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the orchestra world

miles slowly adding up

Over the past four weeks since coming back from MAVI I’ve decided to really get into the cycling aspect of my life – my hope is to do Team in Training next year with the aim of doing the “Peach of a Century” ride in Salem at the end of the summer (though the “Major Cookie” metric century is appealing!), and perhaps also the Livestrong Challenge century or metric century, too. There’s also an early fall event in Portland, the eponymously named Portland Century. We’ll see.

Anyway, this past week I did about 75 miles, which is well on my way to trying to average 100 miles a week. If I commute to work while the weather is good, it gives me a “free” 18 miles round trip each time, and bonus points for the fact that the trip back home is all uphill (except for the last 2.5 miles on Multnomah Blvd). It will be hard not to jump on the MAX or bus for the trip home, but I think I can manage it…

The fall season this year will be devoted to trying to balance riding time with instrument time – always hard for me – I can do either one or the other, it seems. I need something to be obsessed about, and cycling is something that I love to do – I like its solitary, monastic nature. Riding to better my time on a regular route, or getting up each familiar hill in a higher gear, or finding that hill that’s always scared me too much to try, and then grind up and over it. The nice thing about being an overweight cyclist is that you don’t have to go for the premium equipment – my Specialized Cirrus Comp is not heavy, by any means – it has a carbon fork and seatpost, and a lightweight aluminum alloy frame – but since I can lose a lot more weight a lot more cheaply on my body than on a bike, I don’t feel too tempted by the Trek Madone SSL 6.9 or Orbea Orca, yet!

specialized sirrus comp bike

trek madone bike

orbea orca bike

One reply on “miles slowly adding up”

Are you going to do any of the Portland Century this year? There are 25 and 50 mile routes also. If you sign up to do one, I wil show up and ride the century, and then we can have a beer together afterwards.

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