Finally getting around to writing a bit about the 400 km on May 15th! It was one of those really fabulous spring days, warmish with a hazy sun above and lots of very anxious randonneurs at the ferry terminal in Bremerton. We got a bit of a late start and everyone rolled off quickly. Poor Peter Liekkio had a flat right after exiting Hwy 3 and Wayne shot past the exit completely and had to climb over the barrier to get back.
I quickly settled into a great conversation with Mike Huber and we rolled through the first few km on our way to Shelton. He eased back and I took my usual solo jaunt. Near McCleary I got pulled into a paceline with a few folks who were attempting a rather stringent paceline routine...it was pretty functional, but these sorts of things are never quite smooth enough and required too much attention from me. When we hit the Cosmopolis control I made a quick exit and promptly overshot the first turn - I've done the route before and knew where it was, but the brain just sputtered.
Heading to the coast we took some of my favorite roads paralleling Hwy 12 and eventually made it to the Westhaven State Park control where I had a big sandwich and had to battle cars and chemically altered surfers both in and out. The next leg to Raymond is really sweet and takes me along the coast which was pleasantly calm with only some headwinds. It felt really good to be riding!
In Raymond I somehow mis-read the cue where it said "US 101 and Heath St" and proceeded to take a left and up the climb to the top of the big hill - it was then I saw Mike Richeson and a few others who I knew were ahead of me and I had to go all the way back down and get my card signed in the right place. Back up the hill for a second time I barked at myself for being too scatter-brained, but then laughed it off as another lesson.
The tailwind from Raymond and on SR 107 to Potlach was fabulous and I gained back some of the time lost. Bill Dussler and a few others caught up with me and we hung together till just before Potlach when my quads just about burst. I've never had cramps quite that bad but the sustained 46-32 km pace for a few hours had burned them up. Wasn't sure how the last 60 km would be, so I foolishly let the gang head out before me as I finished a cup-o-soup, Coke and a couple ibuprofen. Surprisingly, when I got back on the bike I felt great and enjoyed a really splendid night ride back to Bremerton along the Hood Canal's great hook.
Cruised in at 18:03, only a few minutes past my goal, but still the fastest 400 km I'd done in 10 years. After chatting with Peter Beeson, Maggie and Eric and consuming a few slices of pizza I headed home and finally flopped into bed at 4AM. What a lovely day!
29 May 2010
04 May 2010
NW Crank!
Always one of my favorite times of the year, NW Crank in Wenatchee brings together a fabulously fun group of riders for all over to revel in the excellent riding in Eastern WA in the month of April. Last year I only did support as I was recovering from surgery, so this year I could ride! I got a room at Inn at the River too as the bus was in the shop and I needed to do some work while there, so lots of comfort this time around.
First day was the classic Colockum, Malaga, Stemilt Hill with the added bonus of Mission Ridge. Very cool ride which provides over 8000 ft of climbing in about 75 miles and the views are stupendous! Amy and Nicole provided a nice break in the woods and everyone was looking very happy with their day.
Thankfully, Bob Brudvik kept me company and the way up and there waited the whole gang anticipating the descent, which is one of the best downhills around. I was the last one up, and had to beat tail to be the first down...I love my orange Eddy!
First day was the classic Colockum, Malaga, Stemilt Hill with the added bonus of Mission Ridge. Very cool ride which provides over 8000 ft of climbing in about 75 miles and the views are stupendous! Amy and Nicole provided a nice break in the woods and everyone was looking very happy with their day.
Now that's a happy group of riders!
On Saturday I embarked on another one of my fav rides - the Rock Island Grade ascent with 20 miles of gravel road, a bit of wind and some really expansive views. We made it through numerous snow squalls on our way to the Badger Mtn. support, which I needed as I was famished. Most of the crew took off early and I needed to finish the massive sandwich that Nicole so graciously made for me. Delicious...
At the top of Rock Island Grade ready to cruise through the gravel toward Waterville.
By Sunday my arm was spasming so I took the day off and strolled along the river for a few hours, had lunch and a beer at McGlinn's Pub and came home for a nap. Drove out to the end of the 200 km to help Wayne out and haul some happy riders (Jennifer, Eric, Maggie and Bill) home before dinner and the white elephant exchange at Garlini's (what fun!). A very pleasant day all in all!
Monday I met up with the always cheerful Jennifer Chang in Leavenworth and we tooled up Chumstick Canyon to Plain where we enjoyed a break and chat with Maggie and Eric. Cruised back to our cars and then went to Red Bird Good Mood Food and ate and talked for a couple hours. A perfect end to the weekend.
A big thanks to Mike McHale for organizing this event again and all who helped make it happen. I will be back again for year 6 next spring with the orange VW bus! (And thank you Jennifer for the parrot - Peri loved it!)
17 March 2010
Spring 200 km, Mostly about Jimmy
Having to ride at 3AM for a 7Am start over 100 miles away is not really that difficult, except that I am out of practice. It was too early to eat when I left, so coffee was it and on arrival at Greg's place, the anticipation and gear check took precedence over food - needless to say, I started at a deficit that would dog me for 130 km.
It was a blast seeing all my favorite folks on the ride, but I was preoccupied with thoughts of my dear friend Jimmy who had been shot and killed in Seattle this day 20 years ago (Seattle Times). It was a somber remembrance and something I pondered all day. He would have loved this, or more likely would have been at the start with his guitar and harmonica with his dog Salvador at his feet, playing some funky tune he wrote. The ride was a good time to connect with the good memories we had. I miss you Jimmy.
This is a popular event and one that I've done since 2001 (most years). The Cox's have decided that this was the final Chili Feed though, so no way would I miss it! Their gracious hosting of this event for 11 years is above and beyond what most would take on, but I hope they know it is so very much appreciated!
Though I was happy to be riding with the gang again, I mostly wanted to ride alone and think. I told this to a few folks that came alongside and I apologize to them all for not being very social, but it was a roller coaster emotional day for me.
Next up is another 200 km from Arlington to Bellingham. I hope there's more sunshine.
It was a blast seeing all my favorite folks on the ride, but I was preoccupied with thoughts of my dear friend Jimmy who had been shot and killed in Seattle this day 20 years ago (Seattle Times). It was a somber remembrance and something I pondered all day. He would have loved this, or more likely would have been at the start with his guitar and harmonica with his dog Salvador at his feet, playing some funky tune he wrote. The ride was a good time to connect with the good memories we had. I miss you Jimmy.
This is a popular event and one that I've done since 2001 (most years). The Cox's have decided that this was the final Chili Feed though, so no way would I miss it! Their gracious hosting of this event for 11 years is above and beyond what most would take on, but I hope they know it is so very much appreciated!
Though I was happy to be riding with the gang again, I mostly wanted to ride alone and think. I told this to a few folks that came alongside and I apologize to them all for not being very social, but it was a roller coaster emotional day for me.
Next up is another 200 km from Arlington to Bellingham. I hope there's more sunshine.
Jon, Noel and Joe cruising up another hill...
01 March 2010
100 km Populaire - what a great day!
I cannot say how nice it was to be back riding with the SIR gang. Today was really stellar weather-wise and with friends David and Dwight from PT headed to Renton. A big crowd and many familiar faces greeted us and off we went in what was to be a day of dry roads and sunshine!
Lots of good climbing on the route, but nothing too taxing. The usual suspects were off the front and gone, but I took a more leisurely start and later picked up the pace first with Matt Newlin and then Bill Dussler. Fell off Bill's increasing diesel pace on the way up Tiger Mountain but hooked up with Corey Thompson, Ian Shopland and a few others for the final third of the ride at the info control. We did a few bonus miles as Corey and I talked our way right past the 224th turn and finally found our way back. Al (?) on the beautiful chromed, lugged Davidson had a map...thankfully. I need to get one of those...
The finish at the Dog & Pony Ale House was rockus and fun, with the US-Canada hockey game going on and everyone talking about the ride and the season now underway. Enjoyed a big fish and chips and pint of IPA before gawking at all the glorious bikes on the patio and heading home.
Thanks to all for a wonderful day!
Lots of good climbing on the route, but nothing too taxing. The usual suspects were off the front and gone, but I took a more leisurely start and later picked up the pace first with Matt Newlin and then Bill Dussler. Fell off Bill's increasing diesel pace on the way up Tiger Mountain but hooked up with Corey Thompson, Ian Shopland and a few others for the final third of the ride at the info control. We did a few bonus miles as Corey and I talked our way right past the 224th turn and finally found our way back. Al (?) on the beautiful chromed, lugged Davidson had a map...thankfully. I need to get one of those...
The finish at the Dog & Pony Ale House was rockus and fun, with the US-Canada hockey game going on and everyone talking about the ride and the season now underway. Enjoyed a big fish and chips and pint of IPA before gawking at all the glorious bikes on the patio and heading home.
Thanks to all for a wonderful day!
04 February 2010
Hike to Mt. Royal
My parents and I decide to take a Sunday hike to Masontown on Mt. Royal near Frisco. We can just start from the house and in a few short minutes we are on the trail. It rises immediately and there are a few folks on the trail. Masontown is an abandoned mining area, with little remaining, but makes for a nice destination. When we arrive, I decide to continue to the summit while my parents head down.
The first stop is an old mining cabin and mine up the slope I decided to see before heading to the summit. There are piles of tailings still remaining from the late 1800's and great views. I can only imagine what this was like when it was a working mine.
The view here is toward Lake Dillon and the towns of Dillon and Silverthorne. The patchy clouds allowed some sun to shine and I had to add some wind pants and a shell to stay warm as the wind was more evident.
The trail was fairly hardpacked from snowshoers, but in a few spots I would plunge down to my waist and have to wrestle my way out. I was the only one up here by this time, so I reveled in the solitude.
The summit of Mt. Royal is pretty bare and the wind was howling, but I spent quite a bit of time strolling back and forth exploring. Elevation is 10,502 ft. and I could see I-70 about 1500 ft. below...if you fell you'd basically land on it....
Trees were pretty tortured on the exposed summit, but made some very interesting shapes! With the lack of snow lately I could see footprints from all the people who'd made it up here in the past two weeks.
The wind was really blowing and there was a constant stream of spindrift flying over the saddle. After about 30 minutes I headed back down for a nice warm lunch and a nap! So wonderful that this point is under 2 miles from the front door!
29 January 2010
Frisco to Breckenridge and Back
There are those times when you just have to get out and spend a day skiing in the woods. Last Saturday was it for me, a 20 mile roundtrip from Frisco to Breckenridge and back along the Peaks Trail. It's not a real difficult route, but mostly it allowed a bit of solitude, good physical effort and some truly fun backcountry skiing.
The start of the Peaks Trail, just past Rainbow Lake and about 2 miles from where I started from Frisco.
New snow left gorgeous marshmallow lumps in all the creeks.
One of the main intersections along the way - the Miner's Creek Trail heads east to Hwy 9.
Next intersection about another half mile on leads to Wheeler Junction near Copper Mountain ski area and would be a challenging 9 mile trek west. Maybe next time!
Lost the route here and had to break trail in 2-3 foot snow over downed trees and stumps in really gusty winds and blowing snow, but just enough sun to see shadows.
Middle Barton Creek crossing near Breckenridge.
Broke another trail on the way back that was more direct but still a slog.
The treat for all my efforts: a moose! I had just found a loose binding and had taken a break to eat and fix it. When I stood up, there was a moose cow about 20 feet away and I startled her and she took a few strides and made her way behind some trees before I could get the camera out. So beautiful!!
And that was my day in the snow...the 20 miles took about 6 hours, though I did a fair amount of just oggling my surroundings and chatting with the few folks I met along the way. Got lots of kudos for making the roundtrip and numerous comments about wishing they had done the same. Don't we all feel like that sometimes?
And that was my day in the snow...the 20 miles took about 6 hours, though I did a fair amount of just oggling my surroundings and chatting with the few folks I met along the way. Got lots of kudos for making the roundtrip and numerous comments about wishing they had done the same. Don't we all feel like that sometimes?
22 January 2010
Couscous & sardine snack time!
18 January 2010
Ten Mile Canyon Hike
Took advantage of the limited snow to hike the entire North Ten Mile Canyon trail about 10-12 miles roundtrip. 17 below zero to start at 9am, but it warmed up by the time I made the turnaround point under Eccles Pass in the saddle where the trail ends. A great day in the snow.
Saw no creatures or people for over 4 hours. There was a sundog that formed overhead around noon-time but difficult to get a photo of it. So much glorious silence!
Hiking up about 1700 ft. from the trailhead near Frisco, CO. A fairly easy hike.
Amazing snow formations...also creeks had swollen and frozen into huge whalebacks of pure ice, even covering one of the bridges for over 40 ft.
Time for contemplation...and lunch.
Shadow guy...enjoyed sunshine most of the day, but still clod in the trees.
The only tracks were mine at the very end...well, the turnaround point. From here on it was post-holing, even with snowshoes.
Taking a break at the Gore Range trail crossing.
Saw no creatures or people for over 4 hours. There was a sundog that formed overhead around noon-time but difficult to get a photo of it. So much glorious silence!
30 December 2009
Vashon Island Boxing Day Ride
Some days are just perfect for a ride and this was one of them. Beautiful sunshine, excellent friends and icy, hilly roads made for a memorable day in the saddle.Kent sent out a note about a Saturday ride (as opposed to the usual Monday he does). One line stood out: "Vashon is hilly (damn hilly) bring low gears." Having never been there, I took this advice and brought the Canti-Rom and triple. I made the Southworth ferry to Vashon at 8:20 and met Brad Hawkins shortly after landing. He had ridden over from the other end of the island from the Pt. Defiance-Talaquah ferry. Then the Seattle ferry arrived and Mark Canizaro, Kent Peterson, Mark Vande Kamp, Liam Moriarty and his brother Tom off loaded for the start of our day. Tom just moved here from Kansas and was about to be introduced to PNW winter riding with the nut jobs surrounding him. Poor guy didn't know what was in store, but then again, neither did I.
The sun was beaming all day long and despite the chilly temps and relentless climbing (though always enjoyable) it was fun from start to finish.
We scooted back onto Vashon and headed south where Brad headed home and we shot up to town for burgers and milkshakes at Perry's. You've got to stop when the sign outside says "Stop and eat here or we'll both starve".
Total around 40 miles with lots of excellent climbing. I'll never say PT is hilly again.
The Southworth ferry was $5.75 for a roundtrip and parking was $3 on the weekend, so it was a pretty cheap date.
12 December 2009
Commuter for the Apocalypse
I've rebuilt my 1986 MB-2 (see Sheldon's catalog scan) into a stout commuter that I can load up at the store, pull the Burley trailer and cruise around town night or day in any weather. I use it almost every day from 2 to 15 miles and though it's not fast, there's nothing that can harm it.
It weighs about 40lbs, but is comfy to ride with it's Brooks Champion Flyer and slightly upswept Nitto bars. Fat Crossroad tires, Bullseye hubs and just 6 speeds make it just right for the terrain and the roads and trails I travel locally.
If I were to go touring in a third world country, this is probably the bike I'd take. I got it about 20 years ago for $75. Now that's a bargain.
06 December 2009
HED Ardennes Short Review
Rode the 25mm ProRace 2's on a set of HED Ardennes on my MXL for a couple hours yesterday and the ride was definitely different than on the Open Pro rims.
Cornering felt more secure, cushioning was a bit better (I think I was running them around 85-90lbs PSI and I am about 150-155lbs). I liked the feel a great deal and hope to get out again after the next few days of 30 degrees and icy roads.
Never having had a low spoke count wheelset before (these are 18 front, 24 rear), I probably won't use them for randonneuring, but club riding is perfect. A very nice wheelset and maybe even a bit better than my DT RR 1.1 set. The hubs are dreamy smooth, I could coast for considerably longer in places where I've done it previously. Sweet wheels.
What a great day to ride too!
21 November 2009
Redline Monocog 29er Day
more! These big tires take a bit to spin up but even on technical
stuff don't seem sluggish. Just get on a ride. nice.
20 November 2009
Jay Guthrie Fundraiser - Dec 3, 2009
I'm sure most of you have heard about long time R&G club member Jay Guthrie of Jtek Engineering and his battle with cancer. Now Bikes, County Cycles, HED and Ride and Glide Club are joining together in a fund raiser to help Jay and Anne with medical bills.
We will be having a "Get Together" at Now Bikes in Arden Hills (3673 Lexington Ave N) on Thursday Dec 3rd at 7pm. We will be showing the video of Greg Lemond's 1989 TDF victory over Laurent Fignon and will have a "Guest Speaker". Steve Hed will be talking about aerodynamics and what's happening in bicycle racing and I'm sure have many fascinating stories and will take your questions as well.
We'll have pizza from Davannis, beverages and door prizes generously donated by HED, Now, County Cycles and R&G. Tickets will be $20 at the door and get you one ticket in the door prize drawing and free pizza and good times. Extra tickets for the drawings can be purchased as well. Please come over to Now Bikes, socialize with your cycling buddies, swap stories about Jay, and take some time off your trainer. You may even win one!
RSVP to Steve Thatcher at sdthatcher@q.com
You can also donate by PayPal here: http://www.rideandglide.org/fundraiser.htm
Or by sending checks to:
Steve Thatcher
12999 Keller Ave N
Hugo, MN 55038
Make checks out to "Ride and Glide"
Make a note that it's for Jay Guthrie Fund
Thanks to all in your support of Jay and his family.
We will be having a "Get Together" at Now Bikes in Arden Hills (3673 Lexington Ave N) on Thursday Dec 3rd at 7pm. We will be showing the video of Greg Lemond's 1989 TDF victory over Laurent Fignon and will have a "Guest Speaker". Steve Hed will be talking about aerodynamics and what's happening in bicycle racing and I'm sure have many fascinating stories and will take your questions as well.
We'll have pizza from Davannis, beverages and door prizes generously donated by HED, Now, County Cycles and R&G. Tickets will be $20 at the door and get you one ticket in the door prize drawing and free pizza and good times. Extra tickets for the drawings can be purchased as well. Please come over to Now Bikes, socialize with your cycling buddies, swap stories about Jay, and take some time off your trainer. You may even win one!
RSVP to Steve Thatcher at sdthatcher@q.com
You can also donate by PayPal here: http://www.rideandglide.org/fundraiser.htm
Or by sending checks to:
Steve Thatcher
12999 Keller Ave N
Hugo, MN 55038
Make checks out to "Ride and Glide"
Make a note that it's for Jay Guthrie Fund
Thanks to all in your support of Jay and his family.
10 October 2009
ODT Adventure Route
My friend Eric and I finally got together for a great ride on the recent ODT (Olympic Discovery Trail) Adventure Route on Sunday, September 6th. Nice soggy rain all day and all we could think as we began was that this is not so different from our days 20 years ago in the Capitol Forest. We might be older, but we still love singletrack baby. It was so nice to ride with my buddy who was my first friend after moving to WA and we're still having fun!
The trail is really spectacular - we did the 25 mile from the west side of Crescent Lake to the Elwha River. About 8 miles of gravel road, the rest pure trail. Despite the rain, we add a glorious day! If you don't ride in the rain you'd never ride at all...
We'll be back again hopefully before there's too much snow on the trail. More info at: http://www.olympicdiscoverytrail.com/LkCrescentElwha.htm
11 September 2009
04 August 2009
To Tri without Training
"You need to tread water at the start." What? What does that even mean? I diligently listened to the guy with the megaphone who went through the race details. About half-way through I had no idea what he was even talking about. "T1", "timing chips", "waves" (the water looked calm to me), it was all rather bizarre. I had only committed to doing this event about one hour ago and now here I was standing in the midst of some serious-looking half-naked people at the water's edge.
Goss Lake on Whidbey Island...the start of the 13th Annual Whidbey Island Triathlon. I had been here before as a spectator and support for my wife in 2008 and it all seemed sort of jovial and intriguing then; so much so that I flippantly mentioned I may be up for trying it next year, and not surprisingly my wife Carrie signed me up 6 months ago, which seemed like more than enough time to prepare. Now treading water over my head, and waiting for what seemed much too long, I flailed in my little yellow rubber swim cap waiting for the horn to signal the start of the 4th wave - "old guys and everyone else."
To preface all this, preparing for big events is not out of my ability, and getting physically prepared for arduous events is not something I am unfamiliar with. Of course, they have all been single sport endeavors revolving around cycling. I'm a randonneur, used to long periods of riding through every conceivable terrain, temperature and physical condition around the clock. I don't really mind pain or discomfort. Really. I can do one sport just fine. A triathlon though, mind you, is three of them in a row.
A therein lies the problem. I'm an OK runner: there's ground, feet, air and all the things that make my terrestrial soul feel natural. Cycling, no worries. Swimming, on the other hand, is the most un-natural activity I can think of. Born in Minnesota, you'd think it would be second nature, but it's not. I gyrated toward frozen water sports, like skiing. I loved sailing, but the only reason to swim was if you screwed up and dumped the boat and the goal was to get back to it ASAP. Swimming for the sake of swimming was not my bag.
"Training"
To prove to my wife that I was at least partially engaged in this endeavor, I went to the pool to attempt "lap swimming". This entails getting up at some obscenely early hour and undressing with other old guys and then crowding into 80 degree pool water and trying to swim back and forth in a thin corridor between sharp plastic lines for an hour. Our local pool is only about 20 meters long, so that means an hour or more of constant thrashing, gasping for air and reaching both feet and hands for some solid surface. While Carrie would glide effortlessly and click off 100 laps, I could barely make one before I would simply run out of of air. 20 meters. After the third trip to the pool I gave up. This was early June.
Running was easier. We did the 5km Jingle Bell Run in 30 degree temperatures in Seattle on icy roads. In May we ran the 10 km Deer Run on Indian Island. I did one more training run with Carrie in Long Beach for another 4 miles. Enough of that. Running is just not as efficient as cycling.
The Swim
And now, here I am, already gasping for air and we haven't even started yet. The horn blows and everyone around me easily moves through the water and the gap to everyone else widens rapidly. I see the big orange buoy marking the first turn of the triangle we are to swim around. 50 meters out I realize this is not where I should be. I have made a huge mistake. What was I thinking?? I need to quit now so I can at least make it back to shore without waving my arms in what the organizer said would be the proper sign of panic in the water. I am an idiot!
As all the little bobbing yellow heads moved away there was this calm that literally washed over me. The sun on my face, the chaos far away, and just a hint of panic when I realized that I was DOING THE SWIM. Not being a multi-tasker (and trust me - no one is), I took this as one thing I had to do. Now. Nothing else. I just had to swim to that big orange ball. That's all. I couldn't do the crawl, that much I knew. It was the thing that exhausted me in the pool. So I cherry-picked. Pick the cherry and put it in the basket (also known as the side-stroke). Carrie's girlfriend and tri buddy Laura had told me about this - she had done it in her first tri. So that's what I did. And man, I picked a lot of cherries over the next 35 minutes.
Should this have been embarrassing? It should, if I weren't constantly fearing for my life. For thirty-five minutes I knew that if I stopped moving I would drown. My heart was racing and I was trying to keep it under control. Little cramps were starting in my legs. And I was still unknown minutes from the first big orange ball.
I knew I was slow. I know what being in the back of the pack can feel like. And having also been at the front of the pack, it was even more evident. But who was I racing against? Being my first triathlon, I hadn't the slightest idea what it would be like. The last time I swam this far I was between a pontoon boat and the shore and I could touch the bottom.
One down, one to go. The second big orange ball was now the target. I rolled onto my back and just scooted like a upside-down frog. I could rest my legs and arms and the buoyant wet suit top allowed some rest. I cherry-picked my way around the second buoy and was onto the the final leg. A swarm of volunteer kayakers converged on me, shouting encouragement, alignment coordinates and distance to salvation. "60 yards. 50, 40, 30..." I knew they were thinking that I might actually make it and they wouldn't have to engage their water rescue training. In my head I just wanted to not die before the end. A simple concern. When my foot touched solid ground I was ecstatic. So were they. I was the last one in.
The Bike
The guy who had marked me earlier with my number using a a magic-marker, now stood with my "T1" (the transition between the swim and the bike) bag for the bike leg. I had foolishly left my dry t-shirt at "T2" (the transition between the bike and the run) so had to go bare or stay wet. Decided to leave the wet suit top on and just ride. I was the last bike out and the volunteers were already tearing down the racks and rolling up the flags.
The bike leg was uneventful and short, so I was simply trying to eat and drink before the run. Only one short steep hill per lap and the rest was wonderful. Volunteers were out in force, making sure we were on course and safe.
The Run
I reached T2 and nearly toppled over from not getting out of the pedals, but managed to save myself in time. I jogged to my spot and then wrestled my wet suit top off and into a nice dry t-shirt. Then I started to run, or rather shuffle purposefully up the little rise from the park leading to the trail. Having never done a transition of any sort, I found out what had been mentioned as "the brick" or making your body do something different when it would rather just keep doing what it was doing. I had to focus on getting up a stride of some sort, while other racers slipped past in increasing numbers. Of course, as I was already about as far back in the pack as possible, in a short time there would be no one passing me except volunteers cleaning up the course.
About a mile further I felt better and started to revel in the fact that I would finish! Amazing how only 2 hours ago I thought I'd be washing up on the beach like so much flotsam, but now I was only a few miles from the end. Those three training runs between November and July were really coming in handy now! I began passing a few folks and being friendly, getting water and feeling pretty smug. I ordered a margarita and 2 fish tacos at the 2nd water stop, but the volunteers just figured I was delirious.
Folks that had already finished were heading home in their cars and they waved at those of us still coming in, and that was nice. As I crested the last roller and onto the grass my daughter and her friend gave a welcome cheer and ran in to the finish line with me. I was happy to be finished after nearly 2.5 hours, now thirsty, very hungry and still reveling in having made it out of the lake.
Not sure another triathlon is on my calendar anytime soon, but for a first one, the Whidbey Island Tri was fun, challenging and despite my better judgement, not a bad way to spend a morning!
Goss Lake on Whidbey Island...the start of the 13th Annual Whidbey Island Triathlon. I had been here before as a spectator and support for my wife in 2008 and it all seemed sort of jovial and intriguing then; so much so that I flippantly mentioned I may be up for trying it next year, and not surprisingly my wife Carrie signed me up 6 months ago, which seemed like more than enough time to prepare. Now treading water over my head, and waiting for what seemed much too long, I flailed in my little yellow rubber swim cap waiting for the horn to signal the start of the 4th wave - "old guys and everyone else."
To preface all this, preparing for big events is not out of my ability, and getting physically prepared for arduous events is not something I am unfamiliar with. Of course, they have all been single sport endeavors revolving around cycling. I'm a randonneur, used to long periods of riding through every conceivable terrain, temperature and physical condition around the clock. I don't really mind pain or discomfort. Really. I can do one sport just fine. A triathlon though, mind you, is three of them in a row.
A therein lies the problem. I'm an OK runner: there's ground, feet, air and all the things that make my terrestrial soul feel natural. Cycling, no worries. Swimming, on the other hand, is the most un-natural activity I can think of. Born in Minnesota, you'd think it would be second nature, but it's not. I gyrated toward frozen water sports, like skiing. I loved sailing, but the only reason to swim was if you screwed up and dumped the boat and the goal was to get back to it ASAP. Swimming for the sake of swimming was not my bag.
"Training"
To prove to my wife that I was at least partially engaged in this endeavor, I went to the pool to attempt "lap swimming". This entails getting up at some obscenely early hour and undressing with other old guys and then crowding into 80 degree pool water and trying to swim back and forth in a thin corridor between sharp plastic lines for an hour. Our local pool is only about 20 meters long, so that means an hour or more of constant thrashing, gasping for air and reaching both feet and hands for some solid surface. While Carrie would glide effortlessly and click off 100 laps, I could barely make one before I would simply run out of of air. 20 meters. After the third trip to the pool I gave up. This was early June.
Running was easier. We did the 5km Jingle Bell Run in 30 degree temperatures in Seattle on icy roads. In May we ran the 10 km Deer Run on Indian Island. I did one more training run with Carrie in Long Beach for another 4 miles. Enough of that. Running is just not as efficient as cycling.
The Swim
And now, here I am, already gasping for air and we haven't even started yet. The horn blows and everyone around me easily moves through the water and the gap to everyone else widens rapidly. I see the big orange buoy marking the first turn of the triangle we are to swim around. 50 meters out I realize this is not where I should be. I have made a huge mistake. What was I thinking?? I need to quit now so I can at least make it back to shore without waving my arms in what the organizer said would be the proper sign of panic in the water. I am an idiot!
As all the little bobbing yellow heads moved away there was this calm that literally washed over me. The sun on my face, the chaos far away, and just a hint of panic when I realized that I was DOING THE SWIM. Not being a multi-tasker (and trust me - no one is), I took this as one thing I had to do. Now. Nothing else. I just had to swim to that big orange ball. That's all. I couldn't do the crawl, that much I knew. It was the thing that exhausted me in the pool. So I cherry-picked. Pick the cherry and put it in the basket (also known as the side-stroke). Carrie's girlfriend and tri buddy Laura had told me about this - she had done it in her first tri. So that's what I did. And man, I picked a lot of cherries over the next 35 minutes.
Should this have been embarrassing? It should, if I weren't constantly fearing for my life. For thirty-five minutes I knew that if I stopped moving I would drown. My heart was racing and I was trying to keep it under control. Little cramps were starting in my legs. And I was still unknown minutes from the first big orange ball.
I knew I was slow. I know what being in the back of the pack can feel like. And having also been at the front of the pack, it was even more evident. But who was I racing against? Being my first triathlon, I hadn't the slightest idea what it would be like. The last time I swam this far I was between a pontoon boat and the shore and I could touch the bottom.
One down, one to go. The second big orange ball was now the target. I rolled onto my back and just scooted like a upside-down frog. I could rest my legs and arms and the buoyant wet suit top allowed some rest. I cherry-picked my way around the second buoy and was onto the the final leg. A swarm of volunteer kayakers converged on me, shouting encouragement, alignment coordinates and distance to salvation. "60 yards. 50, 40, 30..." I knew they were thinking that I might actually make it and they wouldn't have to engage their water rescue training. In my head I just wanted to not die before the end. A simple concern. When my foot touched solid ground I was ecstatic. So were they. I was the last one in.
The Bike
The guy who had marked me earlier with my number using a a magic-marker, now stood with my "T1" (the transition between the swim and the bike) bag for the bike leg. I had foolishly left my dry t-shirt at "T2" (the transition between the bike and the run) so had to go bare or stay wet. Decided to leave the wet suit top on and just ride. I was the last bike out and the volunteers were already tearing down the racks and rolling up the flags.
The bike leg was uneventful and short, so I was simply trying to eat and drink before the run. Only one short steep hill per lap and the rest was wonderful. Volunteers were out in force, making sure we were on course and safe.
The Run
I reached T2 and nearly toppled over from not getting out of the pedals, but managed to save myself in time. I jogged to my spot and then wrestled my wet suit top off and into a nice dry t-shirt. Then I started to run, or rather shuffle purposefully up the little rise from the park leading to the trail. Having never done a transition of any sort, I found out what had been mentioned as "the brick" or making your body do something different when it would rather just keep doing what it was doing. I had to focus on getting up a stride of some sort, while other racers slipped past in increasing numbers. Of course, as I was already about as far back in the pack as possible, in a short time there would be no one passing me except volunteers cleaning up the course.
About a mile further I felt better and started to revel in the fact that I would finish! Amazing how only 2 hours ago I thought I'd be washing up on the beach like so much flotsam, but now I was only a few miles from the end. Those three training runs between November and July were really coming in handy now! I began passing a few folks and being friendly, getting water and feeling pretty smug. I ordered a margarita and 2 fish tacos at the 2nd water stop, but the volunteers just figured I was delirious.Folks that had already finished were heading home in their cars and they waved at those of us still coming in, and that was nice. As I crested the last roller and onto the grass my daughter and her friend gave a welcome cheer and ran in to the finish line with me. I was happy to be finished after nearly 2.5 hours, now thirsty, very hungry and still reveling in having made it out of the lake.
Not sure another triathlon is on my calendar anytime soon, but for a first one, the Whidbey Island Tri was fun, challenging and despite my better judgement, not a bad way to spend a morning!
06 June 2009
Riding the Repaired Hood Canal Bridge
We made a couple trips over the new Hood Canal Bridge between Kitsap Peninsula and the Olympic Peninsula today to go to Salsbury Park for the official reopening ceremony. A number of Seattle Randonneurs including Gary Prince, Tim Hennings, Bob Weeks and Randy Shuman came and met a bunch of us from PT. There were cyclists at the event from Port Townsend Bicycle Association, West Sound Cycling, Squeaky Wheels and more cyclists out to ride the new bridge!
More pics here under "Hood Canal Bridge Opening": http://www.ptbikes.org/index.php?page=photo-gallery
24 May 2009
Friday's Fine Ride
An exceptional Friday ride down to see the bridge and revel in the
lack of traffic because it's closed for a few weeks. What a joy! 50
miles with Al and Gary, with a stop at the Port Ludlow Friday Market
for home baked cookies. What stellar weather this weekend...maybe
summer has arrived.
In Shine overlooking the Olympics.
Riding west on Hwy. 104 with the road all to ourselves!
04 May 2009
Freedom Returns
Back on two wheels after three months. All I can say is thanks to some good folks in the medical community, I'm feeling better than I have in 4 years. It'll take some time to get back to normal, but having two sunny rides in the past four days feels so good!!
A huge thanks to all who've sent encouragement along - I feel lucky - when I hear of my other friends and their far more challenging issues. Thinking pure thoughts for healing all around.
A huge thanks to all who've sent encouragement along - I feel lucky - when I hear of my other friends and their far more challenging issues. Thinking pure thoughts for healing all around.
30 April 2009
NW Crank Brief
Still recovering from surgery, but in the meantime, I had the pleasure of helping support riders at NW Crank in Wenatchee and enjoyed some sunshine, good friends and a good dose of positive energy from everyone. I needed it. Here's a few pics from the week:
The Saturday adventure riders tackle Rock Island Grade on a windy, cool, but beautiful day!
Another view of the first few miles climbing the grade, everyone was riding strong and having done this climb, I know it's a bit of work.
Tiny riders in the distance making their way up from the river.
A little break by the Church of Pain off Joe Miller and Stemilt Hill Rd. More climbing through the fruit trees ahead.
Every morning started out with a gathering at the Inn at the River as Mike McHale gave everyone the 411 of the days activities. It was a wonderful event in my observation and brings out a really stellar group of riders! After meeting with the surgeon I got the green light to start riding on May 1st. No long rides, but at least I can start the process of getting back...to be ready for NW Crank in 2010.
The Saturday adventure riders tackle Rock Island Grade on a windy, cool, but beautiful day!
Another view of the first few miles climbing the grade, everyone was riding strong and having done this climb, I know it's a bit of work.
Tiny riders in the distance making their way up from the river.
A little break by the Church of Pain off Joe Miller and Stemilt Hill Rd. More climbing through the fruit trees ahead.
Every morning started out with a gathering at the Inn at the River as Mike McHale gave everyone the 411 of the days activities. It was a wonderful event in my observation and brings out a really stellar group of riders! After meeting with the surgeon I got the green light to start riding on May 1st. No long rides, but at least I can start the process of getting back...to be ready for NW Crank in 2010.
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