Cumming and Going

Yesterday John and I rode to Cumming with Jeff. It was a beautiful day. Once we got to the Tap we enjoyed some Fat Tire while watching football.

We didn't stay too long because we wanted to get back in time to see the Iowa game.

On the ride home John's bike hit 10,000 miles. Luckily I had my camera at the ready to capture the moment.

The weather was perfect for the ride. I don't remember the last time it was that nice out. Knowing how the Iowa vs. Iowa State game went I could have kept riding. It wasn't too much of a game.

Q: How do you keep a Cyclone out of your yard?

A: Put up a goalpost.

Taco Tuesday

On Tuesday John and I rode to Cumming to check out Taco Tuesday at the Tap. It was a beautiful evening for a ride. It wasn't too hot, and we missed most of the rain.

I haven't been biking during the week this year. It takes up a lot of the night when I ride, so I have been sticking with running mid-week. Only one thing could get me to ride 30 miles on a Tuesday - free tacos. I won two free tacos from a contest on Twitter, so I figured some tacos and beer would be worth finding batteries for my bike light.

These weren't just any tacos. These were the best tacos I have ever had. We're talking hand pressed corn tortillas with vegan chorizo (pork shoulder was also an option) and slaw. They have ruined other tacos for me. I hope to spend many Tuesdays at the tap enjoying these tacos. Do yourself a favor and go see Sam for some amazing tacos next Tuesday.

Flooding and Biking

It has been a rainy summer so far. The rivers are up around Des Moines. When the rivers are up the trails are under water. A couple of weeks ago John, Foster, and I decided to bike to the tap even though my favorite way (the Bill Riley Trail through Waterworks Park) was under water. Normally I would avoid biking through downtown and on busy roads on the south side, but I had really cool new UNI bike socks and I wanted to try them out.

See! They say GO PANTHERS! on them. Wouldn't you want to ride?

It was a fun ride. We rode slow so we could catch up. When we got to the tap we split a couple of pitchers of Boulevard and some salted nut rolls (my official candy of riding bikes).

Foster tried on my sunglasses and proved that he can pull of any type of sunglasses.

It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. I hope it cools down enough to get out again this weekend.

Mayor's Ride

Yesterday morning I did my first ride of the year. I'm a little late getting out on the bike this year, as my gears have been sticking and I didn't feel comfortable riding. John was nice enough to spend his Friday night fixing my bike while I was out with Beth.

My bike was fixed just in time. Saturday was the Mayor's Ride for Trails. Jess and I met up in Beaverdale and rode downtown together. We did the twenty mile route and then headed to Smokey Row for a cup of coffee. While at the coffee shop we ran into the bike ninja - a guy that we passed at least five times on the ride yet we never saw pass us. He stopped for a while and the three of us discussed how friendly the bike community is.

A great example of biker friendliness is the guy that took our picture before the ride. He was drafting off of me about 12 miles into the ride. I didn't realize how close he was, and accidentally farmer blew my nose on him. He was really nice about it and admitted he had been following to closely.

Yesterday was not only my first ride of the season, it was my first ride with Jess. Jess is a knitting buddy who will definitely be a biker buddy too. I had a lot of fun riding and chatting with her. She used to race bikes and she is an awesome knitter, so she's pretty much one of the coolest people I know.

My Bike Paid Off

You may remember that I bought a bike last March. I started a spreadsheet to track my cost per hour of the bike. My goal was to get the cost per hour below $14 within two years. Why $14? Because you can rent a road bike for $14 an hour in Des Moines. Why two years? Because Beaverdale has some great patios, so Hot Toddy and I sometimes decide to visit one of those instead of riding...but I digress.

Today I met my goal. My cost per hour is now below $14 an hour. I think this is justification for buying all sorts of new fun bike stuff.

Thanks Mom & Dad!

For graduation Mom & Dad gave me some money which I used to buy a bike computer. It's awesome. It tells me my miles per hour, distance, time, and most importantly cadence. It has made me a much better rider.

Don't worry, I still manage to have fun. A few weeks ago I went on a ride to Martensdale with Steve and Becca. On the way back we stopped at the Cumming Tap for refreshments. I tell you what, on a 90 degree day nothing feels better after 2 hours of biking than a beer and a Gatorade.

It ended up being the longest ride I've ever been on. As I pulled up to my house I'd gone 48.2 miles. Not one to quit that close to a milestone I rode around the neighborhood until I reached 50 miles.

I can't say enough how much I'm enjoying my new bike. I never thought I would be in to riding 5 or 6 days a week, but now if I miss a day I really miss it.

Bless Their Hearts!

The Sunday after Sturgis Falls I was on a relay team for the Hy Vee Triathlon. It was a lot of fun....once we were done. While I was biking I wanted to quit. The only thing that kept me going was knowing that Anj would kick my butt if I stopped.

Many people start training for a tri the year before the event. If you are doing the relay people spend at least 12 weeks in training. Not us. A month before the tri Anj and I were walking back from Starbucks talking about how it would be fun to do a tri some day. We then decided a relay would be fun. Anj mentioned it to her husband and we had a swimmer and we signed up to the tri the next day. We had less than a month to train. Lesson learned: never tell Matt your plans - he will make you follow through.

Our team was named Bless Their Hearts! because we figured that is what people would say when they saw us. As in "Bless their hearts, they sure are trying!" or "Bless her heart, look at her try to ride that bike up that great big hill." Our goal was to not finish last among the female relays teams.

We really didn't do too bad. We were in the middle of the pack. I hope to be back in the tri next year, as a member of team Bless Their Hearts! I can honestly say that the one thing I got out of doing the relay is that I would never want to do an entire tri. The training would take so much time it wouldn't be worth it for me. When would I have time to sit on my couch eating snacks and drinking beer?

Flashback at the Tap

Last weekend I rode to the Cumming Tap with my friend Spencer. Spencer and I stay in touch on Facebook, and had talked about getting together for a ride for about a year. But I'm really good at putting things off and never making plans, so that didn't happen. In fact, I hadn't seen Spencer since we worked together at camp in the 90s.

It was a great time. Allyson & Stimmel met us at the tap. We finally left when we were running out of daylight.

It turns out we didn't really have to worry about daylight on the way back, as we made excellent time. We ended up going over 20 mph on trail back.

After the ride we headed to Taki for some sushi. Then I fell asleep on the couch watching cartoons. I lead a pretty exciting life.

A Great Day in Des Moines

Today was a great day.  It was sunny and warm out.  The perfect day to get outside and enjoy being with friends.  

I started the day at Gray's Lake.  Allyson and I walk there a lot in the summer.  It was the first day warm enough to do a few laps.  We were just finishing our first loop when we ran into Justin H.  At that point Allyson decided she wanted to go for a run too (this is in no way related to Justin showing up, she had mentioned that she might run when we got there).   It was fine with me, I just convinced Justin to take a recovery lap to talk with me.  After two laps I decided it was time to get some coffee in me, so I headed home to check out CBS Sunday Morning on the DVR.

After downing a few cups of coffee and discovering the wacky stuff that Bill Geist was up to last week, it was time to head out again.  I have really been enjoying my new bike.  On Friday I was out for 25 miles, so today I decided to up it.  I rode to Cumming and back, which is about 35 miles if you go through downtown (which we did).  I got up to 26 MPH on the downhill and 22 on a flat (OK, OK, a very slight slope down).  It was great.  Well, it was great except for heading up Sherman Hill.  Luckily I had Stimmel coaching me through the ride and feeding me Shot Bloks when I started to bonk.  

After a 4 mile walk and 35 mile ride I'm ready for some knitting before heading to bed early.  I haven't been at work since last Monday.  I hope I still remember my passwords.

I did it.

Yesterday after work I finally did something I've been talking about for over a year: I bought a new bike.  I am very excited to get outside and ride.  I think I'll head out the first day it's above 50.

A Great 2008!

2008 was a weird year for me.  I had some difficult times, but overall, it was the best year I've ever had.  I decided to reflect on the year by picking out my favorite photo from each month. 

Looking at all the photos reminded me of what a blessed life I have.  Through the ups and downs of 2008 I had amazing friends that I could call on.  You have all made 2008 great!

December

UNI vs Drake.  I have a group of friends that gets together for UNI events in Des Moines.  I didn't know any of them at UNI, but we have managed to bond over our love of the Panthers, and are overwhelming awesomeness as people.  Allyson is one of my UNI buddies, and she's also one of the people I call if I need to talk.  You can bet I count her when I count my blessings.

February

Waller had a Super Bowl party.  Nate & Waller played Edward 40 hands.  I was in charge of the tape.  I am sad that I don't talk to these guys anymore.  I suppose that means I should call them. Hopefully they will show up at my kick ass huge graduation party in May (date to be announced, as a blog reader you are invited).

March

I took a big vacation through the South West this march.  I saw the Cubs at spring training and checked out the amazing scenery.  It was a lot of fun, yet the most awkward vacation I've ever taken.  Oh well.

April

In April I didn't do anything that warranted taking pictures.  I tried to use that as an excuse to use two pictures for May.  After some reflection I decided that the one picture I had from April really summed it all up.  

My life started to bloom in April.  It's not like I had a tragic life or anything.  I've always been blessed with family and friends that love me, and I have a really good life.  For some reason things just got even better in April.  

May

Holy cow May was a good month.  The most fun I had in May (which says a lot, as May was so awesome) was at the fund raiser for Stage West.  Sarah and I made so many friends, and as this photo shows, were able to stage some amazing photos.  

June

In June Tim had his horsey party.   Stimmel & I headed out and had some fancy appetizers and drank wine in the cleanest barn I've ever seen.  It's also when I realized that if you wear a shirt and unzipped hoodie of the same color you look ginormous in photos.

July

In July Todd and I started biking to Cumming.  It's about a 30 mi round trip from our street.  Stimmel would meet us there, as Todd and I are not as fast as him.  It's not that Todd and I are slow, it's that we have so much to talk about that we can't ride fast.  The three of us would meet at the Cumming Tap and have some beers.  After this winter, I can't wait to get out riding with them again.

August

I was pretty sure I was in love with him when he ate six corndogs at the state fair.  Seriously, isn't there something obscurely hot about that?

September

If you have a sister, I have to tell you that the best way to celebrate her birthday is by buying wigs together,  getting your makeup done, and going out in Chicago (watch out Kathleen, I have looked up all of the wig shops in the greater Des Moines area).

October

Megan and Mark got married.  It was a beautiful wedding.  I spent a lot of the reception talking to Nate.  He is a wonderful guy, and we tell each other everything.  I am so lucky to have such wonderful cousins (of the Runchey & McCarty persuasion).

November

In November Tim and I went to go see Dolly.  I could talk about Thanksgiving and all sorts of wonderful things....but seriously....is it possible to top Dolly?

December

This Christmas we got a special gift - Bill & family were visiting from Australia.  I rarely get to see my aunt, uncle, and cousins, but every time we do see each other we get along great.  I wish we could see them more often, even if I do feel like a little person next to them.

In conclusion....2008 was an amazing year for me.  I can only hope that 2009 is half as good.  I do have to say, after such a big year, I am pretty tired.  I think this picture from New Years Eve sums it up best.

Here's to you in 2009.  May you have a year as amazing as my 2008.  

Commuting

You may recall from earlier posts that I've been trying to reduce the using my car while commuting. I'm still at it. I did not do as well in September; I used my car five times to commute.

With school back in session I do not have the time to wait until the next bus. I need to leave work on time to get to class on time. This is really a bad excuse, and I should be at taking the bus on the days that I drive.

Getting up to bike is much harder now than it is dark when I leave. The colder temperature does not help either. Luckily I have a bike commuting buddy who harasses me if I sleep in instead of riding in. I splurged on some cold weather biking gear to get myself motivated to get out there.

It is not going to get any easier to use alternative transportation to get to work. If I ride I have about 25 minutes of being out in the elements. If I take the bus I have a 5 minute walk and a wait of up to ten minutes for the bus. That does not sound so bad now, but when the temp dips below freezing a warm heater and seat warmers will surely be calling my name.

The Cumming Tap

On Saturday I went for a long ride. Todd and I rode down to Water Works Park, where we met up with Stimmel. From there we road to Cumming, IA. Cumming is a small town just west of Norwalk. You may be familiar with it if you are a fan of Tom Harkin.

The best part about getting to Cumming is the Cumming Tap. As you can see, Todd was really excited to get there.


Once inside the Cumming Tap we had a few beers. The prices are great, and so is the selection. It is easy to spend a little too long at the tap. After you enjoy a cold Boulevard in a frosty mug it's easy to talk yourself into putting off getting back on your bike. Especially when you know there is a big hill at the end of the ride.



After the ride home I was ready for bed. Unfortunately it was only 6:30. The one problem with drinking in biking is that it wears you out. It is like tailgating, if you start drinking you had best keep at it or you're falling asleep.

I managed to stay up until midnight without having another drink, but I would not describe myself as vivacious last night. Were it not for the desire to actually win a game of euchre I may have fallen asleep at the table.

Not so bad

At the end of June I was able to say that I had not used my car once to get to work. I am not able to say the same thing this month; however, I did much better than I would have assumed. I only worked 15 days in July, and I only used my car 5 of those days. Given my crash, I am very happy with using my car 33.3% of the time.

I'm going to celebrate by getting a new bag for commuting, and maybe a used road bike.

Back in the Saddle

Today was a big day for me; it was my first day back bike commuting. Craig, my commuting buddy showed up at about 6:15 and we were off. It took a little bit longer than usual, as I'm leery of going too fast. I am sure I'll be back up to speed after a few more rides.

Why wearing a helmet is important

I always wear a helmet when I ride. Last night it paid off. I was riding home from spin at the gym and got in an accident.

I'm not really sure what happened, I remember thinking, "Oh my God, I'm going to crash". Getting home is sort of a blur. I think I walked, but I may have ridden part. The next part I remember is Kathleen saying she was coming to pick me up.

She took me to the hospital where they diagnosed me with a concussion. Kathleen had been talking to me for about 3 hours by that point, so she already knew something was not right. My head feels less fuzzy today, but the pain is still pretty sharp. Judging by the pain in my head and the crack in my helmet, I don't think I would be out of the hospital yet if I did not have my helmet on.

I can't do any physical activity until my doctor clears me on Thursday. I hope to have my new helmet ready to go by then, so I can get back on my bike right away.

If you look closely you can see how the crack goes from the front of the helmet to above the ear.

June

Today is the last day in June. I can't believe how quickly this month flew by.

At the beginning of the month I decided to see if I could go the entire month without driving to work. Having the mindset of a six year old, I decided the best way to reward myself for not driving would be to give myself a star on my calendar each time I used alternative transportation.

As you can see, my calendar is full of stars. There isn't one for today, only because I took a vacation day to study for my final. I'm still not a fan of getting up early, but I am always happy I do once I get started. I took the bus two days last week, and I felt like a cheater.

I plan on biking in every day this week. I'm a little concerned about my motivation over the next two weeks. My biking partner is on vacation with his family, so I may talk myself into busing it. As long as I don't drive in, I'll still be doing pretty good.

Biking Update

This month is flying by. It's hard to believe that June is half over. I have yet to use my car to get to work this month. I have taken the bus twice due to rain. Other than that I have used my bike. I should be able to get through the whole month without driving to work. I think that is awesome.