The home stretch, with lots of stretches

I've been riding most days in July, other than when I was in Wisconsin earlier this month with my Aunt Marianna from Kentucky to visit Beth, my stepmom, and my brother and his family. As always, it was a treat to take my dog to the nearby Sniffspot (private dog parks you can rent out).

Haley wasn't too impressed with the horses, but the chickens...

Beth bought Haley a new toy and
I hilariously got a photo featuring her tongue.

I rode pretty regularly in June, too, and I'm pretty happy with the frequency of rides I've been doing, even if they haven't been super long. 

The pinch flat I got riding over a pothole.
Thankfully it was very close to home so I could just walk home
and fix the flat at my house rather than on the side of
the road on a hot day.

Nevertheless, my back, hip, and neck led me to go for two massages this month, which makes me wonder why I'm so hesitant to go do something like that before things get super annoying. If I'm going to end up spending the money when I'm in pain, why not do it sooner to try to prevent the pain? Anyhow, I went to two totally different places and they each were good in their own way, so I'll go back to each person again (and I scheduled one appointment for shortly after I get back home after the TRAM).

This weekend, I rode 45 miles each day. The wildfire smoke subsided enough to make that a possibility and the heat index was around 90 each day (an improvement from earlier this month). I realized that I think my best strategy for the TRAM is to go a little slower and in a little lighter gear. It will take me longer, but will be more pleasant. This was my M.O. for the rides this weekend and overall they were pretty comfortable in real time.

The dog loves the heat, until all of a sudden she doesn't.

Until it recently got really hot, I'd been riding
with these very, very attractive compression
socks that oddly match my sandals. 

The other day, I re-rewired the headphones
in my helmet. The other headphones I'd
recently used as replacements were too
protective of the ears and didn't play my music
loud enough. These work great.

Yesterday, I rode to Como Lake and Lake Phalen, along Battle Creek, and along the Mississippi. I lost my rear light along the way at some point, unfortunately so had to get a new one. 

Today, I rode along the Minnesota River at various points. 

MN River Valley

MN River - it looked prettier in real
life, although it definitely is a brown river -
very silty

I'm so lucky to live by both these big rivers, and so many lakes and creeks. And I'm also lucky to have really good biking routes along them all, too. 

So a week from now, I'll hopefully be peacefully asleep in my tent on the grounds of "the public school" in Menahga, Minnesota. It isn't clear to me whether there's one K-12 school or if it is just an elementary school or what, but that's where we will park, camp, and then take off for our 5-day ride. I learned from Wikipedia that the booming town of Menahga (1340 residents in 2020) was platted in 1891 and named for the Ojibwe word miinikaa meaning "there are [many] blueberries."

I was looking for restaurants for dinner and the options are Subway and a couple of gas stations. It's that kind of town! I'm curious, though, to find the Blueberry River. And maybe some actual blueberries?

Until I go, I'll be doing some shorter rides around town, running my packing errands, and getting some chores done. And working, trying to get things squared away before skipping town... 

Thanks for your support everyone! Wish me luck! 

https://events.nationalmssociety.org/participants/Go-Maggie-Go

http://maggiemsbiking.blogspot.com

Ridin' Through the Heartland

I didn't do any bike rides in Northern Wisconsin, when I wrote my last post from the couch at my mom and stepdad's house. But Dan and I took our dog and my parents' dog for a nice (albeit buggy) walk in the woods before we headed to a beer tasting festival. This is my favorite place to walk. 

Since then I've been prepping for the 5-day BikeMS TRAM ride by trying to ride as many days as possible, even if I'm only riding for 15 miles. My biking friend, Laura, who lives 0.5 miles from me has been a willing 7:15 a.m. companion on several weekdays. If it were up to her, I think we'd leave earlier, but I like coffee and breakfast, and am a putter-er. 

Last weekend, I rode with my friend Steve, who will be doing the TRAM with me, up to the Coon Rapids Dam, where I haven't ridden for quite some time. I think I may have skipped it entirely last year. Anyhow, they have a great new visitor center area by a kid's splash pad, which means that there are good bathrooms and water now. On the way home, we rode through the brand new Upper Harbor Terminal park in North Minneapolis, which was pretty cool. We spent some time checking out the swings. 

My back and hip have been bothering me, so instead of riding the next day, I did a lot of yard work, including spending a lot of time on my hands and knees cleaning all the weeds out of these bricks. I love how fresh and clean it is now. However, this did not at all help my back and hip.

I distracted myself from the discomfort by obsessing over Mr, Tiny, who I was crayfish-sitting while his family was out of town. I love this little guy. He is oddly captivating!

This weekend, Dan and I packed up the camper and dog and went to Pike Bay, on the south side of Cass Lake. Friday afternoon and evening were great. 

I did a 54-mile ride on Saturday, the first 39 of which were rain-free, and the last 15 were more refreshing than anything. 

The campground essentially connects to the Heartland Trail, which is the first railway that they converted into a bike path after our Legacy Amendment passed, dedicating money to trails and the arts. Last year, I did an out-and-back on that trail and wasn't as interested in that this year. 

So, I tossed the dice and rode west on a county highway to the Paul Bunyan trail. The county highway, in Cass County, had bumps every fifteen feet, where they purposely had gaps in the pavement (probably for expansion and contraction), yet also had a small, but paved, shoulder. I had lots of blinky lights on the front and back of my bike (and me). The road had rolling hills and a lot of beautiful scenery. It felt like a road we'd ride on for the TRAM. It got nice and smooth when I crossed the county line into Hubbard County, but a short time after that, the shoulder disappeared. Thankfully I was not too far from Nary, where I picked up the bike trail. Also, there was not much traffic and each car/pickup that passed me went fully into the other lane, which I greatly appreciated. 

So, I took the Paul Bunyan trail down to Walker, got on the Heartland Trail, and rode back to the campsite. It was harder than it should have been due to my back and hip (which woke me up in the middle of the night the night before), but I stopped a lot to stretch, played music and sang along to it, looked at the scenery, and tried to be grateful to be on a bike and hurting versus not being able to ride at all.

Nary, MN - apparently there are vending machines!

From the Paul Bunyan Trail

Proof that I was there, and didn't just pull that
off the Internet

After getting back to camp, wading in the lake with the dog, putting on dry clothes, and waiting out the next wave of rain, I made a PT appointment, two massage appointments, and mapped out my PT and stretching plan for the week (including some quality time tonight). I'll figure it all out before the ride. At least I'll figure it out enough. I saw this little critter. He made me smile.

So, I have a month before the bike ride and some more riding to do, some body management things to do, but it is all coming together!

https://events.nationalmssociety.org/participants/Go-Maggie-Go

Slow and steady

I tend to be a pretty steady rider, so my speed for a 15-mile ride and a 50-mile ride tend to be similar. I've been doing a steady rotation of 15-mile rides before work and 20-mile rides after work, with a couple 35-40 milers (one with my friend Laura, where we sought out the hills) and a 50+ mile ride where I fortuitously ran into my Thursday night crew for the last 17 miles.

 

I have been opting for frequency over distance, but will need to increase the distances as I prep for the BikeMS ride.

Thanks to you (conversely!) fast and furious donors who responded to my call so I could benefit from match opportunity. I haven't done the exact math, but that spurt added about $2400 to my fundraising goal. I'm a couple hundred away and am confident we can get there in the next 6 weeks or so until the ride. 

I heard this spring from a woman who has been donating for a while; she told me she has been donating because she has a family member with MS. A friend told me his friend's youngish daughter was recently diagnosed. Another friend with MS told me that her treatment isn't working, so she is stopping treatment. That was hard to take in. Another friend with MS is having good luck with her treatment. All of this is to say that your donations matter. They support services, research, and advocacy - a perfect trifecta! 

I was in California last weekend, seeing my sisters, and am in northern Wisconsin now, stretched out on my mom and stepdad's couch. I am looking forward to riding the next couple of weekends!

You can donate here!

https://events.nationalmssociety.org/participants/Go-Maggie-Go

SSP & Ohio For The Win

Today, I did a solo ride to South St. Paul, which I've always loved riding through/to because Marie Ave is great (smooth and hilly), and then you get to go past the old, historic Stockyard Exchange Building (link isn't blue, oddly!), and up through the historic Kaposia Landing on your way to St. Paul. 

But I really like the route that Laura taught me several years ago (which may originally be Shannon's route, since it goes past what I know is his grandparents' current residence, the municipal cemetery 💜). 

Anyhow, I had my snack on the pedestrian bridge by the Exchange and read some of the educational placards. I knew there were tons of stockyards and "processing" and shipping (railroad) facilities there along the river in the late 1800s through about the 1930s. (My BBF Matt and I used to explore this area, by bike obviously.) I didn't realize that they still had these industrial buildings in the mid-1960s. It was reported that in 1964 the Mississippi River was full of bloated animal carcasses and quite disgusting, especially after the City of Hastings, downriver, built a dam. Someday I'll have up read each placard.

I used what has to be THE CLEANEST port-a-potty in the Midwest and continued on my way. Instead of riding along the river the whole way back toward Mpls, I rode up the bluff via Ohio Street, to the top of the High Bridge, through Cherokee Park (is it still called that?), and down the hill to Mendota and up to the Fort.

It was a fun ride. 

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Kim (who also cuts my hair, you should go too!) gave me an old iPad Shuffle from her daughter Isla, to add to my collection. (I'll take yours!) It came with the usual disclaimer (this is the 4th one donated to me): "I have no idea what is on it." Well, her songs were fine, but there were only about 10 songs, so after I hit the 5 mile mark, I was steadily in repeat land until I put my own, old Shuffle back on at about mile 15. Alas. It will be great for 5 miles of errands!

I hope I'm slowly but surely getting into shape, but at least am enjoying myself. 

I got little sleep last night because I saw the play Sleuth. It was great! Tonight I will sleep well. 

https://events.nationalmssociety.org/participants/Go-Maggie-Go

Spring and Hope

Yesterday, in the early evening, I drove over the Mendota Bridge (which I bike on all the time) and the Minnesota River Valley is green! Green! The trees have leaves (even if they aren't all fully unfurled quite yet). It was such a happy feeling to see green, bright green, in the valley. 

This winter was a hard winter here in Minneapolis, and a hard winter for me. My last post was from the day after Alex Pretti was killed by our own government, not far from my house. I thought about posting things in the three months since then, but when I had something to say, I was tired - so tired. 

Jan 23 was super cold. It was the day that everything was shut down in the metro
(a little bit after Renee Good was killed and right before Alex Pretti was killed),
to encourage people to connect with each other and serve the community.
Instead of joining the anti-ICE march downtown, I joined about 60 of
my neighbors at the nearest big intersection.

So I didn't post anything about our trip to Mexico the week before that, the wrist I minorly broke (slipped and fell on ice on my own damn sidewalk) the very day we came back from Mexico (but didn't confirm that until a few weeks later, after I decided I should probably go to a doctor - it was indeed a minor break), the interesting memorial service for our dog groomer of 30 years, my first non-COVID respiratory illness since before 2020, the road trip my older sister from the Bay Area and I took to visit my stepmom and then my mom and stepdad in February, seeing Macbeth (which, oddly, I never read) with my friend Marcy, my good work trip to Baltimore in March and corresponding dinner with my now-DC-based college roommate, my second non-COVID respiratory illness since before 2020, my trip to DesMoines to see a college friend, two of my Mahoney aunts' visit to Minneapolis, or my reflections on volunteering in my community after ICE showed up. Long sentence, eh?

My sister and me, on Deerskin Lake.

DesMoines

My brother Bob, my Aunts Susie and Ann, and me outside the Guthrie.
We were looking at the Mississippi River.

Recently, I've been able to get some evening bike riding in with friends and also some morning and evening solo bike rides. Until now the weather has been a little... flighty, but I think things are going to be a bit more reliable from here on out. Today it was supposed to rain on and off most the day, so I decided to do my post-winter yard cleanup instead of riding so I could just go inside when it rained. It didn't rain, and I ended up standing or hunching or crouching for over 8 hours straight (I even ate my lunch standing for some reason), so tonight will be a night of stretching, after I post this.

10 days ago - no leaves at the confluence of the
Minnesota (L) and Mississippi (R) Rivers on
my before-work bike ride.

Last fall, I took my road bike in and got... taller, I guess, handlebars put on my bike, so I sit more upright. It has helped my back a lot, but has been a bit of an adjustment. Because my center of gravity is higher and further back, the bike is a little twitchy and even the muscles used for pedaling up a hill are a little shifted. I didn't anticipate that (but should have), but am enjoying having a lot less back pain. 

So now it is time to buckle down and get into better riding shape! The pilates classes I take 1-2x per week, the barre class I took weekly this winter, and the (woo-woo) Cardio Dance Jam class I started taking through community ed in February (another woo-woo for lateral and hip wiggling movement here!) are helpful for general fitness and strength in addition to the couple-times per week basement bike riding I did this winter (until I broke my wrist), but riding a bike outside is very different! 

I'm making some plans for some longer weekend rides to build some stamina for the BikeMS Ride Across Minnesota in July. Just need to get out there!

https://events.nationalmssociety.org/participants/Go-Maggie-Go

The Soup I Made

Warning: This is an even-less-edited-than-normal and more-stream-of-consciousness-than-normal post.

I'm supposed to be working on a project with a deadline this weekend, but have been thinking about Alex Pretti being killed yesterday and other current events, and that paper is not getting edited.

This morning I was making two kinds of soup and thinking that the most charitable view of Alex being shot by federal agents might be that the agents are super trigger-happy Keystone Cops and, assuming the one that said "gun," isn't also the same one who shot Alex (I can't bear to watch the most detailed video I've seen any more times to check), maybe the first shooter misunderstood the statement and thought that there was a warning that he was brandishing a gun versus that a gun was in the agent's hand. 

Then I was wondering why I'm trying to think about this charitably. If there was a mistake, admit it. At a minimum, acknowledge that this is a tragedy and state that you're committed to a full and objective investigation. Don't give guns to Keystone Cops. Don't flex your goonish muscle in every interaction. The administration immediately came out with a narrative and has doubled down on it, time and time again, even though it totally conflicts with the videos. Miller, Noem, and the rest think that if you repeat a lie enough times it will become the truth. Sadly, people may believe them, and not look to other sources for information.

I think I maybe was trying to consider the most charitable interpretation because I want to believe that people are honest, that people want to help other people, that people don't want to kill people. But this administration is lethal mix of people who are outright greedy, outright evil white supremacists, opportunistic power mongers, and/or egotistical/vain people. Time and time again over the past year, they've shown that they aren't honest, that they don't want to help other people, and they don't care if people die.

Of course not everyone is that way, just the people running the show. My neighbors here in Minneapolis are demonstrating the most amazing compassion for the broader community, care for each other, and outright love. If nothing else, the local folks (and my friends from afar, asking how they can help provide support) make me optimistic about humanity at the same time I feel such despair about the country. I gave the soup to one such neighbor, and it was a gift that - I was told - was massively appreciated. I got one of the best hugs ever in return, and it also felt great to do something for someone else.

There's a lot that we all need to be doing right now (calling lawmakers, helping people who are directly impacted, etc.), but one thing that everyone can do, regardless of their work schedule, kid obligations, and skill set is to do some small act of kindness for another person - even if it is just making a phone call, sending a postcard, making some cookies, or holding a door open.

Well, that was a year.

I normally do a Thanksgiving post to thank people for supporting my BikeMS fundraising, to reflect on my general good luck and strong support network, and to frame things optimistically for the next year. 

I couldn't really muster it this year, even though I am grateful and optimistic. I was going to do it, then, on my birthday in December as a "year in review" sort of post, but also had problems prioritizing it. 

This past year was hard. I am *so very* lucky to have weathered my job loss rather well (thanks to many of you!), but am still unmoored by the devastation unleashed by the current administration, which has affected my work, my colleagues, several of my friends and some of my extended family (personally and/or professionally), my community, and, well, the world at large. While I'm personally fine, I feel unsettled and drained and I have to work harder to really intentionally embrace the bright things and pause to recognize their value instead of cavalierly just living a privileged life. 

So, that said, here are some bright spots in 2025 for which I'm grateful. (Disclaimer: I'm typing this on my phone in the car. I'm the passenger, not the driver! Yet there likely are some typos and I can already tell that some of my photos will be weirdly oriented.)

January

My friend Molly and I walked around Lake Harriet. We didn't have much snow last year. (Molly still had her braces, and now her teeth are like something out of Hollywood!) Anyhow, Molly is a true unexpected gift in my life. She is positive, smart, magnetic, and active, and she walked me through how to start my own consulting business after the shit hit the fan. She is amazing and my wish for people is that they have their own version of Molly.

My former neighbor of 23(!) years/bestie Jen and I went to a class at a brewery with her sweet friend Heidi and made blankets. Mine is soft and I love to snuggle on the couch with it when the dog suggests that I get out of bed at absurdly early hours. 

February

About 60 of my colleagues and I were fired, effective immediately, at about 10:37 a.m. on Valentine's Day, about 2 hours before I was already planning on driving to WI to see my sister Molly. I guess the timing was fortuitous in that way! Special thanks to my friends, siblings, and cousins who reached out during that fraught time. My great friend Marcy - my very first MN friend, besides my dorm roommate (who I still talk to!) wrote me a note that I'm worth $300+$1 Billion, which still makes me laugh. I have a good support system. 

Given how dry the winter was, I got the special gift of taking my road bike out toward the end of the month.

March

My friend Kim not only gave me an amazing, free haircut, she also went for a ride with me on St. Patty's Day! She encourages me to express my true self. Haha.

April

My former division at CDC got eliminated as part of the HHS April Fool's Massacre. I already had plans to meet a public health colleague at the brewery in my neighborhood that night. I enjoyed the four-mile walk in the snow and appreciated being able to spend a couple of hours with someone who understood the implications and loss. My house looked cozy. 

Thanks to Christina at the MN Department of Health, Cathy at the American Cancer Society, Elisha at the CDC Foundation (a non-government non-profit), Annie at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Tamara at the National Association of Attorneys General, and Mark at the Public Health Law Center, I had work to do - for pay. I'm so grateful. The NAAG project took me to San Diego, where I got to see my long-time riding partner Matt (I miss our adventures, but am glad for him that he is on his own adventure!) and then got to head up to Orange County visit my sister Lori and BIL Shane. Hurrah!

May

In May, I began my biking season in earnest, starting with a pretty decently long ride with Laura and Carolyn, two core members of the group of women I ride with. We rode through Spring Lake Park to Hastings.

June

In addition to going to my niece's (CA) and nephew's (MN) graduations, we got to see Dan's brother, SIL, and one of their many kids at the beach in SC. This is the lovely view from their house. It was a great trip!

Also, one of m favorite people who worked at the CDC with me, Maeh, had an unexpected layover in MN. So we got to hang out for a little bit!

July

July is always great because of the TRAM. See my last blog post about that! The week before the ride, Dan, Haley, and I went camping. I can't rotate the photo on my phone. :) Her ears were in full bat mode here. I did a great bike ride, despite wildfire smoke, and Haley absolutely loved the waves and crayfish in Cass Lake.

August

I got to see lots of work colleagues, past and present, at the national tobacco control conference in Chicago (near the bean), which was really weird in many respects, given the cuts federally and related cuts to state health departments and non-profits. It was great to see the people I could, including Jennifer who came from Atlanta not to attend the conference, but to bring former CDC colleagues together for dinner. That's totally Jennifer, bringing people together. 

September 

I got to see current work colleagues and some other, former CDC favorites in Atlanta. I also did a really great long bike ride in Wisconsin. It was an organized ride, but did not have a ton of support, so I had no qualms about weaving together two routes to maximize my fun and see some of my favorite spots by my Mom and Terry's house. I enjoyed the free brat and beer at the end. Before heading to that area of the state, my dog Haley and I found a great Sniffspot by my stepmom's house. 

October 

October took me to my sister Molly's in the Bay Area. I got some quality time with my nieces and BIL and with Molly and her bestie Kate when we stayed by the ocean and hiked in the woods (we walked upright, even though the photo isn't). I also got to visit my friend Maeh (see June)! 

Also, I was able to get this great photo of two other super great friends of mine: Kristin and Susan. Steady positive strong forces in my life since 1994, when Kristin hired me, dared me to ask Dan out, and his good friend was dating Susan. 😀

Ah, shoot, it is sideways! 😀

November 

Well, here is a sideways photo my friend Jen (see Jan., which is funny because her IG name is "Jen not Jan") took the day after her amazingly wonderful wedding(!) in San Diego.

I'd share a photo from the wedding but I think they are not yet public. This was probably my favorite wedding ever (or at least tied for that honor?), and my favorite thing of 2025! 

December 

We did the Xmas family journeys we haven't attempted since 2019. Here's another sideways photo from by my Mom and Terry's. This is my exact favorite spot to be. We visited them after going to my stepmom Beth's, where Haley and I introduced Dan to the good Sniffspot, where we got Xmas cookies and raspberry jam!

So, typing this all out, slowly, on my phone as we head to my in-laws' house has made me feel even more grateful. 

Harvey, who I met on the BikeMS TRAM in 2024, came to Minneapolis this fall, and we went on a bike ride with Steve. Harvey bestowed on me the honor of being featured on his fake magazine cover related to optimism. He mined past blog posts (and still reminds me of them to this day). I'm sorry for the sideways photos. 

Harvey is a gem in this world, and I'm grateful to have met him. Surrounding yourself with optimistic and encouraging people like Harvey, Ian, Marcy, Molly, Susan, Kristin, etc., and, frankly, the whole lot of you, is helpful. I'm very lucky. 💜

So, what's in store for 2026? I'm still setting my biking goals. The BikeMS TRAM is in central Minnesota this year, near where I am at this moment, as our drive has ended. That's an event, but I will set bigger goals. I'm about due.

Thanks for helping me raise over $7800 for the MS Society last year. That's impressive! Here's my link for 2026, if you're ready to start the new year off with another donation! 

https://events.nationalmssociety.org/participants/Go-Maggie-Go