99 and 44/100 per cent cool!

Muslims believe only Allah should make life-like replicas ... Additionally only Allah is capable of perfection so even master weavers will incorporate a deliberate error in their work, reportedly even at risk of losing their job. It is interesting in particularly fine pieces to try to detect this deliberate error.
-- Coast Antiques and Art

Bearing in mind the folly of attempting perfection, I hereby declare the Great 1K-Mile LDL Ride finished for the season!

For the literal-minded, the final number today was 998.3 miles, or shy by just .17%. Whether you want to call it good enough for government work, or within experimental error, or near enough to make no never mind, I'm calling it done, even though I technically have two days to get the eleven missing furlongs.

We came out just a tad shy not because of miscalculation, but because of the weather. Otis and I drove to Gasworks Park this morning and headed northeast toward Lake Forest Park. I knew that Fremont-LFP is a solid 25 miles, but since we were starting at Gasworks, we were going to go past LFP to Log Boom Park just to make up the two miles or so shaved off.

Well, the ride was pleasant enough to start. We were sharing the trail with the Leukemia run, so there were lots of folks out and water stations and such. The weather was fine, but looked menacing up north. When we got to Sand Point, it started raining, and as we got farther north, it just got worse and worse. When we reached LFP Mall it was just coming down in sheets. We had some tea at Great Harvest and tried to figure out what to do.

Another bicycler told us the storm seemed to be moving north, so we cancelled the Log Boom leg and just headed back south. We had to ride through about two miles of heavy rain again - Otis had her slicker on and her hood up under her helmet - before it started clearing out. It slacked off by the U District and was sunny and clear back at Gasworks!

As we wheeled into the Gasworks area, Mel was standing on the trail with a welcoming balloon bouquet (that Otis had conspired with her to arrange). I snatched it from her as I rode by and took a little lap around the parking area. Thus endeth the LDL Ride - it would be hard to put anything but epilogue on that. I needed exactly 25 miles to hit exactly 1000 - and we did 23.3.

Moments after we rode in, Do-or-Di pulled up to share the celebration. We were joined by Farmer Scott shortly afterwards, and all had huge delicious breakfasts at the Varsity Cafe. (I had Egg Beaters.) Thanks to y'all who came out, thanks to those who couldn't come, and thanks to everyone for your support all summer.

So, biking season is over, but I need to keep working, certainly until the next LDL pull in November. So, it's off to Big 5 to find some decent running shoes, and Otis (who as Otisita joven ran cross-country and did track & field) will set us up on a running-walking regimen. It just seems easier to fit in a three-to-four mile run a few times a week than to bike, what with the busy schedule we are going to be having for the quarter. The bikes need to go down the basement for the weather, and it's a real pain to get them out. And so on.

The new goal: A Gross by INB!
144 miles by Isaac Newton's Birthday, December 25.

I gotta go - there's a spreadsheet to set up!

I had completed some miles in spring, but here are the stats starting June 19, when I got serious right after my LDL test:
925 miles in 105 days, averaging 8.8 miles per day
55 actual rides averaging 16.8 miles per ride
Fastest sustained ride: 17 miles at 17 mph.
Longest ride: 39.9 miles at 14.7 mph