mothadventures

We're almost ready to go!

I did a 55 (yup, fifty-five) mile ride on Saturday. Yes, with hills! A mix of bikepaths and roads, trying as much as I could to re-create the Trek terrain, minus Mister Stinky Hill. It was...a challenge. By the ride timer it took a little over five hours, but by the clock it took more like eight. And I was *wasted* on Sunday and Monday. But I did it!

And you know why you need to wear a bike helmet in fall? To protect you from falling acorns. Lots of those on the Minuteman this past weekend.

No more long rides now -- it's time to do the last minute prep things. My bike just got tuned up (thank you thank you, Guy!) and I'll do just a short ride today ("short" meaning around 10 miles). I'm getting everything ready to pack, and watching the weather forecast.

Speaking of the weather...WHO is in charge of weather? Current forecast of rain both Saturday and Sunday! Not a deluge, but still!

Jennifer has worked really hard on her knee rehab, but is not going to be up to a full Trek. She's got another appointment on Thursday (talk about last minute!) but right now it looks like the best option might be for her to ride the flat parts of Friday's ride, and then not ride on Saturday or Sunday. (Knee braces and rain...not a good mix). She may even just use my bike for Friday...although I don't have clip-in pedals like hers does, but we'll see.

I don't know how much I'll see of Carl when I'm on the bike -- if he's feeling good, he'll probably ride FAST in the rain to get out of it quicker! And if he's under the weather, he (understandably!) may not ride much. But at least I'll get to see him in camp.

I think I'd better go add the Uno deck to my packing.....

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Susan's 2009 trek page can be reached if you click here , Jennifer's if you click here , the MOTH Brigade team page if you click here , the general 2009 Trek page if you click here . My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html -- just go forward to read about each day.

It's been a rough couple of weeks of training.  Oh, there have been some fun spots -- I've had the RickSycle out on the Ayer rail trail twice with Jennifer, doing between 11 and 16 miles.   Jennifer still hopes she can ride solo, at least some of Trek -- she'd rather we didn't have to take the RickSycle to the AEBT, but we'll know more after we see how she does this weekend.  

While the RickSycle has been fun on the flat, my individual training on real long rides has had some difficult spots.

It's not that I'm not doing rides -- but they aren't going as well as usual.   On recent rides I've blown tires,  hit heavy traffic (bad air),  had to detour around road construction, been just too tired to go on, and run into other physical limits.       On one particularly bad day I caught myself thinking "can I even ride AEBT like this?  Maybe I'm going to let everyone down."

Then I thought about that some more.   AEBT is not about speed or riding every mile.  It's about doing the best I can.   I know I'll never be the fastest or strongest rider.   Or even the highest fundraiser.   But I can be an example of hanging in there and doing as much as possible.  If I have to get swept past the hills of Truro, well, OK.   I'm not going to let negativity keep me from riding and doing my best!    I'm giving myself permission to ride, as much as I can, however I have to do it.

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Susan's 2009 trek page can be reached if you   <a href="https://www.mrsnv.com/evt/e01/part.jsp?acct=8013166482&register_id=0&id=2210"> click here </a> , Jennifer's if you  <a href="http://www.mrsnv.com/evt/e01/part.jsp?acct=8013166483&register_id=0&id=2210"> click here </a> ,   the MOTH Brigade team page if you  <a href="http://www.mrsnv.com/evt/e01/team.jsp?id=2210&tid=32713"> click here </a>  ,  the general 2009 Trek page if you <a href="http://www.mrsnv.com/evt/home.jsp?id=2210"> click here </a> .     My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at    <a href="http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html">   http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html </a> -- just go forward to read about each day.

This year it really, truly is an Autumn Escape. Most years Trek would have started by now -- instead we've got two weeks to go.

TWO WEEKS?????

I'm not ready! And it's getting colder out there! Now, I'd rather ride in cool weather than hot; I overheat easily over about 80 degrees. But the recent weather has been a bit too far into the "cool" range for me, mostly because I have to take extra care with my asthma during strenuous activity in the cold. [And me a volunteer ski patroller in the winter!]

One way to baby my lungs is with a hot drink during a ride. Hot drinks on a bicycle? Well, yes! Enter the FlyLady water bottle. Flylady ( www.flylady.net ) talks about these as a cold water bottle. But they work great for HOT drinks too -- and fit in my bicycle water bottle holder! How about that? They easily keep tea hot for a 40+ mile ride. (Today I'm only aiming for 30-ish).



Hopefully Trek won't be TOO cold...but now I'm ready for it.



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Susan's 2009 trek page can be reached if you click here , Jennifer's if you click here , the MOTH Brigade team page if you click here , the general 2009 Trek page if you click here . My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html -- just go forward to read about each day.

Sometimes what we do with one specific benefit in mind may turn out to have many other good results.

I started riding Trek to help raise funds and awareness of lung disease, spurred on by my father's fight with it. Another benefit turned out to be learning just how much I could do, even though I have asthma.

However, I didn't expect Jennifer's busted kneecap to have unexpected benefits! I don't *want* to ride Trek alone. Carl is a great teammate and I'm looking forward to seeing him in camp over the weekend, but he rides much faster than me so I don't see him on the route much. Jennifer and I tend to be closer together in speed. She's hoping she can ride her bike on at least some of Trek, but I wanted to hedge our bets so I started looking at side-by-side tandem recumbents (aka "Sociables"). I wanted it to have independent gearing and pedaling for each rider, so we might be able to ride together but she could coast to rest her knee when needed.

That lead me to the RickSycle ( http://www.ricksycle.com , be aware first page has sound). I was able to work with the company to get my feet on one on a trial basis, and we were even able to get Jennifer riding on it -- bad leg and all!




The unexpected benefit comes from what else I did with the RickSycle. I have a friend who has MS and hasn't been able to ride a bicycle for over twenty years. I rode it over to her house and we got her feet strapped into the passenger side pedals, and she was able to ride! Not just as a passenger, she actually helped propel the RickSycle uphill. We foresee some nice foliage rides on the Minuteman this fall.

I don't know if we'll use the RickSycle on Trek or not; but I wouldn't have found it if not for Trek. So, doing a good thing for the ALA leads to another example of serendipity ...

Hey, maybe I should offer rides on the RickSycle for donations to the ride! Anyone interested?


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Susan's 2009 trek page can be reached if you click here , Jennifer's if you click here , the MOTH Brigade team page if you click here , the general 2009 Trek page if you click here . My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html -- just go forward to read about each day.

I was quite late heading out for today's ride (I'm self-employed and was wayyy behind on my paperwork) so I just headed out on the Minuteman bikeway. I knew I'd still be on the way home in the dark, but wasn't worried as I have a red rear light, a good front headlight, and a helmet light.

However, I didn't quite think about what all the rain we had last week meant. It meant...bugs. Lots of bugs. All starting to fly about as the sun goes down. I have discovered a new motivation for riding faster -- to get away from the bugs! And it wasn't even mosquitos, mostly little gnat-like things. Ick. Taste BAD.

The earlier sunset seems to be catching lots of people by surprise -- there were a lot of folks on the trail without lights, many didn't even have reflective clothing, and I don't think they were expecting it to be so dark, so soon. Guess summer is really drawing to a close; the late Labor Day this year is a bit deceptive.


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Susan's 2009 trek page can be reached if you click here , Jennifer's if you click here , the MOTH Brigade team page if you click here , the general 2009 Trek page if you click here . My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html -- just go forward to read about each day.

Yes, I was right on with my prediction in my prior post: we're the first team for the 2009 Autumn Escape Bike Trek that has had each individual member get to the $1000 mark. GO MOTH BRIGADE!

There's some amazing fundraising going on, though -- at three members this year, we're the smallest team in the top seven, but the Moosecycles only have four people and are $2500 ahead of us.

One month to go.....


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Susan's 2009 trek page can be reached if you click here , Jennifer's if you click here , the MOTH Brigade team page if you click here , the general 2009 Trek page if you click here . My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html -- just go forward to read about each day.

Okay. I *know* the students are back (hard to miss when Sean and I, driving past a rental truck on Storrow Drive a few days ago, were yelling at the driver "You're too tall! The bridge!" -- yes, he stopped before he hit it). I expect moving vans and the like, and am not even thinking about riding inbound on the Charles River bikepath.

But most students don't have cars. Where are all the extra cars coming from? Traffic has gotten horrible -- so much so that I changed yesterday's planned ride so I could get off the street as much as possible.

But riding a bike around Greater Boston gives you a picture of urban life that you just don't see otherwise. And it helps that my bike tends to make people smile. I passed older couples out walking together, parents teaching children to ride their first bikes, people fishing along the banks of the Charles in Watertown, a young girl pushing grandmother's grocery cart, even though it was much taller than she was...and everybody seemed to be enjoying a pleasant urban evening.

And hey, the good weather meant that finally my legs got tired on a ride before my lungs did! Maybe I can pull Trek off after all. I'm heading out for another ride this morning, and will meet Jennifer for lunch -- she's doing PT this morning, which is her current version of training for Trek.

And a big thank you to everyone who has donated so far. Jennifer and I are both over the magic $1000 mark and won't have to carry our suitcases, and Carl is not far behind at $985. I think we might be the first team to get each individual member over $1000 in pledges!

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Susan's 2009 trek page can be reached if you click here , Jennifer's if you click here , the MOTH Brigade team page if you click here , the general 2009 Trek page if you click here . My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html -- just go forward to read about each day.

Actually, that's not quite fair. It's not that NObody came -- we did have customers and met some really nice people, many of whom had seen Jennifer's picture *on the front page* of Friday's Sentinel and Enterprise. (That publicity, and the listing the Leominster Champ gave us, meant that we really had to proceed with the sale on the announced date.)

We had over 400 square feet of dry sales area -- a garage, a BIG portable garage (thank you, Harvey!) and another 10x10 shelter for checkout. We had merchandise, including many items donated by friends for us to sell to benefit the team and the ALA.

Unfortunately, it rained all day, even though it was NOT windy and we were able to run the sale just fine. So we didn't get many drive-by customers. We just didn't sell as much as we hoped to. Proceeds look like about $100, but some things that did not sell at the sale generated some interest and may sell soon. (Not soon enough to help us all make the $1000 mark this week, though!)

*I* think Jennifer busted her kneecap so I would have to be the one climbing in and out of the car into the pouring rain at 6AM to put up signs, and again at 3PM to take them down. (At least I had the sense to wear a swimsuit, biking skort, and water sandals -- my standard "ride-in-the-rain" outfit.)

Jennifer just laughs at me when I say that, and points out that getting rained on for both yard sales must mean that Trek will be dry. If she's right, then the other AEBT riders will owe us a thank you...a BIG one.


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Susan's 2009 trek page can be reached if you click here , Jennifer's if you click here , the MOTH Brigade team page if you click here , the general 2009 Trek page if you click here . My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html -- just go forward to read about each day.

As near as I can tell, the weather guys all agree that Danny is not going to be a direct hit on New England....

However, Saturday is still going to be wet! Danny's winds should not make it as far inland as Leominster...so we're going to have the sale anyway. Clothing, soft goods, and books will be in the garage: many other items in a large outdoor shelter.

Sale is from 9 to 2 unless it becomes unsafe to leave the shelter up.

But I'm beginning to wonder if we could raise funds for the team by selling our services as weather predictors. No matter what the forecast is, if we schedule a team fundraising event...it rains. (See the entry for our first yard sale of the year at: http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/23092.html )

Sure, we're used to riding in the rain -- look at last year's report on the ride, in the links below -- but it does put a damper on fundraising! And I don't think Jennifer's supposed to get her knee splint wet yet, anyway.

Please come buy things -- or just donate at the links below!

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Susan's 2009 trek page can be reached if you click here , Jennifer's if you click here , the MOTH Brigade team page if you click here , the general 2009 Trek page if you click here . My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html -- just go forward to read about each day.

One way Jennifer raises money for the AEBT is to collect returnable cans and bottles from her office and friends, then cash them in and put the proceeds towards her fundraising. It may be only five cents each, but it starts to add up over time.

I didn't think she'd be able to collect the office cans, but she's figured out how: she's using a rollator (rolling walker with a seat and hand brakes just like bicycle brakes!) and has been able to bag the cans and hang them off of the handles to get them to her car.

And she's also determined that the yard sale should go on! Scheduled for Saturday, August 29th ,in Leominster, MA, at 41 Merriam Parkway, from 9AM to 2PM. The sale will be rain or shine, just like Trek -- we have a rain shelter and a garage to use. Lots of great stuff, including some very nice women's clothing. All proceeds go toward sponsoring MOTH Brigade members in the Autumn Escape Bike Trek.

Come buy stuff -- or just pledge money! Jennifer's page is at: http://mrsnv.com/evt/e01/part.jsp?id=2210&acct=8013166483&rid=0 , mine is at: http://mrsnv.com/evt/e01/part.jsp?id=2210&acct=8013166482&rid=0.


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My 2009 trek page can be reached if you click here , the MOTH Brigade team page if you click here , the general 2009 Trek page if you click here . My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html -- just go forward to read about each day.

It seems like every year before Trek we have some kind of obstacle to get over. (Well, I suppose if it was easy, everyone would do it. Hm.....)

Jennifer, obviously, can't train with a busted kneecap. I can't train in the kind of weather we've had recently -- too hot, and too much impact on air quality. One of the rules my medical team laid down when I started doing the AEBT was to not ride in bad air. Yes, the advances in research have made it possible for an asthmatic like me to ride in the Trek. No, I am not crazy enough to push that. So inside exercise only. The weather is looking better for the upcoming week, though.

Carl's out riding and upholding the honor of the team, but any wildlife near him had better watch out! (Chipmunks take note: run away in FRONT of the bicycle wheel....)

So this would seem the ideal time to work on fundraising, but now Sean and I are both starting to have car issues and trying to figure out what to do about them, which is another time sink. But we just got back from some pleasant car browsing at Stoneham Ford, and now I'm going to set myself a goal to get my fundraising letter out tonight.

Don't want to wait for a letter? Click on the link below (takes you to: http://www.mrsnv.com/evt/e01/part.jsp?acct=8013166482®ister_id=0&id=2210 ) and you can sponsor me right now!


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My 2009 trek page can be reached if you click here , the MOTH Brigade team page if you click here , the general 2009 Trek page if you click here . My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html -- just go forward to read about each day.

Last entry I expressed my thoughts that Jennifer might be committing heresy to the MOTH Brigade's dislike of hills. Not only did she take us on a ride with hills in it last week, but she was planning to join a ride or two this weekend that has them!

What do they say about payback?

This morning Jennifer tripped and fell in my kitchen. Not a big deal, right? But the kitchen is a concrete slab floor, and she landed *right* on her knee, full force. For a minute or two it didn't seem too bad, as she cold move it front-to-back - but it would not take any weight and could not move side-to-side. Many hours in the Brigham and Women's emergency room later, and the diagnosis is a fractured patella. The doctors think it's the kind of fracture that can be treated without surgery...but her leg's immobilized from mid-thigh on down.

Her September ride (Harbor to the Bay) is right out, but at the moment Trek still looks possible. She's already planning that when she gets to the PT stage, she's going to use a recumbent stationary bike.

But I figure she'd better work hard on her fundraising to get over $1000 soon -- she is NOT going to want to carry her suitcases....

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My 2009 trek page can be reached if you click here , the MOTH Brigade team page if you click here , the general 2009 Trek page if you click here . My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html -- just go forward to read about each day.

I think Jennifer has committed heresy and is coming close to betraying the cause of the MOTH (Morally Opposed To Hills) brigade...because there were hills on today's ride! She claims that she did avoid the biggest ones. Hmrph! Although I must admit I kind of enjoyed the DOWNhill runs, especially the one where we dumped about 95 feet of altitude in a short distance.

We left right at 10AM from the Shirley commuter rail station. The first difficult hill was adjacent to working gravel pits -- and watching the big "tonka truck" loaders scoot across the road gave me a chance to catch my breath. We worked our way over to Leominster, passing the North Leominster train station, and stopped in at Gear Works Cyclery to order spare tires and pick me up a nice, new helmet. I'm usually hard to fit, but these folks came up with the perfect helmet even before our spare tire order went in! (Hey, it's hard to find tires for my bike. Take a look at my userpic.) This shop runs rides every Saturday, but even their "beginner" rides are a bit too fast for me -- 12-14 MPH.

Right about noon we arrived at Country Good BBQ. Southern style greens and sweet potato pie do a lot to replenish sodium and potassium while you wait for cooked -to-order fried chicken! This is a small, hard to find place next to a gas station at the route 31/route 12 rotary -- official address is 346 River Street Fitchburg, MA. And the staff was nice enough to point a cooling fan right at our lunch table.

After lunch, we decided to head back on the same route, with a brief stop as we went right past Agway and I needed something to try and save my tomatoes from late blight. The long lunch break had helped me get my breath back, but I was still not as fast as I would like, so we decided to head for the North Leominster station instead of trying for Shirley -- if I missed the 2:59 train, I'd have to wait several hours for the next one.

While we were heading up just about the steepest hill on the return route, we encountered one of those radar speed signs. You know, the kind that starts flashing red if you are exceeding the speed limit. As Jennifer heads up the hill, the sign reads 10..9..8..8 and then she's past it. As I head up the hill, it reads 7..6..6...and then starts flashing red. Huh? Was I finally going fast? No, it is flashing red and reading "SLOW". Geez! Dissed by a road sign!

Made the train station in plenty of time; mileage to this point was 19.5 . Jen headed off for her home (uphill much of the way, hee hee). Sitting on the train for a while again helped me get my breath back and I got off in Waltham and biked along the Charles back to Cambridge for another 7.5 miles, for a day's total of 27. Not bad!

I am a bit worried that I'm having more trouble with the lungs than with the muscles. That's not my normal pattern....well, I have eight more weekends till Trek; hopefully I'll get that figured out soon.

But the next Tasty Training is GOING TO HAVE LESS HILLS AND MORE SHADE! So there. Yangtze River, anyone?

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My 2009 trek page can be reached if you click here , the MOTH Brigade team page if you click here , the general 2009 Trek page if you click here . My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html -- just go forward to read about each day.

Tasty Training is back! This time, it's going to be west of Boston. This will be a commuter-rail accessible ride, so if you don't have a car, you can still do it.

This ride is not intended for novices, but for slower riders who've had some time on the bike but are not yet in AEBT shape.

Current plans are for 14 to 26 miles (rider's option). Our intention is to ride from Shirley to Fitchburg, lunch at Country Good BBQ, and return. There are some (ick) hills on the route, although nothing TOO major, or so Jennifer promises. Instead of riding the full trip back, there are bail-out options of the Fitchburg and North Leominster commuter rail stations.

If the air quality is poor, we may change to a ride starting in Ayer, with lunch at a nice place a bit off the trail (the Ayer ride would be primarily on rail trail, and is easier for asthmatics in bad air).

Ride will leave at roughly 10AM from Shirley; the outbound train is due to arrive there at 9:49. Return trains leave Shirley at 11:29 and 2:59 for Boston.

PLEASE let us know if you are interested in riding with us, so we can keep you updated on plans! Either leave a comment on the blog, or email us at mothbrigade {symbol goes here} earthlink {dot} net .

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My 2009 trek page can be reached if you click here , the MOTH Brigade team page if you click here , the general 2009 Trek page if you click here . My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html -- just go forward to read about each day.

Sometimes it doesn't matter what you do...the weather wins. We had great help from supporters of the MOTH Brigade; we had plenty of dry space for sales (a garage, a BIG sales canopy with walls, and a smaller pop-up shelter)....and we had lots of heavy, icky rain, just as we were opening in the morning. Sale was rain or shine, and we did have some customers, but not what we'd hoped. Jennifer's done the tally: we raised $126.35. And, we still have *lots* of good stuff left, so we'll try again on August 29th, 9AM to 2PM.

We did find a really great BBQ hole-in-the wall afterwards, though! "Country Good BBQ", at 346 River Street Fitchburg, MA. About 12 miles from Jennifer's via the route with some moderate hills -- if you are totally crazy, there is a very very hilly option, but I would be afraid to take a bike *down* that hill. I foresee a tasty training ride in the near future......maybe August 1. Watch here for more details.

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My 2009 trek page can be reached if you click here , the MOTH Brigade team page if you click here , the general 2009 Trek page if you click here . My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html -- just go forward to read about each day.

Yep, the MOTH Brigade is having a yard sale on Saturday, July 18th, in Leominster, MA, at 41 Merriam Parkway, from 9AM to 2PM. The sale will be rain or shine, just like Trek -- we have a rain shelter and a garage to use. Lots of great stuff, including some very nice women's clothing. All proceeds go toward sponsoring MOTH Brigade members in the Autumn Escape Bike Trek.

Why a yard sale? Well....aside from the fact that I sold my house and have stuff to get rid of, and Jennifer lost a lot of weight and has clothes to get rid of, and MOTH Brigade friends have things they want to see go to a good cause....stopping at yard sales has become a MOTH Brigade tradition.

Jennifer and I almost always stop at yard sales when we are on training rides -- I even carried a jeweler's lathe home for her in my saddlebags on one trip! So, it's about time we threw one of our own.

Stop by -- if you tell us you read about the yard sale in the MOTH Adventures blog, you get an extra 5% discount on your purchases! And if you sign up for Trek as a member of the MOTH Brigade, we'll contribute 10% of the proceeds towards your fundraising.

My 2009 trek page can be reached if you click here , the MOTH Brigade team page if you click here , the general 2009 Trek page if you click here . My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html -- just go forward to read about each day.

You can probably think of some of the common hazards of riding -- cars, dogs, potholes, breakdowns, weather, that kind of thing. A couple of years ago we ran into a variant on those when Jennifer took a fall on the Minuteman, hit a fencepost, and poked a hole in her leg requiring about a dozen stitches and keeping her from riding in Trek that year.

But...who would expect a pre-ride hazard...from a banana?

Yup. This morning, when Jennifer was getting ready for today's ride, she was preparing a take-along snack, and while she was cutting a banana off the big bunch, she managed to get a nasty cut along the knuckle of one finger. Several hours and four stitches later, she was finally cleared for an easy ride.

So we took it easy today and did 11 miles in and around Cambridge. I was just as happy with the short ride, we didn't start until mid-afternoon and I'm finding that I'm not yet in good enough shape to do well in the warmer part of the day. Something to work on.

Hey, at least Jennifer got her injury for the year well before Trek!

My 2009 trek page can be reached if you click here , the MOTH Brigade team page if you click here , the general 2009 Trek page if you click here . My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html -- just go forward to read about each day.

Training Ride This Sunday (July 12)

Several of us are doing a training ride this Sunday, which will incorporate the Minuteman Bikeway (but not be limited to it).  Start time 11:45 AM, leaving from the Cambridge, MA area.  Suitable for beginners or recreational riders -- and we don't leave anyone behind.   Interested?   Contact us at mothbrigade {symbol goes here} earthlink {dot} net   if you want to join us, and we'll give you directions to the exact starting location (which has parking!).


My 2009 trek page can be reached if you   <a href="http://www.mrsnv.com/evt/e01/part.jsp?acct=8013166482&register_id=0&id=2210"> click here </a> , the MOTH Brigade team page if you  <a href="http://www.mrsnv.com/evt/e01/team.jsp?id=2210&tid=32713"> click here </a>  the general 2009 Trek page if you <a href="http://www.mrsnv.com/evt/home.jsp?id=2210"> click here </a> .     My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at    <a href="http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html">   http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html </a> -- just go forward to read about each day.  

I should apologize for the lack of updates to this blog -- the world has just been a strange place for me for the last few weeks. In mid-May, I sold the old family home of 48 years and officially moved in with my "Significant Other" in Cambridge. Shortly after that, his father passed away. And then other close friends had things come up where they needed help and support...so the blog fell by the wayside for a bit.

But some riding has been done! Here is a report from Jennifer about a solo ride she did in mid june:

"June 20, 2009 – 25 miles … on the Nashua River Rail Trail. I did this one with Bailey as my backseat. Trooper that he is, he enjoyed all 25 miles, especially the views. Not only bikes and trikes, but dog walkers and families out for a stroll to enjoy the alpine strawberries ripe along the trail. "

Bailey is Jennifer's Yorkshire Terrier, and he has a carrier with safety harness on the back of her bike -- I will try to get a picture up of that.

Jennifer and Carl did a ride together in late June:

"June 27th, 2009 - 34 miles… Breaking the MOTH Brigrade avoidance of hills, Jennifer and Carl headed off on the 34 mile CRW ride Northern Exposure. Chelmsford, Westford, Dunstable, Groton are not flat towns. The ride was wonderful, and the downhills were almost worth the climbs. Both of us rediscovered muscles forgotten since Trek last year. This wasn’t the first ride for either of us, but it was the first that wasn’t an oldies favorite. Carl ‘rested’ after, I had to mow the lawn (for 90 minutes). Showers are wonderful things after that much sweating. And when I finally got out of it and dressed, the sky opened up with a 3” per hour shower for the next for 3 hours. But then, what is a little more rain in the month in June. "

I (Susan) have also finally gotten out on Eve, my blue Bike E. My S.O. and I rode down to the Boston July 4th celebrations, staying on the Cambridge side of the river to watch the fireworks. The new guys, Rozzi Fireworks, put on a very good show, but getting to it was a hassle as the State Police had instituted a new rule with NO advance public warning, of not allowing people to bring bicycles onto the "Harvard" bridge (AKA the Mass Ave Bridge or the Smoot bridge). I understand not RIDING on the bridge -- but they were not allowing people to bring bicycles at all, even walking them, but there is also no safe place to lock your bike up! So we ended up having to squash into the mobs along the riverbank fences.

I need a new front tire again...I guess training for Trek puts too much milage on them! The biggest annoyance was a bound brake cable -- those cables and housings were new less than 10 months ago. Fortunately my ProGold pinpoint luber and a lot of creative language got it freed up -- redoing the rear brake cable on my BikeE is NOT a trival thing! (See the picture on my AEBT page, link below, if you have never seen a BikeE.) I love my ProGold! (Try your local bike shop or see it at http://www.progoldmfr.com/products/luber.html ).
Right now we are all training individually, and starting planning for group rides. We tend to alternate rides starting in the Cambridge area and rides starting west of Boston (roughly the route 2/495 corridor). If you are interested in riding with us, watch the blog for dates or email us at mothbrigade {symbol goes here} earthlink {dot} net .

And we have a fundraising event coming up in about two weeks -- more on that soon.

My 2008 trek page can be reached if you click here , the MOTH Brigade team page if you click here the general 2009 Trek page if you click here . My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html -- just go forward to read about each day.

Yup, we're starting up for the 2009 Trek! The team page is up, we've got team members signed up (and with their personal pages up and fundraising started already!) and soon we'll be starting to train.

I (Susan Hammond) am again co-captain of the MOTH Brigade team. I tend to be the one who posts in this blog, which is basically an online diary about my experiences in getting myself and my team ready for the Autumn Escape Bike Trek, which is a charity bicycle ride that benefits the American Lung Association. It's 100 to 160 miles over two or three days, and is held on Cape Cod in September or October.

I do this ride in honor of my father, Eric, who lost his fight with COPD in March of 2007.

This blog is set up for public comments -- so you can just click on the "leave a comment" link at the bottom of each post to leave a message. You don't have to belong to livejournal, or even to give any personal information at all -- just click and type.

Near the end of each post I include text that says you can click here to see my Trek page (where you can learn more about me -- and make a donation if you want), or click here to see the MOTH Brigade page (and learn more about why we are called that) or click here to go to the general home page for the Trek. If those links don't work for you, go to www.autumnescape.org and look for a link to the Autumn Escape Trek -- then you can search for me or my team.

Now that we've gotten into the cycling season, I intend to update the blog fairly often. I hope you'll all keep reading it!

--Susan


My 2008 trek page can be reached if you click here , the MOTH Brigade team page if you click here the general 2009 Trek page if you click here . My report on the 3 days of the 2008 trek can be read at http://mothadventures.livejournal.com/21241.html -- just go forward to read about each day.