Hilly Ride

Today I rode one of my favorite routes, Enumclaw to Black Diamond and back. The roads are great, the scenery fantastic, but most import there are plenty of rest stops along this route where I can refill my water bottles and take a bathroom break. At mile 15 there's the Flaming Geyser State Park, mile 21 the town of Black Diamond with their famous Bakery, the Black Diamond Bakery and Restaurant, at mile 26 Ravensdale park, mile 31 Kanaskat State Park, and finally at mile 35 Nolte State Park. So lots of opportunities for water, food, and bathrooms! Very important to a cyclist!

I began my ride at 9:30 AM. The sun was doing a great job of warming things up. At 9:30 it was already in the mid 70s. It was going to be a warm day indeed. I started slowly allowing my muscles to warm and to work out some tightness from yesterday's hard ride. Today I more or less just wanted to get out and do a more leisurely ride. Why I picked this route I don't know because it's a very hilly one! With a few STEEP climbs thrown in to add a challenge for any rider. But my legs felt pretty good and I climbed every hill easily. I stopped for lunch at 11:30 at the Black Diamond Bakery, where else, and was back on my way by noon. I stopped more than usual today to take pictures. If my hubby were with me on today's ride he would be complaining! He hates to stop except to eat, refill his water bottles, or for a bathroom break. So lucky thing he wasn't riding today because I was in a picture taking mood. I finished my ride around 1:13 PM.

What a great week so far. Two great days of riding!

Enumclaw to Mount Rainier National Park

What an absolutely beautiful day today was! This morning I met Trish, a friend from my local gym, for a bike ride. We started and ended our ride in the parking lot of Enumclaw High School. It was an out and back ride. The out was all up hill. A steady climb with some pretty steep parts. The scenery along the highway up to Mount Rainier was gorgeous. Of course there was the mountain, always our constant companion and the river and the forest. Whenever we entered a stretch of forested area the temperature would take a dramatic dip which felt wonderful when you are climbing. We stopped at mile 21 in Greenwater for a quick break. We thought when we turned around to return that it would be an easy downhill all the way back. Brother were we wrong! We didn't think we would have a strong headwind but we did! So we had to pedal constantly just to maintain our speed! If we stopped we came to a crawl! So it was a beautiful ride but it also was a very hard ride!

I only took two pictures. One in the parking lot before we left and one of Trish in Greenwater.


After our ride we were both famished! So we stopped at Taco del Mars and had the best chicken taco salads ever made!

Early Morning Road Ride

This morning I went on a 30 mile road around. I started at 9:30 AM and finished at 11:30 AM. It was hazy and humid. The morning temperature was 71 degrees when I started but when I finished it was already 83. The humidity made it feel a lot warmer.

I finally got to ride my new bike up some hills. I was worried that I would not be able to climb going from a triple chainring (and 650 wheels) to a compact/double chainring (and 700 wheels). But I had no trouble climbing the hills this morning. In fact I found them easier to ascend then on my old triple ringed road bike. Better bike? Components? Stronger legs? Who knows, all I know is that I climbed the hills today a lot faster and without any trouble. Coming down the hills was also great! My new bike flies! I love her!

Evening Mountain Bike Ride

I met six other gals this evening in the parking lot of the Black Diamond Bike Shop for a 2 hour fun mountain bike ride. We started our ride at 6:30 PM and returned to the parking lot at 8:22 PM. We rode on some sweet trails at Lake Sawyer. The woods were gorgeous. The setting evening sun streaming through the trees was surreal. We came upon an open field with shoulder high grass and daisies. I wish I had my camera because it would have been a great picture. The sort of picture you would see in a bicycling magazine or vacation bike trip brochure.

We did a little exploring and got lost but we found our way back and got 9 fun miles in!

Another Hot One!

According to this morning's weather report today was to be the hottest day of the week and once again they were correct. Hey those weather guys, and gals, are getting pretty good at predicting the weather around here lately!

Well I learned my lesson yesterday; I started today's ride a bit earlier before it got really hot. Jackie and I left for our ride at 9:30 AM with an outside temperature of 78 degrees! We got a 30 mile ride in stopping at an espresso stand about 23 miles into our ride to replenish our water bottles and enjoy a tall cold glass of iced green tea and to eat our sandwiches that we packed. We had a good ride but the sun was starting to get to us by noon. Luckily we finished before it got even hotter. We finished at 12:30 and stopped at Subways for lunch. Temperature when we finished was 92 degrees!

Low front moving in tonight bringing cooler air and I hear thunder in the distance right now!

HOT Day for a Ride!

Today the weather report was accurate. It was HOT just as they predicted. And I went for a bike ride during the hottest part of the day. What was I thinking? Apparently I was not thinking! I left the house at 2:30 PM with an outside temperature of 92 degrees. How I rode 30 miles without passing out is a miracle. I did hydrate, drinking every single drop of water in my two water bottles and replenshing the water at an espresso stand I passed. Even so the sun took it's toll. I have been having severe leg cramps since I got back home hours ago. I think I'll go and have another big drink of water now. Better yet a nice big glass of powerade!

First Ride On My New Bike!

Last night my local bike shop called to tell me that my new bike was in. Joe and I drove to the shop to pick her up! She is beautiful! Peter, the bike shop owner, gave me a great bike fitting. My bike feels like it's a part of me. I couldn't wait to ride her.

This morning I woke up and Joe took a picture of Ruby, my name for her, and me. Finally around 3:30 I was able to get my ride with Ruby in. And it was a wonderful ride too. I left my front door and took off! I cruised around my neighborhood and then around Lake Tapps. Here are some pictures of Ruby and me on our ride this afternoon:

This is Ruby. She is a Specialized Ruby Expert Compact.

Ruby with Mount Rainier in the background.
Mount Rainier overlooking Lake Tapps.




Boat launch on lake.
The local news truck pulled into the boat launch area just as I arrived. I guess they are doing a feature on the lake and this beautiful day! The boat launch was busy. The line for the launch was long!

Ruby and I did 17 miles this afternoon. She rides so smooth and sweet. I love her!

Mountain Bike Ride With the Gals!

I rode with the Lunachixs this evening at Lake Sawyer. We met at the Black Diamond Bike Shop's parking lot and from there entered the woods of Lake Sawyer. The ride was great. The trails were sweet, winding, swooping, and dry. The late afternoon sun was beautiful. The woods were surreal with the sun streaming through the forest trees. We rode for 2 hours. Everyone had a great time. I signed up for the next Lunachix ride on Tuesday, July 1st! We got 9 miles in. They were awesome miles too!

Bought a New Bike Today!

All day yesterday Joe and I went from bike shop to bike shop while test rode bikes. Yes it was time for a new road bike for me! I narrowed it down yesterday to two. The Women's Cannondale Synapse Femine 3 Compact or the Women's Specialized Ruby Expert Compact. Today Joe and I returned to the one bike shop that had both the Cannondale and the Specialized. I test rode both bikes again and finally decided that I liked the Specialized a bit more. My lbs owner placed the order and said my bike would be here by the end of the week! I can't wait. I will post a picture of her when she arrives!

Summer Solstice . . . Warm Day . . . Hot Ride!

Jackie and I began our ride this morning at 11:30 AM. It was already a very warm 78 degrees. The sun was high overhead and beating down on us. The shaded parts of our ride felt wonderful. Jackie and I were enjoying the scenery, the ride, and the beautiful hot weather when half way into our bike ride Jackie got a flat. We stopped along the road on a shady section and I had her tire fixed in less than 5 minutes. I must admit that, thanks to my hubby Joe, I am pretty good at fixing flats. Joe made me practice years ago until I had it nailed.

After I fixed Jackie's flat tire we got back on our bikes and pedaled for about 5 minutes and came upon an espresso stand. Our water bottles were almost empty and we were in need of food and liquids and a rest too so we stopped. We both ordered iced tea, large bottles of water, and cookies. We sat at one of the espresso stand's tables which had a nice big umbrella, which was perfect for keeping the sun off our faces. After 10 or 15 minutes and feeling much better, we felt recovered enough to continue our ride. On our way back we ran into a strong headwind. Trying to stay positive regarding the headwind on the last part of our ride I kept telling myself winds help stengthen legs. My daughter was not seeing it that way. We finally finished at 2:30 PM with a temperature of 82 degrees. Hot for us here in the Seattle area after weeks of 40-50 degree weather.

On our way home we stopped at Starbucks for an iced venti three splenda green tea. It was wonderful!

We got 30 miles in and averaged 13.67 mph.

First Day of Summer Break

Yesterday was my last day of work. No more work until after Labor Day. One of the benefits of working for a school are great summer breaks!

This morning I woke up at 5:30 AM. By the time I begin sleeping in until 9:00 it will be time to go back to work! Oh well! Anyway, as I was saying I woke up at 5:30 AM and came downstairs and started my coffee. Starbuck's Sumatra. Bold and delicious! While my coffee was brewing I started my laptop on the kitchen table and checked my emails and my scrabble game with my good friend Cookie. Hmmm nothing from Cookie yet. She must be enjoying her summer break too. My good friend lives back east and also works in a school. Every summer we read half a dozen books together and discuss them through email. Our kick off for this summer is called "Bridge of Sighs". I haven't started reading the book yet. Cookie claims it is a pretty good story. She does pick some good books, a few duds now and then but usually her choices are good. I will begin reading Bridge of Sighs tomorrow.

My son finally woke up at 8:30 AM. We planned to do a mother son day today. And Aaron wanted to go to Frys. So when Aaron was ready we left the house for Fry's Electronics. He is looking for a CS3 Adobe program and a new computer desk. He found a nice desk at Fry's but they did not have CS3. So we drove to Best Buys to see if they had a copy. No luck. It appears Aaron will have to order his CS3 from an online store. What did we do before the internet?

Before driving home we stopped and had lunch together. After lunch I dropped Aaron and his desk off at home while I ran to the grocery store. When I returned Aaron had his desk assembled and his computer and two monitors running. I asked Aaron if it would be okay if I left him for a few hours to ride my bike. He said that would be fine so I quickly put away my groceries, got into my biking atire, pumped air into my tires, lubed my chain, filled my water bottles and off I went. It was a beautiful day, a little windy but sunny and warm. I had a great ride. There were a lot of other cyclist out and they seemed to be having a good day too.

I got 64.3 miles in and averaged 14.84 mph. Not bad considering the hellacious headwind I had on my return ride. I didn't get back home until 6:30 PM. Lucky thing I took something quick and easy out this morning for dinner. I made my famous pork fried rice and it was delicious. It's amazing how hungry a bike ride can make you!

Monday After Work Ride

This is my last week of work. Actually my last day is Wednesday. School will be out for the summer and I will be off until the fall! When I got off work today the sun was shining brightly. It was in the upper 70s and just a gorgeous day. Too beautiful not to ride. So my daughter and I went for a bike ride on the Orting Trail. We got 30 miles in. We stopped at Starbucks about 25 miles into our ride for a break. Jackie had a peanut butter cookie and I had an oatmeal raisin cookie. We gobbled them up with large glasses of water. Refreshed we set off to finish our ride. We saw a coyote in a field next to the trail. He was just trotting along minding his own business, thank goodness. Our pace was good; averaging 14.37 mph. These are the days you live for! It was totally the best!

Father's Day Mountain Biking and Microbrew Festival

On Father's Day Joe and I joined some of our mountain bike friends at St. Edwards State Park in Kenmore for a ride. The day was beautiful. Sunny, warm, and just gorgeous! Jackie and Aaron came along too. They did not ride with us but enjoyed a run on the trails and then relaxed while they waited for us to finish our ride. We started at 10 AM and finished just before noon. After we locked our bikes into the truck we all walked over to the annual microbrew festival that is held there annually every Father's Day weekend.

It was a great day! We got 9 miles in and then enjoyed some good beer, food, and music.

Sunday Ride With Joe

Today Joe and I went on a ride together. It was cloudy and cool, 51 degrees, but when we finished four and a half hours later the sun finally broke through the heavy gray cloud layers and the temperature was a balmy 61 degrees!

We had a great ride. We almost didn't go but I'm happy that we did.

Memorial Day Ride

Jackie and I did a 30 mile ride this morning. We started at 10:30 AM and finished just before 1:00 PM. We stopped half way for a snack and bathroom break. The weather was cloudy and humid. It was in the mid 60s. Jackie and I both felt great on today’s ride. After the ride we both agreed we could have done 60 miles easily but we had a barbecue to go to this afternoon so we did the 30 and headed home.

This Sunday, June 1st is the Tacoma Wheelmen’s annual Peninsula Metric in Gig Harbor. Jackie and I plan to do the 44 mile loop. The peninsula is very hilly. We will need our climbing legs for the Peninsula Metric! It's a very hard course because of all the steep rolling hills.

Start of Memorial Day Weekend

This morning when I woke up I was greeted with blue skies and sunshine. A good sign that today was going to be a nice day. And it was!

I was up at 6:00 AM. I started the coffee and within ten minutes Joe and Jackie were up and walking into the kitchen. We sat at the kitchen table and enjoyed our first cup of coffee together. We talked about where we should ride. I wanted to do a long 60+ mile ride but Jackie had afternoon plans with friends so we decided to do a 30 mile ride and save our long ride for Monday. I made breakfast while Joe got the bikes ready. We were out the door at 9:00 AM. It was a glorious morning. All mornings should be like the one we had today. The sun was warming the air up nicely and within a few minutes we were sweating.

We rode by rivers, meadows, and fields listening to the late morning early afternoon sounds. We passed a park where we saw children playing. The sounds of their laughter carried on the air. They were also enjoying this gorgeous day. After riding for 18 miles we stopped at an espresso stand where I ordered a cold lemonade, made with freshly squeezed REAL lemons and strawberries while Joe and Jackie just sipped on ice cold bottles of water. Refreshed we continued on our ride. We finished at 11:00 just before it got really hot.

Tomorrow we hope to do another ride and on Monday, Memorial Day, we hope to do our 60 mile ride. I hope the weather will cooperate and be as nice as it was today.

A Much Cooler Ride

Yesterday was HOT! But last night the winds picked up and brought with them a wonderful cold front. Mother Nature’s air conditioning! It felt wonderful after the hot day we had yesterday! Remember we broke a record; we saw 91 degrees yesterday! So believe me when I say the cold air coming in last night was a Godsend. I took full advantage of its coolness and opened all the windows in the house. As the evening wore on the temperature inside the house began to come down to a more comfortable range. Sleeping last night was great! There’s nothing like a cool breeze coming through your bedroom window to make sleeping heavenly.

This morning Joe and I decided to go for an early morning ride. We had breakfast at 7 AM and we were on our bikes by 9 AM. It was chilly at the start but after a few miles we warmed up nicely. We did our country/back roads and farmland ride. Normally there is very little traffic on these roads but on Sundays there is practically zero traffic. We were lucky if we saw two cars on our ride this morning. We did see a lot of cows and calves, horses, sheep, dogs, and 4 dead possums. Of course our constant companion on our ride, Mount Rainier, was out this morning sporting a nice white cap today. It’s always a pleasure seeing the mountain. I never get tired of that magnificent view!

Joe and I got a nice 25 mile ride in. We finished in 1 hour and 37 minutes. It was a nice short ride. I wanted to do a much longer ride today but Joe and I had to go to our daughter’s Honors Ceremony at three this afternoon. So we had to cut it short on this perfect day. On the bright side, I rode on Thursday, Friday, Saturday (hot hot day), and today Sunday. Four straight days in a row! This coming weekend I definitely want to do a long ride. Joe and I plan on doing the 65 mile Headwater Century loop. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. I think it will! I truly believe that our nice weather has finally arrived.

Tomorrow is Monday. I do so hate Mondays. Joe and I have decided to go to the gym tomorrow instead of ride. I do need to work on my upper body strengthening. Believe me I need it! I’ve never seen such weak pathetic arms!

The day is coming to an end but there is still a few hours left before calling it a day; so I think I will go and relax with Joe and watch some Sunday night TV.

Evening Ride

Today was a very hot day. We set a record reaching 91 degrees! I could tell it was going to be a HOT day the moment I woke up this morning at 7 AM and saw that the outside temperature was already 78 degrees! Joe had some things to do in the morning so we planned an afternoon ride. He left around 8 AM and returned home at noon. The temperature was 89 degrees when he walked through the door! We canned the afternoon ride and decided to do an early evening ride instead. It was definitely way too hot for a ride in the middle of the day.

So I did laundry and cleaned the house up a bit. I started dinner early, around three so that we could eat before our ride. At 6 PM we decided to get ready for our ride. The temperature had begun to drop and just like the weather report predicted a cold front was moving in. Of course that meant there would be wind on our ride this evening but that was okay with us. We just wanted to get out and ride. We were on the road at 6:30. The sun was still up but not directly overhead. Big difference! The winds were picking up and the temperature was dropping. It was 84 when we started our ride.

We followed the Carbon River for about 10 miles. Allowing the wind to blow off the chilly glacier fed river and cool us off. It felt wonderful! At mile 15 we left the river and headed inland. The slowly setting sun cast long shadows. We entered a wooded tree lined road and the scene was surreal. We past pastures saw great views of Mount Rainier, and sparkling sunlight dancing off the river. We got 30 miles in and finished our ride around 8:30. It was still light out (I love this time of the year with the long days) and arrived home happy that we got a ride in on this hot day.

A Beautiful Friday

This morning I woke up to another beautiful day. The sun was out, the sky was clear and blue, and the temperature at 7 AM was already in the 60s. Excited about a second beautiful day I called in to work and told them I would not be in. I just could not help myself. I rarely do anything so impulsive and selfish but today I just could not help myself. It had been a long cold, wet, miserable winter and spring. My spirits have been so low but with this gorgeous sunshine and the opportunity to ride my bike again my spirit meter has risen to extremely happy! So with my call to work out of the way I started my coffee and popped an English muffin into the toaster. After breakfast I changed, got my bike ready, and was on my way. I initially was going to ride the 45 mile Enumclaw to Black Diamond loop but at the last minute changed my mind. Instead I drove to the trail head of the Orting Trail in Puyallup next to the tulip farm. From the trail head to South Prairie it’s 15 miles. So out and back makes it a 30 mile ride.

The morning sun was warming the day up nicely. I did not need a jacket. To take full advantage of the sun I wore one of my sleeveless tops. First time this season! When I rode by the Carbon River the air coming off the water was cold. The river is fed with ice cold glacier melt. It felt so nice! Today I just wanted to enjoy the day, my ride, and the views. So my pace was not fast but not slow either. It was my “spinning” ride. I practiced my spinning. I did do some sprints on some really beautiful straight sections of the trail. In about an hour I was at the end of the trail. I stopped at the Jump Start Espresso and ordered a nice cold green tea ice tea. I found a nice shady spot and relaxed while I drank my tea. Refreshed I started back for the Puyallup trail head 15 miles away. I finished my ride at 11 AM. I felt great!

Joe has been out of town on business all week. He flies in today at 6 PM. I have to leave around 4:30 to pick him up at the airport. Tomorrow he and I and maybe our daughter too will be doing a ride. This will make three in a row for me! I am really taking advantage of this glorious weather.

It’s supposed to start cooling down by Monday but not bad. It will be more seasonal, in the 70s which is fine with me. Better than the 40s and 50s we had been getting these past few months.

So 30 miles this morning for me! :)

Beautiful Day, Great Ride After Work!

When I woke up this morning I thought the weather people on my local news station were wrong again. It was gray and gloomy. I was hoping to see sunshine when I woke up this morning but instead I was greeted with mist and grayness. But it did not stay this way. By the time I got off work at 2:30 the sun was shining brightly, the sky was the bluest blue, and there was not a single cloud in the sky! It had turned into a pretty awesome day after all. With this great weather waiting for me after work I did not waste any time getting home. I pulled into my garage, ran into the house and got into my cycling clothes, filled my water bottles, and out the door with my bike I went. I pedaled past Lake Tapps and headed down into the valley towards Orting where I picked up the Orting Trail. The trail ends at South Prairie. By the time I reached South Prairie I had covered 18 miles. Before jumping onto the road I stopped at Jump Start Espresso for a nice cold green tea ice tea. It hit the spot. I filled my water bottles and was ready to continue my ride.

After my rest I jumped onto the back country roads of South Prairie and Buckley. The scenery was magnificent! Mount Rainier was out in all its glory! The mountain was white from the winter snows. The pastures were green and alive with birds, cows with their new calves, horses, sheep, and farmers cutting hay. I felt wonderful! My legs felt strong and I climbed every hill with ease.

I got 35.73 miles in today. Not bad for an after work ride. I look forward to tomorrow and the weekend. The weather is supposed to be even better than it was today, if that is possible.

I took along my camera and shot a few pictures. To give you an idea of what kind of day today was just take a look at my pictures.

My bike on the Orting Trial
Mount Rainier as seen from the town of Orting
Mount Rainier
Orting Trail
My bike
Refreshing drink
St. Aloysius Church in the town of Buckley
Cows in a beautiful pasture with Mt. Rainier as a backdrop
Lake Tapps two blocks from my home