I adjusted my earbuds, turned on the music, and started today's bike ride. If nothing else, I have a great view while I pedal-pedal-pedal in our building's gym.
Al and I ride a lot. These days he's out riding without me. I've been told not to get on a regular bike for a bit over a month because of a broken collarbone. When I get back to riding with Al, I want to be able to keep up with him. Which means I need to be serious about regularsessions on a bike in our gym
I really do not enjoy riding a bike indoors. (Who does?) If I have to ride indoors, I need my music. This month my rules for my exercise playlist are simple: It may not include anything from "Rocky," "Star Wars," or any movie or album released prior to 1995. This week's playlist are selections from the original soundtrack of the 1998 German film "Lola Rennt" (English title, "Run, Lola, Run") by Tom Tykwer.
Today at the end of my session, I turned off the music, stood up, stretched, and looked around the gym. Despite a cool-down segment, I was still breathing hard and sweating copiously. One of my neighbors was in the gym working out with her trainer. She walked over to me. "Heard you crashed your bike. Hope you're better," she said nodding at my arm in the sling. Pointing to the gym's bikes she asked, "How often are you doing that?" "Four times a week for the next month," I replied, shaking my head and smiling as best I could.
That's the plan. (I am so counting on this working.)
The Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve is a 560,000 acres tract located in the four corner area of Lake, Polk, Sumter, and Pasco Counties. Running through this area is the Van Fleet State Trail, a 29+ mile, 12-foot wide paved rail trail. A group of Everglades Bicycle Club members organized a weekend to the area to ride the trail. These special rides are a work in progress; they are improving each time we head out on a long group ride.
For this ride, the closest motel to the trail was the Best Western Inn and Suites in Auburndale. From the Best Western, you can ride your bike a short 2.7 miles to the trailhead of the Auburndale-Teco Trail. That trail runs just over 6.5 miles and right to the entrance of the Van Fleet State Trail.
Saturday morning was chilly. For people from Miami it was downright frigid. In Auburndale the low was 38 degrees. We decided to start at 10 a.m. by which time the temperature had soared to 45 degrees. We headed out in full Miami cold weather cycling clothing. (Leg warmers, arm warmers, base layer, jersey, jacket, under helmet cap, shoe covers, long finger gloves, in other words, the works.) It was a bright sunny day. (If you are laughing, then you are probably one of those crazy people who lives in a place where water freezes outdoors.)
We wheeled out of the motel entrance and navigated our way to the Auburndale-Teco trailhead. Then we rolled onto the trail. There were a few bicycles, mainly cruisers on this stretch of trail. A couple of people taking a morning walk with their dogs. Then we rolled up to the entrance of the Van Fleet. We already noticed the differences between the two trails. The Auburndale-Teco trail was flanked by electric pylons, a lightly traveled road, and pastures with cattle. The Van Fleet ran through a quiet wilderness.
As we pedaled down the Van Fleet we saw some serious cyclists. A few road bikes. Nice recumbents, including a hand-cranked recumbent. We had a couple of minor mechanicals. We stopped for bio breaks and snacks. A couple of the faster guys stretched their legs and disappeared into the distance. We were rolling along and having a marvelous time, taking turns doing the pulling, enjoying the view of cypress ponds and jiggling over a few little bridges which crossed creeks and sloughs.
About 6 miles from the end of the trail I had a freak accident. Erosion on one side of the path made the dirt shoulder dip 4-5 inches lower than the paved path. I was drifting back after another rider took over pulling, and my attention flicked to something in the middle of the trail for a second or two. That was the wrong time at the wrong place. My tire dipped off the pavement. I found myself using old mountain biking skills, but the soft earth, loose rocks, and skinny road bike tires did me in. My bike veered towards the curb-like edge of the pavement. I saved myself the first time my front tire struck the pavement, but I couldn't slow and unclip fast enough to hold it together when the tire bumped it a second time. I went down on my side so fast I never even lost my grip on the handlebars. I landed hard on my right shoulder.
We quickly figured out that I'd done something bad to the shoulder. Boy, was I happy to have my EBC friends there. Mercedes, Pepe, Judy, and Al stayed with me. Judy and Pepe made a sling for my arm out of their last spare tube. We started walking slowly back toward the last trailhead while the rest of the group headed back down the trail to locate help. In no time a park ranger in a truck drove slowly down the trail toward us. Our friends helped Al and me get into the truck and got our bikes into the truck bed. Then they headed down the trail to catch up with the rest of the group. The ranger drove us to the motel where we picked up our own car and headed to a nearby hospital emergency room. Xrays showed I had broken my collarbone close to the shoulder. It's never fun to break a bone, but it really helps to have people you like and trust there to help you.
It's good to ride with Everglades Bicycle Club friends. They're the best.
Last year we rode most of our bike miles by ourselves. This year we have been riding more with other people. Sometimes in groups, sometimes just a line of three or four of us pedaling down the road. What I have learned is this: many people are unaware that what they do and say during the ride determines their perceptions of the ride.
What does that mean? It means if you yell and complain about "stupid car drivers" and your mind focuses on that, that will be how you remember and experience the ride. Ditto about complaining about the weather or your sore butt or legs. Ditto about focusing on the mood or behavior of a fellow rider.
Consider how much better a ride seems, no matter the weather or the traffic or the length of the ride, when your mind flows with the rhythm of the ride. Scanning traffic, shifting gears, monitoring speed and exertion, shifting your weight as you turn and corner. Sometimes you and your riding companions can have a conversation. Sometimes you focus on the route, and sometimes you spot things you didn't notice on other rides down the same road.
You are a mirror. Chris Robinson, singer with the Black Crowes once said, “What I had to learn was, that I’m responsible for my perception of things.”
A fellow Everglades Bicycle Club member recently opened Gumbo Limbo Pottery on Key Largo in the Florida Keys. It's a nice distance from Miami for a long bike ride. A group planned to do a century ride, a first century for part of the group. They wanted to keep the size of the peloton manageable. Could we tag along? (Yes, we could.)
The century group was starting from Deering Estates. Their total ride would be somewhat over a hundred miles. Like some other riders, we opted to join them a few miles farther south at Black Point Marina. Our ride would be a bit over 90 miles. We chatted briefly with friends as we unloaded our bikes from the car. The group that started at Deering Estates rolled in. In a few minutes the whole group pedaled out of Black Point Marina. There was an assortment of SAG vehicles driven by friends and spouses of riders heading south with the group. One car stood out. On its left side was a green flag emblazoned with "EBC". On its right side an orange "EBC" flag fluttered proudly. The car's driver wore a bright orange baseball hat and an orange t-shirt. She made a wonderful and creative style statement for the group!
After a brief break at Dixie Highway (US 1) in Homestead, the group headed towards Key Largo on Card Sound Road. The day was somewhat windy with the wind from the southeast. The group pedaled stalwartly along. Then we came to Card Sound Bridge. The direction of the wind made it pretty much a headwind over the bridge. Groan. Pedal, pedal, pedal. Pant, pant, pant. But we made it over the bridge, regrouping on the far side. We thankfully turned away from the wind several miles down the road. The wind was almost a tailwind. Pedal, pedal, pedal. We'd been joined by a pair of well-known (and much liked) EBC members on their green tandem for the remaining miles to Gumbo Limbo Pottery. They'd been in the Keys, and it was good to have them along for part of the ride.
A few riders were feeling frisky. To the amazement and amusement of our peloton, they made their breakaway moves and (yes, this really happened) sprinted to the Circle K. To be fair, our group was supposed to make a brief stop there. However, it was only 3 miles down the road from the Circle K to Gumbo Limbo Pottery. So the peloton waved at the speedy little sprint champions as we rolled past the Circle K and headed directly to the Pottery. (Maybe it was a little mean...but you have to admit it was maybe just a little amusing, too.)
We arrived at Gumbo Limbo Pottery. The pottery was lovely and we took our time browsing as we nibbled on a variety of snacks and cold drinks. It's definitely a place we will stop by whenever we head to Key Largo. As a ceramic token of our visit, our friend had made round medallions embossed with the date, a road bike, and the words "Tour de Gumbo Limbo". A very thoughtful memento of the ride.
Then it was pedal, pedal, pedal back to Miami. We had a tailwind (yeah!) over Card Sound Bridge on the return. The miles slipped by. As we got more tired, though, each mile seemed longer. There were big smiles when at last we had a break in Homestead. It felt pretty great to get off the bike and stretch. Then it was back on the road for the final stretch (for some) to Black Point Marina.
At Black Point there were many photos taken. For a large bunch of us, the ride was over. We waved goodbye to our friends doing their century ride when they pedaled off. They looked good. Pretty happy. Especially the bunch doing their first century.
Good job, guys. Congratulations!
EBC member Alex Pruna shares his love of photography with the club by taking photographs and videos of our rides. Here is his video of the inaugural Gumbo Limbo Pottery ride. (Thank you, Alex. You make us look so good!)
