Layne's Great Advice

I asked my friend Layne (who's claim to cycling fame is that he, among other adventures, rode his bike from Washington State to Maine a few summers ago) what I need to bring along for my upcoming 323 mile ride.  His response had lots of good practical advice about sunglasses, nutrients, hydration and the like.  All very practical and helpful.

But the single best thing he wrote was, "It's not about the distance on a bike, but using the bike to see our incredible world.  Forget that, the day drags.  Remember it, it soars."  Layne, that's exactly what I would expect from a creative, life-loving genius such as yourself.  Thank you!

In about an hour and a half, I am making my third attempt at riding out to Viva Naughton and back. The ride is 32 miles round trip, definitely long enough to put Layne's advice to the test.  It's a gorgeous day of sunshine and big, fluffy clouds.  Here's to seeing something truly spectacular along the way.  See you on the other side of the ride!

(Oh.. and Layne, uh.... I'm not completely sure I want to know what "Butt'R" is yet.....yikes.)

Cheers, blog.

Update:

Still have not accomplished this ride.  Tonight, I got about 6 miles out when the wind got so bad I had to get off my bike and start walking it.  That's where Adam found me when he came driving up 233.  He had been golfing and got concerned at how fast the storm was blowing in.

It kind of feels like a giant conspiracy. 

BUT.. I will try it again tomorrow.  And the next day.  And the next day, until I make it.

Below, a picture of the weather... probably not the best for riding!

Pecking Away at Problems

Late yesterday afternoon, the sky got dark.  The wind blew hard and the temperature dropped.  Such a tease, Mother Nature.  Much needed rain never did fall, but the promise of it was enough that it deterred me from getting on my bike.  From 5 pm til about 7:30 pm, it was a very legitimate decision.

But at 7:30, the clouds had blown over, the sun was shining, albeit starting to set, and the wind had died down to about the closest thing to a dead calm I have seen since moving here.  There was a good hour of decent light left, so I could have gotten on my bike and done some training.

I did not.

By then I had already "resigned" myself to taking the night off, and I didn't have the mental fortitude to change directions and take advantage of the opportunity that had presented itself.

 Which brings me to my thoughts today.  Work has been hard lately.  Tough, consuming situations that have drained both emotions and energy.  Home has been hard lately.  Parenting is a tough gig, and parenting a "tween" seems an especially tough gig.  And this training is really hard, with moments of brilliance and light but other moments of worry, failure, dread and paralyzing self-doubt.

I used to be an avid reader of M. Scott Peck, a psycho-analyst and author who wrote a number of books, the most well-known of which was The Road Less Traveled.  His starting premise has always stuck with me.  He begins by saying that life is difficult, and life's problems are difficult and then focuses on the role of discpline in taking on those problems.  "Without discipline we can solve nothing. With only some discipline we can solve only some problems. With total discipline we can solve all problems." 

This is important because I have really been examining my approach as a parent, a manager and an individual and have been looking at some things I want and need to change -- things that require consistency and focus, which translates to discipline.  And a big part of it is having the discipline to use my time wisely and not waste precious moments, hours, parts of days -- time just isn't refillable.  We all have a finite amount of it in our lifespan.  So wasted moments cannot actually be recovered.

Peck addresses this too.... he says, “Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it. ”  I am finally at a stage in my life where I am genuinely happy to be me, genuinely happy to be living my life.  But this is a fairly new perspective on my part, and I think many years of not valuing myself and my time have led to a practice of not always being wise about my days (and nights).  

All of the things I want to change (body, mind, spirit) will take true work, but I need to remember that these are not just things "I have to do", but rather investments in the kind of quality life I want to lead and the kind of quality person I want to be.   Investments in Plan A, as it were.

So.. discipline.  Okay. 

One, two, three, GO.

Thanks, blog.

Careful, It's a Tweak

Rode 18 miles tonight in 1 hour and 10 minutes.  I was a maniac.  Way fun.  

Some things I learned:

1. All this climbing has done something good.  I kept riding up hills on 233 thinking, "THIS was the hill I struggled up before?  THIS is the hill I was weeping over?  THIS is the hill that seemed unsurmountable?"  It was so cool.  Never mind that there are mountains that must be moved in order to reach the September goal -- sometimes it's just fun to see how far I've come.

2. Adjusting both my seat and handlebars just a little bit made a huge difference.  Booty bones still hurt from the new seat, but no numbness or pain in the "nether regions", which, apparently is the girl jock way of saying crotch.  Suits me fine... crotch is one of those words that ... sounds just like what it is... and is uncomfortable to say out loud (and to type.)  It's like... phlegm.  I used to have a music teacher whose last name was Skrobis.  My dad used to insist her name sounded like a body part you weren't supposed to touch in public. 

Anyway, my fingers and thumbs also kept from going numb the entire ride -- no more bringing on the pins and needles.  Success!

And, my lower spine wasn't sore.  So the adjustments are helping.

3. Mental attitude is everything.  I finished the ride and got to the Event Center.  Adam was supposed to be there with the lights he took down from Triangle Park.  He wasn't there yet, and upon calling, I found out it was taking him longer than he had hoped, so I told him I'd ride over to the Park.  Got back on my bike, no problem.  Could have gone farther if the sunlight had cooperated. :)

4. I can do the entire ride if I do what I did tonight 18 times.  18 times, divided by three times a day is 6 days of riding....manageable.

5. I'm too tired to make any more sense of this tonight.

Night, blog.

Sticking With Plan A

Adam and Aislynn and I traveled back to Wisconsin this past week for the wedding of a former student who has grown into a truly lovely woman.  I couldn't have been prouder of all she has become, and we felt so blessed to be able to share in her joy.

While there, we decided to attend services at LifePoint, the church my cousins, Rob and Aimee, pastor.  Adam had never seen their facility, and I am always happy to support their efforts over in Mukwonago.  Rob preached a sermon that he entitled, "Plan B Syndrome".  He talked about how many of us start our spiritual journeys in Plan A, where we are passionate, joyful, committed and disciplined in our approach to discipleship.  We are faithful in our worship, dedicated to prayer, sacrificial in our daily living, and genuine in our witness to others.

But somewhere along the way we end up instead executing Plan B... where we simply "exist" spiritually rather than thrive.  We go to church, but are not truly involved in what happens there.  We talk the talk, but are not empowered to thrive in the love story that is the gospel.

It was powerful food for thought, and as I do these days, I found myself relaying the concept not only spiritually, but to all areas of my life, even my cycling.

In how many areas am I stuck in Plan B because I am not correctly planning, organizing, thinking through and disciplining myself to bring my "A" game (or Plan!)? 

I want to accomplish Plan A -- in everything.   So yesterday, my first day back home, I set out to do all things "A".  I got to work early, read through all the notes from my assistants, looked at my schedule for the week, and then got busy writing out backwards calendars for the events coming up, sorting to-do lists by priority and deadlines.  I took care of several pesky, lingering tasks -- you know the ones-- that I had been shoving aside for weeks.  Done.  There are four big community/cultural events coming up for my department in the next two months, and for each one, my team is going to be executing Plan A.

Then, after work, we made a family trip to the grocery store, replenishing our home food supply and focusing on good, nutritious foods -- lots of berries, vegetables, lean meats, healthy snacks.  Normally, once home, I would put everything away and move to the next task.  Not this time.  I sat down and divided everything from berries and nuts to gluten-free pretzels into one-portion bags and containers, writing the calories, and fat, fiber, protein carb grams right on the bags.  Now, throughout the week, I can "grab and go" AND have everything I need to track on my smartphone -- no Plan B in my eating, and no Plan B in my food journal ("I'll do it later when I can look this up...")

Finally, I got on my bike.  I didn't put it on the truck and take it to an "easier" riding route.  I just got on, faced the hills all around me and rode.  It was a short ride (just 6 miles), but man, did I ever do the climbing.  Up Canyon Road.  Up Garnet Street.  Up Dell Rio.  Up, up, up.   Instead of avoiding the steep hills, as I am prone to do, I went out of my way to find them and climb them.  You know why?  Because the route in September is full of climbs and I need to be on my "A" game.

I took a little break in the middle because as I rode past Zakotnik's house, my good friend and confidante Mary Kay was outside on her porch, enjoying her Kindle and some iced tea.  Soon I was enjoying iced tea with her.  We chatted while I cooled off, and then I admired her new countertops and was back on my bike, climbing, climbing, climbing. 

Add to this mix a dentist appointment,a cello lesson, and a devotional and there you have it -- a day chock full of making good, healthy, Plan A choices.

Not surprisingly, I woke up full of energy and excited to start the new day.  So here's to the continuation of Plan A, with thanks to Rob for the paradigm shift.

Have a great day, blog. 

Sitting Pretty

I am very proud to say that I rode my bike every single day I have been in Wisconsin.  First time ever.  I guess it goes to show that when something is a priority, we accomplish it.  I found myself fashioning my "dates" and appointments around being able to ride my bike to them. My goal was further helped by the fact that my step mom cycles regularly and was happy to ride with me several times.  And. if I can give myself a few extra kudos here, I want to add that it has been 85-90 degrees with high humidity every day. Now that is commitment!

So yes, I need to continue the trend when I get home.  And in fact, I cannot wait to get back to Kemmerer and onto my rode bike again.  Because.....

Because.....

Because I bought a new saddle (seat) today!!! Hoorah!  After reading several books on long-distance cycling, including the Woman's Guide to Cycling, I realized that we women have different sit bone needs than men, ergo the need for specialized "lady-specific" seats.  (Not making that term up... it says right on the package that it's lady-specific.)

Purchased, at Wheel and Sprocket (with a sweet "Founder's Discount" -- thanks Kegel family, and thanks Dad!), a Selle Italia DIVA gel flow seat.  Oh, man.  Oh, man.  Italian leather cover over a gel seat... my booty will thank me tomorrow, the day after, and every day of that 323 mile ride in September.  It has fantastic reviews.. lots of comments by women who were doing some major squirming after 10-15 miles on their old bike seats, but can easily endure 40-60 miles on this one.  Hopefully that is going to be ME very shortly.

I will let you know how it turns out.

In the next two weeks, I need to get majorly organized.  It's time to start creating a list of things I will need and to slowly gather them (and, learning from Cheryl Strayed, practice packing, carrying and using them!)  60 days out now -- yikes!  It's getting really close, but there is still time to get stronger, faster, better.
(Actually, I am feeling a little smug.  My friend Fred is doing the ride with me, and HE has yet to buy a bike... and here I have a bike AND a new seat. Uh huh.)

Stay tuned, and thanks blog!

Cycling as a Lifestyle

I am sitting in my grandfather's kitchen, drinking coffee and listening to the conversations swirling around me.  Heaven.  In 45 minutes I will get on my bike and ride 6 miles to Panera to meet my cousin for...well, more coffee.  But the point is, by noon I will have 12 miles in, so naturally.

This makes me wonder two things.   First, how lovely would it be to live somewhere where fitness could more easily be a part of the daily routine? (And would I take advantage of it?). And second, what would it take to incorporate riding into my normal day in Wyoming?

I'm not going to lie... It would not be easy AT ALL.  There is a lack of shoulders on roads (not to mention bike lanes), frequently the winds gust at over 25 miles per hour, which, without buildings and trees to block, is downright dangerous.  And then there are the hills...Egad.  But it is probably doable with commitment and determination.

So maybe the real question is whether I have that commitment and determination. Not sure.  It deserves more thought, though.

For now, I am going to finish my coffee and get on my bike.  Later today I am going to Wheel and Sprocket to find a better saddle for my Fuji and to look at clip ins for the pedals.  Baby steps. :)

Still Kickin'

Hello, Blog! 

Have you missed me as much as I have missed you?  Happy to say that 1) reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated and 2) the ride is still on.  (I need to do a countdown to September 15th... it's getting closer -- yikes!)

I was traveling the past week and fully intended to blog from the road but got side-tracked by an unfortunate and untimely case of dehydration and esophagitis and subsequent hospitalization.  More on that later, but for now I will say that I am way spoiled by the speedy medical attention here in rural Wyoming.  The San Francisco ER took hoooouuuuurrrrrrs, though the wait was mitigated by the wonderful care of a sweet and funny nurse named Fe.

At any rate, I am back and rarin' to go.  Heading to Milwaukee (again!) for a wedding and of course, to hold my baby niece as much as my sister will let me (if I can wrangle her away from my husband and daughter, who are as doting as I am!)  Adam and Aislynn are already there, and my lovely husband is going to have my old Trek, which has been in Milwaukee since LAST summer, tuned up and ready for me.  It will probably be a nice break from the sleeker but decidedly less comfortable Fuji.

So... more on all of this sooner than later. 

Nite, Blog.