Cycling Anatomy: It's time for weight training!

Hello, shifting body clock. The aroma of rotting leaves, the sun's hanging low in the sky, and birds flying south all point to the big shift. Not that we don't keep riding. But how do we take stock, prepare and adjust our bodies to our changing environment?

One way is to work different muscles.

I've been seeing a physical therapist for a couple years now, and we talk about muscles. She encourages my body questions. Why does this get sore? What muscles are these, and what do they do? What I relearn is what I already knew:

each of us posesses a remarkable body.

What I like about this book by Shannon Sovndal, MD and forwarded by Christian Vande Velde are the graphics that make my remarkable body a little more comprehensible, and they do so in cyclese.

The muscle groups are identified so I can see exactly what I am feeling when I do the exercises or when I ride.

On the even pages are pictures of an excercise focuse on a specific muscle group like the graphic above. The odd pages depict a cyclist in one of a variety of riding positions with the same muscles highlighted again.

As you can see, you can think about what you'd like to improve, find the exercise and go for it.

There are chapters on;

• The Cyclist in Motion

• Arms

• Shoulders and Neck

• Chest

• Back

• Abdomen

• Legs: Muscle Isolation

• Legs: Complete Power

• Whole-body Training for Cycling

Some of the exercises require free weights as illustrated above, but others utilize stability balls, weight machines, cables and even just you and your body (isn't my body...me?) on a mat. There are other photo series showing the layered muscles of the abdomen, for example: surface, deeper, and deepest. We are complex beings.

I enjoy weight training, though thruth be told I've been off of it a while. It feels good, it helps on the bike, and importantly, it encourages bone density (one of cyclists' achilles heels, if you will). It's also a good strategy for keeping the best body composition possible.

If you are looking for a book that has a sensible, visual approach and is dedicated to cyclists, give Cycling Anatomy a try. It's 192 pages for $21.95, and lots and lots of clear graphics.

If you're looking for a book with lots of info on strength training theories and making a schedule and such, go elsewhere. While there is a fair bit about each muscle group at the beginning of each chapter and an introductory chapter about how we as bodies work while cycling, this isn't a foundational book. The authors know their focus--cyclists--and stick to it. I like that.

Whatever you do, stay active, keep moving, and do stress your body in a variety of ways. The off-season isn't a time for staleness, but rather a time for variety.

Keep it uplifting,

CurioRando

Dartre's First 200k: The Three Rivers Cruise!

We didn't hunt and we didn't trespass. And sadly we didn't fish, even though the sign didn't exactly say we'd get shot if we fished. Problem is there isn't much of a remedy for being shot unfairly. But we did pass through some of Western Washington's most beautiful river valleys: the Stilligaumish, the Sauk and the Skagit. As steelhead fishers, Dartre and I certainly checked out some prime fishin' spots.

The Three Rivers Cruise is Seattle International Randonneurs Permanent #4089, and it was 200k via Arlington, Darrington, Rockport, Marblemount, back through Rockport, Concrete and returning to Arlington. In the pre-dawn light, this blue barn stood watch. Is the barn saying "Oh!" (top two windows as eyes, double-X doors as nose, and open area as mouth)?

Our companion, John Vincent (see Part 1 here and Part 2 here for John's interview about his recumbent experiences), and Dartre stopped as the sun was emerging. If you look closely you'll see the frost is indeed still on the punkins. It was 27 degrees.

The Sun emerges with its special first light.

John rode ahead of us as we headed upstream along the Stilly toward Darrington. Fire trucks and aide cars sped past us at a very fast clip, and our brains couldn't shake on this quiet Sunday morning a nagging dread that perhaps John had been hit. We were relieved/sorry to see the equipment stopped for a house fire. Hope all ended up relatively OK there!

Heading up the Skagit hoping for Bald Eagles. About three months too soon I'm guessing. A few years ago on a frigid float trip we spotted about 300 one day. Note the fabulous shoulder for cycling!

In Marblemount, John displays...I can't remember what the conversation was exactly, but he was displaying hardiness of some kind! Perhaps he was demonstrating how he wasn't the object for the aide vehicles' speeding so. John let me sit on his recumbent and pick it up. Damn, that is a light bicycle!

Here, Dartre displays...what can I say: a smooch heading my way as I practice my behind-the-back-with-my-phone photography skills. Only on deserted stretches of road, I promise.

The Skagit with snowcaps in the background.

Our day warms as Autumn settles in.

Feet planted in Concrete.

The Skagit is a powerful river, colored by glacial till.

Typical Skagit gravel bars.

On the bridge over the Skagit just before turning onto the South Skagit Highway, and miles of chipseal.

Even chipseal roads can capture the special light of a late afternoon sun.

It was about 3000 feet of total climbing, about all we needed.

And for Dartre, it was her first ever 200k! No small feat.

Congratulations, DartreDame! You are a Randonneur!

Keep it flowin,

CurioRando

Oh, the Possiblities: Brevet Schedule for 2010!

The Seattle International Randonneurs has posted our 2010 Brevet Schedule. Yippee!

My mind runs wild:

• 
  
  Will I do my first ever 600k in 2010?
  
  
  
• Will I do an even longer brevet?
• What will my wife (DartreDame when she posts here) do next year now that she is a member?
• Will we succeed in recruiting our certain friend to join too? Or someone else?
• Will we make new friends?
• Will I ride faster and make shorter Controle stops next year?
• What new weather challenges await?
• Will I get an SR series in by June for PBP purposes?
• What will my new designed-for-Randonneuring bicycle be like to ride (go here, for details)?
• What critters will we see?
• Any new weather phenomenon?
• Will I begin to feel ready for PBP, and how will I start to panic, feeling unprepared?
• What new insights will 2010 Brevets bring to my life?
• Will I complete my first R-12?
• How will volunteering for the first time change my views, if at all?

Where does your mind go?

What big randonneuring adventures in 2010?

How are you preparing now?

Here's the SIR 2010 Brevet Schedule:

Date            Brevet                   Organizer


2/28/10 Sun       Spring Populaire (RUSA)      Suzanne Nowlis

3/13/10 Sat        Chili Feed 200K (ACP)        Mary & Greg Cox

3/20/10 Sat        Bellingham 200K (ACP)       Dan Turner/Matt Dalton

3/27/10 Sat        Spring 300K (ACP)             Gary Prince/David Harper

4/3/10 Sat          Bellingham 300K (ACP)       Dan Turner/Matt Dalton

4/15-18/10         Fleche NW (ACP)               Carol & Ralph Nussbaum

4/21-25/10         Wenatchee Camp                 Mike McHale

4/25/10 Sun        200K (ACP)                       Wayne Methner

5/15/10 Sat         Spring 400K (ACP)             Joe Llona

6/5/10 Sat           Spring 600K (ACP)             Jeff Tilden, et al

6/26-30/10          Cascade1240 (RM)             Mark Roehrig

6/26-29/10          Cascade 1000K (ACP)       Mark Roehrig

7/10/10 Sat         Summer Populaire (RUSA)   Paul Johnson

7/24/10 Sat         Summer 200K (ACP)           Josh Morse

8/7/10 Sat           3 Volcanoes 300K (ACP)     Amy & Robin Pieper

8/19/10 Thu        Summer 1000K (ACP)          Mark Thomas

8/21/10 Sat         Summer 400K (ACP)           Mark Thomas

8/29/10 Sat         Mountain Populaire (RUSA)  Noel Howes

9/11/10 Sat         Summer 600K (ACP)           Robert Higdon / Chris Gay

9/12/10 Sun        Summer 200K (ACP)            Robert Higdon / Chris Gay

9/18/10 Sat         SIR/ORR Dart (RUSA)         Peg Winczewski

9/24-27/10         WA-OR 1000K (ACP)         Vincent Muoneke/Geoff Swarts

9/24/10 Fri         WA-OR 400K (ACP)           Vincent Muoneke / Geoff Swarts

9/25/10 Sat        WA-OR 600K (ACP)            Vincent Muoneke / Geoff Swarts


Great THANKS to all the individual Brevet Organizers, our RBA Mark Thomas, and the volunteers who make such dreaming possible!

Just in: the Oregon Randonneurs 2010 Brevet Schedule. Yippee, again! And great THANKS to ORR RBA Susan France and the ORR individual Brevet Organizers and volunteers for their dreamweaving too!

And now, check out the 2010 Brevet Schedule nationally at the Randonneurs USA site. Pick your location, and find a ride!


Keep it dreamy,

CurioRando

Bellevue, WA Bustin' Out with Bicycle Plan

As for funding, that remains to be seen. The Seattle Times reported recently that Bellevue is planning 80 miles of bikelanes, though funding is sketchy.

Bellevue was designed for cars, and it shows if you're cycling: little shoulder room. City Councilmember John Chelminiak wants to make changes. Compared to its neighboring communities, Redmond and Kirkland, Bellevue has a long way to go. And, of course, the Cascade Bicycle Club is pushing Bellevue to go farther and faster.

Here is a map of proposed new bicycle routes. And here is a map of proposed bicycle projects.

According to the Seattle Times, here's a comparison of local cities:

Bellevue: 33 miles of bike lanes and 11.5 miles of off-street paths. About 300 commuters (0.5 percent of all commuters) ride a bike to work.

Redmond: 73 miles of bike trails and lanes, including regional trails such as the Sammamish River Trail. About 400 commuters (1.4 percent of all commuters) ride a bike to work. In 2007, Redmond was recognized as a bronze-level "Bicycle-Friendly Community" by the League of American Bicyclists.


Kirkland: 40 miles of bike lanes. About 100 commuters (0.4 percent of all commuters) ride a bike to work.


Seattle: 44.6 miles of trails and 130.4 miles of on-street bicycle facilities (including bike lanes, climbing lanes, pavement markings, bicycle boulevards and signed local street connections). About 7,000 commuters (2.3 percent of all commuters) ride a bike to work. In 2009, Seattle was recognized as a gold-level "Bicycle-Friendly Community" by the League of American Bicyclists.

Go Bellevue!!

Keep it funded

CurioRando

Biker Mike McGinn for Seattle Mayor!

Mike Bikes! And I, CurioRando, endorse Biker Mike McGinn for Mayor of Seattle.

Now, Mike bikes with an electric bicycle, but that's cool. To me it sends a message to folks who think they couldn't ever bicycle to work that maybe there are alternatives to racing bicycles and lycra: electric bicycles, bus-bicycle combo, bicycling once/month, bicycling one way (downhillish?) and taking light rail home (uphillish?) are but a few examples.

Do you think a guy who bicycles all over town understands our issues? I do.

Do you think his opponent, who I've heard fairly dismiss cycling as any kind of serious solution, gets our issues? I don't.

What about non-cycling issues?

I like Mike because while I believe that Mike, just like his opponent, has lots to learn about governing a biggish city, he has spent much of his life bringing collective solutions to critical issues. He's led coalitions. He's rolled up his sleeves to tackle genuine problems even when much of the status quo sided against him. This is experience that I believe he can rely on to tackle the big job of leading our wonderful city.

I like his opponent also. I think he's a good man. I don't, however, believe that corporate leadership is the best preparation for what we now need. Unregulated, unfettered and self-interested corporations have very much to do with the mess we're in. Now while that doesn't taint every corporate exec, corporate leadership particularly over the past while has been all about competition at any cost. Usually, it's been the public that has paid the cost.

What we need to get back to is leadership that calls us to collective, not competitive, solutions. Mike has that experience.

Because of my day job, I've sat in on way too many candidate endorsement interviews. I sat in on such interviews with both candidates. From those interviews, I've come to trust Mike McGinn. He ain't perfect, but I fundamentally trust his tendancy toward collective solutions. I know that it is collective solutions that will lead us out of our current mess.

 

For the Cascade Bicycle Club's take on why they endorsed Biker Mike McGinn, go here.

For a news story about the CBC endorsement of Biker Mike McGinn, go here.

For a story on why Biker Mike McGinn bicyles, go here.

For Biker Mike McGinn's Campaign webpage, go here.

You know what else? Bicycling clears your head. I'm serious, and if you're a cyclist you know it is true. It's not the only way by any means, but cycling does that. That's good. I like a Mayor with a cleared head.

I'm voting for Biker Mike McGinn for Mayor of Seattle!

Keep it clear,

CurioRando

UPDATE: Did Biker Mike McGinn Win? See this post to find out!

"Changing a Culture of Negligence"

I attended the Cascade Bicycle Club's Traffic Justice Summit this evening. I was late, but I got there in time to hear the testifying by head-on collision survivors and friends and family of cyclists killed by cars.

Ilse has commuted by bicycle for 15 years, three years on the same route. She was hit head-on at 10am by a driver who had crossed over to her side of the road. He had a prior record she said, and two years later killed Tatsuo Nakata, an aide to a Seattle Councilmember.Tatsuo was crossing  a street in West Seattle in 2006, and was well-known and beloved by many.

Michelle spoke of Kevin Black who was killed by a negligent driver according to the final Seattle Police report. There is no law on the books according to County and City officials, so the driver got a ticket in the mail with no appearance in court.

Another man spoke of being struck on Hiway 305 on Bainbridge Island in 2004. He was thrown 85 feet and by that and this man's weight the police calculated the driver was going 48 mph. He had "extensive damages" to his body. The driver was on a hands-free phone and looked down momentarily to see who was calling. According to the driver behind her, she veered into the cyclist. The injured cyclist said: "It has to be against the law to step into a car and not pay attention."

Two others spoke of their friend Carrie who left their house to go cyclotouring. Their friend was a very experienced cyclist, a racer, who was struck by a driver going 55mph. Carrie was struck several days into her tour on a straight road, during daylight hours while Carrie was riding on the shoulder of the road and wearing bright clothing. The driver was deemed 100% responsible, and got a traffic ticket only. Carrie was kept alive so that her organs could be donated per her request, but never stood a chance. Her boyfriend's back was broken in four places as well. It was Emily, Carrie's friend, who declared that she was not an activist prior to this July, but that she is in this fight for Traffic Justice till we prevail saying we must be about "changing a culture of negligence."

Another man was struck by the driver of a stolen car going 65 - 70 mph. He has, he told us, diminished brain capacity and a skull that is one half titanium. More specifically, he told us he had 1/4th the brain on that side left.

My take is this: the Vulnerable User legislation that the Cascade Bicycle Club is spearheading is not a cure-all. But it does one very important thing. It makes negligence inexcusable. This changes the dialogue and hence drivers' awareness so that cyclists are acknowledged to have a right to the road. That right then must be legally respected, and drivers will know there are consequences. That's a good start.

For more on what Oregon has already done, chronicled on film, go here.

For more on the proposed Vulnerable User legislation in Washington State, go here.

For a post on randonneur John Vincent's story of how he was struck on a brevet this year, go here.

For more on a Texan who was killed a few weeks ago, go here.

For more on changing a culture of negligence, I think we all need to go to our own driving habits first, and then do our part to make driving attentively the rule of law.


Keep it attentive,

CurioRando

Traffic Justice Summit in Seattle: October 14 at 5:30pm

I've written about Vulnerable User legislation previously. I also reviewed the movie Veer which was in part about getting that legislation passed in Oregon. Now, we're taking it up in Washington State.

Why? Currently, a motorist who kills or injures a cyclist--a vulnerable user--gets a traffic ticket at most. No consideration for the relative vulnerability. As a result, I'll posit it doesn't occur to most motorists just how vulnerable it can be. The result is less care.

We need to stake our claim for our fair share of the roads, and our fair share of political power.

The Cascade Bicycle Club is leading by convening their Traffic Justice Summit. The Traffic Justice Summit will include Senate Judiciary Chair Adam Kline, Seattle City Attorney Tom Carr, Seattle City Council Public Safety Chair Tim Burgess along with reserchers, experts, advocates, families, friends and victims to learn the facts and talk about what we can do as a community -- and as a state -- to protect pedestrians and cyclists.

Here's a link to the legislation.

Here's a link to more info on the summit.

Keep it just,

CurioRando

Purple King Kong Crashes Kitsap Color Classic

Yep, as the sun peeks up over the horizon for the day, Purple King Kong, seen above and below, ambushes riders heading for the Edmonds ferry to attend the Kitsap Color Classic a week ago. The ride was sponsored by the Cascade Bicycle Club. See how Purple Kong reaches for those bicycles on the cars?

Queuing up for the ferry from Edmonds are those smiling ones who escaped Purple Kong's wrath.

First stop, gazing at Mt. Baker across the sea. Note Dartre's kneewarmer-shorts transition. Who's gonna be the first to find the solution to this problem? One of my cycling pet peeves!

The approach to Port Gamble alone made the ride worthwhile.

At Port Gamble.

Just past Poulsbo, the seals (sea lions?) are kickin' back.

Halloween was in the air. This on the side of a tented carport. Yikes! Bet it's great at night.

Pitstop Plum...Yum.

Norwegian-themed restroom. No, I was not sacrificing Dartre to the Norse gods of the sea or cycling or some such. Just an unfortunate juxtaposition.

Dartre shows a little leg. Niggling kneewarmer issue, I tell ya. Is she the Fay Rae Purple Kong was seeking?

The original Fay Rae, who when told she was being asked to star opposite the tallest, darkest leading man in Hollywood. asked : "Calrk Gable?" Nope. King Kong.

Curio ponders curiously while awaiting the ferry home. Hooked up with a few old work colleagues here.

Salt-craving Dartre aboard the boat for the ride home: "Give me Chips!"

Purple Kong was not there on our way home from the ferry terminal. Did Purple Godzilla get him?

You thought I was crazy, didn't you? The Polish believe King Kong is purple!!

In the end, we headed home and Purple Kong didn't get my gal. A good day cycling!

Keep Purple Kong away from your gal,

CurioRando

Pray for the Dead and Fight Like Hell for the Living!

Larry McQuien, may you rest in peace.

Larry McQuein was riding his bicycle in the Fort Worth, Texas area last Saturday when he was struck by a driver traveling in the same direction on a road with no sight obstructions. The driver's car "veered into" Larry. It has been reported that Larry was cycling at the time with his son who was following some distance behind.

For the news report and a little about who Larry was as a person, not just as a cyclist, go here and here.

For a local columnist taking state lawmakers to task for their failure to protect Larry and all cyclists in Texas, go here.

For more information about how Oregon passed "Vulnerable Users" legislation, see my post reviewing the movie ironically titlted Veer.

For movement in Washington State toward following the lead of Oregonians and passing "Vulnerable User" legislation, go to Publicola.

For background on Mother Jones, the famous union organizer who coined the phrase that became the title of her autobiography: "Pray for the Dead and Fight Like Hell for the Living", go here.

Our hearts go out to Larry McQuien's family. To honor him and protect ourselves, let's fight like hell for Vulnerable Users legislation, three feet laws, and/or other measures to give cyclists their fair share of space and respect.

Keep him in our prayers, then advocate and fight for our rights,

CurioRando