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Yay. I rode my first "ride my age"

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Yay. I rode my first "ride my age"

Old 09-17-20, 06:33 PM
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David Bierbaum
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Yay. I rode my first "ride my age"

59 miles! No sparkle cramps! No barely getting back! I started early, took my time, made stops for lunch, treats, and hydration, including a self assembled root beer float made from a bottle of Fitz' Root Beer and a tub of Ted Drew's Frozen Custard (vanilla), which I bought from the Elsah General Store, and poured into a travel mug that I had coffee in for my lunch break earlier.

I guess I should have taken pics of my lunch, and my root beer and custard mess, but... well I was hungry! Sorry!! On a side note, on my way back, I saw more monarch butterflies than I have seen TOTAL the the entire last ten years! I mean literally so. On the section of the Sam Vadalabene Trail around Elsah, I literally had one monarch butterfly flutter by my face EVERY TEN FEET! Black and orange wings sliding by every two seconds for at least two miles. Also, I was expecting my trip to be more or less flat for the entire trip, but past Grafton just before Pere Marquette Park, there is a wildly up and down section of the trail. Ugh.

Anyhow, I made it! Here are the few pics I took along the way.


Section of the trail between Grafton and Pere Marquette Park

"Welcome to Grafton"

My bike and a bench at the entrance to Elsah. This was on the return leg. Root Beer Float was on the outward bound leg. 😁

I had run out of Sam Vadalabene Trail without even realizing. Thankfully someone stopped me before I continued on a hiking trail known as "The Goat Trail"
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Old 09-17-20, 06:46 PM
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Do it again!
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Old 09-17-20, 07:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Iride01
Do it again!
Right NOW?!?!?
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Old 09-17-20, 07:33 PM
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Sometime in the next 10 days. 60 will be here before you know it. You need to be ready. <grin>

You putting in some regular mileage each week?
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Old 09-17-20, 07:34 PM
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What are sparkle cramps? Some kind of candy?
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Old 09-17-20, 07:44 PM
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
What are sparkle cramps? Some kind of candy?

yes. And only cureable with pickle juice.
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Old 09-17-20, 07:55 PM
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They're the little cramps that hit and disappear as one moves. I got those when I did my first 50 mile trip to the St. Louis Gateway Arch. They didn't last long, thankfully.

I went loaded for bear, this time, adding a water bottle cage, and using the net pouch on the back of my grocery panniers to hold a travel mug, which I had cold coffee in. I brought along macaroni and cheese from the deli, with some chill packets to keep it cool, and one of those single-serve plastic containers of cinnamon applesauce, as well as the coffee, for lunch. For later, I had another of those applesauce containers, a banana, and one of those miniature blueberry pies (which didn't fare well from all the thumps and bumps of the trip). I had one big bottle of sports drink water, and a regular size bottle of just water. I supplemented what I brought with the root beer and frozen custard from the Elsah General Store, which I now wish I had visited long before I finally did.
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Old 09-17-20, 07:59 PM
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Congrats on the ride. You aren't kidding about the trail past Grafton. I did that segment on 42-24 gearing. It was a grind. Sometime you should take the Grafton Ferry over to St Charles county. Lots of flat roads.
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Old 09-17-20, 08:25 PM
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Congrats. Next up is twice age in km.

There are no limits, only plateaus.
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Old 09-18-20, 06:29 AM
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Congrats and that looks like a great place to ride! About the monarch butterflies, they migrate down south so you might have been going through a flock that was taking a rest.

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Old 09-18-20, 08:24 AM
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Originally Posted by gthomson
Congrats and that looks like a great place to ride! About the monarch butterflies, they migrate down south so you might have been going through a flock that was taking a rest.

I used to live in Missouri and one of the things I noticed even at my early age of 8 when we moved to Mississippi was that I didn't see hardly any Monarch butterfly there in Mississippi. Yet in Missouri, certain times of the year they were all over. Years later I learned of how they migrated to a certain place and Mexico and it was an "ah-ha" moment.
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Old 09-18-20, 09:44 AM
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Originally Posted by CV-6
Congrats on the ride. You aren't kidding about the trail past Grafton. I did that segment on 42-24 gearing. It was a grind. Sometime you should take the Grafton Ferry over to St Charles county. Lots of flat roads.
I don't often stand and mash, thanks to my tried and true old (OLD) biopace triple chainring, but on the steeper parts of that segment I was stand-n-mashing for all I was worth. The only thing that could have made it worse would be doing the slog up the Pere Marquette "Scenic Drive" which someone told me they thought it was the longest climb in Illinois? (the question mark was theirs. )
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Old 09-18-20, 08:40 PM
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Congrats! I am getting too old for that
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Old 09-20-20, 06:57 PM
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Well done!
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Old 09-25-20, 02:00 PM
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So, what carries more prestige, doing it at age 5 or at 70?
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Old 09-26-20, 08:41 AM
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Age 5, would only have to do 5 miles, while age 70 would have to do 70 miles, so age 70 would be the prestige-prize winner of that bout!
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Old 09-26-20, 09:22 AM
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Congratulations! Looks like you had fun.
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Old 09-28-20, 04:04 PM
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I met a guy doing his 89th birthday ride last summer. it was a month late, first time he missed in years, because of a hospitalization. But after he recovered, out he went for a nice ride. He inspired me, and it stuck in my head, so I did 60 this year on my b-day. It is nice to start healthy traditions! I dont like to stop, so no pictures from me. good job OP!
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Old 09-28-20, 06:00 PM
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Nice!

I did my first "ride my age" when I was 7, but my 50's was the only decade of my life where I got one every year. Last year was the closest I came to missing out, I was 17 days shy of 60 before I rode at least 59 while 59. I'll now shoot to get one in every year of my 60's. I still haven't made my 60 at 60 ride yet, I only have 3 1/2 months to go, but I got in 46 miles with 3000 feet of climbing yesterday, so if I just set out to do it, I can make a flatish 60.

60 at 60 will definitely be a bigger deal than 7 at 7.
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Old 09-29-20, 10:48 AM
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Congrats! Got mine done last weekend, the older we get the more impressive the rides are.
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Old 09-30-20, 11:52 AM
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Sounds like a great day was enjoyed. Way ta go!
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Old 10-01-20, 03:32 PM
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Originally Posted by blt
Nice!

I did my first "ride my age" when I was 7, but my 50's was the only decade of my life where I got one every year. Last year was the closest I came to missing out, I was 17 days shy of 60 before I rode at least 59 while 59. I'll now shoot to get one in every year of my 60's. I still haven't made my 60 at 60 ride yet, I only have 3 1/2 months to go, but I got in 46 miles with 3000 feet of climbing yesterday, so if I just set out to do it, I can make a flatish 60.

60 at 60 will definitely be a bigger deal than 7 at 7.
WAIT, do I get extra credit for doing it on my actual birthday? whoo HOO!
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Old 10-02-20, 06:39 AM
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Unfortunately that metric gets harder with age. In running, there's a goal to run a 10K in less than your age, and at 74 I was still able to do this up until this year when recent back problems have prevented any running -- maybe permanently (biking still OK!). I haven't ridden over 60 miles in several years, but I think that riding my age in kilometers is still doable.

Still, congratulations on making your goal!

(By the way, when I saw the sign for Pere Marquette Park I thought that you were somewhere here in Michigan (lots of stuff named for him, including a city and a well-known rail-trail) but I didn't recognize any of the other place names. Obviously, old Father Marquette really got around in his day!)
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Old 10-02-20, 08:25 AM
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It's been a while. Have you done that next big ride yet? You should be practicing for when you reach 80 yo or even 100 yo!
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Old 10-02-20, 08:31 AM
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I'm not impressed. I did this when I was 12.

































But, seriously, congratulations!
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