charity ride – Pilot's Operating Handbook for Life

Strawberry Festival Ride 2017

Head wind (and the worst climbs) in the first 23 miles (37 km). I was only averaging 13.7 mph (22.0 km/h) at the turn, but averaged 16.4 (26.4 km/h) over the last 21 mi (34 km, 1:16:23 of riding). Temp (min/avg/max) – 66.2/72.9/80.6°F, wind from SW @ 7, max grade – 6.4%, total climbing – 695 ft (212 m), cadence (avg/max) – 74.9/92, HR (avg/max) – 159.8/180, HRM zones 3-5 2:08, power (avg/max) – 149/556W. 44.10 mi (70.97 km) in 2:57:28, avg – 14.91 mph (24.00 km/h), max – 26.8 mph (43.1 km/h). Unfortunately, the actual Strawberry Festival is in 2 weeks, but they did have strawberries at the rest stops, just not at the finish 🙁

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Tour de Forest 2017

My first organized ride of the year, this past Saturday, was likely the hilliest ride I will do this year. This is a ride I signed up for last year, but then didn’t actually ride when it was 48°F and raining that Saturday morning. This year it was warmer (by about 15°F), though it rained on the ride down to Nelsonville and during most of the last half of the ride (including absolutely pouring right at the end as I pulled into the parking lot). I missed a turn early and ended up riding out and back on the back half of the course which is fine, it probably saved me 600 ft (183 m) of climbing. I ended up walking much of 2 of the hills. Temp (min/avg/max) – 59.0/61.1/64.4°F, no wind, but lots of rain, max grade – 19.4%, total climbing – 1590 ft (485 m), cadence (avg/max) – 67.8/98, HR (avg/max) – 148.4/183, HRM zones 3-5 2:00, power (avg/max) – 131/1351W. 29.22 mi (47.03 km) in 2:21:02, avg – 12.43 mph (20.00 km/h), max – 40.3 mph (64.9 km/h). According to mapmyride.com, 2 cat 5 climbs, one 0.8 mi long, the other 1.0 mi long, and note that max grade up there.

Pedal with Pete 2016

This ride has always been one of my favorites. This one is to raise money for cerebral palsy research. I rode the 48 mile route the first few years, last year and this year, I rode the 64 mile (metric century) route. When I hit the first rest stop averaging 17.5 mph, I set myself a goal of finishing with an average of 17.0 mph or better. I didn’t quite make that due mostly to the hills in the middle 16 miles and head winds in the last 18 or so miles, my secondary goal was to finish in better time than last year (though the route was slightly different due to a bridge being out), that I managed to accomplish. Unfortunately, last year, this was my next to last good ride before I started having symptoms due to my heart issues. This year, I’m expecting to have a few more good rides 🙂 . The ride started drizzle in the first 4 miles and fog and clouds for much of the first 15 or 20. I wouldn’t have minded if the overcast had lasted a bit longer, but it turned into a beautiful day to ride. Rode most of the first 24 with a group of 4 other guys who were doing the 80 mile route. Temp (min/avg/max) – 66.2/75.2/84.2°F, wind from S @ 5, max grade – 5.8%, total climbing – 777 ft (237 m), cadence (avg/max) – 75.5/99, HR (avg/max) – 149.5/170, HR zones 3-5 3:15, power (avg/max) – 160/523W. 63.59 mi (102.34 km) in 3:45:24, avg – 16.93 mph (27.25 km/h), max – 28.7 mph (46.2 km/h). Personal bests on 5 of the 9 RideWithGPS segments on the route.

2016 Tour de Cause

It was a fantastic morning for a ride. There was a high overcast for most of the ride, so it wasn’t too hot. This ride is usually my hilliest ride of the year, and I suspect that will be the case this year, too. My goal was to maintain an average speed of 15 mph and I did just barely manage to do that. This one is to raise money for drug and alcohol addiction programs in Fairfield County (http://www.tourdecause.org/#intro) and is one I try to ride every year though I couldn’t ride it last year due to a conflict. Temp (min/avg/max) – 66.2/71.8/80.6°F, winds calm, max grade – 10.1%, total climbing – 1257 ft (383 m), cadence (avg/max) – 74.0/112, HR (avg/max) 138.1/177, HR zones 3-5 1:40, power (avg/max) – 207/655W. 42.81 mi (68.90 km) in 2:48:46, avg – 15.22 mph (24.49 km/h), max – 37.7 mph (60.7 km/h).

2016 Ride 2 Recovery Honor Ride Ohio

As has been the case the last two years, I kicked off my “organized riding season” and the Memorial Day holiday weekend with the 3rd annual Ride 2 Recovery Honor Ride Ohio in New Albany this morning. There I got to ride with 900 of my closest friends (and Sen. Rob Portman, who I actually only saw before the ride, he missed last year’s ride because the Senate was still in session, don’t remember over what). They cut back on the swag this year (no t-shirt and no medal at the end), I’m trying to decide how I feel about that. It was a nice way to kick off the summer though. It was just overcast enough that it didn’t get too hot, so it was perfect for riding. The first 2 miles of the ride we were escorted by the New Albany and Reynoldsburg police which was nice, but kept the pace down. I beat last years time by about 10 minutes, and I thought I had done a decent ride last year. This ride is to support Ride 2 Recovery which, I believe, is doing important work, if you wish to donate, you can do so here.

Pedal with Pete metric century 2015

For the 4th year in a row, I rode the Pedal with Pete Cerebral Palsy ride. This is one of my favorites, it is well organized and well run (though there was an issue with lack of arrows at one of the first turns 🙂 ). There was also a sign at the finish stating that since Pete (who has CP) started his foundation in 1993, they have raised over $950,000. This isn’t a ride I solicit donations for, I simply pay the registration fee, but they’ve done an amazing thing here. There were 1000 participants (I think that included the walkers, too) this year and they offered 7 routes ranging from 7 mi for the kids to a century (100 mi). Last year, rain kept me from riding the metric century, but this year the weather was perfect, so I went for it. It is actually slightly longer than a metric century (100 km), it was just over 64, so my “stretch goal” was 4 hours for the ride (which would have been right at 16.0 mph). I actually beat that comfortably. I also must have been channeling my brother-in-law Bill Devorick and became the “social butterfly” because I rode in several groups (especially on the way out) and talked to more people on this ride than I have probably since Tami King moved away. Temp (min/avg/max) – 62.6/74.6/82.4, wind from W @ 6, max grade – 3.6%, total climbing – 461ft, HRM zones 3-5 2:27, HR (min/avg/max) – 91/150.0/177. 64.49 mi (103.79 km) in 3:52:51, avg = 16.62 mph (26.75 km/h), max = 29.8 mph (48.0 km/h).

2015 Bike MS Central Ohio Challenge 50 miler

Two years ago, Erin and I rode this ride (it was in New Albany then) and this year when I decided to ride it again, she said she wanted to ride it “with me.” Unfortunately, for the last week her knee has been balky, so we decided discretion was the better part of valor and she didn’t actually end up riding it. They’ve since moved it out to Dublin and the ride goes into Union County. Given all the rain we’ve seen in the last month, this could have been kind of ugly, but we ended up with a gorgeous day for a ride through some beautiful countryside. As of the start of the ride, I was tied for 4th place among all fundraisers with $1195 and may get a few more donations in the next few days, so I’m very thankful to everyone who supported us. This was the first ride with a working fairing since my encounter with the deer almost a year ago, and it probably did help a little on the brief headwind sections. I also have some thoughts that I won’t share here for the sadist who put so many hills in the last quarter of the ride (which to that point hadn’t exactly been flat, but had gradual ascents and descents). Temp (min/avg/max) – 59.0/68.5/75.2, wind from NW @ 5, max grade 4.0%, total climbing – 704, HRM zones 3-5 2:53, HR (min/avg/max) – 112/153.0/174, 54.37 mi (87.50 km) in 3:32:09, avg – 15.38 mph (24.75 km/h), max – 25.5 mph (41.0 km/h).

Also, here are a couple of pictures

Ride 2 Recovery 2015 Honor Ride Ohio

Beautiful (albeit chilly) way to start the Memorial Day holiday weekend with 900+ other cyclists (including a number of veterans, both wounded and not) riding the Ride 2 Recovery 2015 Ohio Honor Ride. Fortunately, Shane made it back from his tours with no (visible) wounds, but many aren’t as lucky. This organization raises money for Project HERO (using cycling in the healing/recovery process for wounded vets). You can still contribute at my fund-raising page. I rode the ’35’ mile route (actually a little over 31), Erin rode the 12. Uphill for first 6 miles (also into the wind) and a 4+ mile stretch after 20, but nice long downhill stretches including the last 7 miles into the finish where I averaged over 20 mph (32 km/h). Temp 51.8-77.1%deg;F (okay, air temp never actually made it above mid-60s, but computer was in the sun, so registered higher), wind from ESE @ 6, max grade 5.2%, total climbing = 777 ft, HRM zones 3-5 1:29, avg HR = 154, max HR = 174. 31.33 mi (50.42 km) in 1:59:53, avg = 15.68 mph (25.23 km/h), max = 29.2 mph (47.0 km/h).