Three Day, Three Very Different Rides

I "worked from home" on Friday, June 19, so I was able to ride all three days of the weekend.  I knew that the next weekend was Bike Virginia, with lots of miles and big hills. (Because I'm late with this entry, BVa actually was yesterday and the day before).   So I decided to push it.  Friday was a beautiful day -- warm but not hot, and low humidity. I did the 20 mile there-and-back to Oxford, with three sets of intervals -- two were 30/45/60/45/30 seconds on, with the same amount of time at pace in between.  The third set was 30 on/30 off, with 5 reps.  Totally exhausting, but worth it.

Saturday was the day for miles, and the weather was a bit overcast and relatively cool.  So I decide to explore the reaches beyond Talbot County.  I took Llandaff across Route 50, then Landing Neck to Manadier, heading north to Dover Street and the Dover Street Draw Bridge.  The bridge crosses the Choptank River and separates Talbot from Caroline County.  The area on the Caroline side of the bridge has some beautiful wetlands -- they go on for acres.  I continued on the Dover Bridge Road, past some farm stands and a place that sold wooden furniture -- rocking chairs, picnic tables, and lattice work.  At about 30 miles, I hit the town of Preston, a nice little town that's probably seen better days (who hasn't?).  The town had some nice old houses, a few shops, and a combination gas station/market/liquor store, where I refueled.

Leaving Preston and heading north back to the bridge, I noticed that the clouds were burning off and the wind was picking up -- it was turning into an Eastern Shore summer day.  At about mile 35, I turned off the Dover Road, heading south -- into a wind that was rising from the southeast.  Which was too bad, because that was the direction I was heading for the next 20 plus miles.  I took some of the familiar roads of easternTalbot County -- Boston Cliff, Schwaninger, and Deep Branch, before turning onto Bruceville Road, over the creek, to the town of Bruceville.  I stopped there for a photo of "Antiques R," which features "Stain Glass."

By this time the wind was blowing strong, and it seemed like I was always riding straight into it.  But I pedaled on, crossed to east of 50 in Trappe, did the Island Creek loop, and headed home.  A very tough metric century.


I was planning to do the regular Oxford/Island Creek ride on Sunday by myself, because Kathy wasn't around.  But on Saturday night, at a diner with some friends, I picked up a couple of riders for Sunday morning -- Rob and Artie.  Both wanted to ride, but neither had their bikes with them.  So I fit Rob to my old Trek, and Artie used Susan's Specialized.  Rob's a rider -- as he repeatedly told me.  Artie is not; he's a runner and tennis player.  I figured he'd last for the there-and-back to Oxford.  But Artie was having too much fun to stop.  So the three of us did a 30 miler that included the ride to Oxford and the Island Creek loop.  We did the ride at a slow pace -- Artie was using flat pedals and had never ridden that far.  But he didn't want to stop, and by the end we already were planning our next ride, when he visits the Eastern Shore again.

All in all, three great rides, each very different from the others.  Here's a link to the metric:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3819613

Intervals and Landmarks

Saturday morning of Memorial Day weekend was perfect for a hard training ride -- overcast with a bit of coolness to the air.  With Bike Virginia in a month, and RAGBRAI in two, I needed to work.  So I decided to add interval training and some miles to my normal route.  I didn't have my heartrate monitor -- the disappearing chest strap has disappeared again, so I decided to do 3 sets of 5, 30 seconds on and 60 seconds at pace.  I was cruising at around 18 mph, so I decided my pace speed would be 17, with all out for 30 seconds.

I did the first set on the Oxford Road after a warm up.  My top speeds during this set were 21 plus.  Remarkable how pushing 3 additional mph for 30 seconds can be totally exhausting.  Did the second set on the Island Creek loop, same interval and pace.  Took the third set at around mile 38 -- east of Route 50, where the fields are larger, the wind stronger, and the terrain actually rolls a bit. Plus, the sun had come out -- a beautiful, but warm day.  Gave myself 2 minutes between intervals, and was totally spent by the end.

Overall the ride was great -- took a few extra loops from the standard 40 to come in at around 45 miles.  The ride starts with the ride through Oxford, the Island Creek loop, into Trappe.  Some familiar landmarks:  the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry, the white horse near Trappe Landing, and the three silos outside of Trappe. 

When I crossed 50 at Trappe, the landmarks were less familiar and helped remind me of the route.  There was the Pleasant Cemetery, Realizm Taxidermy (yup, with a "z."  Wonder where Post-Modern Taxidermy has set up shop), the Antique Shop in Bruceville ("Stain Glass"), and the abandoned house on Manadier Road, near Landing Neck Road.   Here's the route; photos to follow, perhaps.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3771135 

Sunday was a day with friends, and no ride.  But Monday I did the standard Oxford/Island Creek loop 35 miler, again with three sets of five intervals.  I felt strong on Monday, better than I did on Saturday, and did all three sets at 30 seconds on, 60 seconds pace.  Exhausting but seems to be producing results.  I did the group Travillah ride today (Western Shore), with full hills, and held my own with the fastest person in the group.