Over one year, I'm going to ride the Tour de France. In my living room. I'll track where I am with Google Earth/Maps, and try to learn a little about France while I 'ride.'

Monday, November 30, 2009

Another five miles today!

I might do more in a little bit but I'm too braindead to do the whole Google tracking thing. It's been a long day. I just kept getting behind at work, and I actually had to leave some stuff for tomorrow.
However, today I did my touring in an ankle-length frilly skirt, which was way more entertaining than it should be. Every time my knees came up, one side or the other would *poof* up into the air and then flutter down.


I probably should change and 'get into the spirit' and all that, but after the day I've had, I think it's enough just to bike, you know?

Sunday, November 29, 2009

I need to learn French. 15 miles down!


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Today I am in Hôpital-Camfrout. I can't tell you much about it, because the website is all in French, but from what I can tell, there was once a monastery there and an abbey, and today it is raining. What a fantastic world we live in, that not only can I look up a small French town, but tell what the weather is like today. It's a little mind-blowing.

I actually went five and a half miles today and so I saw the meter tick over to 8,000. My son tried the bike out the other day though (he 'flung' the pedals around with his feet at the top of every rotation) so I'm only counting five. Still, it's going to be a lot easier to count the miles now that I'm on an even number. I've told a couple people what I'm doing and the most common questions are:

Are you training for the actual Tour de France?

Dear god, no. Although I'm slightly interested in going to France someday, the actual ride is nearly a lifestyle commitment and I don't have the drive, (much less the money and time!) to actually bike it. Plus, I imagine I'd be way to distracted by every bistro I pass!

Are you accounting for the hills?

Nope. My bike is old, and while it has a tension setting, it would be entirely too difficult to program in the up and down hills- I'm going strictly for distance.

Other questions that I'll cover later:
What made you want to do this?
Why are you doing this?

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Something clever about communes.


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Whew! Another five miles, but this time it took me a smidge under twenty minutes. Today I'm, in Loperhet, which is a commune, but not a commune like I'm used to thinking of them- in France, that means more like "A small town."

Friday, November 27, 2009

And awaaaaay we go!

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So this is about where I got to today. It's called the Pont d'Iroise as near as I can figure out.

I only did five miles, because I didn't want to get too gung-ho, but I think that if I push a little bit, I might be able to get in the entire race over the next year. How cool is that?

Yep, that's a whole year of biking on a rusty borrowed exercise bike, but at least now I've hooked myself up up with Google Maps so I'll be able to figure out how far I'm going and where. Wish us luck?

I have done something crazy

I have decided to bike the Tour de France.

Granted, I plan on doing it in my living room, with a stationary bike, but still, I am going to mark out my progress and all on a map and and by god, I'm gonna finish it.

It's about 2,237 miles.

Wish me luck.


Update- have obtained bike from bemused MIL. Odometer will not reset, so here it is...


So I have to go to 10,081.

Commencing first leg of the journey.

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I have the mutant superpowers of finding good parking spaces and being able to make left-hand turns easily.

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