Category Archives: Goals

Ride Review for Lone Star Randonneurs’ OK is OK 309 km Brevet

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At the end of 2011 I joined Lone Star Randonneurs to ride with them on some of their longer rides. First up for 2012 was the OK is OK 309 km Brevet. Going 300 km was a goal of mine so I jumped at the chance when this ride was announced.

The Good

The Lone Star Randonneurs get on with it. The forecast called for a stiff headwind for the first half of the day as we headed north and a stiff headwind for the second half of the day as we would be heading back south. There was discussion about the weather and everyone knew the conditions would make the ride tougher. Many cyclists would have caved rather than suffer through 192 miles/309 km of headwind. Not this gang.

The route, picked out by George Evans, was fantastic. Quiet, scenic country roads. About 4,200 feet of climbing, mainly rollers but with a few slightly longer climbs in there as well. The well detailed cue sheet made following the route easy.

Barn in Wolfe City, Texas  Read more... (737 words, 2 images)

Goal Achieved! Finisher of Rapha 500

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Yesterday I achieved my goal of finishing the Rapha 500. I road 516 kilometers to pass the 500k goal of the competition. What a great way to end 2011!

Some highlights:

  • Road a century with friends and family on Boxing Day
  • I had a personal best for longest ride at 212 kilometers
  • Road with a new friend discovered through the Rapha 500
  • Helped a friend achieve a personal best and finish her first century
  • Managed to keep it rubber side down and finish with no mechanicals
  • Discovered several new cycling buddies on Twitter and Strava
  • Managed to stay awake to see the New Year’s fireworks

Rapha 500 Progress

Here are some photos from the rides:

Stopping at Catfish Corner for a photo

The gang at Catfish Corner

Just me and the cows

Discovering quiet country roads on Rapha 500

Fireworks ringing in the New Year!

Thanks to Rapha, Strava, my family and friends. The Rapha 500 was epic!

Ride Number Three For Rapha 500

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Ride number three for the Rapha 500 was outstanding. Accompanied by friends and family, the ride was 100k heading on a loop southeast from Dallas.

Sadly, my Garmin and my iPhone died during the ride so I only recorded 39 miles.  Oh well!

 

Ride Number Two For Rapha 500

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Ride number two was an easy Christmas ride with my brother Joshua.  We rolled around White Rock Lake and Lakewood.

The ride was just under 30 miles, about 47 kilometers.  With that ride I am now about 52% complete with the challenge with 6 days left.

 

 

Ride Number One For Rapha 500

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Ride number one for the Rapha 500 is done!

I went 132 miles, about 212 kilometers, on December 23rd.  With a route that I figured out online the night before and jotted onto a piece of paper, I headed south from the house in a 22 degree wind chill.  Definitely winging it, but I figured that would be half the fun.

This was a solo ride as my buddy Ben was a late scratch.  We had planned to do it together but he is nursing an ankle injury and had to sit this one out.

 

Getting Prepared For Rapha 500

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My goal for the Rapha 500 is to not only get the patch, but also to kick the crap out of the 500k mark.  Why not, right?

My buddy Ben and I are going far on the 23rd.  The theme of the ride will be to celebrate “Festivus” from Seinfeld fame.  We will start with an airing of grievances and feats of strength.  Then we’re just going to pick a direction and roll.  We’ll do a little mapping ahead of time but we’ll be exploring new roads so we’ll keep things pretty flexible.  My wife will be locking in “Wife of the Year” for 2011 as she has volunteered to come and pick us up wherever we finish.  This ride should be epic.

On the 24th I’ll join the Wild Stallions for their Christmas ride.  My friend Christy organizes the Wild Stallion rides a couple of times a week and always has a good group.  This ride will probably be 30-40 miles so I’ll look to add some on the end to get closer to 100k.  Read more... (273 words, 1 image)

Goal Achieved – 5,000 miles in 2011

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I went on a quick and cold ride tonight that pushed me beyond the 5,000 mile mark for 2011.  I’ve had a lot of great rides this year with a lot of friends and family and I’m very grateful for how healthy I have been.  Hopefully 2012 is even better!

Ride Report for Day 4 of the Rapha Turkey Takeoff Challenge on Strava – AKA “The Marauding Minivan”

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November 27th, 2011

Readyforplanb.com ride report for Day 4 of the Rapha Turkey Takeoff Challenge on Strava.

On the final day of the Rapha Turkey Takeoff Challenge on Strava I was greeted with temps in the thirties and the wind blowing over twenty miles per hour.  With those winds Ben and I decided we would do a leisurely tour around Dallas and enjoy the ride rather than heading out to the country and just banging out the miles.  It turned out to be a great call.

We rolled down the Santa Fe Trail and cut through a very quiet down town, enjoying the wide open streets cutting through the high-rises.  The Christmas decorations were already up and the tourists were out by the Dealey Plaza.  Still, we both laughed at how amazing it was that in a city of 6 million people downtown felt deserted on a cold Sunday morning.

Other early highlights of the ride were rolling through the Bishop Arts District and the Katy Trail.  The Bishop Arts District has such a cool vibe, every time I’m over there I promise myself I will go more often.  The Katy Trail was bustling with runners and walkers.  Read more... (539 words, 1 image)