• Category Archives the sporting life
  • Biking, running, weights, yoga…

  • Beating The Bounds

    I do better with a project and a goal.

    – Julie G

    We just got back from a nice walk with Sarah & Marc, part of a project we’re doing with them where we walk the perimeter of the City of Bethlehem. We’re doing it in sections, and doing the easier ones right now: last Sunday was an out-and-back on the towpath heading west (maybe 4 miles), and today was (about 6 miles total) up Club Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue, plus getting to and from the city line. A really pleasant walk, both times. (We also did a hike yesterday, about 5.4 miles around Sals, also really pleasant.)

    FYI: we’re getting ourselves into hiking shape, because we’ll be doing a week on the AT in April. We plan to do the New Jersey section, probably over seven days or so, with our friend Julie G (who did the Alberta ride with us in 2022). We were all joking about how much better shape we were in before that ride, and how getting ready for it lent structure to our fitness regimens at the time, and came up with this trip as our new project. We’re probably closer to physical readiness right now than not, but there’s a lot of other pieces of the puzzle we have to deal with: backpacks, food & logistics, our actual start & end points, etc. We’re working on all of it.


  • Slow Ride, No Snow

    I got in a towpath ride yesterday: 23.8 miles in 2:21. Not my fastest but hey it’s winter-ish… I wanted to ride in the falling snow, but by the time I got my butt out the door the snow had stopped. Still, it was a really nice ride, and very pretty if you know how to appreciate these kinds of gray days. I was a bit surprised how much it took out of me, even considering where we are in the season — my legs were burning when I was done, on a ride I thought I could do in my sleep. Oh well, you start from where you are, and my legs tell me I got some exercise points yesterday.


  • Summer In Deceleration

    We went out to the Velodrome last night with Shari & Rick, and met Bill & Marie M there along with Joe & Laura. It was the last race of the season, the weather was perfect, and the place was as full as I’ve seen it in years — the whole scene still hasn’t recovered from COVID, and maybe it never will, but last night it was almost as full as the Friday nights of old. And it was just a lovely night, with some truly exciting Madison Cup racing, good friends, beer and french fries, and a spectacular fireworks show at the end. (I realize now that, between MusikFest, New Years, Independence Day, Heritage Day, and the odd Friday night at Coca Cola Park, I have become a fireworks snob…)

    Anyway, it was a good night, and today we’re off on a birthday ride: Sean C set up a slopeside party and overnight camping trip for Jen at Blue Mountain, and we’re all biking there together.

    It’s not the end of summer yet, and we’ve got a few more things planned before the cold weather arrives, but the late-summer bugs are singing, some kids are already back at school, and you can feel the plants getting ready to turn color. The seasons are turning, as they always do.


  • High Summer Rides

    Posted on by Don

    I got out with Renee for a ride in Jim Thorpe on the 3rd. It was a bit disappointing (OK, that was an understatement — it was devastating) when we discovered that a lot of the area around the trailhead had been logged off. I wanted to do the Deer Path but it was literally gone, and we ended up doing the Uranium Road and the Pine Tar Trail. By and large the ride was fun, but it was hard to see what they’ve done to that place, especially right at the entrance. Some pictures:

    I did get to see some mountain laurel blossoms before they passed, but I could tell the main part of the season was long over. Maybe next year…

    On the Fourth I went over to Greg & Judy’s to do their annual ride, a little mellower version than in previous years — which is good because I don’t think I could have handled one of those old-school rides… An awesome morning on the road bike through, with friends I just don’t see often enough. I didn’t stick around for the post-ride BBQ — I just came home, showered & napped, and then that night we watched the fireworks from our porch.

    Doug and I did Jacobsburg in the heat yesterday, about 15 miles including some new rail-trail:

    And Anne and I got out this morning and sneaked in a quick 25 miles before the rains came. Not a bad week!

    It’s pouring now, on and off as storm cells blow through, and we’re just hanging out listening to jazz. Emmi & Kyle are coming over for dinner tonight (with Iris of course). Tomorrow is more rain.


  • Jacobsburg Ride

    Posted on by Don

    I got out for a mountain bike ride Saturday at Jacobsburg, just a chance to tool around and clear my head after some difficult days. It turned out to be one of the best things I’ve done in quite a while…

    The day was beautiful, sunny with blue skies and a few puffy clouds, and the trees were all greened up and the fields were full of flowers — mostly the pretty but invasive Dame’s Rocket, but I didn’t care.

    I parked at the main lot, which was only about a third full, and didn’t see too many people out on the trails (though I did run into Sean C walking his dog). I had the trails mostly to myself, except..

    Jacobsburg these days is pleasant enough, but it’s kind of tame compared to its old self. Much of it is smooth doubletrack over rolling hills, but there are a few places left with true singletrack, and even some rocky, rooty sections. One short rooty climb is a real challenge (it’s on the trail where we put in bridges, lo those 28 years ago), and I was looking forward to giving it a try when I came around the bend and saw two other cyclists resting at the top. Oh no, an audience! Well I gave it my all, and made it up pretty smartly I thought, and so did those other bikers, who were amazed that the little climb was even doable. The honest truth is that I’m not the mountain biker I once was, but in that moment — yeah, I still got it.

    I talked with those guys for a bit, then I went on my way, and in the end I probably rode for about two hours, getting in maybe fifteen miles.

    That evening we went to the Rose Garden, watched a couple of bands (we ran into Sarah & Marc there, and sat with them for a bit), then met up with Doug & Lori for some drinks downtown. Just what the doctor ordered!


  • Road Scholar Recap

    Posted on by Don

    Here are some photos of March’s Road Scholar ride:

    The ride doesn’t seem that long ago, but it’s amazing to see how wintry it looked compared to now.

    Here is one last photo; I just liked the looks of this tree at Shawnee:

    A Tree At Shawnee

  • Another Green Cusp

    Happy Spring! It’s raining right now, like early April Showers rain, but yesterday was really nice and I got in a decent ride through Cherry Valley.

    This was the third of my four reconnaissance rides to be ready for next week’s Road Scholar program; we’ll be doing this as a point-to-point ride, Cherry Valley Winery to the Water Gap bakery, but I got in double the miles to get back to my car. The ride was super pleasant, especially the outbound loop — when I turned around I found myself riding into a slight headwind the whole way back, but even with the wind it was a beautiful day on the bike.

    Today is more Road Scholar prep, tonight is nothing in particular, and tomorrow is more prep, getting any last-minute items like tubes or zip-ties etc. I’d like to ride the Lehigh Gorge trail this Saturday, I’m hoping but we’ll see.


  • Getting Ready For Spring

    I’m prepping for the upcoming Road Scholar rides later this month, and part of that means getting the Iguana back in shape. There’s not much to do really, but I did replace the handlebar grips and the chain. (As an aside: when did quick links — excuse me, “power links” — become so hard to use?) The chain was “stretched” (i.e. worn) a bit but not too much, so I did not expect to need to change out any more of the drivetrain — the wear manifested mostly as a bit of lateral flex, which I suspect messes with shifting. Chain and new grips took me maybe a half hour or so to replace; I did it about a week ago and took it on a few short test rides, and everything seemed in order. Sweet!

    Fast forward to last Monday, when I went out with Anne to do a reconnaissance of the Allamuchy RS route. We didn’t quite prepare ahead of time: I wanted to bring the Kona but couldn’t fit it either on the roof rack (not without an adapter I couldn’t find), or on the rear rack with Anne’s touring bike. D’oh! I put the Kona away and put the newly-refurbished Iguana on the roof rack, and off we went, only 45 minutes late…

    We got to the start and got riding, and within a mile I had issues with the chain skipping on the rear cogs — a sure sign that I should have replaced the cassette. No matter, I was able to find some gear combinations that worked, and the ride itself was very enjoyable — Anne had never done this ride, and I was glad to see she really liked it.

    Our ride:

    As soon as we got home I ordered new chain rings and a new cassette. They arrived Friday and I put them on yesterday — after running over to Doug’s, to borrow some tools I could not find in the basement mess, and today I rode it over to the Museum of Industrial History on Southside to watch them run their steam engines.

    But that’s for another post. For now I think the Iguana is running great.


  • A Christmas Ride

    Merry Christmas, Everybody! There’s no snow on the ground (yet), but it’s beginning to look like the season:

    an outdoor Christmas tree at night
    The town Christmas Tree at Payrow Plaza

    We did the CAT Annual Holiday Lights Ride this past Saturday. What a great time! We did a slightly different route this year, passing through some different neighborhoods (and also the Historic District) because it was also Luminaria Night, and everyone had their luminaria out — we didn’t do any this year, but our neighborhood was pretty lit up.

    (We’d also heard that the crazy super-decorated house in the back of our neighborhood was not lit up this year, and in fact had been damaged in a fire, so we skipped our usual highlight street. What a bummer! I sure hope it wasn’t because of their decorations, but I have my suspicions — these guys put the Griswolds to shame.)

    Anyway, we had 22 riders, probably a record, and did about 8 miles. Here are some photos, of our stop at the town Christmas Tree:

    Yesterday was a hike along the Monocacy to Iliick’s Mill, and today is probably a road ride, after some maintenance — I haven’t been giving my road bike the love it needs for months.