Busy Weekend

This weekend Cascade Bicycle Club had their annual Bike Expo in Seattle. For the first time ever it was held in the Princess Cruise Lines Terminal 30 just south of Safeco Field. Joe and I went on Saturday. We had a great time browsing and looking at all the bikes, clubs, rides, gear, and accessories. We came home with a lot of fliers and brochures with great information on rides that we would love to participate in this spring, summer, and fall. I also found some bargains at the bike expo, two marked down women cycling jerseys, one of which was a Discovery Channel jersey. I always wanted one. The price yesterday at the bike expo was just too good to pass up so I scooped it up!

Today, Sunday, Joe and I had planned on riding one of our favorite routes near Black Diamond but Joe's back was bothering him. So instead of Joe and me riding our Black Diamond loop I went out alone and did one of my favorite summer time rides. I started straight from my house. I got 36.59 miles in and had a great ride. I'm glad I went. I really can't aford to miss a weekend ride. I have my big event this July and I really need to get out every weekend and increase my mileage. My weekend ride will be my long rides. My weekday rides will be my shorter rides.

Today was cloudy, with an occasional sun break but the temperature was mild. Almost 60 degrees! Perfect for riding. Tomorrow the rain is supposed to return. If so instead of an after work ride I may go to the gym and do some weights. I haven't been doing weights lately and I really need to keep up with this too.

Well that was my weekend. Oh yes one more thing, we turned our clocks ahead and I love the extra daylight at the end of the day but I am going to hate tomorrow morning when the alarm goes off for work!

Great Weekend! Two Rides!

Yesterday Joe and I went to Banner Forest and had an awesome time mountain biking. Today we enjoyed a wonderful road ride on some of the most beautiful back roads in the area. The sun was out and the temperature was in the upper 40s. The sun made it feel a lot warmer. What a weekend. Sad to see it end!

Monday Morning

I will be leaving in about 30 minutes for work. I had consider taking a sick day today when I was watching yesterday's weather report; which claimed it would be "clear and sunny" for Monday. I don't know what the weather man was on the other day but it's raining right now and instead of blue sunny skies I see gray gloomy wet clouds floating by. So one more cup of coffee and then I will be off to work . . . in my car! I guess it's the gym and spin class for me this afternoon instead of a nice after work spring bicycle ride.

Foggy Start to Sunday

It's 7:30 AM and it's foggy outside my kitchen window. But it's supposed to be nice later. The weather man promised sun breaks this afternoon. So I will wait and see if he called this one right.

It's now 10:05 PM. The weather man was right. The sun did come out and the day was a gorgeous one! But we did not ride. We both got caught up with other things. Oh well there will be more nice days as spring is only 3 weeks away. And in another week day light savings begins! It's so nice to see the days get longer again. Well with that said I think I will go and make a nice hot cup of tea and perhaps read a few chapters in my book before calling it a day.

Gorgeous Saturday!

Today the weather was beautiful. A true sign that spring is just around the corner. Joe and I left the house at 10:00 AM for a bike ride. The temperature at ten was 41 degrees fahrenheit. The first 5 minutes of our ride I must admit we were cold but the sun's rays and our pedaling soon warmed us up nicely. We rode one of our favorite routes on back roads with gorgeous views, little traffic, and perfect roads. I took along my camera and shot a few pictures. As the saying goes a picture is worth a thousand words so I will say no more and just let you see some of my pictures from today's ride.

So Far . . . A Great Weekend!

This has been a great weekend because the weather finally got nice! A tad bit chilly but beautiful otherwise. Yesterday Joe and I got a nice ride in and today we got another nice ride in. When we began our ride this morning the first 10 miles were the hardest. That was because the temperature at the start was only 38 degrees fahrenheit! My face was numb and cold! But around the tenth mile I finally began to feel warm and toasty. My working muscles were putting out some heat and the ride became enjoyable. We weren't the only bicyclist out either. We saw quite a few. All like us taking advantage of the sunshine and lack of rain and wind. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice too and then on Tuesday the rain returns. I'm off tomorrow for President's Day but Joe has to work. Too bad because I would like to get one more ride in this long weekend. Maybe I can still get a ride in tomorrow. I could ride the local trail. Better than nothing.

February Soggy and Wet

This has been one of the rainiest winters! If this keeps up I may be growing fins and gills!

Good Bye January!

This was definitely, no doubt in my mind, one of the longest most drawn out months I have ever lived through! I will be so happy to see the month of January finally end tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow is the last day of January, hooray! The weather this month has been the worst! Cold and snow and rain, BOTH snow and rain, hail, and high winds! Needless to say I did not get many opportunities to ride my road bike outdoors this month. I did get a few mountain bike rides in but only one road ride. The road ride was on a sunny but cold day. Joe, Jackie, and I rode on the Orting Trail. We did have a good time on this ride. It felt wonderful to be outside in the fresh but chilly air. I must admit the start was difficult at first because of the 39 degree temperature that afternoon but the brightly shining sun made it feel a lot warmer than it actually was!

Because of the cold weather this January I went to a lot of spin classes at my gym. Don’t get me wrong, the gym and spin classes are better than nothing. The gym and the spin classes will help keep me in shape until I can finally go outside and ride! But still there’s nothing like the feel of the wind and the sun on you. There’s nothing like riding on your real bike on a road outside! It definitely beats indoor spin classes any day in my book. Plus the views you see on a real ride! Beautiful trees, streams, pastures, and mountains that just lift your spirits. Yes, I would have to say that the real thing is definitely by and far the best!

I need to also get serious regarding my training. This July 31st I will be riding in the 2008 RAMROD (Ride Around Mount Rainier In One Day). That is just six months away! I will need to build up my mileage until I will be able to ride 154 miles in one day. Not only ride 154 miles in one day but ride it plus climb! Total elevation for the RAMROD is over 10,000 feet! This spring and summer I also want to participate in many organized rides. And I want to start running again. Not a lot of miles, no more than 3 miles minimum to 5 miles maximum. I hope to run at least 5 days a week. I feel that running will help build my stamina and increase my metabolism. I also believe that a little bit of running will benefit my cycling. It will “round out” my training.

So I say good bye to January. Good Bye to snow, cold temperatures, high winds, hail, and icy rain. I want to say hello and welcome to spring. Hello to sunshine, warmer temperatures, tulips, robins, dogwoods blooming, spring bicycle events, and the beginning of a new riding season! :)

Sunday Bike Ride

Today the sun came out! Yes, the sun! But even so the temperature was only in the upper 30s. Even though it was very very cold, that sun was just too inviting. Plus it has been such a long time since I was on my road bike. So Joe, Jackie, and I decided to go for a ride on the Orting Trail. We left the house at 1:30, late enough in the day to give the sun time to warm things up. We dressed warmly; you know layers, warm riding gloves, booties, all those good warm things! We started our ride a little before 2:00 PM. At the start we were naturally very cold but once our legs started pumping we warmed up nicely. The sun felt wonderful. The ride was perfect. We had a great ride on a beautiful but cold day! We did not regret our decision to ride. After our ride we stopped at Starbucks and treated ourselves to some warm drinks. They were delicious!

First Ride In a New Year!

When I looked out the window this morning, as I was enjoying my very first cup of coffee, I noticed that the sky was grey and overcast. And the trees were telling me it was very windy! Definitely not a day for a road ride but a good day for a mountain bike ride. And so Joe and I decided to go for a mountain bike ride at Lake Sawyer. We have not been riding a lot the past couple of months and it showed on our ride this afternoon. Our endurance and stamina were gone but we still had a good time. We hit some of our favorite trails riding slow and steady. We were enjoying the day, the ride, the trails, and each other. After the ride we looked at each other and asked why we had let our riding get away from us. We had no good answer. We promised to ride again next weekend. Either road or mountain as long as we get on our bike and out the door on a road or trail!

Here is a picture of me at the start of the "toy trail". So named because of all the toys, bike stuff, and other offerings placed on an old tree stump by mountain bikers as homeage to the trail gods! It's one of my favorite trails at Lake Sawyer.

Last Day of Three Day Weekend

Today is the last day of my three day weekend. Today is Veterans Day. Of the three days I rode on only one, Saturday. Saturday was beautiful. It was warm, sunny, and mild. I started my ride at 10:00 AM and finished by noon. It felt wonderful to get out in the sunshine and to feel the sun and wind in my face. It was more of a leisurely enjoy the day ride. It was the best day of my three day weekend. Today is the worst. I woke up at 4:30 AM to the sound of wind. HIGH wind! I thought my roof would come off. Following the wind came the rain. It is, to use a cliche, raining cats and dogs out there right now. Oh well it is winter here in the pacific northwest. To ride in the winter you have to be an opportunist. You have to grab those nice days and get out and ride. So here's to those "nice" winter days. And here's to spring, summer, and fall 2008!

Another Beautiful Day!

What more can a person ask for? Two beautiful weekend days! Yesterday a fun mountain bike ride and today a great road ride. Joe and I waited until the temperature got a little warmer. It was only 31 degrees F when we woke up at 8:00 AM. So we waited until the sun had a chance to do it's thing and it sure didn't let us down. Around 11 AM it was in the mid 50s. Perfect! We drove to our favorite starting spot for a nice 20 mile ride. I think I over dressed a bit because I was sweating 10 minutes into the ride.

The day was absolutely picture perfect. We rode through the back roads of Enumclaw's farm country. The trees were decked out in all their gorgeous fall foliage. Mount Rainier was out and white as a white snow cone. There was no traffic, no headwind, just a nice steady ride with beautiful scenery for a backdrop. I did not want it to end. How often (especially here in the pacific northwest in the fall/winter) do you get two back to back gorgeous days on a weekend?!

What a weekend!

Mountain Biking at Banner Today

Joe and I went for a mountain bike ride today. The weather was beautiful. It was 31 degrees at 8:00 AM but the sun was shining and the sky was a beautiful blue. Cyrstal clear! By 10:00 it was warm! So we loaded up our mountain bikes, stopped at Starbucks for a mocha and a piece of pumpkin loaf and then drove to Banner Forest in Port Orchard. We crossed the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the view was awesome! We arrived at the trailhead and off we went. The trails were sweet! The ride super fantastic! After three hours we returned to the truck for the trip home. We stopped for a late lunch in Puyallup. We also stopped at Blockbuster Video and picked up three movies for tonight. We got a cowboy pizza at Pappa John's Pizza. Now it's time for a little relaxation. What a day!

If the weather tomorrow will be as nice as it was today, then Joe and I are going out for an afternoon road ride. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed for a repeat day like today!

Weekend Recap

Saturday no biking was done. We had a ferocious windstorm on Thursday and one of our trees was taken out by it. So on Saturday Joe and I cut it up, placed it onto the pickup and took it to the waste and recycle drop off. We also did some shopping and went out for lunch at Famous Dave's. It was a strange day. But today, Sunday, more than made up for yesterday. Joe and I went mountain biking and had a BLAST! We rode for three hours at Sawyer and hit all of our favorite trails. There were a lot of vehicles parked at the trailhead but once we got on the trails we saw maybe 5 people all afternoon. It's amazing how big Sawyer is and how many trails are out there! It was FUN!!!!

Weekend of Mountain Biking

Weekend recap . . .
On Saturday, October 6th Joe and I helped our club with "Take a Kid Mountain Biking". We had 30 kids sign up. We divided the kids into small groups according to ride ability and assigned adults to each group. We had fun! Both the kids and the adults! We had some gutsy kids too. We found a steep hill and the kids all went for it. We stayed at the hill well over half an hour. Going down and then climbing back up to only go down again. After the ride we went back to the staging area where we grilled up hamburgers and hot dogs. We had assorted chips and an ice chest full of sodas. After lunch we went and watched some awesome demonstrations of jumps and bike tricks by some pretty talented and well coordinated riders. No rain just lots of fun!

On Sunday Joe and I went out alone to ride. We had a blast at Lake Sawyer. The trails were great. The ride sweet. Didn't want to see it end. Again no rain!!!! Great weekend!

Mountain Bike Ride

This morning Joe and I left the house at 9:00 AM and drove to Black Diamond. We parked near the trailhead of Lake Sawyer and entered the woods for a 2 hour fun fest of mountain biking. The trails were great. No mud (yet) but not dusty either. The little rain we had this week just compacted the dirt and made the trails wonderful. We met perhaps 2 or 3 people while we were out there this morning. It was just a great ride. We returned to the truck tired and hungry but elated. It has been a long time since we rode our mountain bikes. August 18th I believe was the last time. It's a totally different ride experience than road riding. We packed up and headed for home. I'm glad we got out.

Weekend Ride

Here it is Tuesday already! I was so busy these past few days I never posted my Saturday ride. To be honest it wasn't that great of ride. Initially we (Joe, Jackie, and me) were going to ride the John Wayne Trail, a 40 mile ride. 20 miles out and 20 miles back but after thinking it over Joe knew he would not be able to do it. He realized that his massive overtime this summer, which left zero time for riding, has left him completely out of shape for anything longer than 15-20 miles. So we changed our plans I believe on Thursday and decided instead to ride our 25 mile Enumclaw loop.

Well Saturday arrived and Joe got the bikes ready. We started from the Enumclaw High School parking lot. It was overcast and grey but it at least did not rain. We had a headwind for most of the ride but Jackie and I felt great. After 13 miles Joe said he didn't think he could finish. So we turned around and by passed the rest of the ride. We returned to the high school with a total of 16 miles. Joe said his work is cut out for him. He is going to try and rebuild his bike endurance but we are going to have to start slow. So that was my big weekend ride.

On Sunday we went to the Puyallup Fair. We had a good time. We visited the exhibits and displays, saw the animals and ate elephant ears. We got rained on and rode the extreme scream machine. I bought my official fair "mug" which I have been collecting since we moved here in July 1997. So this year makes 11 official Puyallup Fair mugs that I own. Joe's going to have to build a case or cabinet for them one of these days! I'll just add it to his honey do list.

This Saturday we won't be able to ride because Joe, Jackie, and I are driving to Cheney to move Aaron back into his dorm. His last year! He will graduate June 2008! Only one more to go! Jackie graduates winter 2008/2009.

I guess Sunday will be ride day. Depending on the weather . . . either mountain biking or road cycling. Jackie is praying for nice weather because she only rides her road bike.

Well that was my exciting weekend. I am back at work and my days have been draining all my energy. I come home tired and ready to vegetate in front of the boob tube. Hopefully I will adjust and my energy will return.

The weather doesn't help. It looks just the way I feel. Grey, dreary, and chilled. I don't even want to go to the gym. Sigh . . . I hope it gets nice again.

Finally finished my slideshow with pictures of the MS 150 ride from the weekend of September 8th and 9th.

Check it out here:

Slideshow of 2007 MS 150

What a Weekend!

It was the best weekend in many ways. First, the weather was absolutely perfect. A bit chilly in the mornings but by noon it was in the mid to upper 70s. The sun was out on both days and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. It was a typical autumn morning. You know crisp and clear. But the best thing about this weekend was the ride. My daughter and I rode in the annual MS 150 in La Conner, Washington. Our weekend began on Friday afternoon as we left our home for La Conner. A 99 mile drive to the north. The traffic was horrendous but the pay off was worth it.

It was a two day event. The first day, Saturday, Jackie and I woke up at 5:30 AM and had breakfast at our hotel. My hubby Joe and our son Aaron also came with us to La Conner for the weekend. Not to ride but to support Jackie and me. We drove to the MS village where we met our fellow team mates. We had our team photo taken at 7:30 and then we all went over to the start line. The atmosphere was electric! People were cheering and dancing and many of the cyclists were dressed in costumes. Some of the costumes were pretty funny and original. There was music blurring and well wishers gathered along the streets. The teams were going out in waves. An announcer would say the team’s names and then people would cheer and off they would go. Finally, our team approached the start line. I can’t describe how excited I was. It was something you would have to experience for yourself.

Saturday’s ride was very hilly. Did I say it was hilly?! It was HILLY! But the scenery was gorgeous. We pedaled along the water on our way to Anacortes. The views along the sound and of Mount Baker were breath taking. Our first rest stop was only 9 miles into the ride but Jackie and I stopped for water and to chat with our fellow team mates. It was all about having fun too. I took pictures ate a banana and then we were off again. One of my favorite memories of day one’s ride was crossing Deception Pass . . . with a MOTORCYCLE escort! The motorcycles would escort groups of cyclists over the bridge that crossed Deception Pass. I felt like I was in the Tour de France! And the view! It was the best part of the ride.


















After we crossed Deception Pass we had a thrilling downhill! Jackie and I were going over 37 mph! At the end of our exhilarating downhill was our lunch stop. They had turkey, tuna salad, and veggie wraps along with assorted fruits, cookies, and power bars. We grabbed lunch and sat down on the grass and ate. We met some of our team mates and they joined us and we talked about Deception Pass. With our stomachs full and legs rested we finally started off on the last leg of our ride. Wouldn’t you know it after lunch and with full bellies we had to CLIMB! Oh yes, awaiting us was a long climb. But Jackie and I made it without stopping! We had one more rest stop about 10 miles later and we finished the last 15 miles with ease! Elated we crossed the finish line a little past noon. Not bad! Joe and Aaron were waiting for us. We drove back to the hotel and showered and rested until 4:30. We left a little before 5:00 to meet some of our team members for dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. After dinner we returned to our hotel room and went to sleep ready for tomorrow’s ride!


















Again, the alarm went off at 5:30 AM and Jackie, Joe, and I got dressed and headed to the MS 150 village. Aaron stayed in bed! LOL He was tired. We went to the start line again and it was a repeat of yesterday. The excitement and enthusiasm was still there. People were cheering, dancing, and yelling their support. The atmosphere was still electric. Our team approached the start line and again the announcer called our name as we began our ride on day two. Sunday’s ride was not hilly BUT it sure was WINDY! Yes, windy! We had one hellacious head wind on Sunday. When I asked Jackie would she rather climb or pedal with a head wind she said she would take hills any day! I agreed with her. It felt like we were pushing against a wall at times. But the scenery that morning was surreal. The sun streaming through the cyclists as they pedaled along the country roads was just something to see. I don’t think a camera can capture what the eye can see sometimes. It was just beautiful. We started again about the same time as yesterday about 7:45 and finished at 12:07 PM. We stopped at the rest stops and lunch stop. Again they had wraps for us and power bars and breakfast cookies. The cookies were the best! When we crossed the finish line on the second day they presented all riders with a medal! And on both days at the finish line there were people cheering for us as we crossed the line!

We did it! We had fun, we raised money for a good cause, and we met some pretty nice people too. The MS people had a special lunch waiting for us. They had hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, cookies, pudding, fruit, and all kinds of drinks. There was a beer garden and a band playing. But Jackie and I could not stay for the festivities. We had a long drive back home. So we said good bye to our team mates and friends and headed for home exhausted but happy.

Three Day Weekend = One Day Painting and Two Days Riding

The weather here in the pacific northwest this Labor Day weekend was absolutely beautiful. It was perfect for riding AND painting. Yes, painting! After months of putting it off, hubby, our kids, and me finally got the exterior of our house painted on Saturday. It was a family affair. We started early, around 8:00 AM and finished at 5:00 PM. We taped and covered all the windows first then Joe spray painted the entire house. We allowed it to dry over night. The next morning Joe and our son painted the trim while Jackie and I went for a road ride. Jackie and I had to ride because next weekend is our MS 150 event. We had to get some last minute training rides in. So with the house finished, except for the trim, we went for it. Joe did not mind and said to just pick up lunch on our way home.

We left early, around 8:00 AM and cycled throughout Enumclaw. My legs felt tired for some reason but they managed to finish. We were back home by 12:30 with lunch. We stopped at Wendy’s on our drive home. Joe and Aaron were finished with the trim and were cleaning up as we pulled into the drive. Our house looks fabulous. A warm “latte/creamy light brown” color with a cream colored trim. I would describe the trim as lightly burnt marshmallow. I also went to Home Depot with Joe and picked out some new outdoor light fixtures. Joe placed two on each side of the garage door and one by the front door. It was a lot of hard work but in the end it was worth it. But the next time we have to paint our house we are hiring someone. We are getting too old for this manual labor stuff. And by the time it needs to be painted again we will be even older. So yea, we are definitely hiring a painting crew the next time around.

This morning as Jackie and I were drinking our coffee we decide to do another ride. The weather was still beautiful and so another ride was in order. We left around the same time as yesterday and practically retraced yesterday’s route. Our ride was so peaceful and enjoyable with very little traffic that it was like being in cycling heaven. Today my legs felt like their good old selves again. Full of energy and strong. We cruised on the flats at 21-22 mph and ascended the hills pretty quick too. One very steep and long hill did slow us down a tad bit but our average speed was almost 15 mph at the end of the ride. To be exact it was 14.97 mph. And this with all the steep and roller coaster hills! Jackie and I were solid!

Well tomorrow I return to work. It’s the first day of school for my school district. Oh I can picture all the students’ happy faces as they walk through the school doors. My face will have a smile on it too but inside I know where I truly would rather be, outside on my bike with the air, wind, and sun on my face! I guess its back to the gym on the weekdays. But I will certainly be looking forward to my weekends.

Afternoon Ride

Today my daughter and I were supposed to do a 20 mile ride when she got home from work. But when she walked through the door a little past noon she said that she had a really bad headache. She also said that her fall allergies were starting up again. So I told her to rest and take a nap. She didn't need to ride in today's heat feeling the way she did. And it certainly was hot this afternoon. In fact according to this morning's weather report today would be our hottest day this week. But I wanted to ride. So I decided to do a short quick ride alone.

I quickly got dressed and got on my bike and out the drive I went. It was warm at 1:03 PM when I left, 82 degrees according to my house thermometer. I filled both water bottles and hoped that would be enough for my ride. Here is my route: Out my door to Alan York Park, left onto Bonney Lake Blvd, then left onto Locust. At the traffic light I went left onto Old Sumner Buckley Hwy until I reached Angeline Road where I turned right. I went down the hill but instead of going into Orting I went towards Sumner. When I reached the on ramp of 410 (near Riverside Ford) I pedaled onto the the ramp and started cycling up Eli Hill! I made it to the top and stopped at the Park and Ride behind Wendys for a water break. Downing one and half bottles of water I continued home. I reached my driveway at 2:08 PM and got 14.26 miles in. That climb up 410 (Eli Hill) was 1.91 miles! It was HOT but I kept on pedaling. Traffic was pretty heavy and there was a lot of debris and glass on the shoulder of the road. I don't think I will ride up this hill again! I wouldn't recommend it to other cyclists. There are plenty of other hills that are better and safer and with less rubbish on them.

Tomorrow I think I will do my Sky Island to Orting, Buckley, and back home route. About a 35 mile ride. Jackie said to just cycle in the morning without her. She said it's better to ride before the heat of the day. So I think I will. But she has Friday off and we plan on riding the 45 mile Headwater Century course before the heat of the day. The problem is where to park. Enumclaw High School, our usual start point, is in session. Yes, they went back to school today. Maybe we'll park at the Enumclaw QFC.