Confronting the Cars

Great post about bikes and traffic......

Confronting the Cars

Great post about bikes and traffic......

Real Winter

Haven't been doing any riding in the past week while waiting for Recycled Cycles to finish the upgrades, repairs and maintenance. Too bad, because it's been real dry, while also being real cold. Lots of ice on the trails, in the shadows. Also was busy celebrating the double-nickle birthday, but did sneak down to Magnuson Park with the brown dog to see a calm lake and clear Mt. Rainier.


Did get a trip in to Stevens Pass to celebrate Bill B's birthday. The weather was spectacular, sunny and clear, but cold, a rare gem of a day.

Here are Bill and Yukari about halfway down the Big Chief run overlooking the lodge and looking west.

Two old farts playing in the snow!

Looking west toward the Skyline run!

At the top of the Tye Mill Chair, about to descend on the Aquarius Run!

Half-lake Loop

Cold Sunday a.m. and a 37 mile counter-clockwise loop around the north-end of Lake Washington. BGT, where I saw a bald eagle in a tree, through Bothell and Kenmore, down to Kirkland, where I stopped for espresso.

Back on the bike, through Bellevue, across I-90 to Mercer Island and Leschi, and then back up Lake Wa Blvd to home.

Here's the route...


It's a good one, a good training ride, and worthy of a repeat to get ready for Chilly Hilly and beyond.

Two things I could have done to improve...

1. Wear the Sugoi Booties to keep the toes warm on these cold rides.

2. Start and end at Prorobics! This avoids the hill climb home at the end, and allows me to use the sauna at the end of the ride!

Took the Lemond into Recycled Cycles today for the annual breakdown and tune up. New chain, rear cassette (11-26, not the 12-27 I've been riding), tires and tubes, brake pads and cables, general clean up.

First Ride of 2008

Took the first ride of 2008, which was the same ride as the last one of 2007.   Started at 3044 miles, ended at 3076, or 32 miles of sunny, perfect visibility weather here in mid-January! Took the counter-clockwise loop around Magnolia, down Myrtle Edwards Park, through Downtown and returned via Leschi.

'Here's the view from the trail through the Grain Elevator toward the Olympic Mountains.
And, from the I-90 overlook eastward toward the Cascades.   Look at all that snow!
One final picture, eastward from the Montlake Bridge.

Odds and Ends

First, my lovely and talented sister-in-law has started a blog about her husband Tony's health. In one of her posts, she credits yours truly for sending her a meditative blessing, which I link to here. This is grace and style at its apex.

Watched the the Maverick's Big Wave Contest today, broadcast from MySpace, after learning about it at SFGate.com. Was amazed by the videos of the 100-foot waves. These guys are crazy.

While surfing through the Bike Blogs, I went from Kent's to Jacquie Phelan's to find the Undercover Economist. Valuable research and a common thread of intelligence and sensible living.

In that light, instead of driving Brownie to the dog park for a walk today, I walked down the hill, and made it to the dog beach in about a half an hour. Much better exercise for me and for my Brown friend!

Odds and Ends

First, my lovely and talented sister-in-law has started a blog about her husband Tony's health. In one of her posts, she credits yours truly for sending her a meditative blessing, which I link to here.
This is grace and style at its apex.

Watched the the Maverick's Big Wave Contest today, broadcast from MySpace, after learning about it at SFGate.com. Was amazed by the videos of the 100-foot waves. These guys are crazy.

While surfing through the Bike Blogs, I went from John's to Jacquie Phelan's to find the Undercover Economist. Valuable research!

Back on the snowboard again

Finally made it up to Stevens Pass for the first snowboarding of the season! Tons of fresh Cascade Concrete snow, but no ice, small crowds, and tons of fun. The first runs are always a little spooky, do I remember how to do this, where is the balance point after all, and why, if I've been riding all year long, do me legs hurt so much?

Answer to the last one, because the legs are moving in a different direction with different torques and turns than on the bike!




The boys had a great time. Zach stayed with us, leading all down the runs (he just bombs on down) and Max overcame the tentativeness that comes with his new equipment. Looking forward to more fun in the snow the rest of the season!

But, I tweaked the back a fair amount, and am still sore after a couple of days. And, woke up the next morning with all the symptoms of the first cold of the winter, aches, pains, sore throat, stuffed sinuses, yuk.

Classes start tomorrow, but that will provide the opportunity and impetus to get back in the gym and with the regimen.

Going to be a tough few months. C and H are going to LA to visit Tony and Susan next weekend, to provide some comfort and take stock of his situation. Much of what we do will be determined by how all that plays out.

2007 Wrap

Finished the year with a 31.5 loop around Magnolia and through downtown with return via Leschi. Mileage totaled 3044!

A final clear, sunny day on NYE 2007

Across Elliott Bay. The days are finally starting to get longer again!

And, lots of snow in the Cascades!

So, goal setting for 2008 is in order, but not in a particular order

• More miles this year than last!
• Training rides, including as much of the Cascade Training Series as is practical, on a frequent basis.
• Weight-room, including core training for back and belly, at least 2x weekly, when able to ride!
• Volunteering for CBC events, starting with Bike Expo.
• Flying Wheels
• STP
• RSVP
• One more in September - NYC, Tahoe, or ????
• Keep the Lemond in good condition throughout....
  

Keeping rubber side of bike down, helmet side up, enjoying the ride!