Ouch! What, can't see it?

Every significant injury I've ever had has occurred on a bike- so I figured it was only a matter of time before I had a good fall on the new bike. Coming back from a 50 mile ride yesterday(progress, right?), I made a hard turn around a bend and caught some loose gravel. My bike swerved and a few choice words were thrown own, but somehow I managed to regain my balance and stay on the trail. The guy behind me yelled "awesome save!" and I couldn't have agreed more, although I was a little less enthusiastic about the stunt. A little shaken up, I let the rider behind me pass and I slowed down. Not a minute later, as I was crossing railroad tracks, my tire fell into the track grooves and my bike took a heavy lean left. I didn't even attempt to recover. I guess in my mind I had decided this fall was supposed to happen... no reason to fight the inevitable, right? My knee took the brunt of the blow, but not a single scratch. This was a little disappointing as I had nothing to show my husband when I got home. The knee kills me when I cycle, but i'm determined to ride in Tacoma next week. My dad recommends IB prophen..or "IB hurten" as he calls it....will do!

Jones Point Lighthouse

Made a detour off of the MV Trail to visit Jones Point Lighthouse (the oldest standing inland lighthouse in the US) and find the south DC cornerstone from the original DC boundary survey . The lighthouse is old and worn down, but plans have been made to spruce up the historical building and surrounding area in the next few years. Alexandria and the land that the lighthouse is sitting on originally belonged to a Miss Margaret Brent... one of the first women in America to act as an attorney and own colony property, she was said to be controversial and confrontational - often compared to Ann Hutchinson. My kind of lady ;)

Police say "Too SLOW!"

Coming back from a long ride today, I noticed several officers on the side of the road with speed guns. As I passed I jokingly asked "Am I speeding?". One of the offers laughed and replied "No, too SLOW!". LOL.

Actually I was going 15 mph..not too bad considering I was going up hill after a 2 hr long ride!

You Saved My A** !

No literally. The deep dark secret of cycling... Butt lube! There's a number of creams to choose from....Bag Balm, Chamois Butt'r, Udderly Smooth, the list goes on! One of the untold truths of cycling is that bikes can do a number on your butt. Lube helps. A big thank you to my friend and colleague for filling me in on this juicy little secret. Another tip I learned: It's an ointment, not a marinade - apply lightly.

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Kramer and the Balm

Arlington Cemetary

In all my years living in Virginia, I've never once had a chance to visit the cemetary. A friend had told me that if I indicated to the guard who I was visiting, I could take my bike right up to their gravesite. I set out early this morning with a list of famous people whose graves I wanted to visit. As I approached the gaurd, I handed him my list. He snickered..and asked which one I was related to. Apparently you can't take your bike in unless you have a relative buried on site. Bummer! I'll need to spend some time reviewing my geneology tree before my next visit. Oh well, better luck next time!

Trip to the National Harbor

Woodrow Wilson Bridge has undergone several improvements in the past few years...one of which is a pedestrian/bike path that spans the entire length of the bridge. It featuers several "bump outs" to provide panoramic views of the DC area, a park area, and a path extension that leads to the National Harbor. The distance from my house to the harbor is only 10 miles - good for days when you're strapped for time. The weather was humid, muggy, and buggy today. Riding up to Gaylord brought back memories of KT (Our Mayor and CEO) precariously hanging from a cable in the atrium at Nationwide!

Wrong Turn!

I've been living in the DC metro area for over 5 years now, and I still manage to get lost several times a month. GPS has been a real life saver, but even today's latest technology can't seem to keep up with the ever-changing DC landscape. And it seems the bike trails undergo just about as many changes as the roads. My goal for today was to ride from our home in Alexandria to Georgetown, via the bike trails. Unfortunately, after coming across a few detour signs, a turn there and a turn here, I ended up on the I-395 bridge, heading north into DC. Oops! Georgetown will have to wait for another day.

Crazy squirrel

Another ride to Mt. Vernon - 20 miles total. The days have been scorching hot - >100 degrees for the past few weeks. I decided to ride the trail in the morning. A good idea - as the trail was much quieter, and cooler than usual. At my halfway point, I decided to hop off my bike and grab a drink. A squirrel popped out of nowhere and started chasing me!! Just when I thought it was safe, it started running after me again! Suddenly I was wishing that there were a few more people on the trail. Assuming he wanted a bite to eat, I grabbed for the only thing I had - a piece of hard candy. I thought for sure he wouldn't be satisfied, but he stuffed it in his cheeks and ran off!

4th of July at Mt. Vernon

I wanted to take my parents and husband to Mt. Vernon via the bike trail on July 4th. They hadn't been on a bike in a while, so we decided to do only the first 4 miles of the trail. The ride was much more leisurely, so I had a chance to really take in the surroundings. After reaching our destination point, we tied the bikes to the car and drove the rest of the way to Mt. Vernon. We saw some spectacular daytime fireworks, and even saw George Washington!

Trip to Reagan Airport

The Mt. Vernon trail goes from the historic Mt. Vernon, north beyond the Reagan National Airport. From where I live, the journey to the airport is only about 15 miles (vs. 20 to Mt. Vernon). I thought I'd mix things up and give it a try. So glad I did! The trail was a lot of fun - going underneath the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, through Old Town Alexandria, over the Potomac, and finally to the airport. There are a few benches at the landing strip, so enjoyed taking a water break as the planes came rolling in overhead. The day was a hot one - a sign of things to come. My legs felt like jello, especially after doing the trek to Mt. Vernon only a few days prior, but I made it back home in one piece :)

2nd attempt to do 20 miles

After only riding 14 miles on the Mt. Vernon trail on my first attempt, I decided to give it another shot. According to mapquest, riding from my home to the historic Mt. Vernon and back should be approx. 20 miles. The course is hilly and windy, but quite beautiful as it curves around the Potomac. I was a lot more stable on my bike this time around - pedaling constantly and making good time.

That was atleast until I got stuck behind a herd of people - strolling the path at a leisurely pace, taking up both lanes. Ugh!!! I screamed "Passing to the left!" more times than I could count. Perhaps these folks didn't speak english. "Excuse me!!". Everyone knows that one, right? Still, they made no achknowledgement of my presence. To make matters worse, I was making my way up a rather steep hill. I would have had enough momentum to get to the top, if only I hadn't been caught behind this road block! Well, I was pedaling so slow up this hill that I might as well have been going backwards. Oh well, no use even trying - I made the move to hop off my bike....but my feet were still in the toe clips!!! This was fall # 2 on the trail. As I slowly tumbled off my bike, the lane hogs finally realized they were in my way. "Oh..you should have told us you were trying to get by". Thanks. I new it was best to keep my mouth closed. Who knows what words would have come out. The steam was shooting out of my ears. I think they got the point.

Anyways..on with my journey. About an hour into the trail, I finally made it to Mt. Vernon. Whoo hoo!! I was a bit disappointed to find out that I couldn't see the home at the end of the trail...but the trip was a good one nonetheless. On the way back I met a friendly groundhog.

I finished the journey in ~2 hours, 20 miles total.

Spin Class

It's been a scorcher these these past few weeks, so I've had to take the training indoors. I've been attending spin class the past few months - it's an hour long bike session that sucks every ounce of sweat out of your body. Our instructor is a bit of a nutball. He enjoys taking us on "trips" through Alexandria (in our minds, or course). We visit/stalk famous celebrities, get stuck in traffic, etc. Recently I had a falling out with the instructor. He caught me skipping his class, riding a stationary bike in the gym. What can I say - I have a tight schedule, and his class doesn't fit my schedule at times. He apparently took offense - rolling his eyes and making some snide comments under his breath. I guess i'll be taking my training back outdoors!

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Funny "It's Always Sunny in Phili" spin clip...

New Shoes

I'm not going to lie - I think I enjoy purchasing the cycling equipment as much as I like cycling. I found a small bike shop in town - Spokes. They don't have the biggest selection, but the quality of their merchandise appears decent. I purchased the only pair of shoes on sale (cycling gear is pricey!!). I took them to spin class tonight - made a huge difference in my performance. I can put a lot more power into my stride, and I think my feet are happier too! Oh yeah, and my fear of getting shoe laces caught in the bike have entirely diminished :)

First trip on my new bike

I've never been one to pace myself - so my first venture on my new bike was a 20 mile trek along the Mt. Vernon trail in Alexandria, Virginia. I used to jog the trail, back in my running days. Of course, I never made it beyond the first five miles when I was traveling on foot. I was off to a rather precarious start - fumbling around turns, using all the wrong gears, and never missing a pot hole! The ride was beautiful. Rolling hills, wooden bridges, marshes, and the smell of sweet grass all around. Hard to believe such a scenic route could be found only 5 miles outside of DC! About 7 miles into the trail I managed to get lost...perhaps intentionally? I was satisfied with my distance and decided to head back. Nearly as soon as I turned my bike around, my shoe laces got stuck in my pedal. Yikes! To make matters worse, I nearly ran into an old gentleman as I tumbled off of the trail. How embarrassing.

.....Next item on my shopping list - cycling shoes with velcro straps!!

Just bought my first bike!!

Can you believe it - I signed up for a 240 mile cycling tour and I don't even own a bike! Well, after several days of researching and browsing the web, I finally decided on one. The Fuji Absolute 1.0 is a beauty. My test drive was a bit interesting, as I could barely maintain my balance. Thats ok though! Give me a couple months of training and I'll be an expert - maybe i'll even lift both hands off the handlebar!! My hubby got a bike too - a Specialized Crosstrail Elite for a great price on craigslist. So.. although I'll be doing Tour DaVita by myself, atleast I'll have a buddy to train with.

I also got the helmet..but I can't figure out how my hair fits into this thing. Do I tie it in a ponytail, should I just leave it down, on top of my head...what?

Why is riding a bike so much more complicated now than when I was a kid?