Friday writings for Randos - The Life of a Day

{Friday Writings for Randos - A weekly post that features pieces from other writers that touch some facet of the Randonneuring experience, even if that was not the author's intent. It's stuff that's best read out loud - slowly.} This week it's . . .  

 The Life of a Day

by Tom Hennen

Like people or dogs, each day is unique and has its own personality quirks which can easily be seen if you look closely. But there are so few days as compared to people, not to mention dogs, that it would be surprising if a day were not a hundred times more interesting than most people. 

Coffeeneuring dates - Trip 3

October 20, 2012

 

Friday Writings for Randos - Wild Geese

{Friday Writings for Randos - A weekly post that features pieces from other writers that touch some facet of the Randonneuring experience, even if that was not the author's intent. It's stuff that's best read out loud - slowly.} This week it's . . . 

  Wild Geese

by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

October 200k in Central Jersey (or what wouldn't I do for a hot cup of coffee.)

I guess I could blame the RBA.

Just before the start of the NJ Rando's October 200k, the "Ron Anderson Special", she explained the alternate procedures for the final controle:

If you finish before 5 pm, the coffee shop will be open and there will be a sign in sheet and envelope inside.

If you finish after 5 pm, you will have to drop your brevet card in the window of a parked car. (No coffee, no baked goods.)

The ride would start at 7:30 am. I took off my gloves and did the math - 9.5 hours to get in before 5 pm. Before arriving at the start, I was convinced that I would ride a relaxed pace - just enough to check the October R-12 box and get in before dark. I even brought the fixie to discourage any thoughts of a hard paced ride. But, hmmm, I have ridden a 200k on the fixie faster than 9:30 - just once - last year - when my friend Joe pulled me around the course. Joe wasn't riding today. Then Katie really put the carrot on the end of the stick - she said it was a fast course. And then we were off. 

Guess what happens when you give a group of Randoneurs - people who ride long rides to beat essentially arbitrary time constraints - a time constraint that involves possible coffee and baked goods at the end of a ride? 

Coffeeneuring dates - Trip 2

October 13, 2012,

On a day filled with kids' activities, the sun is about to set before we can get away for a short ride and a hot beverage. 

A local Dunkin' Donuts will have to do. 

Friday Writings for Randos - Where the coureurs are Kings

{Friday Writings for Randos - A weekly post that features pieces from other writers that touch some facet of the Randonneuring experience, even if that was not the author's intent. It's stuff that's best read out loud - slowly.} This week it's:...

An excerpt from:

Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Suffering 

Paris-Brest-Paris 2007 

by Paul Jurbala

Now I am riding on my own ribbon of granite. I pass a boy at roadside handing up cookies, and I snag one as I go by.

Ambieres, Lassay-les-Chateaux…the sun is getting low now. Through Le Ribay there is climbing but then in the direction of Loupfougeres the road flattens out again. It’s quite pleasant now, and I am alone with the coming dusk and my strange inability to look more than a few metres down the road. I imagine myself out on a club ride at home, explaining my day: “Well, I got up early and went out for an 85 k ride. And that was fine, so then I did another 55 k ride. So I had something to eat, then I went out for another 85 or so after lunch…and when I’m finished that one, I’ll, you know, have dinner or something, then I think I’ll go for another 85 k. That should do it for today I think.” Really makes it sound like something, four “normal” rides on one day; far more impressive, or crazy-sounding, than the simple statement “I did three hundred and ten kilometers on Thursday.” And three hundred and thirty on Wednesday, and four hundred and fifty back on Tuesday, and I’m capping it off with a short one hundred and forty- just a doddle really- on Friday…

Coffeeneuring dates -Trip One

Saturday October 6, 2012

Keswick Coffee House

My wife and I went coffeeneuring 
I had a chocolate and honey latte
She had an iced coffee
The customer in the tie dye shirt had an argument with herself.

 6.6 miles round trip

Friday Writings for Randos - Descent

{Friday Writings for Randos - A weekly post that features pieces from other writers that touch some facet of the Randonneuring experience, even if that was not the author's intent. It's stuff that's best read out loud - slowly.} This week it's an excerpt from:

Descent

By Keith Snyder*

Boy, do I love descending.