Adventures of Rachele - Cycling

MS Bike Ride

nospam@example.com (Rachele Cawaring) — Thu, 2 Oct 2008 19:47:21 -0700

Thanks for supporting me in the MS Bike ride a couple weeks ago! You helped me reach my individual fund raising goal and my team raised over $70K for the MS Society. It was a wonderful event.

Bill rode 107 miles the first day and 75 the second. He even has road rash from a fall on the first day!

Kyle did 84 miles the first day and 75 the second. And I was the "slacker" who did 84 miles and 4,000 ft elevation gain the first day and 50 miles the second. We were surrounded by 1,600 cyclists who were all there to support the MS Society. You can only imagine the amount of positive energy with that group of people. One of the other riders even congratulated me as I topped one of the bigger hills...seriously, every bit of encouragement helps!

Cycling

nospam@example.com (Rachele Cawaring) — Tue, 2 Sep 2008 12:05:24 -0700

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything. I've been busy is a lame excuse. A few of us are gearing up for a big bike ride, so we needed to get some training in. So, it was a big workout weekend for me:

Saturday: 3 mile run, 40 mile bike ride from Gasworks Park to Redhook and back.

Sunday: 60 mile bike ride around Lake Washington.

Monday: 4+ mile fun run "race" for Super Jock n Jill.

Saturday was a big reminder that I really need to take a cylcing "basic maintenance course." I think I say that every summer. We had to deal with handling a flat tire. First, I was relieved that I had a CO2 pump, so we could inflate the tube easily. Well, that relief was short-lived. My CO2 cartridge was punctured and I didn't have a spare. Luckily, we flagged down some good Samaritans with a hand pump and who knew of a bike store close by. Whew! The funny thing was that we had to pay back the karma right away. I saw someone walking his bike and stopped to see if he was okay. I ended up using the new cartridges I just picked up (so I need to remember to get replacements before my next ride). I have no idea how far he had to go, but I'm sure we made his day.

Sunday, Bill, Kyle & I went around Lake WA for a 60 mile ride. The weather was so weird! We couldn't figure out the "real" weather report because it kept changing, so we decided to start early and hope for the best. We experienced clouds, hard rain, dry roads and sunshine at different parts of the ride. We even waited out one of the passing showers by having lunch in one of the parks.

Right now my legs are toast...they felt like bricks during the race yesterday, but I know moving will help me recover. Does this ever get easier?

Biking Again

nospam@example.com (Rachele Cawaring) — Tue, 6 May 2008 15:04:25 -0700

I'm totally behind in blogging, again. Rather than holding on to the photos any longer, I'm just going to post them without much comment. The biking photos are from a couple weeks ago. We went on a short 22 mile ride from Gasworks to Seward Park and back. The weather was perfect. Cherry blossoms were in bloom along Lake Washington Blvd. And we even took an ice cream break in the middle.

STP

nospam@example.com (Rachele Cawaring) — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:06:29 -0700

Last weekend (July 14-15) was the 200+ mile Seattle to Portland (STP) bike ride. Wilson completed the ride in one day and the rest of the gang did the ride over two days. Bill & I (the injured ones) did SAG and met the group at various stops with cold water, diet coke (Lynn's fix), food, pom poms and moral support. Here are the photos from the weekend...

Dan, Bethany & Neah

Mel

Richard

Lily

Lynn

Lily & Cindy

Roger

Heidi, Mel, Cindy, Bill, Lily & Lynn

Roger

Lily, Bill & Cindy with a map...oh, my!

Sunday after breakfast

Mel

Lily & Cindy

Neah

Bill, Neah & Bethany

Cindy, Bill & Lily

Roger & Family

Roger & his dad, Larry

Bethany & Roger

Me & Roger

Bill, Lily, Lynn, Heidi, me, Cindy, Mel in back. Dan sleeping with Neah in front.

Healed

nospam@example.com (Rachele Cawaring) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 09:06:33 -0700

Day of accident

1 Week After Accident

Now

After a month of ripping out gauze, my wound has healed. No, I will never be a "leg model." Oh well, at least my friends think it's cool. I'm hoping that some of the discoloration will fade over time. And even though I now have nasty scar, it's so much better. I no longer have a crater in my leg.

We actually rode last Sunday around the North Lake WA loop. We started from Gasworks Park. Because of the bad weather conditions, we spent most of our time along the Burke Gilman Trail. As we biked along the 520 Bike Path in Redmond, the rain started. Those rain drops hurt when you're biking through them. That's when we decided to cut back across I-90 instead of circling the whole lake and doing our 66 mile route. I was so nervous since the roads were slippery and I've lost a lot of confidence with that last fall. The ride ended up being 49 miles. Get this...at the end of the ride, it poured! I was soaked. And we had hail!!! It's so funny how the weather conditions effect the difficulty of the ride. Afterwards, I was completely knocked out on the couch. It felt like a much longer ride. We earned our burger that day.

Another Sunday Bike Ride

nospam@example.com (Rachele Cawaring) — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 17:12:56 -0700

This morning was hillarious. My friends and I all follow the weather reports pretty closely, so we can prepare for our workouts. We all thought it was going to rain today and agreed only to meet if it was dry. Well, my alarm went off, I peaked outside and IT WAS DRY!!! Oh no, that's when I made a bunch of phone calls and confirmed the ride. We were all scrambling since none of us prepared for a bike ride the night before. After we got it together, we had a nice ride along the South Lake Washington loop. It did rain for a few minutes and it was really windy. However, from the photo, you can see that it turned out to be a beautiful day!

First Bike Ride Out

nospam@example.com (Rachele Cawaring) — Wed, 6 Jun 2007 07:19:53 -0700

This Sunday, I attempted my first bike ride since the accident. Actually, this week I've been easing back into training and it's amazing how my fitness is completely gone. I couldn't even finish my track workout because my lungs were on fire! That's the problem when my mind remembers what I could do, but my body hasn't caught up, yet. This Sunday, the "JV group" cutoff and did the South Lake WA loop, while the rest of us did the 55 mile loop around Lake WA.

I've found that the rule of thumb is that after an extended time off, it takes two weeks of painful lung-gasping, muscle-burning, and waking up sore before things start falling back into place. I think this is why New Years Resolutions usually don't stick. Commitment and hard work fade without the faith that it's attainable in the present time. It's the belief that "it will get better" that helps you give you the strength to stick with the training, and eventually break through. Sometimes starting up again can hurt so badly that we can rationalize that our bodies just aren't meant to do it. I remember when I first started running six years ago. I was extremely out of shape from working long hours and not having an active hobby. I read an article in Shape Magazine that said that you can go from walking to running in four weeks if you follow their plan. No, I couldn't even imagine me as a runner, but I wanted the results I could achieve by running. Just like a good scientist, I followed the plan exactly to prove that they were wrong. I could barely run one lap (1/4 mile) around the track without feeling like I was going to have a heart attack. I didn't outsmart the plan, I just did the walk/run intervals five days per week like they said. I started with five 2 minute runs, interlaced with walking for a total of 50 minutes per workout. The second week I had 4 minute run intervals. The third, 5 minute; the fourth; 7 minute. At the end of this I ran around the inside track of Greenlake (2.8 miles) without stopping. Later that fall I ran my first 1/2 marathon. I got stronger, fitter, and was able to complete another five full marathons. So yes, with commitment and the desire to become fit, I was able to go from gasping at 1/4 mile to running 26.2 miles.

Yes, even though I didn't believe that I could do it six years ago, I was coachable and I learned that I can run. Really, I had no exerperience running, it was silly for me to doubt the expertise of credible running coaches. Now, I have the advantage...I already know that I can run, and each workout gets me closer to enjoying playing outside again. I don't have to wonder if my commitment to hard work will be wasted. I also have support around me to help me determine the difference between backing off/cutting short a workout because of 1) reluctance or 2) real physical damage. Is it really that simple? Do we just have to ask ourselves "how badly do you really want change," then roll up our sleeves?

Adrienne!!!

nospam@example.com (Rachele Cawaring) — Wed, 16 May 2007 16:48:12 -0700

Before reading on, please note that I'm going to go over the graphic details of my cycling injury. If you get light headed when hearing about gore, injuries and surgeries, please skip this entry and wait for a normal one.

Okay, I totally feel like Rocky Balboa today. I went in to see the Dr. and get my stiches removed. She had to cut away all the dead tissue on my leg. She'd pick up each small piece with a tweezer and ask if I could feel it. If my answer was "no," then she cut the section out. We continued that process until we reached the parts that hurt (that means they're still alive!). The bad side of this is that the site really bleeds and it takes up to 10 minutes to stop the bleeding. Fortunately, after "being cut" today, she used liquid silver to stop the bleeding. (Thus the Rocky reference) Then I found out that I have to stuff the "crater" with saline-soaked gauze. No more non-stick bandages for me either. We actually want the flesh to stick to the gauze and that will remove more small bits of dead tissue. Are you still glad you ignored the disclaimer and chose to read this?

Of course, after asking about the wound care regimen, I had to ask when I can start exercising. She laughed. She basically said it depends on my goals.

If my goal is to heal as quickly as possible, I should wait two weeks.
If I need to do a big race, I can do it. However, it will strain and tear the area. This will make the healing process longer and messy.

This is where I have to weigh the risk of shortening my rest vs. focusing on my training. I quickly emailed my running/cycling partners with my new, revised interim training plan. I'll slowly start with upper body resistance training. Then short walks to test my knee. And then running. Afterwards cycling. Finally lower body resistance training. I wasn't thrilled that I probably won't be able to bend my knee fully for another month...that'll make cycling difficult. I'm getting concerned about my fitness level for STP, which is in two months. I know I can do it. Good training just makes the whole experience less painful.

As for training...10 days is basically 2 weeks, right? The Dr. said I can exercise again when I can cover my wound with a regular bandaid. Believe me, I'm taking my vitamins, staying seated when I'm working, minimizing my movement, performing wound care, and drinking a lot of water. I'm just trying to put the odds of healing quickly on my side. :/

Healing is so slow

nospam@example.com (Rachele Cawaring) — Mon, 14 May 2007 09:52:00 -0700

Yes, I am posting more photos at the request of my sick friends. I'm supposed to be resting and keeping my leg elevated. Of course, this means that I'm restricted to working on my computer, reading and making phone calls. I've also been minimizing driving since it's pretty painful to move and I'm sure it's not safe to drive with restricted mobility. I wouldn't forgive myself if I hurt someone because my braking response was slow.

So, I guess this is a "non-entry." I haven't done anything exciting. I was quiet and dull at Kristen's birthday BBQ. On the bright side, I've been focusing on reading articles, continuing education, and some admin work that I save for when I have downtime. I'm doing everything I can to heal quickly and this is making me realize how much training is part of who I am.

The Crash

nospam@example.com (Rachele Cawaring) — Thu, 10 May 2007 10:19:26 -0700

Right now I'm sitting in bed, trying to follow my Dr.'s orders to rest. I have bronchitis and I fell off my bike yesterday during my ride with Mel. I'm a horrible invalid, so trying to stay immobile is killing me! Yes, I am a mess right now. I tried to ask when I can go running/biking again and the Dr. wouldn't give me an answer. He just wanted me to take it easy right now and not worry about training. And here's the twisted thing, when I was in the ER, here were my thoughts:

What will I need to do to minimize the scar?
I'm so glad that I got a half marathon in before getting hurt.
Oh, I guess that 62 mile Skagit Spring Classic ride this Saturday isn't going to happen for me.
Thank goodness it's just the beginning of fall marathon training.
Don't worry, Bill, I can still run and train for the Hood-to-Coast relay this August. I won't ruin our team's time for the 197 mile run from Mt. Hood to Seaside.
Ouch!
Yes, I need anesthetic before you clean the wounds. I don't need extra credit for toughness.
Cool, both the Dr. and nurse both bike, so they don't think I'm crazy.
Wow, that stings.
Great, this is the same knee that I hurt before the Chicago Marathon.
I really feel nausious and the nurse just asked if I was going to fall off the gurney since I've turned green.
The Dr. looks pretty concerned...it's not good when an ER Dr. thinks it's bad. It's only a flesh wound, right?
I'm so glad that I was carrying alcohol wipes and bandages in my saddle bag.
Are you sure I can't bike this weekend? Oh, skin tearing would be bad. Fine.
13 stitches, seriously, I thought it wasn't that bad.

So, what happened? Mel and I were just going for an easy 20 mile ride to get more saddle time before STP. It was a beautiful day. In the middle of the ride, I was going from the road to the trail and hit the curb at a very narrow angle. That's when I knew I was going down and there was nothing I could do about it. I also forogt my gloves, the palms of my hands are a little scraped. The brunt of the fall was on my right knee and shin. I tore through my sleeves and scraped up my right elbow. Thank goodness I had a minimal first aid kit in my saddle bag. Mel helped me bandage up. A lot of cars passed and stared at me, but none stopped. I thought it was funny that a cyclist asked if we needed help, but no one with a car did. It was pretty obvious I was hurt and bloody.

So Mel offered to ride back and pick me up with her car. Since we were 10 miles away from the car, it didn't seem like that was a good idea. I'd freeze, sitting in my bike shorts and torn arm sleeves. Plus, the "you're tough" comment gave me enough strength to get back on the bike. It was actually good to get over my fear of the bike before I could think about it. Plus, I felt tough with blood running down my leg. We even cleaned up and decided to grab some dinner. At the end, by leg was covered in blood (Mel has that photo and I'll insert it later). I figured it wasn't normal to bleed for 6 hours, so I went directly to the ER. I found out that the kind of deep wound I have where the skin is hanging need to be tended to within 3 hours. Otherwise the lack of blood supply just kills the rest of the skin. Ok, lesson learned. I'm also I'm glad I went in because the nurse cleaned the wounds much better than I could. It stung so much, that I couldn't get myself to scrub it well. I actually had to have local antithetic before the clean. Wow, that needle really hurt and it was a lot of pricks. I'm really glad I opted for numbing because he really got in there.

So, some of you know that I have an undergraduate degree in Biology and I think surgeries are really interesting. Well, I don't like seeing injuries on myself. I guess I was green and the nurse was worried that I was going to fall off the gurney. It was really grossing me out! On a side note, I was at Overlake Hospital and I must say they were absolutely wonderful. I got in right away. They were very friendly and attentive. My experiences in the past (yes, I have been to the ER before, unfortunately) are the reason why I decided to volunteer at the hospital. Really, four hours per week is a very small part of my life and I'm helping a great non-profit hospital. It looks like I won't be able to help escort and transports patients next week since my walking is hindered, though. Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything silly like run a race this weeked. I'm going to follow the Dr's orders.

Well, this made me thankful that I'm a planner at heart and I was fairly prepared. I was wearing a helmet; I wasn't riding too fast or doing any tricks; my bike is tuned up; I carried alcohol wipes/bandages; I had a cell phone to call for help; I was in a non-isolated area; I was biking with a friend; I have medical insurance; and I went to see the Dr. when things didn't seem right. Safety first.

Now I'm off to see the plastic surgeon.

STP Training

nospam@example.com (Rachele Cawaring) — Sun, 6 May 2007 17:50:05 -0700

Now that the Eugene race is over, my primary training is shifting over to cycling. Well, I guess that's not entirely true since I'm spending more days running than cycling. Let's just say that my fall marathon training is adjusting around my need to train for STP (Seattle to Portland in July, which is a 204 mile bike ride). At least, I'm just doing the two-day ride instead of the insane training for the one-day ride. I have to admit that I'm getting scared. Cycling is a new world for me and I just don't know what to expect on a 200 mile bike ride; especially since my furthest ride was only 60 miles this Spring (actually that's my furthest ever). So, the best way for me to tackle this fear is to dive right into training and hope for the best. This time, it was the "JV Team," so was a liesurely 40 mile ride and lunch at the Redhook Brewery.

More photos from Sunday's Ride

nospam@example.com (Rachele Cawaring) — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 16:17:28 -0700

Thanks, Jim, for forwarding these...

Tulip Ride

nospam@example.com (Rachele Cawaring) — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 16:25:21 -0700

Some of the tulip fields

Yes, I just realized that I committed to doing STP (bike ride from Seattle to Portland) this July. So, I looked up what training I need to do in preparation for the 204 mile ride. I have to admit that I was surprised at how many miles I'm supposed to be riding right now. My current habit of one ride per week will need to change...soon. Ugh! If it wasn't for Lily babysitting me, I think I'd still be wandering Skagit county, getting lost in the tulips.


61 miles is a long way!


Elevation

Bethany was kind enough to share the data from her Garmin which shows the course and elevation.

BRICKS for Fun?

nospam@example.com (Rachele Cawaring) — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 21:09:33 -0700

Today, a bunch of us met in Wallingford for a nice chilly ride in the sun. I think the ongoing joke is that we're just going out for a 2-hour ride. Yeah, right...it never is only a 2-hour ride. After eliminating the icy routes (some of the trails still haven't thawed), we decided to go to Alki. We rode from Gasworks, through Fremont, over the Fremont Bridge, up Nickerson, through Ballard, on the bike trail to Myrtle Edwards Park, past the Sculpture Park and along the waterfront. This is where we had a slight delay. Bill took a pretty bad spill when he tried to maneuver around a crevace in the road. He flew, broke his helmet and the ambulance came. Thankfully, he's bruised, but okay. His helmet is totally thrashed and it was a good reminder to make sure your helmet is in good shape and secured properly. He would have been severely injured without it. Plus, our group was really good at regathering and making sure everyone was safe.

After the bike ride

After two of our riders escorted Bill back, the rest of us continued to Alki. It was an extremely clear and beautiful day. On the ride back, we decided to take a different route (actually the others decided and I just followed). We went back through Pioneer Square, then up the International District to Beacon Hill. When you're around the area next time, take a look at the incline from the Waterfront to Beacon Hill...it was long. We went through the I-90 tunnel to Lake WA Blvd, up to the Arboretum (this stretch is dangerous unless you can keep up with the cars and peddle close to the speed limit), up Boyer to Montlake, along the water, down the Burke Gillman trail and back to our starting point. Whew, I'm tired just typing this route! Of course that wasn't the end of it. The remaining group was made up of 3 people training for the Coeur d'Alene Ironman, two people training for a 1/2 Iron, and me. They still wanted to get a run in after our 40-mile hilly ride. Crazy! My carpool buddy, Lily, totally tricked me. She wanted to go running and she had the keys to the car. Everyone wanted to run, but me. So, I said I didn't know we're running (plus, I'm not training for Triathlons right now!), so I can't run. Then evil Lily said that she had an extra pair of running shoes in the car and we have the same shoe size. Ugh! I got suckered into a short run. My legs were done and I could only run a mile, then walk the remainder back.

So, my friends tricked me into doing a BRICK (bike-run) and then they even went one step further and suggested that I may as well do a 1/2 Iron or at least a Duathlon since I'm training for it anyways. That was really twisted logic. Thank goodness my peer pressure is only race-related.

Lily showing her legs..burrr!

Bert, Minera & Glen

Jim

Sculpture Park

Centennial Trail

nospam@example.com (Rachele Cawaring) — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 20:16:42 -0700

Mel, Heidi & Bethany

Today, Mel, Heidi, Bethany and I biked the Centennial Trail in Snohomish and did the 35 mile out and back course to Lake Stevens. The trail is pretty new, wide and has hardly any people! It was a nice alternative to the Burke Gilman Trail if you want a flat ride, away from cars. The only drawback was the safety fences that we had to slowly bike around when we approached major interesctions. Fortunately, there was only was one fall during the ride.

Bethany learning a new bike tool.

How many girls does it take to fix a tire? Well, today we all learned a new bike feature or trick from each other. As semi-responsible riders, we carried bike tools, spare tubes, food, water, cell phones and instructions (since we don't know how to properly repair our bikes on the road). We really need to either 1) Attend a bike maintenance class or 2) Host a party and have an experienced biker give us a hands-on class on how to do basic bike maintenance. We are open to suggestions. We laughed that Tupperware parties are not our thing, but bike maintenance, self-defence or refresher CPR/First Aid Courses would be fun for us. We learned how to use a CO2 cartridge to inflate a tire for the first time. It was pretty funny watching us read the directions and "experiement" before fixing the problem.

Heidi on the bike

We all ran yesterday and it felt great to stretch our legs. Plus, it gives us an excuse to go out to lunch together. We're hoping to squeeze in a few more rides before winter comes.

The ride gave us time to plan out our exercise plan for next year. So
many races sell out quickly and hotels start raising their rates. It's funny how we coordinate and do annual planning for races. This is what our preliminary plan is for next year:

Nookachamps 1/2 Marathon in January. Knowing we have to run a race in January will keep us honest during all the holiday parties in November and December.
Vancouver 1/2 Marathon to maintain running fitness
STP in two days. We'll stay in a hotel instead of camping.
We'll each do a Triathlon. I'm only commiting to a sprint distance, but the others will do Olympic or Half Ironman. Maybe Seafair for me?
Hood to Coast Relay, if we get in.
MS 150 Bike Ride
Nike Women's Marathon in SF.

Please post a comment if you have any suggestions on places to stay.