Harmon Hundred 2010

This year is the 40th anniversary of the Harmon Hundred invitational ride. I rode in this back in 2008 and it was a good time. My riding buddy from 2008, Intern John, emailed me today and asked if I was going to do the ride this year as he had received an email from the organizers reminding him to sign up ahead of time.

I haven't done much cycling this summer. In fact, maybe I've been on the bike twice or three times... mostly hauling my daughter around in the pull-behind trailer. We went and watched the Crystal Lake Independence Day Parade that way, and that was probably the last time I was on the bike.

Now I'm wondering if I should whip out a couple of test runs and then take on 50 miles of the Harmon Hundred in Sept. Hmm...

A rolling stone...

They say a rolling stone gathers no moss. The wheels on my bicycle haven't done much rolling this summer! Lots has been going on... Like the eating of tasty food! Here we have the classic brat, but with an unusual topping: Arbys sauce. What does this have to do with biking? Absolutely nothing, which is why my blog is no longer going to be called HamGunners Biking Adventures. Prepare for new and exciting non-cycling related posts. Or at least new, if not exciting.

Long Time No See

Hello blog, long time no see! OK, so its been several months since I've posted here. That's because I have nothing exciting to share. In fact, I haven't been out on more than a couple of short rides all summer. Whats that, you say? How could this be? Its true.... instead, I've become addicted to another form of biking: RPM.

RPM is a 50-minute indoor cycling class based on outdoor riding. You ride to inspirational music over the equivalent of 20-25 kilometres of varied terrain, controlling the intensity of your workout with a resistance dial and pedal speed.

RPM™ Benefits

* Increase your cardiovascular fitness, burn fat and tone and shape your legs, hips, and butt
* Increase leg strength and muscular endurance without building bulk
* Burn up to 600 calories in a normal 50-minute structure (RPM™ has been proven to burn up to 800 calories in one hour)
* Release endorphins to give you that natural high and leave you feeling fantastic

Click here for more RPM info...

So here's the kicker.... I have to go before work because they don't have sessions at a time after work that I could get to. So that means.... up at 4:40am to be at the gym by 5am for 5:15am RPM classes! And I do it twice a week. Crazy? Yes. Fun? Definitely.

May 17 - Ride to the Pond

Today after dinner we took a short ride on the bike. Well, I pedaled and Wubbzy rode in the trailer behind. I had no energy after the Blackhawks lost game one, but she ate all of her chicken at dinner so I decided it was a good reward.

We first rode past Crystal Lake South HS and to a nearby mail drop to drop off some mail. Then we cut back west and south to the bike trail that leads back to our neighborhood. We stopped at the pond with the bridge for a minute, but there was not much action there. The we moved on down the path to another pond and there we stopped for a couple of minutes to enjoy the sun on the dock.



Ride time: 25 mins, 3.92 miles, avg speed: slow

May 3 - Ride to Huntley

This morning I decided to get in a bike ride before lunch. Still sore from 7 hours of hard manual labor in the yard on Saturday, I bravely hit the road on my Trek 400T. The weather was great, but the westerly wind was blowing pretty hard in my face for the first half of the ride.

After riding through parts of Crystal Lake and Lakewood, I went south to the new Centegra medical campus in Huntley. Actually, I stopped just short of there as I turned east at Reed Rd so I could avoid the busy Algonquin Rd intersection. Coming back through parts of Huntley, I stopped for a rest stop next to a pond and some trees.



On the way back home, I rode past our old house in Lake in the Hills. I saw one of the old neighbors outside but didn't stop to talk as he was busy yelling as his kids to do something. :)

Total distance: 13.08 miles, ride time: 1hr 6 min, avg speed: 11.83 mph

April 17, 2009 - Ride to the Lake

Tonight after dinner we took a bicycle ride to the lake and then over by the south elementary school. It was a leisurly ride at a pretty slow pace, but it was still a workout pulling the trailer with 30+ pounds of little girl in the back.



We saw a squirrel and lots of people out walking and even a couple of kids playing on the beach at the lake. The weather was nice... about 68 degrees and it was still sunny at 7pm. Amazing!

Total distance: 6.44 miles, ride time: 37 mins, avg speed: 10.44 mph

March 21st Ride-n-Sleep

Today I pumped up the tires on the Giant Sedona and the trailer to haul the little wubba in. We set out for the lake via a round-about path. We saw several bikers out today but I was the only one pulling a trailer with a 30+ pounds of cargo. We made it to the lake and took a short break before I was ordered to "Keep Moving!!" ...
Just a mile or so later it became very quiet... because she fell asleep! The trailer isn't a smooth ride by any stretch of the imagination, so you can tell she must have been very tired! Maybe the fresh air knocked her out... but that left me with the final 3 miles to ride in silence. That is unless you count the sound of the howling wind in my face as I pedaled into a brisk southern wind! Today was more of a workout than last weekend. I went slightly longer but much slower while towing the trailer.

No pictures to share this time. I will need to post about my new Sigma PC15 heart rate monitor... but I'll save that for next time.

Total Distance: 6.36 miles, Ride time: 40 mins?? ... Avg speed 9.54 mph