New Year, new plans

I am not a fan of New Year's resolutions. It's not that I am against goal setting and the quest to improve oneself, because I love that stuff (I am American, after all). I'm against what "New Year's Resolutions" specifically mean. For everyone I know, they seem to be a vehicle to induce guilt and self-loathing. That sounds strong, but I have never had anyone say to me, “My New Year’s resolutions worked! I am so proud of myself!” Unless of course, they mean it as a joke and they’ve resolved to drink a case of beer every night or something that they well know is destructive. New Year’s resolutions are an opportunity for people to expose where they think they’ve failed and set a goal to become successful. When it comes to health especially, these goals tend to fall apart by the end of January. The term “resolutions” itself ignore the habitual behavior required to achieve a health-related goal. Mind you, I’ve had friends create attainable goals that require a change in one specific small daily behavior to their great benefit. This is a great idea, and starting at the new year make it easy to measure success by the end of the year.

Needless to say, about a month ago I set some new training and fitness goals for myself. I am going to share them here, because, well,  this is the time of the year to start anew. Overall, I am more satisfied with my health than I have been most of my life, but it still feels good to work toward improvement. I also know that if I continue on the same path, I will begin to see more and more diminished strength, comfort and ability.

My 2016 goal is to:

• Gain 5 lbs of muscle
• Loose 5 lbs of fat
• thereby bringing me from 72% lean mass (28% fat) to 78% lean mass (22% fat))

My daily plan to meet this goal is to:

• track food every day
• eat with awareness/ know that everything I eat is a choice/focus on choosing foods that "healthiest, most successful me" would choose
• pay attention to how hungry I feel when eating
• stop eating when I am 80% full
• meditate for 5 minutes
• focus on consistent time to bed and time to wake
• disregard/not dwell on the times I don't follow my plan, just focus on the next time

My weekly plan to meet this goal is to:

• lift weights at the health club 3 times a week
• ride bike aerobically for 6+ hours a week (already been doing this for years commuting to work)
• one other activity (walk, hike, ski, yoga, Zumba, or other)

As a result I will:

• Be a stronger cyclist!
• Be ready to tackle any adventure!
• Know that I am making the healthiest, most holistic choices possible to combat my existing health issues
• Feel my best to the benefit of those around me and those I influence

The Ministry of Silly Walks

image from http://www.thetimes.co.uk/

The day started out even colder, in the high 20s. I doubled up hats and had to keep wiggling my fingers. One of the problems with chilled fingers on a bike, compared to skiing, is the fingers are depended on to brake. If your fingers are too numb to move, braking doesn't happen.

I met with my trainer this morning at the health club and added some pieces to my workout routine. We started out walking with straight legs kicked up as high as I could go. I instantly felt like a part of the Ministry of Silly Walks and this thought entertained me for the rest of the morning.

I passed a few stretches of ice, but nothing slippery. In one spot, a street light illuminated a huge stretch of fuzzy frost over the bike lane. In it I could see the tire tracks of the 77 cyclists before me. The contrast of the white frost over black pavement and the random placing of the straight lines looked artistic and beautiful. I wanted to take a photo. I am glad I didn't stop and try however, because my photo app took several minutes updating firmware when I tried to take a photo later in the morning.

I also learned that my feelings of bonking yesterday were false. Today I rode with certainty that I was on top of my game. Other cars drove along with me as well. I still hit the red light in the same spot, so the light timing is off again. It does this from time to time. I am often startled. The nice thing about this version of timing is that I don't have to wait at the Coach store. Funny I didn't notice it yesterday and assumed I bonked. Fremont Bridge Bike count: 78

The cold never bothered me anyway

The weather report read 30 degrees and light snow when I woke up this morning. I  never saw the “snow” symbol on my weather report before. Because my usually amazing toasty pants don’t keep me warm below 35, and the first 4 miles of my commute is downhill, I added a fleece face mask to my attire. I felt comfy as a kitten! I didn’t see any snow, but every parked car I passed was completely white with frost.

I didn’t get to see the baby-cradle pothole this morning as the whole lane where it was, for several blocks, was blocked off for road construction. I couldn’t quite tell what they were doing, they certainly had more equipment than needed to repair a pothole, but I hope they do repair it while they are at it.

I started to bonk by the time I got to downtown. That hasn’t happened in a long time, not since the heavy physical labor at work days. I pedaled so slowly I couldn’t keep up with the timed lights on 5th avenue. The lights are timed at 25 mph, and without traffic, you can go 10 blocks without stopping. I usually make 7 blocks before my lungs give out. Today I tuckered out before the 4th block! Either my tire is too flat (my front tire has a slow leak that is too slow to deal with), I got too cold (possible!), or I didn’t have enough fuel left in my blood (I did nearly faint during yoga and had to stop to regain my balance). Needless to say, I felt more gratitude for the hot shower at work than ever before. They even installed a new shower head that is far better than before. Now, I am all better.

Fremont Bridge Bike Count: 95

New route = fun route

The new route I take to work to include a side trip to the health club is a mile longer and more fun. I wasn’t looking forward to riding that extra mile, but the route is so much better it takes the same amount of time. This new route cuts out several traffic lights, is on a smoother road, and avoids the steepest hill of my commute. All these things make for a faster ride. There is one 6-way intersection where I have to wait FOR EVER if I hit a red light, but so far I’ve only hit the light about 50% of the time. There is also one unmarked pothole in the bike lane large enough to fit a newborn baby into, so I have to stay on guard to avoid that. And watch out for babies.

Today, as I was turning left from the health club, across the road and onto the bike lane, a cyclist zooming downhill at about 40 mph yelled “HEADS UP!” I am glad he did, because it was perfectly timed, and I did not even see him when I started turning. To my credit, he was probably in another county when I looked.

And just for fun, I updated my Monkey Light from red and green Christmas stars to blue and green Seahawks stars. Cause, why not? I am waiting for the inevitable chorus of drunken cheers as I pass fans on game day.

Fremont Bridge bike count: 69 

Last Monday of the year, best Monday of the year

Today's ride, devoid of most traffic and activity, felt like riding through an idyllic small town. The time nestled between Christmas and New Year's must be a week of vacation for so many people that is completely transformed the roads. I noticed a drastic decrease in traffic on the roads last week. It was enough that even pedestrians noticed, but a difference enough to notice is nothing compared to a difference enough to completely change the experience. I started my ride at 5am so I could enjoy an hour of yoga before work, and at first I assumed the stark drop in traffic due to the hour of the day, but when I finally arrived downtown at my normal time, it still felt like 5am.

I also had a driver in an SUV pause before making a right hand turn across the bike lane I was crossing. I waved a crazed THANK YOU at him- this particular setup scares me the most on a bike.

By the way, yoga felt amazing. I think yoga and cycling fits together just as good as cycling and beer. And, since I don't care for beer, this is a very good thing.

Fremont Bridge Bike count: 78

Merry Christmas!

Last weekend I rode with the bike group from work to view the Christmas lights around town. We dressed up our bikes in Christmas cheer and horrayed as passers by cheered us on like we were also part of the show. 

Here is a picture of my bike all decked out for Christmas: 

That moment when...

 ....you get to the health club for some off-season cross training and realize that you packed your bag the way a half-awake sleey person would (and did). No matter, mismatched shoes won't stop this girl! At least I had one for each foot!

Fremont Bridge Bike Counter

Photo from Puget Sound Business Journal

I try to note my count every time I pass the bike counter on the Fremont Bridge. It occurred to me that you, dear reader, might not know what this is all about. The summer after I moved to Seattle, grant money supported the installation of this counter that is said to resemble counters in Copenhagen. The counter is a pillar that electronically counts every bike that passes via ground sensor. It was installed on one of the most, if not the most, bicycle traveled bridge in all of Seattle. The little pillar has been counting cyclists ever since. I am not sure how accurate it is, if it counts strollers and power chairs that sort of thing. Also, several cyclists ignore the narrow bike and pedestrian passage for the road, or bike on the wrong side of the bridge, not being counted. These are small numbers compared to those who cross the counter, so I expect it to be mostly accurate. Being that I love data, I get a kick out of this counter every time I cause the number to tick. It fascinates me how the numbers triple, quadruple, every May during bike month, only to drop back down to regular numbers in June, even if the weather is still good. It also fascinates me how, at any given time I ride, and am within 50 (and usually less) counts of where I was the day before. This tells me that most cyclists in the city are commuters. 

Headwinds

Today's warm morning (50 degrees!) was offset by a headwind. Ug! Headwind. The winds pounded strongest right at a construction area where bikes have to merge with cars. I usually sprint here so the cars don't get angry that some slow biker is bringing their commute down, but I just couldn't crack it with the wind blowing so hard. Fremont bridge bike count: 128

Chocolate skunks in jeans

That distinctive ripe, pungent smell of skunk filled my nostrils while riding down Phinney. It’s not often one gets the opportunity to “experience” the odors of wildlife, even roadkill, in the city. While repugnant, I still enjoyed the experience. At any rate, the nostrils cleared nicely by the time I got to Fremont and I can only assume I was treated by the hard-working chocolatiers at Theo Chocolate brewing up a fresh batch of their rich, bitter chocolate. The intoxicating scent covers several blocks of Fremont. I usually only smell it in the late evening, so this morning batch came as a welcome treat.

After looking at so many riders today, I announce today the day of biking in jeans. I saw at least 6 jeans-clad men. I still say biking in jeans is just OK. Biking in jeans in the rain is miserable.

I also announce today the day for other cyclists to speed past me with all they’ve got, even running red lights where they could, only for me to meet up with them again at a traffic light a few blocks later. I shaved a good 15 minutes off my commute time learning the light patterns, learning when it’s a good time to push the pedals and beat the lights, and when it’s better to save your lungs for the next block.

Fremont bike count: 16

Confusing day

The light on Fremont at 85th responds to a sensor. For the past year the sensor has been working quickly and reliably. When I approached the intersection and saw a car and a bike waiting and the light not already changing, I knew something was wrong. I sat and watched the pedestrian crosswalk cycle through- this is how you know the sensor is not triggered. By this time, a trail of cars and bikes wait behind us. I see that the car is in the cross walk, far ahead of the sensor. I see that the bike is near the bike sensor, but not on it. He looks agitated, like he expected to go already. I walk up to him, and tell him to put his bike over the sensor, pointing. He looks at me, confused, but follows. I want to explain to him that the sensor must be triggered in order for the light to change, but the light changes as soon as he puts his bike on the sensor, and I, having grown impatient, ride off instead. I feel bad. Does this guy understand how the sensors work? What a great opportunity to help someone learn, except I let my impatience get the better of me.

Several miles later, a short school bus stopped in the middle of the road. Even though I am in a bike lane, a stopped vehicle is cause for alarm. Should I stop too, or should I go? A stopped school bus usually means we stop too. But, I’d never seen a school bus at this time before. What was it doing? Was it “in operation”? There was a crosswalk ahead of the bus, but I could see no people at it. If the bus was letting people off, I should stop. But, why not use the bus stop? And where would the people be going? There were no schools or retirement or care homes nearby. An older couple was walking on the sidewalk, but they weren’t particularly close to the bus or the crosswalk. Even so, there are tons of “connector” vans around town that pick up elderly and disabled folk. I regularly see at least one of them at the retirement homes I ride by. If the bus was turning, then I should go. The problem with me stopping for a turning vehicle that’s already stopped, is I run the risk of the “Seattle standoff”; I wait for them, they wait for me. No one moves. It had no turn signal on. Perhaps it was letting an oncoming car turn ahead of him? I saw none. Utterly confused as to why the bus stopped in the middle of the street, I decided to proceed.

A few blocks later, the bus passes me and stops in front of a crosswalk. Again, no cars, no people. Not even an intersection or bus stop this time. And, as the bus just passed me, I am sure there is nothing in the road causing the bus to stop. I wonder, do school buses have to stop at every crosswalk like they have to stop at all railroad tracks? I am not sure. If that’s the case, I feel bad for the bus driver, since there are numerous crosswalks on this road that rarely get used. I pass confidently this time. Just as I am passing, the doors open and the driver loudly yells out at me “MHRSHGHROGHTSOFOPPTOOO!” After years of biking, I can say that drivers do not know how poorly sound travels from a car. From the last bit, I decide she was telling me to “STOP TOO!” Which means I made the wrong choice. I feel bad now. I want to be the example; the cyclist who does things the correct way. After I pass, the doors close and the bus proceeds again. It appears she stopped just to yell at me. I need to check a rule book somewhere. It appears that every time a school bus stops I have to stop too (makes sense). It also appears that school buses have to stop at every crosswalk. This is where I am confused. There are crosswalks at nearly every intersection, but I am sure they don’t have to stop at intersections with green lights. If anybody has any answers, please comment below.

Fremont Bridge count: 197

Haven't you always wanted a monkey?

picture from http://seattle.findwell.com/event/holiday-monkey-lights/

For several blocks, 200 LED-lit monkeys dazzle the streets of Greenwood and Phinney neighborhoods. I remember seeing them around Christmas time last year, and didn’t think anything of them this year until the question was asked…”why?” I didn’t really think about it, but nearly every business, and even some apartments windows display these cheerful dancing monkeys. The monkeys wear tutus in front of the dance studio, ride bikes at the bike shop, eat in front of the grocery store, and so on.

It’s really neat. I guess there isn’t a particular reason they are monkeys, just that they are cool. The monkeywood website says that they complement the zoo’s holiday light display. Considering I got to see the Wildlights last night, this is very fitting. Making the monkeys even more fitting, I live in the Greenwood neighborhood and ride with a MonkeyLight on my bike (like, whoa dude. We'll be syncing the lights to Pink Floyd songs next). The monkeys have a secret (or not so secret) goal of driving sales at the small local business that dominate these neighborhoods. For instance, on Wednesday all the businesses with red monkeys in the window have a certain sale. There is even a scavenger hunt.

Here is a video of the monkeys being made from http://www.monkeywood.org/:

Today’s ride brought on another ice cream headache, even though I dressed a little too warmly. I thought cheerfully of the monkeys for most of my ride. Downtown there is a stretch of flat road with timed lights where I can keep up with the speed limit. This is important as there are often few enough cars in the lane that I need to keep up. I can only do it because shortly after the road becomes congested with traffic and I can catch my breath. Today an angry driver made an illegal lane change to speed past me. I guess he couldn’t handle the thought of driving behind a bike, even though I was going the same pace as any car. I met up with him again just blocks later when the road congested. I shake my head at this silliness. Why do people feel the need to be so angry. Why do I let this get me angry? Luckily, I will soon forget all about the drivers and remember only the cute monkeys.

Fremont Bridge count: 198

Honking constantly won't make you feel better

About once a month during rush hour downtown, someone driving behind me honks steadily. They don't just honk once, but they tap the horn again and again. Honk....Honk...Honk....Honk. This goes on for several blocks. When they get to a spot where they can pass me, they do so with one long honnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnk all the way until they get in front of me. Traffic only gets lite enough for cars to pass north of Pike, so they could be honking for several blocks. While trying to stay focused on the road, I ponder what's going on in the driver's mind. The first time this happened, I worried they were trying to alert me to something- my bag is open, my keys are dangling, my underwear are on outside of my pants. But no, this is never the case. It could be they hate all cyclists and spend their time honking at every one in their path. That seems unlikely. I conclude they must disagree with the legality of my behavior somehow. Most recently, rain fell with a heaviness unusual to the northwest. It was the sort of rain that completely saturated my pants and shoes before I even got across the street to start my commute. Needless to say, concern for my safety dominated my every decision. I understand that this could conflict with rush hour drivers, who main concern is to get home as quickly as possible. I rode in the center of the second lane out of four. IT couldn't be that I was riding slower than cars drive, because in rush hour I am just behind the car in front of me. Maybe they were angry because I wasn't riding in the lane with the designated "sharrows" on it. Problem is, that is the far left lane, which for 7 blocks is completely backed up with cars wanting to turn left at every block and having to wait for pedestrians to cross. It could be that I wasn't behaving like most cyclists behave downtown. Most cyclists, ride on the line between lanes. I've heard this called "white lining" and "midlining". It is a fast way for cyclists to pass cars. The biggest problem with that behavior is that it isn't safe. No one can predict what others are going to do. I will share a lane with a car, but only if all cars I'd pass are stopped at a red light and my and their next moves are predictable, or my lane becomes a turn-only lane and don't want to turn and can't keep up the pace with the cars in the next lane. Needless to say, while I am getting used to the honking, it is still aggravating to listen to when you are trying to concentrate on being safe.

Fremont Bridge count: 200

People, people everywhere

I saw so many other cyclists out there with me this morning. All it takes is a break in the weather and the numbers triple, quadruple, and then some. It’s still dark, cold, early, and raining. The record-breaking flood-inducing rains finally subsided, but the weather certainly isn’t ideal. I wonder what summer will look like. How congested will the bike lanes be when the weather is good and the sun is out? I didn’t start my rush-hour commute until the tail end of summer this year, so I don’t really know what I am in for. I grew up in a small town and lived in extremely rural areas for many years as an adult. The number of people bustling about in the downtown of a major American city can overwhelm. I tire from the number of people who gasp at my willingness to confront THE WEATHER on my bike. No one seems impressed by their own willingness to confront PEOPLE on the bus. PEOPLE spread disease. PEOPLE cause me great sadness, especially in the city where the full spectrum of human suffering is right out there, visible for us to absorb. Sure, I’d rather ride in good weather. But I’ll take dealing with the weather over people any day!

Familiar faces, familiar places

I am beginning to recognize the regular riders on my new commute. I only recognize the more distinctive riders. There’s “orange rafting bag” that I mentioned earlier. I also see “lady with embroidered jacket and light up traffic vest”. She and I share the same commute for at least 6 miles. I also see “tall sprinting guy with flappy green jacket”, “2 panniers and swift industries saddle bag”, “lady on cruiser who loves purple”, “tiny speed demon in tights” and “sprinting guy all in black”. There are more that I can’t think of right now.

I don’t see them all every day, but it is impressive the regularity that I see so many. Of course, I wouldn’t recognize any of them at all if they changed outfits or bikes. I assume to them I am “orange handlebars and monkey light.” It makes me wonder how many of the same cars we see every day, driving around. It’s harder for cars to look distinctive, so I may very well see the same 50 cars every day and not know it. One advantage to recognition I have on a bike, however, is that cyclists go a variety of different speeds. The guy going 10 miles an hour will be passed by everyone going 20 miles an hour even if their start times vary by minutes every day. Also, traffic lights are great equalizers. Fast people and slow people and people who left the same location minutes apart all bunch up at the same traffic light. It is on a stretch of 3 heavily congested traffic lights that I see most of the people I recognize. In a car, you may drive the same route at the same time as someone else, but if they are 5 cars ahead of you may never see them. These are the things I think about in those moments of boredom waiting for lights to change.

Rain, Rain

This picture captures the experience of everyone bike commuting in Seattle today. That is all.

Riding bikes in the rain like everyone should

Cascade Bicycle Club Made a riding in the rain specific playlist for all us crazy cyclists. Check it out! 

I won! I won!

The other night I attended Cascade Bicycle Club's Ride in the Rain Finale celebration. I sat with some work buddies and one of them won an individual membership to Cascade Bike Club. They were really hoping that they would win the family membership so their whole family could be members. I am glad they told me about the raffle, so I ran up to the ticket takers and entered my name into the final drawing. They called my name (even pronouncing it correctly! That's a big deal!). I ran up to the stage to collect my award, take a bow (on the stage no one was looking at), shake hands with the important people (handing out chips) and pose for the photographers (who were taking selfies).

I won a family membership! I offered to switch with my friends- I am happy to be a member, but there is no one else in my household who'd benefit from a membership. It turned out so perfectly! Thank you, Cascade!

massages and muscles

“Cycling is a unique sport in that it fundamentally relies on power from the abdominals and lower back, but does virtually nothing to build or maintain it. In fact, cycling can sap your core strength and actually create problems, says Patty Tomlin, an exercise physiologist certified in Pilates at Colorado’s Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. Many of the cyclists she sees have overdeveloped quadriceps muscles and weak hamstrings, a classic problem that is a result of pedaling. Even off the bike, those powerful quads pull the hips forward and down, and the weaker hamstrings can’t pull back enough. This leads to poor posture and weak lower-back and abdominal muscles, says Tomlin.”

— http://www.bicycling.com/training/fitness/improve-power-and-balance

Muscles used in cycling. Artwork from the tenth volume (second period of 1892) of the French popular science weekly 'La Science Illustree'.

My physician gave me a massage therapy referral. I can’t just lay down and get a massage though, with a medical massage half the time is spent trying to figure out what is wrong. I am asked to rank how difficult the tasks of daily life are. This process fills me with guilt, making me feel like I am not qualified to be getting massage. I remember those times the arthritis in my lower back acted up, sending lightning bolts of pain through all corners of my body with every movement. I remember swollen throbbings of my wrists waking me up in the middle of the night;  an immobilizing dull ache that dominated my hands for years after repetitive fishery work. I remember when the tension in my neck immobilized my entire jaw, rendering the simple act of eating a slice of bread physically impossible. The pain I am dealing with now doesn’t come close to comparing to those. I wish with longing I had the amazing insurance benefits then that I have now. I assume the pain I have is to be expected. I assume it’s the pain of being alive and working and commuting to work every day and not having a robust fitness routine to keep me balanced and limber. The pain wanders. One week, my knees take all the attention. The next week it’s my elbows, then the back, then the neck, and on in on in some sort of rotation.

However, I think the massage therapists might be on to something.  I might have a legitimate issue that can be treated. It all started when a therapist pointed out that my quads are “ripped”. Another said they were “incredibly overdeveloped.” Before I could feel pride, however, they pointed out that the rest of me is “underdeveloped, especially by comparison. My health club recently offered a free fitness test. I knocked the squats out like nobody’s business. The personal trainer said I was a top performer. But, the rest of me performed at below average. How can any part of me be…below average? I bike every day! I belong to a health club! I should at least be average! But, it’s all coming together.

The massage therapists explained that, because muscles work in pairs, my knee is taking on significant pressures due to the severe unbalancing of my hamstrings and quadriceps. A brief web search gave it a name: patellofemoral pain.

“The pedaling movement puts more stress on the fronts of your thighs than the backs, which can lead to powerful quads and lesser developed hamstrings and glutes. If your quads overpower your hamstrings, they’ll drag your hips forward and down. Your hamstrings are unable to counteract that tug, resulting in compromised posture and weakened core muscles. You’ll tire more quickly on the bike as well as face an increased risk of back strain and injury.

In Brian Halpern’s book “The Knee Crisis Handbook,” a seasoned amateur cyclist complained of patellofemoral pain, or pain in the front of and around his kneecap. The pain stemmed from an imbalance in the strength of his inner thighs in comparison to his outer thighs. Although his quads were well developed, his outer thighs were overpowering his inner thighs and pulling his kneecaps toward the sides of his legs. The muscular imbalance between his abductors and adductors was planting the seeds for a knee-related injury.”

— http://www.livestrong.com/article/515186-imbalances-in-cycling-leg-strength/

It is coming clear to me that I may soon be developing a medical reason to start the strengthening program I’ve been waiting to start for years. I have been trying to find something convenient, easy to commit to. The more the massage therapists treat me, the more I think that convenience may no longer be relevant.

Attack of the killer shower head! And other commuter foibles...

After my quiet, cold, rainy, dark and (oops!) spacey ride into work, I turned on the shower in the locker room like I do every morning. I follow a routine, where I turn on the water before I undress so the temperature gets warm by the rime I am ready. Much to my surprise, someone wedged the hanging shower head into the ADA bar such that water sprayed directly out of the shower stall. Water showered all over me, my pile of clean clothes, the rack of towels, chairs, shoes and floor. I woke up quickly, pulling everything away from the stream and peeling my own clothes off to minimize soaking them when I turned off the spigot. I don’t have a decent place to dry of my rainy day outerwear much less my inner layers! Luckily, I managed the whole situation with minimal damage and everything turned out well. Expect the floor. The entire floor of the small room looked like it had flooded. I will now check the showerhead every morning!

Bridge bike count: 125