Biking

This post is dedicated to my biking buddies in Bellingham:
It took a bit of time, some networking and posting flyers at the local sports club, but I finally found some folks go ride with. I go out with a loosely-organized group of guys on Wednesday evenings. We head out at 5:30 for about 50-80 kms, depending on weather and what the group decides on the day. It's a pretty fast group and I do struggle to keep up, but they are kind enough to wait form me. So that's my Wednesday group.
I've also found a bike club in the next town up the road, in fact, the Pope's home town of Marktl. Let me tell you it's a happening place. A gas station, small pub and cafe, the Pope's birth house and a big statue of dedicated to him across the street. That's about it. But it's at the base of a tough climbing hill called the Bruckberg. It took me a while to get the nerve to try it, but one night on a training ride with the group right after a rain storm, they all decided to go for it. It wasn't as bad as I thought, but a nice 10% climb with several switchbacks. I've gotten used to it now. OK, back to the club, they are called the Radclub (Rad as in Fahrrad or bicycle) Ritzelfuchser (the most approximate translation I can come up with is "Gear Geeks").  A Ritzel is the rear sprocket, a Fuchs is a fox, but can be used to refer to someone who's an expert in something. Anyway, I've ridden with them twice now and they go at a good pace but were very welcoming and made sure I didn't get left behind. Through their website, I've discovered that Century rides are referred to as Rad Marathons (bike marathon).
On that note, a little bit about the landscape in this part of Bavaria. We are in the foothills of the Alps, which I can see from my apartment window. I thought we had hills in Bellingham, well they're nothing to the hills here. We go for a 70 km ride and will do a good number of climbs, often times an incline of 10%. Not that I'm complaining, it's just that when you think you're about to be done with one climb, there's another one. Part of the adjustment has been learning the terrain around here, knowing when the climb is coming and how steep or long. Not knowing makes it hard to know how much energy to conserve, but I'm getting the hang of it. This is a major agricultural region, lots of farm land with small villages, which all look alike (even the local churches have a similar architecture), but fabulous, quiet back roads with very little traffic, great for good riding, and well signposted.

On that note, I have registered for my first Rad Marathon in my old stomping ground of Regensburg. Not sure I'm ready for it, but am going to try for it anyway. 170 km (105 miles approx.), but with 2200 m (7200 ft) of climbing (https://www.arberradmarathon.de/rennrad-tour-b/). I'm not sure I'm getting the distance in for training, but I am working on hill climbing. For example, at the plant where I work, the wastewater treatment plant is on the Salzach river at the bottom of the hill. A nice 10% climb. I do it a few times a week on my Wacker bike. Last week, I rode my road bike to work and rode it a few times. I think it's making a difference. But I won't know till I get out and do the big ride.