What's the common link?

Me.

Remember the aerobics class by Jim mentioned in the (le?) Le Freak post? This sorry state of my core strength wouldn't have happened on his watch.

(Note: The photo of the chiropractic adjustment is neither a photo of me nor my chiropractor. Neither of us are dudes.)

Travels with Pipey

Guest post from the doodle:

All the dogs at the off-leash park today demonstrated, in the words of Steinbeck, "a burning desire to go, to move, to get under way, anyplace, away from any Here. They spoke quietly of how they wanted to go someday, to move about, free and unanchored, not toward something but away from something. I saw this look and heard this yearning everywhere . . .".

Despite this unrest and the damp conditions, all of the dogs showed sheer delight in being at the park. I took advantage of a large, open field to demonstrate my unmatched skill at bouncily running in tight circles. 

As I settle in to my familiar role as best friend, I will post this selfie from inside Maggie's car. I got a lot of dirt all over the back seat, but a girl's gotta live a full life and can't spend time being worried about a little bit of mud.

A grimy ride

Today,  five of us rode (roughly) the Minneapolis Grand Rounds route (roughly). I'm not sure where to insert the adjective,  which apparently makes for a good - and fitting - adverb, too.

It was drizzly and dirty, but all in all a good day for riding.

After the ride, Piper decided to check out what is not actually a farmer tan.  It is grime above the pale flesh that was trapped in my wet socks.

Simple pleasures

I meant to take a picture of me kissing my bike today. The day was great, not too hot, not too sunny. I missed not riding my bike over the last two weeks, and really enjoyed being on it today.

I met Matt at Fort Snelling, and we rode to downtown St. Paul. From there we went to the Capitol, through Como Park, to the University of Minnesota, and back to St. Paul.

It wasn't a long ride for me - only 40 miles (Matt rode 60 miles before we met up), but it was pretty perfect. Before cruising home, I stopped and took some pictures at the Fort to test out my brand new phone's camera. Tomorrow I will see whether this new little speaker I bought will work on my bike.

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

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

I prefer my impromptu speeches to be good

Today at work, someone said that they'd get back to me on an issue in early June. Early June, you slacker? Oh. Yes. It is the end of May, I guess.

The end of May means it is almost June, which means that the MS150 is just around the corner! I have been busy (garage sale for the MS Society, work trip to North Carolina, etc.) and haven't ridden my bike since the Gran Fondo. If I could ride my bike 100+ miles in one day a couple of weeks ago, I can do the MS150. But it might not be pretty.

I stumbled across this quote from Mark Twain, which made me laugh. It sort of sums up why I prefer to have a few more miles under my belt: "It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech."

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

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

Now that's commitment

Today, when working at Stacy's yard sale to raise money for the MS Society, I saw a familiar face.

An older gent rolled up on a recumbent bike (with electric assist option). "Are you really giving all the money to the MS Society? My daughter has MS. I do the bike rides. I'm the oldest rider; I'm 91!"

I remember seeing this guy on the TRAM route, and hearing the organizers say last year that he was doing the ride - - about a week after his wife died.

We talked this afternoon. His daughter did the TRAM ride two years ago and was struggling. She suspected that she might have MS, and later found out that she does. His wife, who died from diabetes-related issues last summer, is buried by Fort Snelling (to which he regularly rides his bike - about a 22-mile ride, I suspect) because he was in the Navy and they will share a plot. He was an interesting guy, who remembered a lot of details about bikes, but was a little hazy on other details, including the time it took for his half-cross country bike ride years ago.

He says he might do the TRAM with an electric bike this year to help with the hills.

I'd be honored to have him pass me on a hill. Or anywhere, anytime. 91!

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

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

Gratitude, with no attitude.

I apparently have been neglecting some obligations, such as sewing on buttons, making pies, and updating blogs, while doing things like getting ready for the Fulton Gran Fondo ride this past Saturday.

"Sew on your own buttons, I'm going for a ride."

This was the longest bike ride, and the least-supported event, that I've ever done. 103 miles, 3 rest stops, and about 7.5 hours of riding (including the very, very slow, sometimes stopped, very congested first 8 miles). The ride started and ended at Fulton Brewery, where there was free coffee in the morning and food trucks, beer, and live music in the evening. It was a super fun day and a great route.

Five of us from our MS team, Stacy's Cycling Supporters, did the ride: Kristin, who is doing the 150, Dan and Steve, who are doing the TRAM, and Matt and I, who will be doing both MS rides this summer.

Maggie and Kristin, after the ride and looking to see what towns we were in way out west.

Cue sheets were essential.

I started off with two of these on my back. I think it helped. For 60 miles.

One thing I was thinking - while riding Saturday, again on Sunday, and yet still today - is that I have a really great family and friends. An amazing network of people who are kind, generous, smart, and funny.

There are people who let me draft behind them on my bike for 20+ miles when I'm tired, friends and parent after parent who give me life pep talks (sometimes during yoga), a quiet caretaker husband, and former and current neighbors-turned-friends who drop off surprise gifts and serve as the village it apparently takes to care for a dog during biking season. There are these people, and many more, who have helped me reach my MS150 fundraising goal a whole month before my ride. I am very humbled and appreciative for all of the support I receive in life, on my bike, and with my fundraising efforts.

Today's impromptu gift
at my door.

From Piper's Wingman/
Dogmother

Thank you so very much!

Check out my MS150 site with your own eyes!
I'm also at 24% of my goal for the MS TRAM!

Unusual Ride

This morning, I rode to yoga. It was a weird ride.

First, I had to cross Minnehaha Parkway where there were tons of Walk MS walkers. That was cool, but while I was waiting for a break to cross through the crowd, I yelled, "Thanks for walking!" I think they thought I was being sarcastic and criticizing them for blocking my route. At least I saw a volunteer that I recognized and she gratefully accepted my "Thanks for volunteering!" shout out.

When riding by the fort, I tried to stay out of the way of an older woman who was holding her camera to her face. As I rode by, she snapped at least three pictures of me. This wigged me out a little bit, especially as I noticed that my shirt did not provide as much coverage leaning over a bike as it does when standing upright.

Then, I had to come to a stop to not hit a little dog on a trail, while his owner, face buried in his phone, told me not to worry, the dog would stay out of my way. As he was saying this, the dog was licking my leg.

At least I got to hear these cool frogs and see a little cute snake.

Things were more normal after yoga, thankfully. I did a sweaty ride up and down a hill a few times near the overlook by the MN River Valley, which was a good way to leave things.

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

Contentment

When I rode to Dinkytown last night to go see Charlie Parr play, I hydrated with a PBR, in true summer biking style, but have been limiting my alcohol, generally,  to help get into better summer biking shape. I wonder if it matters when you're drinking ultra watery PBR. Regardless, having only one weak beer helped me get on my bike a bit easier this a.m. after having only about a combined 5 hours of sleep last night, tops.

Today we had our first team ride. It was about 24 miles, which I converted into a 52-mile ride. I've ridden about 180 miles over the last week, which feels somewhat surprising (but may confirm that perhaps I'm in gran fondo le freak c'est chic mode?). It was a perfect day of biking, followed by some bike maintenance (buy/install new brake pads/shoes, buy/install new water bottle cage, get handlebar cap thing put on, clean chain, etc.), yardwork, and a ride with my hubby to a local pizza joint for dinner.

Total satisfaction.

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