Pittsford Loop Along With the Crew

It was another gorgeous day and Marilyn wanted to go for a ride when she got home from work. We took off and headed for the familiar route along the canal into the Village of Pittsford and then along an old railroad right-of-way trail back toward Pittsford Plaza and the original canal towpath back to the main trail and home.

There is still a lot of activity on the canal, including the various Pittsford Crew teams practicing. Take a look at the video.

Reconnoitering the North Branch of the Lehigh Valley trail

Marilyn and I have ridden a section of this trail from the north and from the south.  Both times it was not clear how to proceed through an unmarked section.  My friend, Dick Moon, and I went out today to figure that out.  We rode north and took the old original rail track which deteriorated quickly into mud and then ended.  On the way back we saw some signs about a temporary trail and that was much better.

This questionable portion of the old rail right of way runs through what was going to be Rochester's newest, best, and most expensive golf course: The Belfrey International.  The course was built in 2044 but never operated due to the death of the developer and other business conditions.  Here is a picture of my riding partner Dick Moon with one of the water features of the course in the background.

Here is a link to a prospectus offering the course for sale.  I am not sure it is still current but it has some photos of what the course--including some water features--looked like:  beautiful but never played.

With route information I now have, Marilyn and I can do some interesting loops instead of always dead-heading back.

Henrietta Loop

We decided to take the bikes out Sunday afternoon, a wonderfully cool day. We started west along the canal but rather than return on the same path, we took the north branch of the Lehigh Valley Trailway. This took us through Genesee Valley park all the way to RIT. We continued on south and eventually came back east and then north in a 14 mile loop. The surfaces were diverse and our times reflected that. All in all, however, a nice run. I may try it myself some week day.

Marilyn's After School Ride

Ah, the joys of working in an educational bureaucracy, especially if you are just a teacher.  Marilyn her first week ready for combat.  Deciding that it would be good for me if that aggressive edge was dulled a bit, I suggested a bike ride.  She set a new personal best for average speed.

Riding the Canalway to Pittsford and lululemon

Decided to ride over to see Erin at work at the lululemon showroom on Monroe Ave.  Overcast gray day but with no rain on the radar.  I made good progress and was able to moderate my effort so my heart didn't get too high as it did the last time I biked.  Marilyn will like this.  there must have been some malfunction with the GPS when I parked the bike and went in to see Erin.  Somehow it tracked over 2000 in elevation gain and loss!  Also it must have auto restarted as I tried to get something in the saddle bag..without success.  It sensed the motion in the bike and began tacking movement of which there was none!

Once in Pittsford, I left the Canalway Trail and took an old railroad right of way that has not been paved or otherwise surfaced.  It is soft but slow.

Marketplace Mall walking

It was raining when we got ready to go out and do some walking on the Canalway Trail. So instead we decided to got to marketplace Mall and walk there. As you can see below, we covered two miles in about an hour with an average heart rate of just over 100. This was the same as two earlier walks along the canal when we have the same time and heart rate but twice the distance. As a result I think we achived the same training effect but covered less distance. Funny thing, though, I felt like I got more of a workout when we were outside and covering twice he distance. That feeling may not accurately reflect the actual conditioning.

P.S.  After further consideration and a little googling, I found that the walking distance for one lap at Marketplace Mall is about one mile.  Since we did four, we did about the same distance in doors as outdoors in about the same time and with the same average heart rate.  On the other hand, outdoors still felt better and we didn't see everything four times.  Still it is a way for the two of us to get some exercise together when the weather is inclement.

East on the Canalway with the Grateful Dead

This is Bushnell's Basin where the canal boats turned
during construction of the canal and where I
turned around today.

It is a warm day for September in Rochester:  85 with fairly high humidity.  I was going to cycle today with my friend, Dick Moon, but he had a family responsibility that came up unexpectedly.  since Marilyn was still in buffalo visiting her parents, I decided to take a ride by myself.  Well, I wasn't completely alone.  I took Jerry Garcia and Grateful Dean with me via Rhapsody on my phone.  The trail was not crowded and I probably stretched myself a little too thin, as I typically do when I do not have a riding partner.

Here is the Garmin summary.