Enumclaw Hills

Today Joe and I rode through Enumclaw's back country. It was a great day. Warm and dry. The sun was playing a good game of hide and seek with us throughout the entire ride. We saw many new born critters on the pastures we cycled by. Calves, horses, goats, llamas, and Scottish highland calves. The Scottish highland calves looked like little wookies and were so darn cute.

Our route was very hilly. The hills were mostly rolling but there were two big climbs on our route this afternoon too. They were very steep and long. But Joe and I made both, of course we sounded like a couple of trains huffing and puffing up them, but we made the climbs! And for our reward we got to scream down the other side. I hit 38 mph and couldn't catch Joe! He was going down over 40 mph. He claims it's his size and mass that give him the momentum to go down so fast.

We only got 27.50 miles in but they sure were the best miles! Sadly rain is in the forecast for tomorrow. So maybe it will be the gym in the morning for some weight bearing exercises.

Wednesday Afternoon Ride

I forgot to write about my ride on Wednesday afternoon. I had the day off and the weather was beautiful so I went on a 33 mile bike ride. It was great! I rode my Specialized Ruby Expert instead of my old Trek. My Trek is my bad weather winter bike but Wednesday was wonderful. A really "spring" day. Mid 50s, warm, and sunny.


Half of my ride was on the trail and the other half was on the road. As you can see from my picture part of the trail was closed due to local flooding this winter. But when I rode by there was a work crew there repairing that section of the trail. They had cleared away all the mud, stumps, trees, and debris and had filled in the washed away section of the trail with dirt. When I rode by they had a big roller flattening the trail. All that's left to do is the paving! They really want the trail ready for spring. I think it may be ready this weekend. Perhaps if I get off early enough today I will take a ride down to the trail and check it out.

30 Mile Family Ride

Today Joe, the kids, and I went on a wonderful 30 mile ride. We decided to stay off the roads and ride on the Interurban and Green River Trails instead. It was a good ride and a great time spent with my family.

Fog . . . Elk . . . Movies . . . Great Day!

This entire past week was a sad one. All week long I did nothing except go to work, come home from work, watch tv, go to bed, repeat. I didn't even go to the gym or spin class this week. I was getting into a rut but thank goodness today Joe and I got out and we did a 22 mile road ride. Yeah! It wasn't a very long ride but it was a very nice ride.

It was chilly when we left at 11:30, only 40 degrees and cloudy/foggy. The weather report said sunshine and clearing but it never happened during our ride. But I must admit the sun finally did pop out about an hour after we finished riding around 3:20! But I won't complain because as I was saying it was a good ride. We did one of our hilly courses and we still managed to average 15.7 mph. Not bad. We also saw a herd of 40-50 elk in a farmer's field in Enumclaw. We stopped to watch them for a while and I tried to get a picture with my cell phone's camera but they were too far away for a decent picture.

After our ride this afternoon I got a text message from a friend asking Joe and me to come out tomorrow morning and do a mountain bike ride at Banner. I told her we just might show up for her ride!

In about 50 minutes Joe and I will be leaving for the movies. We are going to see Liam Neeson in his new movie Taken. I heard it was good. Actually I'm ready to go to bed but Joe has been wanting to see this movie so I guess it's the movies for me tonight.

What a great day today turned out to be! :)

Last Day of January - Beautiful!

I couldn't believe my eyes this morning. The sky was blue and the sun was out shining brightly! That could only mean one thing, a road ride! WooHoo! I started my ride at 10:48 AM. I must admit it was a chilly start. The temperature was a brisk 37 degrees but that sun was working it's magic. It was warming the day up nicely. When I finished it was 50 degrees! It felt warmer with the sun beating down on my black cycling pants. I was very comfortable on today's ride.

I wasn't the only one who thought today was a great day to be outside. On my ride today I saw runners, walkers, people with their kids on bikes, people walking their dogs, other cyclists, and people rollerblading. It seemed like everyone had the same idea as me on this gorgeous sunny winter day.

I got a good 37 miles in and made good time. I stopped around mile 20 for a snack break and a good stretch. After 15-20 minutes I was off again. I got back home at 1:23 PM.

I hope tomorrow will be a repeat of today. I could use another day like this one to wrap up my weekend!

5:30 PM Spin Class

Went to spin class after work today. Wish I could have skipped work entirely. The sun was out shining brightly. Even though it was a chilly 37 degrees I would rather be on my bike then indoors on a stationary. Spin class was good. Heidi had us doing intervals. Hopefully I will get two long rides this coming weekend.

30 Mile Ride

Today the sun was making an attempt to break through the clouds. Around 11:00 AM it looked like it was going to succeed. The outdoor thermometer showed that it was 37 degrees on the other side of the window. Chilly but with the sun it shouldn't feel too bad. So Joe and I decided to go for a ride. It was our first ride outdoors since December 6th.

We began our ride at 11:35 AM. The sun was out but the clouds seemed to be fighting back, and winning. The first ten minutes of our ride were the worst. The wind chill made me feel like an icicle. But soon I warmed as my body produced heat from the constant pedaling. Joe and I dressed in layers. We had on our warm winter riding gloves, our booties to keep our feet and toes warm, and are balaclavas which really helped keep our faces protected from the wind and cold. But the sun was what really made us feel warm but about 20 minutes into our ride the clouds won and the sun disappeared. As long as we kept pedaling we were fine. But when we stopped, and we did once, the chill settled in quickly and it took a good 5 minutes of hard pedaling to warm up again. Even so our ride was wonderful! Joe and I never felt better! It sure beat an hour of spin class indoors.

When we got back home we were tired but happy. We got 30 miles logged in today! I hope tomorrow will be a good day for an outdoor ride too. That will make this the best weekend in a long time for me!

Spin Spin Spin

Sunday and Monday I went to spin class. Although the snow, rain, and flooding have ceased we are now getting a lot of thick fog. So I continue to go to spin class. The fog did clear on Monday and the sun finally did come out but too late for me to get a good ride in before the sun set. I hope the weekend weather will get nice soon. I need to begin adding long rides into my workouts. So here's to sunny warm weekends in the up coming months ahead!

Foggy Wet Winter Day

This morning I was up at 5:30 AM. I am a morning person and no matter how late I stay up I am always up between 5:00 and 7:00 AM every day. Rarely will I sleep beyond 7:00. Now I don't mind getting up so early in the summer. Because in the summer the sun is up early like me, shining brightly, the birds are singing, and the world is still asleep. In the summer mornings are a quiet, peaceful, beautiful time of the day. But in the winter, now that's a different story. In the winter it's dark and cold. In the winter I can't take my morning cup of coffee outside and sit on the patio and watch the day begin. That's why in the winter I wish I could sleep a little bit longer. At least until the sun comes up. But no, try as I may I just can't sleep past 7:00.

After I got up this morning I shuffled downstairs and started the coffee. I turned my laptop on to check my email and messages. Soon my daughter was up; she joined me in the kitchen with her cup of coffee. Around 7:30 AM we got ready to go to the gym. We went to the 8:15 flex class and after the hour long class we went to the 9:30 spin class. By the time the spin class was over we were both exhausted. We left the gym and drove straight to Starbucks for Americanos before we headed home.

What I really wanted to do today was ride my bike. I thought the weather would be nice this weekend but I was wrong. Maybe next weekend the weather will cooperate and I will be able to ride my bike outside instead of a stationary bike inside at the gym.

First Snow Now Rain and Floods!

What is up with our weather lately? During the month of December we were hit with snow and very cold temperatures. January is bringing us heavy rains, warm temperatures, melting mountain snow, avalanches, and flooding! Right now I am watching the evening news and I see pictures and reports of rivers over flowing and running over their banks. Many towns see their fields and residential areas under water. Snoqualmie Falls looks like Niagra Falls. Stories of mudslides are now being reported. It's scary! I feel so badly for the people living in these flooded areas. I hope the rains stop soon and the rivers recede quickly. This has been one hard winter and it's only just started. Spring is two and half months away! March 21st can't get here fast enough.

Three Days Into New Year!

Wow, January 3rd and I finally made it to spin class. What I really wanted to do was ride my bike today but the weather is still being very uncooperative. It snowed again yesterday and although the temperature is creeping back into the 40s it wasn't enough to melt all the snow today. Besides the snow there's the sand, not safe for a cyclist. If the sun comes out tomorrow I may ride on the Orting Trail. I'll just have to wait and see I guess but at least I went to the 8:00 AM spin class this morning.

I guess I should explain my goals for this new year. My big goal is to ride and complete the 128 mile Native Planet Classic on June 20th. I have six months to get ready for this event. My plan is to continue to go to spin class until the weather and roads improve. Spin class should keep my legs strong and help me build and maintain my cardio. But I will need to ride outdoors and increase my mileage this spring. I will also need to begin riding a lot of hills to train for the climbing I will be doing on the 128 mile ride this June. Did I mention the course is over the north cascade highway? And the total elevation gain for the ride is over 10,500 feet! I have my work cut out for me but this is the year I get back in shape. So the June 20th ride is my big goal but I have other goals too. To ride at least 4-5 times a week. To do one long ride every weekend if not two. To ride on a hilly course every week. To build my stamina and endurance. To increase my average speed.

Here's to my goals, challenges, and a great year!

Last Spin Class of 2008

I went to spin class this afternoon. It was the last spin class for 2008. Probably won't ride tomorrow. There is no class and the weather is looking too nasty for an outside ride.

See you in 2009!

Day After Christmas Workout

My daughter and I went to a special "day after Christmas" spin class at our gym. Instead of the usual one hour class it was 1 1/2 hours long. It began at 9:00 AM. It was a great workout too. Our instructor this morning really mixed it up and pushed us. She had us do intervals and a lot of climbing. I'm glad I went!

The weather is beginning to warm. Rain is expected tomorrow which will melt all the snow. I'm a bit worried about flooding. Not for me but for the people in the lower areas and near the already overflowing rivers.

Silent Night . . . Merry Christmas!

What a CRAZY Two Weeks!

School is out for winter break and I am off for the next two weeks returning on January 5th, weather permitting. Actually I got an extra 3 days off! With all the snow and cold weather we have been receiving school was canceled on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (December 17, 18, and 19th). It was nice but that means 3 snow days to make up before the end of this school year. Hopefully there won't be any more school cancellations due to snow!

I have been very busy preparing for the holidays. Shopping, shipping, baking, wrapping, decorating and on and on. With all this extra holiday work plus the bad weather we have been receiving very little biking has been done. Okay zero biking has been done this month. With the exception of December 6th (my only real bike ride this month) all exercise has been at the gym. On Sundays I go to Flex Class and on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday I have been going to spin class. I even went to spin class twice in one day a couple of times this month. The 5:30 AM class and then the 5:30 PM class. Those were exceptional days. Plus this little fact, my daughter made me go! :-P

Yes, this has been a very hectic and busy month. The good news is we have passed the winter solstice which means the sun is making it's journey back to the northern hemisphere! Yippee!

Spin class and the gym will see me through this winter. When spring and warmer weather finally do arrive I will be ready to start training for my 128 mile ride on June 20th.

Snow!

I woke up this morning early and looked outside. This is what greeted my eyes:


So much for a bike ride today. I guess it's the gym today and probably the rest of this week. 26 degrees F. So much for mild winters in the pacific northwest. Our climate is definitely changing.

Winter Has Arrived!

It started yesterday. First the dark clouds, followed by high winds, then came the rain, and this morning the snow! The temperature outside right now is 34 degrees but the weather report for the weekend said 24 by tomorrow with lows around 17! So much for a bike ride this weekend. So it's the gym. I hate being indoors but when you have weather like this it's the only way to get your exercise and training in. Sigh!

Finally!

After a month off my bike because of work, weather, and travel, Joe and I got out today and rode for 30.02 miles. It was wonderful to be on my bike again. It sure beats spin classes at the gym. That's what I have been doing four times a week; spinning at the gym.

We started our ride at noon and finished at 2:33 PM. It was 45 degrees, calm, sunny with a few high clouds. We rode on the Orting Trail. When we passed the Carbon River we noticed it had changed it's course. The heavy rains a few weeks ago caused flooding and you could see where it came over the trail. But today the river was low and it's course definitely was not the same when I last saw it in September.

Even though I have been going to spin classes for the last two months today's ride wore me out. My legs were definitely stronger, thanks to spin class, but my stamina and endurance that I had all summer long is definitely gone.

No complaints from me though. I had a great ride! Hope to do a repeat next weekend. I just hope the weather will cooperate next Saturday. Tomorrow it's the gym and spin class.

Two Hours at the Gym

I went to the gym and worked my butt off. First there was my flex class at 8:15 AM. One solid hour of a very high-energy workout. Maximum calorie burn and a full body workout. My instructor really pushed the class this morning. After the hour of flex I then did an hour of spin class. I hope I will be able to move tomorrow morning.

I would have loved to have gone on an afternoon ride but the weather was not cooperating. Raining and windy all day long.

Busy Week

I went to the gym on Tuesday and Thursday and did the 5:30 AM spin classes. Today Joe and I went mountain biking. We had fun. The trails were covered with fallen leaves making the ride pretty interesting. Tomorrow my daughter and I are going to the 8:30 AM flex class at the gym. I may do the 9:30 spin class immediately after the flex class or go home and do a road ride with Joe. It all depends on tomorrow's forecast.