More rain...yay.

Has anybody else noticed the change in the weather?  Yeah, me neither! Here in the Willamette Valley, we have been in this perpetual 45-degree gray, rainy, pattern for a very, very long time. I guess this week, the rain is supposed to get a little warmer.  Yay.

We’re all ready for sun, but that’s apparently not in the cards for at least a little while longer.  Besides, we all know that there are folks in other parts of the world whose lives have been turned upside-down by natural and man-made disasters. These folks will need our continued prayers, compassion, and outreach. In the mean time, we can certainly handle some more weeks of Oregon puddles, just fine.

If this had been a drier winter, I’m sure many of us would have ridden more. Instead I’ve gone indoors, trying to get a little lighter and leaner in time for spring. It’s been equal amounts of attention to running, spinning, and swimming in preparation for a triathlon. For this first-ever attempt, it will definitely be a “sprint” event (the shortest of triathlons). Typically that’s a 750 meter swim, 20k cycling, and 5k running.

Training has been a good way to be focused, motivated, and humble. I'm sharing the gym with some folks who appear to be my age and older, whose speed and endurance far exceed mine. The best training sessions have caused me to confront fatigue, pain, and self-doubt. It’s so strange, though; just an hour or so after I’ve been beaten up by a workout, I’m already planning for the next one. Weird!

This is a new and unfamiliar thing for me. Always too busy with work to spend time in the gym, scrambling with family schedules, eating at the drive-thru way too often, I wasn’t paying attention to how fast the pounds were adding up and my health was slipping away. Energy levels, joint pain, stamina, stress, they were all in a downward spiral. Those things have dramatically improved with these regular workouts.

And oddly, I have to thank the rain.

Visiting That Other Capital

Mrs. C and I took Nat on a trip to Washington DC on Spring Break. During the trip, G was able to join us for almost 24 hours during a trip of his own.

This was Nat’s first time visiting Washington. First destination on her "DC Bucket List:" Georgetown Cupcakes (aka the site for the cable show “DC Cupcakes.”) 

Yes, these cupcakes really do deserve their own cable show.  They're that good. Apparently, Nat is not the only person who knows about this TV phenomenon. The waiting line was never shorter than 30 minutes out the door!

I noticed that there were lots of folks on bikes, sharing crowded streets with impatient traffic. Despite the very tight clearances and narrow lanes, everybody seemed to be staying alive. Renting bikes was an option, but it felt risky. Besides, we were visiting spots where we’d have to leave the bikes unattended, so we hoofed it instead. That sort of helped to burn off the cupcakes we devoured.

If you like to walk, Washington DC is a really great city to visit. Everything is quite close in proximity, but you still have to get from place to place. There are just so many places! So plan to walk a lot when you’re there! 

The picture above is the National Cathedral, a good walk straight uphill from Georgetown. It is beautiful.

One of my favorite new spots in the middle of it all, literally, is the World War II Memorial that was completed in 2004. It’s very close to the Washington Monument in the National Mall. 

Those of us with Milwaukie connections should recall that in 2000, MHS students donated $10,000 to this memorial. The school was honored with an invitation to have three students come to the White House for an honorary reception for the major donors. We met then President Clinton, Senator Robert Dole, and several other dignitaries in the White House on that occasion.  

This is my third time to DC since the WWII Veterans Memorial has been completed, and each time I see something there that I missed before. It is a very interactive place, inviting the visitor to walk around and view it from several angles. 

Knowing that the students of Milwaukie High worked so hard to raise money and give one of the largest school-based donations to this cause, and knowing their history of honoring veterans and listening to their stories, this memorial is special. I’m so proud to have been a teacher and an administrator there for so much of my career, for so many reasons. That school, its staff, and the students there still have a big chunk of my heart. Life moves us all forward, doesn't it?  And places such as this help to move important memories forward with us.

The camera seemed to really like this spot. Please click to enlarge!

Yes, This Is Our Congressman!

Thanks to G for forwarding this clip. A fun interview with Earl Blumenauer, Oregon's bow-tie wearing congressman. He's also the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Bike Caucus.

Just Dessert

I really would like to get lighter for riding this spring. 

My biggest problem is my tendency to graze after dinner. My brain tries to convince the rest of my body that I’m still hungry, so even though I’ve eaten enough at dinner time, I go find more stuff to eat. Sometimes I can resist the urge, other times not so much. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone!

One possible remedy: food that imitates food.  You know those little “why bother” items you can pick up at the store...fat free, sugar free, you read the nutrition labels and everything says “zero.”  There's apparently no food value in these things, and I don't make a habit of eating them, but they actually do a nice job when I’m in a pinch.

Here’s a night-time creation borne out of just such a necessity.

You take some “why bother” chocolate pudding, add some “why bother” non-dairy whip (you probably don’t want to read the ingredients...trust me), and a handful of peanuts (the real kind will do). 

Layer them just like they do at the local soft-serve place.  It’s not an identical taste, but you know, it’s actually pretty good! And only 100 calories instead of 700 for the real thing.

I call this, “Peanut Bluster Par-faux.”

Riding With Pablo

A month or so ago, my buddy Pablo finally picked out his new ride.  It’s a sweet new Trek Madone, which I finally got to see today when he brought it over for a spin.  I don’t see Pablo as often now that we live 50 miles apart, and our schedules don’t allow us many opportunities to connect. This afternoon, we got our chance.

Pablo was coming my way, so I had to think up how best to show off Salem to him from the handlebars. I chose to start with the fun climb/descent that leads to Ankeny, then we hooked up with the Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway for a bit, and then over to Independence before we returned home. We’re still a few weeks off from seeing Spring really green things up, but all of these sights still had their own kind of beauty. Especially along the water. It’s hard to beat 46 miles of good riding on a Sunday afternoon with a good, good friend.

There is very little car traffic on these roads; for the most part we got to ride alongside each other, catching up on what’s happening with kids and jobs, spouses, church, etc. We stopped occasionally just to look around, especially at the marshes. The scenery was stunning; although we couldn’t quite see the mountains today, the wildlife made up for it. Dusky Canada Geese were quite busy in the air and on the water, never really stopping in any one place for very long. At one point we were riding directly underneath a group of more than a hundred of them, flying low and loud. It was kinda trippy.

Pablo has been enjoying cycling for a while, but he realized it was time for the old heavy Rockhopper to be replaced. He’d been shopping around for some time, and made a very good choice.  Seeing him so happy on his new wheels, I was reminded what wonderful gifts are given to us every day. The ability to ride, the amazing Oregon sights, good road, and great friends....that was what today was about. I was glad to share my “backyard” with my friend.