Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?

Summer’s lease hath all too short a date... So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

I don't think that Shakespeare's beloved in Sonnet 18 was the BikeMS TRAM, but I was messing around with photos from the week (i.e. procrastinating) due to my inability to think of what I wanted to say about last week's ride. In doing so, I thought of this poem. My post is a lot longer than the sonnet, but it has photos!

As we were packing up last Sunday, we unexpectedly had a thunderstorm accompanied by 1.4 inches of fast rain. This, understandably, made me nervous about the upcoming bike ride, especially given the fact that for a week or so before the ride, we were randomly having unexpected thunderstorms. 

After the rain stopped, we packed up, went to Northfield, got set up in "camp" on the St. Olaf campus, and Dan, Steve, Deb, and I rode our bikes to town for dinner. Jess, Kellie, and Gregg from the team MS is BS, who we hung out with all week, made their way a little later. It was an uneventful night and the morning's fog (such a dewy (dewey?) tent!) burned off pretty quickly for our ride to Red Wing. This was the shortest ride of the week.

The gas station/bait store next to Tanzenwald,
the tap room where we had dinner in Northfield.

Monday morning view from camp as we got ready to ride.

There's always time to monkey around!
Many thanks to Kim for taking nearly all
the photos of me throughout the week.

This is for Matt Fetzer.
I'm still proud of us for ultimately deciding several weeks ago
that we shouldn't ride through a flooded area!

We set up camp along the Mississippi,
in an area that was a couple of feet underwater
a couple of weeks ago, per the park worker guy.

Once in Red Wing, we chilled out by the river and met our teammate Veronika for dinner. I ordered poorly, but that was a lesson learned. As we were wrapping up, we looked at the radar and Deb and I started freaking out about the projected storm and the severe weather instructions we were getting from the MS Society, considering that Dan and I were using a tent we'd borrowed that was luxuriously large, but also from Walmart and, thus, probably not great in a big storm? Deb helped me strap up a spare tarp I'd brought along, putting it on the side from which the storm was approaching. We actually got very little bad weather. Gregg said that he was watching the radar from the restaurant (where they went to wait out the storm) and saw the storm essentially part in half and go around our camp area instead of hit it directly.

Dan got me this can coozie. It is so funny.
Relaxing on the bank of the Ol' Miss.

Deb, me, Veronika

Why I was freaking out.

Yay, Deb! She was convinced this mad scramble 
scared the storm away, so she was grateful for the effort.

It was supposed to rain all day Tuesday on our way to Fairbault. We had sprinkles for a while, but that's it, although you could tell that a storm had come through a little earlier. Apparently some of the earlier riders got wet, for a short while. We took the Sakatah Singing Hills Trail after leaving Red Wing and rode through the state park. SO PRETTY.

Deb saw this, I missed it. 
It is so funny that I had to
include it here, though.

Kim and I, debating whether to put on rain coats as it started to sprinkle.
We talked to a guy whose name I should know, but don't, because
I see him every year. He was insistent that we had to have
a more positive attitude and fight the rain. 

Riding downhill into Faribault was really pretty, and I think I need to go there again to look at the city more. We didn't really see much because we were camped at the county fairgrounds. I ate grilled corn and a brat while the campers (Dan, Steve, Deb, Jess, Kellie, Gregg, and I) watched a local band play pop songs in swing music style. The woman had a great voice and the band was good. A young tween was walking around trying to convince us to buy a puppy. (She apparently sold all but one. Presumably for pickup later on, and not for taking on the bike.) During the night's announcements (they happen every night at 7 p.m.), we heard from a local woman about her mother's journey with MS and to thank us for riding. Her mother was there and tried to say a few words, but did not have much strength to do so, although you could see - and admire - her strong will. It was very moving and a good reminder of why we do the ride.

At the fairgrounds after running an errand
to buy some better quality beer for our group
at the weirdest liquor store, which was apparently
owned by the adjoining vape shop. Sigh.

I can't explain this face. I was showing
off that dang can coozie.

On Wednesday, we rode to St. Peter. There was a fair amount of road traffic. Kim and I spent some time talking with Harvey, our new friend that we saw throughout the week. He is so upbeat and positive that he was a real treat to get to know and I look forward to seeing him again next year. He's from Fargo, seems much younger than his stated age (81), has a great memory for people's names, and has a granddaughter named Maggie (and not short for Margaret, either, that lucky duck!). Kim and I also spent a lot of time talking to the owner of a cat, at a rest stop in Nerstrand.

Starting the day off with a good strong cuppa.

Yah! 
(Exterminator business, advertising its services.)

Deb, me, and Kim at Rest Stop #1.

Steve and me at Rest Stop #1.

There were some hills this day!
(Kim took this photo.)

There was also traffic this day. The semis didn't give
me any hassle and were pretty patient. Two SUVs and
one sedan got uncomfortably close on Wednesday and Thursday.
(Harvey took this photo. I don't know why it looks like someone
is trying to pass the truck that is waiting to pass the first cyclists,
but if so, that person is really dumb. Hopefully it is an optical illusion.)

Harvey, me, Kim, and... Mark(? I think he was riding that day only).
This is a photo that someone took with Harvey's
point and shoot camera.

The owner of this cat did not appear to be the kind
of guy you'd expect to put a visor and a backpack 
on a cat. He clearly loved this cat, which 
he found in a church parking lot and accordingly
named her Grace.

We were greeted by Mary when we rolled into St. Peter.
She has ridden the TRAM for 30+ years - every year since
it started. She rides a big heavy bike with a pig (fake) on it,
since she's from Austin, home of SPAM. She volunteered
this year due to having a dislocated shoulder. She 
is always so friendly and positive. I look forward to seeing
her every year.

Once we set up camp in St. Peter, the campers from our team and I met up with Veronika for a Bloody Mary at a cool hole-in-the-wall-type bar. We were spending two nights in St. Peter, and I feel bad that I broke my promise to the woman who runs the bar that we'd be back the next night. Dan talked to a guy who was at the bar and the guy came over to our table. He had asked what we were in town for. Dan told him, and he shared that he has had MS for 35 years. He has some mobility issues, but is managing okay. He was very appreciative of our fundraising efforts.

This woman's face is on the mirror at Blaschko's bar. 
She runs the place, although her brother owns it.
I recommend it.

We moved on to dinner and Steve and I split some pizza. I think it was good on its own merits, but I was pretty hungry so it tasted amazing. 

The next day we did a loop from St. Peter out past a place called New Sweden and back again. We rode really close to Steve's sister's house, so she and her son met us at Rest Stop #2, which was a cool farm run by people she knows. They gave us a tour of a furnished barn area that they let people use for free as event space. 

Finished riding, beat Steve at cribbage, showered, and
relaxed with Deb, Steve, and Dan in camp.

Gregg, Steve, and Dan. I should have taken photos
with Jess and Kellie, too!

Our camp in St. Peter.

Stacy's Cyclers 2024, plus Donna but minus Veronika.
Dan, Steve, Kim, me, Jill, Donna, Deb

Stacy's Cyclers, plus team MS is BS (minus Veronika plus Donna).
That's Kellie and Jess (sisters) in the frame. Jess is from
Colorado and has MS. I love that she comes to MN do this ride.

On Thursday night, Stacy and her daughter Maddie came to St. Peter and we had a full team dinner - Dan, Steve, Deb, Veronika, Jill, Kim, and me, plus Jill's friend Donna (from Georgia). It was good to see Stacy, for whom our team is named, and to talk to Maddie about her plans to head off to college next month. 

After dinner, we returned to camp, where I got tons of itchy gnat bites(!), for the team contests. There used to be many more riders and much larger teams, so the team contests used to span multiple nights. Now the team t-shirt and jersey contest are folded into one event as are the team song and poem contest. It is always a fun and touching mix of cycling humor, TRAM history, and hearing about how people are affected by MS. A number of riders have MS and others have family members and friends with MS. We heard from one rider, whose wife (who had MS) died earlier this year. He and his adult children were cheering on riders at the finish line in his wife's memory and the family donated $100,000 to the MS Society. I can't remember that man's name, but remember riding with him for about 5 miles one year, as he told me about his family.

On Friday, Steve and Dan headed out early because they had weekend plans that they needed to get a jump start on. Kim and I rode near-ish each other up the big hill heading out of St. Peter and ran into Deb and Veronika throughout the day at rest stops and on the road. It was nice to be able to finish mostly together! 

Deb, me, Kim, and Veronika

Veronika, me, Kim, and Andrea. Andrea is 14 or 15 years
old and was riding with her grandpa, Dave, who rides every
year and is well known to TRAM riders due to his enthusiasm
and recognition of all the volunteers necessary
to pull off these rides. Andrea rode behind Kim and me during
a particularly windy stretch and was grateful for the break.
I told her she should continue on with us, but she said she
needed to wait for her grandpa to catch up. So sweet.

Last rest stop of the week. Seeking divine intervention.
I'm curious to know who decided it was a good idea to
put a full sized bell in a playground. If you really yanked on the 
rope it was LOUD.

Another successful BikeMS event!

This was THE BEST post-ride meal I've ever
had for any event in my entire life. Thank you,
St. Olaf, for the tasty, healthy, flavorful Indian food with
vegetarian options! And thanks for giving us a reason
to go into the very cool and refreshing hockey arena!

So, that's a long recitation of the week. It was the shortest TRAM that I've ever done (250 miles instead of closer to 300) and not too hilly, although there were a few good climbs. Body-wise, this was probably the most uncomfortable ride I've done in the 15 years that I've been doing BikeMS rides, even early on when I had a crummier bike and was less experienced/worn in. The steroid shot I got in my SI joint in early July has totally worn off and sleeping on the ground in a tent did not help my hip, back, or IT band feel very happy. I did some (admittedly, not a ton) PT exercises and some stretching and a yoga stretching class during the week, but that, adjusting my sleeping pad and pillow situation, and Aleve did not solve the problem. But I know I still felt better than a lot of people who did the ride and I know that this discomfort is nothing like having a long-term disease like MS. 

So, this week, I'm going to Pilates, PT, and, for good measure, the dentist. :)

Many thanks to everyone who supported me with donations and/or words of encouragement. I feel so lucky to be able to take time each year to spend a week with great people, riding for a cause. I feel so grateful that people in my circle are able to help me meet my fundraising goals. I feel so appreciative to the MS Society staff and volunteers, including the safety team, for all that they do to make this a positive experience.

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

One Happy Puppy

Woo-woo-woo! 

Yes, I am the happy puppy!!
Photo credit: Kim, after today's ride.

I have met my $5,000 fundraising goal for the BikeMS Ride Across Minnesota (TRAM), thanks to the generosity of many friends - one of who donated twice to help me get closer to my goal and another who donated a second time within one week to get me to $5,000 even! I am very humbled by people rallying behind me and this cause that means a lot to me. There was a fundraising match this past week, and apparently another $500+ will get added to my fundraising total in a week or so.

I didn't ride much this week and didn't swim at all, given that we had thunderstorms pretty much every day, which I really hope won't be the case July 21-26! 

We've been watching the golden retriever, Wallace, this week. I've taken to calling him "Big Boy." He is so big. And he can be stubborn. Like today, when he plopped in the grass in the park and rolled on his back instead of walking home. It is pretty hard to get a big inert creature up and moving, but we got home! He's a sweetie, though, and he's liking summer camp at our house. (He stayed with us in the spring, and liked long walks when it was cooler out.)

They don't really play, and sometimes Haley steals
toys from Wallace, but they do like being together. Haley
really only has a couple of friends, so it is good for her
to remember how to interact with them.

He is loving the kiddie pool.

They are also happy puppies. I mean, really, what have they got to complain about?!?

This morning, Kim, Deb, Jill, and I (all of us are doing the TRAM) met nearby, rode 30 miles with a heat index of over 90, wiped off our sweat, and had brunch on an airy, shaded patio. It was fun to talk about the upcoming ride, and it got me more excited. 

I stopped at the bike shop on the way home because I recently ordered one new tire for the bike I'll be using for the TRAM, but realized that both of the current tires have pretty good gouges out of them and I should get another one, too. I hate flat tires, and especially don't want one on the side of some random county highway. So, I ordered a second one.

I then came home, and set up one of the two tents my brother dropped off for me to try for the TRAM. (We just have a backpacking tent that won't work for Dan, me, and our gear - yes, Dan is riding this year, too!) The tents my brother has for me are not very fancy (appear to be kind of old, but well cared for, and have oddly small rain flies), but they are gigantic. So, I think they will not keep the rain out, probably. But, they are so big that we can probably just move around any puddles that gather inside? Ha ha. My options were 10x10 or 8x12 and both are 6 feet tall. I haven't been able to stand in a tent since I was a kid. I picked 8x12 and will take an extra tarp, rope, and stakes in case we need to get creative. 

I then put the new front tire I had already bought on the bike and noticed that my rim tape (a piece of fabric that protects your tube from the little holes where the spokes go) is all wonky. I don't have any spare rim tape, so I called the bike shop and gave them a heads up that when the other tire comes in, I'd like them to put new rim tape on both wheels and then remount this new tire and put the other new tire on the back wheel. I then was feeling inspired and washed my bike and cleaned the cassette for the first time in, well, years?

I was so disgusting and sweaty from the bike ride, the tent wrestling, the bike stuff, and then a walk with the dogs that the shower I took before dinner was probably my most favorite shower, ever!

I was telling Kim today that since I raised $5,000, I get to do another BikeMS ride anywhere in the country with no fundraising obligations. We spent a good section of the bike ride talking about where it would be most fun to ride. We'll see what happens!

Thanks to all of you who have shown your support through donations, words of encouragement, etc. And I know some people wanted to donate but it wasn't in the cards for them this year, and that's totally understandable, too!

Check it out! Woo!

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

Grasp the World Firmly

I was going to title this post, "Grasp It Firmly," but realized that my brothers would have a field day with that, if they ever read one of my blog posts. (Sorry, not sorry, Mom.)

This is the quote: "The world is a nettle; disturb it, it stings. Grasp it firmly, it stings not." It is by Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton, who apparently coined the phrase, "The pen is mightier than the sword," and was the first person to start a piece with, "It was a dark and stormy night." 

Nettles have been on my mind ever since I saw an article about the 2024 World Nettle Eating Championship, but resurfaced (and warrant a quote) today, on my ride with Matt, when I got stung in the tongue by a bee or some similar creature and I said that the sensation is what I imagine it feels like to eat a bunch of nettles. 

Post-sting

I can't even blame the bee sting for this look on
my face, my crooked helmet, or the horrible angle.

Thankfully, ever since a particularly bothersome wasp season several years ago, I keep Benadryl in the little bag on my bike and quickly swallowed some and was fine. I am not interpreting this quote to mean that I should have embraced having the stinging insect in my mouth. That's just a no-win situation. Nonetheless, I've been trying to embrace (or grasp, I guess) the world/my life to just keep on plugging along when things in this country do just not make any sense - - and totally deviate from everything I learned in law school. 

After my last post, I went to California to see my oldest niece graduate from college, and then spent a couple of days with my sisters. (I'm giving my brothers-in-law, nor my other niece, not enough credit here!)

After getting home, I then did a great bike ride out in Washington County with Matt, and slightly tweaked that route for a ride a few days later with a group I'm just calling "The Thursday Night Ladies" for short, even though I rode with them on a Sunday.

I then went to visit my mom and stepdad in Wisconsin, got the dogs (mine and theirs) out for a walk on my favorite route to the river (a/k/a "the bear route"), went out for dinner with my mom and aunt while Dan and my stepdad, Terry, held down the fort, went for a chilly swim, and went on a loon-rescue-mission pontoon ride with Terry.

The same photo I take EVERY TIME.

The towel I have wrapped around my
shoulders looks so... festive!

After the visit with my parents, I got a steroid shot in my left SI joint - the side where I also had the frayed labrum and the femur stress fracture last year. I have been enjoying a relatively pain-free week (yahoooooo!) of bike riding when I rode on Wednesday (Thursday Night Ladies plus Saturday coffee ride crew) and Saturday (Thursday Night Ladies), and then again today (OG Matt). I'm hoping that this steroid reprieve, combined with continued PT and pilates, will help me feel okay when everything wears off, although last year's imaging and last month's MRI concluded that this hip is no bueno (medical term of art!), so I'm not holding my breath and just embracing the moment.

Other than that, I've been working hard on keeping the dog sane during Fireworks Season. That's quite a job; one that involves much sleep deprivation.

I had some issues posting a cute video here,
so am posting this photo the morning after
two nights of sedation to help her not
freak out over the fireworks that were
being shot off until 2:30 a.m. So annoying.

So, the week-long bike ride starts in two weeks. This is going to be a harder year for me - probably on par with the first year I did it (or even harder), but I'm still looking forward to it.

Have you been meaning to donate to the MS Society, to support me? I'm at 3/5 of my fundraising goal and could use your help! You can donate now so that you don't forget, or you could set a timer to donate on Wednesday night. Starting this Wednesday, July 10, at 9 Central, an anonymous donor will be matching online donations (up to $1,000 per rider, up to $17,000).

In the meantime, I am going to keep on grasping some nettles! 

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

Urban Adventures and A Lesson Learned

After some boredom with the available, not-under-construction routes, I did some exploring over Memorial Weekend to plan a route for the following weekend that we ended up not using. I resurrected it today in a slightly tweaked form, when riding with Laura and Cheri. It was a ton of fun, even at the points when we were riding directly into a northern headwind, going up the Lafayette Bridge. (A guy walking south on the bridge simply said, "good luck!" and then Cheri hilariously said "At least we're going uphill.") We stopped at Malcolm Yards about 3/5 of the way in and had some chips and salsa and an adult beverage (mine was a Bloody Mary) to rehydrate. 

Laura and me on Thursday, with me showing
off my tattoo sleeves that Beth and Dad got me 
several years ago for Christmas. I don't
have a photo of the three of us from today.

Yesterday was a day of urban exploration with Matt, weaving our way SE through the city that we don't usually take, literally riding right in the middle of the Major Taylor club riders for a short stretch, and then discovering that the road and trail along the Minnesota River in Bloomington were most definitely closed due to flooding. We then headed pretty much due east, through St. Paul, up a big hill, down a big hill, and up a hill. 

The Minnesota River, upstream from where it
meets the Mississippi.

The bike trail was even more under water than
this road that Xcel Energy says you can't ever ride
on. I would have ridden on it if it hadn't been under
water, though. The lady walking has clothing very
similar to the zebra print wallpaper and bright pink wall that
were in the main bedroom of the house at the end of the
street that took FOREVER to sell because it had
things like zebra print wallpaper. 

View of St. Paul from the top of Ohio Street,
by the High Bridge. This was just a bit more than 3/5
of the way into our ride.

After yesterday's decent ride, Dan, Kristin, Steve, and I went to a MN Aurora women's soccer game in Eagan at the Viking practice facility. It was a lot of fun.

Minnesota won!

Back to Memorial Day weekend: I was looking for a route that several of us could take for a ride Steve wanted to do for his birthday. I was riding by myself through Swede Hollow, which I love, because it is this green, dark, lush ravine in the middle of the city, in the shadow of the old Hamm's brewery. After passing an encampment of unhoused people, at the entry point to the ravine, I saw a guy who seemed normal and nice walking an old-style dirt bike. English was not his first language, and after two tries, I realized he was calling out to me to see if I had a pump to help him pump up his tire. I said no, because I was alone in this secluded part of this ravine, and there weren't other people walking or riding through. If I had been with other people, I would have stopped. If it weren't in a secluded area, I would have stopped. But I didn't. I dwelled on this for the rest of the day. I should have stopped. The chances of anything bad happening from this guy who didn't give off any creepy vibes were really low. I was talking through this with Matt on our ride yesterday and I have decided that I'd rather be a nice human than a paranoid one and, if I am in a similar situation and I'm not getting a creepy vibe, I will stop.

Other than getting in some good bike rides, I've been catching up on yard work and enjoying the amazing weather we've had lately.

These huge bees are loving the 
wisteria I planted.

This one loves to try to catch bees,
so we are working on that.

I've used the number 3/5 a bit today. It is because I realized that I'm at about 3/5 of my fundraising goal for the BikeMS ride next month and have that number on my mind. I should probably step up some efforts there. The MS Society recently worked with partners to educate members of Congress, who by very wide margins (remarkable for this Congress!), passed a bill that reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration law and adds many new provisions to make air travel more accessible for people who have disabilities. President Biden signed the bill into law. Your support matters! 

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

This Matters

Since my last post, I did my first two Thursday night ride of the season. This is my 3rd year doing Thursday night FTW rides from my local bike shop, organized by my now-friend Laura, and they are an absolute joy! They are about 20-25 miles, end at either my local taproom or the outdoor restaurant in the park at Minnehaha Falls, and are rides where no one is left behind. We have split into 2-3 groups the past two weeks, because people are at different fitness levels starting off the season, which is good so that no one feels like they are holding up a large group of people. The first week, I helped the middle group find their way back home, and the second week, I led the slow group back. I would have been okay with pushing myself more, but if needed, I'm happy to help make sure we create a welcoming environment and not accidentally lose anyone.

Last weekend, on a bit of a whim, I decided to do the BikeMS Twin Cities Ride. I paid the minimum fundraising amount and, did the longer route (45 miles), and rode to the start and finish (another 12 round trip). Then, the next day, my friend Matt and I rode about 35 miles. Those were my biggest back-to-back days since 2022, and it felt pretty good! 

Sweaty Selfie at the end of the
BikeMS Twin Cities Ride - - over an
empanada

I haven't ridden on
Shingle Creek Parkway for years and,
well, it is okay :-)

Our BikeMS team is named in honor/support of my friend Stacy,
whose dad and daughter also did the Twin Cities ride that day

We've had some good rain lately (fingers crossed we 
don't have a drought again this summer), so Matt
and I took photos of the falls

Yesterday, I walked the dog for quite some time and did yard work (not totally comfy on my hip), but then today I rode about 63 miles (my new, longest ride since 2022). I'm a little sore and I was kind of hungry at the end, but otherwise feel pretty good. 

Photo from the middle of the week, on my walk with Haley
along the MN River - - the high river accentuates the
work of some busy beavers

Lilies of the valley, which always remind me of my
maternal grandmother - - in a little pitcher of hers that she 
gave me before she died - - I love them and miss that sweet grandma

Thankfully, Matt and I didn't ride exactly the same
route to/from the turnaound point near Stillwater

All this riding makes me feel pretty optimistic about the July week-long BikeMS ride. 

In the middle of the past week, I connected via Zoom with a woman I've known nearly the entire almost 20 years that I've worked in public health, and who I learned about a dozen years ago has MS. She is one of the people I know who has a version of MS that is pretty progressive/less forgiving. She is having some big physical challenges, and we talked about the MS Society and my fundraising efforts. She confirmed my beliefs that the MS Society really is doing pretty cutting edge research and that its advocacy efforts are making a difference, too. So, thank you to all of  you who have donated over the years.

Last year at this time, when I was truly injured and decided I needed to see a doctor ASAP, I was "walking" my parents dog on my favorite trail when my mom was having knee replacement surgery. I saw the largest bear and was grateful that it didn't want to try to attack me. My stepdad just recently sent me video footage of a bear on their patio below their deck from earlier this week and then said that today they saw a bear - - near where I was walking last year - - that is easily 2x bigger than the bear that was at their house. I am wondering if it was that same huge bear from last year! The trail it is walking on is an old logging road, to give you a sense of its size. 

In my last post, I failed to mention that I took a vacation day with some friends on a Friday and just hung out eating and drinking around assorted patios on town and it was an amazing day.

Kristin, Susan, and me - early in our adventure!

So, I think I mentioned that my fundraising goal is $5,000 this year - partly because that is challenging, yet achievable, but also because if I hit that goal, I can do another BikeMS ride anywhere in the country without raising additional money - - like the San Francisco/Wine Country ride I did in 2019. I'd like to keep that option open, if it is feasible. https://events.nationalmssociety.org/participant/Go-Maggie-Go 

I have decided that I also need a biking goal for this year other than, "better than last year," which I've essentially met. So, I'm mulling that over...

Middle Distance Ru... Cycler

Today was a beautiful day in Minneapolis, and a great day for biking. My friend Matt and I rode to Grey Cloud Island. It was around 60 degrees when we started, around 70 degrees when we finished, sunny, and with a slight headwind for just a bit at the end (of course, but it wasn't bad). 

I keep a spreadsheet each year of each of my rides, including information about where I rode, who with, and which bike I rode - - because I need a hobby, I guess. Anyhow, it turns out that given last year's injury, this was the longest bike ride I've done since 2022 and the first time I've been to Grey Cloud since 2022. Because it is such a nice rural route, I rode to Grey Cloud seven times in 2020, when I was trying to stay away from people (although we saw several people doing a similar route today) and kill lots of time. That was my biggest Grey Cloud year to date.

It is weird to think that I didn't ride this distance even once last year, when in normal years this has been an average cycling day (a little over 50 miles). When pondering that, it made me think of this nice song, Middle Distance Runner, by Sea Wolf, although it isn't really about running, either. (Click on the arrow to hear it.)

I didn't do a good job of taking photos, which is too bad - - Grey Cloud Island is pretty. And we purposely rode through the winding trail down through Battle Creek Park, just because it is so scenic. My photos are kind of meh. But the trail crosses back and forth over the creek, where there are a series of human-reinforced waterfalls. (Meaning humans constructed some erosion-proof waterfalls, versus humans standing in the waterfalls.)

I was taking these photos for my friend's dad, who apparently thinks I haven't been taking enough pictures on my rides and sharing them. These crappy photos are for you, Mark Hochhauser! 

Anyhow, when I do the weeklong Ride Across Minnesota in July, we'll be averaging about 60 miles per day, so I will need to start getting some more rides in like today, and do them back-to-back. My hip was a little unhappy for part of the ride today, as was my other knee which I tweaked somehow this week, and my butt was reminded of the fact that I prefer to ride with no padded shorts - just regular shorts. 

Just like this was about 1/5 of the bike ride, it looks like I'm at about 1/5 of my fundraising goal. Better get on that! I've been aiming for $5,000 because I think I'd like to do a ride in another state next year, and, like how it worked for me in 2019 when I rode in the Bay Area, you only have to fundraise for one of the two events, if you bring in $5,000. Plus, of course, the MS Society does great work and is a trusted resource for friends of mine with MS. https://events.nationalmssociety.org/participant/Go-Maggie-Go

I'm pretty excited that the Thursday night FTW rides that my friend Laura leads are starting up again - - that's always a good way to get out there and move, and with fun people.