Cascade Training Series 2008 - Part 1

Did the Mercer Island Loop today as part of the CTS 2008.    More participants than last year, many familiar faces, and was better conditioned as well.   We got snow on Friday, and a bit Saturday night as well, so the headwind and the temps had a certain bite to them as we headed down the BGT and Leschi toward the I-90 bridge.

At the rest stop at the ballfields, looking east Tiger Mountain and the Newport Hills were covered with snow!

Circumnavigated MI, returned via the bridge, and the broke off from the crowd to head to Uwajimaya for a big bowl of Won Ton Soup from Noodle Zen, an espresso at Zeitgeist, and then looked in at Safeco Field to watch a bit of Texas Ranger BP.    Up Alaska Way, under the viaduct, passed the OSP, and then out to the Locks before heading home on the BGT.  50 miles today, and about 390 year to date.   Those miles should be piling up now with the weekly rides, and as we finally get some real spring. 

Happier Times

There were some happier times in March, including these, plus the RHS Jazz Auction.

McClinchy More-Than-A-Mile

Started out on the McClinchy Mile Ride, 36 degrees in Arlington, drizzly, showery, cold and in anticipation of a new ride. I had hesitated whether to take the flat and shorter loop out to

Stanwood and back, but settled into the Granite Falls/Machias 47 semi-hilly miler. "No hills worse than Chilly Hilly!" was the comfort provided by the hosts, so time to pedal.

About nine miles out, I encountered a black lab who evidently enjoyed chasing bikes as much as he enjoyed chasing cars. Sprinted up a short incline to avoid him, and then stopped at the Jordan Bridge overlooking the Stillaguamish River to catch my breath and wet my whistle.

A mile later, my cell phone rang. It was Max who handed the phone to C, and who cried as she told me the news. Turned right around and headed back to Arlington, giving the lab bike chaser more exercise as I pumped to get back quickly.

We headed down to LA on Monday p.m. Stayed at Howard the Mensch and Bassmama's house in South Pasadena. The Pie came in from China on Tuesday, followed by the Boys and Gail on Wednesday. Amazing SRO services on Thursday at Mt. Sinai. C spoke, and I've never been more proud and honored to know her, Max played Naima, and I've never been more proud of him, others including Susan and Sofi spoke with courage, grace and emotion, then reception and shiva back at Susan's home.

Can't believe that Tony's gone.....

Awareness Test

Lots of links to this from various places, but it's still great.

And, starting to get active again for the Village Bike Project, which is a good thing to do. Delivered a load of bikes to Meg and Ron, and met Ken Larch from Bike Works at the Expo last weekend.

We'll be setting up a collection effort at SSIT for the Earth Week awareness festivities, and will coordinate with those folks for some publicity, storage, etc. So, I did do something positive last week!

What's been going on?

So, why no posts? Nothing going on? Well, I've done some riding (around Lake Wa last weekend, about 50 miles, but the bike computer was low on batteries, so exact mileage unknown), been working out (weights and stationary bike) periodically, been pretty good about it actually, reading the other blogs, including Coach Tammy's No Try blog, all while C's working at 125% capacity on RHS Jazz Auction, dealing with end-of-winter quarter angst at SSIT, and it's comforting, perhaps, to look at Robin's and GVB's writings and know that we're probably all to slammed with the same EOQ to take the time to jot down, or maybe there's nothing going on except work at this point.

I need a vacation. Big time. Been grumpy, bored, tired, tense, not sleeping well and not really enjoying the waking hours.

Tomorrow is the McClinchy Mile Ride through back-country Snohomish County. Looking forward to some new territory, and hope that the March chill/drizzle/wind all breaks up a bit. Time to shake the cob webs a good deal and drop these blues in the dust (mud.)

Vote Different

Be Here Now!

Kent's Bike Blog has a great post on staying alert on the trail, entitled Mindfulness in Motion.

Be alert! America needs more lerts!

Two months into 2008

Two months into 2008, and I've logged about 240 miles, YTD. Not exceptional, but not bad, considering it's been winter and the regimen has changed with the mostly daily gym visits.

Started out today to do the Magnolia-City loop, but felt tired, and a little sick, with clogged chest, bit of a fever and generally blah......ended up just journeying to Ballard locks and back, BGT, and felt the chill of winter when facing the headwind. Three days in a row of exercise, not much (or good) sleep, and end of quarter blues results in lowered resistance. So, did the sauna, got home and had Campbell's Chicken Noodle, climbed into bed for a nap.

Now, it's time to slog through last two weeks of Winter, deal with the craziness at SSIT (try not to disengage, try to balance doing what I want to do to drag college into 21st century info/media/knowledge transfer/teaching-learning/chrono-synclastic time warp infundibulum without being chumped into volunteering or getting sidetracked by the nonsense and the nonsense-makers.)

And, do the bike miles, and get ready for the Spring, it's baseball season, and wait for the Ellington announcement.