WAM'd It Up!

It took a total of five days to get back into the normal routine of going to work and not getting to ride my bike all day....and now it's Friday and tomorrow I get to ride my bike all day again! Yeaaaaah!!!

Last weekend was WAM and it was absolutely fantastic! 

Josh and I packed up and drove to Traverse City Thursday.  With a laundry list of errands, we didn't actually settle into our hotel until 11, but the short stay was probably for the best because the hotel left something to be desired...our suspicions started when we saw the fish tank of black water in the lobby...

Friday we were up at 5 and en route to the start.  When we rolled into the parking lot, there were already blinking red taillights fading into the distance as the early risers embarked on their first hundo of the weekend.

After sorting out my bike and belongings, I left Josh in a sea of riders seeking last minute repairs on their bikes and started my journey to Dewitt.

Now, I have to say that my bike is a phenomenal machine, because it sailed through all three days of that hundo like a dream.  Between the bad ass tires I was loaned (thank you again Rick) and Josh's fine tuning, it was cake maintaining a steady pace.

Favorite discovery on day one....double chocolate rice krispy treats....delicious!

Favorite discovery on day two...a very entertaining group of guys from Team Taylor.  They were gracious enough to let me jump on the back of their paceline and I have to say I am so glad I did!

I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard while riding and honestly I think my face hurt more then my legs by the end of the day from smiling.  Definitely hoping to see them again next year!

At the end of Day two, we were able to attend the Wammies, a special presentation put on by Make-A-Wish to thank the fundraisers.

During the Wammies, we were shown a few of the wishes that were granted over the past year.  It was fabulous to put it lightly...

Day three was windy and slightly rainy, but there was chinese food at lunch and gigantic smiles at the finish...you really couldn't ask for more then that!

I cannot wait to embark on this journey again next year.  It really is a great way to make memories and I recommend both the ride and the ride on a superfly (wink wink).

Now Josh and I are on our way to the 12 Hours of Pando....hopefully I haven't forgotten how to ride my bike on dirt!

The Great Sanilac Adventure

When I reached the ocean it smelt like cinnamon and there were sail boats as far as the eye could see.

Alright, maybe it wasn't the ocean, maybe it was just Lake Huron.  We can blame the confusion on the ninety degree muggy air and my recent addiction to RAAM race results.

The air did smell like cinnamon from the boutique ice cream shop that sat just inside the Port Sanilac Marina.  It was a pleasant change after being exposed to my own stank smell for miles on the road.

A thick covering of grime and dried salt coated my arms, legs and face.  Eighty miles into the ride and I was only halfway to my final destination.

I circled through town seeking a good place for lunch.  I settled on a small shop that advertised bacon stuffed donuts on their sidewalk chalkboard.

Unfortunately or fortunately, they didn't have any bacon donuts left for the afternoon.  Instead I ordered a six inch sub, two bottles of water, two bottles of coke, two bottles of gatorade and a brownie the size of my hand. 

The young girl behind the counter took in my bounty and said with wide eyes,

"There's a walk up atm across the street if you don't want to buy all this stuff."

They had a $15.00 minimum on credit card purchases sign posted on their counter.

I thanked her and told her it was a long ride home and it would save me a stop at the gas station before I started back.

I stationed myself at one of their tables and plugged my phone in to charge.  It was already almost completely drained from the ride out and I was worried it wouldn't make it home.

Riding long without good cellular coverage and no battery puts me outside of my comfort zone.  This, once again makes me want to put a spot tracker on the top of my needs list for the near future.

After consulting my route print out, I made a few adjustments to the route home.   There were several sections of freshly graveled roads that I hoped to avoid going back.

My other concern was what the wind would feel like, I was hitting 17-20 mph without barely touching the cranks on the way here, never a good sign.

Packing up my goods, I said goodbye to my new young friends.

It became clear, very quickly that I was correct to be concerned about the wind.  It sucked...

It sucked every mile for the next sixty point three miles to be exact.

Just outside of Emmett I located an electrical outlet behind an elementary school where I was able to call Josh in desperation.  There were still three projected hours of travel in front of me and my phone was dead.

We agreed to meet at the head of the macomb orchard trail in Richmond.  This would get me a pick up just ahead of the storm that was traveling from the west and it got me off the road before 10:00 (I started at 8:30 in the morning).

After hanging up I felt five minutes of relief and then immediately disappointment set in, followed by anger sharks.

How would I ever make it to the Tour Divide or even to RAAM if I couldn't even finish a hundred and sixty mile ride that takes me back to my front door.  What would Jill Homer do?  Would she throw in the towel...probably not...

This was about the time that I noticed I had a friend following me.  He was a tiny little black bird with red feathers on his wings.  He had a lot to say as he flew over my head...

"What? Am I mother f'in Snow White?" I shouted at him (remember the anger sharks).

He didn't seem bothered by my attitude and continued to follow me.  He either phoned a friend or he followed me through Emmett, Memphis and just to the outskirts of Richmond.

It brought me back around to being a bit more appreciative of what I accomplished and less woe is me.

Call me Mother F'in Snow White.

Josh was right on schedule, just ahead of the rain.  We packed up the bike and my belongings with 143 miles on the odometer.

Another good ride in the books.

Everything Over A Hundo Is Awesome Sauce

Earlier this week, Josh and I had a discussion about the upcoming Team Alex Poker Ride for Make-A-Wish.

I was super excited about it because it was an opportunity to get in a hundo with other people (I don't mind riding them solo, but every once and awhile it's nice to have some company).

What I failed to realize was that the departure time was 7:00 in the morning from ACF in Walled Lake.  Given the current lack of an extra vehicle, getting there would be a problem. 

Josh was working all day and it really wasn't fair to ask him to get up at six to drive me.

And then it happened...

He posed the question, "Why don't you ride to the ride."

I'd like to say that I was immediately stoked about the idea...but I wasn't...I reacted like it was absurd.  Who in the world would want to get up at three in the morning to ride to a hundred mile ride...

And it hung there...

Until I wrapped my mind and the idea of the extra mileage around it and formulated the plan that anything over a hundo is awesome sauce.

Now, it's the morning after and I'm alive...slightly sore, but happy to have completed the adventure. 

The superfly was fabulous and handled the road, dirt and paved alike, with grace.

My map following skills leave something to be desired, but my gps did get me to my destinations in one piece.

More to come after recovery!

Fat Bike or Car???

There comes a time in your life when you have to sit down to look at the facts and decide whether you should invest your money in a fat bike or a car.

It pains me to say that my poor little VW will most likely not be up and running any time soon.  She is still quite under the weather and at 250,000 miles, she's earned the reprieve and early retirement.

We've been extensively discussing the option of purchasing a second vehicle, but as it stands right now, commuting by bicycle has actually been working quite well for me. 

 On days when I don't really want to ride because the weather looks yucky, I still have to do it because there isn't an easy way out and it's really helped me stay on track with my weekly mileage goals.

Josh has been very good about picking me up and dropping me off when the weather is severe (and then maybe on a few days when it's just convenient or I need an extra recovery day).

The pocket book has noticed the lack of gas subtraction and overall my demeanor is calmer when I get to where I need to be and know I'm not going to be hung up and unable to get a ride in that day.  Win, win!

To make the idea even more intoxicating, I read an article showing a possible carbon frame fat bike coming soon from salsa (let the salivating begin!).

So the question remains...fat bike or car?

Miles and Sunshine

Todays weather showed thunderstorms every 15 minutes for the entire day.  Fortunately,  there was only one and it hit while I was at work.

After I clocked out for the day I made my way on a nice little loop that took me through some pretty green shrubbery.

Overall the month of june has been kind to me for my daily commutes.  Hopefully the rest of the summer follows suit!

Tomorrow I should hit 2k on my mileage for the year. It doesn't look all that impressive because it's June, but technically my mileage calendar started in April, so I'm excited about it (this is the first year I'm actually tracking it (thanks to Strava!))!

Josh and I have been saving a bottle of strawberry wine to mark the moment :-)

Birthdays and Busy Days!

Last Thursday we were finishing up work and tying lose ends so we could head to Cannonsburg for the Fun Promotions 8 Hour Race.

This Thursday, we feel like we are still recovering from the travel and the racing...it was such a great weekend.

Monday was back into work and all things catch up for Josh and I both...oh Monday...you are so mean...

I did commute this week to work, but was fortunate enough to have Josh pick me up twice when the weather got really bad :-)

Yesterday was my birthday!  I had a surprise visit from my nieces and mom at work and Dr. Pope made me a fabulous cookie cake dessert (it was spectacular)!  I was overwhelmed and greatful from the birthday wishes everyone was sending my way (even my watch made me a cake!)!

It looks like more rain this morning but perhaps this afternoon the sun will return! 

Since this week has been more about recovery and less about riding, I've spent some time catching up on household activities.  Plus...RAAM and the Tour Divide started this week...live coverage has been fun to watch online for both of these events!

Hopefully everyone else is having a great week!

May...where did it go...

May went by so fast...I cannot believe it's already June! 

Today is actually Joshs birthday :-) he's getting to be an old man...(but don't tell him I said so!)!

We are celebrating with Domino's lava cakes and pizza (dinner of champions)!

I contemplated riding home with a cake on my bike, but that seemed a little tricky...

Why would I have to deliver cake by bike?

My poor little VW is on hiatus with a sick transmission,  so I've turned to commuting by bike to work and other various places until we figure out the best plan of attack.

I've found over the past month that motorists seem to show more empathy towards a cyclist with a back pack then when without...

Some days are better then others with sunshine and light breezes.

Some days are filled with drivers that honk for no apparent reason. 

My favorite is when I'm on a designated bike bath, separated from traffic by an entire island of grass and they honk like I might jump out at them like a scared doe.

Having to commute because there isn't an easy out has given me the push I needed to go by bike on the regular.

I've participated in the effort in the past when it was convenient for me, but didn't abide by a consistent commute.

Right now I like it...in six months I might feel differently. ..but that's where possibly a good snow bike might come in handy.

This weekend we are going on a little birthday vacation for Josh and I (our birthdays are a week apart).  We will be heading to the Cannonsburg Ski area for the eight hours of cannonsburg race. 

I'm looking forward to some time in the trails with some elevation.  The past few weeks have been mostly flat hundos.

My biggest worry right now is...ticks! 

How fast do you have to ride to keep them from latching on....?

:-)