Top Moments From my 2009 Cycling

With 2009 officially in the books, I've logged my last cycling miles for the season. The grand total is...

7,228!

Thank you, thank you. Looking back at the mileage log, I am proud to say that this is the most mileage I've had in any single season! In past years, I had...

2008: 6,771

2007: 5,868

2006: 4,337

2005: 1,039 (partial mileage)

2005 was my first year of cycling, and I made it until about August before I finally purchased a speedometer/odometer. I biked for a whole summer in Santa Barbara, CA without even know how far or fast I was going... can you believe it? I even went out and biked a century without an odometer.

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Here's my in Santa Barbara, back in 2005.

Looking back at 2009, there are some rides and experiences that stand out as my GREATEST cycling moments from 2009. They are:

1) The PowerCranks - These are the independent bike cranks, meaning that pushing down on the left arm of a crank does not make the right side come up. You have to turn each arm on it's own, and it's damn hard. Here's a picture of my bike with the PowerCranks:

I didn't track my exact mileage on the cranks, but I estimate that between 2008 and 2009, I rode near 4,000 miles on these cranks alone. This includes a 57 miles PowerCrank ride on New Years day, 2009, and an 88 mile ride on March 29, two days before my 25th birthday. Here's a review with some pictures from a 60+ mile long ride that I did on the cranks.

2) Comeback from a Staph Infection and a DVT - In January of 2009, I took a DVT in my right calf, the second time in my life I've developed a thrombosis in my leg. Later, in August 2009, I developed a Staph Infection in my left knee, and I don't really know why or how I got that one. Both sicknesses were challenging in their own ways, but, as always, I came out on top.

The reason these sicknesses made it to my list is because I faced them, and I still managed to ride more miles in 2009 than in any season before. 7,228 miles would make an impressive season on it's own, but I managed it while almost dying, twice.

3) Bike commuting 50 miles, round trip, to the Tradewinds Independence Day Triathlon - On July 4, I biked 25 miles to Coconut Creek, FL, then I raced a sprint distance triathlon in which I average about 25mph for the bike leg, then I packed up my gear bag and biked another 25 miles home. That's how you dominate. Here's my race report.

In addition, I dominated several other local sprint triathlons. I did the 2009 FAU Wellness Triathlon in Boca Raton, FL, and the June 21st edition of the Key Biscayne Triathlon Trialogy.

4) Biking in PA with Libby - I have done a good deal of cold weather biking in Pennsylvania in recent months. Here's a picture of me and my mom ready for a cold ride:

Lib has her own blog over here: http://bikerchickswc.blogspot.com/. She tends to do a lot of ranting. Biking in PA has been a nice change to the riding, as it's very scenic and hilly here. Below is a picture that shows me out in farm country!

Here's to another great year!