My latest hobby

About a month ago, Jan and I decided to start riding bikes for excersize. I've half heartedly been trying to lose weight over the last year and a half.

In January of 2007, I began running on a semi-regular basis. I'm a creature of habit so when I travel (which I do a lot) I don't always get my runs in like I'd want. I've run over 400 miles in the last 20 months, but that's not really as much as it might sound like.

So, a month ago, I added biking to my workouts. I enjoy biking more than running and so it takes a little of the pressure off of running so much. Still, I try to get 3-5 runs in a week if possible.

The bike I'm riding is a Trek Hybrid bike which has you seated upright like a mountain bike, but has wheels, tires and other components that are more like a road bike. While basically more comfortable than a road bike, it certainly shaves a couple of miles per hour off of your speed to be upright.

In general, I started out with some easy 10-12 mile rides, but within the first week, I'd put in my first 30 miler by having Jan drop me off 30 miles from home - while she was on her way to work. The following week I did a 50 miler from her work place to home.

Of course, I can't take the bike with me when I travel, so with my being gone sometimes as much as 2 weeks at a time, it cuts into my planned training schedule. I have a desire (and very soft goal) of riding from Fernandino Beach (at the north end of FL) to Key West along the coast road. I'd like to accomplish that over the winter if it's achievable for me in that short of a time period - we'll just have to see. It's 500 + miles. Maybe I could do it in stages.

On thursday, Jan did a 20 miler with me - I was really proud of her. She doesn't have as many daylight hours available to her as I do - but she's giving it a good try.

Today I did a 32+ miler starting up in Ormond Beach and riding the 'Loop" up to Flagler Beach and back. The photos are from today's ride.

Below is a map of the ride:

Tropical Storm Hanna Passes off our coast

Here's a very short video I took this morning of Hanna's effects at our house. Just a lot of rain with occasional wind gusting to as much as 30mph.



It's supposed to be sunny tomorrow

Ike is heading toward florida and doesn't look very nice.

And speaking of grounded boats....

My uncle- Captain Jerry, is the man who put the sailing bug into me at an early age. Captain Jerry currently keeps his sailboat on a mooring in St. Augustine FL. When TS FAY came through a couple of weeks ago, "Poppie" broke free of her mooring and was driven ashore during the abnormally high tide associated with the storm. I was in Bristol at the time and Jerry called me and asked me to go up and give him the 'low down' on the boat's situation. Jerry lives in Hickory, NC and would be planning on heading down to take care of the grounded boat in the following week.

When I got home, Jan and I went up to St. Augustine to check out the status of 'Poppie'. Driving along the waterfront just south of the marina, it wasn't hard to spot the tall mast - at an angle - and closer to houses than a mast of that sort should be. As we pulled into the driveway of the house where the boat was currently aground, the caretaker of the house was out on the dock looking at the 36 foot Freeport.

I got out of the car and introduced myself and he was very glad to see me. He'd not heard anything from anyone and was wondering when the boat would be addressed. It turned out that Ted was a super nice guy and I let him know that Jerry would be coming down within a week to take care of it.

UPDATE: I spoke to Jerry yesterday and they had to get a barge crane in there to get the boat out. It's currently tied up at a dock while the insurance adjuster starts his process of figuring the damage.

Miss Janella Aground Again

My first cruising boat - a 26 foot Grampian Sloop now lives on a mooring in the town that I live in. I bought Miss Janella from a charity in 2001. In 2003, I decided to completely refit her. I then sailed her from Kitty Hawk to Key West. She spent the winter in Key West with us and then I brought her up to our new home in Port Orange in late May 2005. Sometime later that year, I advertised her in the paper for sale and she was snapped up by a local guy. The marina where I kept her then go bought out by a condo developer, so everyone in that marina had to move their boats elsewhere. Marina slips are on a 2 year average wait list and so the new owner decided to moor her out - just about 200 yards off the ICW.

This time (because of TS Fay) is not the first time she's broken away from her mooring and in times past - I've gone to the guy's house to let him know. I'm going to just mind my own business this time.