Unwanted Ads
I really don’t know what happened to my blog about two months ago when unwanted ads took over. I’d changed nothing, nothing that I was aware of anyway. I finally had time to dig deeper into what might be going on this week. I deactivated two plugins and Amazon ads on the sidebar, and as a result, I don’t see any ads on my end.
If you were seeing tons of ads before, please let me know what you’re seeing when you look at the blog. Ads galore or ad-free?
Overview of the Week
Before getting into each day’s workouts, here’s an overview of my workouts from this past week. Scroll beyond the infographic for daily details…
Sunday
Cycling: 21.24 miles
• Bike: Salsa Warbird
• Average speed: 12.0 MPH
• Surface: gravel
• Elevation gain: 1,480 feet
• Start time: 9:40 AM
• Location: Austin Grove Church loop
• Weather: 61° and sunny, climbing to 64°
• What I wore: bike shorts, s/s jersey, light jacket, and fingerless gloves (took jacket off near the end)
We were treated to glorious blue sky with crisp air weather for our ride with the Gravel Rats. The ride was on the shorter side and what we saved in riding time, we made up for in “sitting and chatting at the brewery over lunch” time.
Monday
Strength training: 1 hour of total body
Walking: 3.04 miles
• Average pace: 15:37 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 208 feet
• Start time: 3:39 PM
• Location: neighborhood trails
• Weather: 79° and sunny
• What I wore: shorts, s/s shirt, and visor
It was a later than I’d planned by the time I got out for my walk and the temperature was higher than I’d expected so I stayed on the wooded trail. Despite the washed out look the sky was clear and beautiful.
Tuesday
Cycling: 35.31 miles
• Bike: Specialized Roubaix Comp
• Average speed: 12.4 MPH
• Surface: paved
• Elevation gain: 2,293 feet
• Start time: 10:04 AM
• Location: W&OD Trail Ashburn/Leesburg loop with 4 x Thomas Mill climbs
• Weather: 75° and sunny, climbing to 83°
• What I wore: bike shorts, s/s jersey, and fingerless gloves
If three 1.6-mile hill repeats were good last week, then four must be better, right? I even got a 2nd fastest on one of the Strava segments and I’ve climbed Thomas Mill many times over the past four years. Even better, I was joined by my partner in climb (see what I did there?).
Wednesday
Strength training: 1 hour of total body
Walking: 3.35 miles
• Average pace: 18:38 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 87 feet
• Start time: 2:33 PM
• Location: neighborhood trails
• Weather: 83° and mostly sunny, climbing to 87°
• What I wore: shorts, s/s shirt, and visor
Thursday
Walking: 4.11 miles
• Average pace: 15:35 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 153 feet
• Start time: 5:49 AM
• Location: neighborhood circle
• Weather: 60° and partly cloudy
• What I wore: shorts, s/s shirt, nylon shell, visor, and gloves
Cycling: 15.38 miles
• Bike: Specialized Roubaix Comp
• Average speed: 14.2 MPH
• Surface: paved
• Elevation gain: 456 feet
• Start time: 11:14 AM
• Location: W&OD Trail Ashburn/Sterling loop
• Weather: 81° and mostly sunny
• What I wore: bike shorts, s/s jersey, and fingerless gloves
After several tries each, Kim and I were finally able to get our call to go through to start our weekly virtual walk. Once we got our walk going, I forgot to start my Garmin. We got a good laugh over our morning debacles and thought it a shame that it’s not a runfessions week.
Collage credit: Kim
Later in the morning I got back out for a ride and just happened to see my friend Chuck on his way back home from his ride (we really should coordinate ride times). I also encountered a deer crossing the trail right in front of me, fortunately while I was stopped. Most curious of my sightings, though, were these two vehicles – not sure if they’re legal on the trail, but if not, it certainly wouldn’t be because they were going too fast.
Friday
Strength training: 1 hour of total body
Balance and stretching: 45 minutes
Saturday
Cycling: 48.21 miles
• Bike: Specialized Roubaix Comp
• Average speed: 13.5 MPH
• Surface: paved
• Elevation gain: 1,808 feet
• Start time: 8:12 AM
• Location: W&OD Trail Ashburn/Purcellville loop
• Weather: 63° and partly sunny, climbing to 83°
• What I wore: bike shorts, s/s jersey, and fingerless gloves
Sooo my gravel bike was involved in a little accident while being washed on Friday afternoon… The rear Di2 shifter cable got caught in the sponge and pulled into the cassette. The delicate cable either crimped when getting caught or got pulled out of the battery inside the seat steam. We rushed it to the bike shop, but Oscar said it was too tedious of a job to do on the spot so we left it with him.
Saturday morning instead of joining my cycling friends for a gravel ride, I rode with my husband 8 miles to our meetup spot, then rode with the group another 2 miles and dropped off when the pavement turned to gravel. I did my own thing on the W&OD Trail on my road bike and timed it perfectly to met the group back where I’d left them just as they were arriving back.
Last Week’s Blog Posts
In case you skipped checking in on my blog this past week, here’s what you missed…
Questions:
- • What’s the most unusual thing you’ve seen while out on your local trail? ~ My running friends and I once saw a very confused driver in a car who had taken a right turn a tad too early and turned onto the trail. Even though we told her she wasn’t on the road and there was no place ahead to exit, she kept driving forward.
- • Were you seeing tons of ads when reading my blog prior to this week? Do you still see lots of ads when you look at my blog?
- • How’s your weather been this past week? ~ delightful
And that’s my rundown… Have a great week!
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I’m linking up with Deborah at Confessions of a Mother Runner and Kim from Running on the Fly for their Weekly Run Down. Be sure to check out not only the hosts’ posts, but those of the other great bloggers joining in on the fun!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on the blue product link and then make a purchase, I will receive a small commission for referring you. You will pay no more or less for the product; however, Amazon will show their gratitude for my referral by paying me.
Nice week! Looks like you met all your goals – and then some. Kudos to you in getting in all that sleep – I know how hard that is. And even with the return of the heat, you were able to be active outside.
That story about the driver on the trail is crazy- hopefully nobody got hurt!
Thanks, Melissa!
I don’t think anyone got hurt. The car was gone by the time we returned from our run. I have no idea how she got off the trail short of backing up.
I had one ad pop-up when the page first loaded — advertising a housing development? — but that’s it. I’ll try to pay more attention and let you know.
I’m so afraid of deer along the trail —- I don’t trust them to not get spooked and run in front of me.
I hope you get your bike back soon!
Oh bummer on the pop-up ad and thanks for the feedback. I’d hoped I’d fix it for good. I’ll keep researching what else to do.
I mentioned to someone on IG that a cyclist friend woke up in an ambulance after a deer darted out in front of her and knocked her off her bike. Fortunately, she wasn’t hurt seriously.
I see deer occasionally on the trail (usually alongside the trail, but sometimes crossing). One time, a deer crossed right in front of Jim and I, and her “companion” raced us, alongside the brush, for a good 1/4-mile or so before retreating back into the timber. We were surprised it didn’t cross the path in search of his lady friend, LOL.
Deer along the road or trail are frightening! Last Sunday I watched as one jumped a stone fence and crossed the road right in front of some our our cycling friends just ahead of us.
That deer is so close! OMG!
I haven’t seen anything bizarre out on the trail or road lately.
Hope your bike is ready to go soon!
No ads, but for the longest time, I wasn’t able to comment on your blog via Chrome. I had to go through Safari and not open it through the link up but by typing your domain the browser. That is a thing that comes and goes.
I’m so sorry it’s been such a pain to comment. I’ve had trouble with people being able to comment from the linkup ever since InLinkz changed things earlier in the year. Were you able to comment without jumping through so many hoops this time?
Your blog looks fine- I didn’t see any ads. Now you can come over and fix my blog : )
You had some nice cool mornings there- I’m envious! Your photos all look beautiful. Every once in a while I see a deer on my trail, but I would say the most unusual thing I see are wild pigs.
Seeing wild pigs out on the trail would freak me out!
I don’t remember seeing any ads on your blog! As far as the trails go, I saw a car driving on the old access road in my preserve a couple of weeks ago! It’s closed to vehicles, so I have no idea how it got on there. That was pretty weird!
You’re lucky, then if you haven’t been seeing all those ads on my blog. They were scattered throughout the text. And yeah, those random cars can be so dangerous.
The ads are gone! Great job in fixing it. Unlike Coco, I didn’t get an ad when first opening your page, so from my side, it looks good.
Great job on getting those 48 miles done despite not having a gravel bike!
Zurich is very bike-friendly, so many paths are made both for pedestrians and cyclists, including electric bikes. Some e-bikes are clearly too fast and don’t have number plates that are allowed on bike paths.
On a path near us, there’s also a playground. I’m afraid that one day there’s going to be a horrible accident involving kids and e-bikes…
Whew, I’m so glad to hear that the ads are gone. I still have some other work to do on my blog, but that was the most glaring.
While on our road trip a ranger from one of the parks interviewed us about eBikes on the trail. We had noticed that they tended to not know the rules of the trail as well as other cyclists – failing to announce that they were passing, going too fast, riding two or three abreast, etc. I’m all for e-Bikes for those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to get outside and enjoy riding, but the riders need to know and follow trail etiquette.
Hooray. no more ads… that was annoying. LOL
Summer has returned at least for a while.
That was a crazy sighting… nothing that odd here… just bikes, and animals.
I agree that the ads were annoying. I told my husband that if I didn’t have to read it in non-edit mode to proof it, I wouldn’t want to read it. LOL I’m so glad to hear they’re gone!
I don’t remember seeing ads, but I also use an ad blocker so maybe that stopped them originally? Everything looks all good now!
I hope your gravel bike is back in working order again!
Good to know about the ads. My gravel bike just got finished, but the shop is closed today so I’ll pick it up tomorrow.