Falling like Rain

Leaves begin to fall

Leaves falling from trees.

A few days ago as I rode down a country road, the air around me was alive with falling leaves; falling like rain, but fluttering like little birds with each breath of autumn breeze through the trees. I almost passed by without a photo but the moment was so magical that I turned back. I never did catch the air as filled with falling leaves as when I first encountered the moment, but I did manage to photograph some.

At another point along the way, I passed a beautifully fenced pasture with the fall leaves changing in the woods along the edge of the pasture.

Today is Saturday, one week before the big ride next weekend. I can't wait. I hope the weather is as awesome next weekend as it is today, that would make a perfect day for the Tyranena October Fest ride. Although I've skipped riding Tuesday and today of this week, I have added 105 miles making my yearly total 1,350 miles. I'm getting closer to my goal of 2,000 miles for the year. I think I can... I think I can!

A country cemtary

Pond in the hills of Sauk County

October 6, 2012: I'm signed up to ride in the Tyranena October Fest ride starting in Lake Mills. Long-range forecast is starting to look good, and I've been riding around 20 miles a day in preparation for the 70 mile loop of the ride.

Preparing for Cold Weather Ride

Hat, helmet, mirror, windbreaker, and a red face as I come in from a 22 mile ride with temps in the 40's!

It's 2:00AM on Wednesday, September 26, 2012. I just got back from a 22 mile ride; the temperature was 41 degrees. I was very comfortable and wish I could have riden more!

I'm testing out new clothing I bought Monday as I look forward to the Tyranena October Fest bike ride October 6th. This will be my first group ride. The Tyranena bike-ride is limited to 1750 riders and when I registered it was 80% filled! I have the choice of a 20, 50, or 70 mile route. Since I just road 22 miles tonight, after work, for the heck of it...  it doesn't make sense to commit to a day's event for anything less than at least 50 miles, or, unless the wind is against me, 70. The big thing for me now is planning and preparing what to wear.

Clothing

Up until now, I've been wearing regular stuff. No spandex. No biking cloths, just regular duds.  But, as I thought about an October ride, I decided I needed to invest in cold weather, biking specific, clothing. 

Normal temperatures for October range from 40's to 60's. I bought Underarmour Compression Base-layer tights and tops, and outer Nike wind breaker jacket and pants. If the weather is anywhere near normal, I should be dressed adequately.

I'm experimenting with what regular cloths to wear in-between these two crucial layers. I think I know what bring... One thing worthy of note about the windbreaker pants is that I bought what I have used at a second hand store for $3. The other jacket and pants were $50 to $80 at Dicks sporting goods in Madison. I saved some big bucks on the windbreaker pants, but the zippers on the legs are coming undone, so I need to do some sewing there.

I was glad to go out tonight and ride in the 40 degree weather in preparation for the Tyranena ride. The moon was bright and trafic in the country was extremely light. I think I could have riden for hours...

I think I've made good choices, and I am ready to ride regardless of the weather on the 6th.

Fall Showers

Corn fields have become brown, leaves are turning to fall colors and falling from trees, and the days have become windier. Bike rides are beautiful but sometimes excruciatingly hard. The last couple days have found me riding through some very light showers at times. The weather predictions are for snow any day now!

When I left at 9:00 am this morning, the temperature was still in the forties. Twenty six miles later, I rode into a brisk 50-some-degree wind. My inner cloths were soaked in sweat, my face felt wind-burned, and my legs, back and butt were crying out in pain. The wind-breaker jacket and Nike pants did a pretty good job of keeping my body warm... but my face. My head! Soaked in sweat and exposed to the wind; I was miserable! It was one of the first rides where I kept thinking of calling to be picked up. Instead, I kept thinking about the finish and finally it arrived.

My back has been teetering on a breakdown, and the last 10 miles I was afraid it might happen. My knees hurt and I was cold as I wobbled into the house. Slowly, I got undressed, drew a hot bath in the garden tub, and enjoyed my reward for a strenuous morning ride. I turned on the whirlpool and sunk into the luxury of the hot swirling bubbles...

Amazing things have begun to happen with my diabetes. My blood glucose was at 117 this morning when I awoke and 103 after the ride. I did the morning ride without breakfast, which is something that I need to stop doing. I did take my morning drink of 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon (heaping) Ceylon Cinnamon, and 1 heaping tablespoon of orange flavored Metamucil.

My total miles since spring is 1231 miles. I'm wondering if I'll make it to 1,500 miles much less the 2,000 miles that I had hoped for.

Last night I got the packet from a friend to join her team riding next year in an MS fund-raiser. I'm looking forward to not only a strong finish riding for fun this year but maybe a new challenge in 2013... If anyone reads this and you are from the Western Sauk County/Eastern Richland/Southern Juneau county area, and up for some challenging fun on a bike... please contact me! Also, I've meet some friends that would bike, if they had a bike... I gave away my Raleigh on Friday.

Fall in Wisconsin

Fall is in the air in Wisconsin and biking has become a little harder because of the windy days and cooler temperatures. A light frost on Tuesday or Wednesday took out the leaves on the squash, that's how quickly fall is arriving. I can't afford expensive biking clothing for the changing season, so I've visited neighborhood thrift stores and found some clothing that works for me, for now. My favorite is a Nike sport pant with cotton lining. It's light, wind resistant, loose, yet not too lose around the pedals. Sadly, it has a few seams starting to come undone. $3 dollars was all it cost. I hope it will do for this season.

On Wednesday, I left for a ride in a light rain with temperatures down in the fifty's. By the time I returned home, the rain had stopped, but the wind throughout the ride gave me quite a workout, even though I only covered 10 miles. My average mph dropped to eight-something!

The biking exercise, spaghetti squash meals, and a new drink I've been taking before meals is resulting in some amazing low blood sugar readings and even a few sugar crashes! That's very good news. My drink that I take in the morning consists of 1 tablespoon Orange flavored Metamucil, 1 teaspoon of Ceylon Cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder. In the afternoons I usually substitute Crystal Light for the Metamucil for my evening meal. It seems like I'm loosing more weight as the glucose readings continue to improve.

More Photos from 1,000 miles of Wisconsin

Near LaValle, Wisconsin, is a small park called Hemlock Park. If you're willing to brave the swamp with scurrying snakes and leaping frogs, and walk out onto the grassy isthmus, there are some beautiful elderberries. I picked some one year and made elderberry wine.


The rolling hills of Sauk County

Fish Pond Road

Roads I've never traveled before... Fish Pond, I love it!

September rides.... I had a few days off from biking during my recent weekend. I was busy, it rained, one thing and another, and the days slip past. I got back on track yesterday with an eighteen-mile comeback. This morning, I rode 24 miles as I took the back roads from Lime Ridge to Reedsburg and then came back home. My total for the year is now over 1,100 miles!

I'm watching the fields as I ride, the corn harvest is beginning.

I smell the air. Today I smell corn silage. I smell a smoky smell of something burning and the pungent smell of fresh spread manure slurry on fields. Sometimes I pass newly cut hay and that smells sweet, other times I smell death, dead animals, I usually can't tell if it's a dead wild animal like a deer or coon, or if it's a domestic animal nearby but I smell death in the air. I look forward to the fall smells of dry leaves and dead grass.

I ride by so many homes and farms. I try not to stare, but I get ideas as I see things that other people have done. The building at the left interested me. It's a combination of concrete floor and temporary tent style structure.

 I worry about dogs, I don't want to be bitten but occasionally I'm chased. As I passed the farm with the tent style calf barn, a little doggie came out to chase me.

I used voice command, "No!"and "Go home", and the little doggie can't keep up as I peddle down the road. There have been other dogs, bigger dogs, and I wasn't going downhill but up. Those are scarier times. I've seen other riders with canine teethe marks on their legs, I don't want to be like them but I haven't decided on a good solution yet. So far, I've been lucky.... so far!