Why I've Committed to 30 Days of Biking

My view this morning on my way to work. Looking
over I-80 West from the Old Turnpike Road bridge.

Today, I commuted to work via bicycle. It's not the first time I've done it, but it's the first time in almost 10 years that I've even attempted to try. It's easy to say that I only had to ride 18 miles, but the journey to get "here" has taken years. I feel good, and I feel even better about not spending money on gas, but that's not the point. The point is to get active, to get healthy, and you can do it, too!

I made a commitment to get in shape in 2012. I had been eating healthy since May and successfully lost 40 pounds, but I was still above my body-mass index and had been looking for a way to be more active. Up until then, I only ever took the bike out for a spin around the block. I never really tried to push myself and would call it quits after 10 miles. I had no idea how people could ride for 30, 50, or even 100 miles. It just seemed so unreal. That's when I decided to push myself, to enter an event and train myself to ride extended distances. I chose the Flaming Foliage Festival as my event, and focused my efforts on getting ready to ride 30k by October.

Eventually, I made my goal. I was regularly riding distances of 50 miles and easily completed the 30k Flaming Foliage ride. Since then, I'm happier than I've ever been in my life. I mean it when I say that I believe my bicycle has saved my life. It has kept me active, kept me fit (falling below my BMI for the first time in 20 years) and gave me a pressure release valve that allowed me de-stress when things got out of hand. Any time I feel down or distressed, I just go for a spin, and it clears my head. That's why I believe in projects like 30 Days of Biking. This simple machine that has been saving my life... I believe it can save the world. At least, I believe, it could save Luzerne County.

Today, the Citizen's Voice published a story about a study that found Luzerne County to be less active and less healthy than the Pennsylvania state average. The study reports that we have lower incomes than the state average, which is believed to be the cause of higher anxiety and depression cases in our area. We're poor and miserable, and that leads to poor life choices, like smoking, drinking and over-eating.

I live in Luzerne County. I am considered to be living below the poverty line, and I know, first-hand, the effect this has on anxiety and clinical depression, because I've been living with it most of my life. I've never been an alcoholic, but eating to feel good has been my crutch for far too long. It's so easy to just sit around, eating and feeling bad about yourself. It's a trap, and it's one of the leading, preventable causes of death in this country. So, what can you do?

Get outside and go for a ride.

I can't promise that riding your bike will change your financial situation, but it can change your life. (Any kind of moderate exercise has the potential to make you feel better, but I just find that biking goes well with my love of nature and exploring the outdoors.) Along with a boosted mood comes changes in outlook and attitude. A cleared mind can gain better perspective, allowing you to see solutions to problems that you thought were unsolvable. Then comes the best part: physical adaptation. As your body adjusts to doing more work, you'll find your regular work load becoming easier to handle. You'll lose weight, feel good and feel better about yourself -- and feeling better about yourself will prompt you to make even more positive changes in your life. Just taking the first few steps (or rides) can unlock the motivation you need to go beyond anything you thought you could do before, unlocking limitless potential. This isn't some new-age, crystal-gripping hippie speak, it's a fact. There are decades of sports medicine research that can back up these claims.

I made the decision to get in shape, setting small goals and checking them off as I achieved them. With each step I took, I found that I wanted to take more. The further I went, the further I wanted to go. You still have plenty of time to get ready for April. Make the pledge, commit to riding each day in April. You can do it!

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Seasons Change/Flaming Foliage Rides Updated Again

The routes for the Seasons Change/Flaming Foliage Rides organized by Ed Pane and Serento Gardens have been updated, once again.

I reported that the 50k and 100k routes were altered a few weeks ago due to chip seal being laid down on several areas along those routes. The re-altered routes now avoid those areas completely, in addition to being extended.

From the Seasons Change/Flaming Foliage Ride page:

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania decided that September 2012 would be a wonderful time to tar and chip the route used for the 100K, 50K, and 20K routes!! Well, obviously we're not sending you out on miles of tire shredding, bone jarring cycling, so we have rerouted the event. In the process, the 50 and 100K turned out to be two of the most beautiful and scenic rides we've ever taken. Check out the new maps on the links below.

Both rides briefly route through Hazleton City along well paved residential roads, then onto rolling terrain with a few good hills.

The 50K turned into a 60K but we promise you won't mind it a bit. The 100K turns into a 102K with breathtaking scenery along PA Bicycle V and L routes. Most of it is rolling terrain, but it has four brief, challenging climbs. 

The 20K has turned into a 22K (13.7 miles) bike ride into McAdoo, PA and then through Hazleton neighborhoods near the main event site. The streets are wide, well paved, and the traffic will be light. It's a nice way to meet some of the people your participation helps throughout the year.

So, where the old 50k originally went through Tresckow and McAdoo, the new route now cuts out those towns to go through Hazleton and up past Freeland towards White Haven before heading down through Weatherly and Beaver Meadows. (Hmm. This route looks kind of familiar... Well, except for the part where we'll be turning left on State Route 2051/Buck Mountain Road instead of right, as I typically like to do.)

I'm actually excited to ride this new route. It'll be a fresh perspective on riding through Hazleton, which I normally try to avoid, and a chance to go in a direction I haven't tried before. It's amazing how easily you can get set in your ways, riding the same routes over and over.

Here are links to interactive maps of the new routes, from the Seasons Change/Flaming Foliage Ride page:
Click here to view the 22K

Click here to view the 60K

Click here to view the RIDE version of the 60K

Click here to view the 100K

Click here for the RIDE version of the 100K map

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Rider's log: heading North on the Lehigh Valley Gorge trail

My first ride of October has been done. I haven't been on a ride in over a week, due to lousy weather and lack of motivation. I'm thinking my annual bout with Seasonal Affective Disorder is going to be pretty bad if I'm already feeling it. But, I got tired of hearing myself whine about the impending Winter and decided to change my attitude.

Dressing in layers, I wore the Under Armour compression shirt my brother gave me (like this Under Armour cold gear shirt (Google Affiliate Ad) but not all black) under a t-shirt and a zipped up jacket. I also wore some thermal underwear under my tights and a pair of sweatpants. I was quite comfortable in the mid-60 (F) temperatures, but, of course, once I actually got down into the gorge, the sun disappeared. Obscured by the high ridge, the lack of sun meant the gorge was much colder; I'd say about 10 degrees colder. I ended up wishing I had a pair of gloves, and I'll definitely be wearing some for the 50k on Saturday.

Yes, so, I'm a baby when it comes to the cold -- and this isn't even cold, yet. Regardless, I went for a total of 50 miles and had a blast.

In all the weeks I've been riding into the gorge, I never once thought to head left, following the trail North towards White Haven. This was a hideous oversight that I sought to correct, right away, and I'm all the happier that I did. The sights are incredible!

There is still a lot of green on the trees, but Mother Nature has been hard at work, and her palette has diversified quite a bit. Yellows, reds and oranges are becoming more pronounced, but you have to take in the whole landscape, viewing a wider panorama of the gorge walls to really see it.

Much of the Fall foliage sights I saw today were like riding along in a picture postcard. I half expected to see 50-foot-high letters on the side of the gorge, spelling out the words, "Welcome to PENNSYLVANIA." It's such an amazing scene; the view is delicious, a treasure.

As beautiful as the foliage is, because I never rode North before, I had no idea of the other natural sights there were to see in the gorge. For example, this beautiful waterfall that was much more amazing than any I had previously seen on the trail heading South.

The top of Buttermilk Falls

The pool at the bottom of Buttermilk Falls

This waterfall was too tall for one picture. Unfortunately, you still don't quite get the scale of how high that top ridge is. Another unique feature is the pool at the bottom. Huge slabs of stone make up a path that you can easily walk down and into those falls. Just when I thought I'd seen every amazing thing the Lehigh Valley Gorge has to offer, I see something like this, and I suddenly remember that I've only seen fractions of the whole thing.

Riding along, if you look out over the river, you can seen train tracks that run along the length of the gorge. This is all a part of the original lines that were a part of the gravity railroad that helped deliver timber, coal and other supplies down the line, to Jim Thorpe and beyond. When riding South, you do eventually cross the tracks that come over from the other side of the river, but they cross the river up North, as well. At the point where they cross to the North, I never expected to see anything like this:

Unfortunately, I never expected to see something like this, either:

Interstate 80, crossing the Lehigh River.

From an architectural standpoint, it's interesting to ride under a double-lane highway, especially to see how high up it is. However, the traffic is extremely loud.

The Lehigh Valley Gorge Trail (aka D&L Trail) continues up past White Haven for quite a distance. I stopped before actually reaching White Haven, as my bike computer clicked over 25 miles (it's a 15 mile ride just to get to the gorge from my house) and I only wanted to do a 50 mile round trip. The sun was rapidly setting, and I wanted to get home before dark.

Of course, just because I was eager to get home doesn't mean I was in such a hurry that I couldn't stop to take more pictures.

These huge pylons are all that remain of a bridge across the Lehigh River.

Since writing up this post on the 4-feet when passing bicyclists law in Pennsylvania, I decided to take the initiative to "take the lane" when going into intersections and turning. I also rode a little deeper in the lane on the Weatherly Plains Road, just to see if it would make any difference in the way drivers pass me (and to avoid the nastier bumps and potholes that inhabit it.) I have to say, 3 or 4 cars did give me a wider berth. Most, however, just continued cutting it as close as possible while blazing past at ridiculous speeds.

Normally, I wouldn't have bothered mentioning it, except that one driver happened to come much closer than comfortable -- in front of a state trooper who was coming from the opposite direction, no less. I had hoped the trooper had seen what had happened, but he just continued on his way. So much for my attempts at public education. Although, taking the lane leading up to stop signs, lights and intersections had much better results. One driver approaching from the opposite side of an intersection even waved me through, allowing me to make a left turn after waiting at a red light. Signaling your intended direction and making eye contact can go a long way.

After more than 5 hours of riding, a hot meal and a comfortable chair were exactly what I needed. I've read that taking a break for a few days after intense training can have many benefits, and I have to admit, I really did feel much stronger today than ever before. It has almost been exactly 2 months since I started training for the Flaming Foliage Ride, and I'm riding farther and faster than I ever imagined back in August. I can't wait until Saturday!

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Brent Cohrs eloquently sums up my feelings on Autumn

Normally, I like to speak for myself, but sometimes, you come across someone else's prose that just says it so much better. That's what I've got here in this piece by Brent Cohrs on ChicagoNow.com.

In the post, Brent mentions that his posts have been decreasing as the season ends, due to his getting out and enjoying the good days left. Meanwhile, I'm riding less and writing more, and thoroughly unhappy about it.

I need to prioritize my time, write when the weather is bad (like it was for most of this past week) and ride when the weather is good. Instead, I spent the one good day we had this week cramped up in my room, fingers tediously tapping away. I'm glad that I was able to produce a lot of great content for the site, but my heart's not happy unless I'm sitting in the saddle.

The rest of Brent's post is a great read; he makes the crisp, chilly air sound almost pleasant. That could be just enough to get me out on the road. My aim is to take a few days this week and just ride, whether it's cold, hot or whatever. Especially with the 50k coming up on Saturday, it's important that I do this. Dress in layers, ride hard. There's only one week left.

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50K and 100K Routes Updated for 2012 Flaming Foliage Ride

Received an email from Ed Pane at Serento Gardens that the 50k and 100k routes for the 2012 Flaming Foliage ride have been updated.

Updated 50K Ride Map

Updated 100K Ride Map

According to Ed, PennDOT recently tar and chipped the roads along the old routes, making them awful to ride on. The new routes go around the affected areas, which is good. I'm glad the ride organizers acted quickly to change the routes and didn't decide to just make us tough it out.

If you've never had the displeasure of riding on chip seal, allow me to break it down for you. Chip seal is extremely rough to ride on. You'd think it would be about the same as riding on a well groomed trail, but it's not. It's very hard and unforgiving, whereas a gravel trail tends to offer a softer ride.

It also slows you down and makes it hard to keep pace. Ever have one of those dreams where you're running as hard as you can, but just can't move forward? That's exactly what it feels like. Then the rocks stick to your tires and slowly dig in, until you end up with something like this. Oh, it's fun stuff, and I don't think it's a coincidence that I rode across chip seal and then had a blowout on my very next ride. There's a reason I don't use the Quakake Road past Weatherly anymore.

Chip seal is awful; I hate it. Rather than attempt to fix a road properly, someone decided to save money by pouring tar all over it and stuffing holes and cracks with millions of sharp, tiny rocks. It's a half-assed solution that doesn't fix the problem, it makes the existing problem worse.

Again, big thanks to Ed Pane and the ride organizers for helping us avoid this mess.

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I've Entered the Flaming Foliage Festival

I just found out about The Flaming Foliage Festival and Metric Century Bike Ride that takes place in Hazleton in October. How have I never heard of this before?

I don't think I'm ready for the metric century (100k) and the 20k seems way too easy -- I ride 10 miles a day, so another 2.4 doesn't seem like much of a challenge. So, I'm definitely going to go for the 50k. Then again, it's not just distance I'll have to contend with. The route goes through McAdoo, Tresckow, Beaver Meadows, Weatherly and back. For those who don't know the area, there are some big hills to contend with on this route.

It seems kind of intimidating, but I've been working very hard all Summer and I think I'm actually in better shape than I was as a teenager. Also working in my favor is the fact that I've almost done this before -- a couple times to Beaver Meadows and back and even one time all the way into Weatherly.

You know, maybe there are a lot of people out there who do 50k every other day, but this is the first event of its kind I've ever entered, so I'm pretty excited! With 2 months to train until the event, I'm very confident I'll be able to do this.

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