90 Days Doesn't Seem so Long Until...

Oh, my word.
It's been 90 days or more since my last bike ride.
Where did those months go???
I have been LUDICROUSLY busy.
I plan to hop back on my trusty frame and wheels tomorrow, however.
If I get knocked off my routine, I must remember not to beat myself up, and just get back in the saddle and ride.

Freddie Mercury Ridin'

But here's some other stuff I've been up to:

Several years ago, 2009, to be exact, I was introduced to the wonderful sport of Ultimate Frisbee. I played 6 days a week for about a year, then off and on again in the summer/fall/spring when the weather was nice.
Where I live, there are many ultimaters, but organizing everyone has proven to be a challenge. I have tried to regroup everyone every summer for the last 3 years, once I moved back to this area.

This year, it's finally taking off. I credit my friend Sam and a regular practice schedule to the success.

In any case, I started the community club up again June 1st, and it has been pretty great. The turnout is pretty regularly great, and the people are fun to play with. No big egos, no swearers, no negative Nancies.

I play around 5-6 hours during the week. I've also taken up a new martial art: Wado Ryu from a friend who has been teaching for like 20 years. Also a great group of people.

Both Ultimate and Karate cut into biking time. They both begin at 6pm, which would be very difficult to bike 22 miles, followed by pretty intense workouts, then bike home. Maybe I'll work up to it, but I doubt it. For now, I could only bike Tuesdays and Fridays.
Which is my plan.
I would be doing something active every day.

It's no secret I am an anxious individual, fraught with panic attacks, general anxiety, and a stress disorder. Sometimes, depression.
After seeing a counselor, she told me of the three pillars, the three things my mother always told me I needed, but somehow always forgot. My mother has told me so many important things, I guess it's little wonder I should forget them. However, what she told me to practice, she also did NOT really practice, so I guess "Monkey see, monkey do. Hey, MONKEY! Do as I say, not as I do..."

It's a chimp, not a monkey, but eh.

Anyway.

the three pillars are:

1. Eat 

2. Sleep

3. Exercise

All three I was somewhat lacking last year. I can't believe it's been a year since I began biking, but the two posts before this one were only 4 months ago. I thought I had posted those last. year. I don't even REMEMBER biking in March and April. It's like I just forgot several chunks of my life.

No wonder.

My fiancee and I were looking at houses, bought a house, moved into house, got married, went on a honeymoon, got a dog and all the accompanying activities and massive amount of time all of those take rendered my brain a slick slope for memories, I suppose. We did it within 1 month. But there were a couple of months of buildup.

Sh**

What a year.

With all this going on, for the past year, I had not been regularly eating, sleeping, or exercising. 

I'm getting better, though. And I'm also regaining some muscle tone that I had lost. I'm going to sleep at a regular time, drinking more water and eating when I feel anxious. Eating makes me feel better. Usually that's why I feel extra anxious, because I'm hungry.

You'd think I'd be gaining weight by eating when I'm anxious, but I'm actually losing weight. I've lost about 6 pounds in the last month.

Anyway, back to tomorrow's ride.

The weather has been freaking fantastic. Highs in the 70s most of June and now, in July, highs are still only maybe  reaching 80. It's been solidly in the 70s and absolutely perfect. Tomorrow, I will have such a nice ride. It might rain a little, but that's okay.

Also, we live fairly far North, so it's light until 9:30pm or so, so playing Ultimate after work is easy. 

Lots of good things.

A bit of a rambling post, but aren't they always?

Can't wait to feel that wind on my face tomorrow.

Diverging To Weights (and Gains)

Well,
Needless to say, I haven't been biking much, but also, I have not been slacking off.
I decided that for my body/weight loss goals, biking alone isn't going to cut it. Also, I'm rather weak in the arms and back, so I need to balance out my physique and extend my exercises to weights.

If you only exercise one portion of your body, the more likely you will suffer from injury. It's best to be more holistic with one's workout regimen.

My legs are strong, no question about it. They've always been so. But, my biking was not getting me to where I want to go fast enough (Not because I pedal too slowly... or maybe I do?).

Also, the weather was hell until last week. It was snowing/sleeting/hailing/raining/windy almost every day for about a week and a half. Before that, it was freezing cold.
So... I now hit the gym at 6am.
Last week, on Sunday, I had martial arts training at 9am, swam for 30 minutes, then played ultimate frisbee for a couple of hours (received a wicked blister for my efforts... still hurts).
On Monday morning, 04/04, 5:45am,  I tried out CrossFit in Moscow, which was free for me since it was my first time. But it's $80/month for 3 classes per week, which I did not know, because they did not tell me until after the free class, otherwise I would not have imposed.

Wee bit too pricey for the likes of me. Especially considering there's no shower, it's bare concrete with some pads thrown about, and I didn't see a single person wipe off their equipment. Maybe the instructor does it after the class but... mmm... Not going to play with that fire. I'm scared of other people's germs. I'm also scared of what bare concrete is secretly doing to my knees. I had to dance ballet on it a couple of times when I was younger.
Not.
Fun.

I have to say, CrossFit is a good program for a person who needs a lot of motivation from others to succeed; someone saying "You're doing great! Great job! Keep pushing!"
Either that or a person who needs to invest in something to keep them coming back (like, "I'm not going to waste $80 a month!!").
However, I am not one of those people. I am very cheap ($40/month or less, please) and very internally motivated. So, I can roll out of bed and into the gym without having someone, or monetary guilt waiting for me.

So: IMHO, CrossFit is good exercise (and exercise is great), so if it floats yer boat, then that's terrific. However, it does not float my boat.

Then Tuesday, 04/05, I went to the Rec at WSU. Such nice facilities. Pool, showers, towels, loads of fun machines and other equipment, bouldering wall, basketball, running track, stretch pads, raquetball courts, lots of room, smells nice, water  fountains everywhere, and there's a fireplace and lounging areas (and that's just indoors, there's a whole outdoor area, too). And yet, somehow as large as it is, it manages to still feel somewhat private.

Wednesday, 04/06, had a Doctor's appointment, Thursday, 04/07, was my company's big fundraiser and Friday I felt like I was going to pass out from not getting enough sleep.

So, this morning I began again at the gym.
Lots of cardio (Running, elliptical, rowing maching - I love cardio!!!) and legs (mostly glutes), with a little bit of arm and back (that's where I tend to sag... I do not like having back fat. *shudder*).

My goal is this: workout at the gym Mon-Wednesday, take off Thursday (or Yoga) and bike on Fridays. It's casual Friday at work, so if I look a little mussed up, it doesn't matter.

Monday: legs & maintain other parts
Tuesday: Back & maintain
Wednesday: Arms & maintain
Thursday: Off and/or Yoga
Friday: Bike to work.

I've already lost like 2 pounds in like a week, so that's positive. I'm eating healthier (I think) and keeping an eye on it. Surprisingly, the Conde Naste company - you know, Vogue, Shape, etc. - makes a really good nutrition tracker (I don't know why this surprises me, but it does... I was using it for weeks before I opened an account... I never suspected). It's very thorough. Not the easiest thing in the world to read, but I love all the detail. I really appreciate their HUGE database, too.

Anyway,
The short version is this:
I worked out. My butt hurts. Time to eat a salad.

More later.

Ride of Spring (get it, Stravinsky fans?)

It's the first ride of spring! It was absolutely beautiful!! Could not ask for better weather. It was cool enough to be comfortable and warm enough to feel my fingers. I tried out my new boots from the Storm Cellar. They are also awesome. Lots of positive feelings today. Makes for sort of boring writing I guess...  but, that's life. It's too good to be fiction sometimes.
 I am currently at Buffalo Wild Wings enjoying a spicy bloody Mary and waiting for my Fiancee to arrive. He works out with his friend three days a week. My friend Jessie is part of a roller derby group that gets 10% of the proceeds from tonight's visit here at BWW. That reminds me: I need to show my special voucher.



-____________________________-

Update 03.25.2016
It has done nothing but hail, snow, gust and rain since that first glorious day. My hopes to ride every day this week were dashed.
DASHED, I SAY!
But here's some Stravinsky to ease (or aggravate) those shattered dreams.

Woman Biker

There seems to be a lack of popular information about women and cycling and their nutrition.
Well, there seems to be a lack of anything about women bikers, to tell the truth.
I've been researching biking for many months now and I've run across a handful of ones that even mention "woman", "lady", "gal", "dudette", or any other descriptor of a female.
Not that there is anything wrong with male bikers (they are some awesome people, I'm sure), but when you're venturing into unknown territory (like I did/am with my biking goals), it's good to know  what you can and/or cannot expect.

A Summary of G.I. Joe (and Bush?) Battles

Here is a short summary of who I am, how I fuel up, and what seems to work (or not) for me.

I must tell you, in the case of doing a lot of exercise, always err on the side of caution when taking advice from anyone. When you are considering combining diet and exercise be very cautious.
Make sure you're getting enough nutrients before you decide you need to cut back.
Bonking is god awful, and you seriously do not want to play with that fire.

From this article "You failed to eat and drink enough on your century ride, and now you’re bonking badly and getting dropped."

That being said, here we go:

The Known:
Mathematically:
Distance: 11 miles one way...22 miles/day I bike
Speed: 12-14mph on average
Theoretical calories burned for my age, height, weight, and speed: 800-1000 calories [depending on the day]
Keep in mind that calories burned in one day/per exercise does not include the increased rate of your metabolism at rest. If you bike consistently, you will eventually be burning more calories at rest than you did before you began your exercise.

Based on this information, I can gauge that I need to consume at least 2,200 calories/day [and actually, probably more] to keep my blood sugar from crashing.

I have the added trickery of having a hypoglycemic tendency. What helps me stabilize that is eating fruits, veggies, and protein.
My metabolism's tragic flaw is my insatiable desire for cake. I can eat a great deal of fat, and I like sugar, so cake is the perfect combination of sugar and fat that gives me such an endorphin rush, it makes my opiate receptors light up like a pinball machine.
Which brings me to a point about working out a lot and nutrition:
Sometimes, you've just got to eat the cake.
Not too much cake, but that burning desire you have, you should probably succumb to occasionally to keep from going mad.
At least, I have to.
Something that helps curb the insanely intense urge to go out and eat every pastry that crosses your path is this:
Eat enough other stuff.
If you're more full and actually satisfy yourself while you're eating a meal, you're less likely to go around having salacious thoughts about cookies and muffins.

Which brings me back to my warning: be careful about dieting and exercising.
I've done extreme versions of both. I was medically diagnosed "malnourished" and I under-ate and over-exercised for years.
I hit kind of lazy part of my life where I was so exhausted I could barely get out of bed in the morning, and that prompted me to examine what I wanted:
Did I want to congratulate myself on a meal unfinished, or did I want to be healthy in a self-sustaining way?

With me, I discovered something (pardon me, if this seems egregiously obvious, but it wasn't to me):
Food gives me energy.
Energy gives me movement.
Movement gives me hunger.
Hunger drives me to food.
Food gives me energy.

For years, I lived with this mindset;
Food makes me fat.
Fat makes me a failure.
Failure makes me worthless.
Worthless people don't deserve food because...
Food makes me fat.


Let me just say, I am so glad I don't live in that headspace anymore. I starved myself so badly, I was so physically weak, although I had the willpower of a demi-god. Just didn't put those forces of willpower to very good use.

But this is my point:
You can diet, and you can exercise, but unless you put these both in balance and give yourself a healthy amount of both food and activity, your force of willpower will not serve you well.

Once you get in the right mindset (whatever that is for you), you'll be able to focus on your goals better.
Thoughts like, "I'm fat" or "I'm not strong enough" only distract from your goals.
Focus.
Focus.
Focus.

That all being said, this is just my take on it. I just became tired of punishing myself for having normal bodily functions (e.g. hunger, pride, satiety) like everyone else.
Like most decisions, it was born out of necessity.
I won't discuss it in length here, but just know that starving yourself, over time, leads to a whole host of problems you don't want in your life, my friend.


I don't know if anyone else will ever read this, but I'm writing it down at least as a pep-talk to myself when I'm feeling unmotivated.
The only person in charge of me is me.
I should rule kindly and firmly and make myself a friend to me.
As a professor of mine once said, "You only live in one place your entire life: your mind. Make it a nice place for yourself."


This has been a bit long and rambling.

But, I can't write a list of every food you should eat, or all the calories in something vs. something else because you can eat pretty much anything. You can make a cake relatively healthy, or you can make a carrot stick something sinful.
Whatever you eat, make sure you're putting enough fuel in your symbolic fuel tank to keep you feeling great, whatever you decide to do.
This advice also goes, I feel, for people who have to diet some before they can start exercising.
One does have to eat healthy, but one also must be honest about their own cravings and desires. If one avoids them, or deny them, they will only come back in greater force.

Anyway... I seem to have lost my train of thought on this one.
Rambling done.

Eating Wind and Soaking Up Sunsets.

Yesterday it was one of those promised Lion-like March days. I woke up late, sleeping through my alarm and found snow and slush on the ground. Since I over-slept, I left my house a little after 8:00am.

After I reached the Western end of town, I started to feel the effects of the steady 16mph wind (up to 25mph gusts). It took me almost 45 minutes to reach the halfway point. That is at least twice as long as normal.
Thankfully, the wind continued in the same direction during the day and I sailed (almost figuratively speaking) all the way home. I made it back to my apartment in just over 30 minutes.

Going into the wind was interesting. It's very noisy all the wind you're pushing into. Also, the return of your effort on the pedals is excruciatingly low. It's one of the only times I could feel a real helpful difference between having my head up and ducking into the wind.

I've been outside when the wind is heavier, obviously, I think we all have, but I haven't experienced that on a bike in some time. I got kind of pissed off at the wind. It seemed to take on the personification of a bully, in my mind. It would not relent.

Since the clock changed on Sunday, biking back was fully lit, even though I left work at 6:45pm. So, when I leave at a reasonable hour, it's good to know I'm going to have light until September or October (I think) biking back.
However, I'm so glad I left late because I saw some beautiful sights. Here are a couple of pictures I took last night:

Hills at Sunset, Pullman, WA (the Palouse)

Sheep at Washington State University, Pullman, WA

I don't know what WSU does with those sheep, but there they are. At one time, there were goats in that enclosure.
I find it so funny that within 100 yards of this little fence, across the street, there is a bigger fenced area with bears in it. WSU does research with bears, fun fact.
And, next to the bears is the campus safety office, which is even more hilarious.
They are getting a new office further up Grimes, though, so that's good.
I really wonder who's going to have the office next to the bears now, though.
Also, I wonder if the bears ever get hungry smelling the sheep on the wind...
All around good day.

Not biking today, however, unfortunately. Bowels were not nice to me today and since I left work so late yesterday, I decided to be more relaxed with my routine this morning.
Hopefully, I'll be biking in tomorrow, but we'll see.

Later.

Rain, Rain, Rain...

Friday morning, the tail wind was very helpful and I made the 11 miles in about 40 minutes.
 Beautiful weather all day on Friday. Then, right when I'm about to leave work, it starts storming. This is normal for here. And it's usually a light drizzle, but this time it was very windy and quite rainy. Thank goodness I have marmot gear. They do not pay me to say this, but their stuff is great. Putting on my rain pants was a tad bit discouraging since they seemed to have magically shrunk a bit. Nah, kidding, I've put on like 10 pounds over the winter, like always. Anyway, Marmot is terrific gear and I was completely dry and comfy beneath the rain. It was taking me three times longer to pedal back because of the headwind, so my fiancee very sweetly retrieved me from the edge of town. I have sailed most of my life, so wind doesn't really bother me, in itself. But when I'm trying to do in a straight line and it is making me quake in my journey. I wasn't about to be stubborn. Also, when someone is so considerate, I try not to dispel that.
I was riding a loaner bike from Paradise Creek bicycles while my bike was getting new cables run and everything tuned up for the season. Note to self: Need to buy chain lubricant.
Honestly, I don't know all that much about bikes. I'm picking up pieces here and there. I need to start cleaning my bike more, I know that. It's so nice having the outside creek trail, but the street sweepers of Moscow are a shy species, not prone to come out of hibernation until May. There is a lot of crap on the roads right now. Every day I get splattered with sludge. I'm only on the road for less than half a mile. Everything else is trail.
anyway, all that crud is getting on my bike, so I need to get in the habit of wiping it down a couple times a week at least.
I'm learning. I've been focusing on the human machine side of biking 100 miles a week, but I'm sure 100 miles a week is not all that easy on the bike, either.
I have yet to give it a name... I feel like I should. I name freakin everything.
some ideas, in no particular order:
1. White Light
2. Silver Pull-it
3. Pedaling Salesman
4. (I love terrible puns, can you tell?)
5. Ge-pedal-o
6. Moby Click. The White Bike.
Eh, I'll think of more late.
time for me to do something else.

22 miles after a long hiatus.

Well. Today was a pretty good day.
Yesterday, I had a low grade fever for the 6th time this winter (it seems).
Yes. My grandiose plans to bike every day, even through winter were about as affective as Trumps toupee making him not look like a giant asshole. Literally, the way he puckers his face makes him look like a rectum.
Man... Just making that comparison makes me feel even worse.
but... Butt... TRUMP.
Anyway...
I failed myself all these months. I decided yesterday during my sick time off, NOT to be lame and help myself and get some good exercise.
part of keeping the resolution this time is:
1. eating enough/right to sustain me.
2. Not worrying about my speed and time so much. I have to remember I'm going for endurance first, build stamina, then go for the speed.


Conditions:
slightly drizzly.
worms EVERYWHERE. It rained pretty hard last night, so they were out in droves this morning. I saw some robins perched on a wire just very causally surveying their feast day.
beautiful sunset. Deep grey blues and purples. Just so lovely.
a little chilly, it was. I wore a few layers. Still had the concurrent "can't feel my legs for the chill" and my shirts soaked with sweat.
It's getting light around 6:10 am now, so waking up in time to leave by 7:30 is much easier. Waking up in the dark for me is really difficult.




In other news: I decided to stop taking my anxiety medication at precisely the wrong time, really. I am getting married, moving, and buying a house in the next 80 days. Talk about stress. I'm really looking forward to riding now. also, I get so antsy at work. I like the place i work, but the boredom isn't good for me. I must keep myself engaged, however, so I will power through. Today, although I was tired, I was really looking forward to getting out of the office and riding the 11 miles back.


I'll pull myself out of this anxiety ridden state one way or another. Might as well enjoy some scenery as well.

Short Bursts Beats the Bus.

Now that the snow and ice have made themselves scarce (at least for a little bit), I have taken to biking short distances, very quickly, from where I park my car on the outskirts of campus (I work at a University) to where I work. It's a little over a mile and takes me between 5-7 minutes.

Not much distance in that amount of time, but considering I am climbing two pretty substantial hills, there is a stop light, pedestrian traffic I often have to stop for, and a flight of stairs I carry my bike over, it's not a terrible time.

It's a nice short burst to wake me up in the morning (especially since it's a little colder in the A.M. still) and rev my metabolism a bit for the day. I'm also using it to build up a little consistency for my complete 22 mile commutes (11 miles one way) to work commute that I plan to tackle after I get my bike tuned up and smoothed out.

The biggest benefit to this short burst cycling in the morning is the smug satisfaction I get when I see a "Full Bus" on the road next to me and I arrive at my location before the people I see waiting for the bus that goes to campus.

I wonder why those people take such a short trip on the bus that takes why longer than just riding a bike.
It's really easy. I don't get too sweaty, I can wear all my regular clothes, and I pack my lunch and whatever else I need for the day in my bag, so I really don't see the issue with riding a bike to campus.
The people that live in the apartments across from where I bike... it's like 20 yards to the bus stop, then they stand there and wait for 10 - 15 minutes, then most of the time, the bus is full, so they wait longer, and by that time, I'm already on campus in my office.

So, that keeps me motivated. Not only am I moving, I'm saving myself time, hassle, and exposure to bus-germs.
But I'm kidding about the smug-ness. Really, it's just satisfaction. Sometimes, I race the buses. If i don't arrive before them, I arrive at the same time, starting from the same location.

Someone should really let the people know at the rec center that they aren't saving any time taking the bus.

They save some leg work, I guess. But, long term, that's not a great strategy for one's health.

Anyway,
While I'm at work, I've been conditioning myself a little bit otherwise. I have exercise bands I use to stay active at work.
Sitting all day is such a pain in the ass. Literally. But hopefully, I can combat the pent up energy I have at work to give myself some gains later down the road.

Okay, over and out now.

Thanks for reading/writing (since I'm probably the only person who's going to read/write this).

Although: here is an interesting link on biking times:
http://www.bikeforums.net/living-car-free/445870-minutes-per-mile-explanation-our-non-cyclist-friends.html

Wintry Wanders Wanting

Well, after having read my entries for my "Anker Blog" (http://theankerblog.blogspot.com/) for the first time in 5 years, I realize I was so dedicated to sharing my thoughts.

I am a bit ashamed I have been neglecting my current Crank and Chain blog this winter. I thought because it was winter and I wasn't riding my bike very much, I should abstain from the allure of the keyboard.

The theme for my Anker Blog is my internship in Norway and mostly thoughts of theatre and arts and traveling, and it's theme is very strong and definite. I realize that although my theme of biking in Idaho and traveling around my small parcel of the world is less exotic, I feel no less a desire to write about it (even though I haven't been doing it very much lately [I blame winter!]).

Let me sum up, because that was a bit convoluted:
Even though I am not writing about grand aspirations of art and theatre; nor of international impression, I feel an equal desire to write of more domestic affairs.

Maybe...
and this is just a guess.

Maybe...
I enjoy writing.

But, I realize in the same breath (key stroke?) that Idaho is not Norway. There are similarities to be sure, but they are very different. My role in these places is completely different. My experiences, the people I know, etc. All very different.
So, if you have read my Anker Blog, please, do not fear that I will infuse the same kind of analysis and try to turn Idaho into another version of Norway in my mind. To make them the same, to write about them the same, or consider them the same, would be dishonest and counter-productive for showing the true nature of Idaho.

The reason I am writing these thoughts is thus:
My Anker Blog is the most viewed/popular writing I have ever done. It has almost 1,000 views.
Now, that's over the course of 5 years. But still, 200/year is great for me.
My first temptation is to turn this blog into something of a similar vein, but I cannot do so.
The Anker Blog was about Norway. Crank and Chain is about my life in Idaho and is my current project. I so wish to resurrect my Anker Blog. But that chapter of my life is over.
And, indeed, this is the last reference to the Anker Blog I will make.

Today's Ride.

After a two days off, Thursday and Friday, to recover my energy from my bonk on Wednesday, I hopped back on my trusty bike for the commute to Pullman. Yesterday it was raining quite heavily, and I woke up late, so I didn't bike yesterday. I'm a little disappointed in myself, but it was raining a lot, so I don't feel so bad. It's much nicer weather today. Cold, but it's a little cloudy, so it's not freezing, and it was windy-ish this morning.
It's amazing how different I feel on days I bike vs. days I don't. The days I bike, I feel like I have so much more time during the day, even though 2 hours of it are taken up by pedaling. The week seems longer, too. I just seem to have more time, in general. I love it.
Over the weekend, a large amount of animal feces seems to have accumulated on the Paradise Creek path. Dogs, I think. Seriously, every 50 yards or so, there was a pile of poo. That kind of annoyed me a little, but dogs have to go somewhere, I guess.
It just gives me a more urgent reason to get a better headlamp. Which I plan to get today or tomorrow. I'm borrowing my finace's and it is not bright enough for safety or to safely avoid little piles of stink on the trail.
I also want to get reflector tape and put it on my bike and stuff.
I saw one of the same bikers I always see, an elderly gentleman in yellow, with a chiseled jawline. He's always been friendly, but he recognizes me now and smiles more when we pass going in opposite directions. He had the wind at his back today.
There's usually another lady, the same age or a little younger than me, that bikes to Moscow, too, but I only see her when I leave earlier. I left late today, so I didn't see her.
Over the summer, there were more regular bikers, but they weren't as friendly.

The stranger who kind of inspired me to begin biking is this guy who has lost so much weight since he started in early Summer. I saw him every day when I was driving to work. He's got this mountain bike that looks so difficult to pedal. But day after day, he was out there biking to WSU. So, when I started biking, one day biking back home to Moscow, he passed me blaring opera music out of his phone.
Which I thought was cool.


Gear.
On Saturday, while running errands (also on my bike), I went into Hyperspud to look for some wet-weather gear. The winters are wet here, so I knew if I wanted to ride to Pullman later into the year, I needed some sort of wet-weather pants. I already own a Marmot rain jacket, which I love for it's functionality and simplicity. As soon as I enter, what do I see? I see Marmot rain pants. Windproof, waterproof, and breathable. Perfect!
The best part is: if the lining wears off, all I have to do is take the Marmot gear back to Hyperspud, pay $7.00 in shipping, and I'll get a total replacement.
I tested them out this morning, and I am so pleased. my legs weren't wet with sweat, and they skin wasn't frigid like it was last week.
Also, I have been oscillating between getting a saddle rack for my stuff, or not. And I came to the conclusion this weekend that I actually enjoy toting my backpack while I ride. Why? Because it keeps me warm. Having that extra padding on my back is nice, especially since I have a tendency to lose body heat easily. I'm almost always cold.
I might end up getting a saddle thing in the Spring or Summer when it's really hot, but for now... mmm.... warmth, sweet warmth...

Food.
So, I bonked last week (DON'T EVER USE BONKING AS A TRAINING TOOL). Because I did, I made a lot of mistakes at work because of my mental confusion. I didn't think it was that bad at first, but Friday and yesterday, I kept discovering mistakes I had made on Thursday.
I never want to bonk again.
It makes too much work for myself later.
Anyway, my co-worker sent me a link to EatToPerform.com. The website, if you don't have a prescription is like one big ad for the book or whatever it is they sell, so I wasn't too keen on that part of the information they had, but did have a pretty accurate-looking calculator for how many calories I should eat. It turns out that I should be eating about 2 or 3 times the amount I was eating last week.
I've always had problems remembering to eat, or not feeling hunger, so I've been trying to pay more attention to that.
So, I ate more for the last 4 or 5 days, and I already feel lighter and I think I look thinner, too.
I know it's only been 1.5 weeks, but my history with weight gain and loss is jumpier than kid watching a horror flick. It goes up and down, sometimes 10 pounds in a week. I've never really known why, which is one of the things the Eat To Perform website gave information about.
It made sense.
Anyway, I need to have a more nutritious base to support all my plans. It's nice to have it more stable now.
To try and counteract my activity level, I ate a lot this weekend and yesterday I bought a protein bar to consume pretty much right after I got to work today, which has made me feel much better so far. I'm less shaky.

Condition.
I seem to keep discovering weird aches when I bike. It was in my chest this time. It might be the cold air, or breathing a lot. But, there's a plus- the aches in my inner thighs has gone away! Hooray! I'm getting into better shape!
I was biking into the wind today, which was less fun than normal, but that's okay. I just have to be stronger than the wind. Today I was.
Also, my hypothesis about my ankle hurting turned out to be correct - it was a slight stress injury from me pedaling in a gear too high for me.
I haven't used my upper gear at all since I started biking again and my ankles don't feel stressed in the slightest. Maybe I'll ramp up the speed and effort eventually, but I want to make sure I'm totally strong before I do that... and I also will probably want to wait until it's not cold. I'm pretty sure risk of injury increases when the temperature decreases.

Rant about something other than biking.
Also, this is less about bike-riding but more generally about my attitude towards the economy, and especially fashion economy, but Hyperspud is one of the only places in Moscow where you can try on and buy fair-trade and/or eco friendly clothing. Their clothes are also functional, pretty, and reasonably priced. They carry Prana and Kavu and a couple of other brands. But beyond that, Hyperspud is a local store that's been around for over 25 years and I have to support it.
When I worked as an arborist's assistant, I used to go there with my supervisor to get climbing and arborist gear like nylon straps, climbing rope, carabiners, etc.
The more I visit Hyperspud, the more I like it!

Anyway, back to the whole fair-trade, eco-friendly fashion thing...
One day I woke up and saw the news about another factory, with unsafe conditions, killing it's workers. It was in the fashion industry...again.
It's not as if this was a random thought of mine. I have a personal tie to unfair fashion practices. My father, grandfather, uncle, everyone, used to work in the fabric mill in Clover, South Carolina. I don't know who owned the factory, but they produced T-shirts. Anyway, my father's life was put in danger numerous times by the management of the factory. I am so happy my father got out of that system. In many towns in the South, there were places called "Mill Villages" and that's where the 'trash' lived. The mills and factories owned the houses and the stores. They would pay their workers less than it cost to live there, and would therefore keep the workforce, essentially indentured or enslaved to their jobs. The houses didn't have indoor plumbing. They had outhouses.
My Dad didn't have a toilet until he moved out of the Mill Villages with his family when he was fairly young. I think he was 9 or 10. As a teenager, he worked for the factory.
Then he met my mom, a college student, and decided he would be a college student, too, and got a degree in Biology, got into Med school, etc.
BUT- for many people less brazen as my father, or with families that depend on them, or in countries where opportunities are fewer and reserved for the upper class, these types of working conditions persist to this day.
So, when I decided that day, I remembered the stories my father told me about the carpet-baggers from the North coming down to establish their domain in the less affluent South. In 1965, my mother remembers her school throwing a party when the 100 year war-reparation payments to the North were finished.
Around the 80's, most fabric production moved overseas, but the conditions didn't improve with the move and I now that someone like my father or grandfather is working in terrible conditions, making T-shirts that get branded by Lacrosse or Tommy Hilfiger and those company's aren't aware, don't care, or both, about the welfare of the production line.

So, even if Prana pants are a little more expensive (although, still cheaper than many unethical brands), I must for my own reasons, support that.
Because I support good business practices.
Anyway...
It's a bit of a rant there...

Well, that's my lunch break. I spent all of it writing and listening to nature sounds/music.
Time to get back to work... just counting down the hours until I can hop on my contraption and ride again!

I Bonked

The first time I discovered this word was a couple of months ago. Reading it I remembered one of my favorite scenes in My Big Fat Greek Wedding:

This scene still makes me laugh after so many years.

Anyway- I actually experienced this last night after I my 63rd mile this week.

It's supposed to rain today and the high is 41 degrees Fahrenheit and I could barely get out of bed, so I decided to drive to work.

I know, I know. Mind over matter. I'm already lazy!

These are self-defeating thoughts that I have to push aside to be healthy and commute daily (or almost daily) like I want.

Let me explain what 'bonking' feels like and why I seriously wonder why anyone would consider using this as a training tool without very, very scrupulous and attentive athlete-professional guidance.
So...
Monday.  I bike to work and feel great. I bike home and feel great. Very energized. A little sore, but I take a hot bath and feel better.
Tuesday. I bike to work and feel great. I bike home and feel a little tired. Less energized. A little sore, but not too bad. I take a hot shower and go to bed early.
Wednesday. I bike to work and feel sluggish. I try to bike home and have difficulty biking in a straight line. It takes almost 10 minutes longer than the days before. I get home and I'm shaky and so hungry I feel sick. I three slices of a large pizza after a warm bath and go lie down at 7:30pm. I'm asleep by 8:30pm.
Thursday. I wake up and feel sick, dizzy, and like I'm going to pass out.

My mistake, methinks, is my choices of food over the last few days. I already struggle with maintaining my blood sugar. I am genetically predisposed for diabetes and while I don't have diabetes, I am often hypoglycemic. I have 'bonked' even without much exercise.
This is due to the fact, I think, that my meals are too few, small, and far between. I've had to be very aware of my calorie intake since High school, as I have a tendency to under-eat for my activity level and metabolism. I just don't have much appetite most of the time, so I can't tell when I need more carbs or fat or protein or just food in general.

Something is out of whack.

This experience has led me to do a bit of research on bonking. It frightens me that people think it's okay to do this on a regular basis. I would say, just based on my own experience: WHY. From what I've read, it takes too long to recover to make it worthwhile and if you're not incredibly careful, you'll end up losing some of the muscle you've worked so hard to achieve.
If I can help it, no thanks.

But, anyway, just reading articles alone, I'm having a difficult time finding the answers to some questions I have about my own personal situation, like, what I need to eat and how much? I would love to be told, "stuff your face with bread all day!" which is what some of the articles sound like, but I wonder if that's the best approach.

Most of the articles I've found tend to focus on men athletes and diets/bodies than women.
I'm a woman, and I'm sort of small. Maybe I should look up articles on lady-trainers/athletes.
I'll do that next.

But, I know, whatever happens that I do not ever want to bonk again. I hate the sensation more every time it happens, either from exercise, or my own erratic eating habits.

This biking 2 hours a day, although I've hit a set-back today, I think will help me be healthier in the long-run because it's bringing to light the problems of how I treat my body day-to-day. Like not getting  enough nutrition or calories to sustain what I want to do.

This venture will help me harmonize with my body in a better way, which I think will ultimately benefit me. So, I must see this hazy, tired, and sluggish feeling as a learning tool, and not as a failure.

Why I Bike Commute

My favorite aspect of commuting from the small city of Moscow, Idaho, to the slightly less small city of Pullman, Washington by bicycle is the opportunity to observe my surroundings with less distractions.
Driving the highway is always wrought with cars cutting me off, people driving at that awkward not-quite-the-speed-limit-but-not-quite-more-than-that speed which annoys every driver I know. It's also scattered with road kill and that sneaky, but strong, sense of anxiety I get when I know that travelling more than 30 mph is a recipe for ending up like the roadkill.
I don't want to be road kill.
I'm lucky to live in a place where almost my entire commute has a dedicated path to pedestrians and cyclists. There are no cars! It is glorious. I realize not every commuter has this luxury.

So, there are 3 things I like about commuting, so far:
1. More present and at-one with my surroundings
2. I see live animals more than I see dead ones.
3. I'm travelling at a reasonable speed of less than 15 mph.

Another major benefits is the alleviation of my anxiety and depression. These things are nasty. And bicycling every day makes them less horrible, I dare say, almost bearable. I still have them, but their hold on me is less certain and gripping.

Although, I did start out a bit rough. My first attempt at commuting the 11.5 miles from my apartment on the Eastern edge of Moscow was in June. And it was hot. Very hot.
The heat here is dry, dusty, and windy, so it's more of an "in your face" heat than a surrounding heat. The hot days seem to shove themselves down your throat, in a way.
I had not trained at all for this feat, and I soon discovered that setting off into the heat with a small amount of water and no preparation was probably not the best idea I've ever had. It's not the worst idea I've ever had, but that's for another post one day.
One day, I will write about the time my ill-planned biking expedition almost found me in the ocean at the bottom of some rocky cliffs, but today is not that day.
But, for now, back to the heat.
I biked, and stopped and rested, and biked some more. It took me 1.25 hours to cross the Palouse hills to Pullman. There's a pretty long hill at the end, with one part being rather steep, that was grueling at the time. My vision blurred, my breathing heaved, I arrived at work, I chugged some water, and promptly vomited.
But then I felt better.
The ride back was much better, even though it's more generally inclined going back to Moscow, this has never, for some reason, made the trip back longer. The trip home always seems shorter.
And that, is another reason why I like commuting by bike. Every day, I get to take two little hour long trips.
Well, now I can bike in less than an hour, around 45 minutes if I put my mind to it. But there is a great pleasure in simply pressing on without over-exertion whilst listening to an audio book that I have a hard time wanting to go any faster.

Another benefit: improved mind by 'reading' two hours a day.

After that first bike, I biked every day for a week, over 100 miles in a week.
But my lack of preparation caught up to me in other ways besides that initial projectile vomit and heat exhaustion I had. I had pushed myself too hard and hadn't tackled the hill properly and my left ankle began to give me a lot of pain.
I have a history of various sprained body parts. Mostly because I tend to fling my body into things only to discover that I'm not made of steel and rubber.
So, I had to take a few weeks off.
Then I got lazy.
Then I re-injured my spinal ligament doing some yoga.
A few weeks turned into a couple months.

Then, this week, after a slow slip-slide back into an anxious and depressed state so bad I had to see a health care professional because it was affecting my personal and work-life, I hopped back on my bike again. Maybe the low-dose Prozac reminded me that I like the feeling of the wind in my face and pedaling about in a beautiful world. Maybe because I finally found the impetus to improve my internal situation and "Just Do It" (as my father always said, long before Nike adopted his motto... he jokes to this day that Nike stole this from him).
But now it's cold. Today was first frost. As I think back to when I started in the heat of Summer, more out of shape and unconditioned to now, cold and frost on the bridges that span Paradise Creek - the frost makes a delightful dry crunching sound when rolled over- I become more proud of myself each time I get back on that bike. Biking at dark is a little difficult and more sketch, but it's still better than driving at night.
The best thing about biking in the cold is I can't feel any pain in my butt because it's numb. I wear a lot of layers, and I try to keep warm, but I still sweat, and I'm still going about 12mph, so my skin still gets chilled.

I don't know whether 2 hours of biking every day is a bit extreme. But now that I've healed up and I am taking it slightly easier, instead of killing myself trying to achieve a better time, I have to say that I wonder why I ever, injuries aside, stopped biking in the first place.

Another benefit to biking is knowing and learning your limits. And I've learned my limits can be expanded. I can grow. And that's a great realization to have. Especially for someone who's biggest fear is regressing and failing at things.

Additionally, parking is effing expensive at WSU, so it saves me a several hundred dollars over the course of a year that way (in gas and fees).

Plus, my ass looks fantastic.