My plan, through October, was to ride EVERY day - for at least an hour, and ideally ten hours a week and about 150 Km.
I kind of missed the first... but I've been doing okay since then... so far...
Source: Strava.com
I didn't QUITE get to 10 Hours or 150 Km. I suppose I COULD get out this afternoon and go for another ride... but it's cold and windy and threatening rain and I'm just tired.
Source: Strava.com
The need for this challenge is more clear when looking at the monthly stats. I was doing really good in March-April-May.... but then things just fell off completely over the summer. (ignore October, for now, I'll get that higher by the end of the month - Hopefully!!!!
Anyway, after the first where I didn't go for any ride at all, I did get out for a couple rides on Friday, the second.
Firday I got out with this guy.
We went to the Dragon's Den Games for their anniversary sale and then to a doctor's appointment.
Took this one to Dance Class on Saturday. While waiting for her class, I did a quick little tear around the southwest end of the city.
Monday I went out for a ride on my own, just for fun.
Did a tour of the South Bridge and Circle Drive Bridges and a mix of dirt and paved trails along the valley between the. There is a whole post on that ride:
Monday Afternoon Ride
Tuesday evening I did a quick ride southeast of town.
Wednesday I took a circuitous route to get some groceries in the morning.
Thursday morning I had an appointment downtown.
By the afternoon on Thursday it was super nice out and I thought I'd get out the Brompton and gas up the tires and take it for a spin in honour of Three-Speed October 2020 Challenge - an annual event my friend Shawn over at Urban Adventure League runs every year.
The challenge is to:
Ride a three speed bicycle
Three times a week
At least three miles (5 km) each trip
For at least three weeks during the duration of the challenge
During a five-week period that centers around the month of October
You can register with Shawn and gets all sorts of goodies and prizes.
I'm not registering this year. There is just no way I'm going to be riding this little beastie THAT MUCH through the month of October....
Lots of Geese out on the river, heading south, presumably?
I even rode some of the easier dirt paths on the 3-speed Brompton!
Clear blue Sky.
One of the things I'd wanted to do, since I had time and it was so nice out, was to find a place or two to stop and do some sketches.
One challenge to myself was to stop and do a tiny sketch in this wee sketchbook - using only these coloured pentel pens - some of them I picked up recently (the brush ones), others my mom was giving away (the not-so-brush ones) as part of her getting rid of stuff in preparation to move!
That did NOT turn out... so... you don't get to see it!
I found anotehr stop and decided to get out the slightly bigger sketchbook and bust out some of the watercolour pencils...
What I came up with - I didn't have a brush to wet them on site - probably would have been a better idea... I just had to wait until I got home to finish it up.
roughly the area I was looking at while sketching.
More fall colours.
now the widest part of the Meewasin Trail - since it's been closed to motor vehicles!
Tree, still, slowly transitioning.
Friday I did the morning Library run with Keira and then dropped her at my folks where she spend a few hours helping my mpother pack up the dishes in preparation for their move next week.
Friday afternoon I'd meant to go for a longer ride Southwest of town, but I only got as far as the intersection of Valley road and Township Road 362 and had to turn back as there were terrible, intermitent pinging sounds coming from my front wheel. I'd check to see if there were any broken spokes - and there didn't seem to be. None of the spokes seemed terribly loose and the wheel is as straight as ever... Ugh... another mystery noise that has to be sorted out!?
Saturday I did a tear around the bridges - mostly avoiding great sections of the trail as it was a beautiful sunny afternoon and there were PILES of people all walking and riding up and down the trails.
Today I just rode over to my folks to spend a few more hour helping them get ready for their move... only about 5Km of riding in total.
Well... that's the first third of the month. Didn't QUITE meet the objectives of my challenge. AS I said, I suppose I COULD get out this afternoon and go for another ride... and probably MEET those objectives... but it's cold and windy and threatening rain and I'm just too damned tired. I did better than last week - and last week was better than the few weeks before that, so... improving, and that's the REAL goal!
Hopefully by the end of the month I'll be back into the habbit of daily rides and be able to keep that going once it snows and gets REALLY cold!!
