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Personal Sphere of Freedom: The Six-Foot Social Contract
Mayor Bowser called me today (yes, on my phone!) to advise that D.C. is under a stay-at-home order and to limit outings to essential trips. After talking with her – alright, it was really a recorded message sent to all District residents – I read it. The order includes language stating that one of its… Continue reading
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Tired is Not an Emergency
“Tired is not an emergency” reads the note on my D.C. Randonneurs cue sheet. “But please do let us know if you abandon.” Unlike club centuries or event rides, randonneuring rides offer minimal support. Nobody carries your stuff around, nobody feeds you along the ride (although you might score some pizza at the end), and… Continue reading
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Seeing Clearly through Anxious Times
Hello readers, how are you doing? I wanted to say hello and that I hope everyone is taking care of themselves. In D.C., the flowers are blooming, and the cherry blossoms are primed to peak in the next couple of days. The sun shines longer in the sky and glows warm when it peeks out… Continue reading
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A Fraidy Cat’s Tale of the Monster Cross 50 Miler
Everybody, I met someone. It happened last week at the Monster Cross 50 Miler in Pocahontas State Park, Virginia (route here). I’m still reeling from our interaction. This person is daring. Roots and gravel roll under her wheels and her face is unruffled. Bring it, her expression seems to say. She has no qualms about… Continue reading
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Valentine to the Active Transportation Seekers
I see you run commuting, riding to the grocery store, and walking to places unknown purely under your own power. I observe your subtle acts of social change as I move through the city, and this year you inspired me to write you a valentine. Active transportation seekers, you are changing the landscape and I… Continue reading
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One Month Plus with No Added Sugar
Every year I write goals about not eating junk food and losing weight. Almost every year I declare failure in meeting these targets, and add them onto next year’s resolution list. I was in the midst of doing just last month when I scratched them out. Not this year. I’ve spent a lot of years… Continue reading
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Digging Deep with D.C. Randonneurs: Kelly Smith
This year our local cycling club, the D.C. Randonneurs, added two new categories of recognition to its 2019 awards. The first of these was the Digging Deep award. Criteria for this award was to nominate a rider who you saw experiencing a challenge during a ride – such as a wild detour, an unusual mechanical… Continue reading
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Winter Challenge: The Errandonnee 2020 (ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE)
ANNOUNCEMENT: The Errandonnee is suspended as of 3/15. I’ll open up another window for Errandonnee completion once the current situation settles and we are free to move about again. If you’ve already completed and just need to let me know about your completed errands in order to qualify for the grand patch prize, please do.… Continue reading
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All My Yesterdays
My yesterdays are all stacked up in piles. I have the yesterdays of high school, where I dreamed of moving away to the city. There are yesterdays of college and post-college where I worked nonstop to pay off debt and start a career. Then yesterdays of my 30s, which are interspersed with strange hiccups that… Continue reading
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Coffeeneuring Challenge: Final Update
Happy New Year, everyone, I hope you are all doing well. This post is to advise everyone that all Coffeeneuring Challenge treasure was mailed in the last week of December. That means that those in the U.S. should definitely have received their items by now, and most in all other places should have as well.… Continue reading
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2019 in Photos: Charging Forward
Much of 2019 has been a year of charging forward without looking back, compared to previous years where I took time to do so throughout the months. With one day remaining in 2019, I thought I’d walk through my favorite photos from the past year, and reflect on the months gone by. January January brought… Continue reading
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Coffeeneuring Challenge 2019 Prizes
Final submissions for the 2019 Coffeeneuring Challenge have begun to roll into Coffeeneuring Headquarters so it’s time to share some details about the finishers prizes for this year. US Finishers Prize! We are mixing it up in 2019. This year’s premium for US finishers is a 40 mm (approximately 1.5 inches) enamel pin designed by… Continue reading
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Chasing Canted Pavement: Marine Corps Marathon Inaugural 50K
In between World Series games, I lined up for the inaugural edition of the Marine Corps Marathon 50K (MCM50K). As one of the signs I ran past during the run read, it seemed like a good idea six months ago. This was not only the first time Marine Corps had offered a 50K option, it… Continue reading
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Coffeeneuring Challenge Flashback: Data Data Data
After last year’s Coffeeneuring Challenge, several people asked me about breaking out some of the information on last year’s participants. Due to [insert excuse here], it never happened. But friends, that is all about to change! As we roll into week two of the 2019 season, here is a look back on the participated last… Continue reading
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On Your Marks: Coffeeneuring Challenge Prep Materials!
October 11 is right around the corner, and that means go time, so I hope you are all making your 2019 Coffeeneuring Challenge plans now. But wait! There are a few things I want to share with you before you roll away into this year’s challenge. Control Cards Thanks to Doug of Umbrella Works, we… Continue reading
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Coffeeneuring Challenge 2019: Eight is Great and So Are We
On October 11, 2019, the Chasing Mailboxes Coffeeneuring Challenge returns for another year. That’s right my friends, it’s year eight for this relaxed cycling endeavor for people everywhere. If you like riding a bike and enjoy drinking coffee or tea (or even hot chocolate or cider), consider this fall challenge. Eight is great, and I’d… Continue reading
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Coffeeneuring Challenge: Starts October 11, 2019
Details to follow. In the meantime be sure to put the eighth consecutive year of the Coffeeneuring Challenge on your calendar. We start October 11 and go through November 25, 2019. In the interim, I still have Always Be Coffeeneuring club patches available for those interested in some pre-season swag. $5 is all it takes… Continue reading
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PBP 2019 Ride Reports and Stories
Ride reports have been popping up all over since the conclusion of Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) 2019. These stories come from various parts of the world, and I’ve been enjoying seeing the event from other riders’ perspectives. It also gives me an even better sense of how large PBP really is. I’m going to use this page… Continue reading
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Abebe Bikila Half-Marathon: PBP After-Effects and Sub-Two
With my legs and head two weeks away from our great Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) ride, I lined up for the Abebe Bikila Half-Marathon, an out-and-back course along the C&O Canal. I had been running some before we left and definitely ridden a lot of cycling miles in our lead-up to the big dance in France. I… Continue reading
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Paris-Brest-Paris 2019: Sleep Stop Serenade
Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP), Day 3. Around 30 miles to reach Mortagne-au-Perche, and my watch says it’s close to midnight. Despite momentary jubilation over a math miscalculation where I thought we had more than 50 miles left for the day, I’ve resorted to slogging. Over 600 miles of pedaling has eliminated all pop in the legs. I… Continue reading
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Journey to Paris-Brest-Paris
We wrapped up our final prep ride for Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) with a 600K permanent and I went out to get a new haircut the next week. Our last big training ride done, in the midst of some considerable swelter. It felt right to note the occasion with a new look. Now we are here on… Continue reading
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D.C. Randonneurs Shenandoah 600K: Out of My Comfort Zone
After last year’s 600K, where I showed up physically ready but mentally underprepared, I spent much of this year’s series of brevets assembling my 600K face. As I said in 2018, you can’t shove your 400K and 200K faces together and expect a 600K to go well. Every distance needs its own face. I burned… Continue reading
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The Answer to All My Questions: D.C. Randonneurs Northern Exposure 400K
The past couple of years have been oversaturated with persistent questions. What am I doing with my life? Where do we go when we die? Am I doing the “right” things? What should I have done differently? What can or should I still do? These questions pester and burden more than they used to do,… Continue reading
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D.C. Randonneurs Warrenton 300K Pre-Ride
Today features a guest post from D.C. Randonneur and brevet organizer Bob C., who we accompanied this past Saturday on the Warrenton 300K checkout ride. Bob’s summary encapsulates our day on the bike and also provides helpful information to those who will be riding the event, starting at 5 a.m. on May 11. (All photos… Continue reading
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Frederick 300K: Sway Under Sun
For our recent D.C. Randonneurs 300K, I had imagined a ride that also served as a sort of bike therapy. Based on previous outings on this course, I conjured up a head-clearing tour through the hills of orchard country, tempered with peaceful farm roads in the middle, and a nice glide into the ride finish.… Continue reading
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BikeDC’s Dave Salovesh
We had the ghost bike installation for Dave Salovesh this past weekend, and I stood there staring in disbelief the whole time with my leg propping up my bike as I wondered when Dave would ride by to see it and what he would think when he did. This can’t be happening. This didn’t happen.… Continue reading
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Go Time With the D.C. Randonneurs: Nokesville Nomad 200K
Like many randonneurs, Felkerino and I have decided to throw our hat in the ring for this year’s edition of Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP). (We plan to be part of the 84-hour starting group.) This great ride, which kicks off in August, requires that riders complete a full brevet series – that is, a 200K, 300K, 400K,… Continue reading
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The Errandonnee: Welcome Spring!
April is here, the blossoms are out, and it’s time for the seventh running of the Errandonnee. Do you like transportation cycling or running, or have you been wanting to give it a go? Then the Errandonnee is just right for you! This challenge is designed for the utility cyclist and transportation runner with errands… Continue reading
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Bike Tour Birthday Contrasts
March 2018. It’s my birthday and Felkerino and I are bike touring through California desert. Sand spreads out on all sides, the road undulates ahead. Cars and trucks zip by periodically, reminding us that we are not alone. Even so it feels like we are the only exposed creatures out here. Nonstop sun pours down,… Continue reading
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Furlough Special: Rock ‘n Roll D.C. Marathon
The year kicked off to a strange start in my neck of the woods, leaving me a January with no paycheck and plenty of time. To escape the incessant headlines refresh, I kicked my butt outside most days to burn off some stress and log some miles on two feet. I also had recently received… Continue reading
Chasing MailBoxes 