A Bike Quote for a Bike Blog
"After your first day of cycling, one dream is inevitable. A memory of motion lingers in the muscles of your legs, and round and round they seem to go. You ride through Dreamland on wonderful dream bicycles that change and grow."
~H.G. Wells, The Wheels of Chance
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Saturday, January 28, 2006
5 Hours
Five hours on the road bike, 88 miles, and one huge bonk about a 1/2 hour from home. Stopped at Subway to fill the tank. I was in serious need of calories and my stomach was saying "NO!" to any more sugary syrup or sugary drink. So, it was a six inch roasted chicken breast on wheat with a bag of baked potato chips. I was lovin' that food, especially the chips. I crave salt during long rides. Tonight, lots of sodium on tap too with some seriously good sushi at Chiso. Maybe a Kirin Ichiban while I'm at it to get some more carbs. ;-)
Lots of snow in the Cascades the past few days. Something like 3 to 4 feet in the last 36 hours and snow level is down to 1500 feet. There was an avalanche on I-90 not too far from Tiger Mountain. So, Hayes and I are probably going to skip Tiger this weekend and do an alternative MTB ride. I'm going to sift through my guide books tonight to find something that offers enough mileage to get in about three hours, drains well, and is at or below snow level.
Blue Star out
Five hours on the road bike, 88 miles, and one huge bonk about a 1/2 hour from home. Stopped at Subway to fill the tank. I was in serious need of calories and my stomach was saying "NO!" to any more sugary syrup or sugary drink. So, it was a six inch roasted chicken breast on wheat with a bag of baked potato chips. I was lovin' that food, especially the chips. I crave salt during long rides. Tonight, lots of sodium on tap too with some seriously good sushi at Chiso. Maybe a Kirin Ichiban while I'm at it to get some more carbs. ;-)
Lots of snow in the Cascades the past few days. Something like 3 to 4 feet in the last 36 hours and snow level is down to 1500 feet. There was an avalanche on I-90 not too far from Tiger Mountain. So, Hayes and I are probably going to skip Tiger this weekend and do an alternative MTB ride. I'm going to sift through my guide books tonight to find something that offers enough mileage to get in about three hours, drains well, and is at or below snow level.
Blue Star out
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
This Week's Quote and Weather Rant
"There is little chance that meteorologists can solve the mysteries of weather until they gain an understanding of the mutual attraction of rain and weekends."
~Arnot Sheppard
Today, is the first day in a long while that I can recall there being sunshine and blue skies. I actually had to pull the shades in my office because of the glare of my computer screen. The problem is that the last two weeks it has rained so hard on Saturday that it has interfered with my long road rides. I can handle mist and some intermittent rain, but the past couple of Saturdays have been steady downpours for hours on end that are sure to bring on hypothermia during long rides on a bike. I want some sun this Saturday. I would give up today's blue skies in if I could get a few hours of good weather on Saturday, but the meteorologists don't care because rain showers are predicted for the next 10 days!
"There is little chance that meteorologists can solve the mysteries of weather until they gain an understanding of the mutual attraction of rain and weekends."
~Arnot Sheppard
Today, is the first day in a long while that I can recall there being sunshine and blue skies. I actually had to pull the shades in my office because of the glare of my computer screen. The problem is that the last two weeks it has rained so hard on Saturday that it has interfered with my long road rides. I can handle mist and some intermittent rain, but the past couple of Saturdays have been steady downpours for hours on end that are sure to bring on hypothermia during long rides on a bike. I want some sun this Saturday. I would give up today's blue skies in if I could get a few hours of good weather on Saturday, but the meteorologists don't care because rain showers are predicted for the next 10 days!
Monday, January 23, 2006
Climbing in the Snow
Hayes and I have been heading to Tiger Mountain for some climbing on the mountain bikes the past four Sundays. This weekend and last we slogged through some snow at the higher altitudes.
We chamoised up at about 10 am and started up hill. After a solid half-hour of moderate paced climbing on the main summit road, we hit the snow and stopped for a food break. This time of year only the fire roads are open to bikes and sweet singletrack like the Preston RR trail are closed for another few months. No ribbon like trails for us until April 15th as the barrier in front of the trailhead clearly states.
Hayes plows forward in the snow on our way to West Tiger to some untracked fire roads.
We explored some new roads I haven't seen before and for the third week in a row ran into some strange characters. This week, two guys were hiking the road in the middle of nowhere. It was misting and cloudy so there were no views to be had. To add to the creepy factor, the guys were not wearing your typical REI issue outdoor gear. Rather, they were sporting stuff straight out of Soldiers of Fortune Magazine. I joked that the one guy was wearing the green poncho to cover up his automatic rifle. I guess combat boots must be comfortable or something. After that interesting encounter, I think we rode a little faster to put some distance between us and those guys.
On the way back, we hit the Crossover road and some serious snow on the north face of the mountain. There were some big watts being put out on the climb to push through about six inches of snow. You know its deep when you can step off the bike and it stays standing. The descent was some slip sliding fun as the bikes squirted around until we dropped below the snow level.
Hayes and I wrapped up the day by hitting some short and steep grinders on the Powerline cut. We rolled into the parking lot with about 3.5 hours of riding time in our legs. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.
Blue Star
Hayes and I have been heading to Tiger Mountain for some climbing on the mountain bikes the past four Sundays. This weekend and last we slogged through some snow at the higher altitudes.
We chamoised up at about 10 am and started up hill. After a solid half-hour of moderate paced climbing on the main summit road, we hit the snow and stopped for a food break. This time of year only the fire roads are open to bikes and sweet singletrack like the Preston RR trail are closed for another few months. No ribbon like trails for us until April 15th as the barrier in front of the trailhead clearly states.
Hayes plows forward in the snow on our way to West Tiger to some untracked fire roads.
We explored some new roads I haven't seen before and for the third week in a row ran into some strange characters. This week, two guys were hiking the road in the middle of nowhere. It was misting and cloudy so there were no views to be had. To add to the creepy factor, the guys were not wearing your typical REI issue outdoor gear. Rather, they were sporting stuff straight out of Soldiers of Fortune Magazine. I joked that the one guy was wearing the green poncho to cover up his automatic rifle. I guess combat boots must be comfortable or something. After that interesting encounter, I think we rode a little faster to put some distance between us and those guys.
On the way back, we hit the Crossover road and some serious snow on the north face of the mountain. There were some big watts being put out on the climb to push through about six inches of snow. You know its deep when you can step off the bike and it stays standing. The descent was some slip sliding fun as the bikes squirted around until we dropped below the snow level.
Hayes and I wrapped up the day by hitting some short and steep grinders on the Powerline cut. We rolled into the parking lot with about 3.5 hours of riding time in our legs. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.
Blue Star
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Know when to say when.
I had 5-6 hours on the schedule today. I was hoping to get my first hundie (100 miles) in for 2006. The weather had other ideas in mind. I hit the road around 11am under overcast skies with some mist in the air. I was thinking not too bad, but the back of my mind was warning that it was a little cold and fairly windy. As I rolled south, the tempo of the rain started to pick up until it was clearly a down pour. My jacket had just received a fresh treatment with Nikwax, so it was keeping the moisture at bay for the most part. My lycra clad legs were getting soaked. My windstopper gloves, start to sop up water like sponges. My booties did likewise. Soon enough, my feet, legs, hands, and head were soaked through. My Tifosi glasses needed wipers so I could see.
The doubts started to creep in my mind whether I could endure another 4 hours in the saddle. Each pedal stroke squished water from my feet. I was still close to Lake Washington, but planned to head east into the mountains. I looked up the road and saw nothing but dark, heavy clouds hanging low in the sky. They were surely dumping their H2o cargo on the foothills to make it up over the mountains.
As I approached my turnout to head up hill, I decided to bag it and head towards home. Just then, the winds picked up, which added further conviction to my decision. On the run home, my hands and lower extremities lost feeling. It started raining so hard, the roads were covered in sheets of water several inches deep. Spray from my wheels was escaping from under the fenders and making sure any dry part of my body became wet.
I finally rolled in the driveway. A little over three hours later with about 50 miles in the legs. I stripped off all my wet layers to reveal swollen feet and hands. I had to get my wedding ring off fast to keep my finger from exploding under the pressure. I hit a hot shower and drained the hot water tank enjoying the steamy warmth.
I didn't quite get the time or miles planned, but sometime mother nature has other ideas. The picture above is near where my planned route was to take me in the mountains. I made the right choice. Just another interesting day in the saddle in the Pacific Northwest.
Go Seahawks!
Blue Star
I had 5-6 hours on the schedule today. I was hoping to get my first hundie (100 miles) in for 2006. The weather had other ideas in mind. I hit the road around 11am under overcast skies with some mist in the air. I was thinking not too bad, but the back of my mind was warning that it was a little cold and fairly windy. As I rolled south, the tempo of the rain started to pick up until it was clearly a down pour. My jacket had just received a fresh treatment with Nikwax, so it was keeping the moisture at bay for the most part. My lycra clad legs were getting soaked. My windstopper gloves, start to sop up water like sponges. My booties did likewise. Soon enough, my feet, legs, hands, and head were soaked through. My Tifosi glasses needed wipers so I could see.
The doubts started to creep in my mind whether I could endure another 4 hours in the saddle. Each pedal stroke squished water from my feet. I was still close to Lake Washington, but planned to head east into the mountains. I looked up the road and saw nothing but dark, heavy clouds hanging low in the sky. They were surely dumping their H2o cargo on the foothills to make it up over the mountains.
As I approached my turnout to head up hill, I decided to bag it and head towards home. Just then, the winds picked up, which added further conviction to my decision. On the run home, my hands and lower extremities lost feeling. It started raining so hard, the roads were covered in sheets of water several inches deep. Spray from my wheels was escaping from under the fenders and making sure any dry part of my body became wet.
I finally rolled in the driveway. A little over three hours later with about 50 miles in the legs. I stripped off all my wet layers to reveal swollen feet and hands. I had to get my wedding ring off fast to keep my finger from exploding under the pressure. I hit a hot shower and drained the hot water tank enjoying the steamy warmth.
I didn't quite get the time or miles planned, but sometime mother nature has other ideas. The picture above is near where my planned route was to take me in the mountains. I made the right choice. Just another interesting day in the saddle in the Pacific Northwest.
Go Seahawks!
Blue Star
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
"When it rains, it pours" and Riding the Wave.
Well, including today, Seattle has experienced 23 consecutive days of rain and the forecast is calling for at least seven more. The record is 33 straight days. Now that's some good training weather. This weekend has some long rides on tap that will include some big climbs, so at least I won't be too cold. I'm moving into my final base phase, which means the rides are going to start including some harder efforts as the race season fast approaches and I transition into build phase.
Anyway, did you ever notice that good fortune comes in waves? Kind of like the rain that has inundated Seattle. Maybe it's luck, maybe it's karma, maybe it's hard work. Who knows, but I like to ride the big waves. Two sponsors haved added themselves to my roster of supporters this year in a big way. A couple of months ago, I had no idea what to expect when I was spending all those hours putting together my race resume. It has turned out to be more than worth the effort.
Maxxis Tires
I'm going to be rolling on the best tires on the planet. Maxxis prides itself on high quality products. They have a tire for every condition and for some conditions multiple tires. Having Maxxis in my corner is like having a secret weapon for each course. Plus, I go through tires like candy and Maxxis is going to take care of my sweet tooth. In the next few weeks, all of my bikes will be sporting the big orange Maxxis logo. K-bomb, Gunn-Rita Dahle, and... Blue Star! Be sure to visit the Maxxis website at www.maxxis.com and whether you are in the market for bike tires or car tires there is something there for you.
Fox Racing Shox
I'm starting to sound like a skipping CD in my praise for my sponsors, but Fox makes the only suspension forks and shocks that I will ride. I submitted my resume to only those companies whose product I wanted to race on. Fox will be hooking up my '06 Truth with a shiny and smooth F100x fork and Float R rear shock. I'm in love with the automatic lockout of the super-efficient inertia valve on the F100x. Get out the saddle and stomp and there's no bob, but ride over some low frequency bumps in the trail and the suspension kicks in like butter. Fast suspension products and some cool scenery can be seen at their website: http://www.foxracingshox.com/
In other news, Cathy at Ellsworth has sent me the new Ellsworth team kit. I'm going to be pimpin' at the races. I'm hoping I cross the finish line first at a race this year so, I can bust out my pimp pop victory salute with the new threads. Also, my new Truth should be on the way in the next couple of weeks. Guess what color.... You will have to wait and see, but it should not be that hard to figure out.
T-minus one month and two days until my first warm up race at South Seatac Park. If my CP12 test this weekend and the way I felt on the bike today are any indication, I think Ellsworth will be happy they put a logo on the arse of my shorts.
It's pouring outside. Bring on the rain, bring on the waves.
Blue Star signing off.
Well, including today, Seattle has experienced 23 consecutive days of rain and the forecast is calling for at least seven more. The record is 33 straight days. Now that's some good training weather. This weekend has some long rides on tap that will include some big climbs, so at least I won't be too cold. I'm moving into my final base phase, which means the rides are going to start including some harder efforts as the race season fast approaches and I transition into build phase.
Anyway, did you ever notice that good fortune comes in waves? Kind of like the rain that has inundated Seattle. Maybe it's luck, maybe it's karma, maybe it's hard work. Who knows, but I like to ride the big waves. Two sponsors haved added themselves to my roster of supporters this year in a big way. A couple of months ago, I had no idea what to expect when I was spending all those hours putting together my race resume. It has turned out to be more than worth the effort.
Maxxis Tires
I'm going to be rolling on the best tires on the planet. Maxxis prides itself on high quality products. They have a tire for every condition and for some conditions multiple tires. Having Maxxis in my corner is like having a secret weapon for each course. Plus, I go through tires like candy and Maxxis is going to take care of my sweet tooth. In the next few weeks, all of my bikes will be sporting the big orange Maxxis logo. K-bomb, Gunn-Rita Dahle, and... Blue Star! Be sure to visit the Maxxis website at www.maxxis.com and whether you are in the market for bike tires or car tires there is something there for you.
Fox Racing Shox
I'm starting to sound like a skipping CD in my praise for my sponsors, but Fox makes the only suspension forks and shocks that I will ride. I submitted my resume to only those companies whose product I wanted to race on. Fox will be hooking up my '06 Truth with a shiny and smooth F100x fork and Float R rear shock. I'm in love with the automatic lockout of the super-efficient inertia valve on the F100x. Get out the saddle and stomp and there's no bob, but ride over some low frequency bumps in the trail and the suspension kicks in like butter. Fast suspension products and some cool scenery can be seen at their website: http://www.foxracingshox.com/
In other news, Cathy at Ellsworth has sent me the new Ellsworth team kit. I'm going to be pimpin' at the races. I'm hoping I cross the finish line first at a race this year so, I can bust out my pimp pop victory salute with the new threads. Also, my new Truth should be on the way in the next couple of weeks. Guess what color.... You will have to wait and see, but it should not be that hard to figure out.
T-minus one month and two days until my first warm up race at South Seatac Park. If my CP12 test this weekend and the way I felt on the bike today are any indication, I think Ellsworth will be happy they put a logo on the arse of my shorts.
It's pouring outside. Bring on the rain, bring on the waves.
Blue Star signing off.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Crankbrothers Pedals under Blue Star's feet
Another awesome sponsor on board for the '06 race season. I'll be putting the power down on some Crankbrothers Eggbeater Ti pedals. I submitted a sponorship request to ride for Crankbrothers because their pedals are beautiful, perform, and are lightweight. A key feature for NW riding is that clip ins and outs are accomplished with ease and this pedal does that in even the nastiest conditions because of the open retention hoops. Crankbrothers is one cool company with a sense of style. Check out their site at Crankbrothers.com
Another awesome sponsor on board for the '06 race season. I'll be putting the power down on some Crankbrothers Eggbeater Ti pedals. I submitted a sponorship request to ride for Crankbrothers because their pedals are beautiful, perform, and are lightweight. A key feature for NW riding is that clip ins and outs are accomplished with ease and this pedal does that in even the nastiest conditions because of the open retention hoops. Crankbrothers is one cool company with a sense of style. Check out their site at Crankbrothers.com
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Sunday, January 01, 2006
17+ Hours in the Saddle
Wow, I just experienced quite a week on the bicycle. Work slows down between the Christmas and New Year holidays, so Coach Thomas set up my schedule to take advantage of having more time to devote to training. In total, I put in over 17 hours in the saddle for just about 250 miles. Not a bad haul for a 7 day period that included 2 recovery days.
Monday: Recovery Day. I had to let my legs recover from the effort of the past weekend. Plus, the weather was nasty.
Tuesday: 3 hours of saddle time. The first half of the ride was outside taking advantage of the waning light. Mr. Bicep and I hit the Birk Gilman for a short spin. Intensity was fairly low, but I cranked it up a little towards the end to remind Mr. Bicep that single malt doesn't make you fast on the bike. Just as the last bit of light slipped behind the western horizon, I returned home and set the bike up on the hamster wheel. I spent another hour and half of riding on the trainer, zoning out to some music on the iPod.
Wednesday: 1 hour of gym time and 90 minutes of chamois time. I started my day with 90 minutes on the stationary trainer. My body hates early morning workouts. In fact, it revolts and the engine refuses to fire for at least an hour. I plodded through the ride and was relieved when it was over. Later in the day, I hit the gym. I'm now in my strength maintenance phase, which means I'm backing off the weights some, but still lifting enough to allow me to keep the strength gains I have made without putting on any more muscle mass. One of the keys to going fast on a bike (especially on those long, lung searing climbs in the mountains) is power to weight ratio. More power over less weight equals more speed. Lose too much weight and you also lose muscle that generates power. Put on too much muscle and the power increase from that additional muscle mass is not enough to offset the weight being carried. It's a tenuous balance to maintain. I've put on about 2 kilos of muscle in my legs, arse, and lower back the last two and half months. The big question is whether my power ouput on the bike has increased to compensate, or exceed, the weight gain as compared to where I was at the end of last season. In other words, have I increased my power to weight ratio. From my recent rides, I think there is more power under the hood. I have some power tests coming up soon to confirm my suspicion.
Thursday: 2.5 hours of riding on the trainer (a new personal record). Thursday's workout was very specific, so it had to be done on the trainer. After a long warm up, I did 5 sets of force intervals. As I described in a previous post, force intervals are low RPM, high power output affairs. Essentially, this workou is like weight lifting on the bike as I slowly crank out big watts. I did 5 sets of three minutes at my CP12 power with three minutes of recovery following each effort. Even though the effort was high, I felt really smooth and powerful today. It is exciting to see fitness developing.
Friday: Recovery day, sort of. A half day of taking advantage of fresh snow at Snoqualmie Pass. Not a vacation for the legs, but it was fun to get back on the slopes after a dry winter last year. The snow was so good the Pass was closed for a few hours at the end of the day. We had to hang out and have some food and drink while the DOT folks plowed like crazy to make I-90 drivable.
Saturday: An epic 5.5 hour group ride totaling 90 miles. We began the day be heading about 30 miles to the northeast to Snohomish. In Snohomish, we stopped for a slice of fresh pie at a small bakery to fill the tank for the next 60 miles. After getting warm and eating yummy apple crumb pie, we braved the elements and turned south along the Snohomish River valley. The roads in this part of Washington are very beautiful. Unobstructed views of the snow capped Cascades to west with pastures and undeveloped land in the foreground. Plus, there were only about 5 cars that passed by in a 30-mile stretch. After heading south along the river valley putting in some solid tempo in a pace line, we had to cross back over the western slope of valley. Union Hill Road took us out of the valley and dropped us down into Redmond. Union Hill is the perfect climb. It is just steep enough to generate a steady effort while the road winds ahead in the distance all encased by woods filled with big trees. I was motoring dropping all my riding companions in my wake. The beautiful thing was that I did not even put out an effort, staying in HR zones 3 and 4 the entire 3-mile climb. After regrouping on top, we descended into Redmond, went south through Bellevue, across I-90 and north back to the U-village Zoka.
Sunday: 4+ hours. Hayes and I headed to Tiger Mountain for some mountain bike fun on the fire roads. We road out to Poo Poo Point. Poo Poo Point is a 15 mile out and back ride that features some serious climbing in both directions, but it is worth it for the westerly views from the top. We set off in heavy winds and a slight drizzle. Half-way out the clouds began to thin revealing some button holes of blue sky and occasional rays of sun. The last two miles of the climb gain 1000 vertical feet. We crested the top and rolled out onto the point. The point serves as a launching pad for hang gliders and and parasailers, but none were braving the shifting and heavy winds today. The urban towers of Bellevue stood like monolisks in the distance, flanked on either side by shimmering waters of Lake Sammamish and Lake Washington. I-90 was pumping cars and trucks in and out of the city. It was as if the landscape was alive. I was snapped out of my thoughts by a harsh gust of wind that signaled our call to retreat to the car before the weather turned nasty. A fast two-mile descent, letting the bike drift through the gravel in the turns at 30mph, was soon followed by some steady rolling climbs for the next five miles back to car. About a two miles out from the trail head, the cold rain started to fall, first slowly but picking up pace with each pedal stroke. We got back to the car and decided to bag heading for the 4 miles up to Tiger Summit. Total mountain bike ride time was just over 2 hours.
After retreating off Tiger to my warm and dry living room, I set up the road bike on the hamster wheel for another 2 hours of spinning. 32 miles on the trainer to close out the weekend. iPod to the rescue again to keep my mind from imploding from the monotony of pedaling but not moving anywhere. Daydreaming of the mountain bike ride to the rhythms of Dave Matthews, U2, and others made the time pass by quickly.
Over 17 hours later, it's time for a recovery week. It is important to remember that fitness develops during recovery not the workout. Only seven hours on the schedule this week, which happens to coincide with what is surely going to be a busy week at work as everyone returns to normal schedules fresh from their respective holiday breaks. I'll probably make a trip to Dream Clinic for a massage to work out some kinks (both physical and mental) at the end of the week.
Three pair of Tifosi glasses arrived last week. I'll post photos and reviews soon. Preliminary report is that the Q2 is the perfect riding eyewear.
That's it for this long post. Thanks for reading.
Happy New Year to all,
Blue Star out.
Wow, I just experienced quite a week on the bicycle. Work slows down between the Christmas and New Year holidays, so Coach Thomas set up my schedule to take advantage of having more time to devote to training. In total, I put in over 17 hours in the saddle for just about 250 miles. Not a bad haul for a 7 day period that included 2 recovery days.
Monday: Recovery Day. I had to let my legs recover from the effort of the past weekend. Plus, the weather was nasty.
Tuesday: 3 hours of saddle time. The first half of the ride was outside taking advantage of the waning light. Mr. Bicep and I hit the Birk Gilman for a short spin. Intensity was fairly low, but I cranked it up a little towards the end to remind Mr. Bicep that single malt doesn't make you fast on the bike. Just as the last bit of light slipped behind the western horizon, I returned home and set the bike up on the hamster wheel. I spent another hour and half of riding on the trainer, zoning out to some music on the iPod.
Wednesday: 1 hour of gym time and 90 minutes of chamois time. I started my day with 90 minutes on the stationary trainer. My body hates early morning workouts. In fact, it revolts and the engine refuses to fire for at least an hour. I plodded through the ride and was relieved when it was over. Later in the day, I hit the gym. I'm now in my strength maintenance phase, which means I'm backing off the weights some, but still lifting enough to allow me to keep the strength gains I have made without putting on any more muscle mass. One of the keys to going fast on a bike (especially on those long, lung searing climbs in the mountains) is power to weight ratio. More power over less weight equals more speed. Lose too much weight and you also lose muscle that generates power. Put on too much muscle and the power increase from that additional muscle mass is not enough to offset the weight being carried. It's a tenuous balance to maintain. I've put on about 2 kilos of muscle in my legs, arse, and lower back the last two and half months. The big question is whether my power ouput on the bike has increased to compensate, or exceed, the weight gain as compared to where I was at the end of last season. In other words, have I increased my power to weight ratio. From my recent rides, I think there is more power under the hood. I have some power tests coming up soon to confirm my suspicion.
Thursday: 2.5 hours of riding on the trainer (a new personal record). Thursday's workout was very specific, so it had to be done on the trainer. After a long warm up, I did 5 sets of force intervals. As I described in a previous post, force intervals are low RPM, high power output affairs. Essentially, this workou is like weight lifting on the bike as I slowly crank out big watts. I did 5 sets of three minutes at my CP12 power with three minutes of recovery following each effort. Even though the effort was high, I felt really smooth and powerful today. It is exciting to see fitness developing.
Friday: Recovery day, sort of. A half day of taking advantage of fresh snow at Snoqualmie Pass. Not a vacation for the legs, but it was fun to get back on the slopes after a dry winter last year. The snow was so good the Pass was closed for a few hours at the end of the day. We had to hang out and have some food and drink while the DOT folks plowed like crazy to make I-90 drivable.
Saturday: An epic 5.5 hour group ride totaling 90 miles. We began the day be heading about 30 miles to the northeast to Snohomish. In Snohomish, we stopped for a slice of fresh pie at a small bakery to fill the tank for the next 60 miles. After getting warm and eating yummy apple crumb pie, we braved the elements and turned south along the Snohomish River valley. The roads in this part of Washington are very beautiful. Unobstructed views of the snow capped Cascades to west with pastures and undeveloped land in the foreground. Plus, there were only about 5 cars that passed by in a 30-mile stretch. After heading south along the river valley putting in some solid tempo in a pace line, we had to cross back over the western slope of valley. Union Hill Road took us out of the valley and dropped us down into Redmond. Union Hill is the perfect climb. It is just steep enough to generate a steady effort while the road winds ahead in the distance all encased by woods filled with big trees. I was motoring dropping all my riding companions in my wake. The beautiful thing was that I did not even put out an effort, staying in HR zones 3 and 4 the entire 3-mile climb. After regrouping on top, we descended into Redmond, went south through Bellevue, across I-90 and north back to the U-village Zoka.
Sunday: 4+ hours. Hayes and I headed to Tiger Mountain for some mountain bike fun on the fire roads. We road out to Poo Poo Point. Poo Poo Point is a 15 mile out and back ride that features some serious climbing in both directions, but it is worth it for the westerly views from the top. We set off in heavy winds and a slight drizzle. Half-way out the clouds began to thin revealing some button holes of blue sky and occasional rays of sun. The last two miles of the climb gain 1000 vertical feet. We crested the top and rolled out onto the point. The point serves as a launching pad for hang gliders and and parasailers, but none were braving the shifting and heavy winds today. The urban towers of Bellevue stood like monolisks in the distance, flanked on either side by shimmering waters of Lake Sammamish and Lake Washington. I-90 was pumping cars and trucks in and out of the city. It was as if the landscape was alive. I was snapped out of my thoughts by a harsh gust of wind that signaled our call to retreat to the car before the weather turned nasty. A fast two-mile descent, letting the bike drift through the gravel in the turns at 30mph, was soon followed by some steady rolling climbs for the next five miles back to car. About a two miles out from the trail head, the cold rain started to fall, first slowly but picking up pace with each pedal stroke. We got back to the car and decided to bag heading for the 4 miles up to Tiger Summit. Total mountain bike ride time was just over 2 hours.
After retreating off Tiger to my warm and dry living room, I set up the road bike on the hamster wheel for another 2 hours of spinning. 32 miles on the trainer to close out the weekend. iPod to the rescue again to keep my mind from imploding from the monotony of pedaling but not moving anywhere. Daydreaming of the mountain bike ride to the rhythms of Dave Matthews, U2, and others made the time pass by quickly.
Over 17 hours later, it's time for a recovery week. It is important to remember that fitness develops during recovery not the workout. Only seven hours on the schedule this week, which happens to coincide with what is surely going to be a busy week at work as everyone returns to normal schedules fresh from their respective holiday breaks. I'll probably make a trip to Dream Clinic for a massage to work out some kinks (both physical and mental) at the end of the week.
Three pair of Tifosi glasses arrived last week. I'll post photos and reviews soon. Preliminary report is that the Q2 is the perfect riding eyewear.
That's it for this long post. Thanks for reading.
Happy New Year to all,
Blue Star out.
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