Cup And Cone MS Bicycle Ride (2011)

A nice ride. This ride featured "Helmet-Chips".  The organizer of the ride Bruce Bokish also runs a company that does sporting event timing.  Things like runs, and bike rides.  The RFID chip is embedded in some paper and stuck to the helmet of the rider or the rider's running bib.  As the runner or rider leaves the area to be timed an RFID scanner array reads each RFID tag as it passes through the scanner array field.  Then at the end of the timed course the rider or runner again passes through a scanner filed and the tag is read again.  For this ride the scanner array was positioned beside the road at the bottom of the 'Col de Lystra', a two mile climb up the front face of the Uwharrie Mountains.  Jordan lake is 216' above MSL while the 'summit' of the 'Col del Lystra' is over 400' above MSL.  As you can see from one of the pictures below Lystra Road does go right up the hill.


Here are the details of the ride:


04:10 hh:mm . Total Time
78.52 km .... Total Distance
              (1.5 km short of 80k - see below)
18.80 kph ... Average Speed
66.30 kph ... Max Speed
              (coming back down the Col de Lystra)
100+ F ...... Temp at the end of the ride.
80+ F ....... Temp at the start of the ride




I've done this ride in the past but only the short version.  Today I felt I was up to the 50 mile 'out-and-back'.  50 miles is about 80.4 km --- Today I got "SAG'ed" back to the start at the 78.5km mark.  This is the first time in all my bicycle rides I have ever been SAG'ed.  I have ridden in ove 110 degree heat but that was in  Wyoming and the relative humidity was essentially zero.  Today the relative humidity was ove 80% at the start of the ride.


SAG stands for Support and Gear and is run by grand folks whose job it is to make sure those on the bike ride make it back to the start.  They have pickup trucks, vans, even cars with bike racks.  The Cup and Cone bike ride was fully supported and there were many SAG vehicles. Below is a picture of the young man who picked me up.


I am in good shape but I think I did not eat properly in the days leading up to the ride.  It is always good to have plenty of carbohydrates under your belt when you take off on a serious bike ride.


Here are some pictures of the ride.

CUP_AND_CONE_MS_BIKE_RIDE_23_JUL_2011

Sand Castles And Kites

A day on the beach here is a video of the kite and some drip sand castle.




And here is a slide show of some still pictures of the same scene.

Dancing Up The Sun And Riding Down The Wind

This morning at the cottage I was up in time to get out and do my Tai Chi form down on the beach.  It was a beautiful morning.  The wind was a little strong from the east and the moon was full.


DANCING UP THE SUN
==================

From Random Graphic Images

This is the view looking toward the ESE.

From Random Graphic Images

Here is the view down the beach toward the WSW and the full moon.

From Random Graphic Images

Here is a look toward the east just after I completed my form (and the sun is just behind that cottage).


RIDING DOWN THE WIND
====================


Got all my togs together and took off up the island toward Fort Macon State Park 16 miles away.  The wind was pretty strong and I only averaged 17.9 kph on the way to the park, while I averaged 20.4 kph for the entire ride so the turn around was four kph. Here are the details.


02:36 .... hh:mm (time)
52.99 .... km (distance)
20.40 .... kph (average)
31.30 .... kph (max)


I met a guy at the Fort Macon shelter that overlooks the channel and he may decide to do the MS150 this year.  He is a triathlete. I'm ok with the swim and the cycle but my knees do not run.

Bike Rides At The Beach

The beach cottage this year is around mile 14.5 on NC58 as you drive toward the west end of Emerald Isle.


TUE 05 JUL 2011 - A nice ride. The wind was pretty strong so the stretch from Atlantic Beach to Emerald Isle was slow. Here are the stats:


01:26 hh:mm (time)
25.29 km    (distance)
17.50 kph   (average)
40.40 kph   (maximum)


THU 07 JUL 2011 - Another nice ride. The wind was negligible. I felt stronger today than day before yesterday and arrived at the cottage just a few minutes before the end of today's stage in the Tour de France.


01:15.5 hh:mm (time)
25.03   km    (distance)
19.90   kph   (average)
42.00   kph   (maximum)


A NUMBER OF DAYS - Every day that I could I did get up around sunrise and walk down to Conch Point.  


Conch Point is very close to the northern end of 6th street. The city has cleaned it up and added a pier that extends out into Calico Bay.  At the end of the pier are two ramps to floating docks.  Small boats can tie up there.  And kayaks and canoes can be launched just beside the pier.   


The place is usually deserted at sunrise and I can stand on the end of the floating dock and practice my 'Tai Chi for Arthritis' form.  I purchased a music CD-ROM that is grand to listen to while I do the form. 



Here is a video of the first few minutes of sunrise on the 11th of July.