Feelin' Down

It's now June 2nd. Normally this time of year is all sunshine and flowers. But nooooo, this year we get the "Rainiest May/Spring/last three days" on record! (yes, all of those). I DO NOT LIKE RIDING IN THE RAIN! And I've had enough. I'm told this storm will let up for a moment before another one will follow behind it. Grrr. I just want summer to be here. It is spring. In the winter I feel allowed to ask for a few nice days. But this time of year I want to be able to have the next 5 months rain free!

And to add to that, Jason gets to head off to ride in the Trek 100 in a week. This ride should have been Team Defiance's first official ride. (Fitting since we have Trek bikes) But, I have other things going on my world keeping me from that ride. And from what I hear, there will be no rain in WI this time of year.

So for now, it is raining, I'm not on my bike, and I'm not happy.

Hazards of Biking

Warning for all...if you plan on riding the Burke Gilman at night make sure you have a BRIGHT light.

I've done my fair share of night riding. Sure, most of it was in a city where I had the luxury of illuminated streets. It has only been once before, riding from Beaver Dam to my house in Wisconsin, where I rode in complete darkness...until now.

Saturday was my only full day to spend some time with Amanda and we had plans to see a play that night at a local high school. I've been a little short on money lately as well as i've been lagging behind on my goal of riding 5,000 miles in a year. I had the bright idea of biking to Amanda's that day and using her car to get us around. The only problem that I completely forgot about was that Amanda's window was broken and would not roll up...it was also a rainy day so driving her car around in rainy weather wasn't the best of ideas. Now being the problem solver that I claim to be I decided to reflect on the issue at hand. Soon enough I had an epiphany. I would load up my bike, drive to Amanda's, do our stuff for the day, drive to work (just down the street from Amanda's), and bike home that Saturday evening only to bike back the following morning for work (I needed my car in the Bothell area for Sunday as well). It sounded like a good plan so I went through with it. 11:00 pm came along and it was time to leave the girlfriends house. I drove down the road a bit, unloaded my bike, locked up my car, and hopped on my bike for the ride home. The trip started out pretty well. The streets were illuminated and the cars could see me. It wasn't until about 2 miles down the road that the street lights disappeared and I was in darkness. I knew that this portion of the route had vertical grates on the bike lane, however I couldn't really see them. PAUSE: for those of you who don't know there are three types of sewer grates that exist (3 that i've seen). Vertical grates, horizontal grates, and diagonal grates.

HORIZONTAL: (Safe. Tires roll over easily.)

DIAGONAL: (Safe. Tires roll over easily.)

VERTICAL: (Deadly. Tires get stuck in the gap.)

The diagonal and horizontal grates are just fine. What you have to worry about is your front tire getting stuck in the vertical grates and you flipping over your handlebars. Other then the fact that there was a complete lack of lumens that wouldn't allow me to see the grates, I was also going downhill at 30 MPH which would only make my fall hurt worse if I were to wipe out. Needless to say I slowed down and made it through this part of the darkness without incident.

I finally made it to downtown Bothell where there were some lights. This made me feel better, however I knew that the darkness would return once I got on the Burke Gilman. I turned onto the Burke Gilman bike trail and to no surprise it was pitch black and would remain this way for the next 8 miles. The darkness made the ride very challenging. I couldn't see the edge of the trail too well and was basically drawing the shape of the trail out in my head by memory. The trail is also notorious for tree roots uplifting the pavement and not making the trail very smooth. I couldn't see any of the bumps coming so I was gripping my handlebars tight for fear of hitting these bumps...which I did many times. I also was startled by someone walking on the trail without a light (other than his cigarette), and was also looking out for animals that decided that they owned the trail. I finally made it off the trail and back onto city streets where the light posts light the rest of my route home

It wasn't my best ride, however it was a pretty ride. The trail hugs the shore of Lake Washington and the glow of the lights across the lake made for quite a site! I will be doing the trek many times and will not let the darkness stop me. I should also note that I carry a very large kitchen knife with me on my rides at night. A little food for thought in case anyone reading this blog decides to rob me on the path.

THOUGHTS: I need to get a brighter light.

Spring Peaks Out

April 19^th

Today was gorgeous!! The temp reached into the lower 70’s and I was excited to get out of work. My energy levels felt a lot better today. I made sure to restock on my glycogen storage by eating a lot of whole grain, lean protein, and veggies. The ride home was amazing! The sun was out and their was a beautiful storm approaching off in the distance which placed a certain peace and calm over the land. The trail wasn’t too crowded and the smells along the route were filled with the wonderful scents of spring. The cherry trees were blossoming which visually made the route back divine. I was keeping a good 20mph most of the way and came out with an average of 18mph. My goal is to get up to 20 by the end of the season. The route back home is a bit more uphill, but nothing that can’t be handled, however the last hill is a beast! It is so steep that I had to shift my bike into the granny gear and could barely climb with my bike in its highest gear. It reminds me of a hill on my old route when I lived in West Seattle…no fun. I stayed dry and very warm throughout the ride. I was happy to be on the bike. I look forward to the many future rides to work.

-Jason

The First

April 18^th

Today was the first day that I rode by bike to work up in Bothell. 5:45am my alarm goes off and of course I hit the snooze only to wake up 5 minutes later. I made myself a quick breakfast consisting of a banana, oatmeal, and brown toast. I packed up a few sets of clothes, my work shoes, a towel, and all my bathroom stuff for I was going to take a shower when I got to work. My backpack weighed about 40 pounds and it was NOT a pleasant ride. I have been slacking on my diet of fresh veggies and whole grain lately and noticed on the ride that my glycerin storage was lacking on the storage. I wasn’t feeling any energy and averaging only 15mph. The down hills even seemed tiring. On the plus side the weather was nice and warm…foggy, but dry and warm. The sun decided to peak through the fog once I hit Bothell and the ride up to North Creek was visually pleasant. 15 miles later I was at work and ready to hit the shower. The ride was one of my worst this year so far. It is amazing what not eating right can do to you. I suppose it is time to get back to the diet. Luckily I didn’t have to ride back that night. I went over to my girlfriends house that day after work (only 1 mile north of work) and hung out with her. The night got to be pretty late and half the trail is non light bike trail and it wasn’t safe to ride back at night. Amanda kindly let me take residence in the guest room.

-Jason

Ouch. Hail Hurts!

April 9^th, 2010

Today was the day that the forecast was looking promising for our ride. 30 percent of AM showers. “Not bad” as I thought to myself. It was almost impossible to believe but it for once looked like we may have a dry and sunny ride. I woke up at my patients house, made us some breakfast and coffee and headed out at around 8:00am. As I was driving towards the meeting spot with Ry I looked to the west and say sunny and partly cloudy skies. I looked to the east and say nothing but black, menacing, “going to rain on you” clouds. “Great…can’t seem to catch a break”. My iPod was even against me! “No Sunlight” by Deathcab for Cutie was playing. I pulled up, parked the car, greeted Ry, and started to get my gear together. I looked across the lake and saw the rain coming and suggested to Ry that we wait in my car for it to pass over. As we sat in the car we could see to the North and Northeast that it was sunny and nice. We sat, crossed our fingers, and caught up on matters not involving biking. The rain finally passed but noticed that another shower was soon to hit. We discussed if we could make it to the sunny part of the trip just about a mile north before the next rainstorm hit. We decided to go for it. Sure enough it started to sprinkle as soon as we took off but to our delight a mile north on the route it was dry pavement and sunny! It was nice for a change! We biked through my new favorite part in the arboretum and made our way to UW to connect with the Burke-Gilman trail that would take us north to Kenmore. The ride was nice. Dry, sunny, however a bit chilly but I was happy about the sunny and dry part, “I’ll deal with the cold”. I was feeling good physically and mentally. I’ve been keeping my breakfast consistent before all of my rides. Eggs, fried potatoes, and whole wheat toast with a glass of coffee and tropical punch cool aid. I will admit that I put cool aid in my water bottles instead of water. Most people would see this as a very bad idea, however have I noticed a significant improvement in my performance. As weird as it sounds cool aid actually works better for me then water…I have no idea why. Perhaps it is due to my mild case of hypoglycemia? Soon enough we made it to the most northern part of our trip. Kenmore. I did some map looking a few days before our ride and altered our lake Washington look slightly. We were about to enter the undiscovered country. That undiscovered country started with a 10 minute hill climbs…not a good start. After being out of breath and my quads screaming I made it to the top. The rest was going to be fun for it would be a curvy, windy, and technical downhill. It was worth the climb. Unfortunately the weather was about to take a change for the more worse. You are thinking hail, right? Wrong! Think colder and harder and more damaging then rain. Did you guess it? Hail! It started to hail as we were descending the hill at 30 mph. We pulled over to complain about our misfortune. We decided to wait it out but 5 minutes later it was only getting worse so we moved on…slowly. I could barely see but eventually the hail let up and the no precip clouds came back. I remember looking over to the west and seeing downtown Seattle in sunlight. We moved on weaving our way through Kirkland an eventually Bellevue. We both looked off to the south and too notice that the clouds didn’t look to friendly. We both agreed to skip doing the southern loop of Lake Washington and just cutting over on i90. This unfortunately cut our trip short about 23 some miles. We tackled a few hills on Mercer Island and made it over the i90 floating bridge to our cars.

The trip wasn’t too bad. I still felt good afterwards. I could ride through rain, sleet, snow, and wind and be absolutely miserable, but as long as I feel good at the end that is all that matters.

-Jason

How many pairs of socks must I ruin before the sun comes out?

Rain, rain, rain, rain. It has been in the forecast for the past few weeks and it continues to remain there. I actually like rain. I find it peaceful, comforting, and best when I have an opportunity to sleep in. It has never bothered me and i've never gotten sick of it. This thought process, however, has changed since I received the new bike and I would like nothing more then to ride during a warm, sunny, and DRY day...oh...and NOT have to clean my bike when I got back from a ride.

Today started out with cloudy skies and cold temperatures...however it was DRY and the forecast called for a 30 percent chance of rain. "Not bad" as I thought to myself. I had to take care of a few errands in the morning which I finished around 1:00pm. I took a glance outside and it was still dry. I had a quick lunch and then suited up for a ride to West Seattle and back. I wheeled my bike out of the house and before I stepped outside my neighbor Gean caught me. We had an exchange of words followed by "going for a ride out in the rain"? I paused for a moment and looked outside. IT WAS RAINING!

I got on my bike and started to make my way towards West Seattle with a stop at Performance Bicycle to get a tire wrench in case I got a flat. The trip wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Rain, wet, cold, more rain, and people who don't know how to share the road. I was almost killed by a guy who I think literally pulled into the bike lane to cut me off. I stopped at Salty's to take a break and call Amanda Jane to see how she was doing. 10 minutes later I was back on the bike and about ready to make the climb to the top of the hill on the north end of West Seattle. I made my way south via California ave. and then hooked a left on Holden towards my old apartment. I noticed a lot of new buildings going up in the area including a firestation! I eventually made my way over to my old bike route that I used while living in West Seattle. I have made quite an improvement in my speed since I last took the route a year ago. I curved my way down the West Seattle hill and made my way back to the harbor that would allow me to bypass the West Seattle Bridge. On the way I almost killed myself again. I was making a right hand turn and my hand slipped off the handlebars throwing off my center of gravity off balance and I almost plummeted to the ground. Luckily I held my composure and managed to stay upright. I stopped at my fruit and veggie stand on 65th to grab a few goodies for my dinner later. At this point I could no longer feel my feet. It literally felt like I was pedaling with nubbing feet. Twas a strange feeling! After 33 miles I made it home and warmed up.

It was a crappy day as far as weather, but I physically felt great and I feel like my speed in climbing hills is improving. I'm glad I braved the rain and took a stroll out. As I always keep telling myself "better rain then snow".

-Jason

P.S. It stopped raining once I got back from my ride.

"Ah! My Quads hurt"!

Alert: Jason has been a slacker lately. Be advised that he will blog about two rides in this post!

Redhook Ride:

I woke up to the sound of rain drops dancing on my window. "A little rain, no big deal" I told myself. I was up in Bothell at the time taking advantage of the girlfriends guest room and had to make my way back to Seattle by 11:00am to meet Ry at my house for a ride. I ate a banana, threw on my biking clothes, said my goodbyes and mounted myself on the bike for the ride home. Did I say it was raining? It was also very cold and windy! The trip back home was miserable. I lost feeling in my toes, my shoes were soaked, and my legs and arms were starting to suffer from frostnip (which is not to be confused with frostbite). I FINALLY got home and had an opportunity to warm up in the shower and make myself a quick breakfast. Ry showed up and we headed out.

The trip started out fairly well. The pavement was still a little damp, however it was not raining and the temperature was tolerable. 15 some miles later we ended up at Redhook. To my surprise the bike traffic wasn't very busy. It is usually crowded. I think we had the weather to thank for that. We ordered a new seasonal beer which I forget the name of, but it was very good! A pilsner for you beer snobs. Along with my beer I ordered a california burger which was good, but I was disappointed that no fries came with it. Did I mention the service was horrible?

We hopped back on our bikes and headed south for Lake Sammamish. To our surprise the pavement dried up and the clouds were holding there precipitation. We approached the northern end of Lake Sammamish and hugged it's east shoreline making our way down to the southern tip which would eventually lead us to the city of Issaquah. It was here we both got a little turned around...a.k.a. slightly lost. We zigged and zagged our way around eventually ending up back to the southern most part of Lake Sammamish. "Bah! We just came from here" I thought to myself. We both climbed an extremely steep hill and halfway through my quads felt like they were on fire. I was also having a problem with my rear derailer where it wouldn't make up its mind of what gear it wanted to be in. This made the climb a bit more difficult, but eventually we made it to the top which brought us back on course. We hugged I-90 and made our way to Bellevue where the clouds off in the distance were not looking to friendly. The inevitable was going to happen and that was us getting soaked. We parked our bikes underneath a bridge and threw on our rain gear. The ride back was miserably wet, however we took a new route through the arboretum that was amazingly technical and fun! Here is a treat for you all that I took during one our rest stops. It is seemly becoming an inside joke for us.

Mt. Rainier Ride:

The weather called for rain and cloudy skies and when I woke up and looked out the window I was in awe to see sunshine and clear skies. The day looked to be a good one for riding. I arrived in Auburn about 30 minutes past 10am and chugged a cup of coffee that Ry brewed up. We geared up and headed out. It was a bit chilly, however it was sunny, dry, and there was minimal wind...I was happy. Our trip for the day would take us into the chinook mountain pass near the base of Mt. Rainier. The total roundtrip mileage would be 70 miles. The ride from Auburn to Enumclaw was not the greatest. The road was littered in glass, garbage, and gravel and the logging trucks zoomed by too close for comfort.

At one point I was tailing behind Ry and all-of-a-sudden I noticed a large object explode in front of me as it hit the ground. Unfortunately Ry's headlamp saw the last of its days. It apparently came loose from the mounting on his bike. Around the 15 mile marker we arrived in Enumclaw a.k.a. hickville. Ry and I got the impression that biker shorts were not in fashion. Before heading up the pass we stopped at the local McDonald's for a quick snack and a bathroom break. As we stood outside enjoying our McDoubles we noticed that the ominous rain clouds in the distance were getting closer. We crossed our fingers that they would miss and that we would stay dry.

The climb up the pass wasn't too bad. I was feeling energetic and on top of my game. I've never realized up until this year how important it is to watch what types of foods you put in your body. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous! Granted it wasn't the clearest of days, but to see the clouds moving through the mountains was a beauty in itself. I love Washington. In my eyes it has the best scenery for biking. As we continued to push through the pass we noticed that we were going downhill most of the time (or so it seemed). To our surprise we were moving uphill, but it didn't feel or look like it. The mountains seem to showcase this weird optical illusion.

We reached our destination 35 miles in and took a rest. Ry discovered an enormous anthill in the ditch. I've never seen one and it was quite fascinating. Apparently a redheaded ant's bite is slightly painful not be be confused with a redheaded's bark. I could see it on Ry's eyes after he was bite. It was even more funny to see how paranoid he was about getting bite again when he was inspecting his backpack for ants (I was too). After a good 5 minute check to make sure no ants were on us we headed back to Auburn. The wind was a bit brutal on the way back and it was cold!! The clouds started to move in and soon after the rain started to fall. Apparently my bike really likes to throw up mud. Ry was drafting behind me and looked like a ginger (sorry Jennifer) with all his mud freckles on his face. Near the end of the pass I looked behind me and saw Ry WAY behind. We were cursing at a good 38 MPH down the pass and apparently Ry hit the side road bumps that threw off his balance and he almost crashed into oncoming traffic. I'm glad he chose to stay alive. Biking can be dangerous!

I felt great on this ride! My quads were burning like the great Chicago fire of 1871 and my groin was screaming "you'll never have kids", but my energy levels were off the charts! I was maintaining a good 22 mph for the last 15 miles of the trip and didn't feel the slightest of a bonk. I would say it was a personal best for me. I finally got my gears decent on my bike...I just need to go through and make a few adjustments but what a difference it can make. I'm loving the journey so far! 219 miles down for me!

-Jason

Two posts for the price of one!

Ok, I am a week behind, so I'll jump straight to the point: there are two separate rides I am going to write about today. Stay focused!

The first was a week ago. Jason and I rode off to the Redhook brewery along the Burke Gillman trail early in the AM. It was only 15 miles away, so not much of a problem. We locked up our bikes in the VERY ample bike parking lot (apparently when you build a brewery along a major biking trail you must plan ahead for us bikers to stop in). We tried their new summer Rope Swing beer - which was amazing. Sadly, that was the only perk to this place. The waitress hated me right off the bat. First she was upset that I had the gall to ask for a beer that was not made by Redhook (my mistake for thinking they may have had TWO biking themed beers). then I tried to order my burger to be on the 'rare' side of cooking, but she sternly informed me the burgers only came medium well. really? Who knew you cant take a burger off the grill a moment sooner. I didn't. Finally, the burgers came out, paired with a side of potato salad. Jason and I thought perhaps some fries would be a better pair for our burgers, only slightly surprised that they did not originally come with them, so we tried to order a side of fires to share. This is where our waitress lost all patience. She replied, "We do NOT have fries, they have never been on our menu!"
Really? So I would think I'm not the first person to want fries with a burger. Maybe that harshness was a hint unnecessary? Hmm. she did not think so. So to show her command of the situation, she decided to not split our tab when we politely asked for her to. Oh well, we had out tasty beers, then headed off on our merry way.

Eventually we were back on track and headed south along the eastern border of Lake Samamish. This lake, if you did not know, goes on FOREVER! As we rode along its pristine shore we notices that more and more shore kept coming. This freaking lake had no end. But sure enough we finally rounded its southern side and cut across I-90 to head west back to Seattle. We suddenly came back upon the lake once again. Grrr.

We made it out of the lakes grasp son enough only to be heading back to Lake Washington. So many lakes in just one ride! At this point the clouds broke loose all the rain they had within and a downpour began. We took shelter under the I-90 overpass to put on the rain gear we had brought with us. They worked well enough, but as we rode though Seattle and the beautiful arboretum my shoes became lakes of their own. At this point I was wet, and extremely tired. the worst part was the fact we had only uphills left between us and Jason's house. I had to stop for a moment because my backpack or my riding position caused my back to spasm for a bit. It corrected itself by standing for a moment and we then began the last climb to his house. Wet and exhausted we made it. 60 miles covered on this ride!

Ok -flash forward one week. The rain in Seattle is off and on during the week, mainly on. but it seems our Wed ride would be a wet one. But us intrepid bikers planed for our ride anyways!
We planed for a new route today (today being both the day I took this ride and I blogged about it). We were going to head from my house out to Enumclaw then up Chinook Pass around the perimeter of Mt.Rainer..The weather was quite nice for the majority of the trip. The ride out we had blue skies above us with views of the snow dusted Cascades in the distance. Along the rides we rode we could see far off valleys drenched in rain, but our path was a dry one!

The ride out was simple enough. It seemed we had a lot of downhills along the pass. This was enjoyable enough, but we also had the nagging fear that we would end up chugging these as uphills on the way back. Irregardless, we traveled on. We passed though the city of Greenwater and then stopped at the 35 mile mark on our odometer. We turned around at a logging road exit. Coincidentally this same logging road was one I had been to the past two Decembers to cut down Christmas trees. Today however the sun was out at this time and we would not be bringing any trees home. As we rested I notices a large mound I recognized. It was the nest of a red headed any colony! I was fascinated by these as a kid. This one was HUGE! I had forgotten how many ants could be in the larger perimeter and soon we had ants crawling up our shoes and onto our backpacks! One almost bit me, but I got it off in time! I ended up being a bit paranoid from that time until we got back on the road home.

The way back seemed less hard then we planned. The same stretches of 'downhill' one way also felt like a downhill the other way. It was very disorienting and something I've never experienced before while biking.

Soon the rain did kick in and soon the road was wet and muddy. It was alright, it was not a shoe drenching rain as the last ride so I didn't mind as much. but today the mud was different. Jason's tires kicked it up from as much as four car lengths away. I soon became freckled with mud. I gave up and drafted behind as normal. This didn't prove to be so wise though. With wet roads the control of a bike is a little different. And on this highway there are grooves along the side of the road to keeps drivers awake if they swerve off. Also, if I moved too far to my left I would feel these grooves much more powerfully. So, while drafting down a hill behind Jason I served a bit too much and hit the grooves. I wobbled and almost fell into traffic. I recovered in time, but my heart was racing! Biking is not always a safe activity!

Once we were back at my house our legs were on fire! We could both hardly stand and we were exhausted! The ride today was 70 miles! We now stand at a total of 437 miles! That is 4.37% of our goal! I can't wait to see what lies ahead!

-Ry

Decisions

I'll admit this is pretty pathetic, but i've spent the last few hours going back and forth as to which color I want my water bottle holders to be...black or red? I'm also debating on which jersey I want to purchase. Should I remain loyal to where I come from, or go for the more subtle stylish look? Decisions can be hard sometimes!

-Jason

Out With The Old, In With The New

I would first like to put in a few good words for the old gal that got me through so much and traveled with me halfway across the United States to this wonderful land called Seattle. I’m speaking about my old bike for those of you who may be thinking I’m weird. Now it is true that my old bike was falling apart and not performing like it once did, which is partly due to my lack of knowledge with bike maintenance. Back to the point…we have been through a lot together. While living in Chicago she was my escape from all the emotional trauma that I went through with an old girlfriend. She traveled with me to Minnesota where I rode around Minneapolis and said my goodbye’s to the good old spots like Lake Harriet and Minnehaha falls. She was with me while biking through Fargo, ND with my good friend Lauren. She traveled with me through North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Washington. She was the reason that allowed me to meet one o my closest friends in Seattle. She got me to work on time and kept my beer belly down. She was my ride in my very first triathlon. She was my ride in my very first bike race (STP). To sum it up I had a lot of firsts with my old bike and she will always have a special spot in my heart. HOWEVER like all women they just get old after awhile, fall apart, and sometimes you need to trade them in for a younger and hotter body (yikes, i'm going to regret saying that one).

My new TREK finally came in the mail and the day it came I was not able to open it because I

was working my 24 hour shift and wouldn't be home until the next day. Anticipation was high on March 17th as I sat at my patients house looking at the UPS tracking online with the final message saying "Delivered". It was almost within my reach, however I would have to wait and extra day. The next morning I woke up, finished my work, and headed home to find the box of the bike sitting at my front door. I opened it up and it was beautiful! However, it was also in pieces and I was a little intimated at first as i've never put a bike together before. I was determined to ride that day so I got over my fears, thought back to my childhood of building legos, and grabbed the wrench to first attach the back tire. Through some miracle the pieces came together.

Ry showed up later that morning and we attached both of our odometers. You can see the excitement in Ry's face...

We headed out to our usual "standard" spot and kept to the tradition of Ry needing to use the bathroom before heading out. It was a beautiful day for a ride...a bit chilly, but it was sunny and clear with some amazing views of Mt. Rainier and the Cascades. We took off! The new bike was like a hot knife running through butter. I felt significantly faster and my breaks and gears actually worked. The bike was also a lot more comfortable, minus the seat.

It was a great start for the season and I look forward to the many challenges that lie ahead. 10,000 miles here we come!

-Jason

The Standard

Today is the day! Today Jason and I have embarked on our journey to travel 10,000 miles in one year. Last night Jason received his bike in the mail which he then assembled this morning. After fighting horrible downtown traffic I arrived at his place this morning and we installed out new odometers. In the photo mine is the Cateye on the left, his is the Bell.


Jason took a little bit of last minute prep at his house before we took off. We then went to get gas and found Jason forgot his wallet in his backpack back at home. Shortly thereafter we were on the road to success. We stopped in at Performance Bike in the University District and bought some spare tubes, patch kits and some energy gels. then we drove to our real destination.

We parked at the Lake Washington Boulevard Park and prepared. This is the spot where we had our first ride roughly a year ago. We've set it up as our 'Standard" ride. We know the trip, the challenges, the distance and our spot to take a break near the Boeing plant.

It is not a very long route, the southern loop we take is only about 23 miles. But it has its share of hills and at least one direction of good headwind against us. We felt coming here would be the best place to kick off our miles of adventure. Plus we would be able to compare this trip on our new bikes compared to the ones we've gone on before.

The morning was beautiful. It was sunny and crisp. We could see all of the Cascades and their snow covered peaks in the distance. Mt. Rainer towered in the south east. We reset our trip odometers, and I started up the "My Tracks" app on my Droid phone and we were off. It was a little chilly at the start. I'm normally a warm bodied rider, so I only had my bike jersey shirt and shorts. Jason wore his jacket. I felt the sting of the air as we crossed the I-90 bridge. Jason's first bike issue was his stat height. We fixed it and moved on. I could tell a difference from not riding as much through the winter, plus the three months of no bike. But soon I had warmed up and felt my pace return. Around 13 miles in we took a pit stop to compare notes on our three computers. They all were very close to one another. The difference was there, but not to a large degree. But mathematically that will add up. But the differences may counter each other to get a good enough aggregate number.

The ride overall was amazing, but the fact that we have begun felt even better. I'm glad we started on such a great note today Because there will be difficulties ahead. For now though, let this be our standard.

-Ry

A New Hope

This week has been one filled with expectation and possibility. On Saturday the sun was out and it felt like a late spring day rather then a middle of winter one. Jared brought over his 'retro' style Trek bike to go riding with my sister and I.
You can see his on the right next to mine. We rode the BPA trail in Federal Way to its end and back. I was able to wear shorts and a t shirt in March! Jared looked a bit more like a biking lumberjack. The woodcutter thing has sort of been his style since Halloween. I guess not many outfits match having a bear in quite the same way.

In other news this week Jason has finally heard back that his bike is being shipped!!!! I can't wait for us to get going! I am also a bit nervous as well, because once he gets his bike and the odometers are activated there is no going back. We will then have one year to complete all 10,000 miles. If one person does not ride for one day, the other is left having to pick up the slack. Too many days off the bike could spell disaster for our goal. But lets not dwell on the negatives. This is a week of the positive!

The last big thing that happened this week is Google Maps has added the option to calculate the best route between points A and B on bicycles! It has a number of differences between bike and car. Car maps try to find the busiest and fastest roads. Bike maps try to keep you away from cars (no offence drivers - you are just a bit dangerous), as well as keep your hill climbing to a less severe angle. So for instance, to get from my work to my car I would go up Boren (a very steep hill), Google would instead instruct me to take Pike then 12th instead. I know Jason prefers this less steep option. Here is an example of the Google Bike Map from our Saturday BPA ride. Notice the majority of the trip is on trails not accessible by car. This is something Google has not been able to do until now. Hopefully this will open up all sorts of new rides in this year to come. Soon the clock begins!

-Ry

First Flat

In the morning I take my bike with me to work (30 miles away from my home) and I park about a mil up the hill to find free parking spaces and then bike to work. Today was no different, but about a block form my car I felt that horrible 'thump thump/grind" sound that comes from a flat tire. I was not 'late' per se at this point if I was able to ride all the way in, but now I had to take my bike back to my car, try my air pump and hope it was just low on air. Nope. It had an honest to goodness flat. I have not put on my toolkit with it's supply of patch kits on my new bike yet, so I had to securely lock it up in my trunk, switch out of my biking shoes and jog for 1.2 miles this morning. I ended up making it to work 3 minutes late which is good enough to clock in, but I had to do so before changing into work clothes.

I knew it had to happen sooner or later. Every new bike seems to get flat tires faster then replaced tires. When I got home this afternoon I borrowed a patch from my brother and we chatted while I fixed it up. After it was all put back together I found a shard of green glass in my tire. Grrr. I wish Seattle had cleaner streets sometimes.

This week promises some good weather. I'm looking forward to a few good rides. Jared and I are riding Saturday. Hopefully Jason will get his Trek soon! Here crossing my fingers!

-Ry

Window Shopping

Today I went window shopping. Not for shoes, not for new kitchen appliances, not for that fancy 70 inch LED TV, but for something more important...bike gear. Call me a nerd, geek, weirdo, whatever makes you smile in the morning. All I know is that it made my day...along with the beautiful Seattle weather. I mainly was checking out some new SPD shoes, a new helmet, and a new jersey. I was pretty productive and found some comfortable shoes (a bit pricy) and a jersey...still trying to find that perfect helmet.

I also found the new ride sitting at the shop. Not MY bike, but the same model that is being shipped. Seeing it up close made me even more excited! It is a beautiful piece of Trek art!

Days off for me is right around the corner. I have my final exam for my EMT class next week and if all goes well I get to graduate and once again have two days off a week, which will open up some more riding time. I was hoping the time would be right and Ry and I could put our odometers on the same day and meet somewhere in-between Seattle and Auburn. We shall see!

Bike status: Counting down the days!

-Jason

P.S. I feel like i've been overusing the word "excited".

P.S.S. Spring is here! Above is a picture of a cherry tree that I took on a walk today.

The Light Is In Sight!

I got the call today! My step dad was on the phone and said he could help me get the Trek 2.3. For those of you who don't know the Trek 2.3 is a hella better bike then the 2.1. The down side is the new ride is in white, black, and red which means it won't match my apparel...so I gotta buy a new jersey, helmet, and some new shoes (I was planning on getting new shoes anyways...the ones I have are very uncomfortable and cuts off the circulation to my foot). I do like the components better on this bike and the spoke set is less so the bike simply looks sleeker.

The new ride should be here within a week or two!! I can't wait to get rid of this long hair!

-Jason

She is Back!

Ok, so I broke down today...sort of. As some of you may or may not know last year I was riding around on my modified Trek 7300. Now I say "modified" because I made some changes to it...probably changes that I should of avoided for it resulted in it's breakdown. The de-railer is stuck, the back tire has been worn down to the mesh, the brakes barely work, the rear rim is bent, the list goes on...To make a long story short my bike is at the point where it is dangerous to ride and would require some cash to bring back to speed. Don't get me wrong! The 7300 has been a wonderful bike that has gotten me to many places and has given me some awesome experiences (The Seattle to Portland race being one of them), but like any piece of equipment...it has it's life.

A few weeks ago an old 87 year old lady hit my car. Nothing serious...just a paint scratcher. However it was enough for me to make a claim with her insurance and take my car in to get repaired. Her insurance covered me for a rental vehicle for a day, but not two (my car was going to take two days to repair). So I rented my free rental car yesterday and b/c of i'm a cheapo I decided to return it today so I would not have to pay the second day out of my pocket. This action opened up a problem for me...how do I get around? It was time to get the old Trek 7300 out! I pumped up the tires, gave it an inspection, and got on and rode it to school and the shop. It was a beautiful Seattle day. The temp hovered in the 50's, the sun was out, and the wonderful scents of spring permeated the air. The first quarter of a mile felt great on my bike...then my legs started to ache and I was short of breath. Wow was I out of shape! My lungs burned, however I didn't care and kept myself at a fast pace loving the feeling of speed that I missed out on all winter. It was hard going down the hills...my gears are stuck in a high gear so I felt like I was on a fixie...my legs were spinning like crazy!

It felt good to get out! I've realized i'm a little out of shape from being indoors during the winter...but the new bike is around the corner! I can either wait a few weeks to a month to get a Madone, or get the 2.1 series tomorrow...both relatively the same price (thank you family discount), but the quality between the two bikes is night and day. I figure i'll reevaluate in 10 days. Either way...i'm getting excited!

-Jason

P.S. I got two more bike magazines in the mail today. Last month's issue had some amazing success stories in it. Check it out!

The Miles Not Counted

Today I went on a bike ride with Jennifer. It was an amazing day outside and we had a few errands to do around the quaint city of Kent. Jennifer had not ridden her bike in many months. Her bike was in sad shape when I pulled it out from under the steps she had chained it to though the winter. The seat was dirty, the frame a mess, and cobwebs covered the handle bars. Worst of all her chain had begun to rust. Hopefully with a little love and care we can get her bike up to the racing shape it was in last summer. That bike helped Jennifer complete two triathlons last year!

Our ride today took us to a local coffee shop (which as closed), so Starbucks became the backup. We then went to Rite Aid to get her a coffee grinder for the amazing Stumptown Peru Capacy coffee I bought her for Valentines. (which she by sheer coincidence bought me!!) We then went to Jerry's Rock Shop which sells all sorts of amazing rocks, gems and fossils. They have a huge Triceratops skull inside! I want one, but I don't think Jennifer agrees.

I wish Jason had his bike and we were counting our 10,000 miles, because it is the rides like these that are just as important to our plan as the long endurance/adventure rides. It is the bike rides you do with friends and loved ones that make memories for years to come.

But not to fear - I've been told Jason could either have his bike A)Soon, or B)Hold out a little longer for a possibly better bike. I vote A, but that's not my call.


-Ry

Why Must I Be Tortured?

After a LONG day at work I finally arrive home ready to relax and enjoy the evening. And then I see it...in my mail box I see my first copy of "Bicycling" magazine. Yay! The funny thin is that the bike pictured on the front is blue in color and has the Trek logo. "Thanks for rubbing it in bike gods" I say to myself. However, I feel that my bike will come very soon (in the next week or two) so I just need to hang on till then and continue educating myself with the books and magazines that I have.

I started reading the Lance Armstrong book and so far i'm very entertained by it. The great thing about it is it teaches me diet and it also goes over the small details that i've never thought to think about before...one such point was pedaling technique. All-in-all a good read.

Ok, back to reading my new magazine!

Bike status: Counting down the days.

-Jason

Rules of the Road

When you ride on city streets you are up close and personal with all the cars that drive by. I am technically considered a vehicle and thus am required to ride on the road along with the cars. I have to follow the rules of the road; stopping at red lights, signaling and all the other fun road rules. I would assume that the cars would have to also follow these rules too. Sadly, this is not the case. I see the worst drivers when I ride. I've been hit twice by moving vesicles. One lady practically had to buy me a new bike because she bent mine up so badly when she hit me.

Today while riding to my car I was once again almost hit by a car who was not following the rules. This kid was backing around a corner from a side street into a main thoroughfare. Backing into oncoming traffic is not allowed!! I don't care if you REALLY need that last parking space. Freaking go around the block like you are supposed to. I am not mentally assuming cars will be backing out of corners in the wrong lane. I look for cars in their correct lane. Anything else is very dangerous! Arg!

And while on the subject. If YOU happen to drive a car, please look out for bikers. And also look when opening your door after parallel parking on a busy road. Slamming into an opening door is one of my biggest fears. So, please, llok out for me. Thanks!

-Ry

Cows Are Not Happy In California

So I spent the evening working at a patients house and had some extra time to surf the web. I decided to do a little research on the trip to San Francisco and found an online diary about a biker who did the trip a while ago. His blog was loaded with some beautiful pictures of the Washington, Oregon, and California coast. Along with the photos came some pretty amazing stories. While reading this blog i've discovered that a lot of people ride this trip and you often run into groups of bikers at each campsite. It should be fun interacting with random people and sharing stories! I simply can't wait! I am very excited about riding on "the avenue of the giants" road in northern California. I drove through it a few years back and it was absolutely amazing...i can imagine that the same experience while on a bike will be 10 times better!

I also have been reading up on the books I received in the mail. I'm currently focusing on the diet and nutrition of a biker...goodbye sugar...hello complex carbs...

-Jason

No Bike...Books Will Have To Do

Okay, so I got home from work today expecting to find a few books that I ordered about a week ago. Just so you know the seller informed me that these books would take 8 to 10 days to deliver...it has been beyond 10 days and my anticipation of acquiring these books have been high. Day after day I have been disappointed...until today...

The big question that I have been asking myself for the past year is "What kind of food is good for bikers" as well as "If this part goes wacky on my bike how can I fix it"? Ok, so I guess that has been two questions. Well! I get home from work today to find two lovely books at my door step (thank you USPS). I've yet to read the books, but i'm excited to read the wealth of information that is stored in them. Since I have no bike I might as well educate myself on how to be a good biker until I do receive the glorious ride of blue and black accompanied by a Trek logo. I look forward to educating myself on diet and bike maintenance.

Bike status: Ry got his...I want mine!

-Jason

It rains in Seattle

For some strange reason there seems to be a good deal of rain here in Washington State... I'm not so sure why. And with that comes the challenge of riding in this inclement weather. I don't mind it so much, but I just need to be prepared. This was not the case the other morning. I drove to work on nice dry roads ready for my day ahead. I worked my morning shift and was ready to head to the gym. Once coasting down the roads I noticed the clouds had come back (they had dispersed the day before). After the gym it was raining! As I mentioned, being prepared for the rain is ok, but my rain gear was left in my car. I keep an awesome rain jacked (a gift from my brother Nathan) and some waterproof pants (a gift from my sister Katie) to keep me dry. Sadly I would have to ride uphill in the rain. On the bright side, my new bike handles brilliantly in wet conditions. The breaks are responsive and the tires grip effortlessly. I was just wet and not so happy. I'll need to get some gloves for next winter when it gets close to my last bit of miles for this self imposed challenged. Perhaps my last sibling, Heidi, can get those for my birthday. (shameless gift plug here)

-Ry

"When The Bike Comes, The Hair Goes"

Ok, for some ODD reason I have this plan in mind of not cutting my hair or beard until I receive my bike and start riding. So you ask yourself "What is it that Jason is going to do when he DOES start riding"? The natural assumption would be that I would cut it. Guess what?! You are correct in assuming that, however be cautious. I don't plan on going to the barber and saying "Hey Dan, just take a little off the top." No, no. I plan on having a date with the buzz cutter. I haven't buzzed my hair since the age of 12 and i'm curious to know what I look like in one. Naturally along with buzzing my hair I plan on shaving off my beard, which I will say is already driving me bonkers (sorry Jared). About another month and all this will take place. For those of you who like my hair and don't want to see it gone...i'm sorry, but to make you feel better here is a current picture for you to drool over.

For those of you who are excited in seeing me nearly bald...I salute you. You will get your pic in about a month.

Update on the bike: ANTICIPATION HIGH!!!!

-Jason

It came!!!

Finally! This morning there was a letter from my insurance with a check inside! It was addressed to my brother (formerly my co-insurer) but with my name as the recipient of the claim. The original plan this morning was to go out to breakfast with Jennifer and her sister Melanie who is visiting from LA. I soon asked Jennifer if we could stop by and pick up my bike and she agreed!! We then ended up in Greenlake and went and picked up my bike. Sadly, Jennifer was not feeling so well and was suffering a stomach flu. she seemed so out of it I felt bad feeling such happy emotions at the same time. but she is a trooper and I give her massive amounts of credit for being there.

I give her even more for bearing with me and going to Performance Bicycle and getting all the components I lost; my clips, lights, odometer, etc... But I got it all and we soon were able to leave the big city and calm our morning down a bit.

I took it home and had my brother (the resident bike mechanic) give it a once over and help me replace my pedals for clips. Soon I was on the road feeling the wind against my shirt and feeling the nuances of this bike in comparison to my old bike.

The only caveat to this day is the fact that I can't put on my odometer and start counting miles until Jason gets his bike as well and then the counting begins... so until then folks, don't turn that dial!

-Ry

Expercatant waiting

So, no real news from my insurance yet. I got this vague letter in the mail saying things like "this coverage allows us to pay the actual, necessary cost to replace the property.." What does that mean? It is necessary to pay tax for my new tings and inflation.. do I get MORE money then? I doubt it. But nowhere does this letter say that money is coming to me or that I am now free to go buy my bike.

In the mean time of not having a bike I've been trying to plan for when I actually DO have it. In hopes of my CA ride this summer being awesome I figured I would try to get Jason and I to try a few longer rides that include a day of camping in between to see how it is to carry all our gear with us. Here is a map of where I am thinking -

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3455814

Wow, this site made that link HUGE. sorry. It's not my fault. Anyhow - at the 100 mile mark if you zoom in you see a tiny campground. Hopefully it'll be open, we stay, camp, drink a beer, then go finish the rest tomorrow.

Other plans for this summer of riding is trips to wine country, maybe a brewery, and as Jason pointed out to me we need to take Team Defiance to Pt.Defiance! haha!

-Ry

The Premonition

Today was a roller coaster of emotions. One moment i'm excited that certain things happened and then the next i'm disappointed.

THE GOOD...

Yesterday Ry and I went to a local bike shop to check out our new bikes. His a Trek 1.2 and mine a Trek 2.1. I was pleasantly impressed with the comfort and lightness of my new bike, however I think anything beats the previous bike that I had. After we got sized up for our bikes and Ry put his bike on hold, the salesmen attempted to sell me a more expensive bike. In my mind I said "no thanks" but decided to be entertained by this salesmen's pitch. In the end the price wasn't worth the bang...more so I didn't want to spend more money on a bike that I didn't necessarily NEED at the moment. Eventually Ry and I left excited to be getting our new matching bikes in the near future. The next day (today, the 29th of January) I was surfing the web for articles on good foods for bikers. I came across a few magazines and splurged on a few biker magazines. One on nutrition for bikers, one on general news about biking, and the last one instructing how to maintain your bike. An overall great investment since I know very little of all three.

THE BAD...

I was informed that Ry was going through the hoops with his insurance company on regards to his stolen bike claim. To make a long story short he isn't going to be getting his new bike as soon as expected. On the positive side I feel as it is just a delay and eventually things will get off the ground...plus it gives me more time to get mine and by chance perhaps we can ride out as a team together when we put the very first few miles on.

I'm excited for the year and i'm excited about getting going. We have a huge goal to accomplish (10,000 miles as a team in one year) and a few amazing trips planned (The big one being Seattle to San Fran via hwy 1). I'm looking forward to it getting warmer out and for the Seattle rain to go away. I am excited to hear the sound of my tires running against the pavement.

-Jason

Today was a bit of a setback for my plans on getting a new bike. Apparently the claim process at my insurance company is like jumping through hoops while blindfolded and your ankles tied. First I was told I would just have to buy the items stolen then bring in the receipts then they would take their sun, minus my deductible then cut me a check. Nope. I instead have to fill out this form of all the items I lost, the model number, the price, how much "cash value" it has now (how do I even guess that??) as well has were I got them and how long I had them. I don't even know precisely where I got my backpack, and there is not enough room to put "some general store in the little town near the Grand Canyon" in the box they provide. After some research I finished it and faxed off today. Being a Friday they can ignore it until Monday and then begin there research.

The expensive items they may want to get some proof that I owned them. then once that is done they may try to go through some magic purchasing place they have at their agency to replace it. I'm worried they will call and and say "We have a comparable bike here, where do you want it sent?" "Ummmm, what kind of bike is it?" "One with two wheels.. now let me verify your zip code." No good. I want my Trek bike. I also don't want to wait two months. Arg!

Luckily Jennifer was awesome and was there today to help me stay calm. She even brought me a Blueberry Crisp Clif Bar! How awesome is that! She also fixed my horribly illegible handwriting so the people on the other side of the fax machine would know what came though rather then think they had received alien transmissions.

Now all I have to do is sit back and wait. And walk places.

-Ry

Team Defiance's New Begining

They say, "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," but this journey does not have steps. It is one of accumulated miles. Miles added on in the possibility of good weather, or that which would make me want to stay inside. Who knows - this journey may never ever be completed.

Today I had the crazy idea of riding my bike 5,000 miles in one year time. That is about 13.69 miles a day. Or for my own ease of math - 14 miles day. Every day. For a year. By why do this alone? So I asked my best friend Jason to try to do it as well, making a combined mileage of 10,000 miles.

The hard part is the fact that at this very moment I do not own a bike. I did, but it was stolen from my car on New Years Day. Not exactly the best way to ring in a new year, but hey, it's how my year began.

Luckily my insurance will cover the replacement and soon I'll be on the road again. In fact, I went out with Jason to look at bikes today. We ended up at Gregg's Bikes near Greenlake. They had the Trek 1.2 I was looking at. (well I originally was going to replace my bike with the same Novara Divano I had, but Jason talked me into this one). The bike is sleek black and red (same colors as my old bike). And that is the key here - the colors. Jason and I have a bike team called, "Team Defiance". And our team colors are red and blue. I get the red, Jason is in blue. And luckily Trek has two similar bikes, mine in red and the next bike up is blue.

So here we are at the store looking at our amazing new bikes and the sales guy ends up coming to talk us through all the things about these bikes as well as try to up-sell Jason on a better bike. Jason's first concern is "do they have it in blue". But in reality Jason never actually said that out loud. We followed our chatty salesman around to the high end part of the store were he went off on all things bike related. He stared using odd acronyms I've never heard of and talking about bike components that I have never heard of. Jason just keeps nodding like he understand completely but I could tell all he was thinking inside was "This fancy expensive bike you are showing me is not blue!" He goes on so long I find I have time to go on my phone and Google some of the buzz words he keeps referring to. Apparently "OCLV" is a fancy type of carbon fiber. New thing learned today.

At the end of it all I put down $20 to get my nice, but not over the top bike placed on hold so I could pick it up tomorrow with the cash I'd be using from my insurance. My bike is black and red.

But we can't start counting the mileage until Jason gets his (blue) bike and his odometer attached. Once that is done the true "Journey of 10,000" miles will commence.

-Ry