According to the weather forecast, the eastern US will get hammered by record high temperatures and humidity levels all this week. Although some relief may be on tap for this upcoming weekend, it is possible participants in the 2010 Anchor House Ride may have to ride in very steamy conditions.
With that said we should be preparing ourselves for the real possibility that next week may be very hot on the roads of Virginia and Maryland. Staying hydrated is key; the better you're hydrated, the better you"ll ride. Start drinking water now; drink enough each day that your urine is almost clear and you're going to the bathroom at least once during the night. Keep a bottle at hand at the office and drink constantly. The worst time to start your hydration regimen is next Sunday morning. By then, it will be too late and you'll never catch up.
See you next week.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
The World Is Full Of Choices.
In my last blog entry I posted the GPS route files for the 2010 Anchor House Ride For Runaways . I've gotten some good feedback on them; in addition, several folks have pointed out that there are other methods available to transfer the files to your GPS devices. Both BikeRouteToaster and RideWithGPS are full featured applications that will convert, upload, download and display GPS route files. Check 'em out if you have some time. Let me know what works best for you.
Full disclosure section - I'm still playing around with both of these programs so don't ask me how to use them - my advice would be worthless!
Tailwinds,
Brian
Full disclosure section - I'm still playing around with both of these programs so don't ask me how to use them - my advice would be worthless!
Tailwinds,
Brian
Monday, June 14, 2010
Getting closer
Tonight is the Anchor House Ride All Participant meeting. This is the night that riders and support staff turn in collected pledge monies, PR photos are taken and a legion of final details are attended to. After a mind-numbingly boring program is endured by all and sundry, we leave the assembly hall knowing that its less than a month until we board the busses enroute to Charlottesville VA and the start of this year's annual endeavor.
Fourteen years ago, I attended my first All Participant; nervous, apprehensive and excited by turns. Although the novelty has long since worn off and the butterflys have stopped fluttering when I reach this point of the year, I can still remember how it felt jumping into a grand adventure where all sorts of pleasures and terrors awaited.
Tonight I have to discuss some of the unusual challenges facing us as we deal with multiple hotels on the first three nights. If possible I'll post some photos tomorrow.
Fourteen years ago, I attended my first All Participant; nervous, apprehensive and excited by turns. Although the novelty has long since worn off and the butterflys have stopped fluttering when I reach this point of the year, I can still remember how it felt jumping into a grand adventure where all sorts of pleasures and terrors awaited.
Tonight I have to discuss some of the unusual challenges facing us as we deal with multiple hotels on the first three nights. If possible I'll post some photos tomorrow.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Garmin Files for 2010 Anchor House Ride
As promised here are the Garmin GPS cycling computer route files for the 2010 Anchor House Ride for Runaways. But first some ancient history.....
When I rode my first Anchor House Ride for Runaways in 1996, formal cuesheets had only existed for a couple of years. Back in the 1980's, each day's stage was created from state and county maps the night before and written instructions were slipped under rider's motel room doors. Veteran rider Ken Sharples took over the task of designing the route about 1991 and toiled over the winter planning, driving, taping and transcribing detailed cuesheets; needless to say - it was a huge improvement over what had gone before! Today I not only have Ken assisting me in the job of route design but a small but dedicated group of committee members (Frank K, Tim Q and Debbie P) handling route brainstorming, hotel selection, cuesheet production, and a ton of other details. I'm thankful to them for all the work they do - they make my job a lot easier!
Official disclaimer: Although the paper cuesheets look slightly different today than they did back in the day (foldable quadrant style is now the latest rage) they still are the only official set of route instructions and override any other navigational aids or devices. Its important to keep that in mind because the cuesheets may contain last minute changes or alterations that the GPS route files may not have. That being stated, here are the links to each of the individual legs of this year's ride that are posted on MapMyRide.com. Click on the day number to access each leg.
Note: to export the routes from MapMyRide you must be a registered user of the service. The basic membership is free and can be cancelled after you have accessed all the route files. The website will guide you through the registration process the first time around.
Day 1 Charlottesville to Culpeper VA.
Day 2 Culpeper to Winchester VA.
Day 3 Winchester VA to Frederick MD.
Day 4 Frederick MD to Gettysburg PA.
Day 5 Gettysburg to Lancaster PA.
Day 6 Lancaster to Kulpsville PA.
Day 7 Kulpsville PA to Pennington NJ.
To download a route to your computer - click on "Route", select the "Export as GPX" tab if you have a Garmin 605 / 705 or the "Export as CRS" tab if you have a Garmin 205 /305 / 500 GPS cycling computer. Save these files to a folder on your computer you can find easily and give them a unique name (such as "2010_AH_Day_1" for example).
To use these files, they must be transferred from your computer to your device. There are two methods of installation; the one you choose depends on which device you have.
When I rode my first Anchor House Ride for Runaways in 1996, formal cuesheets had only existed for a couple of years. Back in the 1980's, each day's stage was created from state and county maps the night before and written instructions were slipped under rider's motel room doors. Veteran rider Ken Sharples took over the task of designing the route about 1991 and toiled over the winter planning, driving, taping and transcribing detailed cuesheets; needless to say - it was a huge improvement over what had gone before! Today I not only have Ken assisting me in the job of route design but a small but dedicated group of committee members (Frank K, Tim Q and Debbie P) handling route brainstorming, hotel selection, cuesheet production, and a ton of other details. I'm thankful to them for all the work they do - they make my job a lot easier!
Official disclaimer: Although the paper cuesheets look slightly different today than they did back in the day (foldable quadrant style is now the latest rage) they still are the only official set of route instructions and override any other navigational aids or devices. Its important to keep that in mind because the cuesheets may contain last minute changes or alterations that the GPS route files may not have. That being stated, here are the links to each of the individual legs of this year's ride that are posted on MapMyRide.com. Click on the day number to access each leg.
Note: to export the routes from MapMyRide you must be a registered user of the service. The basic membership is free and can be cancelled after you have accessed all the route files. The website will guide you through the registration process the first time around.
Day 1 Charlottesville to Culpeper VA.
Day 2 Culpeper to Winchester VA.
Day 3 Winchester VA to Frederick MD.
Day 4 Frederick MD to Gettysburg PA.
Day 5 Gettysburg to Lancaster PA.
Day 6 Lancaster to Kulpsville PA.
Day 7 Kulpsville PA to Pennington NJ.
To download a route to your computer - click on "Route", select the "Export as GPX" tab if you have a Garmin 605 / 705 or the "Export as CRS" tab if you have a Garmin 205 /305 / 500 GPS cycling computer. Save these files to a folder on your computer you can find easily and give them a unique name (such as "2010_AH_Day_1" for example).
To use these files, they must be transferred from your computer to your device. There are two methods of installation; the one you choose depends on which device you have.
- Devices able to navigate using GPX files (Garmin 605,705) can use either the .GPX or .CRS format files. Connect your device to your computer with a USB cable and move the GPX files you've downloaded and saved to the (device name)/Garmin/GPX folder of your device. To use the file, press "Menu" on your device, select "Where To?" then "Saved Rides" then select the file and then select "Navigate". Within a short time the route will be displayed on your map. You can find the Edge 605 / 705 manual here
- Devices that use CRS files (Garmin 205, 305, 500) require the presence of Garmin's Training Center software on your computer to transfer courses to your device. If necessary the latest version of GTC is available here. Import the files from the folder on your computer you have placed them into Training Center by selecting File/Import/Courses". Highlight the route file to be moved, select "crs" in the drop-down at the lower edge of the window and click "Open". Click the "Courses" button and you'll see your route file in a subfolder named "Mapmyfitness". Highlight the route file and click the "Send To Device" icon to the left of the"Active Device Select" pull-down. Once installed you access the course file by selecting "Mode/Training/Courses" on the device, selecting the route file and selecting "Do Course". For answers to your questions regarding courses and workouts on the Garmin 205 / 305 the manual is available here and the Edge 500 manual here.
Route Elevations: For those of you who only want to see each day's elevation profile you can click on each day's route and select the "Show Elevation" checkbox in the upper right corner of the screen. A elevation graph will display at the bottom of the route map.
Remember: carry, read and use the official cuesheets! Use your GPS device as a secondary navigation aid. And have fun with them.
See you along the way.
Brian
A perfect Saturday
Working 5 days a week (and sometimes six), you learn to anticipate and appreciate your weekends. This past Saturday dawned cloudy and cool in these parts, and my long awaited Saturday morning training ride / sufferfest looked like it might get rained on. A bunch of my Anchor House Ride http://www.anchorhouseride.org brethren and I gathered at Timberlane Middle School parking lot and proceeded to mount up despite the chill in the air. As we rode along, the sun poked its way through the clouds and the day turned hot and summery. Click here to view the Garmin Connect file of our ride. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/36769918
All in all it was a great ride with very pleasant companions!
Upon arrival home, the wife and I packed our beach gear and headed for Island Beach State Park. We drove past the guarded bathing beaches and parked at one of the beach buggy entrance points further south. Although a gusty south wind was blowing, the sun was shining and the beach was nearly deserted. A relaxing couple of hours were followed by some quality time on the backyard deck relaxing over a light dinner and an adult beverage or two.
As I said in the title, a perfect Saturday
All in all it was a great ride with very pleasant companions!
Upon arrival home, the wife and I packed our beach gear and headed for Island Beach State Park. We drove past the guarded bathing beaches and parked at one of the beach buggy entrance points further south. Although a gusty south wind was blowing, the sun was shining and the beach was nearly deserted. A relaxing couple of hours were followed by some quality time on the backyard deck relaxing over a light dinner and an adult beverage or two.
As I said in the title, a perfect Saturday
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Let's go Flyers, let's go
Well its been over 24 hours since Patrick Kane put the game winning goal through Micheal Leighton's pads and sent the Stanley Cup home for the next year to Chicago. Since early April the Philadelphia Flyers have been pursuing Lord Stanley's cup. You got used to games every other night, riding an emotional rollercoaster that followed the team's fortunes and even imagining what a Cup parade down Broad Street would look like. Alas, its not to be this year. We found that a 36 year old defenseman couldn't play over 30 minutes a game forever, the quality of goaltending reflects the quality of a team's backchecking ability, and a skilled team usually beats a less skilled team over a seven game series. As a fan, you get used to the every-other night schedule of the playoffs. Tonight I'm sitting here wondering if baseball with its slower pace and lack of a clock can keep my interest over the summer. It usually does by late summer but right after the end of hockey season, baseball seems almost somnolent by comparison!
Should be, what, 3, 3 and a half months before the start of next season! Can't wait!
Should be, what, 3, 3 and a half months before the start of next season! Can't wait!
Fourteen and counting
The world is a lousy place. Wall Street creeps sell false investment vehicles and make millions, and poor kids go to bed hungry. Paris Hilton can inherit undeserved millions that could be better spent feeding and clothing the poor and local non-profits go begging for dollars from private citizens because some fat guy doesn't believe in requiring millionaires to pay their fair share of taxes. Homeless kids and animals go unfed and abused while the rich cavort in the Hamptons, Nantucket or the decks of yachts. Thankfully there are tons of dedicated social workers, counselers and volunteers who make it their business to help their community and the downtrodden within it.
For thirteen of the last fourteen years, I've ridden my bicycle to raise money for the homeless kids that depend on Anchor House, a shelter for runaway, homeless and abused kids in Trenton NJ. For the last 11 years, I've been a member of the planning committee for Anchor House's main fundraising vehicle - the Anchor House Ride for Runaways. Every year we pick a different starting location somewhere on the east coast and ride our bikes back to Trenton. Seven days, 70 miles each day; all to raise funds to keep the doors of Anchor House open. Check out the great work they do here at www.anchorhousenj.org.
On July 10th we'll take over 200 riders and support staff to Charlottesville Va. We'll pedal through Culpeper and Winchester VA, Frederick MD, Gettysburg, Lancaster and Kulpsville PA before we arrive back home in Pennington NJ on July 17th. We will ride our bikes, eat a lot, drink a few adult beverages, and all in all have a great time. Even as we are enjoying ourselves we all keep in mind the struggles and travails the kids at Anchor House go through each day. Check out our ride here at www.anchorhouseride.org.
Please support us in our endeavor. Select your favorite rider (like me), go to www.anchorhouseride.org, select the online donation tab, and enter my name (Brian McLaughlin) in the designation box. Thank you and tailwinds to all!
For thirteen of the last fourteen years, I've ridden my bicycle to raise money for the homeless kids that depend on Anchor House, a shelter for runaway, homeless and abused kids in Trenton NJ. For the last 11 years, I've been a member of the planning committee for Anchor House's main fundraising vehicle - the Anchor House Ride for Runaways. Every year we pick a different starting location somewhere on the east coast and ride our bikes back to Trenton. Seven days, 70 miles each day; all to raise funds to keep the doors of Anchor House open. Check out the great work they do here at www.anchorhousenj.org.
On July 10th we'll take over 200 riders and support staff to Charlottesville Va. We'll pedal through Culpeper and Winchester VA, Frederick MD, Gettysburg, Lancaster and Kulpsville PA before we arrive back home in Pennington NJ on July 17th. We will ride our bikes, eat a lot, drink a few adult beverages, and all in all have a great time. Even as we are enjoying ourselves we all keep in mind the struggles and travails the kids at Anchor House go through each day. Check out our ride here at www.anchorhouseride.org.
Please support us in our endeavor. Select your favorite rider (like me), go to www.anchorhouseride.org, select the online donation tab, and enter my name (Brian McLaughlin) in the designation box. Thank you and tailwinds to all!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Cloud-covered inertia
A dull, cloudy and dreary Sunday. The Anchor House training ride got cancelled due to threat of rain so I went to the gym and ran errands this morning. After seeing Jan off at noon as she motored off to Charlottesville VA and the start of her four days of SAG stop planning, I did manage to squeeze in 2o or so quick miles on the bike between rain showers. My heart just wasn't in it and I returned in enough time to watch the Blackhawks close out the Western Conference finals with a four game sweep of San Jose. Speaking of the bike, the Tarmac's new stem angle is perfect now after a few tweaks. 10 cm shorter and a 12 degree angle brought the bars up and closer to the saddle; perfectly complementing the smaller profile of the new SRAM Force shift / brake levers I installed on it last month. Lots of little household tasks filled my time today and after a restful evening spent watching Tour Of California stages on the DVR I'm ready to turn in for the night. See you all later.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Its a rainy night in Ewing, Baby its a rainy night in Ewing
I feel like its rainin' all over the world.......
On the eve of the second mandatory training ride for the 2010 Anchor House Ride For Runaways (http://www.anchorhouseride.org/) and I'm relaxing on the couch. This will be my 14th ride and these training rides get old hat for us veteran riders. I'm relaxing tonight because I've looked at the weather forecast for tomorrow morning and its a pretty safe bet that the morning will dawn stormy and wet, thereby causing the ride to be postponed to a future date.
On a brighter side, my Philadelphia Flyers shut out the Canadiens 3-0 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the conference finals. Nice.
See you on the road.
On the eve of the second mandatory training ride for the 2010 Anchor House Ride For Runaways (http://www.anchorhouseride.org/) and I'm relaxing on the couch. This will be my 14th ride and these training rides get old hat for us veteran riders. I'm relaxing tonight because I've looked at the weather forecast for tomorrow morning and its a pretty safe bet that the morning will dawn stormy and wet, thereby causing the ride to be postponed to a future date.
On a brighter side, my Philadelphia Flyers shut out the Canadiens 3-0 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the conference finals. Nice.
See you on the road.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
A quiet Sunday
Hello readers, my name is Brian and welcome to my blog. I plan to write about anything and everything that is of interest to me (and possibly) you. I live in a neighborhood that a 60's real estate developer named "Mountain View" and while no mountain is spyed from Casa Brian, we are high enough to pose a challenge when I'm returning home from a bike ride!
Today was a nice Sunday; sunny, clear, cool with light winds. I took a quick recovery bike ride to loosen up the legs after a challenging ride yesterday morning that was filled with hills (including one with a 20% grade). The afternoon was spent with family celebrating a belated Mother's Day on the backyard deck. Nice.
Today was a nice Sunday; sunny, clear, cool with light winds. I took a quick recovery bike ride to loosen up the legs after a challenging ride yesterday morning that was filled with hills (including one with a 20% grade). The afternoon was spent with family celebrating a belated Mother's Day on the backyard deck. Nice.
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