OOPS. ... I DID IT AGAIN

Not sure what got in to me, but yesterday I signed up for the Deception Pass 25K on December 10. D'oh! (That, after having already signed up for the Orcas Island 25K at the end of January.) My last running race? Chuckanut 50K in March 2007. (See above; note bulging calves which, these days, require calf bras.) That's almost 5 years between races.

In other news, I find myself once again lasciviously eyeing cyclocross bikes. Must be some 50-y-o guy mid-life crisis thang. 

Oh, and here's a Galbraith video shot last winter of Whoopsie Woodle in the snow. Cheesey effects added:

 

Enjoy!

MORE POWERDIRECTOR MADNESS

School conferences yesterday so once that was done, 12-y-o Baker and I hit Galbraith for a couple hours. He's not ridden in a while--once in July and I can't remember the last time before that--but he's still a ripper. Lots fun!
(Conference went well, btw.)

WASHINGTON STATE ROAD RIDING

Here's a vid I compiled of the Titanium Cowboys riding some places that are featured in my "75 Classic Road Rides of Washington" book which comes out next May. First up is Sunrise at Mount Rainier, then Hurricane Ridge, then the Skagit Flats and finally the Mount Baker Highway.

Enjoy.

UNOFFICIAL TEAM'S OFFICIAL LOGO

Thanks to Titanium Cancellara's wife, Gail for coming up with this cool logo!

AREA RUNNER MIGHT JUST NEED JOGBRA FOR HIS CALVES

Been trying to get my running back--all three Titanium Cowboys signed up for the Orcas Island 25K in January--but have been hampered by annoying calf tweakage. (That's the official medical term, 'tweakage'.) I've got freakishly gargantuan calves--18 inches around--that are fine when I ride but for whatever reason, have been tending to seize up when I run. My latest theory is that it's the pounding from running and that thus all I need is a jogbra, of sorts, for my calves. Thus for the past six weeks or so I've been wearing calf sleeves on me lower legs whenever I run. So far, so good.

Friday, I put in a 90-minute run(ish)-hike at Lake Padden, the longest I've been out in over a year. It felt great. Very encouraging.

Soon as I was done, I checked my phone and there's a message from Titanium Cancellara seeing if I could ride. I hesitated for about 10 minutes then got back to him whereupon we headed up to Galby for 3 hours of single-speed madness. Quite excellent fun, that. (See above photo of Scott Young at the Top of the Towers.)

Saturday, absolutely dead. (Though I had a great time helping out at the Red Wheelbarrow Writers Conference.)

Today, the Titanium Cowboys hit the trails once again sans wheels, this time running 2 hours! So far, no calf issues. (Shout-out to the boys, John Clark and Scott Young, both of whom are strong swift runners but who patiently dialed it back to slow-motion speed for me.) Orcas Island, here we come!

BIKE BOOK PHOTO FAIL

Spent the day down south shooting some final pix for my bike book. Here's one that I don't think will make the cut. The below shot's not bad though.



BROKEN WHEEL VIDEO

For better or worse, I'm back to trying to post biking videos, this time in hi-def. Seems to be a whole different ballgame when you get to hi-def. It ain't just MovieMaker drag 'n' drop, throw a song on and you're done. This is of Shakletonian proportians and for a non-techy like me, takes forever. (I'm using PowerDirector 9 btw.)
And the results? Well, it's kinda cool, but I haven't figured out how to add music (right now, the soundtrack is labored breathing, hucking and spitting), the transitions are inconsistent and the deep-forest-on-a-cloudy-day setting doesn't make for super sharp images. (Have I sold you on watching the video yet?)
If nothing else, watch at 2:07 when Scott breaks his wheel.

OCTOBER PHOTO ESSAY: A BUSHWACK, A BROKEN WHEEL 'N' MORE

The ride started with Titanium Cancellara leading the Titanium Cowboys down the Interurban.

Looking for So Easy near the top of Lost Lake Trail, we followed pink ribbon that led ...

... to nowhere. Whilst TC looks intently for the trail John makes like the honey badger and pretty much doens't give a s***.

Actually, John was resting for what was to come. On the way back toward B'hamTown we detoured onto the new Raptor Ridge whereupon Scott's bike slipped out from under him on a muddy rock and his back rim was knocked all a-catawumpus. Eventually, after much bashing and spoke-tightening they straightened it enough that Scott was able to ride out of there. Albeit, at less than race pace.

(Golly, but red photographs well, don't it? Please always wear red whenever I've got my camera out, OK? Thanks.)

On the way back, we stopped for a few moments of chinwagging with legendary runner Chuck Dooley.

And then we saw a horse.

 After saying good-bye to Scott, John and I got stopped by one of them damn coal trains at the south end of Boulevard Park.

So we climbed the tower to get over the tracks ...

... but of course the train was past by the time we got to the top.

No matter. We closed the ride with a latte, a muffin and a quad-tall americano (no room) at Starbucks.  

LEAVENWORTH BOULDERING

Check out my Seattle Times story on bouldering in BavariaTown, USA--Leavenworth.

THE MAGNIFICENT ANDERSON MOUNTAIN

For a while now, Anderson Mountain, down Alger way, has been on my to-do list. So on Saturday, we raised out goblets of rock, broke out our big boy climbing legs and scaled its thirty-two hunnert feet of whole-grain awesomeness. The players were, as pictured below from left to right:  Jacob Stewart (on a ‘cross bike), Titanium Cancellara (intoduction not nec.), Ryan Rickerts (‘cross promoter and all-around outdoor adventure stud), and myself.

After driving to Alger, we rode about four miles on Butler Creek and Cain Lake roads before heading up. Seriously up. Following the PNT trail's white blazes--painted on trees and from time to time, onto rocks on the ground--we pedaled up both forest road and winding single-track trail, gaining some 2,800 feet in 6 miles. By comparison, Lookout Mountain climbs 2,100 feet in 5.3 miles, so this is the longest sustained mountain bike climb I've done. (Actually I take that back, Devils Gulch near Leavenworth climbs about 4,000 feet.)

Parts of the trail were crazy steep; I'd pedal in my granniest of gears 'til, with heartrate at 183, I could pedal no more and had to walk and even then my h.r. would only drop to 179 or so. Others were crazy overgrown; today my arms and legs are streaked red with tiny scratches as if I'd spent Saturday rassling with kittens. But 'least I was on a mountain bike that offered help up those hills in the form of a 22 X 34 gear. Not so Jacob who rode his Bianci 'cross bike; see below pic of Jacob emerging from the pain cave.

(Later in the ride, btw, Jacob earned the distinction of being the first peson I've ever thrown a golf ball at during a ride; I'll leave it at that.)

Though we hit no rain, overcast and foggy skies didn't allow for the most far-reaching of vistas. At the summit, we were treated to views of yet another higher bump--Lyman Hill (or Mountain)--which looks to be about a thousand feet higher. Perhaps that's next on the to-do list. 

Also cool about this ride was that it was basically a day at the office for yours truly. I'll be writing a profile of sorts about Ryan for the December issue of Adventures NW.