30 Days of Biking, Penultimate Day

Day 29, Crystal clear surf today. Like diamonds. (Pic 1)

Day 29, Biggie clam  (Pic 2)

We had a (rare) sunny day after several gray days for my second-to-last ride in April. I rode around Marblehead Neck, stopping by Goldthwait Beach to kill some time, and then over to Stowaway Sweets to pick up an order of chocolates I'd placed earlier in the morning. The waves were beautiful after the stormy days we've had, and I found another big clam shell on the beach. There have been some big ones lately!

As for the chocolate -- it was part of a deal.

Chip had been dragging his feet on his English assignments based on the book, Like Water for Chocolate. English has taken a lower priority with him as he prepares for his AP exams in Physics, Calculus, Statistics and French, but the English work still needs to get done. I saw there were 12 chapters in the book and told him I'd buy a box of Sweet Sloops at Harbor Sweets and for every chapter he read, he'd earn two chocolates. Will laughed at me and said, "That's not going to work. He's not five!". Well.. I thought it was a good idea?

Then this morning, Chip told me he finished the book. He started last night and read it to the end. (It's not a long book.) Hahahaha. I owed him chocolate. I went online and saw Harbor Sweets was closed and limited to online orders only, with shipping. Whereas Stowaway Sweets was taking call-in orders and offered at-door-pickup!! That was perfect (!) and their chocolates are soooo good.

I called in an order for an assorted selection of chocolates and picked them up from a special order pick-up box. Chip was quite happy. :) It's good to have a win these days.

Outside Stowaway Sweets, picking up my order.

The pickup box!

The best chocolates. Chip earned them.

Michigan Bound

We have another wolverine.

After weeks of indecision, Chip finally made his college selection -- he's chosen the University of Michigan, joining his brother on the Ann Arbor campus.  He had some excellent schools to choose from, planning to major in biomedical engineering -- and while I'd hoped he'd stay close to home at UMass, I know he's where he wants to be and he'll be happy on campus with his brother. We are a maize and blue family.

I'm going to miss my little partner-in-crime! He's been too busy for bike rides lately, but hopefully we'll get out on some trails together this summer. (Fingers crossed!)

The family that runs together (sort of)

Chip and his buddy Michael at a recent meet. Go Blue!

I'm chuckling a little that we all seem to be on a running kick here in the Cronin household. In addition to my half marathon training to prep for Alaska in June, Mike has begun his own half marathon training as well, waking at 4:45 a.m. twice a week to get in a run before heading to work. (Longer runs on the weekend). It's still ridiculously cold (and dark) at that hour in April, so he's been working out on the treadmill for now, planning to move outdoors when the weather improves.

Chip is running distance events on the high school track team this Spring, (opting not to sail this year). He's building on the success he had last Fall in cross country, and is running the one or two mile events on the track. He and Mike just purchased new track-specific racing spikes for his events. My pre-conceived notion that track was going to be the least expensive sport of the several he's been involved in has been proven wrong. Running shoes, running-specific insoles, track spikes, and team gear has come damn near close to lacrosse as far as expenses go. (Ka-ching).

I ran the Andrea Carey Memorial 5k run on Sunday and got my best time in a 5k(!), but not my best time in a 3-mile, which actually happened yesterday! Wahoo! I also rode in the rain for 30 Days of Biking and had an hour-long swim session last night, so I'm pretty beat today.

I mean, totally wiped out.

Wiped. Out.

Just a friendly reminder

The Northern Rail Trail

Rich and Chip take a break from the rain

Despite ambitious plans at the beginning of the summer, Chip and I decided last week not to ride this year's Harpoon Point to Point -- in part due to the low-key summer I've been having and lack of training. Instead, we tossed the mountain bikes in the back of the car and headed up to Ascutney to check out some trails. Rich was interested in riding as well -- as we've made a tradition out of doing the P2P together -- so he met us in Vermont on Saturday despite rain in the forecast.

Let me just add that I don't put much credence in weather forecasts -- they are always wrong. So when I heard thunderstorms were expected in the area, I didn't believe it. (Hahaha...)

From Ascutney, we drove 25 minutes north to Lebanon, New Hampshire to The Northern Rail Trail -- what a terrific discovery! The mixed terrain trail of hard packed dirt, crushed stone, and gravel extends for approximately 58 miles down the former Boston and Maine Rail line, beginning in Lebanon and traveling east/south to Boscawen on the Merrimack River. My initial plan was for us to ride as far as Danbury (28 miles/56 RT) but didn't count on torrential rain and severe thunderstorms to hit us. We headed out in a light, misty drizzle which eventually turned into drenching downpours with rumbles of thunder six miles into the trail.

Despite poor visibility and tough riding conditions in the rain, we continued on to Canaan (14 miles) where we found a charming breakfast/lunch spot, Dishin' it Out, still open for lunch with 30 minutes to spare. We walked in soaking wet and asked if it was still ok to get lunch. A few folks in the restaurant chuckled at our appearance, but all were genuinely nice and welcomed us right in, despite the fact we were leaving mud and puddles on the floor as we took a table. (A terrific place! We'll go back!)

"You're jumping in the lake?" "Why not? We're already soaked"

After lunch, we returned to the trail and headed back to Lebanon at a somewhat faster pace -- we gained 500 feet in elevation on our wet ride to Canaan, so it was nice to have a slight descent on the trek back). We stopped five miles out of Lebanon for Chip and Rich to check out a rope swing hanging over Mascoma Lake, and of course both took turns jumping into the lake. (Chip several times.) Their reasoning was that they were already soaked from the rain, so why not jump in the lake? Hahaha... (At this point, my Strava app quit, probably while I was taking a video of the two of them jumping into the lake, but in all, we rode just under 28 miles round trip.)

Catching that moment just before splashdown

We had a great adventure on The Northern Rail Trail despite the wet weather challenges; Scenic lake and mountain views, seven river crossings in the first four miles, an abandoned mill and waterfall, an old train depot; Chip wiping out on a bridge, and Rich and I almost doing the same behind him; and both boys scaring the hell out of me showing me an enormous spider in the tunnel (eesh)... it was a fun afternoon. I'm looking forward to checking out other parts of the trail in the future!

He stole my bike...

Chip and I headed out for a trail ride on Saturday... 

but ended up ditching those plans after an off-trail side trip to the Farmer's Market, 

(where he bought cider donuts)... 

and then ending up at the beach (for lime rickey's)... 

'cause that's how we roll.

Dogtown with Chippy. Laughing so hard it hurt

Chip's lacrosse game in Gloucester early Sunday morning gave us a good opportunity to explore Dogtown Commons after the game, so we tossed both MTBs into the car and made a plan for adventure. And OMG, what a crazy adventure it was!!

Soon after entering Dogtown, we got lost -- though were eventually able to pick up a signal on the phone to download a map. We then went in search for the Babson Boulders -- created by philanthropist Roger Babson, who commissioned unemployed Finnish stonecutters to inscribe inspirational messages into boulders throughout the woods during the Great Depression. It was a crazy "scavenger hunt" -- following a main trail which became confusing with crisscrossing trails and forks in the road. I don't know how we managed. (Chip lead the way. Hahaha...)

The trail was 50% passable by bike, very rough terrain at times, so we hiked quite a lot, but it was one of the best adventures. Chip gave it a ten out of ten for adventure and I couldn't stop laughing at our ability to get lost despite our "map". (We found 16 of the 27 boulders.)

Funniest, craziest day in a long time. So much fun.

"I know where we are. Rockport's that way." Good to know.

"This is for Will."

"Just follow me. I don't need a map."

Adventures with Chip, MTB

I had to buy him a burrito at Qdoba today, as incentive to drive to Bradley Palmer State Park for some mountain biking with me, but it was worth it. Chip and I had a great afternoon riding trails, getting a little lost, trying to avoid the areas where hunting is allowed... because being mistaken for a deer would be a bad. About halfway through our ride, Chip asked, "How many miles have we gone?" Ha. I was afraid to tell him I forgot to press the start button on the Garmin. "Ummmm... two?"

"That's not right", he replied. Funny how he instinctually knows how far we've gone, and yet still asks me how far we've ridden. Every time. On every ride.

"You didn't start the Garmin, did you." (More of a statement than a question.)

"Ummmm... no?" (He rolls his eyes, shakes his head, and rides off. I then start the Garmin.)

He was in a crabby mood for a short while after that, and later tried to convince me that he was just in a bad mood because he was thinking about school and his annoying math teacher... but really, he was mad at me because I didn't start the Garmin. I didn't have the numbers right. Sigh.

No Garmin, No Rules!

It was a great day for a great ride, though, and always fun to adventure with Chippy, my partner-in-crime. I'm crossing my fingers the new Kona 29er arrives this week. This amazing weather isn't going to last forever!

Coffeeneuring Ride #5, Atomic Cafe

Another Sunday, another football game, and another ride for the Coffeeneuring Challenge. Sometimes it feels like I'm hitting the repeat button.

Chip had a home game today -- his last game of the regular season before the playoffs begin. I followed our typical game-ride routine, (which applies to both Fall football and Spring lacrosse), and dropped him off at the football field an hour before the game while I headed out for my ride -- this time to Atomic Cafe in Marblehead for Coffeeneuring ride #5, (7.5 miles). I was feeling sluggish from the get-go, (a Halloween candy hangover, for sure), and almost desperate for coffee, so the cappucino from Atomic was really a treat. (Excellent coffee.)

There's just a few more weeks left to this coffeeneurring challenge which ends November 14th. I'm hoping the great weather continues!

(PS. Chippy and his teammates suffered a tough loss today, coming down to the final seconds of the game, but the boys in blue had a great season and landed the #2 spot in the playoffs. Great job! Go Blue!)

Adventures with Chip, Coffeeneuring "Pumpkin Challenge"

Hot cider, coffee and donuts at Russell Orchards

It was a coooold day for ride #3 of the Coffeeneuring Challenge. Chip and I were deceived by early morning sunshine, thinking it was a bit warmer than it actually was, and made a plan to take some back roads to Russell Orchards in Ipswich for coffee, cider, and donuts. Chip remarked, "Oh! I can get a pumpkin!" as he grabbed a backpack despite my skepticism, while I grabbed the Garmin, knowing his propensity to ask how far we've gone every half mile. (I estimated our ride to be 15-20 miles... I was a bit off.)

Did I mention it was cold? OMG 45 degrees, although the Garmin stats I uploaded later stated it was 41. Ya. Winter is here. We pushed through the wind while our faces went numb, neither of us understanding a word the other said because our ears were covered. We made it to Russell Orchards, and that's when the fun began.

We enjoyed hot apple cider, toasty hot apple cider donuts, and coffee (for me). Really worth the ride. 

Chippy then went in search of a pumpkin... and took half an hour amongst the hundreds of pumpkins trying to choose the "right" one! I was dyyyyying as I watched him pick up one enormous pumpkin after another. What was he thinking?! Eventually he settled on two medium-sized pumpkins, (which he named "Plumpkin" and "Pulpy"), that barely fit in his backpack. Together they weighed 11.6 pounds.

OMG, the ride home was hysterical. With nearly 12 pounds of pumpkin on his back, we rode a bit slower,  stopping a few times to adjust the backpack. I had a feeling he wouldn't make it the entire 14 miles back to Beverly, and I'd end up hauling "Plumpkin" and "Pulpy" home, but he persevered. At this point in the day, the sun was gone, and heavy cloud cover made it feel even colder. The miles went quick though, as Chip would share his thoughts as he rode... "I think all pro riders should weight train this way. With pumpkins. It's a pumpkin challenge."

Hahahaha... a great coffeeneuring ride today... 27.6 miles of pumpkin adventure.

"I think all pro riders should weight train this way."

#_dayswithoutwipeouts

A hot, hot, hot day for some trail riding fun! Chip and I headed to Lynn Woods yesterday on the mountain bikes, where I think we did more hiking than biking, but still had a blast. 

It's really hard to ride with Chip without laughing the whole time. He was the leader today, and decided we'd explore the "green trail". OMG, I think I carried my bike nearly the entire way up the trail. It was totally impassable by bike. 

Chip leads the way up the green trail

We hiked and rode and hiked some more -- exploring trails and challenging each other. Riding over the rocks and rough terrain reminded me I'm still a little sore from Saturday's spill... and I probably rode on my brakes a little more than usual because of it. Chip, meanwhile, careened over everything.

He has given me a new personal hashtag -- "#_dayswithoutwipeouts". Today was #1dayswithoutwipeouts. (And apparently it's important to stay grammatically incorrect here.) He then had me in giggles telling me about a whiteboard at the water park that read, "1 Days Without Disaster", with the number "1" written in marker.  Hahaha... just one day?!?! Hahahahahaha... 

So now he's keeping track of how many rides I can go without having a wipeout. Hence "#_dayswithoutwipeouts". Dying.

We only logged in about 4 miles today on the trails, but it was definitely a fun and challenging ride. So many laughs. Next time we're avoiding the green trail, though. Geeesh. That was tough!

I got this. No... not really.

Happy Birthday, Chip!

These boys are getting big, but Chippy is still my baby! Happy birthday, Chip!

Adventures off the bike

It's not a race!!!

Chip and I took a break from cycling and headed out on the water on Friday -- me by kayak and Chip by paddleboard. Of course he had to take the lead around Salem Harbor. Hahahaha. I'm always chasing him. Seriously, Chip. It's not a race!

We had such a perfect day -- I don't want summer to end!

Harpoon Point to Point

Chip loved his rider jersey and made this pic his screensaver

Ready to ride

Chip!!! Ohmigosh, he cracks me up. We had a GREAT time over the weekend riding the 25 mile route of the Harpoon Point to Point. It was Chip's first ride event and the longest mileage for him, but no kidding I think he could have handled the 50. He was strong! Rich joined us for the ride, (his third P2P), and both guys left me well behind on the hills -- the first on Back Mountain Road and the second on the dreaded three mile Brownsville-Hartland Climb. (I expected it.) For me, it wasn't my best Point to Point, and looking at my Strava stats I noted it took me 15 minutes longer to climb BHC this year. Ha!

On our drive home, Chip talked non-stop about the ride, and cycling in general, and how much fun he had. He's decided that cycling is his sport -- the way swimming is for Will, and tennis is for Zach -- and can't wait for another event. He made a plan for us to ride the P2P 50 next year and the 100 in 2016. Ambitious! It's a good thing I've restarted my training efforts, because I'm going to have to work hard next year to keep up with him. Seriously.

Chip's "selfie" of Team Cronin-Schalck at the start

The guys chose a shady spot next to some sheep
while waiting for me on a hill.

Adventures with Chip

Morning thunderstorms in Portsmouth postponed Saturday's Annual Tri-State Cohen Classic ride along the New Hampshire/Maine Seacoast to July 25th. I was disappointed the ride was pushed off a week, as I was looking forward to the coastal ride with Chip, but we kinda/sorta made up for it on Saturday with a hot, hot ride to Winter Island and Salem Willows. Not exactly the 50 mile coastal ride we had planned for Saturday, but tons of fun, including stops at the arcade for Pac-Man and Skee Ball... and Chip feeding his inner beast with a chop suey sandwich. He makes me laugh.

This kid is always hungry.

Summer Fun

Chip's longest ride to date... a 22 mile loop through Beverly, Manchester and Magnolia. He's doing great on the road bike and enjoys beating me on the hills. Gotta love it.

Rides this summer have largely been Garmin-free, unless he reminds me to take it. Since I haven't been training for anything this summer I don't feel the need to record mileage, route or speed... but Chippy wants to know details. "How fast are we going?" "What mileage are we at?" He's anxious to know the stats.

EOD friends were in town over the weekend and gave me a little push to start training for an October ride in California in honor of Kevin. I wish I were riding, but at this point in the summer, I know I can't pull it off. I've been enjoying this carefree summer a little too much.

Lynn Woods MTB

Chip's in charge of the map (in case we get lost)

Dungeon Rock. Creepy.

Adventuring

Boston Skyline from atop Stone Tower

Great time exploring Lynn Woods on the mountain bikes.
Another great adventure with Chippy.

Hahaha... and more adventures with Chip

Chip loves the road bike!! A fourteen mile loop of Marblehead Neck and the outer roads of town was his longest ride to date. He's quite pleased with his mileage and is getting more comfortable on the road. Of course we couldn't pass Lime Rickey's without stopping for a treat and watching a volleyball game on the beach. I love our rides!

Adventures with Chip

Trail adventures!

I needed a break from my projects today, and a trail ride was the perfect escape. Of course Chip wanted to join me on my ride... because he's awesome. We headed down the trail, chatting it up, climbing the trail behind Hawthorn Pond, and then heading over to try a different trail head to the Forest Rivers Conservation Area. OMG, rocky and narrow and steep and twisty-turny downhill!! SO FUN!!!!! I couldn't stop laughing. 

Um, Chip. You go first. 

We had a great day, a fun ride, and we saw a bunny!! (Good find, Chippy!)

Fun times. Love this kid.