Thursday, September 30, 2010

Final Day...

...but not my final ride!

The day is gorgeous, and once again I'm wishing I'd pretended to be busy instead of signing on to do something during the waning daylight hours. Ah, well. I still hopped on the bike to cruise around a while.

So, here I am sitting in the shade... Bike by my side... Wearing my clever bike-related shirt... And listening to my iPod through the speakers in my helmet. I am SO getting my bike-geek on right now.

Here's hoping fall decides to hang around a while longer.

Oh! And in a beautifully timed delivery, my uber awesome W00T shirt arrived today...

Behold the Biking Viking!!!!!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

A Day Not All About Biking

Unfortunately, I am not awesome enough to run a 5.8k trail race AND have awesome biking adventures. I only biked far enough to secure internets for this posting. However, the trail race was teh awesome.

I can't believe that tomorrow is the last day of my "30 Days of Biking" adventure! I can say for sure that I won't be waiting for the next pledge to bike again... I plan on biking at least until the snow flies. I'm also super excited to see if they will do this again in April.

Looking ahead... Keep an eye out for my upcoming blog... I just pledged to be a Vegetarian for the month of October! That's right, it's "Vegetarian Awareness Month."

I hope I can think up a clever blog title.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Gateway Trail: Vegetarians Beware!

(Unless eating bugs doesn't really count as "meat." Or, if you can bike with your mouth closed. Apparently this is not a skill I posses.)

Ride Report: Gateway Trail
Where: Trail Head at Cayuga in St. Paul to trail closed area in North St. Paul
Distance: 12 miles
Weather: Partly Sunny, 63 degrees (quite a sight better than the Tater Tour.)

As a "reward" for having to get up at 3:30 again for work... and the resulting 1:15 release time... I decided to try to get a bigger bike in today. (Tomorrow I have race #3 in my Trail Race series and I think I may beg off the biking for my body's sake.) ... (Okay, and maybe I went a little overboard with the chocolate chip mini-muffins at work and felt like I needed to burn off some major unnecessary calories.) My dad has been singing the praises of the Gateway Trail for years (as an in-line skater) but I had never been... Until today!

What a nice ride! I think my favorite part was recognizing the roads as I passed over/under them and having a mental driving map. The best part though was topping the crest of a hill and seeing the North Saint Paul Snowman! I had gone much farther than I expected.

I have mixed feelings about the fact that the trail was closed not much further along... I feel like I could have ridden more, but I was also afraid I'd get too involved and find myself in Stillwater calling for a ride back to my car.

Probably my least favorite part was the removing of various bugs from my clothing and glasses that had been crushed to death by my high velocity. (This might also rank as the most AWESOME part.)

Sock Report: Light pink and fuschia... knee-high of course.

Oh AND.... I couldn't believe I'd been biking for 28 days with a video camera. My iPod does video. I could have been sharing fabulous videos all month! Ah, well. Here's 25 seconds of riding bliss. It's like you're RIGHT THERE with me!

Monday, September 27, 2010

A case against air fresheners...

...specifically those tree-shaped ones:

On my way to the library today I happened upon one in the road. I was clipping along at a fairly good pace -- and I could smell it! It was like a sickly-sweet cloud. I can't imagine it's power in an enclosed space like a car. Gross.

Today's a fun bike day. I have a bike maintenance class tonight at REI, so I decided to make a couple stops on the way. I'm currently at the library (and for the third time have forgotten my library card. It used to make SO much sense to keep it in my car! If I was at the library, my car was at the library... Except now that's not always the case. I think I may suggest that they distribute a cute keychain version of your library card - you know, for convenience.) And soon I will embark on a journey to JoAnn Fabrics, and maybe Goodwill, and perhaps Half Price Books (depending on how much time I have to kill.)

And in case you're wondering: Yes, I am wearing striped knee-highs.

Only 3 days of awesome biking fun left!!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Maybe striped socks are my 'thing'...

Wore them again today... Mostly because I decided today's ride didn't need to be all 'hard core.' So I just threw a pair of shorts on under my skirt and took a little ride around Como Lake. I wasn't the only one taking advantage of the beautiful evening, which is awesome. Except that means a lot of non-bike people on the bike only trail. Because of that, I opted not to go around more than once, but instead took a more scenic route through the neighborhood. It was nice! Tomorrow night I have a bike maintenance class at REI that I am considering biking to - though the bike home will be in the dark.

We shall see what I feel up to! Only 4 days left!!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Tater Tour! Ride Recap...

What: Tater Tour 2010
Where: Three Rivers District, Maple Grove
Distance: 25 miles!
Weather: Cold, a little rainy at the start

Critter sightings: 8 squirrels, 9 dogs (8 on leash, one staring forlornly out a patio window), 1 bunny.
Bike riders I passed: 6
Bike riders I passed dressed correctly for the weather: 6 (I may be faster, but I'm not smarter.)
Number of sticks kicked up to smack me in the shin: 1 (and one is enough.)
Number of inches of water on the section of the trail that is "prone to flooding": 3-4

I came, I saw, I biked! It was chilly, and a little rainy (though it stopped the actual raining about 5 miles in I think.) I was well-dressed in lots of layers, which I was pretty proud of -- but I didn't really have any rain protection to speak of. There weren't a lot of folks out and about, so it was mostly a solo ride -- which was nice! The 2 hours went by amazingly fast, and aside from some serious annoyance at my iPod skipping... it was pretty pleasant. It would have been an amazing ride if the weather would have cooperated.

Wrapping up the ride with a baked potato and a root beer float was pretty close to heavenly!

(No one else was sporting striped knee-highs, you can bet.)

Friday, September 24, 2010

Victory!!!

I have a destination for my ride today... REI!

Why??

Because (miraculously) my cycling shorts arrived today! I will pick them up, and had a nice cushy ride tomorrow.

Thank goodness. :)

Here comes the sun? Maybe?

It's taunting me right now.

Peeks of sun, then BAM! Cloud cover.

The small square of sky showing out the basement window is blue... But I'm going to stay down here a while longer and hope for the best.

I really do want to get a dry-run (bike?) in with my cold-weather gear. I'm excited to get my arm-warmers out and about... and pick out an appropriate pair of crazy knee-high socks to protect my ankles from blustery winds.

...I don't really have a rain plan though. Which would be wise when 25 miles are in my future.

...Except maybe a really fluffy towel and thermos of hot cocoa waiting for me in the car. :)

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Rain. Rain. Rain.

Gross! Gross gross gross.

I have a 25-mile ride on Saturday, and this isn't helping me prepare well.

Guess I'll take the time to give the bike a lookover... check the tires and what-not.

I'm really hoping the rain clears out in time for a ride tomorrow. I'm hoping I can work on my cool-weather-wear strategy BEFORE I'm on the bike for 3 hours.

Keeping my fingers crossed!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Getting in(to) Gear!

Nearly missed out on riding 'cause the rains came a little earlier than expected... But today was all about the gear!

I got myself some arm warmers (oooooooo) and a Smartwool headband.

I'm really trying to do everything I can to encourage my continued biking into the autumnal months. Also, I figured both of those purchases would translate seamlessly into running gear as well.

I also keep forgetting that I have to ride 25 miles on Saturday... And my bike shorts (padded!) have been delayed in shipment. I really really really wanted them for the ride! Guess I'll just have to tough it out. :)

At least I'll be warm.

Here's hoping it doesn't rain ALL day tomorrow!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

I [Heart] Hills!

(I am SO kidding!!)

So a 5:00 production meeting = an automatic bike ride! You all may remember the shenanigans of the last production meeting commute. I decided to go with a more hilly, but less traffic-intense route this time. Yeah. It was tough. I did give up halfway up one hill, and that's fine with me.

So, the meeting was good and fun and speedy. Since the theatre is so close to Summit Avenue I thought I'd ride it for a while and appreciate the beauty (and the bike lane.). Then I didn't turn off where I thought I would... So I cruised by the Cathedral, and then the Capitol building, and then down Rice Street... It was a pretty long detour to avoid some hills.

And then I had the Kent Hill to contend with anyway... I made it to the first cross street., and then walked the rest. On the plus side, I had the opportunity to work on that awesome skill that real cyclists have where they steer the bike with just the seat.

I'm getting better.

Monday, September 20, 2010

The Sun Saves the Day Again!

Here comes the sun... Do do do dooooo...

Boy did I think I was doomed for a bike today. Misty and cold and gross... But then I heard this awesome rumor that from 62 degrees at 3, it would be 70 by 5 and 77 by 7??! Seriously?

Seriously.

So today was going to be a great day for a ride, and it was. I knew I had to go to the gym, of course... But that just seemed like too short of a ride for the glory of the afternoon! So I decided to go to Barnes and Noble (an extra couple miles) and then hit the gym on the way back.

It was good.

The ride home was pretty tough though. I'm hoping that when I go home to check the tire pressure it's on the low side. (It's always easier to blame the equipment, eh?) Of course, I am pretty much physically exhausted and I did just work my legs at the gym... So maybe I should give myself a break.

Hoping for more great weather tomorrow!!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

The Sun! The Sun!

Wow, was it cold this morning! I have a good friend biking in the Minneapolis Bike Classic today -- 53 degrees and cloudy is certainly not ideal.

There was a rumor that the sun was to make an appearance later in the day, so I did some house chores (gross) and some driving errands... Then I did some cooking and baking, and lo and behold -- sunshine! SO GORGEOUS!

I did take my usual route to the gym, but on the way home decided to take the Lexington hill down to the lake and around. I wish I had some more time this afternoon to have some more bike time!! Ah, well. 5 miles will have to be it for today.

Another Day Off

I wish it was because I chose to take it off... I was just away from home allll day!

My day started with a drive out to Maple Grove for the REI Scratch and Dent sale. I arrived around 9, and was greeted with the sight of a line stretching alllll the way down to DSW. Including tents and sleeping bags. Oh, and it rained the night before and it was pretty flippin' chilly. (Apparently people had started camping out 8pm the night before.)

The store opened at 10, and I wasn't having any of that... so I went to Trader Joe's to pick up a few things. (Including a new Fiberful bar -- with veggies! Beets and Pumpkin, etc.) I did get in line around 9:30, and when they handed out numbers I was in the group slated to go in the warehouse at 11:15. So I shopped.

Score: (1) pair of winter-y biking gloves for 50% off, and a headlamp for my next trail run (since I finished the last one in near-darkness.) As for the sale, it was pretty picked over by the time I got in. They DID have a Scott hybrid bike for $189... but each group was only given 10 minutes in the sale. Not even I can make an impulse buy THAT fast.

I spent the rest of the afternoon at an awesome garage sale, then went out for delicious Indian food, and finished up the day at the final regular season MN Stars soccer game.

By the time I was home -- I was beat!

PS - Glowsticks make everything better.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Friday, Friday.

Not too exciting today... Just another trip to the gym!

So today's thought is about yellow lights. In my many years of driving I've come up with my own tricks and approaches to yellow lights. In a car, thankfully, you're really moving. If you're on a bike, you've got pedal power (a wing and a prayer!)

I've come to really distrust the new 'count-down' style, because sometimes it's counting down to the yellow, but sometimes it's just counting down to the ol' red hand. And there's no way to tell which type it is.

I guess it's best to err on the side of caution.

Second thought of the day: everything is better with glow sticks.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Biking... To the Gym

So, my back is kind of messed up.

X-rays have confirmed this.

What can I do? Have a core of steel.

The challenge? Because of my back issues, I can't do any floor-related ab exercises.

No crunches of any kind.

Lame.

So, today's bike was to the gym to use the faboo machines! It's actually pretty timely. I was thinking that with the weather getting colder I would have to make fiends with the gym again. And get used to the routine of going... And the treadmill. Gross.

At least they have cable. :)

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Rain!!

Okay... So it was raining and I didn't take the bike out.

I DID check it's tire pressure and pump it up to the recommended PSI though.

I was also running the second race (of four) in my trail race series, so I wasn't exactly sitting around eating pizza.... But boy does that sound good!

The awesome part is that I haven't Run AT ALL for the 2 weeks since my last trail race... I've just been biking. And guess what? I knocked over 2 minutes off my time!! It was AWESOME!!

I can't wait to get back on the bike tomorrow!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

A Day Off.

Yeah, I know. I was thinking about making up some fantastic story about a great ride and awesome adventures...

...but the fact of the matter is I got up at 3:30 to go to work because people are CRAZY and then I had to drop my car off for some repairs and then I finally caved to peer pressure and mowed my lawn. Gross.

I also have my second of four 5k trail races tomorrow night and I thought I should take a real day off.

Of course... it's still beautiful and sunny and the night is a little young still.




...I could always hit the DQ.

Monday, September 13, 2010

A Rant, and a Confession.

Rant: Okay, SuperAmerica... I know that your main function is to service vehicles of a 4-wheeled, motorized variety. However, I also know you're not making jack on the gas purchases -- it's the ridiculously overpriced convenience items inside. SO if you want me to desperately pull into your parking lot, seeking refreshment, GIVE ME SOMEWHERE TO LOCK UP MY BIKE!!! I do not want to wheel out to the sidewalk to lock it to the bus atop sign. (In defense of SA, I have been to one station with a bike rack. Unfortunately, it is not one of the 3 I frequently ride by in my neighborhood.)

Confession: Sometimes, when I'm cruising around with my sunglasses and awesome helmet and various black accessories... I feel pretty bad-ass.

And now for Plan B!

Okay, so most of today I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. I think this is at least partially due to the large amount of bike action over the weekend, and also because I think I'm getting sick. (But not this week. No time to be sick this week.). I considered taking a day off, but then the sun hit me and I felt I had to enjoy it while I can! (Plus, ibuprofen is a wondrous thing.)

I decided maybe I would go to Barnes and Noble. They have books, and internets. Of course, once I was on the bike I started thinking about all the things NEAR B&N... Target and Goodwill and Cub Foods... and all the other errands I should be doing.

...and how I would never be able to load all that crap on my bike to get it home.

So, I reconsidered. Off to the library! (Also with books and internets!)

Now I shall bike home again and use the proper vehicle for said errands.

Awesome weather! Please stay!

PS - Dear School Bus... I know that you are special and protected from up on high... but I'm pretty sure you are still required to give me 3 feet of space and not scare the crap out of me. Thank you.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Biking and Birhwood! Nom!

About 8 weeks ago a dear friend of mine suggested we bike from her house to the Birchwood Cafe (one favorite food eatery.) It was a mere 6 miles... totally doble. Well, one would think. At that time I was still rocking my 42-pound cruiser and any sort of incline made my lungs explode. However, NOW I can fly, right? Plus I totally did 16 miles yesterday, so what's 12 miles today?

(Totally doable with a delicious meal break in the middle, anyway.)

So the day was gorgeous and perfect for this outing. We ate outside, too. I had a tasty TLT (Tempe Lettuce 'n' Tomato) sandwich on foccacia and a cup of chicken chili. Nom. Nom nom.

I kept myself away from the desserts, which I was pretty proud of... but then my friend and I had this totally weird mind-meld involving ice cream at Izzy's! (Apparently why I didn't stop yesterday!)

So... that was our next stop. It also helped that there is a killer hill leading up to Izzy's from Birchwood.

That is a kid's scoop of Lemon Custard, with a (huge) Izzy scoop of raspberry sorbet. It was heaven in a cup.

But was this the last treat of the ride? No! Since we did most of the ride along the river, it was beautiful and scenic all-around. However, we were lucky enough to end our ride at this scenic overlook and it was simply a great way to end the ride.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

16 Miles!

Today was a simply gorgeous day. A day you can't help but want to be out and a part of. I know my weekend times are short between now and my 25-mile ride, so I really need to get some mileage in. But how to make it not suck, right? Well... One of my favorite movie theatres is the Riverview Theatre in Minneapolis. It is currently playing "Despicable Me" -- a film I didn't catch in the first run theatres and was sad about it. Thanks to Google Maps I determined it to be about 8 miles away -- doable for someone who did 6 miles earlier in the week, right?

Right. Except for when the route you pick is a natural wind tunnel.

So Pierce Butler was a little tough... but the awesome thing about biking is that you can just decide to choose another route if you want! Minnehaha Parkway it is! And I learned that Prior crosses 94 in a very nice, flat way. (And I saw a great building I never knew existed!)

So the movie was awesome, and fantastic... and totally worth the $2 I paid to see it.

The route back seemed easier, but took just as long as the route out. I did *not* stop at Izzy's for ice cream, even though I wanted to and definitely could convince myself I "deserved" it. I also checked out a pedestrian bridge off Hamline and Pierce Butler... I guess I always knew it was there, but never really thought about it. It was fun to find out where I'd end up (in the business park by Bandana Square) and change route to accommodate.

Oh, and PS -- I am SO glad I bought bike shorts from the REI Outlet online last night. I kind of wish I'd sprung for expedited shipping. :)

Friday, September 10, 2010

New Haircut!

W00t! Check it out -- pre-helmet!

Anyway, in spite of the threat of impending rain, I decided I was still going to bike to get my hair cut. I got a couple drops on the way, but arrived unscathed. After the cut, I stopped in to Panera for some soup... and the rain began. Thankfully, it cleared up to a slight drip for the ride home!

Oh, and the other awesomeness... last month I decided to ride to the movies and back. The path I chose was a little challenging. I took the same route today, and it was easier! I am making strides.

I feel like I have to plan a big ride for the weekend, or I'll never know if I'll make it 25 miles. And for sure I need to invest in some of those padded bike shorts. Owie.

Oh, and to the guy in the black SUV -- Firstly, don't block my crosswalk and ramp to the sidewalk. It makes you a jerk. Secondly, do NOT smoke with a kid in the car!!! Now you're on my list. That's right. The LIST. You don't want to be on the list.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Hey, City of Saint Paul...

...Speaking of resurfacing... Wheelock Parkway could really use some love, knowwhatI'msaying?

Anyway, It's funny how biking changes how you look at things. Last Friday I was driving to White Bear for an oil change. I usually take Wheelock, 'cause it's scenic, to Hwy 61 and take that up to my old Saturn dealership. (*sniff*) So I thought, "hey, I wonder how far it is from my house along Wheelock to 61?" and it looked to be about 4 miles... That seemed doable.

So I gave it a go tonight.

All-in-all... mostly successful. There is a gradual hill over about 4 blocks that totally killed me -- I stopped and made a couple calls while I waited for my lungs to work again -- and I only made it about 1/3 of the way up the serpentine hill on the way home. Oh, and a couple bikers passed me while I was walking my bike up said hill. But they looked serious. I do not look serious.

So... verdict: 7.3 miles. 45 minutes. One pit stop at Holiday for some emergency Powerade. :)

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Dont Go, Summer!

Oh the weather was beautiful and balmy today!

I was a little peeved because I planned to go for a run right after work, and my left shoulder just hurt like a mo fo! So I only made it a couple miles.

BUT... I did bike my 3 miles to and from Stitch & Bitch, my weekly evening of stitching and (a little bit of) bitching. We'd been on hiatus due to the State Fair, so it was nice to see everyone.

Plus the weather was AWESOME!!!

I hope tomorrow is like today.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Chap Stick. A must.

Tonight was the celebration of my mom's birthday. Her birthday was in August, mind you, but we've never been great at timely birthday celebrations in my family. Anyway, her restaurant of choice is a mere 6.3 miles from my house. Mostly uphill, traffic-heavy miles... but I felt it was attainable.

She was unimpressed. Even to the point of changing the locale if I was insisting on being crazy and biking there. So, with the aid of my brother I drove to said celebratory location... And then biked back as my brother drove my car home.

Verdict? Just because the route home had less uphills doesn't mean no uphills. I've never prayed for a red light more in my life. (And no, it didn't work.)

Also, chap stick is a good idea.

Also also... Cold wind makes your nose run. It's awkward to bike with your head tilted back in the hope that the snot will run down instead of out.

I also realized that riding 25 miles, if I can maintain my mph, will still take around 2 hours.

TWO HOURS.

I have work to do.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Am I Solar Powered?

So I was distressed that it had been raining off and on all day. Then driving home it was a little gloomy and oppressive. So I did what every self-respecting biking wannabe would do: I took a nap.

BUT when I woke the sun was peeking out, I felt rejuvenated, and I hopped on the bike!

Nothing overly exciting... With the cold weather coming, I decided I needed something longer than my cycling shorts so I headed off to JC Penney. Bingo - Capri-length pants for $17. Much better than comparable offerings at REI, for sure!

So bring it on, autumn. I may have cold ankles, but the rest of my legs are ready!!

Sunday, September 5, 2010

The Great MN Get Together

So, one of the coolest "I-never-even-really-thought-about-that-until-I-had-a-bike-and-it-is-so-totally-awesome" things I've learned this summer is... There is free bike parking at the fair.

And it is SWEET parking. Better than anything you can get from a car. And actually maybe even better than taking the shuttles!

And FREE!

Of course, one of the catches is that it's not just like biking to a movie, or dinner, or something what involves sitting on your butt in between legs of the ride. This is a whole lot of walking -- which made the ride home a little more... challenging.

There's a group ride tomorrow night around the Summit area, and I think I might go! We shall see.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Day Four! In Blaine!

So I'm driving to the rescue of a hungry pooch and thinking... Dangit! I won't be able to ride today! But then it hit me... Why not ride where the pooch is?

So today I did a little tooling around Blaine. Mostly I just turned it into an errand to Target, which is probably good because due to a later start than usual, it got pretty dark. Of course, I had purchased some lights to up my visibility... But I learned that in an area that is maybe not so "inner city" there are few-to-none streetlights. SO... my next purchase will be a headlight, better to illuminate enormous potholes who may try EAT ME ALIVE.


Here is the Velodrome at the National Sports Center. I thought it appropriate!









Tomorrow... The State Fair!!

Friday, September 3, 2010

Thrifty Friday!

Okay, I'll be honest... I am not prepared to be a cool/cold weather rider. I don't know how to properly do layers, and because of that I was hot, and then I was cold. but I was out!

I decided to hit a couple nearby thrift stores... Both for my enjoyment and because I have a show to shop for and you just never know what you might find. I had some failures (two Under Armor-type layering shirts that didn't fit) but I did find a wooden recorder and a huuuuge spoon (for the stirring of the 'stone soup.')

I also came across this lovely piece... And I'm sharing it because I had never seen something like this before EXCEPT earlier this week at another thrift store! What gives?

I'm not sure where my bike will take me tomorrow!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Day Two - Library!

It occurs to me that I had better start planning my biking routes ahead of time. No one wants to read about me biking around Lake Como every day for 30 days. Not to mention I wouldn't want to blog about it that much. Or bike it, for that matter. Anyway...

For today I decided to bike to the new Roseville Library. New, as in they remodeled and reopened in July. It's pretty snazzy. Dunn Brothers coffee, LEED certified building, special rockstar parking for energy efficient vehicles and car pools... But... I'm not sure I like it. It's very light and airy and open... And stark and cold and commercial.

But it has TONS of computers. And free WiFi. So I shouldn't be complaining.

I think on my way home I will stop and buy some string cheese... And try not to stop and buy a Dairy Queen mini Blizzard.

PART TWO! I spoke too soon! My biking adventures had just begun... I got waylaid briefly by a nice woman who made judgments about me based on the awesomeness of my helmet... she thought I might know an electrician or someone who knows about batteries. Weird, right? Apparently she's a "green" person and thought I might be too based on my bike-ness. ANYway... due to that, I was caught unprotected in a spontaneous thunderstorm! One of those "blue sky right over there but it's pouring here" kinds... and I was mere blocks from the grocery store, too. I pulled over under a fairly large tree and waited it out (mostly.)

I was rewarded, though... Behold, above the Rainbow Foods --
DOUBLE RAINBOW!!!





Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Day One!

I am not a slacker!

The weather was BEAUTIFUL! However, today was my first race in the Salomon Autumn Trail Series... So I ran 3.3 miles, people! So when I got home I rode my bike around the block.

Lame, I know.

But the race was great!

Tomorrow is another day!