FRIENDS

So first things first...

Ennui tried to post on the blog. Well done! Yet, he ended up commenting, anonymously, in a comment because he forgot his Google password. Well done!

So here's his intended post:

So true and worth hiking on the beach and listening to the Andy Rooney of rock'n roll for countless hours to appease your strange fascination with him.

Here's a link:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/09/18/_i_m_dreaming_of_a_white_president_randy_newman_talks_about_his_new_song_.html

So next things next...

God damn. Sometimes, I feel so alone. Other times, I feel unbelievably blessed. Truth? Reality? I am blessed. Way, WAY blessed...

Amazing walk this morning. Just was. Thanks Murtz. Amazing talks with Ennui this past week. Thanks Ennui. Fun soccer watching with Dyno. Even funner walking & talking for coffee.

But, best of the best? Mid-week ride with Gerald. Yup. No doubt...

Tipsys ams is iss nows. Yets, god damn mid week rides are de best!!!

I'm going to wear my helmet when riding a bike, and also take aspirin because my friend tells me to. Since I don't know everything, I'm going to listen to those that care, because I care.

That's how I see how friendship works...

Run-Bike Double

Had to do this as 2 separate entries because I can't seem to figure out the photo placement.
Was supposed to do a run/bike double, a trail run in Cle Elum yesterday (25k, 4000+ ft) sat and 100k bike ride in Issaquah on sun, but the run got cancelled due to fires in central WA. There were no other local runs longer than half-marathon that day, so I just ran my own 16 miles down to Seward Park and around the trails there.

Heard about "Cycle the WAVE" from a fellow runner sLuG, a Titanium Maniac (>52 marathons in 1 year) who has been cycling more after a knee injury. It is a fundraiser for female victims of domestic violence (Women Against Violence Everywhere) and a ride restricted to female riders (though there were some token dudes as support crew- wonder how they felt in that sea of estrogen). Several options including the 15 mile "little sister", 25 mile "girly girl", 42 mile "middle sister", but of course I had to do the 62 mile "burly girl".

Dyno and I had tried to scope out part of the route on Eastside mid-week ride but missed a turn. Ride day was gorgeous, though started a little chilly. The route bypassed Montreux and Zoo hill but did catch the tail end of Tiger Mtn Rd climb. Issaquah has some damn nice bike lanes- like butter!

It was pretty amazing to see so many other women riders, like being in an alternate universe. I felt like I did when I went to Korea, so bizarre to be surrounded by all these short yellow people never mind I am one of them. It was also pretty cool to see so many strong, fast women riders.

The post-race festival was like one I'd never seen before, totally girly girl. A medal that said, "Ride like a girl". The signage was all pink. Every other food item had chocolate. There was a spa offering pedicures.

It was actually only 60 miles, 2874 feet, 3:50 bike time average speed 15.4 mph. Followed by a bottle of red. The run-bike-swig was def harder than the bike-run-swig, but I'll be back for this one.

Bike/Run Double

September 8: MS150 (100 mile bike, 6:14)
September 9: Skagit Flats marathon (4:07:17)
Mt. Vernon WA

My 4th year doing Bike MS, but having logged so few bike miles during my "sabbatical" in eastern WA, I was seriously doubting I could handle 170 miles in 2 days. So I decide to take the "easy" way out, ride the first day (95 miles, 4400 ft vertical) and run Skagit Flats marathon the next day. This is an old local race I'd never run before because it always falls on the same weekend as Bike MS (bike trumps the run), and overlaps the day 2 bike route. A true bike-run-swig, or actually, bike-swig-run-swig.

I'd been trying to convince Team BRS to ride Bike MS with me for years, and Dyno finally agreed. He and Skirtsteak camped on site, and I split a room with our team leader Lily. The Swedish team (the "Smyelin' Babes") was a bit smaller this year (in past years was over 100 strong) but still a lavish team tent, with pool o' beer, BBQ, free post-ride massage, and this year free arm warmers!

As part of the race packet, each rider gets a bandana signed by a person with MS. Dyno's bandana was coincidentally signed by someone named "Susie", and I guess he lost the accompanying paper explaining what they were, leading to some confusion.

I latched onto Dyno's slipstream early on and was pulled pretty much the entire day. As 2nd team in fundraising, we got to start 2nd in the chute so were ahead of most people in the beginning.

Was looking forward to the salmon wraps at lunch but we got there so early (like 9:30 AM) that most of the food had not even arrived yet. I think someone heard me lamenting that it was not a true "century" because the course was only 95 miles, because we missed a turn and ended up doing the extra 5 miles, with ~150 extra feet of climbing as a bonus. Be careful what you wish for. Still finished a minute faster than I did riding solo 2 years ago.

Dyno & Skirtsteak are already signed up for next year, what say you, Ocean?

Ocean in the ocean

Last two weeks rediscovered the joy of the bike ride. Solo ride up old work hill, a couple solo rides on Whidbey (Langley & Freeland), a new ride with Dyno on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, and a few with Gerald on Mercer and Whidbey Islands (Freeland & Greenbank). 7 fun rides in 11 days. 

Even though BRSCI XII got postponed, looking forward to that ride as well as the return of the Tour de Mukilteo 2012.

Also noteworthy, are pre and post ride chowing and swigging. Speedway cafe, ribs, Beck's, meatball sandwiches, chowder, Italian vino, should not be overlooked. Also Dyno and Skirtsteak hosting a mid-week FC Everett was definitely fun with yummy Thai-chicken, greens, chocolate tasting beer, and grilled sweet potatoes.

Right now enjoying life in the ocean. Also, constantly learning about life in the ocean, even though I keep forgetting that life is the ocean. Go figure.