Don't Bank On It

Today I rode at Lebanon Hills park for the first time. A super nice guy coming off the trail as I was heading in asked, incredulously, "Where do you live, that this is your first time here?!?" I explained that I live close, but I ride on flat trails. He said, "Oh, you'll find this isn't flat." It wasn't flat, but I only rode on the easy trail, so it wasn't difficult. And one part was kind of fun, like a roller coaster. It sure was pretty.

What I learned:

- Once my hands are warm enough to wear just gloves, and not mittens on top of them, I have way more control over shifting and braking.

- Banked turns are better done quickly in the snow, although I skidded out on two of them - twice. So, even though faster is better, I can't, ahem, bank on it.

- Those toe warmer things help, although I cringe at the one-time use/disposal nature of them.

- Little trails in the woods are much more sheltered from the wind than the wider, flatter trails.

- The nice guy and two people who were pulling in as I was leaving also have Framed bikes, but this year's models. (The nice guy was bummed that his bike cost way more than mine.) It seems like this was a good investment for The House bike shop to design and sell these bikes.

- Tons more people have fat bikes this year than last year.

- I'm much better on a trail the second time I ride it than the first.

Thanks, Park Rangers!

Deer Fort Snelling State Park Rangers,

My parents told me that it is palite to send thank-you letters when I get presents.

When we moved to this house a long time ago, I was really, really happy. Why? Becuz I found out that your park is really close. Not just the old-timey stuff, but the nature part to! I like to go there to swim and to walk the dog in the woods. I like to go sking there to, becuz it is nice & flat. :-)

Now, this winter time, you are making trails for lots of activitys like riding fat tire bikes! I road my fat tire bike their today and it was really nice!

Thank you for the X-mas present. I really like it!

Sincerly,

Maggie Mahoney
Minneapolis
Age 42

p.s. heres a picsure from my bike ride today! It got dark and that was really neat.

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/MS150Maggie2015

And to all, a good night.

Her eyes — how they twinkled! Her cheeks were like roses, her nose like a cherry.

And the helmet it encircled her head like a wreath.

She had a broad face, and a little round belly that shook when she laugh'd, like a bowl full of jelly.

She spoke not a word, but went straight to her work, and fill'd all the tires then turn'd with a jerk. She sprung to her bike, to the town gave a whistle, and away she flew, like the down of a thistle.

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/MS150Maggie2015

My favorite solstice

Most people would be bummed about the shortest day of the year, but I love the winter solstice and the fact that the days get noticeably longer, despite spring being a little further than just around the corner... It's the summer solstice that bums me out, although it is offset by fun summer things.

This past summer, my friends and I spent one freakin' hot day at the Tour de Fat, where we saw these fun bikes (including that big bear-thing, which is powered by many people pedaling a pedal-pub-type thing), and where I got a fun bike-themed t-shirt. I've been saving the photos for a day like today.

HURRAY! The solstice!

Mother Nature's B-day Gift

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I had unfinished business with my road bike. Apparently Mother Nature heard that, and gave us a reprieve from winter so I could try to address that.

I didn't go far, but I did a fun, sloppy ride to and from yoga today. I do love my bike. Thanks, Mother Nature, for the small bit of sanity to usher in another year of life. I feel this is the perfect recalibration.

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/MS150Maggie2015

Visiting some old friends

Last June, two top trails in the area were closed due to landslides, and remained closed all summer. In today's spring-like 30-degree weather, I took my fat bike out and decided to see if the Mendota/Lilydale trail/road was open.

I had a blissful ride on the trail. It was so open, in fact, that a mountain bike or road bike with slightly wide tires could've handled the occasional bigger patches of snow and ice just fine. I just got an extra workout by doing it on fat tires.

The lack of foliage allowed me to see that there are a lot of homes perched on that little cliff, just waiting to tip over.

On the way back, I stopped by Fort Snelling to pay tribute to Whiskey the horse. Someone kindly left him some carrots, which this little cutie was gnawing on. If I was someone who said, "adorbs," this would be the time to do so.

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/MS150Maggie2015

Finally Arrived in Guatemala!

Not exactly.

I - finally - crossed the 2,000-mile mark on my bike for 2014. I was feeling somewhat disappointed since I was making such good progress in August to rack up a lot of miles this year. August is always a tease.

Anyhow, I'm trying to have a better attitude about certain things. As demonstrated by my sharing here my new-found knowledge that Guatemala is about 2,000 miles from Minneapolis. Who knew I could ride to Guatemala and yet feel so rested?

Sepia-toned education

As we drove to Custer State Park 16+ years ago, I made the atypical honeymoon decision to read "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee." It was a great book, helping me understand our government's treatment of Native Americans during the civil war era.

It helped me learn that the guy Sibley, for whom a lot of things in my area are named, was a bad guy.

My bike ride yesterday, started behind the historic Sibley house, and followed a trail on the land formerly inhabited by the Dakota. As I was riding, I was thinking about the Thanksgiving images we are shown as kids of the pilgrims and Native Americans arm in arm, eating a huge turkey, and how I was riding across the river from the area that eventually was used as a concentration camp for the Dakota.

The most unsettling event of the government campaign to remove Native Americans from prime land, in my mind, although there are many to choose from, unfortunately, was the Sand Creek Massacre, which occurred 150 years ago tomorrow.

While I love Thanksgiving and what it can, and does, represent for many people, I appreciate learning that things might not have always been quite the way I initially learned they were. Something to mull over while eating a turkey sandwich...

A little, fat bike ride, a little, fat dinner

For several years, I've ridden on Thanksgiving. Being on my bike is something for which I'm truly thankful. This year's snow didn't stop me, since I've got my fun fat tire bike.

It was a great morning along the Minnesota River (although I really need to figure out how to keep my toes warm), followed by a hearty meal at Merlin's Rest. And perhaps a nap?

Gratitude

At last night's fourth and final swimming lesson (despite it being a seven-week course), the college student instructor gave me tips on how to swim as a workout as she helped me refine the three (of the five total) strokes I've learned. She was a great teacher in that she didn't overwhelm us. Gave us a tip here, a tip there, with a lot of encouragement in between. That's a style that apparently works for me. Now I will just need a pool in which to practice what I've learned - after I've bought some new goggles that fit my eye sockets better.

On the way home from swimming, I drove the way that I like to ride my bike from the U of M St. Paul campus. It was a little icy in parts. All I could think of the whole way was how I wish I could go for a decent* bike ride on my road bike right now. Some people - a lot of people - still ride road bikes when it is cold and icy, but I don't and I feel like I have unfinished road bike business this year. 

Despite this self-pitying unfinished business thought, I was thinking how I started riding my bike for real once I started doing the MS rides when my friend Stacy was diagnosed with MS and am grateful that she's doing well. I feel grateful, too, that she wanted to join me on this swimming lesson adventure and that she's willing to pay extra attention during her last two lessons to teach me the two strokes I didn't learn. (That will be amusing to watch. Maybe we will charge admission, once we find a pool.)

I thought about others with MS who aren't doing as well, despite many advances in MS research. They are responding to their situations so gracefully, and I'm grateful that they've shared their stories with me. 

What else am I grateful for on this reflective morning? Restaurants that bake pies for you when you're supposed to BYOP to someone's house for dessert, and restaurants that serve Thanksgiving dinner when it is a year that you're just not into doing it yourself. Trotter's and Merlin's Rest, I look forward to giving you my business this holiday weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends.

* Decent: Around 45 miles, partly sunny, 60-degree day with little wind on roads in the city exploring new routes with little traffic.

Note: I spent time this week getting my sites for next year up and running. If you have any suggestions of what would be more interesting, I'll take them. I shortened up the text a bit, but feel like maybe I should mix it up a bit this year.

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/MS150Maggie2015

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/MaggieTRAM2015

Just a little break

No, I didn't break a bone.

I'm in full work travel mode and pretty overwhelmed with work, am trying to gear up (both figuratively and literally, I guess) for the holidays, and am behind on everything I was going to do to be a kick-butt captain of my MS150 team this year. So what did I do this afternoon?

I skipped out of work, put ON a suit, went downtown on the train like a grown-up, and watched my friend Juan get sworn-in as a judge. He's going to be a great judge! I'm so excited for Minnesota. And Juan.

When I was there, I saw every law job boss I've ever had (except my current boss, who was covering a meeting for me in Atlanta). I'm still processing what conclusions I can draw from that. I think they are good ones.

When I got home, I saw that someone from the MS Society hand delivered this little giftie. (The back says "bike MS team captain.") Does that make me feel guilty for not being on top of my captainly duties? Not sure.

In the meantime, I've still been processing things offered by Amanda Palmer last Sunday. I wasn't sure I fully liked her, but if she made me think deep thoughts for a week, I think she must be doing something right. I've also been hemming and hawing for a week about the fact that I'm kind of a scaredy cat on my bike, despite fat tires and a super nice ride last weekend.

All of this means I'm in my head too much, and not outside enough.

p.s. can I just say how much I love the Sugarcubes guy? I love imitating him, "that girl on the thee bi-see-cle showed great interest in the motorcrashes in thee neighborhood," "squeaky clean, reeeeally clean."

This is my second post in a row with a p.s. Weird.

Ye Olde Fatte Byke

A short but good ride yielded the following observations:

- Walking on the roads is way more slippery than riding on fat tires.

- I am glad this bike doubles as my mountain bike when I swap out the wheels. The few times I took out the mountain bike this summer has made me more comfortable.

- My back totally hurt before I went. Now it does not. Moving is good!

- I need a better solution to keep my feet warm. My legs, hands, head, etc. all felt warm. My toes got cold, despite liner socks, thick smartwool socks, and winter boots.

- You can really see the creek way better in the winter, and I pretty much love nothing more than an open creek winding through the snow.

- Snowy paths (although plowed better than our street) mean few pedestrians on the paths.

- It is quiet when it snows, even in the city.

- Goggles wouldn't be a bad thing when riding while it is snowing.

And I just ate a bunch of potato chips

The past two days, I've been somewhat obsessed with the Iron Nun. In 2012, she was the oldest person to have completed an Ironman triathlon (at age 82; when she was 79, she broke the record for women). She still holds that record. In October, she attempted to be the oldest person to complete the Ironman World Championship (at age 84), but didn't finish.

I'm not religious, but I admit I've got a soft spot for nuns, who are more "of the people" than other religious figures. Plus, all of my high school science teachers were nuns and gracefully dealt with my lack of natural ability. The one I had for chemistry and physics was particularly generous with her time (thanks to you, Sr. Bernadone, I will never forget 9.8 meters per second squared), and even tried to set me up for the prom. Thank goodness I already had a date.

But the Iron Nun! How cool! Especially as I sit here, like a bump on a log, trying to get the nerve up to brave the cold and take out my fat bike. The Iron Nun wouldn't wimp out; she would get on that danged bike!

(p.s. oddly, I didn't learn about the Iron Nun from the Mighty Girl Facebook page/blog, which has been the source of many inspirational stories lately. No, instead I read about her in a footnote in the little newsletter that comes with my husband's razor blades. Seriously.)

(p.p.s. I was looking for a photo of the now-deceased Sr. Bernadone. I found one commemorating her 65+ years in the classroom, but opted for this one, from the nuns' Facebook page highlighting Sr. Bernadone's scones recipe. A lady after my own heart.)

Alive in the Present

So, the past two years, I've not only done the MS150 bike ride, but also the week-long MS TRAM. Why two rides? Well, the short answer is to raise more money for the MS Society. But, really, I don't raise much more doing two rides than I would if I just stuck with the one ride.

This article about a local musician, touring along the length of the Mississippi River (Mpls to NOLA), by bike, sums it up:

"Ben talked about how all the stress in life, the meaningless little details, simply vanish after a few days on the road. You’re alive in the present and only concerned with the wind, the rain and the miles ahead. If you can find the place in life where the wind and the rain are among your biggest concerns, you’re doing something right."

Iconic schmiconic

Last night, Dan and I went to the neighborhood theater to see the documentary his meteorologist/climatologist friend made about winter, via a kickstarter campaign. It was a good movie, which made me simultaneously look forward to and dread this next winter.

The movie calls winter Minnesota's most iconic season. I guess that's true, but this fall has been Minnesota's nicest fall in recent memory, even if it isn't what we are known for.

This weekend also involved a trip with one half of my parents to an orchard with my nephews, a visit to a new nature park with a natural, kids play area (sticks for forts, chalk for boulders, etc.) where some cool basket things hung from the trees, and the longest bike ride I've gone on in a month (sad, but true).

Today's fun ride was planned by Matt and involved a mostly-trailed route from Hopkins to St. Boni along the north side of Lake Minnetonka, through Carver Park, and along the south side of the lake back to Hopkins.

I overdid it a bit at dinner, eating way more, way more quickly, than called for by my pressing hunger. So now I laugh as Piper plays with Millie, who we are dog sitting, while I'm multitasking by. digesting the meal and digesting the weekend.

My celebrity lifestyle blog

The local paper included an article from the Post related to celebrity lifestyle blogs, and reviewed the blogs written by people like Gwynneth Paltrow and Tori Spelling. The article provides information in six categories for each celebrity blog reviewed.

I thought I should evaluate my own blog using the same criteria.

Who's responsible?: Well, I guess I am. Although I certainly am a product of my environment, as well as possessing certain family traits that I am starting to think are genetic in nature.

Target demographic: Myself, I suppose. Maybe my Mom, since I think she reads every post.

Sample Posts: Hard to characterize. Originally it was intended to relay information about using my bike to raise money for the MS Society, so some posts relate to biking adventures or purchases. Other posts contain random historical information about Minnesota, there are a lot of photos of the river, and I've even posted assorted pictures I found online showing leprechauns and horses riding bikes. A complete hodgepodge, it seems. Certainly no recipes or crafting tips.

How Informative is it?: Uhmmm.... See above? Yeah, sorry.

Is it Blatantly Commercial?: Although I did show a photo of my preferred type of tire changing levers, I haven't encouraged anyone to buy anything (and actually suggested taking free items from hotel rooms), and have included no links to shopping sites. So, I think not. (At this point I'm mumbling to myself like Harold's mom when she fills out his dating service questionnaire in Harold and Maude.)

But How Does it Make You Feel?: Well, dear reader, I probably don't make you feel like the celebrity blogs do (too poor, too much meat in your diet, and I certainly can't make you feel like you aren't stylish... have you seen me?), but I'm not too worried about it. (See "target demographic.")

Another Halloween decoration?

I went to the doctor yesterday to get new orthotics that would serve their original knee purpose, yet maybe would alleviate recurring toe pain a bit more effectively than my super old ones.

It turns out that a bone in my toe that is supposed to be square is a rectangle. I knew it was longer than the others, but it's kind of cool to see the culprit bone that I am unable to punish or reprimand or rehabilitate (depending on your view of  the correctional system).

The best part of the visit (other than being asked by two separate people, "are your feet really always this cold?!?" and being told that it is good for me to sit in the warming house and drink cocoa a ton when engaging in winter sports due to my poor circulation and increased propensity for frostbite) was getting confirmation that my new biking shoes are the right size.

I bought big cycling shoes recently and was worried that maybe I went a little overboard since it sometimes feels like I'm wearing clown shoes. But nope, it was a good purchase, it seems.

Bike-Yoga-Walk: A Great Pairing... of Three Things

Swollenhamstringassana pose?

What do you call it when three things are put together? Does a pairing imply two items only? That's a question for another day, I guess.

The morning didn't go quite as planned. The bee that stung me in the hamstring while moving out of a downward facing dog pose at yoga wasn't nearly as cute as this little drawing I found online. I rode my bike to yoga today, but of course today is the one day I didn't have my little ziploc with ibuprofen and benadryl. All in all, I was glad to learn that when I get stung I still don't need an epi-pen and was glad that I made it home on my bike without annoying myself too much. Just a little bit.

Although I didn't tack on any extra miles on the bike, my trusty canine companion Piper and I went for a roughly-7-mile walk with Marcy along Minnehaha Creek to where it empties into the Mississippi River. Neither of us have never been to that spot before, which was beautiful.

Near the confluence of the creek and the river

Before yoga, I put the fat tires back on my fat/mountain bike and rode around the alley a little bit to make sure that I assembled everything correctly. Everyone in Mpls seems to have fat bike fever. I've seen a lot of people riding them already this season. Once I was on it, I remembered how fun it is. So, I guess I'm not so surprised that people are out on them a lot already.

When I was in Atlanta this week, a colleague showed off Atlanta's crown biking jewel - a paved, separated path. Of about 12 miles. Those poor Atlantans don't know what they're missing in nice places like Minnesota. 

I'm not quite sure why this post reads like a third-grade book report. Can I blame the convenient bee scapegoat?

Hazen + Grey Cloud Woman

Today, I took a leisurely ride with Matt to Grey Cloud Island, a cool little spot in the Mississippi River where the Dakota lived after leaving Kaposia (which, as I noted in a blog post a long time ago, is where they moved after leaving the Battle Creek area). Matt and I rode here in early August with my brother-in-law Tom, when it was quite toasty. Today was perfect - - about 55 and sunny.

On the island, we stopped briefly at Hazen Mooers Park and I took some photos. We were speculating about who he was. Apparently, Hazen was the fur trader husband of Grey Cloud Woman, for whom the island is named.

A City Pages blog post says that the island is haunted. I don't buy it. But I've never been there in the dark.

Mecca

I am in Portland for work, missing my bike as I watch all the very many people doing their commuting thing in the robust bike lanes. I was easily distracted, though, by my hike today at Mt. Hood. That is, until I accidentally started hiking on a mountain bike trail.

Perfection

I'm not claiming to have achieved it, rather just having witnessed it.

On Friday, I took the day off and rode from my house through St. Paul to the Gateway Trail, which I followed to its end: Pine Point Park. The fall scenery was beautiful, and I saw some really cute fluffy cows. I had planned to stop and take some photos on the way home, but got a text from a friend that she needed the sleeping pad I borrowed for the TRAM, and within about 90 minutes for her to go on a camping trip.

I was 30+ miles from home and there was no way I could get home in time. I rode my bike as fast as I could for about 18 miles to get her house, got a ride home, and handed over the pad. Procrastination doesn't pay, people, especially when returning borrowed goods!

Despite the rushed ride, I got to see some beautiful stuff before going to a sleepover (you read that correctly) at another friend's house. After a relaxed Saturday, I decided to go to yoga this morning and follow it with a bike ride.

Matt and I rode to Hopkins, through the tailgating Vikings fans at TCF Bank Stadium, up to the capitol, and along the river. I didn't take pictures, but found these photos of the Cedar Lake Trail and the Mississippi that are pretty much identical to what we saw. Fantastic.

90 miles over the weekend is a bit lower than I was aiming for, but I sure made up for anything resembling disappointment in the unparalleled scenery.

Non-traditional Biking Gear

I travel a fair amount for work. I snag the cheap shower caps from hotels and stick them in my biking rain coat. When riding for a long time in the cold rain (say, for example, the entire first day of the MS150  this past June), putting one over your helmet to keep the rain from infiltrating your helmet can make a big difference.

And then, of course, I carry one of these little horns.

Minneapolis' Finest

After returning from the funeral of a very great, spirited and generous woman, I decided to cram in a bike ride before sunset.

I often avoid the creek and lakes because they are so crowded, but tonight I risked it because I wanted to experience beauty. It paid off.

The little kid I met biking on the parkway, the view of the sailboats on Lake Harriet, the energy around Lake Calhoun, the calm of Lake of the Isles, the clear, open path on the Cedar Lake Trail, and the view of the Mississippi were fantastic.

No Spring Chicken

Once, after buying a chicken with the intent of roasting it only to learn that I bought a stewing chicken, I realized not all chickens are equal. So, based on what I learned, I can say I'm not a broiler or a fryer. Those clearly are spring chickens.

I'm no spring chicken. After getting very little exercise the previous week and then rowing and doing a little mountain biking yesterday (thumbs up on the Elm Creek beginner trails, which were significantly easier - and confidence boosting - than the other two places I've tried), my body feels as flexible as a plank of wood.

Hopefully I'm not in stewing chicken territory yet; yoga today maybe put me back in the roaster category.

Odd alternatives to biking

This past week at work was pretty intensive, and I couldn't make myself commit to anything for Saturday morning.

So despite feeling like I should have been feeling guilty while people like Matt rode in a 100-mile gravel race and my rower friends did the 13-mile Pike Island Challenge, I slept in, read, and eventually took Piper to a distant and nice off-leash dog park. And then I scraped together Minnesota sports clothing, let myself into my neighbor's house while she was out of town, and took photos of her Bucky badger statue in the MN clothing, to send to my neighbor while she is on vacation.

Today was going to be a biking day, but instead I got to spend time much-needed time with my in-laws. It looks like a good week for some bike commutes to work, which will be good.