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I keep lots of numbers.  Some I basically ignore others I need to keep track of how I am doing.  I have done rides of some type on 84 days out of 205.  That is 41% of the days in the year I am on the bike.  I have averaged 312 minutes per week or 44 minutes per day of hard exercise.  My average heart rate over that time is 71% of max which is a solid work out zone.

Averages are one thing.  Last week I did one ride that was 5 1/2 hours long. That week I rode almost 9 hours and 200 km total.  I ride far less than many people.

I am well past the usual basic exercise recommendations and as a result am pretty damn fit for an old guy.  I have not set foot in a gym or studio in several years.  Most of this stuff is done outside.  It is good.  It is fun.

Deciding on cycling as a sport is a head game.  You try it and find you like it and then do it more and more until you find you can do things you could not consider only a short time before.  It is a commitment of time and yes money.  Surprisingly less money than some gyms or health clubs as it is mostly up front.  Way less than drugs many people take to counter the effects of potatoism.  Time is a big thing.  Once you are into it that is the biggest investment.  5 to 8 hours a week is a chunk.

Another weekday ride.  This one was good.  The wind was down.  The temperature is up almost enough for a single layer.  Thing is I did well.  I had a good run of over 300 Watts on Ferguson for 5 minutes.  My Average for the whole ride was over 200.  I felt stronger.

My average speed was not in PB territory but I was not trying for it. Conditions were wrong, not hot, and there was wind. I may have to try a test ride up 8 minute hill.  I think I am in a good place.

Good thing as Lotus starts up this Saturday.  We have already had three parties, but the wheels have not turned yet. The newbie group “Charlie” is pretty big at around 29 bodies.  I do not think they will all show up.  All of Charlie never has.  The most we had was 12 at one time.  We will see. We will cope.

First I have been boycotting the Tour de France as I loath Mr. Froome.  Perhaps it is unfair of me, but I am convinced he cheats. I could not stand the prospect of him winning again. I could go into a series of arguments and such to justify it, but he did not win and had to make a happy face as his teammate did.  That was a good thing.  I only hope he retires so his shadow will leave the most monumental single athletic event on the planet.  It felt strange not spending July glued to the TV watching it.

Racing in general be it Formula 1 or Nascar or cycling is long periods of strategy and feints and waiting until the last few laps or even few meters to find out who wins.  Cycling is the worst / best as it pits human bodies against one another.  Some have horrible injuries and keep going.  They hang from the sides of a doctor’s car to be disinfected and bandaged and sent on the way.  Courage or stupidity?  Drama of human proportions.

I watched the last day of the TdF comfortable Froome was not the winner.  I missed not seeing the whole thing.

I have been riding myself at a steady rate.  The MFF program has not upped my distances as the group has not shown interest in doing group rides outside of the class sessions.  They have been told to ride at least 3 times a week and I think most have.  At least three didn’t even need the class they are fit enough.  Two more are borderline.  Two others worry me.  They will find out this Tuesday when the whole program meets up for a ride up Cypress.  I am not going as they have scheduled it on a weekday at 5:00 pm.  Don’t they realize everyone does not live on the North shore and many people have real jobs.

I am coming up short for July distance.  As I am not doing the Fondo I have not been running up the distance.  My longest ride this year was about 140 km.  I had a 87 km ride Saturday.  Lotus had a ride to Point Roberts for a bbq.  It was going to be 120 km which if I did my usual thing would add 40 km to it.  I did not feel like doing that. Then I had a BBQ of my own with my daughter and her family that afternoon. 

Lotus has over one hundred members, but only about half ever show for a given ride. About 30 showed up for the BBQ and many of those arranged a ride back by truck, van, or car.  There is an impressive photo of the club at a training session from last week where most actually showed up.  Big bunch.

For me I declined and said I would do a flat ride and loop Richmond with a brewery stop.  I got one person to join me.  We joined the “slow” group on the first half.  When we got to Richmond the leader was not sure how to go to get to the Alex Fraser Bridge.  So I led them there.  We met up with the fast group who were waiting so they could all lump over the scary part together.

I went to Fuggles and Warlock brewery with the guy who was buying.  We had a nice ride.  He had to get home by 1:00 which he did, and so did I.

It was a very hot day.  Lots of sun and warm wind.  When I got home I took a cold shower to dump the heat out of my body.  It is a weird experience when cold water feels warm.  I would shiver at that setting normally.  Washing the salt and sunscreen and dumping the heat was the mission.  I was tired after that, but still had to meat-fire-good some bratwurst, drink beer, and help my son-in-law do his brakes.  It was fun.  A male bonding experience.  He is an adult, but is just learning about tools and stuff.

Sunday after doing some house stuff my wife and I took a walk into the village.  There are many places to get coffee or beer and food.  Steveston has the atmosphere of a resort in the summer.  Tourists and ice cream and many coffee shops.  Village was packed. We found a seat in the shade in the Britannia beer tasting room.  We had beer and snacks.  One of the waitresses came by and asked about something, I forget what, but I made the comment about being an old man. Cuz well I am.  She made my day by guessing I was in my forties.

My wife “S” chuckled.  I told the girl I was in my sixties.  It is hard to tell, even matters, if they are just being nice to bump the tip or not.  She was not the girl serving our table.  "S” said if he looks younger its because he is a cyclist and rides thousands of kilometers and usually the ride to Whistler every year. The buzz of a nice complement combined with the second glass of beer is a nice feeling.

The waitress (If I were more socially adept I would have got her name, sorry.) then said she has a bike, but cannot go far or up hills. “I have to get off and walk.”

“S” then carried the conversation farther that if she ever wanted to try the Whistler ride that I could train her or get her into my club.  That about half of the members were women which is unusual for clubs in the area.

That is not really fair to a young person.  They could do extraordinarily well, but as a sport it is expensive to buy into.  We found out she had gone to our daughters High School and was now at UBC.  Needs every penny she can save.

I gave a good tip, but I do not know if they share them in that place.

It was still hot, so when we got home we vegged by a fan.  We live near the water so if the wind is blowing the right way it is pretty nice. 

I will end July about 40 km short of this time last year.  August should be about the same.  I will not slow down in Sept as I did last year.  Lotus shuts down in September.  I should just make 6000 km comfortably.  Not doing the Granfondo this year has taken some of the wind out of my sails.  It is nice to have an event for motivation.