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This past Saturday I dragged Hubz and my friend Boots on the VASA ride.
To my relief, the weather was clear and mild, if a bit brisk to start.
We rode down to the House of Sweden early to sign in. That left us plenty of time for photos and socializing.
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| Ed/@dailyrandonneur, Hubz and Boots/@bootsni |
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| Lisa/@ramblingrider and John/@Rootchopper |
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| Dave/@darsal |
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| Jacques/@jarsenault and Hugo showed up! |
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| Shedding a layer at The Old Anglers Inn |
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| Guy riding a penny farthing |
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| Hubz looking good astride his Novara cyclocross bike |
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| Enjoying blueberry soup with Robin/@robininrealtime and Adam |
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| Boots and I toast to our bike adventure with blueberry soup |
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| Post-ride lunch at Luna Grill with some of the usual suspects from Friday Coffee Club |
We chose the Halv Vasa, which is 31 miles. It was the perfect distance for a fun day.
I finally got to taste the legendary warm blueberry soup at the House of Sweden afterward. Pretty good stuff!
From there a convoy of us headed to lunch at Luna Grill.
We had a wonderful day riding, eating (a key component) and laughing the miles away with many friends. I am really enjoying my increased biking.
Oh, and Spring, could you please grace us with some more warm, sunny days? Thanks.
As an ultrarunner who loves the bike, I always have intentions of doing more biking ... but I find myself falling into the usual pattern of running long every weekend.
There's a silver lining to my current injury: Now that I'm not running, I'm spending a lot more time biking. So far it doesn't seem to aggravate my foot issue.
Perfect timing for the annual Chasing Mailboxes Erranndonnee Challenge! Click the link to read more about the rules.
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| #1 Bikes at Friday Coffee Club |
#1 - I started
off with a bang, hitting Friday Coffee Club for the powerful
combination of caffeine and conversation with fellow bike commuter
friends. If you live in (or come to visit) DC you should come, and not
just because M.E. Swings made the Top 10 Best Coffee to be found in DC
list.
Category: Community Meeting.
Date: 3/7
Miles: 2.45
Observation: Roads
are totally clear after our last snowstorm, alleys are not! Also,
nothing puts a bigger smile on my face than chatting with this gang.
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| #2 Bike Parking at my Acupuncture appointment |
#2
- Thanks to the aforementioned foot injury, I had an acupuncture
appointment. I rode via M Street which I enjoy despite the lack of the
long-promised cycletrack. I've been biking in the DC area since 1998
(whew!) so I'm comfortable riding almost anywhere. It has been fantastic
to see the improvements in bicycle infrastructure and it's evident this
progress needs to continue in order to avoid utter gridlock.
Category: Personal Care
Date: 3/7
Miles: 2.35
Observation: 19th
street has a decent amount of bike parking, but it's always pretty
crowded. A couple of the bike posts are coming loose.
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| #3 Watch me work. This is my 2nd job. |
#3
- The fact that it's now daylight until 7 pm makes me very happy. I
love the sunshine. I left my "real" job and biked to my second job. If
you haven't bike commuted in DC before, I can tell you it is the
quickest and most enjoyable mode of transportation in this city at rush
hour. Most other times, too.
Category: Work
Date: 3/11
Miles: 3.25
Observation: Traveling by bicycle at rush hour in DC beats any other form of transportation!
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| #4 On the way to Whole Foods via 15th Street cycletrack |
#4 -Gusty,
frigid winds were the theme of this morning commute. At least it was
sunny! I pedaled my way down the 15th Street cycletrack to Whole Foods
for some greens and veggies.
Category: Grocery store
Date: 3/13
Miles: 2.9
Observation: Bicyclist
along 15th street cycletrack shaking her hands to get the blood
flowing on a very cold and blustery morning commute. Have I mentioned
that I LOVE MY BAR MITTS?
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| #5 The Surly LHT at my 2nd job |
#5 My gams were fatigued on my third ride of the day (the second was on the spin bike). Just in time for the uphills! My beloved bar mitts proved challenging to keep on a straight course as they acted like spinnakers in the crosswinds.
Category:Work (2nd use)
Date: 3/13
Miles:3
Observation: Wind and Bar Mitts are mortal enemies.
I'm out of town for the weekend. That leaves me two days to complete my final seven errands. CAN I DO IT?? What a cliffhanger!
Do you have a bike or have access to bikeshare? You should give the errandonnee a go!
Fall has been beautiful here on the East Coast.
The leaves seem more intensely hued this year. The weather has been perfectly behaved. And my parents came to visit!
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| On The National Mall |
We spent our days eating at our favorite French restaurant, tasting excellent wines in the cozy cellar of Chateau O'Brien, perusing the Phillips Collection Museum of Modern Art (we even spotted Yoko Ono!) and ambling around the National Zoo and the World War II Memorial.
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| Washington Monument and World War II Memorial |
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| Cellar tasting at Chateau O'Brien |
After their far-too-short visit, we headed to the mountains for a trail run in Shenandoah National Park. It did not disappoint.
In true Fall mountain run fashion, the morning started out cold and got windier and colder. On the other side of the mountain it turned sunny and quite warm, causing us to sweat.
Deep layers of leaves concealed but did not cushion the rocks beneath our feet. Twenty miles, six hours, several big climbs and descents, and one bunless burger (thanks to Elkwallow Wayside!) later, we were satisfied with our day.
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| View from Overall Run Falls, Shenandoah National Park |
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| The guys amidst vivid yellows and golds |
Wherever you live, I hope you are out taking in Autumn's beauty.
Fall weather seems to get us on our bicycles more often.
Friday night, I took Hubz on a "Secret Date" to see the Washington Nationals game. As is our custom, we rode our bikes there. The Nats caught fire in the sixth inning and kept hammering to an 8-0 win over the Miami Marlins. What an exciting game!
The ride home is always glorious. We were stoked about the Nats win, and about avoiding the crowded metro. There's just something exhilarating about summer night bike rides, whizzing through the streets that look a little different under the cover of darkness.
The following morning, we hopped on our bikes again. Destination: The 50 States Ride.
Deciding on this ride was a tough choice, because it meant we couldn't ride the Back Roads Century the next day (we are not as hard core as some). We really enjoyed this lovely ride last year, where we rode the 50 mile option in the interest of keeping it fun. We had planned to return for the full century this Fall.
In the end I chose the 50 States Ride since we hadn't done it before.
Bonus: We didn't have to get up early since the start was less than a mile away! As soon as we arrived we recognized several friends from both our biking and running circles.
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| Friday Coffee Club Tweeps! @Ramblingrider @Bicyclebug @JDAntos & @Rootchopper |
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| Our running buddy, Gray, was a ride marshall |
The day was cool, but a bit humid. The sun couldn't make up its mind. There was an occasional breeze, and the threat of rain lurked.
Ed and Mary, whom I often refer to as 'The Ultrarunners of Bicycling' had invited us to ride a few miles with them. The two of them (and Twitter) are the reason I am a part of the #bikeDC community. They had the brilliant idea to start #FridayCoffeeClub and that's where I met and got to know so many cool kids on bikes.
We had a great time riding with them for stretches (then watching them pull away on the many hills), detouring for an illicit coffee stop early in the day, and chatting at all the rest stops.
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| Mary, Hubz, Lane and Ed at Chinatown Coffee |
We also rode many miles with Kevin, Dave S., Justin, Lane, and most of all Lisa* and John** during the ride. There were some hills on this course where I inevitably fell behind everyone, but someone always made sure we weren't too far behind. It was a real pleasure getting to ride with all of these #bikedc friends whom I've gotten to know over many Friday Coffee Clubs.
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| Mary, Lisa, Ed and half of me |
The ride itself involved a lot of stoplights and hills, and large groups of cyclists early in the day. Skipping the southwest quadrant section to get coffee with Mary*** and Ed allowed the crowds to thin and made for a more pleasant experience.
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| The hills on our version of the 50 States Ride |
The 50 States Ride was very different from a scenic century in the countryside, but we have a great affinity for city rides. It was in the midst of a bike date in the city that I first realized I was in love with Hubz.
While keeping my pedals cranking and checking my cue sheet hindered my ability to leisurely gaze at things around me, it was a treat riding in parts of the city I hadn't seen on a bicycle.
The rain began to fall about the time we hit Rock Creek Park. It relented, but as we reached Wisconsin it began again in earnest. Since we weren't far from home, we decided to call it a day. We logged 53 miles, our longest ride ever. We are proud of that!
Hats off to WABA and the many volunteers who made this stellar event happen.
Our weekend of biking got us excited to do more, especially knowing that The Coffeeneuring Challenge is just around the corner!
*Read Lisa's excellent 50 States ride report here.
**Rootchopper's double (he rode 50 States AND Back Roads) starts here.
***Mary's account of the day is here.
Yesterday, Rusty the Red Panda escaped from the National Zoo. He made his break for freedom into Rock Creek Park, where I run quite regularly. Now, a Red Panda is much, much smaller than the Giant Panda, and more closely related to the common raccoon. But it's still a wild animal.
Interesting aside: Apparently Twitter played a big part in Rusty's capture.
Last night, as MG and I were enjoying a hot summer night trail run in Rock Creek, she made a joke about being worried about bumping into a bear. We chuckled.
Today, a rogue Black Bear was spotted in northwest DC. It was not a zoo escapee, and was eventually tranquilized and captured. They're moving it to an undetermined location.
Who knows what wildlife might appear next out there?
Hopefully no mountain lions escape or wander onto my favorite trails.
Another good reason to always run with a friend or two. Now, to find someone considerably slower than me ...
My friend Mary, of Chasing Mailboxes blog fame, issued another bicycling challenge recently.
These challenges get me excited about getting out and about when cold, dark Winter might otherwise have me cowering inside.
I couldn't resist the call of the Errandonnee, which sounded simple: Complete 12 errands in 12 days and ride a total of 30 miles by bike.
I got off to a slow start. I spent the first two days of the challenge snowshoeing (no regrets there). Tuesday morning I hopped on my elegant white steed and began.
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| Daffodils along Rock Creek Parkway, errandonnee #1 |
It was one of those glorious mild and sunny days. I took Rock Creek bike path, fording several puddles in the path, and was rewarded by the sight of daffodils (a few in bloom already!) on the embankment south of the P St exit.
I made a quick stop for coffee at M.E. Swings and seriously considered blowing off work to continue my ride. I bounced into the office, beaming (and well-caffeinated).
I had big plans to swing by the dry cleaners after work mere seconds before they closed. However, I found my bike with a flat front tire (and myself without the tools to fix it. I know, lame).
After fixing my flat a day later, I managed to eke out Errandonnee #2 and #3 over my lunch break. I lucked into another sunny, mild day and made the most of it, pedaling the roundabout way to Bicycle Space to peruse some lighting options and then to Whole Foods for lunch and greeting cards. This challenge was going to be a piece of cake!
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| Trucks don't want to be shoaled either, errandonnee #2 |
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| So many lunch options! Whole Foods, errandonnee #3 |
Then I was off to meet my new baby niece over the three day weekend. When I returned, I had just two days to complete 9 errands.
I hit the bank, the grocery store for non-green bananas, Teaism for a gift of oolong, and finally my Tuesday night group run, all good for another 4.26 miles.
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| Based on the number of cyclists in chilly February, I predict actual bike traffic jams in May. |
On the last day of the challenge, I still needed at least 5 errands and 17-plus miles. I dithered over my glove choice - wool gloves or Lobster gloves? The temperature was already in the mid 30s, and the high was predicted to be in the 40s. Wool gloves would be fine!
Off I rolled to the dry cleaner and to Open City for breakfast. Boy was it blustery. And much colder than the temperature indicated. No matter, it would surely warm up. Instead of padding my commute with a loop of Hains Point my frozen fingers steered me directly to work.
I still needed 12 miles and three errands, but I had plans to see a movie. So I did what any normal person would do: I donned storm socks, a buff, my wool cycling cap with ear flaps, fleece-lined bike pants, wool gloves, three base layers plus a down jacket and hopped on my bike. I rode toward the Capital Crescent Trail with the plan to ride 9 miles to Bethesda to see a movie.
I made it about two miles before my fingers cried uncle. Luckily, Cycle Life bike shop was right along my chosen route. I snagged the very last pair of lobster gloves, which happened to fit perfectly. I was on my way again.
The wind was cold and blowing steadily in my face. I rode a couple more miles and decided I'd prefer a tailwind. I flew past commuters fighting the headwind.
My next destination: Dinner at Qdoba. Sadly, I found it to be a far inferior to Chipotle, but when you're as hungry as I was (and 13 of your 20 digits are numb) you'll eat anything.
My final stop was E Street Cinema for a movie. Did you know they sell Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA (and wine and bourbon)? Also, "small" is objective when it comes to popcorn. I enjoyed the Animated Shorts. As a bonus, an hour into the movie my toes regained feeling.
I hightailed it home afterward to complete the Errandonnee Challenge with a couple of bonus miles, feeling very accomplished. Below is my control card, click here for all my photos.
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A lovely stretch of trail in Rock Creek Park
Photo by Sara Davidson |
I've been building my mileage this winter, bit by bit. I've run more miles this January than ever before, and I'm on track to do the same in February.
In the cold and dark winter months, running with friends is what I need most.
I need the commitment to someone else to propel me out the door.
I need the endorphins the miles of chatting and laughing produce.
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| Friends make the miles even better. I may not be fully awake here. |
Morning runs aren't my usual habit, but I was looking forward to this. We were running one of my favorite loops through the woods, right smack in the middle of DC.
We started our run with lights, moving quickly through the chilly dark streets to the trailhead.
This trail offers a little of everything - downhill, a couple of stream crossings, some flats and few big uphills. I feel very fortunate to have these trails so close to home.
After a couple of miles, daylight began to illuminate the landscape. We extinguished our lights and enjoyed seeing everything around us for a change.
Near the end of the trail, Sara snapped the photo below. We always have a little chuckle about this sign.
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From the Merriam-Webster dictionary: stren·u·ous adj.
marked by or calling for energy or stamina : arduous
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The
"Strenuous" trail to the left is flat as far as the eye can see. The
"Moderate" trail starts up a steep hill almost immediately.
We picked up the pace on the pavement toward home, finishing with high spirits and a sense of accomplishment.
What is it about a blanketing of snow that transforms the world from mundane to magical?
After
last week's much-hyped snow forecast fell flat on its face - nary a
flurry graced the sky in DC - I was starting to resign myself to the possibility that no snow would fall this year. I feared my beautiful snowshoes would spend another year languishing in a corner of the basement.
I'd made plans to run with my friend Sara, so I hit the hay at a reasonable hour last night.
However, I made the mistake of starting a new book yesterday. I have never understood how people read to fall asleep. My brain refused to wind down. I tossed, I turned ...
At the shock of the alarm, I popped right out of bed: I knew that to hit snooze even once meant missing this run. Groggy, I struggled to choose clothing. You know what's a good idea? Figuring that out the night before your run.
It wasn't until I was half dressed that I peeked out the window to discover the first fresh snowfall of the year. Instantly, I was excited to get outside for a taste of Real Winter!
I met up with Sara and we wasted no time starting our run. It was cold and the wind kicked up as we trotted along the National Mall. It snowed intermittently.
We stopped for a quick
photo of the Lincoln and Washington monuments. As we ran past the Korean War Monument Sara pointed out a
photographer snapping pictures of the snow on the life-size bronze soldiers.
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| The Washington Monument. Not snowing at the moment. |
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| The Lincoln Monument |
We loped up Independence Avenue. The wind grew stronger on the wide open fields approaching the Washington Monument. On we pressed to the Capitol reflecting pool. Here's a shot of that scene. It wasn't a whiteout to our eyes, but here's how it looked to the iPhone.
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| Whiteout conditions!! Well, for a brief moment. |
I've spent countless miles on trails in the woods with Sara, but this was our first city run together. Even if the next few aren't quite as picturesque, I can't wait to get out there again. I'm ready to show winter I'm up for whatever she's got.
Autumn's Gold
Along the tops of all the yellow trees,
The golden-yellow trees, the sunshine lies;
And where the leaves are gone, long rays surprise
Lone depths of thicket with their brightnesses;
And through the woods, all waste of many a breeze,
Cometh more joy of light for Poet's eyes--
Green fields lying yellow underneath the skies,
And shining houses and blue distances.
By the roadside, like rocks of golden ore
That make the western river-beds so bright,
The briar and the furze are all alight!
Perhaps the year will be so fair no more,
But now the fallen, falling leaves are gay,
And autumn old has shone into a Day!
~ George MacDonald
It was a weekend full of running and plans and all kinds of errands. I knew it would be a wee bit challenging to fit in Coffeeneuring #4 and #5.
Sure enough, darkness had fallen on Saturday by the time Hubz and I set out on our two-wheeled quest for caffeine. Luckily, we had saved our favorite (and closest) coffee shop for just such an emergency occasion.
After
donning reflective togs and sparkly lights we pedaled off into the night, taking a roundabout route to ensure we'd exceed the Coffeeneuring Challenge's 2 mile distance stipulation.
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| A terrible shot of the majestic National Cathedral from my bicycle |
We rode
through the darkness on quiet streets we don't often travel, past the National Cathedral, winding along our indirect route.
It was
pleasant and invigorating. All too soon we arrived at our first stop: The Magical Money Wall. I extracted the rent and we meandered along to Open City, the holy grail of coffee in DC.
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| Open City at night |
We aligned our bikes and it was at this moment that Hubz realized the bike lock key had gone missing. Not to be deterred, we stashed our bicycles on the patio within eyesight of our table and ordered. I chose a decadent Chaipuccino, a delicious hybrid of a cappuccino and a chai tea latte. Hubz went with coffee, straight up. Both came with two animal crackers, the perfect accompaniment.
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| Chaipuccino for me, a drip coffee for Hubz |
We retraced our route and though we didn't find our key, we got in a few extra miles of night cycling. Fun!
Destination: Open City, 2331 Calvert St, NW
Date: Saturday, November 3
Beverages: Chaipuccino and drip coffee
Total Miles: 6
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The next morning, before our 50K race, we hopped on our trusty steeds and headed to Adams Morgan. It was just before 7:00 a.m. and there sure aren't many folks out and about in this neighborhood at that hour on a Sunday.
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| Riding in the sharrows in Adams Morgan |
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| Recent improvements: widened sidewalks and lots of bike racks |
We secured our bikes and hurried inside. We had just enough time to finish our coffee before pedaling back to the start of our trail race.
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| Guatemalan coffee for me, Ethiopian for Hubz |
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| Fun photos of people taking a bath while drinking coffee |
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| Couches and tables give Tryst a very loungey feel |
Destination: Tryst, 2459 18th St NW
Date: Sunday, November 4
Total Miles: 2.64
Beverages: Guatemalan and Ethiopian drip coffee
