skatey-mark's blog

This was an usual year for me, as I was more unsure than usual about how well I would do.  I didn't feel like I had trained enough, or at least hadn't done enough of the right training.  I was a little heavier than I would have liked.  I had had a few dissatisfying skates over the summer where I had struggled to complete 60 miles.

Last weekend, RoadSkater & I were talking about elevation data while on the scenic 51-mile "Hannah" route...  I unfortunately lost my data from that skate due to a hard drive crash, so I can't compare against his.  But it did get me thinking...

Which elevation data is most accurate?

1) Polar's barometric sensor

2) Garmin's GPS sensor

3) NASA's 30m elevation data (i.e., on gpsvisualizer.com)

My super-cool girlfriend bought me a Polar RS800CX HRM with the G3 GPS Sensor for Christmas.  I hadn't really messed with it too much until a couple months ago.  I think I've played with it enough to have an educated opinion on it now.  It's not cheap by any stretch of the imagination (about $380 online.)  This is my third Polar HRM, having gone through a Polar Coach, then a Polar S710.

Last Saturday, I skated in the annual BikeFest ride in Hillsborough, NC.  I've done this event many times in the past.  It's very well run and I've always felt welcomed by the organizers and cyclists.  Like last year, I skated solo this year.  For those thinking of doing this event next year, be sure to sign up at least 3 weeks before the event.  They limit the number of participants, and they've hit the limit every year for the past few years...

This past Sunday, I skated in the annual NCBC Summer Rally.  I've done this event several times in the past and it has always been a good time.  All of the events that the NC Bike Club hosts are well organized, and I've always felt welcome as a skater to participate.  The cyclists are great too, many of them throwing compliments as they passed.  To some, seeing a skater on the road with them was definitely a novelty.  I'm also happy to report that I experienced no negative incidents all day, be it from cyclists, pedestrians, or drivers.

Location

Okay, I didn't get many responses for the voting, but the general preference seems to be for one of the earlier weekends...

So, the tentative date is:  Saturday, March 28th.

First, let me say WOW! In all my years of doing this event, this was the year I least expected to exceed my expectations. To be perfectly honest, I had NO IDEA what to expect this year. My training has been so vastly different than prior years, that I just assumed my performance would be worse...