Coffeeneuring 2024: Pushing the deadline

Sunrise ride

Well, despite getting an extra week after Coffeeneuring 2024 was extended, I still managed to finish this year's challenge on the last day. (I'm happy to note my fellow 30 Days of Biking friend Pam did the same. Lol.) Gosh, life got crazy this month. One obstacle this fall was trying to get out on the bike during my running "off" days.

Yesterday, (Monday, Nov 25th), kicked off a busy holiday week. I'd awoken at 4:30 a.m., my brain unable to shut down from over-thinking the challenging days ahead of me -- so I decided to get the day started with a final Coffeeneuring ride to clear my head. I tossed my mountain bike in the back of the car and headed to Devereaux Beach for the sunrise, and then rode out around the lighthouse and back into town for coffee at Plus Cafe. It was exactly what I needed to start the day.

Bonus: I found one of my besties, Amy, waiting at Devereaux Beach for the sunrise. (✿ •‿•)

Coffeeneuring Ride 7: Cafe Latte at Plus Café

Thanksgiving week... a good excuse to splurge

It's been a stressful month, and I've overcommitted myself a hundred times over, but I'm still managing to get things done. At the bottom of the list is my upcoming 5k with Chip! I've not yet "graduated" from my C25K running program, but I'm close. (I've repeated a few weeks.) 

The Feaster Five (race) is just a few days away. A storm is expected on race day, and honestly I'd rather not run in a cold rain, so Chip (home from grad school) and I may pivot and run our own Feaster Five on Friday instead. We pick up our race packets tomorrow and will decide on race day whether to run the Andover course on Thanksgiving or punt it to Friday. 

Coffeeneuring 2024 is officially over, but our mild weather (for November) continues. Hopefully I'll be able to get in a few more coffee rides before the winter settle in.

Always be Coffeeneuring.

Seeking a little peace and serenity this week

Coffeeneauring, Island Time

Oak Bluffs

Our summer was so busy, Mike and I couldn't squeeze in a vacation getaway until the weekend of Columbus Day -- also known as Indigenous Peoples Day in Massachusetts. My first plan was to head to Maine, which we've always enjoyed and where Mike is considering retiring, but I was thrown a wrench in my plans when he informed me he had a Patriots home game that weekend. Lol. Shoot. Making a pivot, I rented a place in Bourne for a few days so we could attend the game together on Sunday, and then took a ferry to Martha's Vineyard for the rest of the week.

Yo, Martha's Vineyard is deadddd in mid-October. We had a lovely time and it was a nice escape, but most of the shops and restaurants were closed for the season -- and do you know how hard it was to find an open coffee shop?! Well, I can tell you there were none in Oak Bluffs.

Closed

On our last morning on the island, I borrowed a bike from Sun n' Fun on Lake Ave -- a step-through Marin Kentfield with a sturdy basket -- and rode several miles down the windy coastline towards Edgartown; then weaving back to Oak Bluffs through sweet neighborhoods, googling "coffee near me" on the way, I soon discovered I was in the wrong village for coffee. Every stop I made was met with a sign reading, "Closed for the Season". Every. Stop. Mocha Motts. Toccopuro. Bass Best. Back Door Donuts. Undaunted by the challenge, but knowing I had little time to ride out to Vineyard Haven, I swung over to Winston's Kitchen for a coffee and a blueberry muffin to go and sat in the sun at Oak Bluffs Harbor for Coffeeneuring Ride 2.

 

Coffeeneuring Ride 2: Winston's Kitchen for a
coffee and blueberry muffin on Oak Bluffs Harbor

Note: Winston's Kitchen is a gem. We visited several eateries on Martha's Vineyard during our stay, and the takeout from Winston's Kitchen, (fried chicken for Mike; loaded baked potato soup and a sandwich for me), bested them all. 

We had a great time on the vineyard... it really is beautiful at this time of year and the gingerbread cottages were especially pretty amongst the fall foliage... but alas our vacation was too short. We are now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Coffeenuring Time!

Coffeeneuring Ride 1: A beachy brew and
apple cider donut. A perfect fall day!

My blog gets updated so infrequently these days and if it were not for Coffeeneuring, it would remain dusty through the fall. I love, love this time of year -- crispy autumn days, casual rides for coffee, the changing colors of the leaves... so fabulous.

I kicked off Coffeeneuring 2024, now my 7th or 8th year (I've lost track), with a trail ride to Salem and a loop through the Forest River Conservation area. I ran a few miles earlier in the day in Andover and felt energized to hop on my bike when I returned home -- it was such a gorgeous day (!) -- but by the time I hit Salem I felt my energy drain. I needed coffee!! Since Salem is a madhouse in October, I returned down the trail to Marblehead to grab a coffee at Java Sun and breakfast by the beach. 

Trails today!

The foliage is still very green along the coast, but not for much longer. I started training with a running group that meets early on Sunday mornings in Andover, gearing up for the Feaster Five on Thanksgiving day, and noticed the colors up north are really popping. Riding our trail at home I noted the coastal towns are a week or two behind. It won't be much longer before the leaves change, though -- it's getting chilly at night!

Fall colors, cooler temps, and more coffee rides ahead! Coffeeneuring 2024 is underway.

Midweek Ride, Coffeeneuring #4

By the Ipswich River

Since I got a "late" start to this year's Coffeeneuring Challange, I knew I'd need to double up one week in order to get in an extra coffee ride during the six week stretch. (Official rules allow (no more than) two rides per week counting towards the 7 ride goal. 

On Wednesday I headed out to Danvers for a mid-week ride and rode the multi-named rail trail to Boxford. At the end of the trail in Boxford (10ish miles), I turned around and headed back through Topsfield for a coffee stop at Zumi's Cafe on Main Street. What a great place! I sat outside at a cute table in the sun and enjoyed an iced latte and chewy chocolate chip cookie. Perfect!

Iced Latte at Zumi's in Topsfield

Heading back to Danvers, I took a side cutoff over to the Wenham Canal, but saw an oddly placed "No Trespassing" sign near the corner. I'm not sure what that's all about. There were a few people walking by the canal, so the sign, and the odd placement of it, was a little confusing. 

The foliage is well past peak here in Massachusetts, but the colors are still gorgeous. Fall is fading fast.

At the Wenham Canal 

King Challenge, 25 of 30

Roads like these

I had a late night on Friday, attending The Lion King on Broadway at the Boston Opera House with Mike and Chip, so getting up early Saturday morning to drive to New Hampshire was a challenge within a challenge. Still, I didn’t want to bail on the King Challenge Ride, (a charity ride for brain injury recovery), so I dragged myself out of bed at 6:30 to hit the road.

I chose to ride the 30 mile route, (60 is well beyond my endurance level at this point), and planned to ride alone. The only other riders I knew, Vanderkitten Jen M. and Suzanne D., were positioned up front with the lead pack while I settled in comfortably near the rear. It was a lovely ride on country roads, passing farms and orchards, stables and barns, sparkling streams and brilliant foliage. It’s truly a gorgeous ride.

Around mile 12-14 I lost my ability to change gears. Either one of my inner cables broke or my derailleur was damaged. I’m leaning towards the former. I tried to manually move the chain to an easier gear to help with the hilly terrain, with no luck — I was permanently stuck in high gear. After two miles of riding single-speed, I checked the gps map of the route and decided to cut my ride short by taking a right on Exeter Road at mile 15.5 instead of a left, essentially trimming five miles off my ride. That’s ok. I was happy with 25.

Back at the start and the post-ride after-party, I ran into Jen and chatted with her briefly, (Suzanne was out on the 60 mile route), but I felt a little awkward hanging around and decided to just head out. I grabbed a veggie burger, changed out of my cycling clothes, and left to find coffee.

It was a lovely day and a great ride for a great cause. I’m tired, though.

Foliage along the Exeter River

Happy Thanksgiving!

We've had spectacular weather this Thanksgiving holiday week with temperatures in the sixties. After P2 on Wednesday, I brought my road bike home, planning to get in a short ride on Thanksgiving morning before Will's football game at ten. (Unfortunately, the Big Blue suffered a crushing loss to Marblehead... and I'm not even going to mention the score.)

It was nice to get in a ride, (even if it was just ten miles), before joining the family for Thanksgiving dinner. Since I got in a short workout early in the day, I didn't feel guilty having a small piece of lemon pie and chocolate cake for dessert. (Cake, because it's niece Hannah's birthday, and how could I not celebrate that?) 

I'm in training, though, with 15 pounds to drop. Another short ride on Friday out to Winter Island and the Willows hopefully took care of my cake indescretion.

Love this mild weather. Sure wish it would continue. Happy Thanksgiving!

Coffeeneuring Ride #7, Gulu-Gulu Cafe, Mission Complete

Coffeenurring Ride 7, Gulu-Gulu Cafe

Seven weeks, seven rides, seven coffee shops! Today I wrapped up the Coffeeneuring Challenge with a pre-game ride to Gulu-Gulu Cafe in Salem. I had a longer ride planned for the afternoon, as Chip's FINAL football game -- a Championship game for the NECYFL title -- was local. But at the last minute I realized I left my road bike at the B&S Fitness Facilities after P2 last week! Ugh. Change of plans -- I took the mountain bike to Salem instead, no problem, just a shorter and slower ride.

It was busy at the Gulu-Gulu. I drank part of my coffee inside and then headed out to a cafe table where it was a little quieter before continuing on to Chip's game. The coffee at Gulu-Gulu was decent, though not as good as it could have been. (And sadly, Chip's game was a crushing loss for the Blue.) Just a bummer afternoon.

Coffee rankings during the challenge, from best to least favorite:
1. Atomic Cafe, Marblehead, BEST COFFEE
2. Jaho Coffee and Tea, Salem
3. Gulu-Gulu Cafe, Salem
4. Shubie's Marketplace, Marblehead, NICEST STAFF.
5. Ohlin's Bakery, Watertown
6. Russell Orchards, Ipswich, BEST CIDER, BEST RIDE.
7. The Driftwood, Marblehead

And that wraps up the Coffeeneuring Challenge 2015!

Window reflection outside Gulu-Gulu Cafe

Loving Off-Road, Loving Fall

I'm hoping this great weather continues for a while...

Trail riding at Bradley Palmer State Park today.

Just a few wipeouts and two new bruises. Maybe three.

And two deer!

Great day.

Chasing the Sun

Daylight saving time.

Tough getting used to the 4:30 pm sunset.

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!)

Coffeeneuring Ride #4, Football and Fall

Coffeeneuring Ride #4, loving Fall

With Mike off running the Marine Corps Marathon this weekend, I was alone to cover the weekend football game shuffle. Will, (sidelined with an achilles/calf strain), had a memorial service for a coach early Saturday morning, followed by a game a few hours later -- so I had no time for a ride on Saturday but enough time for a quick run. I'm starting to get a little better at this running thing!

Chip had a game on Sunday in Watertown an hour away -- and had to be at the field an hour early -- so I had another looong day of football planned. Not wanting to postpone a coffeeneuring ride until late in the day, I threw my bike in the car to tool around Watertown during the hour pre-game warm-ups.

It was a rainy Sunday morning and I didn't ride far -- just a mile or so from the fields to Ohlin's Bakery in Belmont. (Not far from a Starbucks which may have had better coffee, but I chose to go local and glad I did. The coffee was great!) While at the bakery, I received a text alert letting me know that Mike and Owen finished their marathon, (yaaay guys, so proud!) and a second text from the mom of RAAM sista Ingrid Hillhouse, letting me know that Ingrid had just finished the 383 mile ultra race No Country for Old Men. (The race is organized by our fellow RAAM crewmate (and ultra cycling legend) Dex Tooke). Ingrid was the 4th place overall finisher and the ONLY solo woman to complete NCOM. Amazing.

Quite a day for greatness.

Energized by their accomplishments, I grabbed my coffee from the bakery, bypassing all of the temptations, and headed back to the football field in the rain. I arrived in time to catch the opening drive and later saw Chip make a 25 yard catch at the 15 yard line. OMG, his first reception! Definitely a weekend of aweseomness.

The coffee was good at Ohlin's Bakery, Belmont

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."

Krempels King of the Road Challenge

We had a spectacular fall day for the Krempels King of the Road Challenge in Exeter, New Hampshire -- probably the most gorgeous route I've actually been on in a while. The foliage was peaking, the air cool but not bitter, and the roads beautifully serene. Quintessential New England.

I joined Alison, Kristen, Amy and Jen for the event -- galvanized by Alison and her love for ride organizer/pro rider Ted King. I'd previously balked at the idea, knowing New Hampshire can often get snow in the middle of October, but I'm glad I went. We had a fantastic day with great people -- a fun ride for a good cause -- raising money for the Krempels Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Definitely looking forward to riding again next year!

Fall Folliage, Love these girls

Nothing beats stress better than laughter... and I can count on Alison, Lisa, and Lila to make everything seem right in the world. After a stressful two weeks, (brought on by hazing accusations against my oldest's football team, good grief), it felt good to get out for a long ride with great friends. Lisa led the way down gorgeous backroads -- sometimes riding fast, sometimes riding slow to chat, while sharing many laughs along the way. The air was crisp, the leaves are just starting to change... Fall is here. A great ride with great friends!

Topsfield/Ipswich

After Saturday's frigid morning ride with the Cyclopaths, yesterday's 45 degree temps felt balmy in comparison. Lila planned a great route for the "Bitchez on Wheels" ride, which included Lila, Lisa N., Alison E., Jennifer El., her friend Rob, (and me) -- 30 miles along the quiet roads of Topsfield and Ipswich -- and tons of fun. Thanks, Lila! Great route!!

Marblehead Harbor

A quick 8 miles

Riding before the sunset

Ran out of daylight.

Fall Farmer's Market

Today's ride was a chilly one, with cloudy skies and a touch of drizzle. I had a busy day ahead and didn't ride very far -- just enough to knock off my P2 homework before Chip's football game. At the end of my ride, I stopped at the farmer's market to pick up a few things... butternut squash, pears, maple syrup, apple cider, and a few onions... and then popped the squash in the oven to slowly roast on a low heat while I was at the game. (It was the last game of the season for Chip. Sadly, they didn't win.) 

When we got home, the house smelled sooo amazing. I finished the prep work for Roasted Butternut-Pear soup, and had it simmering in a pot in no time. Mmmmmm... sooooo good. Perfect for a fall day.

Day 13: 30 Days of Biking, Orchard Stop

I overslept this morning after a hectic Friday, missing my Cyclopath breakfast ride out of Salem.

"No problem", I thought. "I have all day for my ride!!"

Hahaha.... "Noooooooo", said Mike. "Chip has a game later today." 

Rats!

After downing a cup of coffee, I headed out to start my ride in Beverly -- which I've been doing lately to avoid the chaos of Salem. We had a cool, overcast day, with a strong wind, but I managed to make my way to Ipswich in decent time, stopping to pick up some honey at Russell Orchards. (And, well, I treated myself to a very non-paleo cider donut while I was at it). I had a head wind on the return trip but still got home in time to get Chip to Manning Bowl in Lynn for his game. (Mike was working today.)

Sadly, they lost, 42-7. Ouch.

Not a good week for the Blue. The varsity and JV lost as well.