RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver) - Day 1

Famous last words from me:
-the weather will be perfect for the ride, and;
-the route guide is nicely laid out I can't get lost. Ahem....here's what really happened.

Day 1 - Give me an 'H': Hot, Hilly, and Hella-fun! It was great being up early...seeing the sun rise and watching the rowers cut neat lines on the calm waters of Lake Washington. It was a very serene morning... that was until I hit the chaos of Magnuson park. Cyclists everywhere! Cars loaded with multiple bikes on both top and rear racks waiting to get in to the parking lot. Lines a mile long for the porta-potties. I had made the right call by parking my car 1 mile away at my friend's house and riding over to the starting line and avoiding all that headache (and the $15 charge for parking my car over the weekend). I dropped my backpack off and at 6:45 am, me and my cycling partner for the trip, Kanako, headed off on our ride north to Vancouver, British Columbia. We were both rookies on this ride and so I had no idea what to expect on the route past Snohomish, but, I figured there were going to be a few hills.

Some background info on the ride:
- the RSVP came to be in 1980 when Mt. St. Helens erupted and interrupted the annual STP (Seattle to Portland) ride put on by the Cascade Bicycle Club
- Total riders ~1300 (vs 5000 for the STP)
- 183 miles (103 the first day, and 80 the second)

We hit our first hill ~15 miles into the ride in Woodinville. It was going to be the longest and steepest hill of the ride so it was nice to get it out of the way that early. Argh...grind...keep legs moving, keep breathing, and, for goodness sake, relax the top part of the body! All the coffee I drink in the am gets me so amped up and so if there is a major hill early on a ride, my body is so tense and I make the effort more taxing than it should be. I made it to the top and felt great. Good sign for the rest of the day...should be a piece of cake! On to Snohomish!

So, the temperature was perfect....from 6:45 am until 9:30 am, that is. Just the weekend before, it was raining and cool. One week later, the ride was going to be during the 2 hottest days of the year (upper 90s). Just great. But, I was prepared and the items I brought kept me going and not once did I experience any of those painful cramps I tend to get in my calves and quads on hot days nor did I get a pounding headache. First, I brought along my Moeben arm sleeves not to stay warm, but to keep the sun off my arms. OK, also for the sake of vanity because I HATE tan lines on my upper arms and the jerseys I wanted to wear weren't sleeveless. As the day got hotter, the sleeves became arm coolers as I continually doused them with water when I was climbing. I kept one water bottle filled with just water and used it to pour over my head, on my neck and down my back. SO REFRESHING! I started hydrating and replacing my electrolytes from the get go. During the hottest and hilliest part of the day, I also took a Saltstick Caps about every hour. Foodwise, I tried to eat real food - my new treat on bike rides are these little packets of Loucks Sesame Squares...so yummy! I'm done with fig newtons (for now)...all they do is crumble in my pocket. Another winner, is Nature's Path Organic Blueberry Toaster Pastries (no frosting) which I had for lunch. I was tired of pb & j sandwiches so this was a yummy replacement. I brought my usual assortment of gels but I only went through 3 the entire ride. The stops were fully stocked with fresh fruit like bananas, plums, nectarines, and WATERMELON (brilliant)!! OMG, there was one stop where I ate 5 slices in a row...the lady cutting them couldn't keep up with me. I could've kept going but she finally gave me "the look" and so I thanked her profusely as I backed away and let the others have their share of watermelon :-(

I thought the hardest part of the day was going to be the part of the route into Bellingham, but it was actually the leg between Lake Stevens (mile 36) and Mount Vernon (mile 74). A lot of rolling hills (and the highest point of our ride) and we were riding that area during the hottest part of the day. It nearly took my friend, Kanako. But she finally made her way in to the stop and, luckily, an ice cream truck pulled into the parking lot and so we treated ourselves to a popsicle while Kanako rested, refueled, and worked on her cramping legs. Despite the heat, it really was a beautiful part of the ride. So many trees and at one point, it opened up and to the right, there was an awesome view of Mount Baker. The hills were the types that I absolutely love (long, low grade) and all along, I heard Phil Liggett's voice in my head raving about 'dancing on the pedals and climbing like an angel!' One final stop before Bellingham and rumor had it that they had ice-cold cans of Coca-Cola. I got there, found the cooler, and then watched in horror as the lady in front me of grabbed THE LAST CAN! Waaaah! Now, I was obsessed, I had to have some ice-cold Coke. So, on to Bellingham!

I thought this last leg was the pinnacle of the entire ride. Even though it was uphill most of the way, Chuckanut Drive was absolutely fun to ride (mile 92 - 102) because it was in the shade, and I enjoyed the views to my left of the islands and water. Kanako rallied and got her legs back so we cruised to the viewpoint for a picture opp and then on to the lemonade stand at the top of the hill (but, no Coca-Cola!).

At the end, we made some rookie mistakes. First, our accomodations were about 7 miles apart. So, Kanako went to Western Washington University, and I continued on my own. I plodded on past downtown. By then, I had ridden another couple of miles and I had no idea that the hotel I had booked myself at was up by Bellis Fair Mall until I asked a local for directions. I was so done with my ride by then...mentally I was finished but, according to her, I still had 6 miles to go. Not that far, but my odometer was already at 110 so I wanted to be done so badly. And, I was going mental craving that ice-cold Coke! She gave me simple directions, but then I saw the markers for the ride on the road so I started following them. Surely, my hotel had to be along the route. Well, little did I know that I was following the markers for Day 2 and before I knew it, I was out in the rural area on my own and up ahead was a big ole dog who looked almost as gnarly as I was feeling by then. M***** F*****!!! The dog ducked into some bushes and I quickly turned around and got momentum so it couldn't catch up with me. I downed a Hammer gel because I had no idea how long I was going to be out and then retraced my route. I came up to a major street, rolled the dice, got lucky, and found my hotel. I went a little overboard with the Coca-Cola that night...I had a total of 3 (tee hee). No wonder I couldn't sleep that night! But, I was feeling great....had a great pasta dinner, a glass of wine (wha?! just one?), and an air-conditioned room! Life was good. But, geez, 119 miles...almost a double-metric century!

RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver) - Day 2

Day 1 was about the ride. Day 2 was about the destination.

Give me an 'F': Flat, Fast, Ferry, and FINISH!!!

Some people loathe hills on rides. I despise flats! It's boring, and there's always a good headwind. Anyway, I woke up at 5:30 and got on the road by 6:30. I guess getting lost last night was fortuitous because I knew exactly where to go that morning to get back on route.

The ride to the border was flat and boring. Except when we got into Lynden...what a cute little town and I wished that I didn't have the free continental breakfast at my hotel. I guess it's an RSVP tradition to go to the Dutch Mothers for the breakfast buffet which they prepare especially for the riders. I'll have to note that for next year. After Kanako had her breakfast we continued on to the Aldergrove Border Crossing. They were prepared and I've never gotten across the border so quickly! We were moving so fast, I barely got a picture of me crossing the border on my bike! I wore my Velogirls jersey just for Day 2 because I wanted to take a picture of me wearing it as I crossed the border. You see, Velogirls is a cycling club down in the Bay Area that I went on club rides with on the weekends when I first got my bike (back in 2003). I thank Lorri Lee Lown and her club for giving me an opportunity to grow, develop, and love the sport of cycling. It was also through that club that I met my BFF, Kirsten (love ya, miss ya girl!!!). It was a monumental moment for me to reflect back to when I could barely climb the hills around Canada Rd. (kahn-ya-da) or even clip-out of my pedals before falling over on my bike and to where cycling has, literally and figuratively, taken me in life. 'Passport Please!' Poof - so much for my reflection :-)

About 5 miles from the border, we hit 'The Wall' which is a short but very steep climb (I heard 10% grade from 1 person, 14% from another so it's probably safe to say it was somewhere in between). For the first time on my ride, this hill looked daunting as we were coming out of a flat section. Up ahead, it really looked like a wall with its victims and carnage laying to the right (i.e., cyclists walking their bike or riders bending over by the grass....ew, were they throwing up?). So, I sucked it up, changed gears, stood up on my pedals and danced my way to the top. Hill?! What hill?! I was pumped....I doused myself with water at the top and resumed our tour through the farmland on roads with little to no shoulder and a headwind that seemed to be picking up by the minute. Made passing challenging but then again, it was a good excuse to poach off of someone's tail :-) But, I did my share of pulling on this ride, that's for sure.

In Fort Langley, we found a great coffee shop and popped in for an Orange Tangerine smoothie (immediate brain freeze - owwwww, worst pain I had encountered on the ride so far) and I got a cheese scone (no wonder I didn't use any gel at all that day). Then, it was on to the Albion Ferry which was a 15 minute ride across the river. The wait wasn't too bad (maybe 30 minutes?) but we were out in the sun so it was just uncomfortable.

After the ferry, the ride wasn't as scenic or as enjoyable as Day 1. But, riding-wise, I felt my best on the Barnet Highway (highway 7a, mile 61, or mile 169 of my total ride). It was only 6 miles (10km) but it was all uphill with a lot of traffic going by really fast. I wanted that leg over and done with as fast as possible. I was cruising along but starting to feel fatigued for the first time on my ride. After I had passed a group of riders, 3 men came roaring up on my left and told me to 'jump on' which I gladly did. All of a sudden, my average speed went from 10-12 mph to 18-20 mph and at one point, where it wasn't as steep, I was cruising at 22 mph and passing people like they were standing still. That was probably my favorite part of the ride that day because I just felt really strong and powerful while cycling as a part of that train. Thanks to those 3 men who pulled me to the top....it was so exhilerating! At the top there was a guy with a bag of ice which he so kindly shared and filled my water bottle...twice! It was so hot that the ice that he had given melted by the time Kanako showed up and it wasn't that long of a wait. That's the other thing I really enjoyed about the ride, that everyone pitched in to help each other get through the ride and on to the finish line.

After that, it was tour through Burnaby (home town of my all-time favorite ice hockey player, Joe Sakic!) and finally on to downtown Vancouver via Chinatown and Gastown. At the end, my odometer read 190 miles (thanks to the extra miles I put in on my 'recon' trip) and I rolled in to the hotel where the party was with a big ole grin on my face and satisfied that, not only did I make it, but that I had completed the ride without any mechanical or physical issues to deal with. It was an almost perfect ride and even when I was lost at the end of Day 1, I ended up benefitting from that stumble the following day. Kanako, on the other hand, could give you a different story about Day 1 from her perspective....but, hey, she finished and finished strong!

This is a ride that any cycling enthusiast should do. But, sign up early because it sells out (1300 riders max). Tickets for 2009 go on sale January 1, 2009. Thanks Cascade Bicycle Club for the route, and, thanks to all the vols who supplied us with water and fuel along the way (mmmm, WATERMELON). I'll be back next year.

GHATD - Give Hockey a Try Day (w/the Seattle Women's Hockey Club)

Today was the annual 'Give Hockey a Try Day' hosted by the Seattle Women's Hockey Club. I had participated in the past many times with my previous leagues (both women's and co-ed) and it is such a blast. I love picking out the one who is an absolute beginner, taking them through some basic drills and then talking to them afterwards about getting gear and how to get started in a league.

Today, I was paired up with Sarah who had played some floor hockey but it's been a while since she's been on skates. So, while Adam took the other women through some basic drills, I worked with Sarah 1-1 on some basic skating drills, puck-handling, and just some general habits that every good skater should have when playing hockey (e.g.,keep your knees bent and loose, both hands on the stick, and keep your head up and not looking down at the puck). I was so happy to watch Sarah improve with every drill we worked on and by the end of the session, she had some awesome passes to the tape of my stick and in more control over her skating and stopping.

Afterwards, I was giving her information on where to get a good beginner's package, how much to spend, and what to expect in the upcoming season. She was pretty happy with the session and I was even more excited for her....it was so gratifying for me...the same feeling I got at the end of my ski instructing. I also got some great feedback from my teammates on my instructing which is always nice to hear. The session this morning also brought back fond memories of my early hockey days, the hand-me-down gear I wore, and all the practice sessions I attended. Nice job ladies! Thank you for coming and I hope to see you on the ice!

I haven't decided where I'm going to skate this coming winter. I had a great time skating with the co-ed league this past summer. It was the most fun I've ever had with a co-ed team. The guys on my team were so supportive and fed me so many great passes all season and on the flip-side, were always in the position I expected them to be in. More importantly, they brought great beer to share at the end of the game and always provided 2 hours of great entertainment - especially if Murray was around and killing time in the sin-bin...ha! It's too bad this league doesn't play all year 'round. I was also thinking about taking some time off from the sport but, after my last game as a Fighting Hamster (co-ed) and this GHATD session, it's just too much fun to stop playing. So, we'll see. I have a few weeks to think about it.

RSVP - Less Than One Week To Go!

August has taken me by surprise....where did the summer go? I got my bib number and route sheet, er, guide (LOL) for the ride in the mail a few days ago and I had to look at the calendar and see if it was true...that this ride was happening next weekend. Next week, at this time, I'll be at the border waiting to cross into British Columbia. RSVP stands for 'Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party.' No, not a party bus. It's a 2-day bike ride - basically a back-to-back century ride. The size of the route guide is crazy funny....but, nicely laid out so I can't get lost. I have to make sure it's going to fit in one of my back pockets but still leave me room for my pb&j sandwich and fig newtons.

Next Friday, we roll out from Warren G. Magnuson park in Seattle and ride up to Bellingham which will be just a little over 102 miles. I'm really looking forward to the first day because I've always enjoyed the drive from Mount Vernon up to Bellingham in my car. So it'll be nice to take it slow by bike and take in the views of Mount Baker and the tree-covered foothills. The second day, we leave Bellingham and cross the border into British Columbia. Our final destination is downtown Vancouver (about 80+ miles) and then spend the night before heading home the following day. That leg will be interesting for me because I've never cycled in that area....I am imagining some good headwinds and the fresh smell of 'fertilizer' since we'll be in the farming area for most of the ride before we reach Vancouver. Mmmm....refreshing (haha). I'll have to resist the temptation to stop at some of the wineries along the way to taste some fine BC wine.

In general, I'm feeling pretty good and I guess I'm kinda glad that I didn't do my North Cascade Loop ride in the latter part of July because I hit what I think was a 'dead zone.' After so many weeks on end working out and playing at a moderate to high intensity, I hit a wall and I wasn't motivated to do anything...except rock climbing and hitting golf balls. And, when I was working out, I was only putting minimum effort and couldn't wait for the session/game/workout to end (not like me at all). So, I finally listened to Casey (my trainer) and did as I was told and RESTED....something my previous trainer, Joel, used to lecture me on for years. Joel would just roll his eyes when I told him that I would rest when I'm pushing up daisies. I guess when I was working full-time, going in to the office and sitting behind a desk or in mind-numbing meetings for hours on end gave my body time to recover. Now I have much more time for fun things and, in typical fashion, I fill my day with activities that I love doing. So, here's the irony, now that my life is a lot less rigid and structured these days (work-wise), I need to be more disciplined and force myself for some physical down time and less intense activities (this is where golf fits in nicely).

The rest was well worth it and I thoroughly enjoyed my rides last week. My legs feel strong again, and my motivation to ride and climb was back. Sweet and just in the nick of time! I can't wait...it'll be fun and the weather is going to be perfect for the ride.

Fore!

That was one of the many four-letter words that passed my lips on Saturday. It was my first round of golf in more than 10 months (yikes, 10 months!) but I've been so busy with other activities that I had to let something go. Besides, lately, I've been having a love/hate relationship with this sport.....I hate the environmental impact golf courses have on the area (which is mostly negative in my mind)....but, when I played last Saturday, of the few sweet shots I had, I remembered why I enjoy playing the game.

My little brother was in town so I headed out for a round with him and his long-time friends, Morgan and Casey. We played at a course south of Tacoma located in Lacey, WA, called Hawk Prairie. It's a 36-hole golf course and we played 'The Links' which is laid out in the traditional links-style (yeah, no duh). Casey used to work there....he also has a 5-handicap and was so nice to give me directional pointers which I tried to control. But I've lost the feel of my clubs over the months so not only was my target way off, but I had no control over my distance. I would consistently hit my approach shots way off the back, or my putts would go screaming past the hole (and, those were uphill putts...LOL).

The course was fun to play and I really liked the greens because they were consistent: consistently fast, and consistently undulating. They were in great shape....not heavily walked on and torn up like the munis in the Bay Area. All-in-all, the course was fun and I heard that the other course (Woodlands) is even more enjoyable. Easy course for walking which is what I prefer anyway (surprise, surprise). Typically, it's the equivalent of a 5-mile hike with about 20-35 lbs. of gear (I'm guessing) which makes the 19th hole even more gratifying. The one thing is that the web site led me to believe that there were primarily trees around the golf course....ha, not! A lot of houses have been built up in the area so beware of those errant slices or wicked hooks. We're still not sure what Morgan hit on what I think was the 15th or 16th hole off the tee...we couldn't even figure out if it was the sound of breaking glass or metal. We didn't see any broken windows as we walked up to where our drives landed, but then again, we didn't linger around too long to figure out what exactly his ball hit. The one negative thing was the marshall at the beginning of the round. Morgan and Casey showed up about 4 minutes before we were to tee off. So, the marshall ambles over and stressed *multiple* time how we need to keep up with the group in front of us because of the big-wig Weyerhauser tournament that was coming up behind us (yeah, WHATever). After about the 4th time, I finally said 'YES, we get it' and then quickly bit my tongue before I unleashed a few more words that I knew I would regret. Ha...we never saw the group behind us except for the last couple of holes in the round. Argh, such a maddening game with so many things about it that annoy me but it gives me more fuel to play better and to keep up with "the boys." And, now with hockey out of the way, I can use that time to work on my game. I'll probably get it back in time for the rains to start coming down again in the northwest but it'll be just in time to crank it at Poipu Bay on Kauai.