Wednesday Ride with Dad

Getting some miles in with my dad.

He got his bike just this fall and has ridden it pretty regularly to work. After seeing my dad's shiny roadster, someone from the shop next door decided HE needed a shiny roadster. I wonder if that guy is still riding his roadster..

Meanwhile-- I like riding with my dad on Wednesdays.

We're lucky to live so close to a great trail!

And we were lucky to have such a sun-shiny Wednesday!

Cool air.

We practiced a bit of drafting.

I kept cracking the whip because we both had buses to catch!

Maybe I'll use that reason more often.. heh heh.

Maps are Hope

The way people read books for pleasure is the way I read maps.

I spend time curled up with them on the couch or daydreaming on a bus.

I examine all the little symbols and translate them into thoughts, questions, musings.

This thin, squiggly line must be a peaceful road.. with wet deciduous trees that hush the wind and shake little plump droplets onto your face. The road might be narrow, winding and steep. I could feel powerful as I rock my bike back and forth, ascending. I might puff white wisps of carbon dioxide into the air, ears red and legs warm.

There could be darling houses and old architecture. A bakery that has the BEST cinnamon rolls.

When I look at maps-- I see the potential of all that could be.

Maps to me, are hope.

Because hope is having grounds to believe that something good will happen.

New Hard Drive!

My MacBook came back from the doctor with a new battery and hard drive! Good thing is that my computer is as good as new! Bad thing is that my computer is as good as new! None of my stuff is on it. Doh.

(No, it's not backed up. Yes, I know. I'm going back to the Genius Bar to see if they can still get it.)

So I can't show you the TOTALLY COOL PHOTOS I got from a bike commute the other day.

I shall rely on my words.

So I was out riding my Trek 520 , my trusty touring bike, from Seattle to Bellevue. It's a chilly and humid morning in Seattle. I flip my super bright lights on to flash mode. I FLY down, down, down Fremont. Well, that's a bit of a lie-- I laid on my brakes, down, down, Fremont and was happy at each stoplight that my brakes are awesome. Then I chugga-chugga up and down Dexter. OH MY GOODNESS! Seattle has so many bike commuters! We are passing each other and clumping at stop lights.

Then I was in downtown Seattle. Gray sky, gray ground, gray buildings-- red jacket. I am feeling very fashionable and comfortable in my Gore jacket. It's a sharp, mature look, notably missing the litter of sponsor names I would wear in college.

So I am in downtown Seattle-- pumpin' up and down one-way streets, changing lanes and following sharrows until I am bursting up Pine. I pull over at Stumptown to check the time and de-layer a bit. I am pressed for time, so I resist the cappuccino.

Up and down, up and down, I swoop through Madrona's posh an' quaint main street until I am rattling down to the water, carefully keeping my ever-increasing speed in check. I am focused on finding a smooth path down, void of cracks and holes. I am pumping and feathering the brakes, my butt behind the saddle, my cheeks wonderfully cold, fall air in my lungs, sweat vaporizing and my vision pans up off the concrete to see the water--

...wow.

{insert picture here!}

Lemme tell you-- it was great. Hardly a distinction between water and sky-- just a white abyss and the Bellevue skyline pushing through it. My destination presented as a fantastical place.

It just wouldn't have been the same from the interior of a car-- warm air blowing, music bopping, heart rate resting. It would have been a disconnected and split-second observation.

I love riding my bike.

A Stop in Boise

On the way to Xterra US Nationals in Utah, we stopped in Boise, Idaho.

Wow, Boise is one well kept secret!

Walk 100 paces from the edge of town-- and you will bump into a rad trail system. It's not a solitary getaway and it's not swarming with people either-- but it is well appreciated.

While waiting around in the parking lot, I watched a man trot down off the hillside, across the street and into town. He likely started his run right from his front door.


Look one way to see downtown..

..look the other way to see mountain bike bliss!

I stopped by the local mountain/bike shop to get a trail recommendation--

the woman we spoke with was so enthusiastic about Boise, she said,

"seriously, just move here."

I'd consider it.

A Stop in Walla

On my way to Xterra US Nationals in Ogden, Utah-- we stopped over in Walla Walla, WA, my college town. I was a dedicated road racer in college and I stayed in Walla every collegiate summer because I just could not. stop. riding. I had to see every road Walla had to offer. Though I know there are still more I haven't seen.

So given a slice of time in the morning to take a jaunt on the mountain bike-- I headed down Lone Fir. Except this time, I had 2.0 and 2.2" Captain Control mtb tires-- not 23mm race slicks.

One of my favorite vistas.

I was possibly "over biking" the gravel roads; but hey, I had a race to stay fresh for.

First time I've ridden a mountain bike in Walla Walla.

I eagerly steered my tires into a pit of mud, only to find it was more like clay.

Lesson learned!

How Xterra US Nationals Went

Finally. My toes grip the boat ramp and my eyes suck into my goggles. I'm at Xterra US Nationals, watching the camera crew fly by in the helicopter.

ka-PLOW! Championships call for CANONS, not guns.

The frenzy-- so many bodies!-- the cold--

**GAAAASP!!!**

THE COLD. #GASP!gasp#GASP!gasp#GASP!gasp#GASP

Okay, it's okay-- just calm down. You're excited. Just breast stroke and get your breath back. Put your face back in the water..

#GASP!!!!!!! gasp#GASP!gasp#GASP!#GASP!!

My breath isn't coming back! What is this? Altitude? The cold water?

I try my face in the water again--##GAAAAASP!!!## Is my suit tightening up? What is this feeling?

The field charges away. I am the lonely duckling-- gasping, back stroking, wondering what is happening, digressing, surviving, focusing, breathing. Volunteer kayakers take a special interest in me and paddle alongside. One suggests I swim more horizontally.

Panic suppressed, I approach the shore for the first time just as the pro field laps me. Their greek bodies are born from wetsuits. For the first time, I am able to put my face in the water without gasping and I swim the second lap as I wished my first had gone.

Then, thankfully, the swim is done. I wobble up the boat ramp to the transition area.

Bike rack lane one, two.. my bike should be riiiight.. riiight.. WHEREISMYBIKE?!

DAMN IT, whereismybike?!!

Oh, where is my bike? Please--

Oh. Yes. I am in the wrong section. My bike is over there-- all alone. Clearly-- there is my bike.

Dry feet, pull on socks, shoes, spray sunscreen, food in mouth, drink water, helmet/glasses, stuff food in pockets, Camelbak, gloves, get out of there!

Oh, thank goodness I'm on my bike. I know how to ride a bike. I can breathe on my bike. I pedal, pedal, pedal, pedal. I pass, get passed, pass, get passed. There is climbing and single track, double track, polite competitors-- "can I pass whenever it's safe?"

Rocky, dry, double track climbing. The forest closes in-- single track climbing, white barked trees, red leaves sprinkle the ground like a contrived painting of fall, but it's not contrived-- it's REAL and it's ridiculous. Climb, climb, climb. Thousands of feet we climb.

Oh my goodness! A downhill! SWOOP, SWOOP, SWOOP. I love mountain biking. I am glee, I am zone, I am mountain bike.

Oh my goodness, we're climbing again.

Climb, climb, climb, climb, climb.

I can hear the music from the transition zone! I am close!

No, I am going away.

The sounds disappear.

And I am climbing.

Climbing, climbing, pushing-- I am pushing my mountain bike.

I am exhausted and I am CRASHING my mountain bike. For no good reason, I crash me and my mountain bike. Twice.

I am stiffly, cautiously, drunkenly steering through switchbacks and I am surviving my mountain bike.

Please, please, please, let this leg be over.

More climbing.

And then, TRANSITION ZONE!

OHMYGOODNESS! TRANSITION ZONE! I AM SO EXCITED! ADRENALINE!!!! TRANSITION ZOOOONE!!!!

Whip on my shoes, Oops! shoulda drank more water, I prance out of there and--

more climbing.

I march.

I alternate: jog, shuffle, march. Jog, shuffle, march. Oo-- pretty butterfly. Jog, shuffle, march. It is GORGEOUS up here. Jog, shuffle, march. "Trail running is fun, even when you're slow," I think. Jog, shuffle, march. #FALL!!# Jog, shuffle--

And eventually--

I finish. In four and a half hours.

Beat, but alive.

I feel alive.

Why I went to Xterra US Nationals

I went to Xterra* US Nationals.

*Xterra is an off-road triathlon: swim, mountain bike, trail run.

It's sorta funny how it happened. I tried Xterra Black Diamond on a whim. Ended up at Xterra Portland by accident. And I qualified* for Nationals by surprise.

*(it's not terribly difficult to qualify, as Xterra is still a small sport).

Many people who qualify for Nationals don't actually go to Nationals.

So why did I go to Nationals?

Did I think that I could win my age group? Maybe if I had a REALLY great day.

Did I think I could place in my age group? Maybe if I had a really GOOD day.

Did I think that it would be really fun, expanding experience? Absolutely; even on a slow day.

I had a slow day; but I still loved it. One of the hardest athletic things I've done juxtaposed in some of the most eye-popping landscape on which I've had the privilege to lay tire tracks.

Totally awesome.

Enchantments

The way I see it-- I didn't have a choice.

The Enchantments. THE Enchantments. Of COURSE I was going to go see the ENCHANTMENTS.

She fingered the map, "the way to go is up to this lake, then over Aasgard pass.." and through the Enchantments.

That's not an offer to refuse.

It's only a 20 mile day hike. And Aasgard only gains 2000' in a mile. And much of it isn't so much "trail" as it is "path across boulders."

But whatever. I was going to see the Enchantments with Laura. It'd be a whole day of Laura time in some of Washington's most treasured landscape.

*

Of course, the miles added up and I wobbled and hobbled more and more as the day went on. Laura was patient. And kept us on schedule. Even when my shoes turned to cheese graters, we had to race the light-- so no picnics and few pictures. But it was awesome. I'm ridiculously sore. And the big blister will go away.

To Fans-- Thank You

Over the past few months, I've had a couple drop-offs in posting. A few weeks here and there where An Adventure Called Bicycling was silent.

Each time, I received one or several e-mails from regular readers. Some told me why they like my style, or how certain posts inspired them. Some went further and just asked that I keep posting!

So to all those fans of this little bike blog that have sent me notes of thanks or encouragement-- thanks. I read them. Several times. And it keeps me posting.

Wenatchee

Wenatchee has..

GRAVEL MOUNTAIN!

TA-DAA!

LAURA

FREE CHAIRS

AND SAGE BRUSH.

It's been a long while since I've ridden a quiet ribbon of chip-seal- with so many organic textures and colors to woo me. And far too long since I've had company on a ride.

I'm looking forward to finally kitting up for a team in the fall. No allegiances have been signed quite yet. Right now I'm focusing on Xterra US Nationals on Sept. 25, then: CYCLOCROSS!!

The Masi Hibernates for the Winter

Time to hang up the track bike, this summer on the velodrome has come to an end.

In my first season on the track, I've gone from the mandatory beginner's class to winning cash primes under Friday Night lights.

I rode aggressively, stupidly, patiently, impatiently, with snap, courage and enthusiasm.

And it's GREAT cross-training for Xterra and cyclocross!

A Progression

155 = Thurs Night # -- for beginners

678 = Weds Night # -- as a Category 4 Woman

807 = Weds Night # -- with the Category 4 Men

126 = Friday Night # -- as a 3 with the 1/2/3's

Bronze = 3rd in State Championship Scratch Race

Bronze = 3rd in State Championship Points Race

Xterra Portland

Just weeks previous to Xterra Portland, I raced my first Xterra (off-road triathlon) in Black Diamond, WA. I raced just to participate, finish, and investigate how the distance felt-- then I unexpectedly won my (albeit small) age group.

So at Xterra Portland, in a bigger field-- I was there to turn up the heat! Unfortunately, I really DID get heated up!

SWIM: I remembered the wetsuit this time! My swim split was a whole 6 minutes faster.

BIKE: Oh, my-- the transition zone always gives you a zap of adrenaline! I went busting out of there determined to NOT be overly courteous and complacent about passing. I just passed, passed, passed, passed, passed, --whoa, BREATHE--, passed, passed, passed.. then when I figured I had to be leading my age group, I yanked the reins. WhooAAAAA. Don't forget about the run, pal!

RUN: Turns out, as soon as I left the woods for the run-- KAplow!! 95 degrees. Oh my goodness. At Black Diamond, I hit the run feeling springy. After churning my legs up and down the faster and less technical mountain leg, I was not treated to this luxury. AND-- I was dehydrated to boot. I jogged, I shuffled, I took walking breaks, then for the second half of the run-- I took a big, continuous walking break. I knew that if I ran, I could put myself into REAL trouble. And my mom was there, so I thought it better to not end up in an ambulance. I flew a white flag of surrender. Get me to the finish!

Turns out, I developed enough buffer on the bike leg-- that I held onto 2nd in my age group! Hey, cool!

And now.. *cough*..

I'm going to Xterra US Nationals in Ogden, Utah.

Yeah, more on that to come. ;)