September Cycling Challenge 2014

Daphnerose86

I love this thread already! I've had three knee surgeries and they are finally starting to get annoyed with how much weight I've been carrying around. Doctors orders I can't run anymore than 7 miles a week but my knees are so damaged right now I can't even run period. This is very upsetting for me as running is a great destresser for me. I got a Schwinn Cruiser (feel free to be jealous its baby blue and has peacock feathers on it. lol) I have gone on 3 or 4 bike rides only this summer because of my knees but they are starting to feel better. Going to ride 4 miles tonight. It's nice and cool here in Ohio so it'll be a little chilly! Wish me luck!

I haven't crashed yet (knocks on wood) But I was chased down by a dog! Ever been riding and then suddenly all you hear is barking and go "Oh crap..." Yah. I saw the dog run around the corner of the house thinking "Oh god I hope it's a fenced in backyard." Nope! Then I saw it continuing to run down the driveway. "Oh crap I hope the driveways fenced in!" Nope! He comes right up to me and just keeps barking and snarling. I thought I was going to get bitten! Luckily he lost interest after about two seconds and trotted back home. I had slowed down to almost a stop but I was afraid if I stopped all the way I would have been an easy target so I kept riding just trying to look less appetizing. lol. My heart was thumping like crazy though for the rest of the ride!

cowbellsandcoffee

9/2 - 31.2 miles.
9/3 - 31.3
9/4 - 16.2
9/6 - 4.9 CX Race
9/7 - 16.2
9/11 - 17.2
9/14 - 5 CX Race
9/16 - 18.4 CX practice

Total - 140.4

Goal - 700

Remaining - 559.6

Ohhim

I know it's mid month but I'm in. I've cycled 97 miles on the road and joined a spinning class - not sure how to measure that one other than by time - one hour a class and pretty vigorous!

I'll usually just wear a heart rate monitor, measure my average HR during the class, find ride speeds that roughly correspond to it (for me 120-130 = 15 MPH, 130-145 = 16 MPH, 145-160 = 18 MPH, 160-170 = 19.5 MPH) and log the associated distances for the length of the workout.

fejiofor

17/9 Cycled 6.46km
228.54 km to go.

Hornsby

9-01-14 - 36.1 miles - 19.3mph
9-02-14 - 18.9 miles - 19.6mph
9-03-14 - 19.0 miles - 18.3mph (with 4th overall Segment)
9-04-14 - 09.5 miles - 18.6mph (too hot and too windy so I said screw it early)
9-05-14 - 19.0 miles - 19.1mph
9-06-14 - 18.9 miles - 18.8mph
9-07-14 - 62.2 miles - 19.9mph
9-07-14 - 19.0 miles - 18.9mph (Tshirt Metric Century in the morning, and another 19 in the evening)
9-11-14 - 19.0 miles - 20.3mph
9-14-14 - 38.4 miles - 18.1mph
9-16-14 - 19.0 miles - 20.0mph

284.7mi 15h 21m 6,066ft

DaivaSimone

Half of my commuting distance.

Goal for septembre: 240 km / 150 miles

9.1: 31 km (19.375 miles)
9.4: 12.63 km (7.9miles) and 6.6 km (4.1 miles)
9.5: 25.72 km (16 miles)
9.7: 16.08 km (10.05 miles)
9.9: 25.72 km (16 miles)
9.12: 25.72 km (16 miles)
9.14: 56 km (35 miles)
9.17: 13 km (8 miles - lol)

Total: 212.47 km (131.25 miles)

Dancing_Laeti

I'm joining half way through, I hope that's ok?

Last week I cycled to work 3 times, which makes for 60 miles.
This week I've already done 30 and by the time I'm home tonight it will be 40 miles...
So, considering the weather is supposed to stay ok for the rest of this week and most of next, I guess I should be able to cycle to work at least another 4 days, so the total goal should be 180 miles. I will have to install my little odometer thingy to make sure my commute is actually 10 miles one way!! :happy:

mullaneywt

9/1 - 1.1 miles.
9/2 - 1.9 miles.
9/3 - 1.1 miles.
9/4 - 1.1 miles.
9/6 - 1.4 miles.
9/9 - 2.2 miles.
9/10 - 1.9 miles.
9/11 - 1.6 miles.
9/12 - 2.2 miles.
9/13 - 3.9 miles.
9/14 - 2.8 miles.
9/15 - 2.5 miles at 10.3mph listening to Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack songs. Changing my goal for September to 40 miles (a 25% increase).
9/16 - 4.0 miles at 10.2mph listening to old stuff. Added 1.1 more miles tonight.


MTD = 28.8 miles.
Goal = 40.0 miles.
Remaining = 11.2 miles.

Welcome to the sport!

canary_girl

9/2 22.1 miles
9/3 20.5 miles
9/8 22 miles
9/9 25.5 miles
9/10 27.0 miles
9/11 20.5 miles
9/12 25.0 miles
9/15 25.0 miles
9/16 22.3 miles
9/17 26.0 miles

MTD 235.9 miles

mrron2u

9/1 - 12.7
9/2 - 12.8
9/3 - 8.7
9/5 - 11
9/6 - 12.8
9/7 - 18.3
9/10 - 11.9
9/13 - 20.2
9/15 - 6.7
9/16 - 9.2

124.3 miles ridden, 125.7 miles to go! Basically halfway now!

strassenkoenigin

Daphnerose

I just read your comment about being chased by a dog. it is a big problem. Last year I was pursued by two dogs and one of them bit me. The owner stood on the side walk and did absolutely nothing. It turned out that she has been reported twice before because her dogs were biting and she chose to pretend that the whole incident was not happening.

I reported her again and the dogs were temporarily taken from her.

Now I am scared when I see dogs off the leash, unfortunately there are quite a lot of them on the shared bike paths where I bike. I now stop every time and ask the owners to control their dogs. I get nothing but nasty remarks.

Somebody suggested that I should carry pepper spray with me, but I doubt that I can get it out in time , when the situation arouses.

strassenkoenigin

deliason

I carry two things with me when I ride. One is an asp. An asp is a collapsible steel baton that hangs from my camelback. I can easily grab it and it is VERY effective for animals. Pepper spray is good for human altercation but, when sprayed on an attacking dog, it can often infuriate the animal creating a situation that is worse than it started out to be.
Pepper sprays come attached to quick release clips that can be attached to your camelback or a loop on a jersey etc....... Good luck~! Best advice? Check into an asp.

faugsu

Looks like a lot of agreement that dogs are a major problem. A whistle, pepper spray and an ammonia filled squirt gun are options. Many cyclists are aware that pepper spray is ineffective on some humans, well, it works even less often on dogs. I don't have the answer, because when I'm going 15mph, and a dog comes out of nowhere going 20+ mph, I need to keep both hands on my handlebars to maintain control as I try to outrun it/them. Any creative help here?

faugsu

9-2 15 Miles
9-4 15
9-5 17
9-6 26
9-8 31
9-10 20
9-12 20
9-13 30
9-15 32
9-17 32 MTD 238

deliason

It sounds like all you've got left is a foot! :ohwell:

zumbalinda22

Wednesday, 9/17: 22 miles in 76 minutes. MTD: 210 Miles to go: 90


http://www.TickerFactory.com/exercise/wvB1867/]

strassenkoenigin

faugsu

After reading your post I got curious to know how fast a dog can run. I found this.

"Domestic dogs vary in size and shape so significantly that it's difficult to get a bead on just how fast they can run in general. However, most seem to travel at top speeds between 18 to 31 miles per hour, with 19 or so being the average.

This puts dogs at slightly over a three-minute mile on average. The human per-mile record is slightly under four minutes."


When I was bitten, I stopped because I like dogs and the dogs were two big poodles, I did not perceive as dangerous.
Plus I was at the end of a 60 miles or so run and had no power left. Since then I was told that poodles have a tendency to bite, you never stop learning. ...

I completely agree with you that in future I would try to outrun them and would not be able to take my hands off the handlebar.. I doubt though if I could outrun a real fast dog at my age. It is no win situation.
I really wish dog owners would keep their dogs on the leash and pick up their poop, after all there are now doggy bag dispenser on every corner and signs posted that your have to keep your dogs on the leash. .

dramaqueen45

9/1 - 2 miles
9/2 - 7 miles
9/3 - 5 miles
9/6 - 22 miles (personal best)
9/7 - 7 miles
9/9 - 8 miles
9/14 - 13 miles
9/17 - 9 miles

Goal is to do a 20 mile tour this coming Saturday the 20th. It will be my first group tour and it sounds like fun!
Maybe I'll make it to 100 miles by the end of the month?

phil2795

Hi There

This is my first time here ... Is it ok to join this challenge half way through the month ??

Thankfully I haven't had any bad experiences with dogs .. but here in Australia it's spring and the magpies are swooping in Kamikaze like attacks .... So I do a mix of road and indoor lol

sajeffe

Regarding dogs. As some of you know, I was bitten by a dog last year on one of my rides. At the time, I was riding about 5 miles/day and had been chased by aggressive dogs of various sizes all summer. I sometimes carry pepper spray with me now, but not very often. I can't imagine having the time to get it out of my pocket, unlock it, and spray it in time to do any good. Besides, the road I was on when I got attacked was a 45mph speed limit road and when the dogs came at me, I turned into the center of the road. If a car had been coming from either direction, I'd be dead - pepper spray or no pepper spray.

I bought an asp too. I'm not very good at using it and it's kind of heavy (I'm a wimp) so I leave it at home.

I'm pretty sure that my experience with dogs last year is one of the reasons I don't ride as far this year. Or at least it gives me another reason to not ride as far (I have plenty of reasons). If I leave my immediate roadway, I risk getting chased by dogs. Little yappy dogs that want to bite my ankles. Oooh they make me so mad. Because even those little things can outrun me on a bike. I used to love dogs. (Also - dogs killed one of my cats a couple of years ago and hospitalized my other cat; and dogs killed my neighbor's cat just last month.)

Anyway, good luck. I was never afraid. Until I was nipped by one dog and a couple of months later, bitten by another. Now I'm afraid. And angry.

/rant

sajeffe

9/1 - 1.1 miles.
9/2 - 1.9 miles.
9/3 - 1.1 miles.
9/4 - 1.1 miles.
9/6 - 1.4 miles.
9/9 - 2.2 miles.
9/10 - 1.9 miles.
9/11 - 1.6 miles.
9/12 - 2.2 miles.
9/13 - 3.9 miles.
9/14 - 2.8 miles.
9/15 - 2.5 miles at 10.3mph listening to Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack songs. Changing my goal for September to 40 miles (a 25% increase).
9/16 - 4.0 miles at 10.2mph listening to old stuff. Added 1.1 more miles tonight.
9/17 - 1.7 miles.


MTD = 30.5 miles.
Goal = 40.0 miles.
Remaining = 9.5 miles.

SingingSingleTracker

September goals?

Goal #1: Oktoberfest starts on my birthday this month, so I guess my goal this month is to stay ahead of the calorie count by turning the pedals enough to indulge...

Goal #2: Get fewer flats this month.

Goal #3: Season is winding down, so it's time to start working in some fun fall rides with no particular training goals.

September 3 - rode 14.7 miles for a duration of 1:06:09
September 5 - rode 19.3 miles for a duration of 1:23:00
September 6 - rode 12.9 miles for a duration of 1:31:45 (Mt.Biking)
September 7 - rode 9.98 miles for a duration of 1:13:35 (Mt.Biking)
September 9 - rode 14.7 miles for a duration of 00:58:32
September 12 - rode 18.3 miles for a duration of 1:12:06 (XC Race Warm-Up Practice)
Septermber 13 - rode 17.4 miles for a duration of 1:05:55 (Pre-Race Day leg openers and spin)
September 14 - rode 21 miles for a duration of 2:01:00 (XC Race - 1st Place!!!!)
September 16 - rode 6.11 miles for a duration of 00:35:46 (Best recovery ride this year!!!!!)
September 17 - rode 8.32 miles for a duration of 00:31:52

September Totals: 142.71 miles for a duration of 11:39:40

fejiofor

17/9 Cycled 6.46km
18/9 Cycled 8.45 km

220.09 km to go.

canary_girl

9/2 22.1 miles
9/3 20.5 miles
9/8 22 miles
9/9 25.5 miles
9/10 27.0 miles
9/11 20.5 miles
9/12 25.0 miles
9/15 25.0 miles
9/16 22.3 miles
9/17 26.0 miles
9/18 25.0 miles

MTD 260.9 miles

zumbalinda22

Some very awesome cycling posts on here! Keep pedaling, people!

Today's progress: 20 miles in 70 minutes. MTD: 230 Miles until goal: 70



http://www.TickerFactory.com/exercise/wvB1867/]

faugsu

Singing - enjoy your Octoberfest Bday. My son is going to the kickoff in Munich. Maybe he'll bring me a Tshirt . '
I've got 4 trips before the end of October. Lots of challenges ahead!

9-2 15 Miles
9-4 15
9-5 17
9-6 26
9-8 31
9-10 20
9-12 20
9-13 30
9-15 32
9-17 32
9-18 19 MTD 257

SingingSingleTracker

Singing - enjoy your Octoberfest Bday. My son is going to the kickoff in Munich. Maybe he'll bring me a Tshirt .

Will do. Beer has been purchased and the wife has something planned after my race at noon. I love surprises...

SingingSingleTracker

September goals?

Goal #1: Oktoberfest starts on my birthday this month, so I guess my goal this month is to stay ahead of the calorie count by turning the pedals enough to indulge...

Goal #2: Get fewer flats this month.

Goal #3: Season is winding down, so it's time to start working in some fun fall rides with no particular training goals.

September 3 - rode 14.7 miles for a duration of 1:06:09
September 5 - rode 19.3 miles for a duration of 1:23:00
September 6 - rode 12.9 miles for a duration of 1:31:45 (Mt.Biking)
September 7 - rode 9.98 miles for a duration of 1:13:35 (Mt.Biking)
September 9 - rode 14.7 miles for a duration of 00:58:32
September 12 - rode 18.3 miles for a duration of 1:12:06 (XC Race Warm-Up Practice)
Septermber 13 - rode 17.4 miles for a duration of 1:05:55 (Pre-Race Day leg openers and spin)
September 14 - rode 21 miles for a duration of 2:01:00 (XC Race - 1st Place!!!!)
September 16 - rode 6.11 miles for a duration of 00:35:46 (Best recovery ride this year!!!!!)
September 17 - rode 8.32 miles for a duration of 00:31:52
September 18 - rode .89 miles for a duration of 00:07:37 (Crap! Ripped the derailleur right off the bike and seriously bent the hanger and what looks to be the frame on my XC race bike = very sad day for me....)
Septmeber 18 - rode 4.69 miles for a duration of 00:30:41 (pre-race lap on my other bike)

September Totals: 148.29 miles for a duration of 12:17:58

Double2dd

9/4 - 5 miles
9/7 - 42 miles
9/9 - 5 miles
9/11 - 7 miles
9/16 - 10 miles
9/18 - 5 miles


MTD - 74 miles