RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver) - Day 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver) - Day 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RSVP - Less Than One Week To Go!

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

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

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

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

Fore!

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

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

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

Squamish Rocks!

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!

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

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)

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

(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)

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

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

(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)

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

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.