Last week I added the Coastie to the Q sheet and jumped on the first available Q. After today, you may not want that to happen again. To prevent it sign up to Q here, dates are available for the rest of the year.
So I rolled in with my cargo shorts, fat tires, spoke lights, and safety vest ready to lead a group of guys that actually know what they are doing on a bicycle and look the part. Much to my pleasure, one of my own was there waiting for me. JV must have heard that a fellow fat tire had the lead today and came out to show his support. YHC started things off with the COT – cause that’s how we roll at the Coastie. After counting to 7 and providing our names, YHC reminded the Pax that today is Valentine’s Day and in that vein shared a part of DREDDs Q-source on the M. The point that I stressed is that in our relationship with our wives, we are either accelerating or decelerating. If we consider ourselves in maintenance mode, then we are decelerating. “The Q never thinks of maintaining his marriage. He always focuses on Accelerating it.”
The Thang
Warm up – Ride to Causeway (1.75 miles) and then re-group for further instruction. At least that was the plan, but not well executed by the Q. At Causeway we happened upon a barricade. Da Parrrrrrish surmised that it must be for vehicles and not bikes, since there was just enough room for a bike to pass. This seemed like perfect logic so we pressed on. As we came to the top of the levee we saw two lights that we thought might be the POPO. It wasn’t, just two fellow bikers. They warned us of another barricade at Cleary (how you know where Cleary is while you are on the lake? I’m not sure.)
Tabata on Wheels – after regrouping I instructed the pax to do 4 minutes of Tabata – 20 second sprint and 10 second coast; repeat 8 times. I planned to start this at Causeway, but while we were talking to the Not POPO, JV took off, fat tires and all. So the first part of the workout became catching up to JV. By the time we caught him we figured we were close enough to Cleary that we should pass that barricade before starting Tabata.
Once we finally started it was glorious. 7 bikers sprinting as hard as they can for 20 second intervals on a narrow lakefront trail in the dark while passing bikers and runners both ways. At one point, one of the oncoming bikers called one of us by name. It must have been a birth name, because I didn’t recognize it.
I adhere to Tool’s philosophy that we should try anything once (except folk dancing and incest). I think the Tabata on wheels is worth trying again, but take that with a grain of salt. I also think working out with the Police Barricades and doing Yoga are worth trying again.
For the rest of the workout, it was everyone at their own pace to the casino. At the Treasure Chest YHC met up with Da Parish, Triple Shift, Woz, and Moped. Apparently Bongo and JV turned around earlier, or were arrested by the POPO, or beat up by some other bikers….I don’t know. Triple Shift and Woz carried on to the next parish, while the rest of us headed back toward Bucktown.
Thanks for letting me lead and remember – if you enjoy the Coastie, sign up to Q.
