Starting from square ONE... 2021 edition

“Start at the beginning!”

“And when you come to the end… STOP.”

The March Hare and Mad Hatter, Disney’s Alice in Wonderland

OK, that’s enough duplicating the 2019 edition.

The last 2 years have been very difficult and actually pretty amazing.

Good: My son Patrick finished 5.1 years of mountain bike racing with his AMAZING team, the LWC Gryphons. (The 0.1 year is the couple of weeks of MTB team practice he got in before COVID lockdowns cancelled everything)
Bad: I had the lowest mileage year since 2007 when I started riding again. 19.8 miles. That’s not a typo. 19.1 miles of running in 2020. Also not a typo.
Good: I finally figured out the health issues that have been holding me down for the past 8-10 years. It feels good to finally have some answers about what is going on with my body. Those answers are leading to some real-life improvements, some of them very measurable.
Bad: I got up to 325 pounds back in Oct 2021 due to not moving around much after the COVID lockdowns began. No more riding to work. Trips to get water/snacks or use the restroom went from 100+ feet (30m) to 10-20 (3-7m). And no social rides.
Good: I have been working with a nutritionist and endocrinologist which has led to me losing 18 pounds (as of Feb 17, 2021) and we have only just begun.
Bad: With the COVID lockdown, I’m not commuting to work by bike anymore.
Good: I bought a Stages SB20 smart bike trainer!
Bad: In October 2020 I sprained my right knee while working to clear a downed tree blown down in a recent wind storm
Good: I am up to 124.55 cycling miles and 6.6 running miles in 2021 after 6 weeks, almost 10x the total mileage of 2020 and well on my way to beating 2019.

With all that in mind, I have several goals for the year…

Goal #1: Complete ONE Sprint Triathlon race in 2021

The last one was in 2014, coming up on 7 years ago (and, no, I still don’t have a race report for it). That race wasn’t my best because I was pacing my pre-teen son on his first-and-only triathlon. He did finish it but he was really beat up by the end. Needless to say it wasn’t my fastest race. Not sure what race this will be. Races later in the year have a much higher probability of actually happening (depending on the COVID situation) so the Lake Stevens Triathlon in September may be it. Otherwise I could just do my own with my son. He would SMOKE me on the swim and bike (he did swim teach during his 4 years of high school).

Goal #2: Do 1 pull-up

I have a vague memory from my pre-3rd grade life (younger than 8?) of doing a pull-up. It might be me dreaming that I actually did one but I think I did. At the time I was probably around 4’ tall (1.2m) and 60 pounds (27kg), a far cry from where I am today. Doing a single pull-up should be a great barometer of my overall fitness (weight loss and increased strength).

Goal #3: Be ready for Cycle Oregon 2021

Granted, this one may not happen because the state of Oregon has tighter COVID lock downs than most states in the USA. Which means Cycle Oregon 2021 might not happen. It’s a big goal considering my mileage as of now (Feb 2021) is FAR from ready for 400+ miles of a typical Cycle Oregon route. So I have a lot of riding to do. If I’m not ready for that there’s always…

Goal #4: Be ready for RAMROD 2022

Yep, that’s right, I want to do RAMROD in 2022. The ride that chewed me up and spit me out back in 2015. How in the world am I going to be ready in 18 months for this EPIC ride? With these tools…

Tool #1: Stagesbike SB20 Smart Bike

I pulled the trigger on a fancy new stationary bike with lots of new whiz/bang features that allow it to be controlled by other apps such as Zwift, Trainer Road, etc. I picked Zwift for now but I think I’m going to try out Trainer Road for a month. I really like the features and feel of the bike. Why did I not buy a wheel-on trainer like the Wahoo Kickr for literally half the price? One word: weight. The Kickr has a 275 lb (125kg) weight limit. While I do hope to get down well below 275, I haven’t seen that weight since about 2011. Going with a heavy-duty stationary bike allows me to get around that. And my boys and wife can use it anytime without tying up my road bike. Full review of this coming shortly.

Tool #2: Zwift

This has been a GREAT tool when used in conjunction with a smart bike trainer. The routes change a lot, there are people to ride with (some folks from my company have a private Zwift club), and you get a TON of data (big deal for me, since I’m a data nerd).

Tool #3: Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells

They won’t arrive for a while, but I ordered a set of these. I am wiling to wait until April/May so I don’t have to pay $500+ on Craigslist for a USED set. (not kidding) Until then, I have a backup plan…

Tool #4: Physical Therapy

With my knee injury, I have been working with an amazing physical therapist to rehab my knee injury and increase my overall strength/flexibility, which really sucks right now.

Other thoughts…

I am looking forward to a few other events this summer, including the Crater Lake rim ride, which they do during their car-free days (when cars are not allowed on 75% of the rim drive).
Yes, I do have a weight goal in mind, but I don’t like to advertise it. My wife likes to joke that losing weight implies that you might find it again. And losing weight isn’t really my goal, it is a side-effect of achieving my other goals. And that number might just be 250 lbs (113kg) but I refuse to confirm or deny that absolute fact.
Remember that whole track-racing thing I tried back in 2014? I have decided that while velodrome racing is not my bag, training on the track absolutely is, which will lead to a track-training report in the future.
Mountain biking is AWESOME!!!! Over the past several years my son and I did an amazing amount of MTB riding at various trails around the Washington state. We have had quite a few adventures, including one that required a 5-day stay at a hospital. (more on that later) I even made a ride video from one of our races in 2017. The Seattle area really is an MTB paradise. Don’t believe me? Go to YouTube and search for MTB plus the words Duthie Hill, Tokul West, Tiger Mountain, Raging River, Ollalie, Galbraith….OK, that’s enough to keep you busy. But now I need to convince my wife that I really need to buy a new MTB since the one I have been riding has now been claimed by my taller-than-Dad youngest son.

Will it stick this time? Will I actually do it? We’ll see. I mean, I’ve tried hitting the reset button before and it didn’t really work.

I mean… What’s the worst that could happen, right? Oh yeah, after COVID we all stopped saying that. I should really stop now.

}B^)

And here’s that MTB video…

Starting from square ONE... 2019 edition

“Start at the beginning!”

“And when you come to the end… STOP.”

March Hare and Mad Hatter, Disney’s Alice in Wonderland

Sorry folks, sob story time…

In 2014, I did the Issaquah Triathlon with my son Patrick, his first and only full-distance triathlon (still haven’t written this one up). Not long after that race I had the second of 2 different injuries that effectively ended my race seasons and ruined my summers for 2013 and then 2014. Then, after having issues with memory, attention, and energy, I was diagnosed with some other health issues that required some interventions (moderate and treatable, not severe). And I haven’t been in a triathlon since.

That Issaquah Tri in 2014 was my last race of any kind. In the mean time a few other things have happened -

My son Patrick discovered an amazing love of mountain biking, which I have joined him on numerous occasions. He now owns a bike far more expensive than any of my bikes. This injustice must be rectified!
In 2015 I rode in the RAMROD bike ride and *almost* finished. (more to come later)
I have been in numerous local mountain bike races, even taking the points race in the Clydesdale category in the Vicious Cycle Fat Tire Revolution racing series in 2017 (the last year they did a race series).
I was promoted at work and then changed jobs, which affected my ability to ride to work (i.e. not nearly as often, even though I am now only 5.5 miles from home)
In 2018 I strained my back during a race in Leavenworth Washington on the Freund Canyon trail at the Bikes and Brews Festival, but it was worth every minute of pain afterward. Unfortunately my bike mileage suffered that summer and hasn’t really recovered.

And that brings me to my current state of affairs…

I am over 320 pounds, the most I have ever weighed in my life.
My energy level and fitness are at all-time lows.
In 2018 I rode the fewest miles than any year since I started cycling again in 2007 and this year is on track to be even worse.
I haven’t actually gone on a run for fitness purposes since November 2018, and I only recorded 3 runs that year. None so far for 2019.
I haven’t done a swim workout since… I can’t remember.

So I am back basically at square one. The same place I was back at the beginning of 2005 when I looked like this-

Me with Boy #2 and Boy #3 when they were just a few days old

Granted, in that shot my twin boys were barely a month old and sleeping through the night was a pipe dream, but my health was terrible. I was about 315 lbs back then and my cholesterol and blood pressure were through the roof. I did a program back then to change my health and get into shape through a local health club, spending a LOT of time and money. 18 months after that, in 2007, I did my first triathlon at the behest of a friend, and the rest is history.

Now I look like this-

I picked a bad selfie for a reason: I look terrible and no one wants to see a fat guy with a gut.

Compare that to how I looked before the Beaver Lake Tri in 2011, 50 pounds ago…

So where does this leave me? Looking for training plans and options for NEXT year. I was hoping to be able to take my son on a week-long cycling trip in Oregon this fall but that isn’t going to happen (at least not this year).

My current goals:

Ride to work at least 3x per week for the rest of the year, starting next week (this week is a 3-day holiday week and there’s no way I can fit in that much riding before being gone for 4 days).
Ride the rim of Crater Lake during one of their car-free Saturdays in September.
Shed at least 50 pounds by the end of 2019 through diet and exercise with the stretch goal of getting down to 250 lbs by June 1, 2020, the unofficial start of the race season in Seattle.
Go on at least 2 bike camping adventures with my sons.
Ride at least 2000 miles by the end of the year.
Be able to comfortably run a 10K by the end of the year.
Track it all on this fabulous blog. }B^)

So that’s it. I’m basically starting at square one. AGAIN. (hence the 2019 edition in the title)

Will it stick this time? Will I actually do it? We’ll see. I mean, I’ve tried hitting the reset button before and it didn’t really work.

I mean… What’s the worst that could happen, right?

How to kill a Schwalbe Marathon

There only very few things for which I have zero tolerance. Flat tires is one of them. There is nothing in the world that kills the joy of riding a bicycle faster than a flat tire. Especially when you are going down a big hill and your freshly-installed tire was not properly seated on the rim. And you used a slime tube...

Tube failure due to improper tire seating

I spent my High School days in eastern Washington and was introduced to this little nuisance...

They can get REALLY bad, as Pat from 26InchSlicks found out...

Pat pulling dozens of thorns out of a fat tire using pliers.

Needless to say that when you are riding in eastern Washington State you ride with tire protection or you don't ride. Or at least you don't ride very far. That is Tribulus terrestris, commonly known as tackweed or goathead thistle. They REALLY hurt when you step on them barefoot.

So one day I was ranting about how much I hate flats and a friend at work introduced me to Schwalbe Marathon tires. They claim to be the only "flat-less" tire on the market, with the Marathon Plus model sporting an incredible 5mm of rubber between the tire surface and the tube. They even go to great lengths to prove how tough their tires can be...

So I picked up a set for my old mountain bike and started using them for daily commuting. For years I had ZERO flats.

In 2012 when I switched over from my 1993 Schwinn High Plains to a Specialized TriCross, I bought new Marathon Plus tires (700x35) to go with it and quickly ditched the really bad stock tires. And things went fine. These tires are AWESOME!

Until...

I was riding to work in the rain a few months ago and suddenly heard a quick "whoosh" sound, followed immediately by the unmistakable feeling of a flat rear tire. Luckily I was only going 15 MPH at the time and easily pulled over on the wide shoulder. A mile later I would have been doing 35-40 MPH down a very steep hill. Thankfully, I was unhurt.

It didn't take me long to find the reason for the leak: a MASSIVE hole cut in the tread. !?!?!

What could make such a hole? How did I NOT see it?

It didn't take long to find the culprit.

The Husky Sure-Grip Folding Lock Back Utility Knife

There is was on the road... a Husky Sure-Grip Folding Lock Back Utility Knife. You can buy them on Amazon for $11. They are a favorite tool among construction workers, landscapers, and anyone who routinely opens boxes (retail or warehouse workers). It was obvious by the damaged handle that the knife had been run-over several times by cars/trucks and had seen better days. So I picked it up and walked home.

Upon closer inspection I found the hole was impressively deep: even the tube had a 1" hole sliced into it.

I quickly swapped out with a new tire/tube and was back on the road in about 20 minutes.

Moral of the story: even the most armored tired cannot survive EVERYTHING. And I still have no idea how I didn't see that knife on the road before I hit it.

And who drops a box cutting razor knife in the road anyway? (probably fell off the back of a truck) A $14 knife carelessly dropped in the middle of the road cost me a $65 tire.

"Wait a minute, Lee... You just happened to have another Schwalbe Marathon Plus tire ready to swap out?"

Yes, I did. I have this nasty habit of pre-buying replacement parts for things that experience normal wear and tear. My garage contains a small stock of chains, cassettes, tires, and tubes for all my family's bikes. Remember my post about buying on the cheap? Buying ahead of need saves me a lot of money in the long run.

I Broke The Law Tonight

Tonight I broke the law. I did it knowingly and willfully. I'll probably do it again tomorrow and probably over 100 times before next April. At least I hope to, if my work and personal schedule do not get in the way.

The Act

What did I do that was so heinous? I rode my bicycle home from work.

I did it in the dark on a multi-use trail, the East Lake Sammamish Trail, which runs along East Lake Sammamish Parkway in Redmond and Sammamish in Washington State. This trail, along with other connecting trails, offer amazing benefits to commuters, like me, to allow us to ride on trails where we are the fastest user, as opposed to riding on roads where we have to mix it up with cars, trucks, and motorcycles. On these trails the worst thing we have to worry about are retractable dog leashes, joggers wearing headphones, and soccer-moms walking three or four abreast.

What law was I breaking?

King County Code Section 7.12.480 - Presence in parks during hours the park is closed. No person shall enter or be present in a county park area during hours the park is closed except persons who have paid the applicable use fees to camp in designated campsites or trailer sites, or to moor boats overnight at designated sites and persons using park facilities as part of an event authorized by the department. Park areas are open dawn to dusk unless open for scheduled or reserved recreational activities. (Ord. 12003 § 12, 1995: Ord. 8166 § 6, 1987: Ord. 6798 § 48, 1984). (Emphasis added)

Ouch. The trail is effectively closed during hours of darkness. Not just the East Lake Sammamish Trail, but also the following very popular trails used by commuters-

Burke-Gilman Trail (Connects Seattle to Woodinville, WA)
Sammamish River Trail (Connects Woodinville to Redmond)
Marymoor Connector Trail (Connects the Sammamish River Trail to the East Lake Sammamish Trail)
Snoqualmie Valley Trail
Interurban Trail

The Punchline

If the dusk-to-dawn hours were enforced, every bike commuter would have to take an alternate route during Pacific Standard Time (i.e. when Daylight Saving Time is not in effect) because, during that time of year, sunset is somewhere in the neighborhood of 4:30-5pm.

This would impact THOUSANDS of people in the greater Seattle area.

What is the possible penalty?

Sections 7.12.650-670 describe the possible penalties of this offense: up to a $500 fine, up to 90 days in jail, and suspension of use privileges (i.e. leave and don't come back). These are enforced through the King County Sheriff. Yes, this means business.

How do I know all this?

I was at a Sammamish City Council meeting in March of this year where they were discussing the East Lake Sammamish Trail (which is currently in the process of being paved). A local homeowner asked the City and County and the King County Sheriff to enforce the current trail hours (same as KC parks, essentially dusk to dawn), with locking gates, fencing-in of the trail corridor, and fines for violators. Neither the City Council nor the County commented on this “issue” so I did a little research on the county website and could only find mention of park hours of operation.

So I submitted this question to the King County website-

In regards to the various multi-use trails that the county maintains, such as the Sammamish River Trail, East Lake Sammamish Trail, Snoqualmie Valley Trail, etc., and their hours of operation: are there enforced hours of operations for these multi-use trails? Most KC parks have operating hours such as "opens half an hour before sunrise, closes half an hour after dusk" or similar. Are there similar rules in place for the trails?
I use several trails on a regular basis as part of my commute. During the fall/winter months (i.e. when Daylight Saving Time is NOT in effect) I ride to work in the dark (6:30-8am) and come home in the dark (between 5:30-7pm). If the trails are "closed" during hours of darkness it will significantly impact my ability to use the trails during my commute.

After being bounced from one person to another I finally received this reply, pretty much a cut/paste type of response (all names shortened)-

Good afternoon, Lee:
Thank you for contacting King County regarding the hours of operation for King County’s multi-use trails. We appreciate your inquiry. Currently, the hours of operation for these trails are a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset . Per King County Code:
7.12.480 Presence in parks during hours the park is closed. No person shall enter or be present in a county park area during hours the park is closed except persons who have paid the applicable use fees to camp in designated campsites or trailer sites, or to moor boats overnight at designated sites and persons using park facilities as part of an event authorized by the department. Park areas are open dawn to dusk unless open for scheduled or reserved recreational activities. (Ord. 12003 § 12, 1995: Ord. 8166 § 6, 1987: Ord. 6798 § 48, 1984).
Please do not hesitate to contact me directly if you have further questions or comments on this rule. You can reach me at <email redacted> or at 206-477-4527.
Thank you for using King County Parks and Trails. Have a nice day!
Sincerely,
Matthew P.
Parks and Recreation Division

This raises more questions than it answers so I replied with this-

How is this enforced on multi-use trails that are essentially commute corridors with no access controls (i.e. gates)?
At a recent Sammamish city council meeting regarding the East Lake Sammamish Trail, one home owner along the trail corridor asked that King County Sheriff enforce the park operating hours on the trail through fines and/or arrests. This would mean I can’t use a King County maintained trail for bike commuting for 6 months out of the year since the sun sets well before I ride home. The same goes for the thousands of other commuters who use the BGT, SRT, I-90 trail, etc.

After 2 weeks I received the following response, which sums up the current situation pretty well.

Hi Lee.
I'm the regional trails coordinator, so your questions have found their way to my desk. I'm not certain that you got a final answer, so I'll wade into the last question. If you have already received an answer, then please consider this as additional guidance.
With respect to the question below, it is true that, presently, King County's regional trails are closed after dark. They are essentially parks in this regard. We recognize, however, that people commuting on the trails to and from work or school often need to use them after hours. It has been our decades-long policy that this use is tolerated, if not broadcast. Occasionally, someone will be stopped by local law enforcement as they commute to Seattle at 5:00 am and asked to leave a trail, but it hasn't happened very often! Of course, quiet commuting is better than boisterous commuting in these circumstances. Folks along the East Lake Sammamish Trail through Sammamish are particularly sensitive to trail use after hours with the concern that trail access may encourage crimes and/or inappropriate behavior. They are most anxious about their privacy, and we respect this.
Regional trails throughout the region under the management of other jurisdictions such as Seattle and WSDOT are generally open 24 hours. King County manages about one-half of the regional trails, so our rules are not universal. Of course, many of our trails are the ones most people use, so that makes it a little more complicated. We are proposing to modify regional trail hours to make this more consistent throughout the network, however. This requires a change to the King County Code, and there is no telling when that might occur. The ELST may always be an exception. We may have to continue to officially close the trail at dusk. This would likely necessitate bicyclists using East Lake Sammamish Parkway for part of their commute. This route will eventually have full bike lanes along its length, so it will provide a more bike-friendly environment along with better illumination.
I hope I have answered your question. In summary, the ELST is closed dusk to dawn, but we recognize, value, and generally tolerate regional trail commuters after dark. ELST creates a unique situation that may present some commuter challenges, but East Lake Sammamish Parkway may provide an alternative for part of your commute.
If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Robert F.
Regional Trails Coordinator

The short version is this: there are hours of operations (pretty much a CYA policy) but we are not enforcing it on commuter trails. Why have a trail that doubles as a commute corridor if those commuters can’t use it half of the year? And those months where it makes the most sense from a safety point of view? And the hours will only be enforced on this trail because of... the local homeowners? What about the homeowners along the Burke-Gilman Trail? I decided not to push my luck on that point.

I pinged Robert one more time, 6 months later, to see if anything had changed in regards to the King County Code. His reply was exactly what I expected to hear-

Hi Lee,
Glad you checked back. The rules are currently the same. A change of County Code is currently being considered by the County Council, but I don’t believe final decisions have been made. I believe we should hear soon, however.
Robert F.

The moral of the story and the future

So what happens next? King County plans to finish the paving project on the south half of the ELST sometime in 2017, pending ongoing legal action by local homeowners.

The King County Council may update the current county code to allow these trail corridors to be used during commute times, even if they are after dark, but I'm not holding my breath on that one.

Moral of the story: keep riding, be quiet, be a good citizen, and hopefully we won't get cited for riding a PUBLIC TRAIL in the dark. Hey, at least they paved it!

}B^)

Track Racing Report 2014

Wow. How did I let this one slip? I wrote this in October 2014 and, well... I have no excuse. OK, I have a long list but none of them are really worth it. So here it is...

Well, another race season has come and gone. And what do I have to show for it? Maybe a cat-4 upgrade? Not quite, but more on that later.

To officially race at the Marymoor Velodrome you must jump through a few hoops-

Take one of their Adult Track Classes. These happen on various Saturdays and Sundays throughout the Spring/Summer. I took mine on June 21, 2014. It lasts 4 hours and give you a great introduction to the track, track safety, and basic race tactics. Bike rentals available just bring a helmet (and your own bike shoes/pedals, if you have them).
Safely compete at least 3 "Cat-5 races" on Thursday nights during the Spring/Summer.
After you have been cleared by the Thursday night racing officials, you can go to Monday Night racing, where the Cat 4 men duke it out.

At least that's what I've heard: I didn't make it to step #3 but I'm getting ahead of myself...

As described previously, I've been having a blast on Monday lunch breaks doing track workouts.

A sunny October day at the track: you better believe I put in a few laps!

I did quite a few practice runs before my personal schedule lined up with a Saturday track class. It showed me quite a few things I didn't know, like how to get on your bike and start pedaling without hanging onto a rail. No, I'm not kidding. Have you ever tried to start-off from a dead stop, with no assistance, with clip-less pedals and 48/15 fixed gearing? That one took a while to learn.

Just under 2 weeks later I made it to my first of three required cat-5 sessions. My son made a video of my first ever time trial (1-lap 400m TT from a standing start).

Not my best attempt but it was enough to get me seeded in the racing for the night. More importantly, I didn't crash and I stayed below the red line for the entire lap.

After that we did a 5-lap scratch race, a 3x4 points race, and an unknown distance race.

Sitting on the rail waiting to start my first scratch race. That's me, second from the rear.

Lap times in training vs. in a race (i.e. drafting)

Riding in a pack is a LOT different than alone on a wide-open 400m track. How different?

Best 400m lap time by myself: 39 seconds
Best 400m lap time in a pace line: 35 seconds

That doesn't look like much but consider this: that's an 11% improvement. The main reason is wind resistance while riding in a pack but the dynamics of pack riding also come into play. I know that the best way to run faster/farther is to find a running partner even if we only run side-by-side for the duration of the race, as I did in the 2010 Issaquah Triathlon.

The dynamics of pack riding are also something I seem to struggle with, especially the accordion action of entering/exiting a turn. I'm sure this will ease as I get more experience but for now it can be unnerving.

Second race night (i.e. I've got nothing)

After my first race night I was very excited for my second of three required cat-5 races. The night of the race something just felt "off" and I couldn't get moving as fast as I had before. After every race I would hang my head and pant like I had just run sprints.

It wasn't until later that night that I figured out the problem: I had a booster shot for T-DAP vaccine that morning and was having a mild reaction. Note to self: do not race within 12 hours of having a shot of any kind. It REALLY slowed me down. The other racers dropped me like 3rd period French, to coin a phrase.

Injury report

While coming home on my commute one night (July 2014) something didn't feel right. I got up the next morning with a familiar pain pattern. After a quick trip to the see the doctor yes, I had another hernia. Surgery ended my season before it really got started. As with 2013 this one had the same story: no riding for nearly 2 months. Ugg.

Just over 2 months later I rode my bike to work for the first time and, as expected, it took me a LONG time to ride to/from work. This winter is going to be a little rough. There is also this sleep issue I'm still dealing with (as in lack-of-it) which totally zaps my energy and motivation.

What about next year? I'm thinking track racing (at least an upgrade to cat-4), RAMROD, and Cycle Oregon. And maybe a triathlon. Only time will tell... }B^)