Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 35

The Ivy House From Hell along US 227 in Minorsville. A fellow photographer asks me if I went inside. I tell her I did not go inside because I don't want to go to hell. This pic and the ones that follow are from my July 30 ride.

A huge downed tree along Josephine Road.

Some interesting colors and textures. Notice the glaring sky. My polarizing lens does not take it out. The same fellow photographer suggests using a graduated filter. It's on my shopping list

Nicholas saw the plastic surgeon today. He is going to have a skin graft sometime next week. Bad news is that Nicholas won't be able to ride his bike for at least five weeks. He stills intends to do the Ride To Victory in September. He's a real trooper.

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 34

I ride 40 miles today and fall only once! Not bad, huh? I take Biddle Pike to Salem to Porter to Josephine to Frazier to Caney Creek to Sutcliff to Minors Branch to US 227 into Minorsville and back. I take these macro flower pics next to the Ivy House From Hell in Minorsville. I have some difficulty focusing these marco shots because a slight breeze causes the flowers to sway. Even so, I'm happy with the results. Left click for more detail.


The focus on this "bug" plant is behind the nettles. Notice the finer detail of the leaf veins. The wind was tricky on this one.
My "twinkle toes" shot along Minors Branch Road. The vital stats from my Cateye bike computer: Speed (12.9 mph avg., 36.9 mph max); Heart Rate (130 bpm avg., 157 bpm max.); and Cadence (75 pedal revolutions per minute avg., 145 pedal revolutions max.). I burn 1189 calories. Actual pedaling time is 3 hours, 9 minutes. This is my longest ride so far. I know I could have gone further. Need to start earlier in the day.

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 33

What kind of yahoo strings a barely visible white coiled electric fence across his driveway? That's what I want to know. The smell of toasted biker is not a pleasant smell. And it almost happens today during my 22 mile ride after work down Biddle Pike to Glass Pike with a detour down Sulphur Wells Road. I'm descending and approaching what looks like a left turn on Sulphur Wells. Well, the fast approaching left turn is actually a driveway strung with, you guessed it, "a barely visible white coiled electric fence." Hit the brakes HARD. Go down HARD. Miss by inches my chance for a really neat burned-on tattoo. Do a quick inventory of possible bike damage: one kaput water bottle, one cockeyed bike seat and one dislodged bike chain. I count my blessings.

No one ever warned me about the dangers of bicycling. Never in my worst nightmares did biking and electrocution go together. I've always seen biking as a healthy, relaxing roll down bucolic cow-studded country lanes. Silly me.

Other than that and running over a green snake (relax, the snake lives but now sports a really nifty tire pattern on his butt (?) that he can show off to his grandsnakes), this has been a great ride. I test out my new Cateye bike computer which measures, among other things, heart rate, cadence and calories burned. For the first few minutes of the ride I am officially dead. I have no displayed heart rate. Nonetheless, I keep pedaling waiting for my heart to catch up. It does and I record some really cool data from the bike computer: Speed (13 mph avg., 36.8 mph max.); Heart rate (122 beats per minute avg., 148 bpm max.); and Cadence (76 pedal revolutions per minute avg., 149 pedal revolutions per minute max. I burn 583 calories.

This pic and the ones that follow are from my July 16 ride. This is an odd building along North Dividing Ridge Road.

Goat farm along North Dividing Ridge.

Pig race track along Whiston Road. The owners had been at Scott County Public Library two weeks prior with their petting zoo.

That's one fast pig.

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 32

Getting really serious about my training. Went and bought me a new bike computer that measures speed, heart rate, cadence (how fast I pedal per minute) and calories burned. All of these measurements can be displayed in real time, average and maximum. There are lot more measurements available. My only complaint is that the numerals are too small for old geezer eyes. This might be something I hand down to my son.

More pics of the Pollard Henry Cemetery from my July 16 ride. This is taken from inside the cemetery looking across NE Countyline Road at an old shack.

There is a plastic case affixed to a wooden post which contains vital statistics of some of the people buried at the cemetery.
This is a closeup of the record for farmer and widower Pollard Mack Henry, died May 27, 1937 of chronic heart disease. Left click for a better look.

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 31

This is what it looks like this morn at 6:50 AM riding 18 miles down Biddle Pike to Skinnersburg to Glass Pike to Long Lick Pike and back. The fog fogs my glasses so I ride without them. I put my bike into sonar mode--ping! ping! ping! Something big and fast parts the fog directly in front of me. I swear it's a torpedo but it barks as it whizzes past. Barking torpedoes? Only in Kentucky. Anyway...what a great time of day to bike. It's cool. It's quiet. It's calming. Traffic is zilch. Distant mooing and barking and other critter sounds seem to carry further and have that special early morn-biking-Kentucky country road-barking torpedo quality. Ya know what I mean? Colors are subdued but richer. They aren't washed out by the noon day sun. Even smells are richer (that's an artsy-craftsy way of saying "smellier"). I pass through a pungent yet delightful aromatic cloud of tobacco as I pass an old tobacco barn on Glass Pike. Cow and horse manure twizzle my nose hair. Prayer seems the proper response on my return trip to get ready for 10:30 Mass. Glass Pike resounds with "Our Father," "Hail Mary," "St. Michael the Archangel," and "Angel of God my guardian dear." A final prayer of thanksgiving leaves my lips for heaven thanking God for watching over my son Nicholas during his recent biking accident.

Speaking of Nicholas...the plastic surgeon says Nicholas' elbow injury is healing nicely. No infection. He will need a skin graft though. He will meet again with the plastic surgeon next Friday to schedule the surgery.

This headstone pic and the following ones are from my July 16 ride. They were taken at the Pollard Henry Cemetery on NE Countyline Road.

There are a lot of Kidwells. "Cheak" is a bench.

Detail of headstone's soldier pic.

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 30

Nicholas had a biking accident Monday, July 20, a little past noon during his ride from Keenland to Frankfort on US 60. He was traveling over 20 mph on the shoulder nearing the Bluegrass Parkway when he reached down for his water bottle and lost control after hitting a big bump in the pavement. He was rushed to UK’s emergency room. There is a big deep open wound, called an avulsion, at his left elbow. The skin is completely gone exposing the fascia covering the muscle. There is no joint damage. His elbow is wrapped in gauze now. Nicholas says there is little pain. He will see a plastic surgeon this Friday to determine if he needs a skin graft.

It was a long day for all of us. We didn’t leave ER until 10:30 PM. It was a very busy place. Lynn and I are thankful for all the wonderful care and attention Nicholas received from doctors and nurses. We are also grateful for the help extended to our son by the Versailles police, Woodford County paramedics and the two Good Samaritan motorists who stopped to lend a hand.

And thank you to all of you for your concern and prayers. It’s a great comfort.

I've discovered that my son responds a lot better to medical treatment if a pretty nurse adminsters it. Typical man, huh?

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 29

More pics from my July 16 ride. These are pics of the Pollard Henry Cemetery along N.E. Countyline Road connecting Hinton Sadieville and Dryden roads. This portion of the road is loose gravel for one mile and requires some walking instead of riding. My bike points in the direction from which I came. I think the cemetery is in Harrison County.

Little baby Bessie Kidwell born Jan. 1906, died April 1906.

Closeup of baby Kidwell's angel. Left click for more detail.

Another angel headstone.

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 28

This big fella is fenced in with a goose along Double Culvert Road near US 25. There are dogs behind a separate fence. You should hear the noise these critters make as I take pics. The owner has a great alarm system. Didn't the ancient Romans use geese in this way?

I'm being dared to ride further down Hinton Sadieville Road. Stupid sign. Let's see what's ahead.

Double dare ya! Another stupid sign.

Methodist Church on Boyers Chapel Road. I'm not certain but I think this is in Harrison County.

The above pics are taken from my July 16 ride. Today, July 18, I ride 29 miles and feel really good. I power up each hill. No walking. I meet a friendly little beagle on Sims Road during my return trip. I befriend him. Big mistake. We are pals now. He follows me for two miles down Rogers Gap Road. I can't believe his perseverance with those little legs! He finally gives up after I open a big gap going down some fast descents. Wonderful little dog. Quite a change of pace from all the meat-eaters that chase us.

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 27

My knee feels great! I do 30 miles today beginning on Double Culvert at US 25 to Luke to Davis to Hinton Sadieville to NE Countyline to Dryden back on Dryden to Whitson back on Whitson to N. Dividing Ridge to Davis Turkeyfoot to Rogers Gap to Double Culvert. I climb just about all the hills without walking. I take a lot of pics today which really slows me down but there are so many pretty things out here. See all the flowers.

Dryden and Whitson roads take me into Harrison County. Wiley and Juanita, a very nice couple on Dryden at White Oak, fill my empty water bottle and even put ice in it! We have a nice chat about wild pig hunting in Florida (Wiley is from Polk County, FL) and clearing trees and brush from a fence-line. I invite them to visit Scott County Public Library.

I take a lot of pics today. I will post them in subsequent days. I won't need to take my camera. No more excuses about running out of time for that 50 miler.

My orthopedic doc releases me from his care. Today is also my last appointment with my physical therapist, Chad, at KORT. Chad and his assistants did a great job healing my knee. A KORT T-shirt is my graduation gift.

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 26

I ride alone for 23.5 miles after work down Rogers Gap to Double Culvert to Luke to Davis to Boyers Chapel and back. This is my first time on Boyers Chapel. I don't go far because I'm running out of daylight. I average 14.1 mph which is an improvement over yesterday's 13.8 mph. I feel good. Take a lot of hills without walking. Thinking of getting a cadence/heart monitor cyclocomputer to give me a better idea how my training is going. Meet some lady bikers earlier in the day before Mass at Georgetown's Lock & Key coffee joint. They suggest the Cateye brand cyclocomputer. The one lady is from Champaign, IL visiting her biking buddy from Lexington, KY who rides a Specialized. They biked in from Midway. The Illinois lady says she isn't used to hills.

Macro shot of pretty flower along Boyers Chapel Road fence.

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 25

I ride alone 20 miles after work. I take Rogers Gap to Double Culvert to Luke to Davis to the City of Sadieville. I feel good. A lot better than the last ride. It's cooler today. I'm able to climb some hills. I average 13.8 mph with a top speed of just over 40 mph during a descent on Luke. I love speed.

I use my polarizing lens to take out the glare on the side of the caboose. The reds and yellows are more vivid too--true to life. I use the Landscape setting for more depth of field.

Local boy, Robert H. Brooks, was quite the hero. I wasn't aware of his history.

Ride To Conquer Cancer, Training Progress, Part 24

Turkeyfoot Christian Church on Rogers Gap near Double Culvert.

Nicholas doing some biceps work during a break on Rogers Gap and Double Culvert near Turkeyfoot Christian Church.

Nicholas descending a steep hill on Double Culvert near Luke.