and I need 261 more miles to surpass 1,000 miles for 2009. I am confident that both milestones can be achieved -- almost certainly in August for the former and probably early in September for the latter. Although my July 2009 total fell nearly 95 miles short of my all-time record month of July, 2008, I am still very pleased at where I currently stand.

Most importantly, there are still many more miles to ride and more money to raise. Onward!

Today, I rode my "51 at 51" ride

Well . . . I didn't plan it . . . but it just sort of happened. Today, I rode my annual "age in miles" half-century ride, known this year as my "51 at 51" ride.

When the day started, I was planning a 35 mile ride with a possible 7 mile extension if I felt particularly strong. Leaving the house shortly after 9 a.m., I had traveled almost a mile before I discovered that I'd left my two water bottles behind. Since water bottles aren't exactly something that I can be without, I returned home and departed once again, with 1.8 miles already on my odometer. As I rode, I began to realize that this extra "mistake mileage," when added to the mileage of my extended ride, would bring my total mileage to around 44 miles. "Hmmmm," I thought to myself, "why not just go an extra seven miles and complete my '51 at 51' ride today?" As my ride progressed, I liked this idea more and more. Ironically, my water bottle mistake might actually have been a blessing in disguise.

I first rode south to pick up the Great Western Trail, then westward and northwestward along the Illinois Prairie Path's Elgin Spur to where that trail passes near the intersection of North Avenue and Route 59. I then left the trail for paved roads as I passed Sonny Acres Farm (as shown in photo above) and large homes situated on even larger lots that border the Old Wayne Golf Course. My ride carried me through the villages of Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Bartlett, Hanover Park, Streamwood, Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg and Elk Grove Village. Since I hadn't planned to ride 50 miles, I had to chart my path on the fly, and I came pretty close . . . but no cigar. As I approached home, I was three miles short of my 51 mile objective. So, even though I didn't particularly feel like riding sprints up and down local roads, that's what I did on Cloverdale and Lawrence roads. As I pulled into my driveway, my odometer indicated that I had ridden 51.2 miles, bringing my annual total to over 700 miles . . . 712.2 to be precise.

Oh, and by the way, today's weather was finally summer-like. Temperatures started off in the low 70's and probably reached near 80 by ride's end. Winds were nearly still at first but then became light and westerly. Had I known that I'd be riding this long today, I would have started earlier so I wouldn't have had to ride when the sun was so high. Fortunately, I had applied enough sunscreen before leaving.

This ride brings my July total to 189.1, which is just below my June total of 203.7 and well below my record July 2008 mileage of 311.5. I am hoping to squeeze in another ride some evening this upcoming week. If that ride exceeds 14.6 miles, then July will become my best month of 2009 and 2/3 as good as my best month ever. Yes . . . spinning statistics can be fun!

Is this really July?!

I do believe that this past weekend marks the first time EVER I've had to layer clothing for a bicycle ride in July. Both of my weekend rides -- a mid-afternoon ride on Saturday and a late-morning ride on Sunday -- featured temperatures in the upper 60s that required more than the usual summer wardrobe of cycling shorts and jersey. My Saturday ride was the worse weather of the two, with slightly stronger winds and even a short bout of light rain.

Both rides were shortened by other personal obligations I had to attend to. (Can you believe that I have other things to do than ride a bicycle?) ;-) A string of such obligations, coupled with sub-par weather, has limited my mileage so far in July. I have one more weekend to go and perhaps a weekday evening or two -- assuming that the rainy weather pattern can change.

Overall, I now stand at 647.2 miles, needing 352.8 miles to reach 1,000 miles for the seaons, but only 244.3 miles to reach 3,000 miles for my cumulative "One for All" effort.

Tour de Schaumburg

Today, I rode 28.4 miles in what I am calling my "Tour de Schaumburg." Feeling adventuresome, I decided to avoid my regular routes and instead explore a number of neighborhoods in Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates that I had not visited before. Although I often needed to consult my "book of maps" to ensure that I didn't get lost, I made only a few minor mistakes and traversed a total of 22 new streets in the process. By so doing, I discovered some interesting street names, such as Juli, Orange, Treebark, Paris, and -- my favorite -- Slingerland. Who comes up with these names, anyway?

With SPF 50 sunscreen applied, I began my ride around 10:30 with temperatures in the mid 70s and light northwesterly winds. Although the height of the sun made it feel warmer than the thermometer indicated, it was still a most delightful day! During the noon hour, I enjoyed a snack at the fountain and lake at the Schaumburg Municipal Center (see photo).

On this day, I surpassed the 600 mile mark for the season. Although I now lag behind my record-breaking pace of last year, I'm still less than 300 miles away from the 3,000 mile mark for the 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons and I now need less than 400 miles to reach the 1,000 mile mark for this year.

My Independence Day rides

Throughout the Chicago area, the Fourth of July weekend provided comfortable temperatures and light winds, but with light rain dampening much of Saturday. On Friday, which was a holiday for most people (including me), I rode 25 miles during the afternoon along lightly traveled roads in Bartlett, Hanover Park, Schaumburg and Roselle. On Sunday, the weather was so nice that I rode twice in one day, something I haven't done since June of 2008. Both rides explored areas that either I had never visited or rarely done so. My first ride, taken late-morning, explored subdivisions near Nerge Road in Schaumburg in addition to roads I often travel en route to Busse Woods. My second ride, taken during the late afternoon hours, explored the subdivisions just east of Springfield Road in Bloomingdale. Collectively, these two rides amounted to 32.1 miles, bringing my seasonal total to 580.2 miles.

As my cycling season progresses, I am beginning to formulate some new goals. Goal number 1 is to reach 3,000 accumulated miles since I began my "One for All" initiative in the spring of 2007. I only have to ride an additional 312 miles to attain that goal. Goal number 2 is to reach 1,000 miles for the current cycling season. To reach this milestone, I have to ride 420 more miles. Both goals are quite attainable. Stay tuned on my progress.