Archive for the ‘Daily Rides’ Category

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Calling all arborists – and arborists wannabes

Thursday, June 13th, 2013 by

Guest Blogger: Sandie Smith

Know how many Heritage Trees Seattle has?  30? 72? 111?  Nope!  Seattle boasts 221 Heritage Trees!  In fact, Seattle made the 2013 list of best cities for urban forests.  Heritage Trees are usually large individual trees or groves of trees that are considered to be irreplaceable due to various criteria such as their size, age, rarity, or simply their aesthetic value.  Singapore and England both have active Heritage Tree programs.  Oregon was the first United States state to adopt a program.

So where in Seattle would you find these 221 trees?  Join Machiko on Saturday, June 15 at 1 p.m. at Hunter Tree Farm (Corner of NE 80th St & 35th Ave NE) to explore some of the finer specimens.  The easy 10mph pace and short distance of 8 miles will allow plenty of time to explore and admire.  You may even want to bring along a sketch pad and pencil or crayon for a few leaf rubbings.

A steady rain will cancel this ride.  If you have other questions contact email Machiko or call co-leader Sander at (206) 455-5810.

Looking for more riding opportunities? All Cascade free daily rides are published online. Everyone is welcome, but if you’re new, please read through our information for newcomers and parents. 

Posted in Daily Rides, Ride of the Week | No Comments »

Rookie’s Perspective on Training for the STP: Week 9: 92 Miles, 4700’ Elevation

Friday, June 7th, 2013 by

Should I start with the bear cub or the attack dogs or the puking? Lots of stories happen over 92 miles.

Coffee is like a magic elixir mid-rideBefore we set out into the sunny morning, our ride leader cautioned us to watch out for wildlife: deer, for example, or “a sick raccoon out in the daytime.” As he was talking, a bunny hopped behind him on the stairs of the old Renton City Hall.

Our ride leader didn’t say anything about bears.

Cruising downhill after a much-appreciated coffee stop at the Black Diamond Bakery, somebody ahead shouted “Bear!” No way, I thought. I haven’t seen a bear in any of my years of hiking in the North Cascades, no way am I going to see one while biking in South King County.

Wait a sec — what is that big, black thing bounding on the road toward us?

We all veered into the middle of the road, leery of a mama bear roaring out of the bushes next to us. The bear cub disappeared into the green as I fumbled out my camera and took a picture of, well, bushes. I couldn’t believe we saw a bear; I haven’t been that excited since cheetahs in Africa.

During his wildlife talk before the ride, our ride leader described the route as “epic” and spoke almost lovingly of the 196th St. hill as a “signature hill,” whatever that is. “Is that the 196th hill?” I asked as we pulled up at an intersection over the Maple Valley Highway.

“Get ready,” someone said, or should have as I was too busy taking pictures to take off my long sleeve shirt.

Should have stripped a layer instead of taking pictures

We crossed the intersection and started climbing. A big dog barked at us across the street and I was glad there was a fence — except there wasn’t a fence and a bull mastiff came running out onto the street, making all kinds of noise. That got two little white moppy dogs all excited on our side and they charged at us, barking and snarling. One of them came very close to my ankle with that “I’m going to bite you” look in its eye; I had a tough time figuring how I was going to unclip, kick the dog, and continue to push up the hill. Fortunately the dog retreated because I might have killed it.

The dog encounter got all kinds of adrenaline going and I set too fast a pace for myself, or I overheated in my long sleeve shirt, or I just never found my groove on that climb. About halfway up I was overcome with the temptation to stop and take a picture: I’m sure I did it for art and not for a breath.

About three-quarters of the way up I realized I was going to puke.

“Please don’t puke in front of all these people,” I thought to myself as I pulled up to the waiting group at the top of the hill. “Please, please don’t puke.”

I had to get off my bike and lean between my legs, a memory of mountain biking friends (guys, funnily enough) placing bets years ago on whether I was going to puke or just dry heave drifting through my mind. Fortunately, I managed not to throw up my breakfast and soon felt great.

It was, indeed, an epic ride. We rode east through Renton, south to Covington and Black Diamond, north toward Cougar Mountain and Issaquah, west through Bellevue and around Mercer Island, and then south past Seward Park (past my house!) back to Renton.

92 miles -- done!

I hadn’t been looking forward to the route since it covered so much familiar territory, but I found there is something reassuring about travelling familiar roads toward the end of a long ride: there is nothing daunting about riding around Mercer Island to Seward Park where I live – I often do that ride (or should!). As much as I am enjoying exploring new roads, I find it’s the unknown that can be mentally daunting.

We climbed the I-90 bridge and up the very, very steep S. Irving St.  hill to Lake Washington Blvd. I had a moment of panic on the Irving St. hill, which I’ve biked many times as a commuter but never after 80-some miles. I wasn’t quite sure I had enough power in my spent legs to power up those steep 50 feet and almost came to a standstill. I managed not to fall backwards down the hill, but it was intellectually interesting to be scraping the bottom of the barrel.

By the end of the ride, my feet were bothering me the most. “Hey Samuel,” I called to an experienced biker in our group. “My feet are asleep — I’m not stroking out, am I?”

“Can you wiggle your toes?” he asked. We decided I was fine.

Next up is the Flying Wheels ride. I’ve decided on the 65-mile loop. How is it that 65 miles now seems easy?

Lovely view of the Cedar River in our biking backyard

Kathryn Saxer is currently enrolled in the Cascade Training Series, a 13-week training series designed to prepare Cascade members physically and mentally for  the Group Health STP or RSVP. She’s a personal and professional coach in Seattle. When not learning how to bike long distances, she likes to run in the mountains, share adventures with her 7- and 9-year-old children, and cook terrible dinners for her beloved and long-suffering partner. She’ll be reporting on her CTS journey weekly. 

Posted in Cascade Training Series, Daily Rides, STP, Women ride bikes | 3 Comments »

Meet the MEETS Rides

Wednesday, June 5th, 2013 by

Guest blogger: James Coliz

Some MEETS riders take a Kodak break

Are you training for STP, RSVP or a big tour this summer?  Check out Cascade’s handy training guide with suggested weekly mileage for every week of the spring.

If you’re following the training guide, you’ll notice a recommendation of 20-30 miles every Wednesday, while increasing your mileage on the weekend.  What’s the best way to get those mid-week miles?  If you live or work on the Eastside, the Mid-week Eastside Evening Training Series (MEETS) may be just the thing!

Every Wednesday at 6 p.m., rides leave from two locations on the Eastside: South Bellevue Park & Ride and Marymoor Park.  The loops are typically 20-25 miles and accommodate every pace from leisurely to strenuous.  Even when it’s raining, there are usually a few hardy souls who will ride with you if you’re up for it.

Sandi Navarro, one of the organizers, is enthusiastic about rider response to the new series so far. “Riders return week after week eager for more,” she said. “Some wish we had rides three evenings a week! The Wednesday night rides make getting through a stressful work-week easier.”

This Wednesday, June 5, the Bellevue crew will climb to the top of Lakemont Blvd, then tour Newcastle and Phantom Lake for 20 miles.  The Marymoor crew will ramble about the Plateau, skirting Pine Lake and Beaver Lake before going back down the neighborhoods behind Sahalee for 23 miles.  Either way, you’re sure to find great camaraderie with riders at your pace, and the weekend rides will be that much easier!

Looking for more riding opportunities? All Cascade free daily rides are published online. Everyone is welcome, but if you’re new, please read through our information for newcomers and parents. 

Posted in Daily Rides, Ride of the Week | No Comments »

Jan found an easy way to save money and give back to Cascade. You can too – but only through 2013!

Tuesday, June 4th, 2013 by

That's Jan on the left, leading a ride through the tulip fields this spring.

Jan Johnson found an easy way to save herself money while getting more people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds onto bikes, and she wants you to know about it.

Jan has been a Cascade member since 1976. She’s a dedicated ride leader with our Free Daily Rides program (and last year’s Ride Leader of the Year), and she shows up at Cascade’s office at least once a week to chat with staff and help out wherever she can.

“Cascade was advocating for bicyclists before we had bike lanes or the Burke-Gilman Trail, when there wasn’t any Lycra and everyone wore wool and rode 10-speed bikes,” she told me. “It’s definitely lived up to my expectations as an advocate for bicyclists, whether they’re families, commuters or people who want to reduce their carbon footprint.”

Jan will be turning 74 this year, which means – like everyone over the age of 70.5 – she’s required to withdraw a certain percentage from her IRAs (that’s “Individual Retirement Accounts,” for the uninitiated) every year, or she’ll face heavy penalties. These withdrawals, called “Required Minimum Distributions,” are taxed at a percentage that – like the withdrawal amounts themselves – increases each year as you grow older.

Thanks to the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, signed into law by President Obama in January 2013, you can fill out a form with your financial institution or financial advisor and have those Required Minimum Distributions sent directly to the bank account of a non-profit organization of your choice. Even better, you won’t have to pay taxes on them. It’s called a “Charitable IRA Rollover Gift,” and the maximum donation amount is $100,000.

When Jan made this discovery, she headed right for her representative at Edward Jones, who told her, “Oh yes, we do that all the time.” She pulled out the form, which they filled out together. Within a couple of weeks, her donation had made its way to Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation. Being a generous soul, she even added the amount she would have had to pay in taxes to her donation – which means she was able to give even more in support of an organization that’s near and dear to her heart.

“It was easy,” she said. “Much easier than I thought it would be.”

It may be easy, but it may not last for long. The law expires in December 2013, which means Charitable Rollover Gifts could be rolling away at the end of the year. If you’re over age 70, talk to your financial institution about giving a Charitable IRA Rollover Gift to Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation. You’ll save on taxes – and more importantly, you’ll join Jan in helping us create healthy, livable communities where bicycling is safe, convenient and fun.

 

Posted in Daily Rides, Women ride bikes | No Comments »

Rookie’s Perspective on Training for the STP: Week 8: 82 Miles, 3,500’ Elevation

Friday, May 31st, 2013 by

On the ride home from Sultan, I thought to myself: I would happily do this ride every week.

Who knew there were such pretty country roads through the Snohomish River valley out near Sultan. We always just whiz by in our car on Highway 2 on our way to the mountains; I’d never gotten off the highway and explored the rural valley with its carefully kempt farms and fields.

What a beautiful place to ride a bike. (Too bad I was too tired to take any pictures.)

We gathered at Magnuson Park (where I was married many years ago at the top of a windy hill, just so you know), headed north up Sand Point Way, said goodbye to the lake and headed due east to Woodinville, and then north to Snohomish, east past Monroe to Sultan, and then westward back to Seattle. By the end of the ride, I was very glad to see the sparkle of Lake Washington again and to know we were almost home.

Ride to Sultan, WARide to Sultan, WA

With four Ibuprofen in me, I felt good for all but the last 10 miles, where I was kind of trudging. At a quick stop somewhere mid-ride, our ride leader David singled me out: “How are you doing, Kathryn?”

“Kicking ass,” I responded. (What, do I look like a weak link? I’ll show you weak link!)

Just before our first big hill, David told us to regroup at the stoplight at the top. Pushing up the hill, I saw a stoplight just ahead and felt quite smug about how handily I had conquered the hill. “Careful,” said a more experienced rider as I was starting to pass. “The hill keeps going up to the right.”

It sure did.

Oddly, I feel stronger and faster on the uphill than the downhill. I’m such a cautious wimp going downhill, both hands gripping the brakes for dear life, everybody swooping past me. Somewhere later in the ride, we rode down a very, very steep hill with a blind curve to the right. There was something creepy about the hill. Ominous. When I got to the bottom, one of the riders behind me told me that a friend of his lost control on that hill last year and ran into an oncoming car. She lived. I’ve been thinking about her ever since, wondering if she had a creepy feeling before she fell.

Creepy hill aside, for the first time I can see my way to 100 miles; I could have done another 20 if I’d had to. I’ve figured out how to keep nourished (homemade superpower hummus, homegrown hardboiled eggs, salted potatoes, and various sweet things) and hydrated. I’ve figured out what to wear (and I don’t care that nobody else is wearing a skirt). Biggest problem at the moment is that I still haven’t figured out how to keep my hair from sticking out goofily from the sides of my helmet.

Perhaps more importantly than feeling good during the ride was that I felt good the next day. My legs were tired – I wasn’t tempted to go for a run or anything – but I didn’t feel sick tired like I have for days after previous rides. I was running and biking again on Tuesday, which is a day earlier than last week, so this whole training thing might be working.

Coming up: 92 miles and up the 196th hill. When bikers ask me where we’re going this weekend and I say something about “196,” they all nod knowingly.

Oh dear.

Kathryn Saxer is currently enrolled in the Cascade Training Series, a 13-week training series designed to prepare Cascade members physically and mentally for  the Group Health STP or RSVP. She’s a personal and professional coach in Seattle. When not learning how to bike long distances, she likes to run in the mountains, share adventures with her 7- and 9-year-old children, and cook terrible dinners for her beloved and long-suffering partner. She’ll be reporting on her CTS journey weekly. 

Posted in Cascade Training Series, Daily Rides, STP | 2 Comments »

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