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

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!

Crunch time with MAG

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.

'Tis the Season...

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.

Winter FUN Just Around the Corner

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!

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

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.

No More Fries - It's Hockey Season!

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

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.

RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver) - Day 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RSVP - Less Than One Week To Go!

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

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

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

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

Fore!

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

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

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

Exit 38 - Climb On!

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.

Cycling North Cascade Loop (Update)

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!

Critical Mass - Lake Washington Style (13 weeks later)

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!