Please support my 2015 BP MS150 ride!

Please support my 2015 BP MS150 ride!
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Credit

Although this blog was originally created by Andy Brickell and continues to be updated by him, the design and layout of the page is credited to his daughter, Mary-Claire Brickell. She's pretty awesome.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Frozen assets

Looks like fun!
One disadvantage of your kids growing up is that you no longer have an excuse to go to kids' movies.  The last children's movie I saw with my daughter was the first Harry Potter, and she spent the entire time pointing out all the mistakes to her friends.  So no chance to see "Frozen", the new one, but Sunday morning provided a good opportunity to feel it.

I hadn't been out two weekends in a row (first one was due to work, the second because of a sore lower back) so I was chafing for a ride, particularly with the MS barely a month away.  Kevin spent the week in sub-Saharan Africa and got back feeling bone-tired and a little under the weather, so was out of commission.  The Mules were not much in evidence on Facebook, probably due to the crappy weather forecast, but Shawn was looking for a Zube ride and suggested an 8am start.  With the clocks going forward this would mean a 5am alarm and I just couldn't face it.  It didn't help that I put away a big tray of crawfish at Pappadeaux on Saturday either.  So I decided to ignore Daylight Savings Time and see how the weather looked when I woke up.

And of course it was peeing with rain at 7am!  But the radar and forecast for Zube was dry, so no excuses, off I went.  When I got to Zube there was one vehicle only in the parking lot and no sign of Shawn.  He's much faster than me anyway so I decided to be the Lone Mule.  The car was showing 45 degF and there was a stiff breeze from the north - on with all the gear (but I forgot the leggings, which I would grow to regret).  Off I went, trying for a steady 17-18mph - very feasible running south, not an option when I turned west unfortunately, it was a struggle to hold 15mph.  It was also damn cold, my feet were like size 9 blocks of ice, especially into the wind.

The run out is mainly north and it was tough all the way.  I was glad to turn west once more and start the run down to the gas station.  With the wind on my back I was cooking along in fine style, but oddly I felt even colder, perhaps because I wasn't working as hard.  Halfway down Laneview I saw a few egrets in a flooded field.  I spooked them and when they took off, three blue herons that I hadn't seen went with them, a spectacular sight.

At the gas station I strained spuds and got my water bottle from a nice lady who asked how I was today, as you do.  "I'm freezing" I replied, getting a laugh, so I went on to comment that I didn't know whose idea this ride was but it was a bad one.  At this the lady looked around and noted that as I was on my own, it was actually pretty clear whose idea it was!  Gales of laughter ensued.

Back at it and I opted for the standard run in down Business 290, expecting the wind to be on my rear quarter, which it was.  The roads were quiet and dry and I made good time.  With only a few miles to run I spotted a caracara on a fallen tree, pretty close to the road.  I should have stopped for a photo but I would probably have spooked him.  Not much further along I saw what appeared to be two dogs on the side of the road - here we go, I thought, getting ready for a sprint - but when I got closer they turned out to be goats and they ignored me completely.

The last few hundred yards were dead into the wind but a full bladder gave me wings!  Back at the car, I changed into warmer gear but could barely get my socks on, my feet were so cold.  It was several hours later, back home after a nap, before I felt warm again.  But I managed 43 miles at a little over 15mph average all on my big boy own.

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Bear Creek - Terry Hershey loop

Bear Creek - Terry Hershey loop

Daily commute to work

Daily commute to work
This isn't quite right but it's close. 9.5 miles, about 40 minutes.

Terry Hershey Park

Terry Hershey Park
10 miles of safe, paved cycling bliss - except for all the foot traffic

The Sealy ride

The Sealy ride
45 miles through very pretty Texas countryside. Looks benign but there's a very hilly section at mile 35.

The Katy ride

The Katy ride
It's on the Katy prairie - flat, flat, flat