The dreadful ride to Seattle…from my perspective

Warning: The contents of this email are a pity party for one….ME!!!! Be Warned!

It started out great. The sun was out and it was only slightly sprinkling. I was thinking to myself….”this isn’t so bad. I can handle riding in the rain.” Then we started riding and it was downhill from there…or what felt like uphill both ways! About a mile into the ride I felt something rubbing on my tires. I mentioned this to the team and Hillary said that her tires rub a bit too…so I figured all was okay. Then we hit the start of the I-90 bridge and I knew something was truly wrong when my bike started to descend on its own. I literally started to come to a stop while heading downhill. I looked ahead to see where my team was and they were already halfway across the bridge. Then I checked my computer and it said I was going about 6 miles/hour and I was pedaling at full force. What could be wrong? Was I that out of shape? Probably! How was I going to make it across the bridge at this pace? How were Hillary and Leo riding across so easily? Then I came to the realization that I couldn’t do this….I spent the rest of my ride across the bridge thinking up ways to tell my team I was dropping out…and then deciding how to tell everyone at work I’m quitting before I even really began. Then I debated…do I stop and cry or do I push through and at least make it to the opposite side to tell my teammates my decision? I decided to continue on as my thighs were burning and my heart was racing.

I finally made it to the other side and told Hillary and Leo what was wrong. Leo checked my bike and noticed that my brake pads were misaligned. Basically I was riding my bike with the back brake fully applied. Any idea what that feels like to ride up hill with your brake fully applied? One word comes to my mind….HELL!!!! I was still defeated, but felt like maybe I wasn’t as crazy as I convinced myself of on my way across the bridge. After a few failed attempts to fix my bike we continued on to Lake Washington Blvd. in hopes of finding a bike shop. As previously mentioned the bike shop moved and the other store was closed. The three of us sat around and then we asked ourselves, WWTD? Let’s call Tom!!! We called Tom at work and he walked me through a few steps to troubleshoot my bike problems. Nothing seemed to work so he suggested I finish my ride without a rear brake and bring it back in for an adjustment. We decided that was our best option and continued on to 520, where I was positive there was a bike trail across the bridge.

On the way, we rode alongside the arboretum where I thought I was going to be hit by a car and die. I screamed most of the way…especially when I looked to my left and realized I was within an arms length of a car passing me. We finally made it to 520 and came to terms with the fact that there was no trail and we could either take the Burke Gilman across the water or go back the way we came. We decided to head back to 90, but stopped at the Cactus on the way. BAD IDEA!!! Two lavender margaritas later I was giddy and my head was spinning. Storm Watch 2010 had began and I was positive the ride back wouldn’t be so bad. Probably the alcohol talking for me!! Needless to say…the ride was pretty horrible. Once we got to the stairs heading up to 90 I was freezing and my toes were numb. I kindly asked Leo if he would carry my bike up the stairs (with no intentions of actually letting him do it). Being the wonderful brother that he is he grabbed mine and his bike and made his way up. Hillary and I spent the next 20 minutes laughing and peeing our pants trying to get her bike up. Once we made it to 90 the rain was coming down so hard it hurt my face! I swear I have cuts on my face from the rain slamming into me. We finally made it back to Factoria and I couldn’t be happier.

Unfortunately, I’m still feeling uneasy about the ride and wondering if the fun is gone and now I’m just struggling to make it through training and to the finish line. My biggest concern is that I’ve come to the realization that I work, have 2 kids and a husband, other family and a couple of friends that I would like to spend time with, which takes away from my training. I keep hearing people tell me not to underestimate the distance of this ride and that I need to ride my bike daily. The truth is that I can probably ride 1-2 days a week and maybe get in a 40 minute ride on a stationary bike 2 days a week. This alone makes me feel guilty that I'm not spending enough time with my children. Not sure this is going to be enough to get me through the ride without crying or catching a cab. Additionally, I’m a little achy…mostly just my knees. Either my bike needs to be adjusted or I’m just getting too old. Let’s hope our next ride goes better. I’m hoping my hero, TOM, can join us and provide me with some words of encouragement and wisdom!!!!

Motivational quote for the week, “This too shall pass”…at least I hope!!!

Goals for a successful bike ride!

1. Dress accordingly!!!

This is one thing my team and I failed to do on Sunday. The start of the day wasn't too bad, light sprinkle. Little did we know that there was going to be a terential down pour on our way home. We stopped in Madison Park to eat (and have a quick beer) but found ourselves waiting for the rain to stop... it never happened. Going down I-90 I nearly went blind from all the rain and dirt pelting my face. By the time the ride was over, my concern for extra weight at the beginning of the ride was no long a concern of mine, considering my clothes had gained an extra 20lbs in water weight. My feet were literally SWIMMING in the water my shoes had trapped. So next time you KNOW it's going to rain while out riding your bike (which we did) wear clothes that will not only keep you dry, but warm as well.

2. Have a plan!!!

Another thing we failed to do on Sunday. Our original plan was to ride 30 miles. Start in Factoria, ride 15 miles out into Seattle and turn around. That didn't happen. We crossed 90 and decided to head up to 520 to do a little circle back to Factoria (Thanks to Jocelyn's brakes not working correctly) Little did we know, "PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS PROHIBITIED" on 520. Here comes the rain. I've got a great idea at this point, lets ride through the country club in Madison Park to cut about 3 miles off our route... nope. Stupid security guard wouldn't let us pass, it's back to 90. So little to say, it's important to know WHERE you're going before you start!!!

3. Make sure your equipment is ready to go.

Two of us ran into this issue yesterday, but I think Jocelyn had the worst of it. For me, the brand new camelback I bought leaked water all over my ass, thanks to Hillary staring at it I was able to catch the leak before it got out of hand. Jocelyn had a brake issue. After taking the bike to God himself, Tom, to get everything readjusted apparently something went wrong, because the back brake refused to let go. After countless minutes trying to fix it, we just decided Jocelyn would be better off without a back brake. So folks, before you take off, make sure all your gear is working properly!

4. NO STOPPING FOR BEERS AND QUESEDILLAS AT THE HALFWAY POINT!!!

So our goal for these rides are to burn more calories than we consume... we are now 0-2. I think when we stopped at the Cactus in Madison Park in the back of all our heads was "someone is going to talk us out of riding the rest of the way home." That didn't happen, we're all troopers. We guzzled down our delicious alcoholic beverages and paddled, I mean peddled our way home through the pouring rain!! About halfway home I think we all started to feel a little nauseus. Next time, water and a salad bar!!

...I'm not a professional biker, or a professional anything at that and I know these seem like common sense rules. But I consider Jocelyn, Hillary and myself to be fairly intellegent and NONE of us followed any of these rules. So to you 3 followers, before you step on a bike, heed my words!!! You've been warned!!!!

Just a quick shout out

Went to Gregg's this  morning before our Ride and I must say that two of my favorite people were there:

Kirk!!! I love ya- you are so stinking helpful and patient teaching a little old- amateur like myself how to remove and put back on my wheel. I can't believe you never read my EMAIL to your boss about your fantasticness but I forgive you... And I kinda think you are nuts for trying to go the speed of light on your bike. Today I hit 22 MPH at one point and felt like I was flying so.....

TOM!!! You are the best. Thanks for being our mutual inspiration, but after today you may not want to ride with us we are kinda slow... Still working on the jerseys and THANKS FOR taking our panicked phone call. Maybe you could start your own AAA for bikes.. Just a thought!

Nothing Like the Feeling of the Wind in Your Face

For our second OFFICIAL full team training ride we left from Factoria and took the I-90 trail across the lake and into Seattle. The weather was a bit dismal at first but nothing a Seattleite like ourselves couldn't handle. About 6 miles into the ride, Jocelyn was barely moving and in near tears-- couldn't figure out why it was so damn hard.... Come to realize that her back brakes are riding on the wheel and really not allowing her to move. Thank goodness for modern technology becuase using his phone, Leo located a bike shop in Leschi... so we kept riding, three fist pumps (apparently a Jersey Shore thing) for Joc. Oops the bike shop had moved location, so what is a stranded biker to do? Ah! Call Tom!!!!!

So I rang up Tom over at Gregg's and he gave us some good advice. Take off the brake and put it back and see if that makes a difference. The best we could achieve with our limited expertise, though Leo really did give it the Old College try, was to loosen her back brake so it wasn't rubbing. This made her ride easier but not having a working back brake can be scary- not so much for super Jocelyn.

Side note: TOM IS the greatest, talking us through our amateur worries over the phone! Another three fist pumps for TOM!

Thus, we rode on- needing to make our 30 mile ride goal. We rode along Lake Wa blvd into Madison park and then got the GENIUS idea that we could ride East on 520 and then back up north into Bellevue...except (Insert Lightbulb) there is no bike lane on 520. Leo, being the brave macho MALE that he is, he rode up onto 520 to only have to turn around. So we retraced our steps back towards home.

Side note: Now is probably a great time to mention that Leo switched out his mountain bike tires for SLICKS and he is STINKING FAST. Also important to note: Joc and I are both pretty DAMN SCARED of riding on the street when there is NO BIKE LANE... Which through much of Seattle, this was the case. UGH

By this time we had literally been on the rode for 3 + hours and had only made it 16 miles or so.... Okay so that is ridiculously long for 16 miles but it was COLD, WINDY, and quite BLUSTERY.. NOt to mention the whole brake issue. So what is a proper bike team to do? Ah... Go to Cactus and get beers and some snacks. MMMMM

Sitting in Cactus, Leo thinks he spots a famous person.....wrong... and then we look out the window and notice it is all of a sudden STORM WATCH 2010 and we still have about 14 miles to get home.

A couple beers later we ride on home back towards Leschi and across I-90.. IT sure felt uphill BOTH WAYS. The best part (sarcasm) must have been going East bound across Lake Wa on I-90 with the wind in our faces and the lovely combo of dirt and rain PELTING US so that we couldn't even keep our eyes open. Did I mention that Joc's back brake is not really working?

We got back to our cars in Factoria at 5:50- exactly 5 hours and 20 minutes after we left RACKING UP A GRAND TOTAL OF 27 more miles!!!

TOM if you are reading this, we promise to be faster when we ride with you!!!! We also want you to know that even though it was a dreadfully, slow ride we LAUGHED more than you can imagine and thanks for the Phone Consultation... maybe next time you will do roadside assistance!

Where is TOM Official Training Ride #1

Joc and Leo's first Big Hill Climb!

OFFICIAL FULL-TEAM TRAINING RIDE #1

It was sunny and warm, well sort of, and we met at my house and took the Cedar River Trail on our first team ride. I falsely promised Jocelyn, as she reminded me that I DO Have a tendency to lie, that it was only a mile on gravel- actually close to 4 and so our ride began with her screaming and shouting every half a mile or so, "I am going to die!" You see, Joc has more of a road bike at least tire wise and the dark tunnels with gravel was a bit much for her :) Sorry Joc.

Then the remainder of the ride was on the smooth trail. The highlight might have been Maple Valley Meth man that we all rode SUPER FAST BY.... and possibly the last two miles where Leo and I traded bikes- and yes his mountain bike with mountain bike tires kinda sucks when trying to keep up with us speed demons on road tires. OH and definitely, Leo's pocket Boom box that he rocked out to!

Joc took some great videos that I am hoping she will upload.

OH and look to the right and check out our TEAM Inspiration- TOM!!!!

STATS:
Miles:  21
AVG Speed: 12 mph
# of falls:  ZERO
# of chain slips: Dammit One and it was me again! Shoot.
# of girlie screams: tons, and priceless
NOTE: If we can just repeat this ride 20 times we should be fine for the STP... Scary thought!

Post- Ride food.. Once again we probably consumed more calories via fried bar food and beer than we burned- thanks to the Swinging Arm Tavern but it was DELICIOUS

BIKE EXPO '10

Let me start off by saying my two teammates didn't go to the expo, they were practicing their mad skills on a tough hill in Snoqualmie. But as I exercised my wallet shopping at the expo you can bet I thought about them pedalling hard. 

The expo was awesome. Our Coach- Jason was working the IBEX booth, which if you haven't seen, heard of or tried their stuff it not only ROCKS for biking and all sports but it looks pretty damn nifty.  I got a personal tour by Jason and Adrianne and bought my fair share of bike accessories- though I did stay away from all the froo-froo things like "Bike Jewels" and "Bike Bling". I got myself the practical stuff- gloves, a lock, an annoying flashing light, and some Electrolyte Nuun Drink.

As cheesy as it sounds, I felt a part of the bike culture and it made me even more psyched for this journey.

As our OFFICIAL TEAM CAPTAIN, I have planned tomorrow's ride for the Cedar River Trail- which if we do the whole thing could net us 30 more miles throughout peaceful and lovely Maple Valley and Renton.  Stats to come post-ride tomorrow.

My goal for the ride: Burn more calories than I consume at our finish-line dive bar. 

Jerseys???

So, in my spare time today I created a jersey for our team. Follow the link below and let me know what you think!!!

http://www.akapparel.com/custom-apparel/jersey-builder.php?id=49086&j=58

Motivational Posts from the Team's Motivational Speaker

As self proclaimed Motivational Speaker for the team I have promised to, every so often, provide motivational catch phrases to keep us all ..... well MOTIVATED! Please note that I did say "every so often" because I have commitment issues.

Motivational Phrase #1 (March 5, 2010)
"If you come to a fork in the road...pick it up"
- Author unknown

Motivational Phrase #2 (March 9, 2010)
Just keep saying and believing "I think I can....I think I can!" The key is in believing!
- The Little Engine that Could

...the third wheel

First of all, I would just like to point out that this is being taken ALOT more seriously than I had originally thought. We have a team name, we're going to get uniforms, and we've even got a blog now! When we get our first follower I may pee myself.

Now onto the more serious things...

The beginning:
The first time I had ever heard about the STP (Seattle to Portland bike ride) was probably 2 years back at Jocelyns parents house. I can remember her and her dad talking about riding bikes and the STP came up. I thought it was a pretty cool idea, but never really thought I'd be dumb enough to actually do it, let alone, PAY to do it. So a couple years go by, facebook popularity sky rockets and relationships that once were nothing become something, and people you would probably talk to when the moon was blue become best friends... through the internet of course. Just like the relationship between me and my cousin Janiece. I followed her progress of running marathons for a couple months and that it was very impressive the way she was knocking them out, that's when I opened her eyes to the STP. I told her what it was, but didn't have too much information to give her, so she did the research herself and the very next day was convinced she was going to be a part of this glorious bike ride. Of course, she asked if I was going to partake in the festivities and without much hesitation I was sold.

February 1st...
So it's sign up day, I'm sitting at work (bored as usual... oh and might I add, a place I no longer work at) and log on to the website. Little did I know that it was going to cost me $95 dollars to get to ride my bike all the way to Portland, sounds like a great deal, I know. But I did it anyway and it didn't take long to realize what I just did. I haven't been on a bike in about 9 years and haven't been on a 200 mile ride since... well, never. I think the longest ride I've ever done was 20 miles, maybe. Not to mention the bike I have CLEARLY isn't made for a 200 mile ride, and quite honestly am still getting over the fact that I had to pay money to do this ride, so buying a NEW bike really isn't high on my priority list. But when all is said and done, I'm sure I'll be in Portland, and the nearest bar to the finish line, possibly crying because my ass hurts but I'm sure it will all be worth it.

...now, as far as our team name goes, I'm fine with "Where is Tom..." My only concern now is that I'm outnumbered! Let's remember none of us would be doing this ride if it wasn't for Leo! I know I've been in the marines, and I've been to war 3 times (yes, 3 times Joc, not 2 times) but that was a long time ago. I'm 40 lbs heavier and scream like a girl when I see a spider! So all this hoopla about me ditching you guys really isn't going to happen. I'm more worried about you 2 ditching me seeing as how you guys are training without your 3rd member!!! psh...

Day 1

After Gregg’s Jocelyn and I (Leo wasn’t invited as his bike is not ready) drove out to Preston and embarked on our first ride. We got on the Preston-Snoqualmie trail and rode out about 6.5 miles to a dreamy view of the falls before turning around and ridign back. Well, if I write it that way it all seems neat and simple, right? Hmmm. I had my clip-ons on and so naturally I was nervous riding down hill and actually walked my bike down the first hill in a fit of giggles. We got lost a time or two and had to call our team coach- Jason for directions. Oh, go left not right? Ah…. We even encountered the infamous, Dismount sign and had to walk our bikes up a switch back to continue on the trail.

Thankfully I bought the speedometer and so was able to track our time, distance and MPH and could tell when we were flying (a whopping 15 MPH)a nd when we were dragging at 7 MPH. It seems in the end we rode almost 14 miles (in a bit over an hour so that is good) and did an average of 12 MPH. All in all we felt great.


Noteworthy Events


Getting off our bikes: Countless

Getting lost and having to consult our coach:2 times

Falling: 0 times

Cross-chaining: 1 (Hillary- but Joc fixed it)

Flat Tires: 0 times

Minimum MPH: 7

Maximum MPH: 15

Average MPH: 12

Length Ridden: 13

Time Riding: 1 hour 10 minutes

Temperature: 55 degrees and sunny

So, Where is Tom and where did he come from?

I’ll try and make this short. After many personal debates and conversations with just about everyone I know I could only narrow down my bike purchase to either a low end road bike or hybrid. After great advice from Hillary I went back to Greggs Cycle in hopes that a sales rep would make the decision for me…and thankfully they did. It all started with Lance (not sure if this is his real name or stage name). Based on my experience and future plans he suggested a hybrid, but had me test ride both a road bike and hybrid. I felt completely out of control on the road bike and at home on the hybrid. That made the choice fairly straight forward. I told Lance I was going with the hybrid bike. He was awesome at first. Key phrase… “at first”. Once I decided on the bike he led me to the accessories and gave me the famous catch phrase, “look around and I’ll be right back”. Needless to say he never came back because he apparently found a better sale. Regardless, I proceeded to purchase my bike and another sales associate assisted me with removing the wheels so I could fit the bike in my car. I got home and tried to put the bike back together because he assured me it would be easy. Mike and I struggled for about an hour and finally decided we would take the bike back and get a professional to do the work.

Sunday morning we walked back in to Greggs and that’s when I saw my new hero….TOM. Yes, his whole name is in caps…because quite frankly he deserves the credit. I swear it was like the gates to heaven opened up and out came Tom rockin’ a pretty sweet Mohawk. In a nut shell…he put my bike back together, made a few adjustments and laughed at all of my jokes. No, seriously he was just a wealth of knowledge, confidence and assurance that Hillary and I were going to be just fine riding the STP. From now on when I get in a tight spot during our rides I’ll just ask myself, “WWTD?”. You know….”What would Tom do?” and I’m sure the answer will come. Anyways, he proceeded to tell both Hillary and I about his free gear bike and his faux tattoo arm warmers. Then we asked, “what do we do if our bike breaks down or we blow out a tire during the STP?” He promised to assist if he saw us on the ride. Then the light bulb came on…Hillary and I decided we would carry a sign reading “Where is Tom?” throughout the ride in case we needed assistance and hence our team name came to be. By the time we left I’m sure Tom was exhausted from Hillary and my standup comedy show with our constant one-liners. Seriously we are the original Queens of Comedy and Tom appreciated our humor or at least he pretended to be amused and that’s what really counts! So, STP watch out for Team Where is Tom?

Where it all began…according to Jocelyn

It all began for me about 6 years ago…each year in about January I’d tell my dad…”we have to do STP this year” and then of course something came up that got in the way. You know…like getting pregnant, having a new baby…oh and getting pregnant again. There’s always an excuse in my back pocket. And then one day in January or was it February 2010 Leo posted a comment on Facebook stating something to the effect of “STP here I come”. Of course I was so excited for him and a little envious that he actually committed by signing up. Within about 2 minutes of back and forth banter he convinced me to do it. My two conditions were: 1. I don’t sleep in tents and 2. Leo had to stay with me throughout the whole ride…no ditching. Of course he agreed to both as a good brother should do. So I signed up.
About ½ hour later I realized Leo has been in the Marines and been to war twice…there is no way he is going to stay with me through the whole race…he’s going to race to the finish with no complaints along the way. That’s when I new I had to call in a friend. And of course that friend had to be Hillary. She is my BFF and lifelong DP (don’t ask…that’s another long story). It didn’t take much convincing. Quite honestly, I always remind her of the Marilyn Manson concert and pleather pants she talked me into when I sense hesitation. 95 dollars later we were signed up and looking for hotels to stay in at the midpoint. That’s when the fear set in. Who knew you had to reserve hotels four months before registration? So that left us with one option…camping in a tent. There goes my first condition!
About a week later I was chatting it up with Leo and he told me his true intentions. Yep, he planned to ditch me the moment I paid my registration fee. And there goes my second condition. But of course I have my true BFF that will hold my hand and let me drink from her hydration pack if I need it. After long deliberation and advice from many, Hillary and I bought Hybrids and Leo is going with road tires on his mountain bike. We are hoping this will even the playing field and team Where is Tom? will ride together like the 3 musketeers, complaining and whining the whole way!

A little impulsive decision

I think, at least from my perspective, I am starting this log so that we can have a memory of this journey that began just a few weeks ago- not because I am silly enough to think anyone out there might read it. We very well might have three lone readers- myself (Hillary), Jocelyn, and Leo- and that is fine. We are afterall, Team- Where is Tom? 

The thing is Leo still might not realize this is our team name, but I do believe he is outnumbered being on a team with three women, so he will just have to get used to it.  Now I shall venture back to where it all began from my perspective.

I got a phone call several weeks back from my best friend, Jocelyn, out of the blue asking, no begging me to do the Seattle To Portland bike ride with her. STP Bike Ride July 2010 Upon huge deliberation that took less than one hour, I said "sounds fun, sign me up." So we did. Leo was already registered and then after a few mouse clicks and a lil' deposit, a team we became. 

I signed up just in time to scurry off on a family vacation to Hawaii and thus I stewed over this decisision. This impulsive decision.

After all the STP is:
-expensive, hot dam expensive
-far- about 210  miles
- HUGE...

The last couple weeks have been spent mentally preparing my wallet and head for this venture and after much help from our team coach- Jason Rowley and too much advice from too many random folk we sought out to buy the perfect bike.  The general consensus was that while a ROAD BIKE would be ideal (though super pricey- a grand minimum) a HYBRID might be better in the long run, as who am I kidding, I am not planning on towing my 3 year old and 9 month old around the block on a road bike. So I convinced Joc and we bought HYBRID Trek's.  http://www.trekbikes.com/

Which takes me to Gregg's Greenlake Cycle Gregg's Greenlake Cycle and Kirk. Ah Kirk. I went in with zero knowledge, zero know-how, and honestly a SUCKER sign on my forehead and my humble bicycle guru and street racer Kirk shopped, taught and helped me buy my bike, which I must say i LOVE. 

This was the letter of gratitude I sent to Gregg's Greenlake Cycle after my initial visit with Kirk. Keep in mind this is all pre-Tom.....

Hi There!
I have a rave review about one of your employees....Kirk. I walked in today at noon, having left work early to buy a bike for the STP. I signed up with some friends- even though I am not a biker but am quite adventurous and well... need a new goal. I met Kirk. He was Amazing. He spent the afternoon with me- it was quiet in the shop. He walked me through my options, eased my fears (well as much as he could) and then taught me everything I wanted to know about biking 101. He was more than knowledgeable, quite candid, personable, damn funny and made me feel comfortable. I have been bike shopping for a few weeks and until today I left each shop feeling out of place and almost silly- Kirk really eased my fears and taught me how to ride.


I know this all sounds cheesy- but he was fantastic and I have raved to everyone I know about him- so I thought I should tell one of his bosses.
I teach middle school and really appreciate some good service- so thanks and thanks to Kirk.... NOw if I can convince him to actually do the STP I would feel much better!


- Hillary Nadell


So why not name us Team. Where is Kirk?  Well I think the rest is best told by Jocelyn.....