2019 by the Numbers

I struggled physically all year in 2019. I felt tired nearly every workout and struggled to finish what felt easy before. I felt zesty and invigorated only a handful of days. I felt like I spent weeks and weeks feeling too fatigued to move. As you can see from the weekly bar chart, my activity trended up and down all year long, like a wave. It’s like I spent a few weeks working really hard, only to find I never got to the reward of feeling better. Then I’d rest. The cycle repeated over and over. The chart matches my memory. in 2019 I spent many weeks feeling like I was “peaking”, like I reached my personal best. The weekly bar chart matches that memory. You can see a gradual build until a few weeks of peak performance in the summer, after which I rested. The weird thing is I feel like I didn’t do as much activity in 2019 as I had in many years. However, my activity was quite higher than 2017. I did have some technical difficulties with my hardware in 2017, so I had more untracked workouts that year than the others, but I don’t think I missed so many as to make the difference shown. Why did 2019 feel so bad? It is aging? Is it because 2018 was so fantastic? Is it a glitch in life, perception, or my hardware? Who knows?

While I can’t help but be full of intentions and expectations for my physical self in 2020, I want to also take time to congratulate myself and recognize that I am still doing well even if it doesn’t feel that way.

Registered for Bike MS Colorado 2020

It’s happening! Heather and I are officially registered for a reunion tour up and down the state of Colorado. I miss riding with her and in Colorado and am completely looking forward to this one! We’ve done many rides together, motivated each other, turned into cyclists together, lost weight together, got healthy together. A reunion is long overdue.

Our last Colorado Bike MS together;

Bike MS 2009

Our first Colorado Bike MS together; 2003

Cars in Bike Lanes edition 34

This video sort of speaks for itself. Cars regularly make u-turns in front of me. They swoop in and out, presumably without even noticing that I am there, crunching on my brake handles. I find it a little uncanny; rarely do I see cars making u turns in the distance. It seems they only do so right in front o me. Anyway, I’m sure that’s an awareness bias. This car dumbfounded me though. I assumed it was pulling into the driveway. It didn’t and it had tons of space in front of it. Why it was trying to back up (wher I was waiting for it), was beyond me.

Ride Time Capsule: Lady Wooleaters Ride Orcas Island

The Tuesday Ride Time Capsule captures images, thoughts, and notes about rides that happened some time ago that haven't been posted on SheRidesToday before. Here's to saving treasured memories!

This trip dates back to May 13-17, 2017.

The barn come entertainment area and Lady Wooleater’s dorm

Cute details throughout

There’s even a teepee you can stay in

Covered bike storage!

Beautiful back entrance

Our dorm

Watch out!

hot tub and sitting area

fireside chat at night

Is This Bike My Size?

Just curious…

Found in White Pass, Washington.

Bike Thing Thursday: Desk Cycle Desk Pedalling Device

Desk Cycle 2 gets a 5-Bike rating from me; the best it can be!

My neurologist recommended I use an under-desk pedalling device at work. I tend to fall asleep when bored. Not that I’m bored at work, but perhaps it’s more that I fall asleep when I’m in the same position for a while. Falling asleep is a risk when I am reading, sitting at a computer, driving; sedentary tasks. He’s found that getting an aerobic burst, increasing the heart rate, is the best way to keep one alert without drugs. I admit that a medication solution sounds so easy it’s compelling, but there are no stimulants out there that don’t come with downfalls.

I spent some time reviewing different types of devices. Several rehab style pedallers exist for around $30. However, they come with the disclaimer that they are so slow, rehabilitative motion. I have to get my heart rate up, which requires fast movement. I’m also a cyclist. I felt like that justified extra perks like resistance settings and a tracking computer.

My neurologist cautioned that it takes a while to get a rhythm going, where you can pedal quickly and be steady enough to not be distracted by it. I sought to find one that advertised smooth rotations.

I found the Desk Cycle, which boasted the quietest operation and lowest profile. I quickly learned the biggest issues with pedalling devices are knees hitting the bottom of the desk. This model said it had the lowest profile of all, and adjustable setting to make it compatible with different desk and body sizes.

The first day I used the device didn’t go so well. Nothing cooperated. My knees hit the desk. My chair arms hit the desk. My hand weren’t at the right spot for the keyboard. My chair kept rolling away. My feet didn’t feel right. I had to perfect 10 different points just to be able pedal. The second I turned my head to address someone at the door I had to reset everything all over again.

The second day I switched to a non-rolling chair as shown in the photo below. That solved everything. I now use the device every moment I am sitting in my chair at my computer! I haven’t fallen asleep or risked falling asleep a single day since I started using it.

NOTE: I am a consumer; just your every day bike enthusiast. I am not a reviewer, and I don’t make any money off of this website in any way.

Fall time riding

The leaves are nearly all fallen. The color was amazing this year, each leaf’s hue deeper and more vibrant than years’ past. I took a brisk, crisp ride out with Cascade Bicycle Club. This series is called the SNOCO; one that takes place in the fall around Snohomish county. I enjoyed the group quite a bit last year. I forgot how much. This group include a larger percentage of women that usual, many who are in the vicinity of my age. There’s even one who rides with the same socks I do. Pretty good time!

Relive 'CBC SNOCO: Brisk, Crisp ride from Lynnwood'

Relax

This article from Bicycling.com discussed special relaxation techniques for cyclists. I’m happy to say I practice all of them! I must be SO relaxed!

On the flipside, I freaked out a little when I first saw the picture below. I read it as a recommendation; in that we should strive to do all these things. That’s impossible! What a great way to bring yourself down by trying to bring yourself up! Then someone pointed out to me that these are merely types of self-care out there. We are free to do or not do as many as necessary. Whew. OK, I can relax again.

Found from somewhere on the internet, I can’t remember where!

Seattle Cyclist’s Solution for Being Seen

Bike commuting on dark and rainy morning, a car driver pulls over to tell me I'm doing it right! :D

“Fantastic Lights!” is the best compliment a driver can give a bike commuter. Someone gave me this very compliment the other day and I can’t be more proud. It took the research and efforts of myself and several others who care about my safety to come up with the perfect setup. It was no easy feat. But exactly what is my setup? Why did I pick them? A lot of people have been asking.

There are 8 elements to being seen in 3 different categories to make my total of 24 visibility features:

My jacket is SOOOO reflective

• Visibility from the front, rear, and both sides

  • I have lights, reflective features and colors exposed on all sides. This helps cars passing on my left, cars turning on the road from my right, oncoming cars that suddenly decide to make a u-turn (this happens more than you would think!), and cars coming up from behind have a better chance of seeing me.

• Reflectivity, lights, and bright colors

  • Reflective features pop when lights shine on them. They punch through rain and fog and are the simplest and brightest. Reflective features are great in that they are never too bright, but they only work when the person looking has a light. Since so many Seattle drivers drive without their lights on, night and day, these are insufficient. They also don’t do anything to help pedestrians see you. I have a fully reflective jacket, reflective features on my shoes, pant legs, gloves, and panniers.

  • Lights are visible night and day. I have a total of 72 LEDs on my bike. Lights can be so bright they are blinding, especially to pedestrians. They can also be positioned poorly so as to shine in someone’s face. I angle my lights to cast a shadow only about 4-6 feet to be sure I don’t blind anybody. My lights are all different levels of brightness. I can go from 50 lumens to 1000 lumens. I try to keep each light around 500 lumens but have several of them. 700 lumens is pretty bright when focused, so I only do this when needed, or if I need them to help see. Some of my lights are focused, and some are broad. I have all sorts of colors, too.

  • Seattle is particularly grey most of the year. It may be board daylight, but the outdoor color is dim and muted. Most active clothing, especially women’s active clothing, is black. Clothing manufacturers deal with this by adding reflective features, but again, they don’t do any good if headlights aren’t shining. Black clothing disappears into the background and is hard to see. I do what I can to be as colorful as possible. This helps offset the grey of Seattle.

• Static and dynamic features

  • I have steady lights and flashing lights. I avoid the flashing strobe when it’s dark because that can be quite disorienting. However, I have many lights that flash at various speeds and patterns. The movement pops when a driver looks. We are trained to identify fast moving things, like other cars, while we’re driving. If you glance at the road quickly, a bike moving 10 mph might look like it’s not moving at all. Flashing also penetrates longer distances, so you can be seen from farther away. I also have reflective features that are static, like my panniers and jacket. They add to my overall brightness. But I have reflective moving features, like my feet and hands, that add to the flashing lights. All this movement makes me easier to spot.

  My Setup

  But what exactly do I have, you ask? Here are my most asked about accessories, all listed out. I add links to the products where I could. Note that I’m just a commuter in Seattle trying to stay alive. I’m not selling anything, I don’t get any perks if you buy what I have, and I am not particularly recommending that you buy what I have. I just love my setup, and want to share it because so many people ask.

• Proviz Reflect 360 CRS Plus Jacket on me. This is the new jacket. Super fun! I haven’t been this excited about clothing in a while. It’s waterproof, warm, full of pockets, and bright as can be.

• Monkey Light on my front wheel. This is a series of LEDs that flash in a pattern. I have over 70 pre-set patterns to choose from. I feature a different pattern for each season and holiday, but my all-time favorite is dead fish (of course!). This has generated more conversation and has consistently been more fun than any other bike accessory ever! (Thanks Louise!)

• Cycliq Fly 12CE and Fly 6CE on my handlebar and rear rack. These lights are designed specifically as headlights and tail lights and include video cameras that were used to make the videos highlighted here. These have been the glitchiest and most unreliable, but also most complex and high-tech of bike gadgets.

• Cygolight Hotshot on my seat post. Just a simple, long-lasting tail light. This is the gold standard. You are bike a bike commuter if you don’t have a light like this! The battery lasts forever! (Thanks to…shoot, I can’t remember if it was Bryan or Louise! These two keep me safe!)

• Niterider Lumina on my handlebar. This is a solid headlight light that gives me exactly what I need. I’ve gone through 2 of these lights over the my many years commuting.The company’s customer service has been top notch. I could (and did) get by with just this light and a tail light all winter long (Thanks Bryan!)

via GIPHY

SheRides' Most Visited Post

I looked into SheRidesTodays’ analytics the other day and found something interesting. For the longest time, my most-searched topic was my West Maui Loop biking video. I feel bad about that one, because it’s such a poorly made video! But now, a new search takes the cake, “cycling enthusiast”. The word “enthusiast” specifically, was a word in over 70% of the searches that led to my site. I feel bad about this one, too. The post is nothing but me comparing myself to terms posted by another site. I hope that my page gave them a lot of traffic, as I had nothing to do with it, really. Apologies to my readers, I’m going to try to get some better content!

The gif(t) of Bike MS

Team F5

via GIPHY

source video credit: Zach @ F5

I had so much fun riding with team F5. Because f5 was the biggest fundraiser in 2018, our team had the honor of starting the ride. Here we are, the first team to cross the start line. All the cheering made it so much more fun.

Reach the Beach Washington

This looks like an awesome ride and an awesome route. Is it in my future? I LOVED RTB Oregon….

Bike MS Deception Pass 2019

Team F5 is the first team out of the start line chute!

Lance invited me to join team F5 with him and his fellow work buddies. I rode Bike MS Washington once before and decided I would only do it again with a team. Well, being part of team F5 made it better than ever. F5 went above and beyond as a host. I felt welcome, cozy, and well-appointed. One of the team captains commutes to work from near where I live. The other team caption made his famous “loaf”. This “loaf” comprised of some 15 or more boxes of rice crispies, cocoa crispies, chocolate chips and a year’s supply of marshmallows. It sat in a large plastic tub, bigger than you would wash your dishes in. One sliced off what they wanted with a long knife. The treat was both delicious and strangely satisfying. He also made tasty (and strong) margs’ for everyone. Many F5’ers rode with their teenage children. Three other riders had white Specialized Roubaix’, just like mine.

Team F5 crossed the start line first in 2019 among cheers from riders and rumbles from the Harleys. Team F5 raised more money than all other teams in 2018, so everyone really had something to cheer about!

Day 1 Recap (more day 1 details below):

Relive 'Bike MS Deception Pass 2019'

Highlights

• Starting the ride first, as an award for being on the “number 1 fundraising team”. Hearing all the cheers and the Harley’s roaring for us.

• The cheerful cheerleaders at the Deception Pass stop, “5-6-7-8-who do we appreciate-THE BIKERS-THE BIKERS”

• The really friendly “Disney VoluntEAR” wearing Minnie Mouse ears who told us all about the route for the rest of the day in pro tour-guide fashion.

• Watching birds crack open clamshells by dropping them on the bike path right in front of me.

• Riding through crops with identifying signage; potatoes, wheat, cover crop.

• The cornfield that advertised, “We have big EARS” and pictures of Alfred E. Neuman’s bastard children.

• The lone beer drinkin’ dude on a truck at the Chuckanut Brewery’s nuthouse cheering us on.

• The couples sitting out on their porch overlooking Padilla Bay and waving Pennsylvania style.

• Aussie Bites at the rest stops.

• The numerous volunteers who watched traffic for us and were fun and cheerful

• The chapter president met us and remembered my name.

• The large number of other white Roubaix bikes like mine.

• That massive flock of birds that took flight right as we passed, turning the sky all around us black for a moment.

• Stopping traffic to cross the Deception Pass Bridge, creating a massive backup and nobody went road-rage about it.

• The flocks of people cheering their brains out at the finish line. This is how the rides should be!

• Watching cyclists do the “I Ride with MS Victory Lap” and not turning into a sobbing mass. Although someone was cutting onions nearby.

• The coolest SAG wagon; a federation starfleet jeep.

• Riding past Lake Erie. I was born in Lake Erie. Who knew I was a west coast native?!

Weather:

The forecast called for 75 degrees and overcast, in line with the weather the whole week leading up to the ride. I felt pretty confident we would be treated with the same pleasant temperatures. It was the last minute that I decided to toss in a rain jacket and a fender. I didn’t bring and sleeves, legs, or any of my numerous warm weather gear. Murphy’s Law, perhaps? I could have easily worn more. Temps barely rode above 65 Saturday, and the waterfront routes ensured it felt cooler than it was. It wasn’t too cold by any means, it just could have been warmer. I wore my rain jacket the second day, mostly for warmth. Turns out I felt plenty warm, and the heavens blessed us by making the rain part of the jacket unnecessary. The best treat of the trip was the lightning and thunder storm. Lance and I got to enjoy the storm of the century from the comfort of my van. Lightning and thunder- an unusual display for the Seattle area, lit up the skies for hours Saturday night. Other Bike MS campers oohed and awwwwed at each magnificent flash. The soft rain puttering on the roof put us right to sleep. Then the magnificent bright flashes woke us up again.

Seattle lightning credit: reddit.com

Mechanicals:

None! Can you believe it! Lance rode his ebike and it performed like a dream! My bike gave me no complaints. It may have helped that a certain live-in-barista cleaned my bike up for me before the ride.

Roadkill:

This ride showed us unique roadkill, especially for Washington state. I rarely see any roadside death here: Opossum, rabbit, frog (belly up!)

Day 1 Details:

Day 2 Details:

Relive 'Bike MS Deception Pass Washington 2019 day 2'

Photos of the Ride:

The Viking Tour

Poulsbo, WA Viking Festival

I wanted to go to the Viking Festival in Poulsbo for so long, and I am so glad I finally did it. Street fair, parade, live music, historic scenery, donut eating and lutefisk eating contest, farmer’s marker and bike ride. All kinds of fun. There was also several things I didn’t do, like attend the amusement park. Super fun time!

Tour de Yachats

My wonderful aunt recently purchased a house in downtown Yachats. She bestowed it Sweet Haven. She decorated it in greens and purples with mermaids all around. She was kind enough to let my mother and I stay there for a summer vacation. I took the opportunity to ride around. I haven’t been feeling very well, and biking has been tough. I gave it all I had the first day. But the beauty at every turn inspired me. I only wanted to ride more. The next day I went all out and it felt fantastic. Riding from Yachats to Newport was the best day of riding I’ve had all year. I had to cut the third day short for time, so I left wanting more. It’s on my list of priorities to get back there. Soon.

Relive 'Tour de Yachats, day 3'

Relive 'Tour de Yachats day 1'

Relive 'Tour de Yachats; day 2'

Bike MS Colorado 2020

Bike Ms Colorado is happening again. Heather is already planning it with a few of her friends. It’s been several years since I’ve ridden in Colorado, and I am looking forward to riding it again in 2020. Time to shake things up!

Bike MS Deception Pass is this September

Lance invited me to join Team F5 as they ride Bike MS Deception Pass this year! It’s going to be AWEOME!!! It will be here before you know it, I have some work to do!

Sponsor me by Clicking Here

At the start line in 2014

Route Goals

Will I be able to ride 169 miles and 7000+ feet elevation? Only time will tell. I have to start training!

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Scenes from 2014

Scenes from 2014

Scenes from 2014

I rode Bike MS Deception Pass back in 2014. It was a spectacular and varied route. I am excited to ride it again and looking forward to being part of an awesome team.

My Bike MS Story Continues

Bike MS

Pedaling for my mother and everyone living with MS.

Bike MS Willamette Valley 2019

At the finish!

Buena Vista Park

I sat under the Team Slugfish tent with my face nose-deep in berry cobbler and ice cream. I tried to chat with another team member when a high-pitched voice on loudspeaker told us the evening program would be delayed due to a rider still out on the route. Then she urged us to go to the finish line so we could cheer her in. People gathered at the finish line, not far from our tent. I looked at my watch. It was nearly 6:30. The course maps made very clear that the route closed at 5pm and that there’d be no support afterwards. I shrugged at all the people passing me. I’ll just politely cheer from my table, thank you very much. I rode so slowly my first several MS rides that I wanted to paste a sign on my back that said, “Yes I’m ok, I’m just slow.” I remember those final hours: smelling the truck exhaust from vehicles waiting for me to pass so they could pack up the rest stops. No one cheered my finish when I came in so late. I’d just roll into a quiet road with a few volunteers taking down decorations. But then someone urged me to get up, so I did. I guess there’s no reason to deny this finisher cheers just because I’m tired and bitter! As I folded into the crowd, I began to feel the energy. OK, so this last person out on the route is riding her very first century. OK, it makes sense now. The first century is the hardest. It was a hot and humid day out. The weather got pretty miserable in the afternoon, but she didn’t give up. Her first century. Then they tell us that this woman riding her first century is also a rider with MS. That’s what we are all about. I glanced around at the crowd. “She’s 3 minutes away,” the loudspeaker announced. Even though many faces showed the tired we all felt after riding a long, hard,  hot, emotional route, there was still this unmistakable anticipation. We felt the combined urgency to share the joy steeping underneath the tired. “OK!” the voice on the loudspeaker prompted, “she’s probably getting close, let’s start cheering so she hears us as she comes around the corner!” The claps started, along with the bells, whistles, cheers, hoots and hollers. The entire River Village group stood there, cheering. I started to feel moved. It felt good to clap. But then we kept clapping. And clapping. And she never came. No one stopped, but some people started to look at each other, questioningly. Did we miss her? Did she make a wrong turn? Everyone kept clapping and cheering. I don’t think anyone knew what to do, but no one wanted to be the first to stop. Then. We see a bike turning the corner. The crowd exploded! I saw that she wasn’t alone. A small group of people pedaled down the chute, in a protective, supportive clump. That’s when I lost it. She wasn’t alone. Tears streamed down my face as I clapped. The people around me jumped and screamed like she was a rockstar. As they pedaled in, I expected her to smile from all the cheering. I’ve never heard so much cheering at an MS ride in all my 20 years. But her gaze was fixed forward, he glance unwavering. The determination was still on her face, she needed every last bit. She looked like she could vomit. Her expression brought all the feelings back. All those rides I did where muscles, energy, lungs had long gone and sheer determination was the only thing left pushing you forward. I don’t mean to sound melodramatic or overly severe; it’s hard to capture this amazing feeling in writing. We’ve all been through unsurmountable challenges and came out ahead. It’s the beauty of pain like this. There is some pain that really does make you stronger. No, stronger isn’t the right word. There is some pain that makes you better. Perseverance. Stamina. Bike MS taught me a lot over the years, and I am a better person for it.  

My White Bicycle at Buena Vista Park

Relive 'Bike MS Oregon 2019 day 1'

Relive 'Bike MS Oregon 2019 Day 2'

Sweaty Selfies…

I never would have predicted this years’ ride after last years’ ride. Last year I reached a new personal physical peak. I felt stronger and healthier than I ever had before. This year has been met with a lot of fatigue and an undefined feeling of ick and sluggishness. Perhaps Slugfish is finally a fitting name, except the “f” is a “g” for me. I rode less in July than I had since….since before 2002. I opted to ride the shorter 85 miles ride for Saturday. When the sticky humidity rendered my entire body sweaty after just 20 minutes, I knew I made the right choice. I rode well. But that night I ate too much food and overslept by some 5 or 6 hours. 

Bigfoot!

Shoes!

Participation was down by half. The ride had a generic feel to it. The decorations all had this 80’s motif that felt like “the 80’s package” from a corporate party planner store. I loved the days when the Harley riders had Alf and other decor covering their hogs. I loved all the SAG wagons adorned with signs and streamers and honkers and cheering volunteers. Now they are slow driving white vans that make you feel like you are surrounded by the CIA. I loved the decoration contests that each team and rest area participated in. I loved the sandwich lady, who had her own sandwich making assembly line every year. Sure, the catered food is more exotic and classy now, but it doesn’t have the same honorable grass roots feel. I loved the days when each rest area had is own unique array of snacks, usually promoting local brands and foods. I loved the ride-specific jerseys with their awesome designs. However, I did find bigfoot this year! I also rode by fence of shoes, so there is still a little bit of “Oregon” left in the Oregon ride!