Friday was the Official Bike to Work Day, which I got to participate in for the first time ever. I was worried about the crowds initially, and I almost decided not to do it. Crowds and I don't get along so well. But I know the route pretty well, and Kevin assured me it wouldn't be too bad. Sure enough, it wasn't significantly more crowded than a typical day. Things got a bit backed up at intersections and pit stops, especially the Gallows light, which takes four minutes to cycle through, but other than that it wasn't bad.
Well, that's not entire true. One of the pit stops was a bit of a disaster in the morning. They'd blocked off one of the small roads that the trail crosses, which I initially thought was nice. It removed a stop sign at the bottom of the hill that's usually more annoying than anything else. But as I got closer I saw the traffic cones they had set up. They had made a weird, zig-zagging course across the road that was only wide enough for one bike at a time. We had to take turns crossing from either side. If that wasn't bad enough they rang cowbells and blew kazoos at us while we were traversing the cones. They were probably trying to cheer us on, but it felt more like mocking.
Thankfully the other pit stop I passed held off on the cow bells and just offered water and snacks instead.
The ride home was better because Falls Church pit stop had removed the cones from the road. They still had the cow bells, but I was able to speed through the intersection. However, people seemed unusually angry in the afternoon. A lady leaned out of her car window to yell at a biker crossing the street. Another guy yelled at a guy for having a blinking headlight on his bike and then either stopped or turned around to pursue him, because he fell off the trail after that. Kevin says people get angry like that a lot. I guess I just saw more of it because there were more people around.
The whole thing was mostly fun, especially since the weather was perfect. I didn't get a t-shirt, because I would never wear a t-shirt, but I got to bike to work and pass a lot of people who don't normally bike to work. And now I'll keep biking until it gets too hot and/or humid to do so. Here's hoping summer holds off for a while yet.
Monday, May 18, 2015
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Arlington Loop
On Sunday I decided I wanted to bike the Arlington Loop. Kevin had talked about it before, and I always see the map on my way to work. It seemed like a fun ride. And while I knew it was longer than anything I'd done before, I was sure I was ready.
It turns out that 30 miles is significantly longer than 20 miles. Especially when it ends up being closer to 33 miles. But I did do it. I slowed down towards the end, and I had a hard time moving for the rest of the day. But I biked the entire loop.
The Arlington Loop itself is about 17 miles around the town of Arlington. It combines bits of the Custis Trail, the Mt Vernon Trail, Four Mile Run, and the end of the W&OD. I actually do about a mile of it on my commute to work, which is part of why I was interested in it. Of course that also means that the loop itself is about a 9 mile ride from my house. And, like every bike trail near our home, it's all downhill on the way out and all uphill on the way back.
I'm really glad I did it, though. The Custis Trail has a lot of ups and downs, but we did that on the front half so I had plenty of energy. It was like a roller coaster, and I built of some good speed on the downhill sections. Then there's a nice long stretch along the Potomac River. This part was a little crowded and a little close to the road, but biking by the river was still fun. And as we came around Gravelly Point, a plane came in for a landing right above us. It was really cool.
The ride home was rough, especially as we passed the 20 mile mark and still had most of the uphill section left. But once we got to the part of the trail I use for my commute things got a little easier. Mostly because I know that trail well enough to be able to mentally break it down into smaller sections. I know how long the flatter sections last, how much further to the big hill. And I ultimately made it home.
I was exhausted after the ride, and spent the afternoon sitting on the couch instead of the chores and errands I had planned. But I'm glad I did it. If nothing else, now I know I can do it. I'm getting stronger and faster (I actually did the section between home and work faster than ever, though work to home took significantly longer). It's great to know that I can survive such a long ride, and that even when I get tired I can keep going. I definitely have more endurance than I ever have before.
It turns out that 30 miles is significantly longer than 20 miles. Especially when it ends up being closer to 33 miles. But I did do it. I slowed down towards the end, and I had a hard time moving for the rest of the day. But I biked the entire loop.
The Arlington Loop itself is about 17 miles around the town of Arlington. It combines bits of the Custis Trail, the Mt Vernon Trail, Four Mile Run, and the end of the W&OD. I actually do about a mile of it on my commute to work, which is part of why I was interested in it. Of course that also means that the loop itself is about a 9 mile ride from my house. And, like every bike trail near our home, it's all downhill on the way out and all uphill on the way back.
I'm really glad I did it, though. The Custis Trail has a lot of ups and downs, but we did that on the front half so I had plenty of energy. It was like a roller coaster, and I built of some good speed on the downhill sections. Then there's a nice long stretch along the Potomac River. This part was a little crowded and a little close to the road, but biking by the river was still fun. And as we came around Gravelly Point, a plane came in for a landing right above us. It was really cool.
The ride home was rough, especially as we passed the 20 mile mark and still had most of the uphill section left. But once we got to the part of the trail I use for my commute things got a little easier. Mostly because I know that trail well enough to be able to mentally break it down into smaller sections. I know how long the flatter sections last, how much further to the big hill. And I ultimately made it home.
I was exhausted after the ride, and spent the afternoon sitting on the couch instead of the chores and errands I had planned. But I'm glad I did it. If nothing else, now I know I can do it. I'm getting stronger and faster (I actually did the section between home and work faster than ever, though work to home took significantly longer). It's great to know that I can survive such a long ride, and that even when I get tired I can keep going. I definitely have more endurance than I ever have before.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Accotink Trail
One of Kevin's favorite local bike trails is the Accotink trail. There's a 4 mile loop around Lake Accotink, which is about 8 miles south of our house. The ride ends up being about 20 miles total. Kevin was waiting patiently to take me on this ride, and on Saturday I decided I was ready.
I ended up not being quite as ready as I had though. Kevin warned me that the trail is more packed dirt and gravel than asphalt. I looked up my bike's specs to make sure it would be alright. There were several reviews on the site where I'd bought it from people successfully taking it on the Accotink trail, so I knew the bike at least would be fine. And there's a short gravel path near my house, so I assumed I knew what I was getting in to.
Unfortunately the trail was much bumpier than I was prepared for. There was a section of really old asphalt during that caused enough bouncing around for my boobs to hurt. It's probably not entirely fair to call the trail poorly maintained, since it is maintained to the expected standards. But I got used to my nice asphalt trails, and the bumpy, jittery trail was a lot for me to handle.
That said, the trail itself was gorgeous. There's a small section that runs along the highway, but the rest is in the woods. Although it follows a stream down to a lake, the entire thing is surprisingly flat. It's just barely downhill on the way to the lake and just barely uphill on the way home. There were some hills around the lake, but only one of them really caused me problems. I had to get off my bike and walk it up the hill. Then I opted to walk it back down the other side instead of attempt the steep and narrow trail down.
I'm glad I did this ride. I just won't be doing it again any time soon. Though I could cut out the part that really gave me trouble. And now that I know what to expect in terms of bumpy trails it might be better in the future. Even the shoddy asphalt was easier to ride over on the way home than on the way out. Maybe once I get more advanced I can become more familiar with the trail. Knowing what to expect makes it easier. But in the meantime I'll be sticking to my well-maintained asphalt trails. There's certainly no shortage of them.
I ended up not being quite as ready as I had though. Kevin warned me that the trail is more packed dirt and gravel than asphalt. I looked up my bike's specs to make sure it would be alright. There were several reviews on the site where I'd bought it from people successfully taking it on the Accotink trail, so I knew the bike at least would be fine. And there's a short gravel path near my house, so I assumed I knew what I was getting in to.
Unfortunately the trail was much bumpier than I was prepared for. There was a section of really old asphalt during that caused enough bouncing around for my boobs to hurt. It's probably not entirely fair to call the trail poorly maintained, since it is maintained to the expected standards. But I got used to my nice asphalt trails, and the bumpy, jittery trail was a lot for me to handle.
That said, the trail itself was gorgeous. There's a small section that runs along the highway, but the rest is in the woods. Although it follows a stream down to a lake, the entire thing is surprisingly flat. It's just barely downhill on the way to the lake and just barely uphill on the way home. There were some hills around the lake, but only one of them really caused me problems. I had to get off my bike and walk it up the hill. Then I opted to walk it back down the other side instead of attempt the steep and narrow trail down.
I'm glad I did this ride. I just won't be doing it again any time soon. Though I could cut out the part that really gave me trouble. And now that I know what to expect in terms of bumpy trails it might be better in the future. Even the shoddy asphalt was easier to ride over on the way home than on the way out. Maybe once I get more advanced I can become more familiar with the trail. Knowing what to expect makes it easier. But in the meantime I'll be sticking to my well-maintained asphalt trails. There's certainly no shortage of them.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Pros and Cons of Biking to Work
I should perhaps open by saying that I love biking to work. I'm so glad I'm finally fit enough to do this. It is, by and large, a wonderful experience that is improving my life. But, as with everything, there are annoyances. And it's my blog, so I can vent if I want to.
1) My commute is into the sun. East in the morning, west in the evening. It's less of a problem in the evening, because the sun isn't as low when I'm headed home. In the morning, the sun is at exactly the right angle to cause some serious distress. Even wearing sunglasses, I'm often blinded at least once. The flickering caused by tree shadows is distracting. Each morning I've had to come to a complete stop at least once because I couldn't see where I was supposed to go. I was thinking this would get better as sunrise gets earlier, but we're fast approaching the longest day of the year. As soon as this problem goes away it will come back.
2) Capris are the ugliest, least comfortable garment ever designed. But damn they're functional. Yoga pants come with the constant hazard of getting caught in the gears. Shorts ride up and my thighs chafe on the seat. So capris make the most sense. I don't have to like it though.
3) The beginning of the ride home is always awful. My legs are tight from the morning ride. I've had to put my sweaty gear back on, because it makes no sense to pack fresh gear when I'm just going to sweat through it again then immediately take a shower. I always loosen up and adjust eventually. It's happening more quickly each time. But that first half mile is rough.
4) I'm completely dependent on the weather. Sure, I could bike in the rain. That sounds awful and uncomfortable though. Besides which I'd probably need to buy all sorts of additional gear to protect myself and my bike. Instead I just take the metro when there's rain in the forecast. I've gotten tripped up a couple of times, mostly when I wanted to bike, decided not to, and then it didn't rain at all. It'd be nice to be freer to set my own schedule around this.
5) This should change soon, but at the moment I'm mad. Far from losing weight, I've actually gained weight since I started biking to work. I now weigh more than I ever have, and I can't figure out why. Maybe it's just a transition period? Building muscle in my legs? Hopefully this will change soon. If I can stick with it and keep from getting discouraged.
Aside from these things, the commute is pretty great. I love how efficient it is. I'm able to get two hours of exercise in, and I get home less than an hour later than when I commute by train. It gives me longer evenings and more energy. I'm more awake in the morning at work and less stressed when I get home.
The trail is fantastic. Aside from being pretty and not too crowded and smelling nice, it's a perfect course. Both directions begin uphill and finish downhill (mostly), though there's a lot more downhill on the way to work. Not quite halfway through there's an enormous hill that's hell to get up but so much fun to fly down. It's its own reward. There are also stop lights at about the 3 and 7 mile marks that make perfect water stops.
Mostly I'm just hoping that the weather doesn't get too hot too fast. Yesterday it was 83 when I was biking home, and I don't think I can handle biking in temperatures much above 90. But maybe that will change as I get better. Or maybe we'll have a summer as mild as last years. I can hope.
1) My commute is into the sun. East in the morning, west in the evening. It's less of a problem in the evening, because the sun isn't as low when I'm headed home. In the morning, the sun is at exactly the right angle to cause some serious distress. Even wearing sunglasses, I'm often blinded at least once. The flickering caused by tree shadows is distracting. Each morning I've had to come to a complete stop at least once because I couldn't see where I was supposed to go. I was thinking this would get better as sunrise gets earlier, but we're fast approaching the longest day of the year. As soon as this problem goes away it will come back.
2) Capris are the ugliest, least comfortable garment ever designed. But damn they're functional. Yoga pants come with the constant hazard of getting caught in the gears. Shorts ride up and my thighs chafe on the seat. So capris make the most sense. I don't have to like it though.
3) The beginning of the ride home is always awful. My legs are tight from the morning ride. I've had to put my sweaty gear back on, because it makes no sense to pack fresh gear when I'm just going to sweat through it again then immediately take a shower. I always loosen up and adjust eventually. It's happening more quickly each time. But that first half mile is rough.
4) I'm completely dependent on the weather. Sure, I could bike in the rain. That sounds awful and uncomfortable though. Besides which I'd probably need to buy all sorts of additional gear to protect myself and my bike. Instead I just take the metro when there's rain in the forecast. I've gotten tripped up a couple of times, mostly when I wanted to bike, decided not to, and then it didn't rain at all. It'd be nice to be freer to set my own schedule around this.
5) This should change soon, but at the moment I'm mad. Far from losing weight, I've actually gained weight since I started biking to work. I now weigh more than I ever have, and I can't figure out why. Maybe it's just a transition period? Building muscle in my legs? Hopefully this will change soon. If I can stick with it and keep from getting discouraged.
Aside from these things, the commute is pretty great. I love how efficient it is. I'm able to get two hours of exercise in, and I get home less than an hour later than when I commute by train. It gives me longer evenings and more energy. I'm more awake in the morning at work and less stressed when I get home.
The trail is fantastic. Aside from being pretty and not too crowded and smelling nice, it's a perfect course. Both directions begin uphill and finish downhill (mostly), though there's a lot more downhill on the way to work. Not quite halfway through there's an enormous hill that's hell to get up but so much fun to fly down. It's its own reward. There are also stop lights at about the 3 and 7 mile marks that make perfect water stops.
Mostly I'm just hoping that the weather doesn't get too hot too fast. Yesterday it was 83 when I was biking home, and I don't think I can handle biking in temperatures much above 90. But maybe that will change as I get better. Or maybe we'll have a summer as mild as last years. I can hope.
Monday, April 27, 2015
One Year
This weekend Kevin and I celebrated an entire year of being married. We decided to clear our schedules and just spend a low-key day together, cooking and watching TV. We made french toast for breakfast and lamb with roast potatoes for dinner. We drank mimosas in the morning and wedding brandy in the evening. We also defrosted the cake that's been in our freezer for the past year and dutifully ate a slice each before trashing the rest of it. Freezer cake may be the stupidest tradition.
I guess at this point other people would write something poetic about marriage or commitment or love. The truth is, the celebration felt a little arbitrary. It was nice to have a reason to put aside a day. Especially since Kevin's been out of town for most of the past month. But it's also new and a little weird. We've been together for a long time now. We've been living together for nearly five years, during which time we bought a house, adopted a dog, and basically figured out how to live together. Sot he one year anniversary mostly brought up feelings of "it's only been a year?"
Regardless, it was a good day. It's nice to have an excuse to buy presents for Kevin in the Spring, when grilling and biking accessories are actually available in stores. It's nice to have a day to celebrate our relationship. I'm sure that as we get more of these under our belts I'll become more accustomed to the whole idea of an anniversary.
I guess at this point other people would write something poetic about marriage or commitment or love. The truth is, the celebration felt a little arbitrary. It was nice to have a reason to put aside a day. Especially since Kevin's been out of town for most of the past month. But it's also new and a little weird. We've been together for a long time now. We've been living together for nearly five years, during which time we bought a house, adopted a dog, and basically figured out how to live together. Sot he one year anniversary mostly brought up feelings of "it's only been a year?"
Regardless, it was a good day. It's nice to have an excuse to buy presents for Kevin in the Spring, when grilling and biking accessories are actually available in stores. It's nice to have a day to celebrate our relationship. I'm sure that as we get more of these under our belts I'll become more accustomed to the whole idea of an anniversary.
Friday, April 24, 2015
Biking
The thing I miss most abut living in Boulder is how easy it was to bike everywhere. Boulder isn't a big city, and it's one of the more bike-friendly places in the country. It was pretty easy for me to get in the habit of running many of my errands on bike, biking to work, and just going out for quick rides on the weekends.
That all changed when I moved to Virginia. For one, the suburbs are a lot more spread out. Instead of being a mile away, my bank was now closer to three miles away. There are a lot more cars, too, and the whole experience is scarier. The heat and humidity, which I wasn't yet used to, didn't help. It wasn't long before I feel out of the habit completely, and my attempts to pick it back up were cut short by how horrifically out of shape I got.
I'm changing that now.
The ten mile ride to work is a lot more than the two mile ride I had back in Boulder. But I'm in much better shape than I was, even then. It adds to my commute, but it's a more efficient way to exercise overall and leaves me with more time free in the evenings. And if it cuts into my reading time, well, reading less was one of my goals for this year.
I'm hoping to be able to ride to work twice a week, weather permitting. As I get stronger, I may even up that. Although I'm currently pretty tired and sore from doing the ride yesterday. It didn't help that I picked a miserable day for my first bike to work. It was cold enough in the morning to make my hands go numb and windy enough in the evening to add twenty minutes to what is usually an hour-long ride. But I did it, and I can do it again, and I will keep improving.
On top of this, I'm trying to bike for smaller errands. I can easily bike three miles to the pet store or bike store when I need something small. Ditto the grocery store, which is only 1.5 miles away. Although I have to be careful how much I buy when I do that. I can only carry so many groceries. But if I make more, smaller trips, well that's just more excuses to ride the bike.
The key here is incorporating the bike into my daily life. To choose it over the car whenever it makes sense. Staying on the bike makes me want to get on the bike more. And biking constantly will make it easier to go on longer rides when I can. One of these days I may actually be able to keep up with Kevin on a thirty or forty (or fifty?) mile ride.
When I first moved here, one of Kevin's goals was to ride the entire W&OD trail, 45 miles from Purcellville to Shirlington. I dropped him off at the high end and picked him up several hours later at the low end. Maybe next year I'll get him to do the same for me. Or maybe we can find someone else to drive and ride it together.
That all changed when I moved to Virginia. For one, the suburbs are a lot more spread out. Instead of being a mile away, my bank was now closer to three miles away. There are a lot more cars, too, and the whole experience is scarier. The heat and humidity, which I wasn't yet used to, didn't help. It wasn't long before I feel out of the habit completely, and my attempts to pick it back up were cut short by how horrifically out of shape I got.
I'm changing that now.
The ten mile ride to work is a lot more than the two mile ride I had back in Boulder. But I'm in much better shape than I was, even then. It adds to my commute, but it's a more efficient way to exercise overall and leaves me with more time free in the evenings. And if it cuts into my reading time, well, reading less was one of my goals for this year.
I'm hoping to be able to ride to work twice a week, weather permitting. As I get stronger, I may even up that. Although I'm currently pretty tired and sore from doing the ride yesterday. It didn't help that I picked a miserable day for my first bike to work. It was cold enough in the morning to make my hands go numb and windy enough in the evening to add twenty minutes to what is usually an hour-long ride. But I did it, and I can do it again, and I will keep improving.
On top of this, I'm trying to bike for smaller errands. I can easily bike three miles to the pet store or bike store when I need something small. Ditto the grocery store, which is only 1.5 miles away. Although I have to be careful how much I buy when I do that. I can only carry so many groceries. But if I make more, smaller trips, well that's just more excuses to ride the bike.
The key here is incorporating the bike into my daily life. To choose it over the car whenever it makes sense. Staying on the bike makes me want to get on the bike more. And biking constantly will make it easier to go on longer rides when I can. One of these days I may actually be able to keep up with Kevin on a thirty or forty (or fifty?) mile ride.
When I first moved here, one of Kevin's goals was to ride the entire W&OD trail, 45 miles from Purcellville to Shirlington. I dropped him off at the high end and picked him up several hours later at the low end. Maybe next year I'll get him to do the same for me. Or maybe we can find someone else to drive and ride it together.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Perfect
Every now and then you get a perfect day.
Sunday was warm and breezy and sunny. Kevin and I went for a 12.5 mile bike ride, so he could show me how to get to my office from home. It's the longest ride I've ever done, and it felt good. I may have even been able to make it all the way home, but I'm glad we decided to take the metro back. I still want to work up to that round trip slowly, especially since the way home is almost entirely uphill. Though I don't think it'll be as steep or even as continuous as I initially thought. There were some uphill portions on the ride to my office that should even things out. I'm not too far from being able to do the round trip. Or, more importantly, from being able to bike to work.
After we got home, we cleaned up the main floor and I spent a few hours organizing my library. I pulled a few more books to donate, and an entire box-full of Kevin's childhood books that are falling apart. We're going to see how badly his mom wants to keep them, and then have her take those back and throw out the rest. I just don't like having an entire shelf of spineless, musty books that can't even be read. I'd rather buy new copies when it's time. I also moved a bunch of books to shelves in the living room which means that, for the first time in years, there's empty space in my library. It has room to grow again. Though I'm going to try to be more careful about keeping it pruned from now on.
Connor and his girlfriend, Allison, came over for dinner. We sat in the backyard and grilled burgers because, as mentioned, the weather was amazing. I feel like we've usually grilled a lot more by this time in the year. But between rainy weekends and Kevin being out of town, we haven't found the time. It was nice to fire the grill back up and enjoy a cookout. Then we played monopoly on the fancy board dad got us for Christmas. I got destroyed and it looked like Allison was going to win when we stopped the game to go watch Game of Thrones.
It was everything a weekend day should be - the perfect blend of productivity and relaxation, or alone time and family time. It's nice to stop and smell the roses every now and then.
Sunday was warm and breezy and sunny. Kevin and I went for a 12.5 mile bike ride, so he could show me how to get to my office from home. It's the longest ride I've ever done, and it felt good. I may have even been able to make it all the way home, but I'm glad we decided to take the metro back. I still want to work up to that round trip slowly, especially since the way home is almost entirely uphill. Though I don't think it'll be as steep or even as continuous as I initially thought. There were some uphill portions on the ride to my office that should even things out. I'm not too far from being able to do the round trip. Or, more importantly, from being able to bike to work.
After we got home, we cleaned up the main floor and I spent a few hours organizing my library. I pulled a few more books to donate, and an entire box-full of Kevin's childhood books that are falling apart. We're going to see how badly his mom wants to keep them, and then have her take those back and throw out the rest. I just don't like having an entire shelf of spineless, musty books that can't even be read. I'd rather buy new copies when it's time. I also moved a bunch of books to shelves in the living room which means that, for the first time in years, there's empty space in my library. It has room to grow again. Though I'm going to try to be more careful about keeping it pruned from now on.
Connor and his girlfriend, Allison, came over for dinner. We sat in the backyard and grilled burgers because, as mentioned, the weather was amazing. I feel like we've usually grilled a lot more by this time in the year. But between rainy weekends and Kevin being out of town, we haven't found the time. It was nice to fire the grill back up and enjoy a cookout. Then we played monopoly on the fancy board dad got us for Christmas. I got destroyed and it looked like Allison was going to win when we stopped the game to go watch Game of Thrones.
It was everything a weekend day should be - the perfect blend of productivity and relaxation, or alone time and family time. It's nice to stop and smell the roses every now and then.
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