Raise One For Anne

Six months removed from our last Socially Distanced Century, a fresh batch of optimism is upon us. We are in good health and have started riding outdoors again. Lisa and I have both received Dose 1 of the COVID Vaccine(Yah Science!) with Dose 2 pending in the coming weeks. We are looking forward to eating at some of our favorite restaurants again. We definitely can't wait to give some people hugs. And importantly, in the context of Raise One For Anne, we can think about planning rides during which we can be joined by other people.  Lisa and I did enjoy, after they were finished, our five century rides last year. But we missed sharing beers with family and friends after the rides. Or having someone like Patrick sitting on the front and sucking up the wind for us.  One of the best windbreaks I know. That brings us back to the question in the post title: What the heck are we doing?  The short answer is we don't know. The Epilepsy Foundation hasn't opened up the Gear Up For E...

As usual, I’m tardy in doing the updates. We completed the last of five 100 mile rides on September 19. It started on a chilly morning but we kitted out for the occasion. Knee warmers and full fingered gloves were definitely a necessity. Look how happy those pre-ride faces are! The first 45 miles of our ride took us through downtown Columbus and out to Three Creeks Metro Park on the Southeast side. After a pit stop and a snack, we rode back to the house. The weather had warmed up. We executed our planned bike change and even did some wardrobe changes. Here we are before the last 60 miles: Mentally it was strange riding from the house after having already put in close to 3 hours on the bike. My brain reset but my legs were arguing the opposite. Stiff winds out of the East made the going slow in spots but we made it to our planned stop about mile 65. We were both feeling the wind, the time, and the miles around mile 90. As I was moving for a turn on the front I told Lisa, “If I start goi...

Raise One For Anne Epilepsy Foundation Team Page

 Sooooo, I still am bad about updating this blog. Honestly, I prefer it to fb but fb is easier.  A couple weeks ago, Lisa and I started what was to be an 80 mile test ride with our Canyon Grails to see if we could stomach them for the 100 mile ride we had planned in Michigan about 10 days later. I'd been fighting with mine lately on rides over 40 miles.  We started on a cool Saturday morning and were enjoying the temperatures and quiet roads. About 20 miles in, and about 5 miles before our "natural break" stop, a thought started running through my head but I kept it to myself until we stopped.  When we reached our stopped I gave voice to my thought: the weather is nice, the preliminary forecast for MI is high winds, we should think about just doing 100 today. Lisa didn't automatically shoot the idea down. We agreed that based on our planned route we could wait until about mile 62 to make a decision.  Along the way we crossed over I-71 for the second time that da...

 When you are a one person social media/blogging team, things sometimes get missed. Can I fire myself for repeated mistakes?  Anyway, I've been neglecting this blog since Socially Distanced Century #1. We have since completed two more and number three will happen in a little over 2 weeks. If you doubt me, you can click on the RideWithGPS tracker on the left hand side. All of my post-ride data uploads to that site.  Here's a couple of picture recaps: Ride #2(June) - More of Central OH Despite being June it was a bit chilly that day. A canoe outfitter at mile 50 had a fire going by which we warmed ourselves. Ride 3(July)  You might be thinking, "That last set wasn't in Ohio." You would be correct. We rode near Harbor Springs and Mackinaw City, Michigan. Yes, we wore masks when we were stopped and used lots of hand sanitizer.  I'd promise to be better about updating after the August ride but that would set an expectation. Who wants that?

Shortly after the Sun was fully up this past Saturday, we rolled out in our shiny new kits for the first of five centuries we will ride this Summer. The weather promised to be not hot for the day which always helps. Our first planned stop was in Darbyville, OH. We got there in good time with an average speed of just over 17 mph for the first 26 miles. After a quick bathroom break, we took off for our ride’s Southernmost point that took us past Honey Run Farm . As we turned North, the work of the middle 50 miles began.  Headwind. It was by no means the stiffest headwind we’ve encountered but it did make it seem like we were riding uphill for long stretches of time. By the time we joined up with the Ohio-Erie Trail about 20 miles West of Columbus, our average speed had dropped to 15.9. Luckily, once we reached London, OH and stopped to top off our bottles for the last 25 the wind would now be in our favor for the bulk of the last segment.  (London’s ta...

We had plans for this year. Like nearly every other plan hatched by people this year, most of those are cancelled or seriously in doubt. We've decided to adapt and improvise. Here is what we are going to do.  Lisa  and I are going to complete one century ride, 100 miles, a month starting this month, May through September. We will be riding these unsupported with no guest riders until further notice. Obviously social distancing isn't an issue for two people who live in the same  household. When we have to stop for water, bathroom breaks, or extra snacks, we will have masks and hand sanitizer to keep us and those whom we may come in contact with during stops safe. You can still help us by donating. You can even create your own ride and join our team. Both are available via the link below. Contact me if you want to know more about being on the team and a chance to win prizes from  Epilepsy Foundation of America . I'll post more about rides we accomplish. And if ...