A Sunny Snail's Pace

I'm not fast and that's okay. Today was a good morning. I slept in until the sun was coming up and got to go out and enjoy a nice sunrise. A few clouds made the sky interesting, but it was mostly blue skies. I took the trike out and thought about how much I enjoy the recumbent ride. I'd like to get a StreetMachine Gte one day, but that won't happen any time soon! It looks fantastic.

Until then, I'll enjoy what I have.

I saw a couple of these snails on the trail and made sure I didn't hit them. I love how the light turns them into luminous beings. Beautiful!

Tough Trike Morning

I say tough, but it wasn't really all that hard of a morning ride. The trouble was waking up, hearing the water gurgling down the drainpipe outside the window, dripping from the trees, and playing the mental game. I've got a lot to do, a novel to write, a cover to paint, and have to leave early for work. Maybe it was better to just get up and do those things. Or even sleep longer, that was tempting.

In the end I got up. If I can't spend a half-hour exercising, that's pretty sad, isn't it? Of course it ends up taking longer than that, to get dressed, get the trike out, put it back when I'm done, etc. Still, if I don't have my health, that would be worse.

Reboot

I'd like to say I've been riding, and running, and it'd be the truth. I have. I'm at 54.93 miles for the month of August. It's the most I've done since I February and March this year. When I last posted in April I had planned to bike every day and then the impact of doing two jobs hit home. With the longer commute I simply didn't have time. The second job ended in June and I've gradually been doing more each month since.

Weight Drags Me Down

The trouble with getting back into exercising regularly, and eating better, is that I've put on quite a few pounds this year. I'm back up nearly at the heaviest I've weighed. It's like I've picked up a big bag of dog food and am trying to get out and run or bike lugging that around. No wonder people end up in a cycle of gaining weight and exercising less, which leads to more weight gain, and so on until getting up off the couch is a chore.

I'm not making as much progress as I'd like. I've tracked my weight since June 30th and it has gone up and down. In the end? No progress. I'm going to start figuring out what I want to eat, based mostly on a paleo/primal approach, and ease into that. I'm also getting back into riding, running, and aping around again (using the Gorilla Workout). In addition to tracking weight changes, I'm going to take weekly pictures of myself to compare how things change.

Today's Ride

I went out for a loop around home on local streets. It started on the Yelm-Tenino Trail and then went out in a loop that took me out around us and back up through town to the trail again, and then home. Along the way I saw this little donkey in a field. He ran along the fence wanting to get a good look at this strange person on a trike with flags waving. He came up and got a good look while I took the picture. Didn't seem scared at all. Fun ride, some good hills that took some effort to climb (really not in shape). Cars on the road gave me wide berth, there wasn't any shoulder or anything on these roads. 

I'd like to think I'll be more consistent about this going forward.

Streak 3: Warmer!

I'm going to track my exercise streak, renumbering if I miss a day. I do something similar with my writing (I've written every day without fail for the past 70 days). Counting from Monday then, that makes today the third day. Adding the Gorilla Workout exercises makes it more likely that I'll keep the streak going. This morning I did the Gorilla workout first thing in the morning when I got up, and then went for my ride on the trike a bit later.

The temperature this morning was a balmy 34°F! It makes a difference. My layers handled it just fine (actually got a little too warm), it's when it gets down under freezing that I have more of an issue. Particularly my feet. Even with the shoe covers my feet eventually start freezing. Today I went up around through town and tackled the biggest hill there is nearby — not much of a hill, granted. The trike has a 3-speed hub, so I went into the lowest gear and pedaled on up, stopping to take a picture looking down on the town.
 

Daily Challenge 8: Drenched

Last night there was a wind advisory. I woke up hearing the wind howl and the rain pounding down. No way I was going out in that. I'd be crazy.

Yet when 6:00 AM rolled around, I was ready to head out on the trike!

It was pouring. The wind had let up a bit. It was dark. I pushed on anyway, and rode off into the downpour. The dread of the weather is often much worse than the weather itself. Out in the stormy weather, it's actually exhilarating! Still, I didn't have much time, and it was very wet, so I limited myself to a short loop up through town. It was fun!

Daily Challenge 3: Icy Trike

I didn't have time to post yesterday about my ride on the trike. I went out at 6:00 AM, as usual, and it was freezing! Even colder than the day before, down to 20°F, everything frosted. Beautiful, though, with a half-moon and clear skies.

I bundled up with multiple layers, and even my shoes covers to help keep my feet warm. At first I was really toasty riding down the trail. I was having so much fun that I decided to go all the way to the connection to the Chehalis-Western Trail before turning around. I hadn't planned on going that far, but it was too much fun.

By the time I was heading back home my feet were like two icy, painful blocks attached to my pedals. Partly, I think, because of the position on the trike. Blood doesn't pump as well to your toes with the feet elevated like that. My fingers, with two glove layers, were pretty warm except a couple finger tips. And my eyelashes kept trying to freeze together.

Still, fun ride. Slow! The last three days made themselves felt in tired muscles, adding to that to the weight of the layers and the trike. I'm taking today as a rest day, planning to get back out on Saturday.

Daily Challenge 32: First Post-Op Trike Ride

Last night I went out and installed my Down Low Glow lights on the trike. I had everything ready this morning to get back out on the trike and ride. It felt great getting out. My legs groaned a bit. After weeks of inactivity, this week I've been going out each day. I'm not pushing too hard, trying to take it easy. At first the cold cut through my layers and I thought I needed another layer, but once I warmed up it was fine. I didn't want to turn around when I did, at the 6.0 mile marker on the trail, but I figured going farther would a) take too long, and I didn't have time, and b) mean pushing too much. Still, great to get out!

Daily Challenge 21: Gap

There was a big gap this week in getting out on the bike or running. Lots of reasons, from work and not feeling well. Today I got out and rode to town to pay the water bill and check the mail. There was a flyer from Thurston Here to There, a site designed to promote alternate transportation in Thurston County! Appropriate, then, that I rode the trike into town to run those errands. They also have a Facebook page. It's nice to see some efforts there. I do want to ride to work more, it just takes so much time!

Daily Challenge 17: Light Pollution

After days of clear skies, it was actually cloudy when I went out this morning to ride. Yesterday I looked at my camera manual and figured out how to take a "slow sync" picture for low light conditions. The result, with a little adjustment, is a much closer approximation to what I see when I'm riding. The picture really shows how much even a small town lights up the area and is reflected in the clouds above.

Daily Challenge 14: Plant Identification

Today I took the trike out for a spin. First, I added air to the tires with the new floor pump. It worked really well. The trike rode much better with the tires properly inflated! Since yesterday I headed down the Yelm-Tenino trail to the end in Tenino, today I thought I'd go the other way.

I went all the way to the end of the trail but didn't cross the highway to ride on the Prairie Line trail. I turned around at the trailhead.

Yelm Trailhead

Along the stretch in Yelm they've added plant identification signs along both sides of the trail. I took my time coming back to take a look at the different signs.

Ocean Spray Sign

It's nice to see features like this added to the trail. I'd also like to see artwork added, metal and wood sculptures would be cool!

Anyway, nice ride today. It also marks two straight weeks on my daily challenge to get out and do something each day. I've ridden the mountain bike or the trike, or I've gone for a run, each day for the past two weeks. I'm going to keep going!

Daily Challenge 10: Smoky

Smoky day today! It doesn't show in the picture but I was riding toward a cloudy, smoky sky. There was a controlled burn and it had filled the air around town with smoke. This morning it was cold, I was tired, and so I didn't get out to ride until after work.

Daily Challenge 7: Bent Rider

Yesterday my car broke down on the way to the store. Fortunately, we hadn't gotten all that far from home, just over two miles. My wife and son (only three), walked on home. While they did that I waited for the tow truck to come. This was all a new experience for me. I've never had a car break down like that before!

When the tow truck arrived we discovered that I didn't have an 'I' ring/screw that hooks to the front of the car for them to pull it up onto the tow truck. I gave the driver permission to do what she could and she got it up there without (I think) any damage to the car. We took it in to a shop right there in Rainier but I won't really know what's wrong until tomorrow since they're closed.

The positives with the experience? The help we got from everyone. A couple strong guys pulled over and helped push the car out of the road. The insurance folks I talked to on the phone were very helpful at getting roadside assistance. The tow truck driver made that whole process easy. Ron, the gentleman that turned around and came back to give me a ride when he saw me walking down the street carrying our car seat. And my mother-in-law who graciously came up a day early so that we could still get shopping done before everyone (except me) goes on a trip to the Oregon coast.

The downside? The expense and the unknown factor. Based on reading I did I think it was probably the plastic shift carrier that broke, but I don't know. Even if that's the case, I don't know how long it'll take to get the parts and get it fixed. I can't do anything about that but wait and see.

With all of that going on I didn't get to the trike yesterday.

Today I got up, worked on editing my latest book, and then when everyone else went out to do the shopping I got to work on the bike and trike.

I installed new clipless pedals on the mountain bike. I cleaned it and lubed the chain. Until the car gets fixed it's going to be my primary means of transportation to and from work. That's ~17 miles each way, starting tomorrow. I like riding and commuting by bike but it does take a lot of time at that distance. Plus I'll still have to deal with the car.

I put the other pedals back on the trike, cleaned and lubed it too. The tires needed air after sitting for over a year. I don't have a floor pump yet that works with presta valves but my hand pump worked well enough to get some air. The pressure wasn't as high as I'd like but enough to ride.

It was lots of fun to get out on the trike! I've missed it. Very different feeling sitting, reclined, inches from the road instead of being perched up on a 29" mountain bike! My muscles told me that they weren't used to riding in that position, so I just took a short ride. I passed another recumbent, a hand-crank recumbent.

My plan, going forward, is to alternate my exercise between the mountain bike, the trike, and running. It'll depend on my mood.

On the other hand, if the car can't be fixed, or is too expensive to fix right now, then I'll be predominantly riding the mountain bike, because I'll have to commute and it's faster than the trike. I might use the trike to ride to the store in Yelm because I've got my plastic tub panniers I made that I could carry groceries. We'll see!

Daily Challenge 6: Barely Morning & Chased by Dogs

I like riding when the sun is up. I didn't have to go to the day job today, so I was able to get a bit more sleep and go once it was light. Don't get me wrong, riding in the dark with the stars out is nice too. Given the choice, I'd rather ride once the sun comes up. It's warming up fast today. I stopped on my loop and took off a layer because I was getting too warm.

The dogs were out today too. Two ran out into the street after me but their enthusiasm lagged quickly. Several other dogs 'chased' me within the confines of their yards.

If I have time later I'd like to work on the trike, get the new pedals installed and take it out for a test ride.

Daily Challenge 5: Going Postal

I took a short ride this morning, just down to the post office and back. I'd hoped that the new issue of my indie writer magazine, Exposed Monthly, would have arrived, but it wasn't there. The issues are available free online and as e-books, or in print from MagCloud. I'm working on getting all of my books out in print as well as updating them with new original art.

My new pedals arrived yesterday! This weekend I plan to get the trike up and running again! That'll be fun!

When a Tree Falls

Tree Down Across Trail

Thursday I took a rest day and didn't ride after all, but I headed back out to work on the trike yesterday. I still felt a little tired but actually made good time. About a mile before trail's end I came across a tree down across the trail. A dog walker on the other side and I looked at moving it off the trail but there was no way. I was able to get around the end riding through the brush alongside the trail. Later, after work, the county parks folks had already cleared it away! It made me think how quickly these trails would disappear without someone to maintain them.

This week has already set new mileage records for me. I'm tired this morning, I pushed harder yesterday, but at the moment I still think I'm going to ride. Probably slowly. Or I might change my mind. I guess I'll know after I see how the morning goes.

Second Day

Heading to Work

It's been almost two years since we moved into our small rural 1970s ranch house. When we bought the house one of the things I particularly liked was that the house sits about a half mile from the Yelm-Tenino Trail. Not only that but the trail runs all the way down to within about 800 feet of work, giving me a perfect gentle ride to work. A little over ten miles, about 10.44 as Google Maps it. When we first moved in I thought I'd end up riding nearly every day unless a meeting or something meant I needed to drive.

Only that hasn't happened. Sure, I've ridden to work, but at my best I've ridden two days out of a week. Rarely two days in a row. Now that I'm thinking about mountain bikes and riding much longer endurance events I have added incentive to ride more regularly, but I don't think I'd be doing it if I hadn't lost so much weight by following the Primal Blueprint (mostly). Since February I've lost over thirty pounds. That's almost as much as the trike weighs! I think the last time I checked I had lost 32 lbs, but I think I might have lost a couple more since then. On top of eating better I've also been running lately and I think that's made a difference in riding the trike as well.

So now I've ridden two days in a row. I'd like to keep it going. I guess I'll see tomorrow.

Heading Home

I still have a long ways to go before considering anything like the Arizona Trail Race or the Tour Divide, but I'm starting.

Yelm Prairie Line Trail

Yelm Bound

This morning I rode down the Yelm-Tenino Trail all the way to Yelm and then went across the street and headed down the Yelm Prairie Line Trail, just as far as the trail head and parking at 1st. Turned around there and rode back. It was a nice cool morning, mostly sunny with scattered clouds. I felt strong and the ride went well. Before I left I realigned my boom which took care of the chain-dropping problem I had yesterday. I still need to tweak the brakes a bit to get them right, but they work so that's good. Lots of bunnies out today!


As rides go this isn't a particularly challenging or lengthy ride, but that's okay. I'm working on getting out each day to ride or run. It's easy on a beautiful day like today. What's more of a challenge is running or riding in the rain, cold, etc. I need to get used to adverse conditions. As part of that my assumption these days is that I'm going out. The weather doesn't matter. Usually once I'm out in the rain I don't mind it at all, it's just overcoming that mental barrier first.

Yelm Prairie Line Trail Head

In any case, a good way to start the day!

Brakes Fixed

I'm gradually learning how to deal with more mechanical issues on the trike. Today I replaced the brake cables that had gotten so filled with junk that you couldn't even pull the cables out of the housing. New housing and cables and then the brakes work. I think they could still be adjusted better, but they work so much better now! Went for a short ride around through town to try them out. I need to get the chain a little tighter, it bounced off twice, but otherwise everything works great.

Now that I can ride again I plan to increase my mileage on the trike by commuting more regularly. If I'm not riding the trike I'll go for a run. One way or the other I plan to get out each day.

#30DaysofBiking: Day 3 Fail

It didn't take long to miss a day! I was busy yesterday, doing other things, and just didn't get out on the trike at all. Doesn't matter. I'm going to keep trying to get out each day for at least a few miles.

I do have a small mechanical problem with the trike I need to solve. The chain keeps coming off one of the rear idlers. I'd left the guard off when I removed the chain tensioner and shortened the chain, so I need to put that back on. I thought the chain was tight enough that it wasn't necessary but that's clearly not the case.

#30DaysofBiking: Day 1 Cold, Refreshing Rain

Water Over Trail

I first read about this over on Kent's Bike Blog and thought it was a fun idea. I've done similar challenges in the past and I had actually already signed up for a wellness challenge at work to do some activity each day so this fits in well. I can do both challenges at the same time! Bonus points! Then in May there's the Thurston County Bicycle CommuterContest to do, and in June I think I'll do my Mock Tour Divide Challenge again. I guess I'll put some miles on the trike!

I didn't get an  early start this morning so instead of a morning ride I headed out for an evening spin. I didn't go far, just out down the trail a bit and then back. Cold, refreshing rain pounded on me as I headed down the street. A short distance on I reached the trail and turned toward Yelm. I considered riding all the way to Yelm and back, but ended up figuring I didn't need to push that hard tonight. I might ride to work tomorrow, so I didn't want to wear myself out too much. I know, it isn't far for many people but six miles was enough for me tonight!