What Is Jocelyn Up To? (for the lack of a catchy title at the moment)

Breakdown of an OC-6 Change-Out

2009-08-31T19:28:00.000-07:00

Read on for details on the race. Click on images for a larger version.

Seats 1-2-3, stow your paddles!

Each person shouts as they jump out of the boat - 3 out, 2 out, 1 out!

Success! 1/2 boat full of fresh paddlers! Imua!

My turn!!

Leaving the escort boat after 24 minutes of resting, refueling, and hydrating. We line up in order of our seats and wait for the canoe to come and get us.

Getting into Seat 2....F***! My shoulder! Oh, the bruises! Crazy, badass fun!!!

Race Around the Island - Catalina Crew Earns a Blue Ribbon Medal!

2009-08-31T19:15:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is....finally, my first long-distance, change-out race in an OC-6 (6 person outrigger canoe). It was also the one and only dress rehearsal for the Catalina Crew before we head down to SoCal for the race in mid-September. The course was a lovely tour of Lake Washington - starting at Sail Sand Point's home in Magnuson Park just north of the University of Washington (go Dawgs!) in Seattle. From there, we headed south and across the lake to Medina, then, paddled down to Mercer Island and did a counter-clockwise circumnavigate of the island, and, finally, back up to the starting line for a total of ~26 miles. Garmin Connect - Activity Details for SSP 26 mile race coed crew ! It was cool that morning - but that was good b/c it kept the recreational boat traffic low so it felt like we had the entire lake to ourselves.

In total, I was scheduled for 3 change-outs: start in seat 5, change to seat 2, back to seat 5, finish in seat 2. Sabine kept it pretty simple and we did 3-seat change outs each time. The stroker in seat 1 changes about every 24 minutes, while all the other seats changed out every 48 minutes. Sabine, was our steersperson and ironed the race and never changed out - and, she paddled for most of the time. She is amazing and my mentor in this crazy sport!!

We were planning to finish the race in 4 hours. But, paddling together in the weeks prior paid off - our strokes and timing were on, steady, and strong. And, our change-outs went smoothly. We finished way ahead of schedule with a final time of 3:47....woot!!! At our last change-out practice, I totally missed seat 2 and did the most dumbass move ever and reached for the aku in a panic. Needless to say, my left shoulder had been in pain the entire week leading up to the race and I kept replaying that image of me missing my marker in my head. So, I had massive butterflies for my first change-out. I jumped out of seat 5 into the cool water and it was invigorating. I climbed into our escort boat and chilled (literally) for 24 minutes.

Since we don't wear our packs on the boat while paddling, the only time we can hydrate and refuel is on the escort boat. But, I wasn't that hungry b/c of nerves and I was focused on calming myself down for my first climb back into seat 2. The time came, I jumped from the escort boat into the water and waited for the boat to come. I spotted the yellow tape and went for the hand-hold. The rest was a blur and before I knew it, I was in seat 2 (yay!) and reached ahead of me to help Diane into seat 1. I did it!! My second change went relatively smoothly as well - again, I don't remember much of it, but I was in my seat and paddling. The only thing I could remember was the pain in my left shoulder as I started to paddle, but in a way, it was good b/c the only way to work around that was to focus most of my power on the big muscles on my back, butt, and legs - what I should be doing anyway!! The race was awesome, and it being a long-distance race, I was completely in my element. But, because we were cruising way ahead of schedule, I didn't get to do my last change and I wasn't in the boat across the finish line :-( And, I was just getting into my groove and could've paddled for another couple of hours with the change-outs. What an amazing race and a job well done by the SOCC CATALINA CREW!! We got first in our division (6 women, 3 men) and we are so excited for the race to Catalina!

Our other SOCC mixed open boat finished under 4 hours as well and came in at 3:52. The overall winner was the crazy men's open boat from Kikaha who finished in 3:11. They've been paddling for years together and do all the badass races like Molokai. My friend, Doug (Slacker), is part of that crew and I can't wait to take up his offer to go paddling with him in his OC-2. It'll be a wicked paddle and there will be no time for whining (though, I'm sure there will be a lot of "Buttercup" ribbing, for sure :-))

I would love to try and iron the race in an OC-2 (c'mon Nay Nay) next year. But, the change-outs are fun, too. Great job SOCC! Thanks, Dave, for being our escort boat. And, many thanks to Mary Ann for being our change-out coordinator!! Imua Seattle Outrigger!! Thanks for an amazing experience. Finally, here's a link to more pics from the race.

Video - Change-Out Practice - Sat., 8/22/09

2009-08-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a video of our change-out practice this past Saturday. It was your typical PNW day (brrrr....) but once we got paddling, it got warm. Anyway, here are the times I show up on the vid. Oh, and note that at this phase of my short, paddling experience, my goal for the change-outs is to successfully haul my lard-ass back into the boat. So, when it comes to style....well, I'll work on that next year :-)

00:47 (seconds): you see my head go under the camera on the aku as I spot the tape indicating where seat 5 is on the boat.

004:10: my graceful climb into Seat 2. I'm in the red rash guard. Oh lordy...

04:50: my change-out of Seat 2. Cannonball!

05:20: hard to see, but in the far boat, it was my last (4th!) climb back into Seat 2. I was totally exhausted at that point but I managed to get in on my own.

Should be warm this coming Saturday for the race! Can't wait....but, my bruises hurt!!

Upcoming Long Distance (Change-Out) schedule

2009-08-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

The outrigger canoe racing season is coming to a close - about 1 more month of racing for me with 2 big long distance races with change-outs and *maybe* 1 more long distance (no change-out). While I loved the recent wave of hot weather (when I was out on the water), it kicked my ass and I suffered a bit of heat exhaustion after SOCC's "Da Grind" earlier this month. But, after a couple of "mellow" weeks (i.e., I was still working out, playing hockey, and paddling - but at a lower intensity), I feel like I've got my energy back. And, the cooler weather is helping me catch up on my ZZZZ's.

Yesterday, we headed out of Waterway 18 on Lake Union on a very cool and cloudy morning and paddled out to I-90, crossed to Mercer Island, and then paddled up to 520 and back to Lake Union. Total mileage was probably 18 miles and while we were out, we practiced our change-outs in a race scenario. I am sooooo happy to report that I've broken through my mental block. I've been so apprehensive about practicing change-outs while the boat is in motion. Doing it while the boat is sitting still is one thing, but grabbing on to the canoe as it's moving was another and I haven't felt this type of apprehension in a long time. Seriously, there were times I thought I was going to puke. On top of that, I added more stress to myself because I had agreed to be part of the Catalina Crew. So, I had to break through this mental block and not let my teammates down. But, I did it yesterday!!! Double-Woot!! I was part of the first group to jump out and I had no choice by that point (there was no copping out that morning - Sabine made that clear) and just jumped out. Then, I surfaced and waited for the other boat to come. All I remember about my first change-out were the akus going over my head, and focusing my eyes on the bright yellow tape that spotted the area for me to grab. Then, I literally hauled my ass up on the boat. I couldn't do the "superman" and did a leg hook (ouch) but I got up on my own and was paddling shortly thereafter. OMG.....what a relief to get that first one out of the way....then, we got to do it 3 more times. I was exhausted by the end of practice. Thank you Sabine, Melissa, and Rob (Mango!) for believing in me and calming my nerves. You don't even know how much it meant to me to be able to break through this mental block. Now I'm ready - bring on the next 2 races!

First, Sail Sand Point's Pacific Northwest Outrigger Challenge - a ~26 mile race from Magnuson park, across Lake Washington, down to and around Mercer Island, then back up to Magnuson. This will be a change-out race with a couple of escort boats following us to drop-off and pick up paddlers. Date: August 29 starting at 10:00 am and we hope to finish by 3:00 pm?

Second, Catalina Challenge - U.S. Championships which I wrote up previously. After that race, I will see how I feel about squeezing in one more race.

(In the heat of the competive moment. Photo credit: Scott Moody, Kikaha Outrigger Club - click on the image for a larger version.)
We're already thinking about next year and I think we're going to aim for the Na Pali Challenge on the island of Kauai. What's interesting about this distance change-out race is that you need 6 wahine (women) and 6 kane (men) and every 30 minutes, you change out all 6 six seats (6 wahine out, 6 kane in, etc.) It's a 38 mile race but, with all the change-outs, one will likely only paddle a total of 3 hours. I can't wait to sit in the escort boat and take in the Na Pali coast - it's going to be breathtaking and an amazing experience! OK - back to the now....a week of warmer weather and time to perfect my change-outs. Aloha! Imua Seattle Outrigger!

Da Grind - OC Distance Race 08/01/09

2009-08-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

After a week of scorching heat in the northwest, the fog was a welcome relief (albeit, temporary) in West Seattle the morning of SOCC's very own "Da Grind" distance race. A 2-lap course for a total of 10 miles with a bonus portion: a 1-person run up from the boat to the beach and back into the boat after the first lap.

Guess who was designated to do that in our boat...yup, that would be me. LOL!! After a 2-hour delay, we started in the fog which instantly dissapated about 20 minutes into our race. It was a grind, literally, for me anyway. I've been fighting a bug all week and with the heatwave, my body was completely lethargic. And, I had timed my caffeine and food intake for a 9:30 start - not an 11:30 am start (with some football tossing, burpees, and general horsing around in the sand on top of that to kill time). Yeah, we hadn't even made our first turn and I knew it was going to be a grind for me.

After the first lap, I disconnected my hydration pack and jumped out of the boat - and went face first into the water....exactly what Sabine told me NOT to do. Then, it was a run up the beach, around the cone (plus an added JRitchie Flair - a pirouette) and back into the boat. Sabine showed me how to do it (one hand on each side of the boat and then swing my butt in...well, all the adrenaline gave me a major brain fart and the boat was cruising by....so, I missed it. SPLOOSH! Face-first into the water and off I went to chase the boat. LOL! Nice! And, it's all captured on film by photos taken by Scott Moody from Kikaha OCC. Great.

We got 4th place in the Open Women's division and we battled it out with Mountain Home's boat the entire way. Sigh....it was a grind. But, we were neck-in-neck right from the get-go. In fact, we were so close around our first turn that we collided with their ama. In the end, they edged us by 10 seconds. Oh well...next year.

Good times for sure. The SOCC men's boat did well too! No huli! Great turnout from the clubs around the northwest I'm done for sure now....until later this month. Hope this lethargic feeling goes away soon.

Catalina Crossing - 9/12 - 9/13...I'M IN!!!!

2009-07-24T16:22:00.001-07:00

It's official....I got a spot on SOCC's co-ed crew for the 50th annual Catalina Crossing. It's a 27-mile race that starts from Newport Beach, CA and a one way paddle out to Catalina Island. Because of the length of the race, we'll be doing change-outs with people swapping seats during the race I think every 45 minutes or so. I'm guessing it will take us anywhere between 4.5 - 6 hours to complete the race. I am so excited!!!! We'll spend the night on the island and the men will race the following morning. Just one baby-step closer to my ultimate goal - the Na Wahine O Ke Kai race from Molokai to Oahu which is approximately 40 miles. Imua!!

More pics from the Gorge Distance Race '09

2009-07-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy: S. Woody (Kikaha OCC)

Last night was an awesome night for paddling - temps in the upper 80s and the lake felt so great during our practice. As expected, we set out for a long paddle with power & stroke intervals to prep for the rest of the season. At our mid-way point, we took a break to learn change-outs and practice getting back into the boat - I knew that was going to happen. I did it a few times w/out seriously bruising myself so it was a good start. I just wanted to get into the lake - it was so dang hot! THEN, Sabine (who is always pushing me) put me in the steersman seat....what?? Once again, she gave me that look like "you have no choice" so I complied and steered....the novice way (zig a little here, zag a little there). But, I did it...now that I am out of seats to try, maybe she'll tie me up to be the ama :-)

Anyway, here is a link to some pics from the Gorge distance race (http://tinyurl.com/l5ywp5) - the pics really don't show how topsy-turvy it was out there because they were all taken from the shore and the conditions were "calmer" closer to shore. However, the shot of a canoe and a kite-surfer (above) kind of gives you an indication of how strong the winds were blowing. Thanks to S. Woody (Kikaha) and N. Pacheco (SOCC) for some of the pics. Aloha and Imua!

Paddles Up!

2009-07-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

I just had to post this pic - taken at the Silverdale Sprints (I think we won this race - 500m sprint). I love the starts....it's so intense to hold that pose and be ready to dig and paddle like hell when the starter goes from yellow flag to red and then Sabine yells "Imua!!"

Gorge Distance Race - July 18, 2009

2009-07-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

Last distance race for this month - thank goodness, because this was a doozy of a race to get through. I'm going to need some time to recover - it was a sufferfest! The Gorge Distance Race was another race down on the Columbia River - starting line located in Stevenson, WA - a 2-lap course for a total of approximately 10 miles. Last month, we were further out west at Rooster Rock for our last distance race which I thoroughly enjoyed. But, compared to this race, those conditions were downright placid and tame.

For this race, we faced wind gusts up to 35+ mph and swells at about 3 feet....these swells were spaced so close and just constantly pounded us as we battled upwind. I swear, no matter how hard we dug in to grab water and pull, we felt like we were going nowhere (if, not backwards!). Downwind wasn't much better - we had to keep up the pace in order to try and not only catch a wave, but to keep us moving through those lulls in between waves so we weren't dead in the water. Yeah, it was rough and one of the most grueling things (physically and mentally) I've ever done - both upwind and the downwind.

Sabine, as always, did an excellent job steering and keeping our boat in line preventing us from a huli (flipping over and capsizing). We had a lot of close calls though - I admit my strokes on my right were very tentative as I kept my eye on the ama. When it would catch air, I would shift my weight to my left cheek to help keep the ama down but at the same time, reach out on my right side to maintain my stroke. I tried to make up on my left side where I was leaning into the ama side. We saw 3 hulies and I'm sure there were more. Other boats were constantly bailing b/c their spray skirt wasn't keeping out all the water. Crazy, insane conditions!! On top of that, there was a sailing regatta to contend with, along with the wind and kitesurfers. We collided with one of the sailboats (dumb-ass didn't see us until it was too late), and had quite a few close calls with the wind and kite surfers. I tried not to pay attention to it, but there were a lot of distractions during the race, for sure.

So, we survived....and, yes, it's a race I want to do again! We finished in the middle (6 out of 13) with the top 3 teams from Jericho and False Creek, BC - some of the top teams out there! So, overall, we were pleased - we finished, we didn't huli, and we gave it our all. Our final time was 2:06 - the winning boat came in at 1:51. We ate and drank well after the race!!

Our men's boat didn't fare as well and DNF due to a huli after the first turn. They paddled right after us and the conditions were howling. I felt so bad for Rob, Mike, and Paul and the disappointment on their faces were obvious. But, most important, everyone is safe and they sacrified enough items to keep the river goddess at bay (sunglasses, gel seat, wood paddle, and a couple of pairs of slippers). Thanks to the 2 guys from Canada for filling in the last seats of the men's boat.

Time for a rest - but, looking forward to some leisurely paddles this week, though, I have a feeling that Sabine is going to want us to start practicing change-outs. Well, at least the weather outlook is HOT so it will be nice to jump into the water. Imua Seattle Outrigger!

Twist - Reach - Pull

2009-07-12T09:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the final day of sprint races for the season: The PNW - ORCA (Pacific Northwest Outrigger Racing Association (Ohana) which was held at the waterfront park at Dyes Inlet in Silverdale, WA. Home of my paddling bruddah, Rob, which he gleefully showed off (took all of 30 seconds :-)). It was a LONG day but in the end, glad to be there because it was the last set of sprint races and the rest of the season will be distance (10+ miles). Sprint races are so different because there are so many races all day - 500m, 1000m, 1500m; co-ed, women, men; novice, open, masters, etc.... So, it's a chance to paddle with a bunch of different people (from within our club and other clubs) and an excellent opportunity to try out different seats in the boat. My coach, Sabine, threw me into the #1 seat for a couple of our races which has so much responsibility (eek!!!). I've NEVER stroked in the #1 seat - but, basically, you set the tempo for the boat, pull the hardest, and have specific duties during the turn. Haha....I was hesitant but I really had no choice. Thanks so much to Melissa who was sitting in the #2 seat for coaching me on pacing and reminding me what to do during the turns - in the end, I had so much fun and want to do the #1 seat again!! I did it twice - once for a 500m sprint (1 turn), and then a 1000m sprint (3 turns) - the latter was the first time the statement "paddle 'til you puke" felt so true to me.

In any case - I only had 5 races that day. I was happy to give up my novice seat to the "oh-so- effervescent" Loryn (her first sprint races). I went home with another fistful of ribbons thanks to my awesome teammates who paddled their hearts out. And, it was the first race where I got to use my new paddle - luvin' it. The rest of the season will be single distance races - that will definitely free up some time ;-) I do like the frenetic pace of sprints but it makes for an incredibly long day to get through all the races (up at 4:30 am and got home at 10:00 pm). Today, my back doesn't hurt at all so I like to think I did the 'Twist-Reach-Pull' and my technique is getting better. And, my hybrid paddle is also much lighter than the wood paddles I've been using.

Next up - 10-mile paddle in The Gorge. I'll be in the women's boat and we're coming home with a trophy!! Imua Outrigger Seattle - I heart you all. Good energy....good Ohana. Aloha! Now, off to give the legs a little workout on my bike.

(Pre-race stretching: Back-off kids and I'll show you how it's done!)

Rooster Rock Distance Race - June 28, 2009

2009-07-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

(Click on images for larger versions or click here to view my photo gallery. More shots of the race available www.verycunning.com.)

I heart paddling. More than I thought I would. At the end of June was my first distance race. Saturday morning, I met Sabine and Diane in the Tukwila P&R and we drove down to Rooster Rock State Park in Oregon (30 mins east of Portland) for a 10-mile paddle. About a week before the race, we practiced a 'huli' drill - i.e., wtf do we do in the event we capsize? We had to go through that practice because the Columbia River, particularly around Hood River is known for for its winds. We will be further into the river later on this month for The Gorge distance race. Can't wait....

SOCC had 2 oc-6s representing the club at the Rooster Rock race: womens (Kristi, Meg, Melissa, Bethany, me, and Sabine), and; co-ed (Janelle, Karissa, Rob, Mike, Diane, Murray). Our co-ed boat totally rocked it out there finishing 2nd in the co-ed division and 3rd overall finishing the course at 1:21. Our womens boat also did pretty well....we placed fourth in our division finishing in 1:27 and 8th overall (including both womens and co-ed boats - 26 boats total?). But, it was a great victory for us b/c we were battling with 2 other canoes for most of the race for the fourth place finish. Thanks to Sabine's excellent steering, we maneuvered tightly around the rock and then later around the last buoy and then she screamed at us to do 4-power 10s....(it seemed like) one right after the other. She pushed us hard and we pushed each other even harder. I think I only got 2 sips of water during the race and polished off the contents of my bladder AFTER the race. I felt great after the race but, surprisingly, the most sore part of my body were my glutes! Sabine (who is also our coach) said that's good b/c that meant I was using my legs in part of my stroke to push the boat forward. But, I must admit that I had a *little* trouble walking there for a while. Big CONGRATS to the bad-ass co-ed boat!

The following Sunday, we watched videotapes of our strokes and Sabine and Doug critique our style. I *thought* I was twisting and reaching with my paddle...HA! Not even close. So, from now on, it's "TITS TO THE GUNNEL." That's the only way I will be able to reach out far enough with my BRAND SPANKING NEW HYBRID PADDLE - A 48" KIALOA AXEL II. Then, twist my torso and pull the paddle straight back to mid-thigh all the while keeping both my arms straight (got it with my top arm but still bend my lower). I'm going to head out and try to hit all 3 practices this week so I can play with my new toy. Imua Seattle Outrigger!

Self-righteous Cyclists (LOL!)

2009-06-25T09:54:00.000-07:00

Gotta see the humor in everything.

SOCC Open Women - the boat to beat!

2009-06-14T07:40:00.000-07:00

My second sprint regatta under my belt. It's only been 1.5 months of paddling, but I can feel my stroke has improved so much since my first race back in May. And, I got my reward(s) for working on my stroke...ribbons galore! On Saturday, we raced on Silver Lake in Everett, WA.

The SOCC's Open Women rocks and there's talk in the PNW outrigger paddling community that our boat is the one to beat in the upcoming distance races. And, here's why: our last race of the day was a 1500 sprint with 5 turns - the longest one of the day and the last race for women. I had already done 5 races prior (should've been 6 for 7 total races that day but I will explain later) so we all had to suck it up, dig in, and leave it all on the lake. After a little shaky start, we found our timing, and Sabine steered us around the buoys for some of the best turns I've ever seen...tight around the buoy and we paddled strong out of our turns towards the next buoy. We won the race - actually blew everyone out of the water and finished strong about 29 seconds ahead of the second boat!! With each turn, we kept building on our lead which is why everyone is looking at our boat as the one to beat in the distance races. I was really excited to be picked to paddle in this boat because in the prior race that I had missed at Green Lake, they blew the competition away and won by 20 seconds over the next boat. As we finished our last turn, there was such amazing energy coming from everyone on that boat and in the end, we all felt like we could've kept going for 5 more turns! It was a perfect ending to what turned out to be a fabulous day. Woot! Mahalo Kristi, Melissa, Janelle, Naomi, and Sabine for the most awesome race of the day. F'ing A....we kicked some serious ass!!

However, we didn't get off to a great start - we, um, missed our first race. It was a 500m sprint and somehow we missed the last call to get our boat out there and before we knew it, the horn sounded and the boats were off!! But, I had plenty of chances to paddle because I was signed up for 7 races. Of the remaining 6 races, I got 3 1st place finishes (1-500m, 1-1000m, and 1-1500m) a second place finish for a 1000m sprint, and a 3rd place finish for another 1000m sprint - all a mix of women and co-ed boats. I should've gotten one more but we missed 3rd place in the 1000m novice women by .30 seconds...yes, you read that correctly..... 0.30. M***** F*****!!! Oh well, guess I can't be too greedy. Definitely, one of the most satisfying days ever for me in any of the activities I've done in my life. And, when it was time to dig in and turn on the power, there was no doubt that everyone was giving their 110%.....excellent team effort! As far as OC-1 races, I may give it a try but I must admit that there is nothing more enjoyable for me than team events and I am really luvin' the OC-6 boats.

Great all-day event in the warm sun....I am so happy to be paddling with this club and to have a new set of good friends to hang out on the water with. Imua Seattle Outrigger!

Outrigger Kanu Racing Schedule - Summer '09

2009-06-06T16:05:00.000-07:00

(Image Source: Seattle Outrigger Canoe Club)

Racing schedule? What the hell?! Well, I did the usual JRitchie thing and found a new sport that I absolutely love so I've completely immersed myself into it. This summer, I had planned on just practicing with the Seattle Outrigger Canoe Club and then enter a race or two towards the end of the season. Well, it didn't exactly happen that way and pretty much just jumped right in and signed up for a slew of races.

This morning I had my first long-distance practice. We paddled from our put-in site on North Lake Union, through the cut into Lake Washington, and down to I-90 which turned out to be 14 miles. Paddling time, it took us 2 hours and 20 minutes but we were out for over 3 hours as we practiced various elements of our paddling. Yes, I am *really* looking foward to the long distance races because that's more like what I am used to doing on a bike. But, on top of that, I will be training for the change-outs which is the reason why I got into the sport in the first place because it just looks so bad-ass! I'm really happy with how my paddling stroke has been progressing and have been getting awesome feedback from Sabine and others. And, my very own hybrid Kialoa paddle is on its way in time for my first long-distance race in Portland. Whee! So, here's the schedule so far.

June 13: Hui Wa, a O Puget Sound Regatta - Everett, WA
June 20: Hui Heihei Wa, a Sprints - Silverdale, WA
June 27: Rooster Rock Distance Race - Portland, OR

July 11: PNW - ORCA Sprint Championships - Silverdale, WA
July 18 - 19: Gorge Distance, Gorge, OR

August 1: Seattle Grind (Distance) - Alki Beach, WA (SOCC sponsored race)
August 15: Race Around the Island (Distance) - Mercer Island, WA

September 12: Catalina Change-out race and US Championships - Newport Beach to Catalina Island, CA (I'm an alternate)
September 19: Race Around Hat Island - Pac NW Long Distance Championships - Hat Island, WA

Unfortunately, my cycling has taken the brunt of the time I spend paddling. I no longer go out for 5+ hour rides and can only fit in a couple of hours, max :-( So, my Seattle-to-Portland ride in 1 day will have to be put off for another time while I work on my outrigger kanu paddling obsession. I think it's a fine trade-off. Imua!

Flying Pigs - 2nd Place PNW Women's Tourney?!

2009-05-25T08:40:00.000-07:00

Time for that annual pink ritual where I don my all-time favorite jersey and play for The Big Fat Flying Pigs at the annual Pac NW Women's Tournament at Canlan Ice in North Vancouver, British Columbia. One thing that is ALWAYS guaranteed is good times with my pals from NoCal (many who I met through the Northern California Women's Hockey League) sprinkled with some ladies I brought on from the Seattle Women's Hockey Club to complete the roster. This year, something very magical happened - the Pigs won a game....again, and again, and again. Once we caught our breath, we found ourselves playing in the Championship game. Here's a brief wrap-up of how we got there.

Game 1 vs. Eugene Extreme: Wish I could tell you about this game, but KT and I were a *little* late after a passport snafu ("uh....KT, you packed your passport, right?") But, we were determined to get up there for some ice time and made it in time to play the 3rd period. Our roster was already short with only 9 skaters so for the first two periods, the Pigs were down to 7. We got to the rink and I saw the score 3-0 and assumed the other team was winning. But, we got to the bench and to our amazement, the Pigs were ahead. We got there just in time and managed to help the team to a 5-1 win. Oink!

Game 2 vs. Stanley Cupcakes: This was a great team to play after Eugene Extreme because a lot were fresh novice players so it was a good recovery game for most of the Pigs after Game 1. It was an easy victory but we used the time to work on passing and puck handling. The final score was 5-1 and the realization that we were on a winning streak. Huh?!

Game 3 vs. Motherpuckers: I don't know what it is about our team - maybe it's the pink jerseys. But, we only got 2 penalty minutes the entire tournament and it was during this game. Generally, we thought the refs were letting the other team get away with a lot of chippy moves and it was a bit frustrating. Before the final game of the tourney, this was definitely the hardest game for us but we managed a 2-0 or 2-1 victory. I can't remember - the tournament extracurricular activities were starting to take effect on my memory :-)

Game 4 vs. Patriots: Sunday morning. Always the hardest game to play in a tournament and it was also our fourth game. One thing for sure about this tournament, you get your money's worth!! We figured if we won this game, we were in the finals and if we tied we were out. A lot of mixed feelings: on the one hand, we wanted to win since we had come this far and wanted to play in the finals; but on the other hand, it would mean we play our fifth game at 2:30 on a glorious Sunday afternoon. But, once that buzzer went off, our instinct kicked in and we skated hard and pulled out a win. Final score was either 2-0 or 2-1. I can't remember - again, memory is foggy and, I had just enough energy to focus on the task at hand (I keep asking myself "why?" when I feel like crap the next day). Woot! Victory and we were in 1st place - the PIGS UNDEFEATED!! Huh?! What was going on?

Game 5 vs. Eugene Extreme: Rematch of Friday night. And, what a game it was. Eugene went ahead 2-0 but with 4 minutes left in regulation, Superstar Shauna scored a goal and then another to tie the game with less than 2 minutes left in the game. Crazy!!!! For OT, we played a 4-4 sudden death but 2 minutes into it, Eugene scored on a breakaway goal. Nonetheless, it was good fun and probably my favorite tournament to date. Well, OK - maybe my co-ed tourney with the Mudflaps :-)) but that was my favorite for another reason (yummy). But, I would definitely recommend to any woman ice hockey player to participate in this tourney - one of the best out there!

Congratulations Big Fat Flying Pigs!! Nice bling!! See you next year! "Loving you, is easy 'cause you're beautiful. La la la la la. La la la la la. La la la la la la la la la la la. Dootin' dootin' doo doo. Aaaaaaahhhh!"

5 games in 3 days - "I'm fuckin' done!"

My First Outrigger Canoe Race(s)

2009-05-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, I showed up for practice with SOC C, and before I knew it, I was signed up for my first outrigger race. This past Saturday, at Lake Spanaway, was the first day of sprint races in the Pac NW. I was signed up for 4 races: 1 - 500m, 2 - 1000m, and the final race of the day...1500 m! I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. After a week of rain and cool weather, the sun came out on Saturday in spectacular fashion with highs reaching about 75, though, sometimes it felt like 90! It wasn't Hawaii, but it was dang close - with ample spam musubis to nosh on in between races. Aaahh....love the island people.

I really had no idea what to expect other than a lot of hurry up and wait. And, in true Hawaiian fashion, we were running on island time. Had I known, I could've slept in a few hours. I showed up at 7:30 am, but my first race wasn't until close to noon. Oh well, it was a great time to take in the atmosphere, take in some much needed Vit D, and get to know the other club members. The day started off with a prayer and lei dedication - I wish I had taken a picture, but that's the time we all head to the beach with paddles in hand and raise it in the end of the prayer. The "proper" way to hold a paddle is with the blade up and the handle down - the idea is that if you point the blade down, then all the energy and power drains out. We also do a cheer while touching the kanu after each race (actually, after each session the boat is out on the water) for good luck and part of the outrigger tradition.

Unlike other sports I partake in, there's really no time to get out to warm up and practice your stroke. My first race, a 500 m sprint, was the warm-up. And, it was too short to really get a rhythm - my strokes had to be quicker and faster and by the time I really started to engage my full body and began to feel the proper rhythm, it was over. Oh well....more waiting time for my 1000 m races. I really enjoyed the 1000 m and 1500 m races because not only did I have more time to get my timing right, and full body into my strokes, we also got to do some turns which is hella-fun....each seat has their own responsibility on that turn and the steerman's calls. Being a novice, I was in seats 3, 4, or 5 so all I had to do was paddle, but one day I will be in seats 1 or 2, and, who knows, maybe a steerman because I love barking out commands and can't keep my mouth shut.

I wasn't in a boat that finished first, but managed a 3rd place finish in the OC-6 open - holy cow, it was amazing how fast we were going with 3 powerful men in the boat. My last event was the longest of the day which was an 0C-6 1500 m open women's race which meant we had 5 turns to do on the course. I can't remember how we finished (4th?), but after that event, as I had guessed, long-distance races are going to be my thing. I love digging in and finding that sweet rhythm where you have every muscle engaged in your movement and fine-tuning things to ensure you're not only going at maximum, but also moving your body in an efficient manner to ensure you're using your bigger muscles like your back and quads so you have enough to last the race and with enough reserves to make that final push. So friggin' fun and the good news is that I am not sore today!!

I'm going to miss next week's sprints at Green Lake because of a hockey tourney I had signed up for in N. Vancouver - sigh, it's that time of year again where there are so many things to do and just not enough time. I can't wait to get back out on the water and I am going to sign up for as many races as I can - maybe be in shape for the long distance/change-out races in Catalina later this summer. Sweet!! Here's a link to more pics from the races at Lake Spanaway. Aloha!

Outrigger Canoe Videos

2009-04-26T15:43:00.000-07:00

First time paddlers are more than welcome to the SOCC. Come down on Thursdays when there is a novice-specific practice with Coach John. He's been paddling for 13 years and is a great instructor. Just prepare to get wet! Location is 2360 N. Northlake Way, Seattle, WA. If you've wanted to try it out, now's your chance! **So much fun** and I wish I had enough paddling time under my belt to participate in races happening now (Portland race was this weekend). Eventually, it will come. Would be cool to make the Catalina Crossing in mid-September which is a distance/change-out race (WOOT!). But, being around this great group of people makes it easy for me to come out for practice - even in the cold. I'm officially hooked.

In the meantime, I watch this video to keep me motivated. It's of a club from San Diego participating in the Na Wahine O Ke Kai Outrigger Canoe race from Molokai to Oahu. Not only is there great footage of 'change-outs' during the race (first one is about 1:32 into the video - exit on right, load on the left or 'ama' side) but I am mesmerized by the mele (hawaiian chant) playing in the background. Artist is from Oakland, CA (Oaktown). Can't wait for my next practice on Tuesday.

(Source: YouTube, MediaMechanix. Artist: Kumu Hula Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu)

Another video from inside the ka'nu. You can watch some 'change-outs' and hear the 'hut' 'ho' which are the cues for switching paddling sides.

(Source: YouTube, MediaMechanix)

Plenty o' Peddling, Paddling, Puck, and Phun

2009-04-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

I've been getting a nice dose of Vit D the last several days and am so excited about spring and summer. Especially, this summer....so many fun (er, phun...stick with the P theme of this post) things to look forward to.

Peddling:
That means time on my bike...FINALLY! To date, I've been a whimp and have primarily done indoor spin but this weekend I am going for my first long ride...63 miles on Saturday with the Cascade group. Gotta get ready to do the Seattle-to-Portland (STP) in 1 day (double-century) in July. Yikes, that's really just three months away? Sigh...pass the chamois buttr, load up the Gu and let's get to it.

Paddling:
OK, this I'm really excited about. I joined the Seattle Outrigger Canoe Club because I just can't get enough Aloha and 'Ohana spirit! I've been paddling in a 6-person canoe which is exactly what I wanted because I wanted to get into another team sport. The timing I got right away....except when I'm out on the lake and we pass several boatloads of HOT men crew rowers...then, my timing goes all to shit because I'm so distracted as my gaze wanders over instead of focusing on the paddle in front of me to make sure my timing is in sync with my teammates. Yeah, the next several months out on Lake Union and Lake Washington are going to be fun. Though, my steerman might have to put some blinders on me so I stay focused on paddling on MY boat. Also, still working on my paddling stroke and I feel so sorry for the person in front of me. Come July/Aug when it's hotter, they will be happy to be the recipient of my errant, er, efficient (thanks Coach John!), paddling stroke. In any case....too much fun!

Second, my friend also has some Aloha spirit going north of the border. Mountain Surf Adventures (formerly Tantalus Adventures) has added Standup Paddleboard lessons & trips to their offerings. So, if you're up in the Whistler area, let me know and I can set you up on a local lake. Not only is it a different experience on a body of water, but it's also an excellent overall conditioning workout - both physically and mentally. Give it a try...no waves required. These boards are excellent on flatwater. And, once you get the hang of it and you're off paddling on your own, you can almost smell the saltwater, and hear the distant song of a native hawaiian accompanied by a ukelele (no, NOT Don Ho you crazy haoles!).

Finally, in early May, I've got a 6-day assistant sea kayak guide training course off the west coast of Vancouver Island with Evolution Guide School. I'm looking forward to it because one of the instructors was one of the guides who had accompanied me on my trip to the Great Bear Rainforest back in the summer of 2006. Kinda nervous about it but looking forward to seeing that part of Vancouver Island.

Puck:
Goes without saying. Don't want to get rusty over the summer so I'll continue to skate in the GSHL and another co-ed league but no women's hockey. So, could be a season of trouble with those crazy boys (woot!).

Phun:
Let me suggest for some fun, a couple of days out on Washington Coast at Kalaloch lodge. Right now, there are some awesome deals since its still the off-season but I think it's the best time. You might be lucky and see some grey whales migrating because they're closer to the coastline on this north-bound journey. The Kalaloch lodge and their sister lodge, Lake Quinalt Lodge, have amazing deals where if you sign up for a beach clean-up or trail maintenance in the Olympic National Park, then you get to stay for a much-reduced price. At Kalaloch - might I suggest the cozy little cabins along the bluff. Yummy. I haven't visited Lake Quinalt in years but I remember big adirondack chairs for afternoon happy hour after a day in a canoe on the lake or hiking in the lush rainforest.

Oh wait....I forgot PUTTING! Gonna make an effort to get my game back this summer now that I have a good list of golfing partners to hook up with.

So, cheers to Spring and bring on Summer! It's time. Aloha!

Mudflaps do Coquitlam...

2009-04-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

...and survived (barely). Sung invited me to play on her co-ed GSHL team, the Mudflaps, in a recent Planet Ice Easter Co-Ed hockey tournament in Coquitlam. It was my first co-ed tournament ever so I was a bit nervous. And, on top of that, I only knew Sung and the other women that she added to the roster from the SWHC ("Glorious" KT, Bridget, and Keri) and knew none of the other men. Though, it turns out that I have skated against them in some GSHL games this season! This was the first out-of-town tourney for the Mudflaps and I *seriously* hope its the first of more to come (did someone say Vegas?).

Despite the fact that we got placed in the wrong division which resulted in a 0-3 record, it was a great tournament and weekend. Recurring quote was "****!! I thought this was the Novice division!" Our first game was against a team from Portland, OR. So, being an American team, we thought we had a chance. Ha! Not really....they had a young player (Jail Bait) who pretty much skated around us. The second team was crazy good and the final team was even better (or we were just tired or drunk or both...the last 2 games were all a blur to me). That's ok...many laughs, new friends, TimBits, and MASSIVE amounts of alcohol kept us in good spirits. And, did that guy at Boston Pizza really drop his pants to show us his tattoos on each ass cheek? Both Planet Ice tournaments were very well organized and well attended. Though, we didn't get a case of fine Canadian beer in our locker room after each game, teams was given $50 to spend in the bar upstairs. I'll definitely be back whenever a chance comes up...as long as I am placed in the appropriate division...is there a Tri-Pod division? Oh my....I'm in serious detox after the last 2 weekends of Canadian tournaments.

We stayed at the newly remodeled Inn at the Quay New Westminster. Lively decor (blues, purples....no boring hues of beige/browns) which makes you think South Beach-Miami but a quick look out the window and you're quickly reminded you're in the gray, Pac NW. Beds were extra comfy, and the bathroom and shower immaculate. A nice change from the **ithole we stayed in the previous weekend (i.e., I didn't get stuck in an elevator this time). Skytrain is close by for easy access to downtown so it's a great alternative and more affordable place to stay if in the area. It was about 10 minutes away from the Planet Ice Coquitlam rink.

Anyway, it was awesome skating, eating, and drinking with all you crazy Mudflaps. Our fans were the best - complete with a cow bell and "the wave." Hope to skate with you all again soon! But, first I must recover.

(Fade to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'.")

Planet Ice Women's Ice Hockey Tournament 2009

2009-04-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

Let's go crazy! That was our mantra for the last SWHC/We Want Fries tournament of the 2008/2009 season. This year, we wrapped up our season north of the border at the Planet Ice Women's International Ice Hockey Tournament at the rink in Delta, BC. All three SWHC teams headed up and when the trip was booked with the tournament officials, we wanted to make sure the Seattle teams weren't all placed in the same division and have to drive all the way up just to play each other. We Want Fries got placed in a higher division based on some some random algorithm which took into account factors like age, hockey experience, and, I don't know, horoscope sign. Oh well, that's one way to wrap up a season with a bang!

Friday, Game 1: I don't know what it is about road trips and I don't know if every one of the Fries stopped at every fast food outlet between Seattle and the border, but we were slugs in our first game. Coach Steve (filling in for Murray) saw this immediately and tried his best to build intensity and energize us before our game. Our first two shifts were good, but then it was gone - just like that **poof**. That game we did our best impersonation of pylons that I've ever seen. Final score against the Buzz was 0-6. Sigh. Then, we went upstairs to cheer on the other Seattle teams and, unfortunately, things just kept going downhill. Especially for Black Ice: they lost 2 players in the first game to injuries.

Later that night, Erin and I headed to the hotel to check in and, well, our night was just about to reach a pinnacle. Yeah, we got stuck in the elevator. It wasn't our fault but rather an employee who had to lock access to the lower level. Well, little miss "oh-my-gawd-I'm-stuck-in-the-elevator-HELP" (said repeatedly on her iPhone to her fellow employees at the highest octave level) managed to get the elevator stuck between the lower level and the lobby. It was silly at first but after the 10th "oh-my-gawd-I'm-stuck...." panicked babble, I was ready to get out. The rescue was just like in the movies.....big, strong hands prying open the doors and a deep, male voice telling us hang on and they'll get us out in no time. I waited with abated breath envisioning Clive Owens showing up to rescue me and ready to offer to buy me as many martinis as I needed to calm my nerves. I quickly turned to the elevator mirror and did a quick fix of the hair in anticipation of my rescue. *Poof* Reality check: my rescuer looked like the "OMG" girl's fellow classmate who is also working the late shift so they can buy the latest accessory for their iPhone. Down came a ladder and up went our gear, luggage, then Erin, then myself. I forgot that I couldn't stand up since I only had a 4-foot clearance. And, my legs were stiffening up after the game so I had to kind of pause half-way through the elevator. The next thing I knew, employee #2 (not-Clive) pushed me from behind through the elevator doors and I landed *splat* on the lobby floor. Welcome to Surrey! Ha! Yeah, bad joojoo night.

Saturday, Game 2: The game was against SO Black Widows. When I first peeked into their locker room to find out what color jersey they were wearing, I was optimistic to see that they were more in our age range so I thought we had a chance. Then, we got out on the ice and they schooled us. All I could say is WOW. Steve made up lines on the fly to make up for huge disparity in speed and and that we would all have enough leg to last the game. We hung in there and kept them to below double-digits (yeah!) and final score was 0-8. Oh my. Nevertheless, the Fries were more intense and EVERYONE skated 110%. We gave it our all and though we got schooled, we were happy with how we played because we knew right from the get go that the other team was WAY better than us but we still gave it our best shot. Jumping in on the fly also added to the intensity on the bench. What we sacrified in chemistry, we made up in intensity and energy.

Saturday, Game 3: Final game was against the Whistler Sound Gardens 2. We scouted their game earlier and I thought we had a good chance because they were a lot slower than the SO Black Widows. Before the game, some of the Fries headed over to Tim Hortons for a sugar and caffeine fix and then warmed up with the Nerf football to stay loose and get the energy level back up. It worked. Our game was close for a while (i.e., it was scoreless). Pam did an amazing job in the net all weekend and had a lot of plays that I thought qualified for Sportscenter Top 10 plays. But, we just couldn't generate any offense. Once again, Steve modified the lines and positions a little into the game and I moved from center back to defense. However, tournament legs set in a bit into the final period and the final score ended up 0-7. Yes, you saw that right....the Fries were shut out in the tournament. So disappointing. I can't speak for the others, but I know I enjoyed skating at the higher and faster level and am proud that everyone gave it their all in the tourney until we all, literally, ran out of gas (despite the magic energy beans/smurf berries Lee and I brought to the bench - it only worked significantly for Daniella and Lee). Thank you, Coach Steve, for stepping in and bringing all your great energy and awesome coaching to the bench.

To the Fries: it was an extreme pleasure to have skated with all of you this season and what an honor it was for me to be captain of the best SWHC team this season. Bree, I'm so grateful for all the team management work you did for the team and for organizing a lot of the details that no one else likes to do. Beavis, thank you so much for stepping in and picking up my duties when I was lured away to the islands. And, to "Little Freak" and "Old Growth," to show my gratitude for all your support, feedback, and constant chuckling all season, I promise to burn my pom-poms, remove all my 'GO BANANAS' cheers from memory, and forever refrain from doing cartwheels in the locker room. Now, go eat a big ole plateful of fries because you all deserve it.

Next up: another tourney at Planet Ice in Coquitlam. Thank goodness....I couldn't stand that sulphur smell at the Delta rink. P.U. But, it's my first co-ed tourney and I'm sub'ing for Sung's team, the Mudflaps. We're in the novice division but I've played in enough tourneys that it really doesn't mean anything. The only thing that we will all have in common is that we started playing hockey as an adult. I better make sure my little white bottle of ibuprofen is fully stocked before I leave.

Three-peat Complete

2009-03-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

Congratulations, ACME Skating Co. (beep beep)! Division champions for the third year in a row at the annual Everett Ravens "Fools on Ice" Womens Ice Hockey Tournament. Oh, and despite the images, this was a *Spring* tournament, but you have the admit the jack-o-lantern tape work on Tamara was apropos (see below). Quick recap of how we got there:

Friday night: Faced off against a local team made up of girls who were considerably younger than us! Haha....but, the group of "girls" were a tenacious bunch and certainly made us more "mature" women work for our win. First, we were off to a shaky start. I missed about 7 minutes of the first period because of the ridiculous traffic on I-5....grrrr. But, that was fine because I knew that we had a full roster and that Patrick would adjust the lines accordingly until I got on the ice (I was one of nine forwards). However, I showed up at the door and saw Karen in the net. Um, what's wrong with this picture is that Karen is one of our regular defense players - yeah, NO GOALIE!! Goalie, Tamara, was stuck in the same traffic I was in and she actually missed the entire first period. Kudos to Karen for her 1st period shutout. Thankfully, Karen was a goalie before so she played it as well as she could. Not our best game because: a) of the shaky start, and; b) getting used to playing with other people we don't regularly play with. But, we managed to squeeze out a victory (2-1).

Saturday am: Our next game in the morning was against the Everett Ravens. Patrick shuffled the lines a little bit and I got the honor of playing with two players I admire and have the utmost respect for: Mel and Sharon. They both have excellent technical skills, but are also smart players and we got some great cycling and passing going. Our line may not have been the highest scoring line, but we were strong when it came to puck possession and I got to work on some of my own personal goals which is more patience with the puck and smarter passes. And, more give and go's. It was a much better game than the previous night and even though we dominated the game and were outshooting the Ravens 2-1, it was close for the first two periods. Final score was 7-2.

Saturday pm: Game was against the Utah Ice Vixens - a team we've never played before. Yeah, it was a rude awakening because they were *much* more physical than the previous two teams we played. And, because of the contact, there were a lot of penalties as well. I've managed to stay out of the sin-bin for a long time...uh, oh....did I just jinx myself for the next tournament? We had a lot of penalty kills and had to reshuffle lines on the fly. But, Patrick was an amazing coach and got us to stay focused on the game despite the awful calls (er, non-calls) by the refs. Final score - 2-1...buh, bye Utah.

Sunday am: Final championship round. We were facing the same team (Phoenix) that we played Friday night. But, before that, we watched a bunch of our SWHC teammates who were playing on another team go through a shoot-out in their championship round for their division. Nerve-racking but they won 1-0 in the shoot-out. Way to go "Pick Up Sticks!!" Just watching that game did nothing for me but add more pre-game jitters. I wished there was a spin bike at that rink because I could've used a few minutes to do a full-on sprint to shake off my anxiety. I should've borrowed Tamara's jump rope. Finally, we got on the ice but it was more like a pond (an unfrozen one)....like they took out the firehouse and flooded the rink in between games! So, the first part of the game was a lot of dump and chase until all those puddles disappeared. The Phoenix "girls" came out a lot more physical than our game on Friday. But, then again, they weren't exactly strong on their skates either and fell over pretty easily. Or, maybe that was how they were going to break up our play...by crashing into us or in front of us? That's how it felt anyway. Once again, bad ref'ing...in fact, it was downright awful. And, we had to kill off a lot of penalties...one time Phoenix had a 2-man advantage for 2 minutes...but we emphatically shut that down. It wasn't our best game, but we made it up with our tenacity despite the "tournament legs" that were starting to set in. We pulled ahead 2-1 with about 10 minutes left in the game and that was our final score. Congratulations, ladies!! And, a huge 'thanks' to Patrick for coaching us to another victory. Three-peat is sweet.

Going For a Three-peat

2009-03-27T06:53:00.001-07:00

Another winter season of ice hockey coming to a close. It's always bittersweet: on the one hand, I'm happy to open up my schedule for other activities, but; on the other, skating with the Fries has been soooo much fun with very little (if any) conflicts which is a big feat for any team. And, skating with my co-ed team, the Isotopes, was a great (and exhausting) experience as well. So now, I have tournaments galore to look forward to! This coming weekend is the annual Everett Ravens "Fools on Ice" tourney and the team I'm on (non-SWHC) is going for a three-peat as champions in their division. Here's the link for a recap of last year's tourney where we won in overtime. I'm looking forward to skating with this group - many of whom I've skated and faced-off against all season. I'm also looking forward to having Sharon's husband, Patrick, as our coach - he is one of the best coaches I've ever had. Great presence on the bench - he has this quiet sort of intensity and is so focused on the game. I remember him giving excellent feedback shift after shift and motivating everyone to skate 110%, no wait, 150% each time they were on the ice. The make-up of the team has a lot to do with it as well....I must say, this is a group of highly competitive individuals. All makes for a perfect storm as we play to defend our title. Finally, no midnight ice time!!! Yay! Our first game tonight is at 6:15 - now, that's what I'm talking about. Good luck Acme Skating Co. (beep, beep)!! Now, let's go kick some Portland Phoenix ass.

Do Not Be Fooled By This Face

2009-03-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

This is Amy. She's my morning workout partner. She looks all sweet and angelic but I'm convinced that she's of the opposite nature....I shall call her "Luci" from this point on. Ever since our snow day at Stevens last Sunday (where this picture was taken), I've done nothing but endured sighs, expletives (both vocal and silent), single-finger salutes, and constant whining about the exercises I "force" her to go through in the mornings. Well, girlfriend, it ain't no tea party (complete with burnt toast :-)). If I wanted that, I would've joined Curves (LOL) or just bought a Wii Fit. No, we've got goals. We both participate in team sports and don't want to let our teammates down (me-hockey, she-soccer). We also have some endurance goals set up for this summer. Besides, we've built up a reputation in the gym, now, with our commitment to our workouts, the level of intensity...all the while maintaining a huge "fun" factor because we all know that the biggest motivator breaker is when the sessions become a chore.

I've yet to meet her husband, Lee. I'm beginning to see why....he must love the "quiet" time when she's out of the house (LOL). So, message to you, Amy...quit your f'ing whining and see your ass early in the gym tomorrow. More jumps, more squats, more push-ups, more skates, more pull-ups. Otherwise, I shall heave that 15-lb. medicine ball (always driving primarily from my legs) in your direction to knock some sense back in your noggin'.

Signed,
Your loving Burpees Partner

Stevens Pass: Epic Day w/ the Fries

2009-03-15T19:37:00.000-07:00

What's the best way to drown your sorrows over losing a hockey game that we should've won? Head up to the mountains for some fun time in some fresh pow pow. Last night in the locker room, a group of us (Joemarie, Marie, Erin, and "Top Shelf" April) decided to head to Stevens Pass off of highway 2. As tired as I was this morning, I am SO GLAD that I joined them because: a) there was almost 2 feet of fresh snow to play in, and; b) it was nice to ski with other people who drool like I do when there is so much fresh snow and who think of lunch as an inconvenience but a necessary *quick* stop to refuel. Today made up for the last two, seriously disappointing days where I ended up skiing solo since the others I was with preferred happy hour(s) over happy snow. Oh well....to each their own and that's fine.

We were on the slopes by 9:15 and headed to the back side (Mill Valley) where we could take advantage of all the new snow. Well, here is where I earned a new nickname. I wear a C on my jersey because I thought it was to remind me that I am Captain of the team and that I play Center position. Well, it's also because my new nickname is Crash. Our first run in the the deep stuff was not pretty and one by one we face planted into the fresh pow as we hadn't adjusted accordingly and were all leaning too far forward. Oh, what fun! Came back later and showed that run who was boss...woot! Later, we played a lot on Orion and other runs off of the Jupiter chair. My face hurt but not from the snow blasting my face, but from smiling and laughing so much! Before lunch, we decided to head into the trees off of Outer Limit - here is where I really earned my Crash credentials as I proceeded to do, not one, but, TWO yard sales down a narrow chute in the trees. Famous last words from Erin - "Oh, it's not too narrow"....uh, yeah...for a snowboarder! When I panicked, I tried to get my skis perpindicular to the run to slow down but the problem was there was no room to do that and my tips touched either side of the walls and nothing under the middle part of my skis. Yeah - disaster. After tumbling head over skis, I had to dig out my goggles, hat, both poles, and one ski....it was one heckuva yard sale, I must say. I never do things half-ass :-)) I finally showed up at the bottom of the run covered in snow and beaming! Marie commented that she hadn't seen me smile and laugh as much as I did today. Yeah, I was in heaven.

After lunch, we headed over to Big Chief and found some sweet pow over on Lower Diamond and that is where we stayed the rest of the day. The three of us (Erin, Marie and I) had headed over to Skyline to try and find Joemarie and April, but it was complete mayhem and we hightailed it out of there and back to Big Chief where we, literally, had Lower Diamond all to ourselves. These are the days skiers and boarders dream about and I'm so glad I didn't pass it by. The snow came down hard all day. Now, I've got to find some energy for my legs for a hockey game in an hour - it's my co-ed game so I'll just let the guys skate (tee hee). I'll just take my shift to give one of the wingers a breather.

Thank you Erin, Marie, Joemarie, and April for an epic, craaaazy, fun day and I'm glad I provided you with some gut-busting laughs (see, I don't limit my entertainment to just the ice rink). I was soaked underneath from my wipeouts - got home and wrung out my underwear (LOL). I promise to get a helmet so it's not so unnerving for me when I go through the trees.

Oh, and great team effort in getting the car out of the lot after the snowplow barricaded us in our spot. See you at practice or at our next game - Captain Crash.

Can't wait to get back to da island (Kauai)

2009-03-01T23:39:00.000-08:00

Hanalei Sunset

Hanakapai Falls

Na Pali Coastline

Kalalau Lookout from Koke'e

My little friend on the Hanakapai Trail

Great Bear Rainforest - Have you booked your trip, yet?

2009-02-19T20:20:00.000-08:00

(Map courtesy of New York Times, 2006. Click on image for larger version.)
With all the balmy weather we've been having recently, I can't help but think of the all the fun activities coming up this spring and summer. Among them is spending time paddling in a sea kayak and exploring as a certified assistant sea kayak guide. I will be going through 6-days of training in early May along the coast of Vancouver Island and I'm really looking forward to the experience. More details to follow, but from it, I will have the necessary skills for helping out on the trips through the Great Bear Rainforest.

This year, Tantalus Adventures has 2 trips scheduled for the latter part of summer:

August 28 - September 4, 2009
September 4 - 11. 2009

The trip begins with a ferry ride from Prince Rupert, British Columbia to Hartley Bay, a Gitga'at First Nation community that has made the Great Bear Rainforest their home for centuries. From there, we will explore the coast and protected inlets by sea kayak while enjoying the wildlife of the area, including whales, bald eagles, grizzly bears, coastal wolves, and the legendary white Kermode bear ("spirit bear"). You have to experience this region at least once in your lifetime and see why National Geographic Adventure has it listed as one of their top destinations. And, let me remind you, my friends on the States-side, the dollar is working to your benefit with the exchange rate currently at $1 CAD ~ $0.80 USD....so, that's 20% off the listed price at the moment!! All food, equipment, and ferry travel between Prince Rupert and Hartley Bay are included in the price.

Go here for all of my previous posts on the Great Bear Rainforest. For more information, please visit Tantalus Adventures or Adventure Contact and we hope you can join us on this unique and very special journey. If these dates don't work for you, please contact us about custom trips.

Other helpful Great Bear Rainforest links:

Pacific Wild
Raincoast Conservation Foundation

9th Annual Port Angeles Sea Kayak Symposium (April 17 - 19, 2009)

2009-02-19T20:10:00.000-08:00

Thinking about getting a new kayak, gear, or accessories? Sea kayak symposiums are great to attend because you get to demo all the new gear, sign up for clinics to improve your skills, and, more importantly, be around other paddling enthusiasts who are just as excited as you are about heading out on the water.

The 9th Annual Port Angeles Sea Kayak Symposium is scheduled for April 17 - 19, 2009. What makes this symposium extra special is that my friend, Norm Hann, owner of Tantalus Adventures, is one of the keynote speakers for the event. He is scheduled to present on Friday, April 17 beginning at 7:00 pm at the Red Lion Hotel. Norm's presentation will be on a topic that he is incredibly passionate about: the Great Bear Rainforest. Norm has spent 8 seasons in the area as a professional guide, and at the Gitga'at First Nation community in Hartley Bay. So, you can imagine, the incredible pictures and personal stories he has to share.

Access to the symposium on Hollywood Beach is free, though, they are asking for a $5 donation. It's a great opportunity for anyone interested in sea kayaking and it is in one of the most scenic cities on the Olympic Peninsula. You can visit the Olympic Raft & Kayak site for more information. Hope to see you there!

If You Like Climbing - Road Bike Route, San Mateo County, CA

2009-02-17T09:02:00.001-08:00

(Picture source: Michael Maloney/SF Chronicle)

Day 2 of the Amgen Tour of California was a 117+ mile route from Sausalito, across the GG bridge (they closed it down for the tour...wow), and down to Santa Cruz. Parts of this route I can do with my eyes closed. It was great to watch them do the climb out of Sausalito at the start. It was basically a warm-up with the race actually starting on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge to avoid any mishaps on the bridge. Yeah, of course they made it look so easy...while, for me in the past it was always my last hill at the end of a day of riding so my form (and mindset) was the complete opposite (LOL). For the ride across the bridge, the riders had to stick to one lane to avoid the built-in grates that keeps the bridge flexible, so, racing would be too dicey.

(Picture source: Getty images)
Anyway, I enjoyed watching the riders on one of my all-time favorite routes. If you like climbing, this is the ride for you to test your legs and your lungs. This route starts in Burlingame, up to Canada Road, out to Pescadero on the coast, and then back. On the way out to the coast, you have a Cat 3 climb (Old La Honda) and then on the way back, you have a Cat 2 climb (Tunitas Creek). Total ride is 85 miles, and 9500' of climbing. Climbing is really one of the best things of this route because of the dense redwoods and during the summer, the trees keep these areas shaded and cool. Also, traffic on both climbs is low to non-existent so it's all about you, your breathing, your legs, and your bike (and maybe some heckling from your cycling friends on a bad day...LOL). The best thing is that In-N-Out Burger is at the end of the ride and my reward would be one of their fabulous chocolate shakes. Route sheet courtesy of Velogirls.

I Wish I Were On My Bike

2009-02-15T19:24:00.000-08:00

(Picture source: Getty images)
That was my plan for today, but I caught an edge and went crashing into the boards at my last ice hockey game. Instead of enjoying a 55-mile route up into the country roads, I spent it icing my knee, downing ibuprofen, and being a spectator on my couch. Argh...I hate being injured. Anyway, today was Day 1 of the Amgen Tour of California which was a 107+ mile bike ride from Davis to Santa Rosa, CA. Originally, I had plans to follow that tour in an RV because a lot of the big names were returning to pro-racing including Tyler Hamilton, Floyd Landis, Ivan Basso, and, oh, whats-his-name...Lance. But, I decided another trip to the islands seemed a bit more appealing. And, after watching today's race, I think I made the right call....it was pouring down rain ala Pac NW style! It was great to watch part of the route on TV anyway - it was a route I was familiar with though, when I rode it, there's a ton of cars and trucks zipping by at 45 mph while I hung on to my bike on an almost non-existent shoulder. These guys had the entire road to themselves...wussies :-) It was interesting to watch Lance in a domestique role supporting local Santa Rosa boy and two-time Tour of Cal winner, Levi Leipheimer. My personal enounter with Levi was on one of my many bike rides with my BFF, Kirsten, in Sonoma county. We were riding along and noticed a Vespa coming towards us with a cyclist behind it. It was Levi - that is how he trains...his wife paces him on her Vespa scooter. How cool is that?! (Sigh). Anyway, today, Lance didn't win, however, he led the 1st chase group into Santa Rosa and helped put Team Astana into the 1st overall team standing. And, as the cameras zoomed in on him at the finish line, there was Basso's familar face (neon green - Team Liquigas) right behind him. Day 2 will be from Sausalito, across the Golden Gate Bridge, and into Santa Cruz....oh yeah! I can do that route in my sleep! It's going to include one of my favorite routes- a 10-mile climb from Pescadero on to Skyline (via Tunitas Creek) and then back up Old La Honda (3+ mile climb) into San Gregario!!! Why am I not there??

(Picture source: Getty images)

Well, I might get a chance to ride those routes this summer if things work out (fingers crossed). More details to follow once I go through the interview process with a cycling touring company which includes a 60+-mile bike ride, some mechanic time (yes, I can change a flat), and then dinner with some mock group dynamic scenarious. Out of 400+ applicants, I am one of the 30 finalists. Then, from that, 10 will be selected for the summer. I won't disclose anymore until I go through the next process but the fact that I was even selected as one of the finalists is pretty darn exciting (thanks *so much* to Norm for helping me make a case out of nothing!!). This is an interview process like no other I've been at...my power suit will be comprised of lycra, padding, and chamois butter (LOL). I'm just so fascinated by the process...so unlike anything I've done before!

Finally, I'm ready to publicly post my first double-century (200 miles). I know...after all these years of cycling, I haven't done a DC. I've got a lot of moving pieces going on this summer (so exciting and all to be announced as things fall in to place) but, if it all works out, I hope to fit in the Seattle-to-Portland (STP) ride in one day. It's the only way I'll sign up for that ride...tens of thousands of riders (ugh)....and I can keep my sanity (and my love of cycling) if I stay ahead of the humungous crowd. So, the only way to do that is to finish it in one day. I think my biggest challenge will be fighting boredom on the second half of the ride. Flat, boring, head-winds...until I get into Portland and then get re-motivated by thoughts of downing some local microbrew or glasses (hell, bottle) of a scrumptious Pinot Noir from a local Willamette Valley winery. Then, heading to the Oregon coast the following day(s) for some R&R. More details to follow....but, those are my thoughts as I ice my knee and watch those cycling dudes make their way to Santa Rosa (home of Charles Schulz, Peanuts....and his infamous ice hockey league). C'mon knee...get better 'cause we have some mileage to cover. It's going to be an amazing summer!

Recap: Ice Time with a Bronze Medalist

2009-02-13T10:50:00.001-08:00

I'm still grinning from my session the other night with former Olympian, Kelly (Stephens) Tysland: Bronze medalist on the 2006 USA Women's Ice Hockey team. The Seattle Women's Hockey Club is made up of women skaters of every ability from seasoned players who've been skating for more than 10 years, to first-year novices. So, you can imagine the challenge of putting together a clinic that would be for everyone's benefit. But, Kelly managed to do that. For one special hour, we focused on the basic elements of hockey including skating (using the inside, and dreaded outside edges), passing, and shooting. It's been a while since I've done a lot of these basic drills - not since my beginner days and morning skate sessions with Andre Lacroix (former NHL and WHA player) who developed one of the most successful in-house adult hockey leagues in the Bay Area at Oakland Ice with more than 800 players, 55 teams, and 8 sub-divisions. In the end, it was one of the most fulfilling sessions I've had in a while. Anyway, here are some tips that Kelly covered in practice for the puck-mongers out there. During warm-ups, I'll be loosening up my skates and embracing my outer edges after so many years of neglect (LOL).

Skating:
1. Know your edges: try loosening or taking the lace out of your skates top one or two eyelets for 5 min on ice to feel your blade versus your boots-
2. Keep your knees bent, chest up, and your head is the first thing that needs to turn to move your body
3. Turning keep that inside shoulder up, and lower your bottom hand to keep puck closer to your body
4. When turning on your forehand, don't crisscross your hands, instead just drop your top hand to your hip.

Passing:
1. Cushion the puck when receiving a pass
2. Keep your stick on the ice to give the passer a target
3. Bring the puck behind your body before you pass, so you use your body not just your arms
4. Roll your wrists over to follow through for every pass

Shooting:
1. Aim at SMALL targets
2. Shoot to score, not to just shoot
3. Lower your bottom hand and grip tightly for the shot
4. Rotate stick slightly to close the blade of your stick so it isn’t open when you shoot.
5. Bring the puck behind and across your body when you shoot, to use your body not just your arms
6. Try to glance at the net once before you shoot

Positions:
1. Communicate!!!! Let teammates know what your doing
2. Wingers don't get caught in the corners in the D-zone, and get on the hashmarks along the boards on breakouts
3. Centers you are the 3rd defense in the D-zone
4. Defense, always keep one D in front of the net
5. Offensively, you have forwards and defense, no wingers, centers etc.
Forward 1- Attack (go get that puck!!)
Forward 2- Support (a few feet from Forward 1 who's going after the puck)
Forward 3- High (at top of circles)

Ice Time with an Olympic Bronze Medalist

2009-02-10T09:55:00.000-08:00

Late night practices with the SWHC...they're the worst and the best. The hardest part is getting motivated so late at night to drive 30-45 minutes away to a **it-hole of a rink knowing that I won't get home until 12:30 am and, then, finally falling asleep by 2:00 am because I'm so wired. Ah, but once I get on the ice and start my warm-up laps, the rink smell and the sound of my blades on the ice relax me and then all the thoughts and pressures from the day dissipate and things heavy on the mind become trivial. I heart hockey! It was great to have Coach Skip out on the ice with us during our scrimmage at the end because he skates around and waits for us to get open and then dishes us some great passes. Since I've been playing center a lot this season, I've been working really hard on breakouts so all night he would look and pass the puck to me once I got into an open spot. At the end, his passes would literally knock me over on my ass just because my legs were wasted and there was nothing left in the tank.

I can't wait for the next practice. This coming Wednesday, we have a very special guest coach - Kelly Tysland. Kelly grew up in the Seattle area then moved up to Canada to focus on her hockey career. She went on to the University of Minnesota where they won two National Championships and then was a member of the Bronze-winning 2006 USA Women's Olympic Ice Hockey team. I don't know what to expect other than a lot of skating, a lot of puck handling, maybe a water break or two, and a decent ice time (8:00 pm - yay!) at the rink that's only 15 minutes away (double-yay)! Hope my gear dries out in time (pee-yeeew!)

Crystal Mountain Snowshoe & Fondue Experience

2009-02-05T10:35:00.001-08:00

This is one of the post-season activities that we're thinking of for the Seattle Women's Hockey Club. A 2-1/2 hour snow-shoe tour in Crystal's south backcountry (via Lower and Upper Henskin Lake) with a stop at the Leaning Tree lounge. After that, we head back to the lodge for a well-earned fondue dinner....mmmm. I'll just skip right to the chocolate fondue dessert, thank you very much. Scheduled tours run on Friday and Saturday starting at 3:15 pm with dinner starting around 6:30 pm. Special tours for 10+ people can be arranged, or you can ask about trips midweek.

Anyway, just another snow activity option to consider since the skiing is, pretty much, lame this season. You can check out the details on Crystal Mountain's site.

The Burpees Club (This one's for you, Amy!)

2009-02-05T08:35:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a temporary hiatus from working out with Casey. But without him there to seriously kick my ass, I had to find someone to help me not make my workout so mundane and so I avoid looking like the people I see at the gym who mindlessly go through the same things while vacuously staring into space or the monitor in front of them (or text messaging!). No, I had to find a way to motivate and continue the crazy, sweat sessions and those lung-busting moments that I enjoyed with Casey (and with Joel).

So, heeeere's Amy! Actually, it was her idea to start working out together in the mornings since we're both temporarily broken up with Casey. And, it's been a heck of a lot of fun, though, she might give you different take - especially after this week's workouts where I've built in lot of explosive exercises (think squat jumps, and a bench or platform). Amy will thank me later when she's consistently blasting past the defenders and scoring on breakouts in her soccer games. I consider the session the other day successful because towards the end, she turned to me and said, "I'm going to punch you in the neck" which she said frequently to Casey. We've named our sessions The Burpees Club because burpees are our absolute favorite. We spice it up by adding a bosu ball to the mix (and this is when the 'punch you' comments start to fly...LOL). Can't wait for the next session, Amy! Bring on those smarmy comments - then I know you're breathing :-) My next surprise for you is a bear crawl (up and down the length of the racquetball courts) with an added push-up bonus. Think Spiderman - whee!

Crunch time with MAG

2009-01-19T12:30:00.000-08:00

Crusty, crunchy snow, that is. And, MAG stands for Marie's Adventure Group. I had to escape the cold, fog that has settled in over the Puget Sound region and if I wasn't on the next plane to a tropical destination, the second best option was to head up and get above the cloud bank. So, I replied to Marie's mass email blast for some snowshoe fun up at Snoqualmie Pass. Marie is one of my teammates from one of the hockey leagues that I play in Seattle. At the Issaquah park and ride lot, I met up with her and five other shoe'ers (I apologize in advance for any misspellings :-)): Josh, Gary, Jean, Sharon, and Katie.

Then, we headed east on I-90 to Summit East, aka Hyak. For the non-Puget Sound residents, Hyak made the news recently when a huge rainstorm caused a massive mudslide which took out 3 towers of one of their chairs (Keechelus) and damaged some vacation houses located towards the base of the hill. The downhill ski area is now closed for the season as you can see in the pictures I took, but the nordic trails remain open on the weekends for the season. From the lodge, you either ski up or hop on a shuttle to the Silver Fir Express chair for an easy ride to the top.

We chose the latter and it was also my chance to ride the newly, opened Silver Fir Quad. Back in the day, that area to the east of Summit Central was a little known stash of some fun runs through the trees....but through the years the word got out and now it's a quad :-( Oh well...today, I was happy to be on snowshoes and not on my skis. It's been a very disappointing year for skiing. Since the first part of this new year, we've had rain up in the passes, and then nothing since and today is Jan. 19!! I looked over some of my favorite runs and saw a lot of exposed trees, rocks, and a lot of ice. I still have to bring my skis in for repair after Blackcomb shredded the bottom over New Year's.

At the top, we hooked up with the nordic trail system and meandered starting first with the Rockdale Loop. I've forgotten the names of the other trails because I too busy trying to stay up with Josh when we jogged or sprinted on some parts of the trail (the uphills were especially fun...love hills even off the bike!). Afterwards, we returned to Issaquah and headed to Issaquah Brew House for a round of their home brews (we tasted everything from chocolate porters, hazelnut ales, and 'Dead Guy' ales) and some good grub.

It was a cold, blustery day, but the sun came out at the top, the clouds parted for a while, and good times added to the warmth. It was great meeting you all and I look forward to more outdoor fun.

Northern Elephant Seals - Año Nuevo State Reserve, CA

2009-01-05T07:39:00.000-08:00

For about five years in a row, I kicked off the new year with a visit to the Año Nuevo State Natural Reserve located just south of Half Moon Bay, CA (about 55 miles south of San Francisco). Año Nuevo means 'New Year' in Spanish and the state reserve is also the location of the largest mainland breeding colony of Northern Elephant Seals in the world. They typically haul out on islands located far off the mainland. About this time of the year is the peak season for birthing and breeding and it's an incredible sight to witness live. I would go several times - first, in December to watch the males come in and stake out their territory. I've seen some incredible battles between males that are about 14-16 feet long and can weigh up to 2.5 tons! Actually, the best battle I saw was down in San Simeon, which is just down the road from the Hearst Castle on the California central coast. I went down there with family and actually told them to take the tour of the castle (I seriously couldn't be bothered, anyway) while I watched the behemoths battle it out for over an hour. Exhausted and bloodied, one bull finally headed back out to the water and went to find a spot further down the beach (awww...I always root for the underdog).

At the end of December, the females (much smaller in size averaging 10-12 feet in length and weighing about 1,000 - 2,000 lbs) start to show up and haul out on shore to form harems and give birth. This peaks at around end of January. I would time my second visit of the season around or soon after the new year to check out this process. Then, typically, through the end of March, the females are nursing their young then mating with the dominant bull in their harem. Finally, the adults head back out to sea leaving the young weaners to fend for themselves and learn to swim. And, this is when I schedule another visit to gawk at the weaners who have grown and gained so much weight in a very short amount of time. Most will stay until the end of April before heading out to feed along the coasts of northern Washington and British Columbia. They will return to Año Nuevo to molt (shed all their hair and skin) during the spring and summer months.

It's an amazing sight to see and hear in person. The bulls' sounds are deep and guttural to match their immense size. So many pups are crushed by males who continue to fight off other harem-less males (again, awwwww) who try to poach on the females lying on the outer part of their harem. At the Marine Mammal Center, located further north in Sausalito in the Marin Headlands, I used to be a docent and I would stand next to a life-size statue of a fully-sized Northern Elephant Seal bull. Yeah, you don't want to be in his way when he decides to charge. And, don't be fooled by their size because they can move extremely fast on land. For this reason, you can only visit the reserve during breeding season on scheduled tours with a docent. Tickets do sell out fast so purchase them in advance. It really is worth it and an excursion that the entire family would enjoy.

Journey into Canada's Great Bear Rainforest with Ian McAllister

2009-01-04T10:31:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about Ian McAllister's upcoming presentations in Seattle at REI on the Great Bear Rainforest. He will be at the Redmond REI on 1/27 and at the Seattle REI on 1/29. The Great Bear Rainforest is the only coastal rainforest where the wildlife, environment, and aboriginal cultures exist as they did many, many, many years ago. In California, there are still remnants of the coastal rainforest but the grizzly, that is on the California flag, no longer exists in that region. The salmon runs down there is close to seeing a similar fate. But, up along the coast of British Columbia, the rainforest continues as-is, relatively speaking of course, but we all know that it's a precarious balance. So far, the bears still exist, the wolves continue to roam, the marine life thrives, and the salmon returns. Ian McAllister, an award-winning author and amazing photographer, is one of the most vocal people for protecting the rainforest along the coast of British Columbia. He heads a non-profit organization called Pacific Wild whose main goal is protecting the Great Bear Rainforest. They work closely with all communities, businesses, and individuals in the area to ensure biodiversity protection is the forefront of decisions and actions. I hope you get to attend this lecture because you will be blown away by the pictures he has taken. There is also a DVD produced by National Geographic on the Great Bear Rainforest that includes a lot of footage with Ian. Look for it at your local library!

One of the best ways to experience this region is by sea kayak. Tantalus Adventures is one of a handful of outfitters that can guide you on this special journey. Here is a link to one of my previous post about the Great Bear Rainforest that contains some pictures that I took up on my trip to the area. The article also features Norm Hann, the owner and lead guide for Tantalus Adventures. We guarantee that this trip will be special and one like no other. In fact, the picture that I use at the heading for my blog is from one of the beaches we camped at overnight (Home Bay on Princess Royal Island). Breathtakingly beautiful. You may contact Norm at norm@tantalus-adventures.com or myself at jocelyn@adventurecontact.com for more information. We hope you can join us.

In the meantime, enjoy this 10-minute video from Pacific Wild showing a lone wolf eating salmon in the Great Bear Rainforest.

(Video source: YouTube, Pacific Wild)

Happy 2009!

2009-01-03T10:14:00.000-08:00

The beginning of a new year....it's like a breath of fresh air. New beginnings, new goals, new paths to take, and new experiences to relish and embrace. I will spare everyone the rehash of 2008. You can read my blog for that. But, one thing for sure, it's been over a year outside of a 9-5 office job and it's one of the best decisions I made in my life. What's in store for me in 2009? Who knows, but it will be a good time, 'fo sho.'

I ended 2008 and kicked off the year with a trip up to Whistl er-Blackcomb ski resort in British Columbia. Not the time of year I want to be up there because of the annoying mayhem, and unbearable crowds and lift lines. However, I wanted a good, positive start to the new year so I decided to celebrate it with with some new friends that I've met up here in Seattle. The other downside: because of the late start of the snowfall and extremely cold and windy conditions, there were a LOT of exposed areas and now the bottom and edges of my skis are so trashed with deep ruts and gouges (whimper). On top of that, what snow that has come down is so unstable. While we were there, 2 more tragedies occurred due to avalanches - one was actually inbounds though it was roped off. Avy's, rocks, and exposed ice....not the best conditions but then again, the past several years have been pretty good up there so maybe we're just due for an off-season. **it happens. It's also still pretty early in the season.

The day I left, it was a bluebird day up in the mountains, albeit, butt ass frigid cold....oh well, just a reminder that life is always about trade-offs. I got to ride the new Peak 2 Peak Gondola from Whistler to Blackcomb. I thought all of the gondolas had a part of the floor that was see-through but it's only 1...the silver gondola. So, for those who aren't vertigo-challenged...look for the silver gondola and enjoy the view through the floor. I'll wait for that gondola the next time I'm up. In the meantime, Crystal Mountain in Washington got 18" the day after New Year's. Steven's Pass also got hit with a large amount of snowfall. Should've stayed state-side, but it was a good time north of the border, nonetheless, and that's what really mattered. Just so happy to have so many options within a 5-6 hour drive of here. Looking forward to 2009 and coming up with new stories to fill this silly blog. Happy New Year!

My First Ski Run!

2008-12-22T11:25:00.000-08:00

Bliss Run? Have you heard of it? Now dubbed JRitchie's Hill on Cougar Mountain. Winter has officially arrived and we got a nice dump over the weekend. This morning, I took Daisy out for a walk - who, by the way, I swear was formerly a Burmese Mountain dog or a Husky in her former life. She is totally loving the snow! Well, as long as the depth is manageable but this morning, the snow is close to pug-shoulder level in some places. Daisy quickly figured out to follow my steps and let me clear a path for her. Anyway, after our hour-long walk in the snow, I dropped her off, grabbed my skis and then hiked back up the hill to the water towers which is usually the jump-off point for some trailheads. The snow was deep enough for me to ski down the road leading from the water towers w/out gouging the bottoms - WOOT! My own private hill and no one was around. At the top, I had a fabulous view of the other snow covered hills including Tiger Mountain. And, down I went....hysterical! I did about 5 runs. On my last run, I caught a couple of people by surprise (d'oh - please don't get the same idea). Now I'm back in just to check on work real quick and then I'll head back up before others impede on my little bit of bliss.

(The end of Bliss Run - LOL!!)

Escapism, Denial, or Reality-check?

2008-12-17T07:52:00.000-08:00

Daily, I have conversations with friends, peers, and colleagues about their concerns over the economy, lay-offs, business mergers and re-orgs. I patiently listen to them as they relay their story and, even miles/oceans/continents away, I can literally feel the stress they're under. I can only listen and share some of my stories or techniques in how I survived the "pressures" of the corporate, small or start-up businesses but I always tell people to step outside and BREATHE.

The most recent issue of Wavelength Magazine came out - it's a free publication to kayak enthusiasts. The key word here is free - so, all of its operating costs are largely dependent on advertising! So, you can imagine the stress the publisher and editor (and sometimes sales guy), John Kimantas, is under as many businesses and operators pull back on their marketing dollars. However, in this month's editorial column, you can sense the peacefulness and calm that overtakes him when he goes outside - even for just an hour. I thought I would share the key part of his column here because it's what I absolutely believe in. Here is the link to the entire publication-note it's a huge file (18 MB) but worth a good read (see story about paddling in Belize!!) In the meantime, here's the part of his column that made the most sense to me:

(Source: Wavelength Magazine, Jan09)

"...I wonder how long it will be before people realize doom and gloom is a self-fulfilling prophecy? Lose confidence in the stock market and prices plummet. Lose faith in the economy by spending less and the economy crumbles. And so it goes. We here at Wavelength found our own way to insulate ourselves. At the height of the gloom, my partner Leanne and I snuck out of the office early to take two shiny new Epsilons out for a test ride. Everything changes when out on the water. Even the air becomes a natural rejuvenator. Add a fresh ocean breeze, exercise and communing with nature and sensibility returned. Just a little more than an hour on the water and every care in the world seemed to melt away.

This suddenly-remembered freedom took me back to 2005 and my longest kayaking trip (92 days along the B.C. coast). I often went days, nearing weeks, without talking to another soul. In the end only four things really mattered: staying warm, staying dry, staying fed and keeping hydrated. Beyond that everything else was simply clutter. The stock market, world conflict, even what day of the week it was – those became distant and ultimately unnecessary memories. It's so easy to get lost in the things that are fleeting, important at the time but of little consequence in the long run. We take on cares and pressures that are artificial, that we create for ourselves and use to bind ourselves down. Quite often we end up living a lie based on false expectations of what we think we want.

Need a cure? Go kayaking. And the longer the trip the better."
-John Kimantas

So, with that being said, you know who you can count on for a bit of escapism, perhaps a dash of denial (temporarily), but most importantly, a reality-check. Seriously, getting out helps put a lot of life in perspective and remember PTOs are meant to be used and not just accrued.

Um, yeah, not coming back...

2008-12-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

...Bali anyone?

Mele Kalikimaka (and Happy Hanukah) from Anini Beach and the Na Pali Coast, Kauai

Hau`oli Lâ Ho`omaika`i! (Happy Thanksgiving)

2008-11-26T10:32:00.000-08:00

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

After stuffing myself with a fabulous home-cooked meal until I'm way past the point of delirium, I am loading up my turkey-bloated body on a plane bound for some tropical fun in the sun and a good dose of Vitamin D which I've been seriously lacking in the Pac NW. I hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday. And, for those Can-Am households, enjoy T-Day, round 2.

Aloha!

Seattle Women's Hockey Blog

2008-11-21T09:02:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to give you a 'heads up' on a new blog that I started for the Seattle Women's Hockey Club. Here you will find updates on our tournaments, scrimmages, local games, and other happenings related to the club. While I designed it (and, I have to say that I am humbly proud of it....makes me want to redesign my own blog), the blog will have many contributers including posts from the coaches, team managers, team captains/alternate captains, and the SWHC board members.

We have a tournament coming up this weekend in Wenatchee, WA - the annual Hot Autumn Women's Ice Hockey Tournament and all three teams (Sting, Black Ice, and We Want Fries) will be attending. We'll be playing in the brand new Toyota Town Center...woot! So, time to get packing up the car with my hockey gear, and the pug. Skis? Not likely (grrr..). But, golf clubs - yes! Hopefully, it won't be too cold for some of us to tee up. Anyway, I will be updating the blog with pics and post-game stories for 'We Want Fries' which I am the Team Captain and one of the Team Managers (though, I claim the 'C' stands for 'Clueless but Competitive'). Stay tuned....it's going to be a great season with, I'm sure, some great stories to go along with it. The blog URL is seattlewomenshockey.blogspot.com.

'Tis the Season...

2008-11-16T19:51:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is upon us. Holiday jingles are starting to fill the air and the decorations and trees are going up. But, to me, what marks the beginning of the holiday season is the return of Gu's Chocolate Mint flavor! I brought back a few boxes from my favorite discount sporting goods outlet in San Francisco - Sportsbasement.com. Mmm - so yummy. It's easier to carry than a thermos of hot cocoa, but trying to mix in the peppermint schnapps is a bit of a challenge ;-) Anyway, the sun *finally* came out this weekend. I dragged my ass out of bed early this morning to meet up with others for a little tour around Lopez Island. It was perfect for me after 6 periods of hockey on Saturday. A bunch of Seattle teams are getting ready for a women's hockey tournament in Wenatchee so we're all scrimmaging and grabbing as much ice time as possible.

Anyway, dumbass forgot her camera and left her phone in the car (guess I was more tired than I thought), so there are no pictures to post at this time, but, hopefully, my riding partners will share some pics and I can post them later. But, this is a map of the island and the route for the annual Tour de Lopez which we sort of followed. Perfect little, easy ride for today because it was flat and we ended up doing ~35 miles which is just enough to loosen up the legs from all the anaerobic work the night before. But, the weather was perfect and the company and ride was nice and mellow and I really enjoyed my Gu Chocolate Mint. It's been a while since I've been on my road bike and it felt great to be outside instead of inside in some silly spin class. Fabulous day! It's about to get better because I am baking some banana bread (chock full of walnuts and choc chips...I can't get enough chocolate today!) and it'll be done just in time for a little snacky-poo before bedtime. Anyway, riding around Lopez Island is an easy route and very doable for everyone.

Mushing in the Yukon

2008-11-10T18:05:00.000-08:00

I think this would be the ultimate experience for any dog lover out there so you know it's on my list of things "to-do." My hockey teammate, Otterpop (ok, her real name is Sheila...oh, BTW, congrats on your first goal this weekend...woot!) went on this dog-sledding trip which is based up in the Yukon in the month of January (what?!). The outfitter they went with is Uncommon Journeys, LTD. Check out their site and you can see pictures of their 'team' (the dogs). Otterpop did the Aurora Classic - a 7-Day Cabin based trip. During the day, you actually learn to drive your own dog team, and at night, return to the comforts of a log cabin or yurt with a gourmet-prepared meal and plenty of wine. Now, that has my name all over it. Unfortunately, Otterpop didn't get to see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) but said the experience was absolutely amazing and "would go again in a heartbeat." She was in dog heaven and the service was top notch. Hmmm, I sure hope so after seeing the price of the week-long trip. But, this would certainly be worth every penny. OK, off to the cold hockey rink with warm thoughts of mushing through the snow in the Yukon with those incredible four-legged athletes.

(Click on the image to see a larger version.)

Great Online Deals on Outdoor Products

2008-11-07T10:22:00.000-08:00

OMG....I'm obsessed and I have Jill to thank for this. I am constantly checking out Steepandcheap.com. This has got to be one of the best marketing gimmicks I've seen out there. It's powered by Backcountry.com (another awesome site for outdoor gear and active wear at great prices). So, Steepandcheap.com offers items one at a time at prices that are usually 50% or more off of the original price for the product. Now, here's the marketing hook - you see how many people are online, how many products are left for each size/color, and the rate at which they're selling. The item is also available for a limited time (about 1/2 hour) or until the product sells out. Brilliant marketing because it creates a sense of urgency and before you know it, you're clicking on that left mouse button, and digging out your credit card. Jill recently purchased some alpine touring skis at more than 1/2 off of the original price. I got an altimeter watch for 60% off of the original price. OK, back to the site to see what killer deal they've got going now.

Oh, and they're hiring! If Park City wasn't so far from the ocean, I would certainly consider applying for their Business Analyst position. Hey fellow Researchers...want to move to Park City (so I can come out and stay at your place while I enjoy the outdoor bounty that is out there :-)). Love that Utah snow...woot!

Winter FUN Just Around the Corner

2008-11-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

The other day, I was driving home from the airport feeling a little wistful and sad after so many fun-filled days with various friends in the Bay Area. On my drive home, as I headed back to Issaquah on I-90, there was a brief break in the clouds and I could see the dusting of fresh snow in the mountains. That brought a smile back to my face and optimism for the upcoming winter season. So, to get everyone in the mood and to remind you why rainstorms are a good thing during the fall and winter months, I've put together a collection of webcams for live views of some places I've been at along the west coast. Click on the logo to view and may I suggest that you bookmark this page. Whee!

British Columbia:

Washington:

Oregon:

California:

Colorado:

Utah:

So, I am keeping tabs on all of you who said that they are coming to (fill in appropriate outdoor activity) in the near future. As for ski instructing, I still haven't made a commitment but I may have found another company that will allow me to teach during the week (and maybe a 1/2 day session on a Saturday) which will free up my time to play in the snow with pretty much everyone else who has the M-F grind. So, think SNOW!! And, regularly do some cardio, lunges, squats, wall sits, double-leg jump overs, more cardio, some core work so we can get the most out of each play day without any injuries :-) Woot!

Just Plain Goofiness

2008-10-30T10:35:00.000-07:00

Here's Daisy's new Halloween Costume - the iPug:

And, another goofy pic:

Goofy pet sites. Most captions written in Pidgin English which iz what makes dem so much more silly:

http://ihasahotdog.com/ --> (dogs)
http://icanhascheezburger.com/ --> (cats)

Happy Halloween
("I iz gonna make mess on rug. Make momma angry. Momma gotta pay for dressing me in silly costume.")

XOXO, Daisy

"No One Puts Baby In the Corner"

2008-10-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Arnica gel...have you tried it out yet? Great for bruises and sore muscles and the best part - it doesn't smell!! I had to dig deep in my medicine cabinet to find my tube that I haven't used in a long time. But, I better keep it within easy reach b/c I'm back playing co-ed hockey. Unfortunately, it's not the fun and friendly beer league I played in over the summer :-( I just signed up with the IceOTopes and we play in the GSHL (Greater Seattle Hockey League). So far, we're 2-1. I missed the first game, but played in the second game where we won 4-3. Usually, because of the speed and the physical aspect of playing with men, I play up (left or right-wing). However, for the third game, I decided to give defense a shot which is actually my preferred position in the women's league.

When I play with men, I have to play defense completely different. Especially with a chippy team like the one we just played. This team played lazy-ass hockey. NOTHING annoys me more on the ice than cherry-pickers. My first thought is "you lazy SOB...I have to pay for your lack of off-ice conditioning because you can't manage to skate from one end of the ice to the other and the only way you have a chance at making a play is to only play one-half of the friggin' ice." So, I have to hang way back and can't play the blue line like I want to and contribute offensively (however, I did pinch a few times and managed a few shots on goal...thanks, Andrew, for covering my ass). That's ok, it's an opportunity for me to anticipate the passes and bring it back the other way.

The other thing I have to do is to be more physical (even though it is a non-check league) and be ready to take a hit. I learned pretty quickly when I got checked in the back and went flying into the boards in the first period. At first, I played the 'girl' card and wondered "wtf is that guy thinking checking me like that?" But, then I would've been pissed off more had he backed off completely b/c I am a girl (though, he didn't have to put all of his 190+ lbs. into it). In any case, I was pissed - after I sent off a few retaliatory chips and hacks to let him know that I wasn't backing down, I skated back to the bench, cooled off, and then thought about my strategy. Being on defense, I can get away with just a little bit more contact (hehe) and even more so as a woman (hehehehe). I had great fun in front of the net messing with the guys - pushing, shoving, placing my stick on the side of their edge so they lose their balance. It's all about leverage, digging my edges in and keeping my knees bent and a lot of core work to maintain my center of gravity and balance. Timing too....that little shove/push, lift of the stick at the right time would be just enough to cause them fits and keep them from getting a shot off. That was *crazy-fun*! I may not see too much end-to-end action in the co-ed league but I can certainly be a total pain-in-the-ass (all 5'4" of me, LOL) to anyone who dares to camp in front of the net and my goalie. We ended up losing 5-1, though. Our goalie, Paul, kept us in the game as we were easily outshot 2-1. The good news is that we won't be playing this team again because the league is still sorting teams out into the appropriate division and they'll probably get placed one level up. Thank goodness because I my legs and arms can't take an entire season of bruising from the hacking and slashing (nice non-call, ref).

My women's league (SWHC), on the other hand, is kicking ass! We Want Fries (yes, that is our team name) is now 2-0. Our team gel'ed immediately and we play our positions like we've been playing together for many seasons. After our last win, I thought I saw Coach Murray wipe a tear from his eye (hahahaha). Tears of joy? Or, was he trying his best to stifle a gut-busting laugh? Maybe he just has overactive tear ducts. I've got a couple of goals under my belt and no time in the sin-bin...though, I thought for sure I was going to get thrown in at our last game and so did everyone else on the other team and the crowd (the handful that showed up anyway). I received a lot of good fun heckling from everyone but got the last laugh when the other person got thrown in instead. Woot!

So, the two sides of ice hockey: the women's league for refining my skills and the camaraderie, and; the co-ed league where I can go all out when it comes to aggressive, competitive play.

Oh, I'm Just A Girl...

2008-10-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

I had a recent visit from my friend, Tricia, who was up from San Francisco. And, here's proof that a visit with JRitchie in the northwest does not always mean a mandatory Bataan death march up one of the many hills that are in her neighborhood, nor a lung-busting cycling trip....not even a hint of going into the cold water for an excursion on some man-powered water vessel to look for marine mammals out in the wild as opposed to the safety of marine-parks where you can gaze at the 'monsters' from the other side of the glass while chowin' on a soft pretzel chased down with an ice cold diet coke.

My dear urban friends, I am still quite capable of having fun in the city, getting giddy (almost light-headed) trying on a bunch of senseless (and painful, but HOT) shoes while imagining all the cute outfits I could wear out with them, play for what seems like hours at the MAC counter trying on the new eye colors and lipstick then obsessing about #212 Sephora eyeliner that I MUST HAVE to go with my new MAC dual color pack. And, finally, hunting down the perfect accessories (hat & scarf) to go with the huggable, newly purchased gray sweater (that also matches my new eye colors perfectly). Oh wait, I forgot about trying all those clothes at Zara (I now dub Bi-zarra...what chaos!) and then walking out with nothing (haha) and leaving a wake of discarded, partially rolled-up clothes that will be carefully folded and put away by the staff only to have to have it thrown willy-nilly by the next potential (or not, like me) customer.

Oh, and food..and wine! Let's see....first, Tricia and I stuffed ourselves at Ipanema in downtown Seattle - a Brazilian rodizio. For all you carnivores, you must visit a rodizio. It's a meat-fest. Rotisseried meat in every which way or form....from top sirlion to sausages to chicken drumettes and bacon-wrapped something or other (by then, I was waaaay past the food coma stage and ready to stretch out in our comfy booth for an afternoon siesta). In San Francisco, there's Espetus, and in Palo Alto there's Pampas. With a flip of a disc (green means 'go' and red means 'stop'), you can pace your meat-fest. There's also a great salad bar (yummy beet salad, and all the asparagus I could stuff), and the sides bar where you can load up on the potatoes, rice, or beans. After that, we waddled up to Pike Place Market....one thing for sure, the meat-fest killed my craving for the mini-donuts I usually buy and for other stupid little snacks (or non-food purchases) that I tend to make when I go there. But, I did go home with a couple of splendid bouquets of fresh cut flowers.

On a brief overnight trip to Vancouver, Tricia and I went to Earls after walking around the city. There, we noshed on little plates of food while throwing back a bottle (OK, 2) of wine...which was then followed by several nightcaps each of Baileys on the rocks. (Ouch, that bill!). Just a wee hangover the next day and mud on my boots (the infamous next-morning quote "how did that get there").

So, there....you can take the girl out of the city, but I guess the city will always be a wee part of this girl. Tricia, I had a blast (as I always do) but I am still recovering from your visit (LOL). I can't wait to see the rest of my Bay Area friends soon. However, on my visit, I will need to pace myself and head out to the coast for some peace of mind, or up Mt. Tam for a few lung-busting hikes just to cleanse my system before toxicating it again later on in the night when you all come out of your natural-light deprived cubicles, or filtered-aired offices for a few hours of laughter, woots, and good fun. My joints will thank you all for the break, but my lungs, and muscles will make me pay, that's for sure.

Pacific Northwest: Highs and Lows (Day Hike to Camp Muir, Mt. Rainer -> Paddling on Lake Washington)

2008-09-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

The first weekend of fall, and it couldn't have been better, weather-wise. My neighbor, Jen, had a rare weekend off so we made the best of it and decided to do a hike on Mt. Rainier with the goal of reaching Camp Muir (elevation, 10,188 feet) which is the highest point a day hiker can go on the mountain. It is also the base camp for those who plan to summit the mountain.

Now that school has started, the crowds were relatively thin - thank goodness! No wait at the entrance and it was National Trail Day so the park entrance fee was waived - woot! We parked the car at Paradise which is located on the southern part of the mountain and headed out to the Skyline trail. Along the way, we only ran into a handful of other people, a coyote, and a couple of whistling marmots (the coyote's snacks). How we missed the bears, I don't know, but everyone else saw them on the trail we were on. We probably scared them away with all our yakking.

I thought that once we were up past the alpine plants and into the rocky landscape of the mountain, we wouldn't run into too many people, however, there is only one way up to Camp Muir - via Pebble Creek Trail and up Muir Snowfield. We rounded a rock and I looked up and the mountain seemed peppered with climbers, hikers, and skiers. I hate to think what that trail looks like during July and August. But, it was an amazing day and a lot of people had the same idea as us. At the end of Pebble Creek Trail, we had two options to our approach...either scramble along the rocks or trudge through the snowfield. We chose to scramble for the most part. As we climbed, our pace slowed down dramatically as we hit the 7500 ft. level and we started to take more breaks. That was frustrating to the both of us because we thought of ourselves as relatively fit but the altitude kicked our ass.

When we got above the clouds, to the south, I had clear views of Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Hood in Oregon (east of Portland). F***in' amazing. Our conversation was minimal at 8,000 ft because we were out of breath for most of the time...but, we also wanted to hear the mountain talk to us. To our left, we had spectacular views of the Nisqually glacier and you could hear the creaks and, on occasion, roars, of the ice as it made its way down the mountain.

Along the way, we kept pace with a group of about 8 people who were heading to Camp Muir to spend the night before their attempt to summit the next day. Earlier, we had run into a few people who tried to summit that morning but had to turn back due to the 60 mph winds on the mountain.

We decided to attempt the last 800 feet through the snowfield. We were kind of freaked out by the crevasses caused by the melting snow which is why we'd been scrambling up the rocks most of the way. But, we threw on our crampons and followed the trails formed by others (surely they would avoid the crevasses) and slowly made our way up the last steep part to our destination. I don't know where we got that last blast of energy (we almost stopped at about 8500 feet). I think it was the combination of our last extended break, the Snickers bar I just ate, being so close to our destination, the exhilaration of walking on the snowfield, and just saving face - we couldn't turn back now! In the distance, we could see Camp Muir.

But, we made it (almost...). Camp Muir was probably another 500 feet up, but we decided to stop just to the right and enjoy the breathtaking views to the east: Cathedral Rocks and the Cowlitz Glacier. I watched a group of hikers who were heading down ON THEIR SKIS!!! I was salivating and excited that ski season was right around the corner. On the way down, there was one novice skier in that group who gave up and was walking down. I wanted to trade my crampons for his boots & skis (but he looked grumpy so I kept my smarmy comments to myself). Needless to say, the way down was way more fun than going up. But, I was spent at the end. Round trip, it took us 7 hours to make it up to about 9800 ft. which was an altitude gain of about 4300 ft. from Paradise. Sigh - so close to making it to 10,000 ft...but I was wasted and I knew I had at least 2 hours to get back to the car. If you feel fit enough to do it, it's an epic trip for day hikers. Poles and crampons are your friends on the snowfields. And, bring plenty of water! We both got a bit of a headache from the altitude so ibuprofen is also a good thing to bring. I'll be back...with my skis!

Here's a link to the pictures I took on that hike.

The next day, I spent it paddling around Lake Washington with some folks from one of my hockey teams. I rented a kayak from Seattle Raft & Kayak in Magnuson Park and we spent a few hours on the northern end of Lake Washington, watching sailing regattas and dodging speedboats. It was clear and in the 70's so it seemed like everyone was out on the water. Mt. Rainier was immense in the distance and I found it so incredible that just the day before, I was huffing and puffing up the south side. Not a bad way to spend the weekend in the fabulous Pacific Northwest.

Pre-game Haka...Game On! (VIDEO)

2008-09-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

Coach - Here is our new pre-game "dance."

(Video credit: YouTube, The Haka - New Zealand All Blacks vs. Tonga, From:urbandiscipline)

And...another one:

(Video credit: YouTube, Haka, Maori Dance - New Zealand All Blacks, From:blairojunior)

No More Fries - It's Hockey Season!

2008-09-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

Well, my friends....it's true. I've given up one of my favorite post-activity pub grub for the entire fall/winter season of hockey (whimper, whimper) and am making a public affirmation on my blog so, y'all will help police this silly endeavor for the next few months and make that season-ending plate (wheelbarrow) of fries a scrumptious reward. It all started after my last hockey game this past summer when we convinced a couple of the guys from my team to coach our women's team. We didn't immediately agree to their fundraising idea (derriere shots for a calendar....oh, and btw - I know how to wear my thongs so there is no "Thong Gone Wrong" caption under my picture!). Some of us, however, agreed to 'no more fries.' Buffalo wings, burgers, and, of course, alcohol, however, are still up for grabs!

Oh, and by the way - All content on this blog is from my personal point-of-view and, in no way, reflects those of the Seattle Women's Hockey Club :-)

This season, I decided to re-join the Seattle Women's Hockey Club and I am really looking forward to the season. The club is finally able to give Steve a break from coaching and has brought on some new coaches to help out with Skip. They include Amy, "Sin Bin" Murray, and Scott....I've dubbed the last 2 "Double-Trouble." We're on our third week of practice (yes, please make me do another ladder drill until I puke) and the teams will be formed in the next week. A lot of familiar and fun people have returned but we also have a good number of new players on board (both experienced and inexperienced...all with great attitudes). It's going to be a great season and nothing but good times to look forward to. Home-made microbrews, party bus, post-game razzing at the bar...oh, yeah...and hockey!

I also joined another co-ed team because I've rediscovered how fun it is to play on a co-ed team. It'll be a challenge for me, though, to manage the intensity level...easy for me to be a little more aggressive in a co-ed league b/c the guys hardly feel the contact made by a 5'4" woman. But, I'll have to remember to tone it down when I play with the women (except in tourneys - especially against those stronger Canadian skaters).

Skate, shoot, score! OK, Coach Murray - I'll get on that pre-game dance that will stop the other team in their tracks, cause their jaws to drop to the ice (or maybe laugh hysterically so they lose focus), and wonder what the heck is going on with *that* team.

Chuckanut Century 2008

2008-09-15T05:50:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun riding Chuckanut Drive back in August on the RSVP that I decided to sign up for the Chuckanut Century in Bellingham, WA which took place this past weekend. What a fabulous place to start winding down the cycling season. I don't usually pay too much attention to the fundraising efforts which is a part of the registration fee, but this time I paid particular attention....the Whatcom Hospice Foundation. After reading Jonah's blog - mysusiez.blogspot.com - covering the last 3 months with Susie, I see the big role hospices play. Before I took off, I silently celebrated life, celebrated all my relationships, and celebrated the little adventure I'm able to partake in (despite the mean hit & run driver that tried to take away it away from me three years ago in SF. Ha! My knees feel great and I am a stronger rider today than I was back then....grrr). Anyway, the day was absolutely spectacular, a little cold in the morning, but not a cloud in the sky. Fall, my most absolute, favorite season, was just around the corner with some of the leaves starting to change color. Towards the end of my ride, I watched a leaf gently fall to the ground which I thought was appropriate for the moment. I smiled (silent woot!).

Thankfully, I wasn't riding alone and Alain signed up at the last minute because he wanted to try and beat me to the top of a hill just once this season :-) After my recap, I think you will agree with me that I should rename this blog, the 'Misadventures of Alain.' LOL!

I picked Alain up at 5:30 am and we got up to Bellingham in 1.5 hours and were on the road by 7:30. Our goal was to complete the Double Metric Century (200k ~124 miles for the Americans too lazy to calculate :-) that day but the good thing about this ride was there were a lot of options to make it as long (or, ahem, as short, as you want to). There were two loops: the South Loop and the North Loop. We did the South Loop first before all the MS riders (1600 riders on a 2 day ride) and the cars clogged it all up.

Five miles into the ride, and we started a gentle climb on Chuckanut. Then, the misadventures began. Within the first 10 miles, here are some classic Alain quotes:
'My computer seems to have stop working.'
(Hmmm....let me take a look. Um, Alain, your front tire is on backwards.)
Then, as we were picking up speed on a downhill after our stop at one of the vista points:
'I left my glasses back there.'
At our first stop:
'Yeah, this looks like our stop.'
(As we were noshing on the yummy sandwiches, we realized that we were mooching off of the MS ride and eating their food. Ooops! OK, just to be fair, I contributed to this error. Double-oops!)

The mood of the riders was light and fun. In mid-season, most people are more serious and are just focused on their own goals (finishing first, finishing the ride faster than the previous year, etc.). But, today, it seemed like people were more about enjoying the ride and wrapping up the season with all their cycling goals achieved and behind them. I've never chatted with so many strangers on a ride like I did that day. Of course, the spectacular weather helps! First, we met a couple of riders, Hillary and Trent, when we were heading into our first stop. They stopped at a playground which we dubbed 'the super-secret potty break spot.' Brilliant! No lines! So, we stopped and chatted...just the previous week, they did the Mt. Baker Hillclimb and highly recommended it. If I don't get into RAMROD (Ride Around Mt. Rainier in One Day) lottery next year, maybe this will be a good substitute. What great people. We crossed paths many times and then shared a beer afterwards.

The final misadventure of Alain occurred when we got to Lake Samish. Once again, he was lolly-gagging way behind me on a hill. I got up to the next turn and glanced behind me and saw a rider. I assumed it was Alain so I sped on. Then, the rider passed me and it wasn't Alain. S***! I waited and I thought I saw Alain go straight through the sign. Sigh. I waited a little longer and soon Hillary and Trent came up and said they didn't see Alain. A few other people we'd been chatting and riding with along the way came up, and none of them reported seeing Alain. So, I called and left him a vmail to meet me at the northern end of the lake.

I got to the stop sign and waited....and waited...and waited. OK, he is *not* that slow. I checked my phone again, another message. He had gone on and was waiting for me further up. Argh! You see, I was waiting at the bottom of a hill that was rather long and it would've been great to have had that momentum. So, I thanked Alain for providing me with entertainment and mixing it up to make the experience other than just another mundane bike ride, and grinded up that hill. I got to the top and there was a woman saying 'there she is!' I guess when people got to the top of the hill, they told Alain that I was waiting for him at the bottom of the hill at the stop sign. I didn't stop and kept going and waited for Alain to catch up with me. I wasn't mad...I just didn't want to lose momentum (haha...) and he knew that. So, he caught up and we laughed and chalked it up to another Alain misadventure and continued on our fun journey. Then, it was one final hill back on Chuckanut and I got my billy goat legs going and left Alain in the dust (yes, I did!). One of the riders (a woman whose name I didn't catch) was giving Alain some flack about me being pissed off about the Lake Samish incident because I just blasted up that hill. Alain said,' oh that's just my mountain goat friend. She does that all the time and I catch up eventually.'

South Loop done...66 miles. Back at the starting point at Boundary Bay Brewery. Most of the fun people we were riding with were calling it a day. Alain and I looked at each other....and, called it a day as well. It was already later than we expected and if we continued, we wouldn't be getting home until late. I knew that Alain would love to spend the rest of the weekend with his wife and kids and I had some work to finish up (pathetic, I know...just one more project to wrap up for a free trip to Montreal). Besides, I had a coupon burning in my pocket for a free beer and the smell of the grilled burgers was too tantalizing. We dropped our bikes off, 'high-fived', headed to the brewery......and, celebrated.

Think PINK! 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk

2008-09-12T07:03:00.001-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, I received sad news that my friend, and former hockey & defense partner, succumbed to her 6.5 year battle with cancer. I always looked forward to skating with Susie because she had the quirkiest sense of humor so I knew that I would be skating on a team with the funniest name. Pre and post game time in the locker room was always filled with laughter which would continue into the afternoon/evening at the closest bar or at her home that she shared with her husband, Jonah. We skated as "Dee" partners so many times and had so many laughs and conversations on the bench in between shifts. But, sadly, the one game I recall the most was one where she was feeling tired and worn down from her most recent round of steroid treatments and in between shifts we talked about her cancer and her treatment - what I remember most was the fear I saw in her eyes. At the time, Susie was battling brain cancer, but her initial diagnosis was breast cancer.

Today kicks off the 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk in Seattle. A total of 3000 participants will be covering 60 miles over the weekend and their fundraising efforts will primarily benefit the Susan G. Komen For The Cure. Over the summer and fall, similar walks were or will be held in 13 other cities in the U.S. Good luck to all the walkers this weekend!

I am putting together a team for next year's event in San Francisco (October 9 - 11, 2009) and I would like to dedicate my efforts to Susie and her family. Stay tuned for news and updates. If you would like to join me in my efforts as either a participant or a donor, just let me know.

Peace out, Susie, and remember, NEVER clear the puck up the middle and back off the blue line when your Dee partner decides to pinch (haha, like I always did/do)...thanks for covering my ass.

It's Official - Lance WILL Race Again!

2008-09-09T15:49:00.000-07:00

An exclusive article just released in Vanity Fair (wha?!), is the announcement by Mr. 7-Time TDF winner that he was going to race again. I guess he was motivated after he came in 2nd at the Leadville 100 (a mountain bike race through the Colorado Rockies). In addition, he will be entering some cyclocross races which is something I want to try because I need a fourth bike :-)

OK, I can't think of a better road trip through California than this...the Amgen Tour of California in February! One of the stops is in Solvang for the individual time trials. I've always wanted to ride there so I will bring my bike. Oh, and the wineries along the way! So, if Lance is scheduled to race, I'm there.

Lance Armstrong - He's Back?

2008-09-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

According to an article posted on the VeloNews today, Lance is coming out of retirement for 5 races in 2009 including Tour de California, Tour de Georgia, and "The Tour" de France. The story says he will be racing on the Astana team which also includes Levi Leipheimer (I used to see him train in Santa Rosa...he would chase his wife, who drove a scooter, around the vineyards and hills of Sonoma), and Chris Horner. If this is true, Lance will be reunited with Johan Bruyneel, his former team manager who was there for his 7 TDF wins. Trek is also a sponsor of the team. Team Astana did not race in this year's Tour de France due to their ties to the doping scandal.

If this is true, maybe it's time to revisit France, but this time, during the Tour and attempt to do part of the route (LOL). Or, maybe just rent an RV, load it up with fine French Wine, and ring my cowbell from the sidelines.

Time to hit the Beach! - Cannon Beach, OR

2008-09-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

Jocelyn: "Hey Julie...wanna hit the beach?"
Julie: "Sure! Let me grab my parka!"

This is what happens when you invite a SoCal gal for some beach time in the Pacific Northwest. Actually, I expected the same which is why my bag was packed to the brim because you never know what you'll get out on the coast so I packed for everything. However, I DID NOT pack a parka :-)

It was time for the ocean. Sure, you have the Puget Sound around Seattle but it's nothing compared to the ocean..the sound, the smells, the wildlife, and the saltwater taffy! So, we headed down from Seattle to the Oregon coast and one of my favorite places.....Cannon Beach, Oregon. I haven't been there in over 14 years so it was time to pay a visit. So much has changed on the road down to Oregon. Like everything else anywhere, so much has built up and there are so many people and so many cars. But, when you get out on the beach itself, everything is as I had remembered.

Cannon Beach has maintained its small town charm after all these years. Thank god...no Walmart nearby! I applaud the local community and government for keeping out those massive, evil, mom&pop devouring, uncompassionate treatment of its employees, chain stores! Phew...ok, enough of my rants...back to the easy-going beach life. It's a dog-friendly town with many of the establishments accepting pets on the patio or in the stores. And, the sand! So fine, soft and so warm! We lucked out and the sun came out for all the days we were there. Everyone in town was complaining about the colder than usual summer and I kept thinking "what are these people talking about?" In general, I think people in the northwest just like to verbally complain about the weather hoping to keep everyone else from moving to this incredibly beautiful region. And, secondly, I spent 13 years in San Francisco and everyone knows that famous Mark Twain quote "The coldest winter I spent was a summer in San Francisco." So, this past summer in the Northwest has been amazing for me! "What, I can wear shorts and a tank top after 3:00 in the afternoon?"

In any case, Cannon Beach, Oregon is a must visit. From Portland, it's only 80 miles. From Seattle, it's 180 miles. Every summer (June, I think?), they hold a huge Sand Castle Competition that produces some of the most amazing sand sculptures I've ever seen. I found this site that has pictures of the 2008 competition. The competition started in 1965 one year after a tsunami had hit the area. The year after the tsunami, the beach recorded the lowest tide levels in the century and some locals decided to capitalize on the media attention and held a sandcastle competition. Since then, up to 45,000 people (yikes) have attended the competition. It's held at the foot of the most recognized monolith of the Oregon coast - Haystack rock.

Highway 101 is also a popular cycling touring route with hundreds testing their legs and lungs along the Pacific Coast every year. I saw quite a few tackling the route from Astoria, OR to Cannon Beach and it had me pining for my bike. At lunch the other day at Mo's (southern part of Cannon Beach), some cyclists sat down next to us and they were riding their bikes from Portland San Francisco. Well, Anan was...the other two were going to catch the train back down to EssEff from Florence, OR. Their group exemplified what I miss about living in SF...Anan is originally from El Salvador, another rider from Australia, and the one woman from Spain. I miss that....going to a restaurant, bar, or an event in the Bay Area and meeting people from so many different parts of the world. I LOVE the northwest and I won't be moving back to the Bay Area, BUT...I miss that diversity and exposure to so many different cultures (and the food!!) without ever having to leave "The City." Sorry, I apologize for the tangents. Must stay focused!

Anyway, Anan was going to be cycling the next 2 weeks down the coast and he was using this book which I need to buy - Bicycling the Pacific Coast by the Mountaineers Club. I flipped through it and it looked pretty good with not only the mileage included but also the elevation gain and campsites. Phew....I had a feeling that the Oregon/California border was going to be tough...and it is. But, that is definitely one ride I'll have to do. Fun times at the shore and Daisy is currently snoring so loud so I know she had a great time. Here's a link to the photos I took that day.

RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver) - Day 1

2008-08-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

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)

2008-08-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-08-09T08:03:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-08-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

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.

Squamish Rocks!

2008-07-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

I HEART Squamish! The Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada - located in British Columbia between Vancouver and Whistler, it's a town with easy access to so many outdoor activities all-year-round. This past weekend, I paid a visit with some friends for some rock climbing. It's a mecca for anyone into the sport with the obvious destination for many being the Stawamus Chief (or, simply "The Chief"). It is the world's second-largest granite monolith and you can't miss it as you enter Squamish from the south. For the non-rock climbers, you can test your cardio and leg-strength endurance by hiking up the back side to the top. Plan about 1.5 - 2 hours one way to the second peak but the view from the top on clear days is simply AMAZING!!!

The Chief isn't the only spot for climbing....this area is so concentrated with easily accessible crags that anyone, no matter what skill level, is bound to find a few routes to their liking. That was important for our group because, while Jill and I are relatively newbies to the sport, the others (Eric, Adam, Tom, and Loren) are waaay more experienced and had plans to do multi-pitch climbs: first up on the Apron of The Chief (located on the north side), then on the "Squaw" (just a little east of the Chief).

Jill and I were on our own so we headed to the Smoke Bluffs which offered a lot of single-pitch routes for some top-roping. We're still not ready to lead our own climbs w/out Eric (Jill's boyfriend) to spot and instruct us. For me, it was my second visit to the Bluffs which was good b/c I got to see how I handled the routes I tried last year for the first time (Burgers and Fries, and Pixie Corner). The granite up there is so nice and so sticky and it gave me a more confidence for some moves that first seemed sketchy. And, we both got to spend a lot of time on cracks which you can't really mimic in a gym. Later that afternoon, the others joined us at Neat and Cool. It was amazing to watch Eric's friend, Tom, do the same route that Jill just finished....I swear, he's a human tree frog after watching him, literally, leap his way up to the top. It was funny to watch Jill trying to keep up as she belayed him. I had fun climbing up Corner Crack and then I was done for the day. My hands were raw and my feet were starting to put up a fuss after being in my climbing shoes all day.

(Adam practicing some lead climbing on Neat and Cool /The Smoke Bluffs)

The next day, the others were planning on going back up the Chief while Jill and I planned to explore Murrin Park. But, alas, Mother Nature is "a fickled b*%$#" (quoting Eric) and it rained on us Saturday night/Sunday morn. So, our plans to climb on Sunday in Squamish were scrapped and we quickly broke down camp and headed for Index, WA for some climbing if the weather was good. Alas, it wasn't....so, the only highlight of the drive home was a stop in Lynnwood for a burrito at Chipotle (haha). Oh, one more note, we ended up camping at Kinsman Park in Squamish....nothing spectacular other than it's a spot to sleep after a full-day of (insert your favorite outdoor activity here). But, the best part, you can head over to Brennan Park and use their showers (cost ~$2....$7 +change deposit and they give you back $5 +change if you keep your shower time to less than 20 mins). Norm gave me an excellent resource for climbing routes in the area: Squamish Select by Marc Bourdon. So glad I have that book. I HEART Squamish!

Exit 38 - Climb On!

2008-07-22T22:11:00.001-07:00

I *finally* got to head outside for some rock climbing. I met Jill and her "oh-so-awesome" boyfriend, Eric, who instructed us on how to handle our own single-pitch climbs so he and his buddies can head out and do the harder, multi-pitch routes. Let me say that Eric is an awesome instructor! He spent three hours coaching Jill on lead-climbing, teaching me how to clean up the route, meet Jill at the top and toss the rope down and rappel on our own. I felt like this was the next step after the great experience I had last summer up in Squamish, British Columbia. Last year, Norm and Jeremy (our guides), handled everything. This year, I got some lessons for the next level of climbing and that is handling some single-pitch routes on our own.

Anyway, we headed out to Exit 38 - just east of North Bend off of I-90 (the closest rock climbing area to Seattle). We spent the entire time on Write Off Rock which is a popular beginner rock and perfect for what we were working on. The first route we worked on was on the far left and only had 2 bolts for us to clip in. The second route (Mom, There's Pink in my Burger) was so much fun (the second one to the right) and had 4 bolts on the route to clip in to. Both times, Jill did the lead-climbing. The first time, I just climbed up while Eric belayed me from the top. We did that so he could go over what I needed to do once we were done climbing the route. The second time, though, I cleaned up and took out all the hardware on my way up while Jill belayed from the top. It's so great to finally not have to depend 100% on others for outdoor climbing and am really confident that Jill and I can be self-sufficient on routes that are within our skill level. So much fun! Can't wait to head outside again (this coming weekend if the weather holds out) but next time, I will try out my skills on lead-climbing.

Marin Headlands, CA - (VIDEO) Descending on a bike

2008-07-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

The Tour is never lacking in spectacular events. Stages 14 - 16 are ones that I have been looking forward to as the riders make their way through the Alps grinding up some amazing steep terrain and descending like mad down the other side. The past couple of stages showed how quickly one can be 'King of the Mountain' to another casualty of the tour. First, Pereiro's crazy crash over the barrier to the pavement 15 feet below that left him with a fractured arm. Then, today, Augustyn (a 21-year old rookie) was the first to reach the peak of the last climb today which is also the highest pass on the tour this year. However, on the other side he was going to fast and couldn't quite make a turn and went over the edge. He managed to stop himself on the steep mountainside, but his bike kept on going, and going, and going, and going....

Those are the images that, unfortunately, stick with me on descents. One of my favorite routes is down in the Bay Area where you climb up the Marin Headlands from the Golden Gate Bridge. After catching your breath at the top only to have it taken away by the amazing scenery (the Golden Gate Bridge, the City in the background, Pacific Ocean, and the coastline south to Pacifica...sigh). Anyway, on the other side, the descent is on a one-lane road and is pretty steep at the top (for me, anyway). But, you have to tear your eyes away from the view and keep your eye on the road on the way down. I found this video and thought I would share one of my favorite rides from a cyclist's perspective....whee!

(Video credit: YouTube, Marin Headlands Loop on a Bike, Bullet Cam/auweia1)

The Marin Headlands is not only the area for many outdoor activities for the urbanites (road & mountain biking, hiking, surfing) but it's also the location of the Marine Mammal Center where I used to volunteer as a docent. Best time to ride....early morning before the tourists plug up the bridge and the winds kick in...spring time and fall are my favorite months. Once you're done with the Marin Headlands, continue down to Sausalito and do Paradise Loop...there's also options to jump on to other routes for climbing up Mount Tamalpais (or Mt. Tam for short). Check out the VeloGirls' website...the cycling club I used to ride with the first year I started road cycling. They have the best route sheets!

I am going to take a few days off of my bike after a rather lackluster weekend of rides....I went on a couple of rides with some good climbs and just wasn't feeling it. Oh well, some days you have it, some days you don't. So, time for me to put the bike away for a little while and enjoy some other activities and then get back on it.

Cycling North Cascade Loop (Update)

2008-07-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

On an earlier post, I mentioned my intent to ride part of the North Cascade Loop starting next week. Unfortunately, the ride has been postponed and the dates are TBD due to my riding partner's nagging foot pain. Oh well, at least I will be fresh for the RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver) in August and maybe we'll schedule the North Cascade Loop when it's a tad bit cooler.

The one question I have, though, is I've gotten some feedback on our planned route for Day 1 where we end up on 530 between Arlington and Darrington. I've heard that 530 is not bike-friendly due to the narrow road with little shoulder as well as other reasons. If anyone out there has a good alternate, please let me know (i.e., head up to Sedro Woolley and then hang a right).

(Photo credit: Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)
As for the Tour - a big 'BOO, HISS' to Beltran and Ricco and their doping charges. But, despite the dark cloud (sigh, will they learn), the Tour has been exciting to watch. I'm rooting for Team Columbia/High Road. Today, I think the sprinter crown has been handed over and this picture says it all with Mark Cavendish winning his 4th stage and Robbie McEwan (lower left in red and so dominating in previous races) behind him. Go Team Columbia/High Road....they work well together and today it was amazing to watch them work Cavendish up through the peloton to place him in position for, yet, another strong, kick-butt finish. There was also the most spectacular crash today...one of the Gerolsteiner riders crashed right into one of the traffic islands so hard breaking his bike frame in two and sending him up and over and on to the pavement. He stood up right away and seemed to be relatively ok...the sign on the traffic island, however, didn't fare as well....crazy crash!

Take Back the Tour

2008-07-10T09:53:00.000-07:00

(Photo credit: JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images)

The 2008 Tour de France is off and running (er, spinning). The race started on July 5 and will conclude in Paris on July 27. I know, I know....I hear all of you grumbling about the drug scandals and the politics and the cheating, etc., etc. But, after watching the first few days of the race, it's really been refreshing to watch and, once again, I am thoroughly enjoying my morning cups of java while watching racers sprint, crash, and climb. Phil Ligget and Paul Sherwen continue to add so much to my enjoyment with their ever-so-colorful commentary, dramatic statements and bits of cycling trivia. While I enjoyed watching the 'Lance' era and cheering him on as he battled head-to-head with Jan Ulrich, Iban Mayo, and others, I feel like the race has returned to its roots. There seems to be an aggressive movement to make sure the race and the riders remain clean and free of drug scandals. Versus, who is televising the race in the U.S., is running a funny tv spot right now....the reel is played in reverse and it appears like the race officials are taking the yellow jersey away from Landis.

(Photo credit: PASCAL PAVANI/AFP/Getty Images)

With no heavy favorite and changes to the race format, it's a wide open field. Instead of the customary prologue time trial, the race started en masse with an uphill sprint to the finish line. This meant the yellow jersey was up for grabs and it made for a dramatic ending. Other changes to the race this year included the elimination of the time bonuses. In the past, one could shave off time by accruing time bonuses w/out ever having to finish first. This year, there is definitely more incentive to be first, and, again, it means more spectacular finishes.

The team time trail stage was eliminated and I'm so bummed about that. I was always fascinated to see how a group of individuals operated as one engine, their legs like pistons, to pedal efficiently and finish with the fastest time. This stage required so much precision and synchronization....so totally HOT!!

(Photo credit: JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images)

Finally, there are 2 new teams from the US: Team Columbia (George Hincapie is a member), and; Team Garmin-Chipotle (egads, I hope they don't have to eat food prepped by Chipotle every night...haha). You can follow Team Garmin-Chipotle on their blog. Team Garmin-Chipotle is made up of primarily American riders whereas Hincapie, I think, is the only American member of Team Columbia. Both teams appear really strong and as of today, Kirchen (Columbia) is wearing the yellow jersey. Allez, allez!

Critical Mass - Lake Washington Style (13 weeks later)

2008-07-06T21:48:00.000-07:00

Back in April, I included a post about my first road bike loop around Lake Washington with the Cascade Bicycle Club. And, here I am, 13 weeks later and I just completed that same route but this time with way more energy and more power up the hills. Because the route today was familiar, I knew I could be more aggressive and it was only going to be 48 miles....oh, pshaw...that's nothing! And, the weather was much cooler than last weekend....in the 60s which is perfect for riding. Many who rode the 100-mile ride last week to Flaming Geyser in the heat were back for more pain. But, this week, the mood of the group was very upbeat and almost giddy. I think part of it was because most were looking forward to the STP (Seattle-to-Portland) ride next weekend. Or, maybe it was the pizza and beer we were having at the end of the ride to celebrate the end of this training series. Definitely don't want to be last one in because it's first come, first serve. Haha....more motivation for this billy goat to hammer up the hills. Nevertheless, a lot of gut-busting laughs and 'woots' on the hills when, usually, you hear nothing but steady breathing (usually your own), bike gears changing and turning, and the whir of tires on the pavement with all the focus on reaching the top.

The first half of the ride was uneventful...after all, not much can happen on the Burke-Gilman trail (big yawn). But, once we passed Kenmore and hit the open roads, that's when it started to get fun - especially on the hills. I love my double chainring because I'm able to exert so much more power up the hills and I felt great on the climbs and passing people on the left. But, when I would finally pull into the lead and relax a bit, there goes Alain cruising by on my left-hand side. Huh?! I thought he told me that he did a hilly ride around Vashon Island yesterday. Of course, I gave chase. Alain, I'm not competitive. I just like to be the first one up the hill :-))

We finally got to the hill that leads to Seward Park. Last week, it was mile 85 and about 90 degress. This week, it was mile 35 and 65 degrees. Oh baby, outta my way because that hill is mine! Woot! I passed everyone and was out front and building up a lead when I realized, I had no idea where I was going and where the next turn was. So, I had to slow down and wait for someone to catch up. Thankfully, Rossamo, originally from Italy and a natural cyclist (of course), came powering up the hill and led me in to Seward Park. Yeah, I think I'll hold off on getting my certification as a ride leader otherwise, I'll get everyone so hopelessly lost. Our last climb for the ride was up from Lake Washington...this time, I didn't get caught behind a rolling roadblock. But I couldn't let up because everytime I did, Alain would pass me. D'oh! Anyway, that last hill was so much easier compared to last week and I think I laughed and smiled all the way to the top....I was having a blast. For the entire day, there was always a friendly competition to the top of the hills with a small group of us giving chase as soon as someone broke out of the pack. So much fun!

I'm sad that the training series has ended, but happy for the people I've met on the rides:

Alain - he just started road cycling in April and is doing his first STP!! He is also raising money for the Ivory Coast Medical Relief team with the money going towards the fight against malaria. Go here if you would like to donate and find out more about this cause. Good luck, Alain!! I can't wait to hear your stories and see pictures. In the meantime, I will keep practicing on the hills so you can just keep eating my dust :-))

Kanako - she has just as many interests as I do (golf, kayak, mountain bike)! Kanako is doing a 5-day ride from Redmond to Spokane in the middle of July. She is also doing the RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party) in August which I am signed up for. If you ever see a woman all decked out in pink, chances are it's Kanako :-)) Have a great ride, Pinky, and can't wait to ride/paddle/golf with you when you get back!

Mike (blue jersey) and Rossamo (red jersey) are also doing the STP. Thanks, Rossamo, for some of those pulls up the hills, and for leading me in the right direction.

Lisa, who didn't ride today, is also a rookie rider doing the STP this coming weekend. It's been great to watch her and Alain progress and become the strong riders that they are today. Thanks everyone for making the 3-6 hours on the saddle so much fun and interesting. Oh, and for the friendly competition ;-) Good luck with all your long distance rides!

Photos from San Juan Island 5-Day Kayak Trip

2008-07-02T07:32:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to the photos from my recent kayak trip.

You can also copy and paste the URL below into your browser or in an email to share with others.
http://activechick415.smugmug.com/gallery/5305663_9RQ7R/1/323804233_SXML6

And, here are the direct links to all 3 posts so grab a cup of coffee, or your favorite happy hour bevvy (depending on the time of day you read it). Enjoy!

Day 1

Days 2-3
Days 4-5

100 miles - Cycling to Flaming Geyser State Park and back

2008-06-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

(Photo: Courtesy of LUNA Chix Cycling - Seattle)

After five days of paddling around San Juan Island and upper body work, my legs were ready for a good ride. Besides, just before I left for my trip, I finally got my new compact-double chainring installed and I wanted to test it out and see if I would be missing my "granny gear." Ever since the accident I witnessed at the beginning of the month where I watched a woman lose control of her bike on a descent and flip head over heels, I've been really tentative going downhill on my road bike. I hated that I had lost that edge and I knew that by squeezing more on the brakes and riding on the hood of my handlebars, I was increasing my chances of getting into an accident. I had to take care of that. So, on Saturday, I attended a workshop on descending (emergency stops, turning, etc.). It was held by the local LUNA Chix chapter in conjunction with Cycling University. It was the best 2-hour clinic I've taken. By the end of the class, I was way more comfortable than ever descending in the lower position (hands grasping the curve that comes under the bars), and had better body position (my ass way back and off the seat) for emergency braking on a downhill.

But, that wasn't enough time on my bike. That same day, I found out from one of the people in class that there was a 100-mile bike ride out to Flaming Geyser and back the following day (Sunday). It was perfect because the ride was mostly flat which gave me lots of time to play with my new gears. And, I had to work off some of that awesome food I had consumed the week before on my kayak trip.

OK, so Sunday was also the hottest day in Seattle...by the time the ride started at 8:00 am, it was already in the 70s and we were heading southeast out past Auburn so it was going to get warmer. The ride also felt more like a cyclocross event (the bike is like a hybrid where the tires are a little fatter for handling the off-road obstacles, but the frame is light enough so you could carry it over the obstacles when you needed to) because of the number of times we had to dismount and carry our bikes due to closed trails, and routes cut-off by a local marathon. Once we even had to carry our bikes across a teeny bit of a golf course. The ride out was fine and we reached our turnaround point just before noon. But, I was so hot and all I could think about was filling up my water bottles with cold water so I stopped at the first restroom and didn't even ride all the way in to see the infamous Flaming Geysers. Going back sucked. It was hot and there was a good headwind (isn't there always?). I rode with the larger group so I could poach off of someone's tail (all-in-all there were 60 riders in our group....I thought I was the only insane one who willfully chooses to ride 100 miles on a hot day). Once we entered Seattle proper, the first test of my compact-double was coming up. One long steady hill into Seward Park, followed by a shorter, but steeper hill up from Lake Washington and through the Arboretum. The first hill was loooong....and there were no trees to shade me. I always thought it was cool when pro-cyclists poured the contents of their water bottle over their head as they rode up a hill. I was so hot on that hill so I got my chance to do it. I made sure that I grabbed my bottle that didn't have my energy mix in it otherwise it would be a sticky mess. Wow - the water felt great and it gave me enough energy to finish that hill and coast into Seward Park. I wanted to be one of the first ones in so that I would have more time cooling off and resting. Time to refill - again, one bottle for dumping on my head, the other with fresh energy mix. By now, it had to be in the upper 80s or even the 90s. I looked around and others had gone for the shaved ice station and were happily munching on grape and cherry-flavored ice bits....WAAAAH! I had no time to buy one because just at that point, the ride leader gave us a 2 minute warning. I poured one more bottle of water over my head, threw on my helmet and was mentally prepared to attack that last hill.

I enjoyed the view along Lake Washington and traded stories with Alain who I met on previous rides. He's a much stronger rider now, while, before I used to cruise by him on hills. Now he's right up there with me....(Great riding, Alain!!! Keep it up and good luck on the STP!!!) We got to the final climb and I was behind 2 riders who immediately geared down to their grannies...to my left, I saw Alain ride by me so I maneuvered out of that rolling roadblock, hammered, and gave chase to Alain and others who had just blown by me. Wow.....I LUV my compact-double!! I quickly gained ground and was at the top in no time. OK - thank you, Oleg (from Veloce Velo), for recommending that change. I made it back to my car just in time because I was beginning to get punch drunk. I didn't pack enough food and, oh, did I tell you it was hot (LOL)? So, I treated myself to a chocolate shake and a Kidd Valley burger afterwards (I had a few calories to spare after burning probably close to 6000 that day). I can't believe it took me this long to eat one since my move back to the northwest. Normally not what I would recommend as recovery food, but it was close by and I had to eat soon. Yummy! Within an hour, I was back to feeling human again.

Paddling Around San Juan Island - Part 3 (the end)

2008-06-30T20:31:00.001-07:00

OMG, I can go on and on. OK, part 3 and I will try to sum up the last 2 days succinctly without forgetting some of the finer details that I think is worth sharing and remembering.

Day 4 - Sandy got us up early with french toast and more of her kick-ass coffee! We packed up our stuff and headed out of Posey Island, past Roche Harbor and down the west side of San Juan Island along Haro Strait. Again, in hopes of catching more sightings of the orcas and Haro Strait is one of their more popular routes. Our destination was Smallpox Bay county park but we first had to deal with some strong winds and swells that were between 1.5 - 2.5 feet. As we were coming out of Mosquito Bay, we ran into a group of about 7 river otters. One swam really close to Sandy and ended up hitting her boat ;-) Later on, when she told this story to someone else, it evolved to the river otter jumping into her boat. We were starting to get the idea that she embellishes her stories just a *little bit*. It all started with how she survived a snake bite ....how could she forget that she wasn't telling the story to a bunch of city folks like me, but biologists! The other thing that I found amusing about her was how she always found fault in the way we would pack our boats, start a fire, etc...it got to a point where we all wanted so much to help out but in more fear that we would do it all wrong (and, believe me, she lets us know just how wrong we are). So, we just got good at piling stuff on the beach and packing our own belongings and waited for her to show up and direct the show. I helped out a lot in the food prepping...this was my way of connecting with her and also a chance to ask her anything about guiding. It worked and she really did enjoy sharing all her guiding knowledge and food prepping secrets with me and I am very grateful for that.

OK, where were we....oh yeah, riding the swells and watching Dave (who was in the front of my boat) and Allen get wet from the waves crashing over the bow. It was a pretty dicey paddle that day and most of the paddlers that day had decided to stay on shore. We got down to Smallpox Bay in about 3 hours. It was a county park and our first step back to civilization. There were tons of people at the campsite and plenty of cars....sigh, I knew eventually we had to head back but it's always hard to get used to that again.

The one saving grace is Sandy's reputation...we got the best camp site in the area and here is a picture from inside my tent on our last morning. Not a bad view to wake up to. I kept hoping that I would hear whales in the night but that never happened. We hung out at the campsite the rest of that day waiting for the whales to come. For dinner, it was corn chowder, more garlic bread (with all the minced garlic you could possibly stand), and more of her excellent cole slaw (I am definitely making that on my trips).

Day 5 - Our last day :-( We woke up to an amazing day....not a cloud in the sky and the winds were minimal. I could wake up to that view everyday. The morning was crazy with activity....the young river otters showed up again at North Beach and we watched them feed along the coastline heading south. In the distance, we spotted a minke whale. But, later on, we found out that a humpback had come down right past our beach without us knowing it. Uh, I don't believe it because how can you miss a humpback. The hill we were on had a pretty expansive view so we would've had ample time to see it surface on either side so I'm thinking that someone mistook my minke sighting for a humpback.

After another hearty breakfast (blueberry pancakes), we broke camp and then headed down for a paddle down south to the Lime Kiln Lighthouse. Last we heard, the orcas were headed west out the Strait of Juan de Fuca so our chances of seeing them that day was close to nil. But, it was still a beautiful day for a paddle. There were a lot of day-trippers out there and the beaches were packed. I can't even imagine what the area is like during the peak summer months (July - August). I know what area I'll be avoiding and, for sure, I don't think I will consider working there. I thought about it briefly, but it's so crowded and crazy busy.

At 3:45, our trip ended and we headed back to the ferry. We had to wait for some day trippers who were running late. Sandy had us waiting for them at the beach and the minute they hit the shore, we literally dumped them out of their boats, grabbed their paddles and starting loading everything on to trailer and van. Once on the van, and heading to the ferry, one of the day-trippers seemed to snap out of her state of shock and asked me how long we were waiting for them. It turns out, we shorted them an hour of beach time....I felt bad but we had to make 5:00 ferry because the next one wasn't until 7. I figured that it was something that Sandy and Andrew (the day-tripper guide) were going to "discuss" later (gee, I wonder who was going to win that discussion) and I just did as I was told.

All-in-all, it was a fabulous trip. I had so much fun paddling with you guys (Paul, Dave, and Allen). You were all great and I learned so much from each of you....I just wish I could write faster! Dave and Allen, thank you for taking turns at the bow of my boat! Your paddling was perfect and you both made me appreciate tandem paddling again! I also had a lot of fun paddling with Sandy and I learned a lot from her. I want to head back to Smallpox Bay county park and watch her in action once she starts working as night security. Once the clock hits 'quiet time,' it won't take her long to get everyone to quiet down...LOL! Sea Quest Expeditions - check them out. Not a bad outfitter for trips around San Juan Island.

Paddling Around San Juan Island - Part 2

2008-06-30T18:04:00.000-07:00

This is a continuation of an earlier post of a 5-day sea kayak trip I was on recently around San Juan Island. I covered the first day of the trip and spent an entire paragraph on our guide, Sandy. I hope my traveling companions will post some other 'Sandy-isms' that I may have forgotten. So, the journey continues.

Day 2 - I slept for almost 12 hours making up for the lack of sleep the night before and I woke up on Tuesday fully rested and ready to get out and look for orcas. Allen was already up and had been up for a couple of hours being that he was the one person from the east coast (N. Carolina). That night, there were 2 parties at the campground and Allen laughed at how one sound of a tent's zipper opening up at 5:00 am started a series of consecutive zipping noises from other areas of the campground as, one-by-one, people made their way to the lone latrine in the area. This campground was posh compared to what is up in the Great Bear Rainforest. While we have small huts to offer as shelter, there is no such thing as a civilized latrine, with toilet paper and hand sanitizer, nonetheless!! The sites were complete with firepits and picnic tables....I was camping in style! Anyway, one-by-one we woke up to a fantastic, clear morning with banana & walnut pancakes on the menu accompanied by big pots of french press coffee. Mmmmm....why does food always taste so much better outside? Our plan for the day was to paddle clockwise around Stuart Island.

We headed out by 9:30, I think and we leisurely paddled out the inlet and hung a left. Along the way, we saw harbor seals, oyster catchers, eagles, and pigeon guillemots that I liked watching because of their bright, red legs. But, the highlight of that day were the orcas we spotted in the distance (across Boundary Pass). We're guessing (and, it was confirmed later) that they were the Transients because we spotted maybe 4 in that group. So, I also learned that one of the biggest differences between the J/K/L pods and the Transients is that the J/K/L pods are salmon eaters while the Transients eat marine mammals. And, that members of pods have figured out to mate with members of other pods. Funny how "nature seems to figure itself out" (a common remark made by the biologists).

Unfortunately, that was our only glimpse of the orcas on our trip :-( But, I continue to track the encounters on the Center for Whale Research Site and plan to head back up soon, maybe on my bike because it turns out that there are special campsites for bikers/hikers/paddlers and they can't turn you away. Anyway, that day we paddled about 13 nautical miles around the island and the day before we had only paddled about 7 nautical miles. Nothing too daunting...we were saving that for later!

I'm looking at my notes and I wished I could recreate each night for you because it was a hoot! For example, the conversation on our second night sashayed around topics like how in the Ozarks, people serve the placentas to their kids on their first birthday. Followed by a lengthy discussion on liver, tongue, and lung soup (mmmm....my appetite was building by the moment). Then, they talked about carcasses which rolled on to a debate on mayonnaise (of course....I see the connection...huh?) and the differences (or rather similarities) between Helman's, Best, and Real. For dinner that night, we noshed on the most garlicky hummus spread I've ever had. It was great - this wasn't a picky group at all....thing were never garlicky enough or spicy enough. I could've just eaten the hummus and crackers for dinner and be good but, dinner was actually vegetable curry served over brown rice. Yeah, for the second night in a row, I had eaten myself into a food coma. Do you see why I had to go on a bike ride the moment I got back home? Sandy continued on with her one-woman show and always had to have the last word in. That night, we enjoyed watching the ospreys hanging out by our site, and I think some hummingbirds came out later. Yes, I think it was Dave, who knew exactly what type of hummingbird it was before it quickly zipped out of view. I just observed in amazement....I'm lucky enough to have remembered their names by the end of the first night (hahaha). Later on, we had some bats fly around our campsite.

Allen struggled to stay up past 9:00 that night. His tent was placed perfectly at the site so that he could lay down but still be part of the conversation when it was around a topic that he was interested in. I forgot to mention how on the first night, we thought he had gone to bed and then Paul and Dave started talking about some obscure topic. Zip, zip, zip....all of sudden, Allen pokes his head out of a small opening of his tent to give his $0.02 on the topic. If any of you guys remember what that topic was, please let me know! It was just hilarious: a) first it was such an obscure topic to begin with, and; b) all that we could see was Allen's head....it was like the floating head on one of those late night shows...I think it's Late Night with Conan O'Brien where he has a skit with the floating head of knowledge which is what came to mind when that happened. Guess you had to be there, but it was seriously funny that first night.

Day 3 - That day, we paddled clockwise around John's Island and then had lunch on Gossip Island. Originally we were going to spend one more night on Stuart Island, but, quite frankly, I was done paddling in and out of Reid Harbor. It was a good 5 mile paddle round-trip and it felt like it was getting longer. The weather that afternoon looked great after lunch, we decided to pack up our campsite, load up the boats, and paddle across to Posey Island for the night before continuing down the west side of San Juan Island the following day.

By the time we packed up and started paddling, the wind had significantly picked up and we seriously hauled-ass to get across. That was pretty tough and it took us a over an hour to paddle the 6 miles. Posey Island was all of maybe 2 acres and we had it all to ourselves. This is also the night where Sandy told us about the most famous guide in the area (she's second). Testosterone Tim (of San Juan Kayak Expeditions). I'm not even going to bother and hyperlink the name of his company because I've heard nothing but bad things about him. I guess he doesn't make his customer wear PFDs and will sometimes leave his group on Posey Island while he heads out to Roche Harbor for some drinks. I heard about him before the trip and I guess all those rumors are true. And, yet, he continues to run his business. Go figure.

That night on Posey Island, we also heard the cheesy music, followed by a cannon shot, and more cheesy music. A tradition proudly carried on by the 'yachties.' I imagined Ted Knight's character in Caddyshack all decked out in his navy blue blazer and ceremoniously lighting the cannon each night. However, the sunset was amazing that night. This was a picture I took after dinner and was totally intrigued by the cottonball shaped clouds. For dinner, we had vegetarian chili with jalapenoes on the side so we can make our chili as spicy as we wanted. It was the perfect dinner for that night because the winds had picked up and it was probably the coldest night on our trip. OK....to be continued on the final post.

Paddling around San Juan Island - Part 1

2008-06-30T08:40:00.001-07:00

When I first heard the stories about the return of Southern Resident orca pods to the area, I wanted to head out to the San Juans to get a glimpse of them in person. I was also getting restless and wanted to get out and do some paddling so I signed up with a local outfitter, Sea Quest Expeditions, for a 5-day trip around San Juan Island (the westernmost island in the San Juans). It was also a pragmatic solution because it was an opportunity for me to gather information for my own knowledge bank around the finer details of guiding and cooking for a group of people on multi-day trips for my own gig as an assistant guide for Tantalus Adventures .

Day 1 - My alarm went off at 2:30 am on Monday morning - the first day of my trip. I grabbed my dry sacks and drove up to Anacortes to catch the ferry to Friday Harbor and meet the rest of the group. On the two-hour drive up, I wondered who my traveling companions would be and why didn't I spend the previous night in Anacortes? What a dim bulb! I almost talked my friend from the Bay Area, Karen, into taking the trip with me but she didn't think she could make it through 5-days of paddling. So, it was a solo trip for me which was fine and I generally get along with anybody so I wasn't too worried. But, damnit, I forgot my little traveling companion, Pescado :-( (a little, greem, plastic fish that I take on trips with me).

Got to the terminal in plenty of time to catch the 6:20 am sailing - no traffic, no lines. Hell, it was so early the concession stands weren't even open. I threw my sacks up on the bench and closed my eyes. Later, I saw three men walk in, each holding a large garbage back filled with smaller bags. I surveyed their clothes and chances were good that they, too, were on their way to a multi-day kayak trip. My gut was telling me that they could be my traveling companions for the week but I was sleepy and it was too early to be social. Besides, if they were going on the same trip as I was, there would be plenty of time to get to know them. We landed in Friday Harbor and I proceeded to the rendezvous point by the big elm tree. I turned around, and there were the same three men looking as perplexed as I did. After a round of cordial introductions, we determined that we were going on the same trip. Turns out that it was a surprise birthday trip for Paul, one of the men in the group, and he learned about the trip just the day before. His wife secretly planned the trip and even got one of his friends, Allen, who Paul hasn't seen in 20 years, to come all the way out from North Carolina. Paul and Dave (the third member of the party) are both biology professors at Central Washinton University, and Allen is also a biologist and works for the government. I can't remember what he does exactly but let's just say that developers aren't big fans of him and his department. Sweet! Biologists on the trip! I am going to learn a lot and chances are good that they will want to spend a lot of time out on the water.

The van pulled up and we met Sandy, our guide for the trip. So, Sandy is a one-of-a-kind. Where do I begin?!? She's a hearty 61-year old woman who has experienced a lot in her life, primarily as a tracker and a guide both in the San Juans and up in Alaska. She has built kayaks with a local company, and....has lived in the big city and was a gopher for models (huh?!?). Do you see what I mean? In any case, she was hand-picked by the company to accompany the 3 biologists on the trip which made sense because she was the most seasoned guide and probably had the most knowledge about the wildlife in the area. But, let me tell you that by the end of the trip, we figured out who ran the show around San Juan Island. I liken her to a sheriff that you don't f*@# around with....respect Sandy's rules and all is good. If you don't, well, just get the hell out of dodge which I thought I had to do on our first day. Yeah, I made a comment that she didn't like and so I quickly backed off. It became my personal goal to break through and make a connection with this woman (thank goodness for all those debates and negotiations in the corporate world because it came in handy) otherwise it was going to be a loooong week.

We loaded up our kayaks - 2 triples (filled up the middle with camping and food supplies) and Sandy's single. How I wished I had a single because my last experience in a double (in San Francisco) was not good (do I have a control issue?...hahaha). So, yeah, the guide doesn't like me and I'm stuck in a tandem boat. Oh well, as they say, 'make lemonade' which I did from the back of the boat where I could match my stroke with the person up front and control the rudder.

We headed out from Roche Harbor, around Davison Head and across Speiden Channel to Speiden Island. We landed on Speiden for lunch though Sandy later told us that the island is privately owned by the owner of Oakley sunglasses. He doesn't like kayakers stopping on his island but, hell, we were with Sandy and it was her show (damnit). After lunch, it was one last push to Stuart Island and into Reid Harbor where we would spend 2 nights camping. Sandy was paddling like a bat outta hell....and, we found out why. We saw another group paddling out in the same direction and it was basically a race to the best campsites (close to the beach) otherwise, you had to unload your boats at another point further down the inlet and haul your gear a long ways to the other camp sites. From the stories Sandy told us, it sounded like she *always* won. I must say, she is one helluva strong paddler. Damn! We were in bigger boats but could never keep up with her. Once the other group found out it was Sandy, they backed off and we were the first ones to arrive at the campsite. By then, it was around 3:00 pm so we spent the rest of the day setting up camp and having an early dinner (spaghetti and garlic bread). The guys spent that afternoon/evening rattling off the names of all the birds that visited the campsite. I couldn't keep up! It was crazy....like a Jeopardy show on ornithology....I was just an audience member watching in amazement the way they could quickly identify anything that moved. But, you know what....the "sheriff" *always* had the last word. That's it for now...I'm going to have to continue on another blog.

Summer Wines to Enjoy

2008-06-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a break from packing for my camping/paddling trip and while I was picking out some wine to bring along, I thought I would take a minute to share with you a couple of my summertime favorites (well, all of 2 days of Summer '08 so far). OK, I know I'm supposed to use this digital space to promote all the good things about the Pacific Northwest, but for this post, we're going Down Under.

The weather has finally gotten warm and so I tend to favor light, crisp, citrusy white wines. I love Sauvignon Blancs because you can enjoy them NOW and not have to lay them down for some time before you can open them up. And, Sauvignon Blancs are relatively inexpensive! One that I purchase on a regular basis at Trader Joe's is Kono's Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough Region of New Zealand which costs $9.99 a bottle. Very refreshing and extremely yummy with seafood dinners and light summer meals. They've recently changed their label from the one I posted here but definitely try it out the next time you're planning a grilled seafood dinner. Oh, and they have a screwcap for easy opening! The *perfect* wine to take on trips.

The other wine that I really enjoy is one that I actually discovered in San Francisco at my favorite wine bar, District. I miss that place (boo hoo) because they have a great wine selection, fabulous food, comfy couches, excellent people watching, and it was only 1/2 block away from my loft. Now, I vicariously live the experience through my friend Christine "Li'l Lim'" who will occasionally drunk text message me as she stumbles home from District. Anyway, the wine is the 2005 Tempus Two Melange from Australia. It's a blend of Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne.

Both of these wines have a citrusy and slightly fruity smell and taste to it so I love pairing it with grilled seafood. But, they are different. The Kono is very light and refreshing, whereas, the Tempus Two is slightly more dimensional (being a varietal) with a little more ooomph to it and a funny, slightly, fizzy sensation that lingers a little after a sip. I think that's why Kirsten and I really liked it...it's like adult candy! We both liked it so much that we split a case. Both should be served chilled. Cheers!

Boot Camp with BBTC (Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club)

2008-06-22T07:39:00.000-07:00

I love the internet. It's so easy to find organizations and groups around activities I love to participate in and I don't have to wait for friends to clear their calendars or get off their a**es to join me. If I want to do something, I can usually find a group to meet up with and head out. My most recent find is the BBTC (Backcountry Bicycle Trails) for time on my mountain bike. Through them, I met up with the local chapter of the Lunachix riders and on Saturday, I signed up for their Boot Camp to work on some skills. On a side note, the other thing I like about the BBTC is the work they do to maintain trails as well as advocate mountain biking in Washington to help keep trails open and accessible to riders. I have to do my part and get out there and work on some trails myself.

My instructors were Bob and Ed and the class was at St. Edward Park in Juanita where I've ridden a few times before. And, I was happy to find one of my hockey teammates, Marie, at the clinic. Our class started out in the open field working on proper body positioning for turns and getting over obstacles like logs (big, bigger, huge). Then, we hit the trails and applied (at least attempted to) the skills we worked on. We rode around the part of the park that I was familiar with and that always helps so you know when to change gears. Then, we got on the trail that connects St. Edward with Big Finn Hill which I hadn't ridden. The trail was a bit more challenging because the climbs were steeper, and they had these crazy-ass bridges that were about a foot wide with a slight bend. Needless to say, the first bridge took me by surprise and BAM, hello ground. Bob came back and after I dusted myself off, he told me to do-it-over. I headed back up the hill but now I'm all freaked out in my head and waaay more tentative than I should be. I got on the bridge, and then saw the slight bend, and CRASH....hello log. I was really getting in touch with Ma Nature today. Bob wanted me to do-it-over again, but I looked at him like he was crazy. I just got back on my bike and continued on the trail....haha. Well, Bob wasn't done challenging us. He took us to a part of the trail called the 'Elevator Shaft.' I remember looking at Marie thinking "WTF?" Uh, yeah....it was steep on both sides. I didn't make it...but now I have new challenges in that area to work on - that damn bridge and that gully.

Next on my list is to try and find some time to get my golf game back (found another group online to join up with and start tracking my handicap again) so maybe I can head down to Bend, OR (Sunriver, Woodlands/aka North course - one of my most absolute favorite places to play) or even further south to Bandon Dunes on the Oregon coast. There's also so many other new courses that have sprung up including the one by my parents' house - Chambers Bay which is a links style course and the site of the 2015 U.S. Open (and the first course in the Pacific Northwest to get the Audubon International certification for its environmental discipline). Summertime....sigh, *so much* to do! Thank goodness the sun doesn't set until close to 10:00 pm. Toodles!

Fighting Hamsters....on ice

2008-06-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

Oh my head. Last night was my fourth game in the co-ed hockey league I recently joined that plays every Wednesday night at Kingsgate Ice Arena. It's been several years since I last played in a co-ed league and I stopped because I felt like I spent more time picking myself up off the ice instead of being in the play (haha). At 5'4", any contact I had with guys was usually in their favor. But, this league is completely different. First, the guys who coached the Seattle Women's Hockey Club also play in this league so it's fun to try out the moves they taught us. Secondly, a lot of the guys are really good but will set up plays rather than taking over the game and only pass to each other. However, I must say that the women on our team (in the league in general) are good enough to hold their own on the ice and can keep up. I know most of the women through the SWHC or through the Friday night league, and its nice to finally meet their husbands or boyfriends who also skate in this league. That's probably another reason why the game is very friendly and unlike any other co-ed league I've played on. I still had to drastically change my timing if I want to keep up with the pace and participate in the plays. I'm playing right wing this summer so I have to decide faster whether to skate, pass, or shoot. Just keep moving.

Last night was extra fun, because I felt like it was all coming together for me. Everything was going just swell...good passes...shots on goal...picking off passes. At the beginning of the second period. I was going for the puck by the boards and then all of a sudden - WHAM, and I'm knocked to the ice. I remember thinking 'gee, how did I misjudge my distance and run into the boards like that?' Once the galaxy of stars cleared my head, I looked up and saw that I didn't run into the boards, but King Kong who was playing defense on the other team. OK, so maybe not King Kong, but a big guy who probably had 90 lbs. over me. He was totally apologetic and, supposedly had caught an edge and went crashing into me. I thought about stopping, but I stayed and played the rest of the game. I just had to work a little harder to stay focused and to keep my legs from buckling under me. Almost 24 hours later, I am still feeling the affects of that hit....my neck is stiff and I can only turn my head one way (makes driving a bit of a challenge so no weaving in traffic for me...slow and steady in the right lane).

But, the game was way fun! We were down 0-3, and halfway through the third period, we scored 3 unanswered goals all in one shift! And, I scored the second goal - WOOT! I'm finally feeling like a contributor on the ice rather than just filler. My timing is quicker and I'm being more creative in the way I move the puck or get open for passes. I can't wait to skate again. As for King Kong who took me down, I got to return the favor later on (oops, sorry) and he went crashing hard on the ice (the bigger and taller they are, the harder they fall). With less than 1 minute to go, I think he scored the winning goal. Oh well. Go Fighting Hamsters! You know, I've got to get on a team with a more menacing name....Ice Monkeys, Flying Pigs, and now Fighting Hamsters? Sigh....what's next, The Soo Pugs?

Flying Wheels Cycling Century '08

2008-06-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

The Flying Wheels Century started in my neighborhood and was along a route that I'm getting familiar with. Starting in Marymoor Park, the route led us out to Duvall, up to Snohomish, down to Monroe, through Carnation, back into Issaquah, and then back to the starting point. Not quite 100 miles (98.5) and 3,850 feet of cumulative elevation gain. I have done parts of this route about 4 times, but gone in the opposite direction so it felt like a completely different ride.

Today was the first break in the weather for a few weeks and I got to wear cycling shorts for the first time this year - woot! Still a little cool at the start, but no rain. In my pockets, I packed my usual century smorgasborg: pb&j sandwich, banana, handful of almonds, fig newtons, some sports gel (these days, my preference is Hammer Gel: chocolate and espresso of course), some electrolyte tablets, and Tums just in case my legs start to cramp up from lactic buildup. We headed out at 8:00 am with the hordes of riders all decked out in their colorful jerseys. I think it's the century with the largest attendance in Washington which was good because it lessened my chances of getting lost. I'm known to get so discombobulated in the last 25 miles and stop paying attention to cues spray painted on the road and end up missing a turn.

Within the first 5 miles, we hit our first hill. I'm finding that lately, it takes me a good 10 miles to warm up on those cool days and I really don't like hitting hills this early. It wasn't long, but it was steep and it sucked and I sucked. I immediately hit my granny gear which I haven't used this year. I didn't get my compact-double in time for the ride because we had to special order a part. So, for this ride, I still had my triple and actually had to use it twice. After that hill, I was warmed up and we cruised towards Monroe. I'm glad that I had packed my own grub because the food selection at the stops wasn't the best. I remember some of the centuries I did down in California had some of the best spread....homemade cookies, homemade banana breads, great selection of fruit. The only thing missing was a waiter when you pulled into a rest stop. Today, the selection was slim and I was happy I brought along my own fig newtons. How do you not have fig newtons for a ride?

Into Snohomish and the halfway mark - woot! The sun was out, my legs and body felt great and my pb&j sandwich was extra yummy! Now we were in the valley which meant the next 20 miles or so was going to be flat and a little breeze was picking up so I definitely had to find a pace group who could break some of that headwind. Of course, I returned the favor and did my share of pulls.

After Carnation, we hit 75 miles and I was starting to feel a little fatigued. I had one more hill to go at the 82-mile mark and it was a 3-mile climb. I threw back my last gel and hoped for the best. All through the ride, everyone talked about the last hill and it was the part of the ride I've never done so I had no idea what to expect. Thankfully, it was staggered so I geared down into that granny gear, and attacked (well, more like 'endured' at this point) the hill in steps. After each step and as I approached a corner, I kept wondering if that was the last bit...ugh, no it wasn't! At the beginning of the hill, I stopped looking at my odometer (yes, I finally got a new computer!) and just focused on turning my legs despite the cramps developing in my calves and quads (OTP!! - how I wished I ate a banana at the 75-mile mark). I reached the peak just in time and then I hit my wall and wanted off my bike. I know it's a bad mental habit I get into and all it does is make the last 15 miles worse than it actually is. The last part was on a stretch of road that I've ridden on so many times so that eased things a bit. At last, almost 6 hours later, I reached the starting point. Get me off my bike, now! I downed my recovery drink and headed over to the Velodrome but the massage tables were all full so we got some ice cream instead (the best fudgecicle ever). They have beginner clinics on track racing so guess who's signing up :-) teehee. So, there, I finished my first century for the year and now I have my North Cascades Loop to look forward to - 382 miles in 4 days. My pace will be much slower and I will also be lugging a trailer with my compact-double....hmmm....should be interesting.

382 Miles - Cyling Part of North Cascade Loop

2008-06-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

OK, the dates are set and the route is planned. My neighbor, Jen, and I have decided to take on this epic ride July 22 - 25, 2008...WOOT! From our homes on Cougar Mountain in Issaquah, we will embark on a trip that will have us riding through the area that make up the infamous North Cascades Loop. This route is considered one of the most spectacular drives in North America by the likes of National Geographic Traveler (or is it Explorer, or Adventure). The North Cascades Loop is a very popular drive during the summer and in the fall for the autumn colors (note to self: a backpacking trip must be planned around this time). But, I will get to savor the scenery on my bike...yes, my bike.

Because we'll be cycling, we will primarily be on side roads, though, there will be times where we'll be cycling on the highway next to the semi's (vroooom). Here's our itinerary for the ride:

Day 1--Issaquah to Darrington 96 miles
Day 2-- Darrington to Winthrop 109 miles (the most scenic day; at least 17 miles of this is downhill; good eats at Winthrop; cool campground at Winthrop on river)
Day 3-- Winthrop to Wenatchee 105 miles (hot and dry)
Day 4-- Wenatchee to Cle Elum 72 miles (over Blewett Pass)
Total mileage = 382 miles

We'll be staying in campgrounds along the way and eating a lot of quinoa or pasta for dinner. So, if any of you happen to driving along this route on those dates, feel free to pick up a pizza and drop it off at our campsite :-)) Oh, and coffee and breakfast in the am would also be much appreciated (french toast with fresh berries and maple syrup would be wooooonderful, thank you)! I'm pretty excited about this trip. Jen is a seasoned multi-day cyclist. A few years ago, she biked across the U.S. solo. I don't think I could ever do a multi-day ride by myself...I would drive myself crazy. I would rather drive someone else crazy. Stay tuned....

Getting Muddy w/my Trek Fuel EX8

2008-06-08T19:14:00.000-07:00

Tiger Mountain (just right down the road from me) has some of the most popular mountain biking trails in the Puget Sound area and I finally succumbed to its lure and bought myself a new mountain bike. I remember my first ever mountain bike - a Specialized Rockhopper purchased way back in the early 90s. Wow, has the technology changed over the years - back then, my bike was hard everything...hard-tail, hard-fork...nothing fancy except the fat tires on a stiff cromoly bike frame. Thank goodness the shifters still operate the same way today so it's one less thing to re-train myself on. But, I remember how I used to lose all sensation on my fingers and counting my teeth at the bottom of runs to make sure they were all intact from all the jostling and shaking.

When I was out shopping for a bike, I thought I could just get away with a hard-tail. "No way" was the response I got from everyone I talked to. I must say, I'm glad I listened to them and got a full-suspension Trek Fuel EX8....I know, another Trek (that's 3) but I also tested out Specialized and Gary Fisher and it was close. I literally picked the one I could go home with that day....and, the Trek was ready. I'm really excited about being able to manipulate the level of suspension on my fork and and on my rear (from full to none). Sweet!

Lately, I've been spending time at St. Edward Park, a nice little park with some short, twisty singletracks where I can brush up on my technical skills like maneuvering around or over rocks, roots, and logs. Today, I met up with the Seattle chapter of the Lunachix and rode Tokul West located in Fall City, WA. OMG....so much fun! We did a lot of climbing....I'm better at that with all the endurance I've built up from road cycling. However, I'm still very tentative on descents and with each ride, I build more confidence. Today, we only did 10-12 miles, but with all the climbing and pedaling at a higher cadence, it was a pretty good workout. The thing that I find more exhausting was just how mentally alert you have to be on your entire ride. When I'm on my road bike, there are times where my body is on auto-pilot and I just pedal while my mind is miles away.

It's been raining a lot this spring so Tokul West was extremely mucky which made the terrain more challenging than it already was. I slipped a lot on the roots and puddles hid a lot of rocks and roots. As you can see, my bike is stark white! I'm happy to report that that is no longer the case. My skills are still very rusty but it's all coming back to me. However, I'm going to have to accept the fact that I am going to have to endure a summer of bruises and cuts on my legs as I shake the cobwebs. But, the full-suspension is a huge difference, and, it's so plush!! The only thing that hurt after my ride were the cuts and bumps on my legs from the little spills I took on the trail.

Return of K & L-Pods to San Juan Island (Baby Orca spotted)

2008-06-05T07:37:00.000-07:00

(Photo: K & many of L pod off of San Juan Island. Courtesy of Center for Whale Research - 6/3/08)

I am so giddy with excitement! I just heard about the report of the return of the other two pods that make up the Southern Resident group of Orcas. There are a total of three pods: J-pod (26 members), K-pod (19 members), and the L-pod (43 members). The J-pod is the one most frequently seen in the San Juans and in Puget Sound. The K & L pods just recently returned and were spotted off of the west side of San Juan Island which is where I will be paddling for 5 days later on this month. Now do you see why I'm giddy?? I hope I'm lucky enough to see them.

(Photo: "Spyhopping" K-pod baby orca. Courtesy of Center for Whale Research - 06/03/08)

The most exciting news is that a baby was spotted in the K-pod (pictures of the baby are featured on this page). And, take a look at this video and you can see the baby swimming in the pod. What an amazing sight....I LOVE it here! Whee! So, why is the baby splotchy? Basically, it's a result of the baby orca's thin skin, and, as its blubber builds up, the baby orca will turn white. So, the splotches you see in the picture is comparable to blushing.

You can go to the Center of Whale Research for more information about our Southern Resident Orcas. And, also check out the CetaceaLab that is located on the northern coast of BC and they study all the whales that migrate up to the area.

Passages Northwest

2008-06-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

A friend recently told me about this non-profit organization and I also heard about it at Vertical World, a rock climbing gym that I go to in Seattle. Passages Northwest represents so much of what I believe in and I had to find out more about this organization. This organization inspires courage and encourages leadership in girls through interactions and experiences in the natural environment and through the arts. Their programs include rock climbing and sea kayaking activities. After reading about the organization, I felt I had to get involved so I recently signed up as a volunteer and I hope to be writing about some experiences soon. Stay tuned! Girls rock! (Boys too!)