tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15413240485172562342024-03-13T08:15:13.746-05:00Myrna CG Mibus - IdyllwildA blog that's mostly about Bicycling but also covers Baking, Travel and just about anything else that's Fun!Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.comBlogger209125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-74631074129605517292020-01-01T16:02:00.000-06:002020-01-01T16:06:15.445-06:00Slower Than Molasses - But Still MovingHappy New Year you all! Yes, it's 2020 and I haven't posted anything on this blog for, oh, a couple of years. Oh well. Here I am now writing a quick update because I got out and rode my fat bike in the snow today. I didn't make it a mile and I went slower than molasses in January (how appropriate for the first day of January!) but I am still happy about the fact that I got out on my bike. Why? Well, let me tell you.<br />
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I haven't been on any of my bikes since summer so getting out today for even a super short and slow ride feels like a huge accomplishment. Correction - it is a huge accomplishment. There have been things, physical things like tennis elbow and weird tailbone muscular pain and a less-than-fun surgery that I'm still recovering from this past year and then some other stuff that have made bicycling next to impossible. But today, on the first day of a new year, I decided to get out on my fat bike and give it a go in the fresh snow.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocket the dog loves to join us when we ride</td></tr>
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The plan was simple - For Owen and I to ride down our runway and back and to take our dog, Rocket, out with us for some exercise, too. I got suited up and ready to go and found myself almost puking before I even got out the door (nerves, I guess). Oh well. Got outside and walked the bike through the snow to the plowed, more easily rideable but still ungroomed for bicycling part of the runway and my chain jammed on pretty much my first pedal stroke. Got that fixed. And then I rode. Not far. Not fast. But I rode my bike and it felt good to do it.<br />
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And then I put my bike away, took off all my winter riding stuff, and stretched for twice as long as I rode. Yes, parts of my body don't feel great right now and it's hard to know if that's from lack of riding or because of my previously mentioned issues. Probably both things but I'm not sure. I am sure, however, that I want to get back out and try again.<br />
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<br />Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-35441461482904866902017-07-26T23:49:00.003-05:002017-08-01T23:41:14.472-05:00Do it AnywayTwo weeks ago I was hiking up a mountain in Montana. Tomorrow I am heading out on another grand adventure - I'm biking to Canada from North Branch, Minnesota (north of Minneapolis/St. Paul) in three days. I'll post more about that later. For now, a bit about my grand Montana adventure.<br />
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Our church, <a href="https://bethelnorthfield.org/" target="_blank">Bethel Lutheran Church</a> in Northfield, sends a group of rising 10th graders on a hiking trip through <a href="http://christikon.org/" target="_blank">Christikon Camp</a> in Montana each year. My daughter, Rose, went on this trip when she was a 10th grader. I had wanted to go along as a chaperone back then but couldn't make it happen at that time. Last year when my <a href="https://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2016/08/owens-big-bike-ride.html" target="_blank">Dad was so sick and Owen headed off on the Tour Divide bike ride</a> and it felt like everything in my world was falling apart I told Owen "Ok, you get to do the Tour and get away from it all for awhile. Next summer, I'm going on the Christikon trip with Ryan." I told our youth director, Barb, that I wanted to go on the trip, too. I think she took pity on me - or she was desperate for chaperones (or both). Anyway, earlier this year I knew that I would get to be a chaperone and get to spend a week on a trip with my son (and a bunch of other kids - 18 in all!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our group - taken just before we started our grand hiking adventure</td></tr>
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Now here's the deal - last year at this time I was in decent shape and felt pretty capable of hiking in the mountains with a heavy backpack. Fast forward to this year - I am not in the greatest shape (stress for me = not exercising as much + eating more) and I had some pretty major concerns about going on a hiking trip. Yes, I had worried about tripping and hurting myself, about holding up the group, about being a mediocre chaperone, about falling off a cliff...more than once I wanted to back out of the hiking trip...but, even though I felt woefully inadequate in many ways to hike for five days I decided I was going to do it anyway.<br />
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So I did.<br />
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I suffered and struggled, especially on the first day when we were slated to hike 7 miles and climb 3,000 feet (we didn't make it that far and had to set up camp before our destination). The altitude hit me hard and I struggled to catch my breath. I fell behind on uphills and downhills and, yes, sometimes when I was just walking on the flat. I did not sleep well. I cried more than once. Even though I was part of a community made up of our hiking group of thirteen which included my son, I felt lonely. It rained. It hailed. It stormed. I struggled. I really, really, struggled.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching Diamond Lake just after it rained</td></tr>
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Had I been offered a chance to go home on day one, I think I would have taken it. But by day two things felt a bit better. And once you are even a mile up into the mountains there's really no going back. So I kept on going.<br />
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Here's the good stuff - which far outweighs the struggles:<br />
I hiked for five days with nine fifteen-year-olds, another chaperone and two camp counselors/guides. I did not get hurt (save for one small blister) and did not fall off a cliff. I carried a 30+ pound backpack full of my gear and community gear. I helped set up tents, cook meals and hang food in "bear bags" way up in trees. I hugged kids, rubbed backs and sang silly songs. I marveled at the gorgeous mountains, lakes and sky. I oohed and aahed at the deer we say and at the fish jumping in the lakes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Catherine</td></tr>
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Though it felt odd at first, I ended up loving the fact that I was totally off the grid and could not check Facebook, Instagram, the news, my email. One of my favorite things was the quiet time we had each day - time to sit still and BE in nature. And I loved the fact that we had worship and Bible study each day. And I also loved living in a community where we all helped each other set up camp and hiked as a group.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our fearless and very capable guides/counselors - Molly and Thomas</td></tr>
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I can't say enough about how wonderful the kids were, at how awesome my fellow chaperone - Bob - was. Our guides - Molly and Thomas - were absolutely wonderful. I was constantly amazed at their emotional and spiritual maturity and at how capable they were at guiding us through the mountains and teaching us to live in the wilderness.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horseshoe Lake</td></tr>
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All that said, I REALLY was happy when my group hiked up the last bit hill on day five and made our way back to Christikon where we unloaded our backpacks, cleaned our gear and FINALLY got to take a shower and clean up!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan and I on Day 3</td></tr>
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The rest of our time at base camp, less than 24 hours, was spent eating good food and doing camp stuff like singing songs and making friendship bracelets. Then, before we knew it, it was time to load up the school bus for the bumpy ride back down the mountain to an actual town and our coach bus and then start back home.<br />
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Overall, the experience was amazing - I like to say, "when I wasn't suffering, I was having a good time." But, really, it was amazing and I'm glad I went. That said, I am still trying to give myself credit for doing something awesome and for being strong enough to hike for five days carrying a big backpack. I've been struggling with feeling bad about my body and the fact that I'm weighing more now than ever before. I'm trying to feel good about my strong self even though I don't fit neatly into the image of "fit" that I have in my head. I have some work to do...progress in this department is a bit like hiking uphill with a backpack on my back...slow but (mostly) steady.<br />
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Fortunately, my body image frustrations aren't keeping me from heading out on my next grand adventure! Yep, tomorrow morning I set off on another grand adventure. My husband, Owen, and I along with three friends (Steve, Paul and Larry) are going to bike the North Star Bike Route from North Branch, MN to Canada. We plan to make it to Canada in three days - about 85 miles/day of riding. I feel completely spoiled as we will be traveling in style and staying in hotels and will have a support vehicle with us to carry our luggage and spare gear - what luxury!<br />
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And guess what? I'm still not in the best of shape and I still don't feel ready to go - but I'm going to do it anyway!<br />
<br />Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-77040632915208054402017-04-04T21:36:00.000-05:002017-04-04T21:36:18.026-05:00Introducing ... Kermit!Meet my new bike! "Kermit" is an Advocate Lorax that found his way to my house in late February.<br />
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Why the new bike? Well, my Vaya, Zippy, has been a good bike for me yet I was still tweaking some fit issues and with it's extra small frame I was running out of options for adding height to my handlebars etc. Also, due to the 26" tires, I discovered my options were limited for getting better tires for riding gravel.<br />
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So, even though I loved little Zippy and he served me well, I started considering a new bike.<br />
I talked to my favorite bike guru from <a href="http://angrycatfishbicycle.com/" target="_blank">Angry Catfish Bicycles</a>, James, about what to get and quickly decided a new Vaya one size bigger than Zippy would do the trick. Sadly, my size was sold out at Angry Catfish and at Salsa Cycles. So James and I talked options. And I rode a couple of bikes and they were okay. Then I rode a demo model of the Advocate Lorax and knew within, oh, the first 20 feet of my ride that the Lorax was the bike for me. It's hard to say just why I knew...the bike just felt right.<br />
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Still, I'd never heard of Advocate really (other than my friend Griff of <a href="http://mountainbikegeezer.com/" target="_blank">Mountain Bike Geezer</a> has an Advocate Watchman fatbike and loves it) so was a little hesitant to buy a bike without knowing more about it. So I sent my friend Marty a few text messages to get his opinion of the brand. He texted back immediately saying he loves Advocate, owns one himself (or maybe it's two. I don't remember for sure), likes the Lorax and also knows the man who owns Advocate Cycles and thinks very highly of him. On top of all that, Advocate, donates 100% of their profits to bicycling advocacy efforts (<a href="http://advocatecycles.com/about/" target="_blank">read more about Advocate Cycles here</a>)!<br />
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Marty's hearty endorsement was enough to convince me that I for sure wanted the Lorax so walked over to James and said, "Order up a green Lorax for me." So he did. And a week later I had a brand new bike!<br />
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It's a gorgeous bike - it is a stunning "Minnesota in Midsummer Green" color with orange detailing and a cool top tune graphic by artist <a href="http://adamturman.com/" target="_blank">Adam Turman</a>. The frame is chromoly steel with a carbon fork. It has disc brakes and 700x38c wheels. Click <a href="http://advocatecycles.com/dev/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/BuildSpecs_Lorax.pdf" target="_blank">HERE for build specs</a>. Click <a href="http://advocatecycles.com/dev/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/FrameSpecs_Lorax-1.png" target="_blank">HERE for frame specs</a>.<br />
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I got out for a few short hops on Kermit in the past few weeks and now am riding it every day because I'm doing <a href="http://30daysofbiking.com/" target="_blank">30 Days of Biking</a> once again (this is my eighth year!). So far, Kermit the Lorax is fitting well and is a dream to ride!<br />
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<br />Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-75342769236696838032017-02-20T22:10:00.002-06:002017-02-20T22:10:58.037-06:00Gravel in February and Goals AheadWe've had amazingly warm temperatures here in Minnesota as of late. It was 60 some degrees last weekend so I simply had to get out and ride some gravel on my Vaya on Sunday. Owen joined me on his Mukluk. We didn't go far (about 5.5 miles) and we didn't go fast (about 8.5 mph) but we went and that's what matters.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding on a sunny Sunday</td></tr>
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I've been thinking about my bike goals for 2017. I have decided that I'd like to bike 50 miles on my 50th Birthday but I guess I haven't 100% committed to that goal as of yet. I need to decide soon as March 25th is just over a month away!</div>
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Other than that, I have plans to join two friends from high school and Owen and ride from north of Minneapolis to Canada in three days with an average of 85 miles a day. We've got that on the schedule for late July.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road ahead</td></tr>
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Not sure what other bicycling goals I will set for 2017. Whatever they are, I will be logging my milage on a cool little chart I made in my journal - 2017 Bike Milage Goals. I can fill in a box for every 10 miles I've ridden all the way up to 2,000 miles. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike Milage Goals Chart</td></tr>
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I've ridden 15 miles this year so far. It's not much but it's a start!</div>
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Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-17153344495028554782016-09-21T21:26:00.001-05:002016-09-24T22:10:45.851-05:00Focus on FallThis time last year I was gearing up for my first ever <a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/09/ride-century-done.html" target="_blank">century ride</a>. I was feeling pretty fit and had done a ton of biking throughout the season including the super awesome and challenging <a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/06/box-of-frogs-adventure.html" target="_blank">Box of Frogs</a> ride and a <a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/08/bikepacking-trip-wrap-up.html" target="_blank">bikepacking adventure</a>. This year I got off to a great start with some winter riding and another round of 30 Days of Biking in April. I was working on a milage challenge and had several organized rides on my calendar. Then my Dad, who had already been dealing with issues from Parkinson's and Lewy Body Dementia, took a bad turn and life changed in more ways than I could have ever imagined.<br />
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Even before Dad passed away in early July, I realized that bike riding would not be a priority and that I needed to focus on my family instead. So, save for a few rides and a three session mountain biking class in late July/early August, I really didn't ride bike all summer long.<br />
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Well, life is setting down somewhat and I'm happy to say I've managed to get out on my bike twice so far this week. I'm NOT in shape and certainly am not riding as strong as I'd like. I huff and puff up the hills and haven't ridden more than 10 miles on a ride thus far.<br />
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I get sad when I think about how I was able to ride 100 miles this time last year and realize there's no way I could do the same thing now. But, the thing for me to focus on is this - I'm riding again. I love the sound of gravel crunching beneath my tires and the feeling of the wind on my face. I enjoy riding in the fall with the cooler weather and changing leaves.<br />
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I may have lost riding this summer...but I have the fall.<br />
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<br />Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-74162780550625552862016-08-27T13:31:00.000-05:002016-08-27T13:31:00.069-05:00Owen's Big Bike RideIt's been ages since I've blogged about bicycling or anything else. That's mostly due to the fact that I haven't been riding my bikes much and also because my father was very sick and then passed away in early July.<br />
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That said, I didn't quit blogging entirely in this time. My husband, Owen, took off in early June to ride the Tour Divide from Canada to Mexico and while he was away I posted blog entries for him at his blog Owens Epic Rides. Some of blog posts were Owen's words alone but much of the time I added content of my own as well.<br />
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To start reading about Owen's Tour Divide ride, click on <a href="https://owenepicrides.wordpress.com/2016/06/08/arrived-in-banff/">Arrived in Banff</a> and start reading! Move forward through the posts by clicking on "Next -->" in the upper right hand corner of each blog post.<br />
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If you are a bikepacking enthusiast, you will likely want to read the post detailing Owen's gear list. Read it at <a href="https://owenepicrides.wordpress.com/2016/06/08/packing-for-the-tour-divide/">Packing for the Tour Divide</a>.<br />
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For a sneak peek at the riding conditions on the Tour Divide, here are a couple of pictures from Owen's blog.</div>
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<br />Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-41500317181194166982016-04-01T16:38:00.003-05:002016-04-01T16:38:52.034-05:00300 miles in 30 DaysIt's April 1st which means it's Day 1 of the next round of 30 Days of Biking!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's ride was on the Cannon Valley Trail.<br />Had to go around a tree that fell on the trail.</td></tr>
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I signed up to do the challenge again, of course, because I've been doing in April ever since 2010. Wow! Now that I think of it it appears I'm either dedicated or a bit crazy - perhaps I'm a bit of both.<br />
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Don't know what <a href="http://30daysofbiking.com/" target="_blank">30 Days of Biking is?</a> Well, it's a challenge where people pledge to ride their bikes every day during the month of April. As of this moment, 7,658 people from all over the world are officially on the roster stating they have pledged to do the challenge. People don't have to ride any certain number of miles. There are no prizes or people policing you to make sure you ride. You just commit to riding every day and do your best to complete the challenge.<br />
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After completing the challenge six years in a row I certainly know I can ride my bike every day for 30 days so I wondered if I should pledge to do 30 Days of Biking again this year. I decided I would do the challenge again but create a personal challenge within the challenge. I decided to create a milage goal for the month but really didn't know what number of miles would be reasonable for me. I came up with a goal of 300 miles in the month of April.<br />
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I suppose I liked the way that sounded - 300 Miles in 30 Days - and that's part of why I picked that number of miles because, now that I think of it, 300 miles in a month isn't really a reasonable goal for me. I think I have biked 300 miles in a month since I started bicycling in 2009 but I'm actually not sure. Last summer, my biggest milage month was 288 miles. I know some people bike 300 miles in a weekend a thousand or more miles a month but that's some people and this is me and my goal. 300 miles in 30 days is a stretch goal for me. But I can do it. Okay, I have doubts I can do this but I am going to say I can do it because that will help me accomplish my goal.<br />
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At the suggestion of my instructor/coach Amy from my <a href="http://www.myrnacgmibus.com/posts/l-is-for-life-revamp/">Life.REVAMP class</a>, I created a chart so I can color in a block every time I bike 10 miles. Guess what? I colored in a square and then some on my chart this afternoon! Yep, for the first day of 30 Days of Biking/300 Miles in 30 Days I biked 12 miles!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 300 Miles in 30 Days chart</td></tr>
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I find it motivating to fill in a chart like this. Not sure why - but I know it helps me to see how I'm doing. It also helps me greatly to write about my goal and share it with all of you because then I feel like I'm accountable to someone other than myself.<br />
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So I'm off to a good start! I can do this. Wait, let me reword that - I AM doing this!<br />
I am biking 300 miles in the month of April. Yay!<br />
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Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-54241619878599653292016-01-23T21:15:00.001-06:002016-01-23T21:19:13.045-06:00My Best Bike Moments of 2015Inspired by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PedalHubMPR/" target="_blank">Pedal Hub's recent podcast</a>, "The roundtable reunites!" in which Patrick, Amber and Gene discuss their top 5 bike moments of 2015, I decided to reflect back on 2015 and write about my five best bike moments of the year.<br />
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Here are mine, in chronological order:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">My Vaya - post ride and still full of mud</td></tr>
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<b>Box of Frogs</b> was a 60 mile bike ride adventure on gravel, tar and through the mud that I did back on June 7th. I set out to do the ride on my own but was lucky enough to ride along with my friends Kate and Victoria. Finishing that ride taught me that I can do things that seem impossible - like trek through flooded bike trails and ride all day long. The ride was long, hot, muddy, windy, rainy and wonderful!<br />
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<li>Click <a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/06/box-of-frogs-adventure.html">HERE for my blog write up on the Box of Frogs</a> Adventure</li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">At the beginning of the Gandy Dancer Trail</td></tr>
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<b>My Bikepacking Adventure</b> happened in early August and involved four days of biking in Wisconsin, most of it on the Gandy Dancer Bike Trail. Owen and I packed up our bike bags with a change of clothes, some toiletries and a few other essentials then rode from place to place and stayed in hotels (we'll add camping to our bikepacking trips in the future). We discovered we could manage with very little, rode almost 170 miles in four days and had a blast!<br />
I blogged about the trip in great detail. Here are links to my blog entries:<br />
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<li><a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/07/on-horizon-bikepacking.html">On the Horizon - Bikepacking</a>! </li>
<li><a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/08/its-almost-go-time.html">It's Almost Go Time! </a></li>
<li><a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/08/safe-and-sound-in-siren.html">Safe and Sound in Siren</a></li>
<li><a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/08/we-in-luck.html">We're in Luck! </a></li>
<li><a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/08/we-in-luck.html">170 Miles Since Sunday</a></li>
<li><a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/08/back-to-day-3-bike-packing-adventure.html">Back to Day 3 - Bike packing adventure</a></li>
<li><a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/08/bikepacking-trip-wrap-up.html">Bikepacking Trip Wrap-Up</a></li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Katy and I relaxing in hammocks on the most wonderful day</td></tr>
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<b>Coffee and Hammock Adventure</b> happened in late September when my friend, Katy, and I headed out from Northfield on gravel roads to Caron Park. We'd had fun on a ride a couple weeks earlier when I we stopped during a ride to made coffee and planned to stop for coffee on this ride as well. So we found Caron Park then somewhat accidentally rode some of the mountain bike trail in order to find an ideal #coffeeoutside location. We made coffee then Katy said she had a surprise - she pulled two hammocks out of her backpack. So we tied our hammocks to trees and then drank coffee and relaxed away the afternoon in our hammocks then biked back home. That day goes down in history as one of the most perfect days of the year! Thanks again, Katy!</div>
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<li>Click <a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/09/coffee-and-hammock-adventure.html">HERE to read about my Coffee and Hammock Adventure</a></li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Close to the end of my first century ride</td></tr>
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<b>My First Century Ride</b> in September was an awesome experience! I have long wanted to do a century ride but have thought riding 100 miles in one day out of my capabilities I rode my Salsa Vaya with Owen, who rode his Salsa Mukluk and we ventured out on a route created by Owen that mostly went on paved bike trails but also included some gravel. We started riding at dawn in Wayzata on the Dakota Rail Trail then headed west to Hutchinson on the Luce Line Trail and finished in the dark in Wayzata again. Good thing we had bike lights! The ride was long but not as bad as I thought it would be. We didn't go fast and we stopped often to rest and for food. Some of my favorite moments from that ride are talking to people we met along the way. It was the best feeling to see my trip odometer turn over 100 miles. Yay!</div>
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<li>Click <a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/09/ride-century-done.html" target="">HERE to read Ride a Century? Done!</a></li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Happy New Year!</td></tr>
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<b>New Years Eve Sechler Park Ride</b> - To close out the year, Owen and I loaded up our fat bikes and headed to Sechler Park, one of the mountain bike trails in the Northfield area created by CROCT (Cannon River Offroad Cycling & Trails). The night was gorgeous and moon-lit and made for a fun albeit somewhat challenging short ride through the woods. Neither Owen nor I spend much time on mountain bike trails and the trails weren't very well packed so that's where the riding challenge came in for us. That and I decided to tackle some of the obstacles in the skills park area. I've never ridden obstacles before so was really excited that I successfully rode the teeter-totter twice! Along the ride, we bumped into local fatbike race legend and friend, Christopher Tassava. We stopped and chatted a bit before heading back home. Even though we weren't riding when the clock struck midnight, it was the New Year somewhere during our ride! All in all, the ride was a perfect way to wrap up 2015!</div>
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<b>What were your favorite Bike Moments of 2015? </b>Feel free to<b> </b>comment below.Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-40068615835184460522015-11-14T14:22:00.001-06:002015-11-14T14:36:52.388-06:00On Riding, Writing and Sitting Still I'm on a writing retreat at the <a href="http://www.andersoncenter.org/" target="_blank">Anderson Center</a> in Red Wing and took a break from my writing yesterday and this morning to get out and ride the <a href="http://www.cannonvalleytrail.com/" target="_blank">Cannon Valley Trail</a>. The CVT parallels the Anderson Center's property and to get to the trail I only need to bike a few blocks down a hill. I simply can't resist riding the trail when I'm here! The CVT is my favorite bike trail and although I've ridden it many, many times, I never get tired of riding the trail or the beauty that surrounds it.<br />
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With the leaves gone from the trees, I expected the scenery along the trail would be somewhat bland. But I was wrong. I spent most of my rides simply taking in the beauty along the trail. The sun shining through the bare trees. The green moss on rocks and fallen logs. The brown leaves covering the hillsides and carpeting the woodsy floor.<br />
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On my ride to the Welch trailhead this morning, I noticed a newly constructed Marshall Memorial Rest Area alongside the trail. On my way back through, I decided to stop and check it out. I'm glad I did! There are benches alongside Belle Creek and a walking path down to the water. It's a beautiful little spot.<br />
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Normally, I don't sit still very well but I felt compelled to lean my Vaya up against the bench and sit still for a bit to breathe in the fresh air and listen to the sounds of the creek flowing next to me. I probably sat for only 10 minutes but I felt so refreshed after my little break that it felt like I stayed much longer.<br />
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Had I know about the lovely spot, I would have packed a book or my journal, made a cup of coffee (I now carry a little stove, pot and coffee on my Vaya so I can make a cup of coffee at any time) and planned to sit and read or write all morning. But I wasn't prepared to stay and it was time to head back for lunch and my writing. "Next time," I promised myself. Then I got back on my Vaya and pedaled my way back to my writing retreat home away from home.<br />
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<br />Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-31400078505706352372015-10-06T22:25:00.001-05:002015-10-06T22:31:46.341-05:00Milltown's Bikepacking Event - a recapOwen and I have done some <a href="http://www.myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/08/bikepacking-trip-wrap-up.html">bike packing of the "credit card travel" variety</a> where we slept in hotels instead of camping. We like credit card travel but want to branch out and actually go bike packing for "real" where we carry tents and sleeping bags and all. But, since our camping experience are mostly limited to camping with our families when we were children, and our most recent tent camping experience was, let's just say, rather stressful, we know we have plenty to learn.<br />
<br />
We have many questions about bike packing from "What's a bivvy sack?" to "How do we carry all of our equipment on our bikes?" So we were super excited to learn that <a href="http://www.milltownsports.com/" target="_blank">Milltown Cycles</a> was offering a bike packing "how-to" event for beginners.<br />
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The event sounded perfect for us so I signed Owen and I up right away. I also decided to bring our kids, Rose and Ryan, because they've been wanting to go camping for some time and actually have more recent camping experience than Owen and I do.<br />
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We were not disappointed! The bike packing event was great fun and we learned a ton.<br />
<br />
Here's what happened....<br />
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Last Friday, we packed up all of our camping gear (some on loan to us from one of my Northfield Women's Gravel Crushers friends, Katy) and drove to <a href="http://www.rbnc.org/" target="_blank">River Bend Nature Center</a> where the event was to be held. We arrived a few minutes late but found our way to the outdoor amphitheater where a nice bonfire and the event's speakers waiting to teach us all about bike packing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.499999046325684px;">Awesome bonfire</td></tr>
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The evening started with a great talk by bike packing guru, Dave. Dave works for <a href="https://qbp.com/" target="_blank">Quality Bike Products</a> and has an extensive knowledge of what kinds of gear to use and how to pack it on your bike. Dave's talk was informative and fun. He had his fully packed Salsa Fargo on hand so we could see what a bike all set up for bike packing looks like. Dave answered all of our questions and was super helpful. Dave keeps a blog where he shares information about bike packing. Find it at: <a href="http://www.bikepackingdave.wordpress.com/">www.bikepackingdave.wordpress.com</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.499999046325684px;">Bikepacking Dave and his fully loaded Salsa Fargo</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.499999046325684px;">A shot of Dave's Salsa Fargo</td></tr>
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After Dave's talk, we gathered around the campfire while local coffee roaster, Cody of <a href="http://www.stokecoffee.com/" target="_blank">Stoke Coffee</a>, brewed up a cup of coffee for us and taught us all sorts of things about making great coffee while we're out bike packing. We all got to try the coffee Cody made and asked some questions - Cody knows his coffee! Cody's coffee roasting business, Stoke Coffee, is local and he sells his beans online, at farmer's markets and at our local co-op, <a href="http://justfood.coop/" target="_blank">Just Foods</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.499999046325684px;">Ryan is taking in all that Cody from Stoke Coffee has to tell us <br />
about making coffee (Ryan likes coffee)</td></tr>
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Then we started roasting hot dogs over the bonfire and Curtis from Milltown made up three different kinds of camp food from <a href="http://www.mountainhouse.com/" target="_blank">Mountain House</a> for us to try. He made it all on a <a href="http://www.milltownsports.com/collections/camp-kitchen" target="_blank">little MSR camp stove</a>. I've never had dehydrated camp food - actually, I haven't had much of any kind of camp food - and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted!<br />
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Well fed and full of information, we were all getting tired so we trekked back to the camping area and set up our tents with aid of headlamps and flashlights. Bikepacking Dave stuck around until we were set to call it a night. I think he might have been amused at how uncoordinated my family was at setting up a tent but we managed much better than the last time our family went camping! Rose, who backpacked for a week in Montana, is our most experienced tent-setter-upper so she directed Owen on how to set up the tent. I mostly observed because I think that "too many cooks spoil the broth" saying must apply to setting up tents, too, so I figured I'd do the most good out of the way. Once the tent was up, Ryan and I got our sleeping bags set up and things arranged inside the tent.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.499999046325684px;">Our camp</td></tr>
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Dave headed for home, we said our "good-nights" to the other campers (four others stayed the night) and soon it was time to go to sleep. It got down to the mid-30s that night but we stayed pretty warm and slept well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.499999046325684px;">Rose and Ryan - all tuckered out</td></tr>
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In the morning, we all gathered for a breakfast of donuts, juice and meat sticks and I broke out my little Esbit pocket stove and made some coffee. Milltown had great giveaways of bike packing equipment for those who attended the event and we were lucky to win two travel pillows, a first aid kit, and a super cool Nemo sleeping pad that I think Owen will take with him on the Tour Divide next summer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.499999046325684px;">Rose is delighted with the handy packable first aid kit</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.499999046325684px;">Ryan shows us that the Nemo sleeping pad is so small and lightweight <br />
he can easily carry it over his shoulder.</td></tr>
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After breakfast, we packed up our tents, chatted a bit, loaded up our vehicles and talked some more. All too soon, it was time to head on home.<br />
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Thanks, Milltown, for hosting such a wonderful event. We learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and now feel better prepared to go on bike packing adventures and on car camping trips with the family. Good thing because Rose and Ryan are already asking when we can go camping again!Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-88097228670120099462015-09-29T10:42:00.000-05:002015-09-29T10:42:13.035-05:00Ride a Century? Done!On Saturday, I completed a goal I've had for quite some time - I completed a century ride on my Salsa Vaya!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">100 miles - Done!</td></tr>
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I'm proud of what I did - I'm getting kinda teary-eyed thinking about that moment when I realized I rode my bike for 100 miles! You see, a century ride is something that I never though I could do when I started bicycling six years ago. It's not something I thought I could do earlier this summer, even. But rides like the <a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/06/box-of-frogs-adventure.html" target="_blank">Box of Frogs</a>, <a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/07/riotgrrravel-reflections.html" target="_blank">Riotgrravel</a> and my <a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/08/bikepacking-trip-wrap-up.html" target="_blank">bike packing trip</a> have made me feel stronger both physically and mentally. As the summer progressed, my century ride thinking morphed from "<i>Hey, I think I can do a century</i>" to "<i>When I do a century I'll ride my Vaya</i>" (it's my most comfortable bike) to "<i>I'm going to do a century this fall</i>."<br />
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I rode my bike to train but I think the most important thing I did to get ready for this century ride is this - I told myself I could do it and started to believe I could, in fact, pedal my bike for 100 miles.<br />
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The best memories of the ride were the many short chats I had with people along the trail. I found that talking to people and hearing their stories energized me and kept me going. I'm going to write a blog post about that in the next day or two.<br />
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I could recap the ride in great detail for you but, frankly, most of what happened is I pedaled my bike for a VERY long time - just over nine hours.<br />
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There's more to it than that, of course, so if you're interested, read on for more info.<br />
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Overall, my body felt strong and my spirits were up most of the way. I was glad to have my husband, Owen, along for company. Owen's ridden several centuries before so knew what to expect and could remind me to focus on the miles accomplished instead of the miles to go. He's also great to talk to and good conversation really helps me keep my mind off of pedaling.<br />
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We had a gorgeous day for a ride - mid 70s, sunny, not much wind. For much of the ride I was able to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the roads and trail. At times, the ride was boring. I had points when I was really tired. I hummed when I got a bit too tired and talked to myself sometimes, too. One thing I said to myself was "Little circles. Just make little circles." because my bicycling friend, Kate, told me to remember that all I have to do to finish the ride is keep moving my feet in little circles.<br />
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Physically my butt got kinda sore but I expected that. Nothing else really hurt during the ride - not for long periods of time, anyway. Both of my feet felt numb sometimes. My wrists got a little sore and so did my shoulders. I was pretty tired the day after the ride but not very sore at all. It's three days after the ride now and I'd say I've completely recovered.<br />
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My Vaya outperforms the Mukluk Owen was riding when it comes to speed so Owen had to work harder to keep up with his heavier bike. There were a few times when I had to slow down for Owen. That doesn't happen often (Owen's a fast rider) so it felt kinda good to be the speedy one for a change :-) <div>
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Stats:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Ride start at 8:08 a.m. (about an hour later than we should have, given how much I stop to talk to people)</li>
<li>Finished riding at about 8:20 p.m. (we had lights so were visible and could see where we were going)</li>
<li>Total moving time - 9 hours, 9 minutes, 7 seconds</li>
<li>Average speed - 11.0 mph (faster than the 10 mph I planned for)</li>
</ul>
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Equipment:</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>I rode my Salsa Vaya 2</li>
<li>Owen rode his Salsa Mukluk 2 making this his first fat bike century</li>
</ul>
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The Ride:</div>
<ul>
<li>About 40 miles in, I was tired and wondered if I could make it but also knew I was stuck at that point</li>
<li>After the 50 mile mark (and a great lunch in Hutchinson) I was feeling pretty good and knew I would make it back. Still, I would occasionally worry that I would fall off my bike or something and not make it</li>
<li>We rode about a 12 mile stretch of gravel between Silver Lake and Lester Prairie. That might have been the hardest part of the ride but it was also really pretty out there on the country roads</li>
<li>I found it was NOT helpful to look at my odometer because it seemed to move way too slowly. Some of those miles felt super long </li>
<li>I learned to celebrate the miles I had completed instead of focusing on how many miles I had left to do</li>
<li>Every 10 miles Owen and I cheered! I did switch this up and counted remaining miles after about mile 80, though</li>
<li>80 miles was a point where I was just getting sick of riding my bike and wanted to eat chocolate</li>
<li>I realized when I was about .5 miles from our van that I was only at 97 miles so Owen and I rode back on the trail for a mile plus so I could get my 100 miles</li>
<li>I cried when I hit 100 miles - because I was happy. Overwhelmed. Amazed. Proud. Done!</li>
</ul>
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The Route:<br />
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My main goal for this century was to make this a relatively "easy" ride so I could build confidence and convince myself to do an organized gravel century down the road. With that in mind, Owen created a mixed-surface ride that was mostly on bike trails. We avoided a lot of wind this way, had shade much of the time and also felt very safe not having to deal with traffic. We were super glad to be on trails at the end of the day because we finished the ride in the dark.<br />
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Here's where we rode - We parked the van at Wayzata Bay then road streets north a bit to pick up the crushed limestone <a href="http://luceline.com/" target="_blank">Luce Line Trail</a>. About 25 miles in, around Winstead, the limestone changed over to freshly paved tar. We stayed on the Luce Line all the way to Hutchinson. At Hutchinson, after a lunch break, we took the Luce Line back to Silver Lake rode gravel to Lester Prairie where we stopped for water and snacks. At Lester Prairie we picked the <a href="https://www.threeriversparks.org/trails/dakota-rail-trail.aspx" target="_blank">Dakota Rail Trail</a> (limestone for a short bit then paved the rest of the way) back to Wayzata.<br />
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Until next time!<br />
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Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-25577703755717490292015-09-23T22:51:00.001-05:002015-09-23T22:51:47.741-05:00Coffee and Hammock Adventure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's raining this afternoon so my mind is going back to last week when the weather was perfect and I went on a perfect bike ride adventure.<br />
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Last Wednesday, my friend Katy and I headed out for a bike ride from Northfield to Caron Park. Caron Park is a county park located about 8 miles south of Northfield. The route to Caron started out with a killer hill (called Question Mark Hill by the locals) and there are a lot of other hilly portions on the route as well. We managed to ride them all, though, and found our way to Caron Park.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crushing gravel on the way to Caron Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zippy, my Salsa Vaya leaning on the Caron park sign</td></tr>
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One of our plans for the ride was to have an adventure coffee like we did on our <a href="http://www.myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/09/coffee-outside-ride.html" target="_blank">Coffee Outside Ride</a>. I was out of fuel for my little Esbit pocket stove so Katy packed a one burner camping stove in a backpack so we could have coffee outside. First, though, we had to find an ideal location. Katy knew of a waterfall in the park so we set off on some single track (created and maintained by the local mountain bike club - <a href="http://croct.org/" target="_blank">CROCT</a> - The Cannon River Offroad Cycling & Trails club). The trail was fabulous if a bit slick from a recent rain and leaf cover. Our skinnyish tired gravel bikes made for slow going and we walked portions of the trail which greatly lowered our overall average speed for the day but that just doesn't matter. Speed be damned. We were having fun!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katy on the trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myrna on the trail </td></tr>
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We got to the end of the single track and still hadn't found the waterfall so we headed down another part of the trail system and soon found ourselves by a creek and beautiful waterfall. We walked our bikes across the creek and set up for coffee. Ah, I'm feeling relaxed just thinking about it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Waterfall in Caron Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our bikes leaning up against a bank by the creek</td></tr>
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We made our coffee and then Katy, all smiles, said "I have a surprise for you!" I had no idea what sort of surprise Katy could possibly have. "I brought hammocks!" she said.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#adventurecoffee</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#coffeeoutside </td></tr>
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She was right, I was surprised - and delighted - at the prospect of hanging out in hammocks that afternoon because we had talked about setting up hammocks the last time we rode. The thing is, I don't have a hammock or really any idea of how to tie even tie one in a tree. But Katy's husband is somewhat of a hammock guro so she has access to many a hammock and knows the ropes (ha! pun!) of how set one up.<br />
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Katy took two hammocks out of her backpack and some rope and gave me a little lesson in how to pick a good hammock spot and how to get a hammock all set up. We put two hammocks side by side right next to the creek. After a bit of time getting comfortable sitting sideways in the hammock (I even managed to drink my coffee sitting there), I figured out how to get comfortable laying back. Katy did the same.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drinking my coffee in the hammock</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out in the hammocks</td></tr>
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I'm not that good at relaxing. But that afternoon I just layed back in a hammock and Katy and I talked and rested and talked for I don't know how long. Time didn't seem to matter anymore. The fact that I had writing work waiting for me at home didn't matter, either. Instead, I soaked up the scenery. The sun shining through the trees. The sound of the water flowing over the little falls. I discovered that I was able to really be in the moment and forget about about my to-do lists back home. I truly relaxed!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My view</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katy's view</td></tr>
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All too soon, we realized we'd better get back on the road or the kids would get home from school before we made it back to town. So we packed up our coffee things and hammocks, hiked with our bikes back up the trail then set off for the ride home.<br />
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The ride home was over way too quickly and the reality of getting back to the to-do list of the day set in once we got off our bikes. Yet, the memory an ordinary bike that turned into a grand adventure has stayed with me and even today when it's raining I remember the fun we had on our adventure bike ride.<br />
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Let's hope I can conjure up memories of laying in a hammock in the sunshine once winter sets in. Come to think of it, there's no reason I can't go for a ride, make coffee and lie out in a hammock in the middle of winter. Hmmm, I think I've got another goal!<br />
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**Thanks to Katy for sharing not just coffee and hammocks but several pictures for this blog post as well!!<br />
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<br />Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-63399028423657551752015-09-14T20:04:00.000-05:002015-09-15T09:53:44.529-05:00Prepping for a CenturyAbout a month ago when Owen and I were on <a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/08/bikepacking-trip-wrap-up.html" target="_blank">our bike packing trip</a>, I decided I'd like to do a century ride. I've long wanted to do a century ride but have been somewhat intimidated by, well, riding 100 miles all at once. On top of that, a lot of the organized century rides are pretty challenging. But Owen came up with a century ride idea that sounded good to me so I'm going to give it a go!<br />
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Owen came up with a hundred mile route that is all on bike trails, most of them crushed limestone. I'll ride my comfortable Salsa Vaya and Owen will ride his Salsa Mukluk. Owen has done a half a dozen century rides before (he completed one yesterday as part of his <a href="https://owenepicrides.wordpress.com/2015/06/18/saint-rose-cruise/" target="_blank">ten ride personal road biking challenge</a>) but he's never ridden a century on a fat bike. So we'll both be doing something new - I'll do my first century and Owen will do his first fat bike century.<br />
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The route will be fairly easy to ride and I plan to stop a lot along the way to rest and drink coffee (I do that on most every ride no matter the length!). Still, the ride will be an amazing challenge. We're planning to do the ride, weather permitting, in two weeks which means that I have to get out on my bike and put in some miles so I'm ready for the ride!<br />
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So I went for a 13 mile ride today. It was a mostly gravel route and my pace was a bit faster than my normal gravel average of about 10 mph. The day was nearly perfect for a ride, albeit a bit warm at 82 degrees with a headwind for much of the route. Still, the ride today was a reminder of why I like riding gravel so much.<br />
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There were few cars. The gravel today was dry and the majority of the asphalt smooth. I could hear crickets chirping in the fields. Saw dozens of grasshoppers hopping across my path. Heard the rustling of the wind through the corn and the sound of my tires on the gravel. I noticed how beautiful the corn and soybeans are now that they are turning from green to yellowish brown. I noticed the coming of fall. The sun on my face and the breeze blowing past me as I pedaled on my way.<br />
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<br />Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-85810056834658872502015-09-09T22:30:00.002-05:002015-09-09T22:30:04.535-05:00Coffee Outside Ride!It's been a goal of mine for quite some time to actually have an "adventure coffee" bike ride. Many of my bicycling friends post pictures on Instagram with the hash tags of #coffeeoutside and #adventurecoffee and it always looked like a fun thing to do but I didn't even have a suitable pot in which to boil water let alone know the first thing about what sort of equipment I might need. So, I talked to some of my bicycling friends, most notably Michael L. and Christopher T., to ask them what I needed to get set up to make coffee outside and come up with some suitable gravel bike routes to ideal coffee break locations.<br />
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I discovered that the little <a href="http://www.esbit.de/en/products/23/pocket-stove-small-including-20x4-g-solid-fuel-tablets-00209000" target="_blank">Esbit pocket stove</a> my son Ryan has would work well enough for a stove. I still needed a pot and a coffee making system of some sort so I went to <a href="http://www.milltownsports.com/" target="_blank">Milltown Cycles</a> last week and talked to Curtis about getting set up to make coffee outside.<br />
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Curtis was very helpful and I ended up purchasing a nice little GSI Outdoors <a href="http://www.gsioutdoors.com/shop/cooking/pots-pans/pinnacle-soloist.html" target="_blank">Pinnacle Soloist system</a> and a <a href="http://www.gsioutdoors.com/shop/beverages-partyware/coffee-espresso-makers/ultralight-java-drip.html" target="_blank">Ultralight Java Drip</a> cone filter. The Pinnacle Soloist system includes a pot with strainer lid that also works as a cup lid, a cup/bowl, a "foon" (spoon & fork combined) and a carrying case. The filter clips right onto a cup (it's made to clip onto the cup included with the Pinnacle Soloist system but will work on any cup/mug) and uses a drip method for brewing coffee. Curtis said I could use #2 paper filters for the coffee if I wanted or go without a filter.<br />
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I had all of my equipment - all I needed to do was get out and ride!<br />
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Well today was a good day for a ride! The weather was absolutely perfect for riding and Katy was free to go and so was Sara (Sara is new to riding with our Northfield Women's Gravel Chasers group). I packed up my coffee making gear this morning and made sure to remember matches and coffee because I wouldn't have much success without a way to light my stove or coffee to brew! All of my coffee gear - my stove, the coffee filter, the coffee, matches etc. - fit right into the little pot and the pot fit into my handy <a href="https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/Seat-Bags/Pika" target="_blank">Revelate Pika</a> bag with tons of room to spare.<br />
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We planned to meet at Katy's house and ride and head south to Caron Park at 10:30. But plans changed last minute (life happens) and we ended up short on time so we decided to ride north to Waterford instead. Our ride was going to be a short one, but adventure can happen no matter the distance you ride if you have the right mind-set. Excited, I hopped on my Salsa Vaya and Katy, Sara and I headed out for our first ever adventure coffee ride!<br />
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About 5 miles out, at the Waterford iron bridge, we went offroading a bit to get to a suitable spot for our coffee break. We rode on a nearly hidden trail, hidden because the weeds were so high, and had to push our bikes through the trees.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katy making the most of our adventure through the trees.</td></tr>
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Within a few minutes we found a sandy little spot along the Cannon River with a log to sit on, lots of shade and nice view of the Waterford bridge - a perfect place to make coffee.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sara and Katy at our coffee break location</td></tr>
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It took me a couple of tries to get the pocket stove fuel lit (the fuel is a little solid block that fits into the stove perfectly) but once I got it going the fuel burned well.<br />
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I poured some water from a bike bottle into my pot and set it on the stove to boil. In about 5 minutes the water was hot enough to make coffee so I poured it over the grounds in my little JavaDrip filter and moments later had a great cup of coffee to share with my friends!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katy enjoys coffee outside </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Couldn't ask for a lovelier location for our adventure coffee</td></tr>
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We had a nice little break there by the river. In addition to coffee, I packed some meat sticks and chocolate and Sara brought some zucchini muffins to share. We sat and talked and shared a cup of coffee and snacks, a mini-lunch of sorts. It may not sound that exciting - but I'll say this - there's something really wonderful about making a cup of coffee outside and enjoying it by the river with your friends. It's like that simple cup of coffee transformed from a normal cup of joe to the best cup of coffee ever. Close enough, anyway. It certainly was wonderful and I'm already looking forward to my next cup of coffee outside!<br />
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Thanks, Katy and Sara, for going on an adventure coffee bike ride with me and for encouraging me as I figured out how to make my stove and all of my new gear work.<br />
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Next up? At some point I want to get a hammock then ride out to make coffee and then take a post-coffee break nap in the woods!<br />
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<br />Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-67738188726455106412015-08-30T15:15:00.000-05:002015-08-30T15:15:19.721-05:00Meandering Sunday Morning Today I am thankful for gravel girlfriends and meandering bike rides.<div>
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I met up with Katy and Joy this morning at about 9:00 for a gravel ride. Katy had not had coffee because her husband, who was camping with their two kids, had the French press. So our ride started with a short hop to downtown Northfield where we enjoyed a cup of coffee at Goodbye Blue Monday. </div>
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After coffee, we headed out on a Strava bike route that we had ridden before. Even though we had a set route, we were liberal with how we followed it and made a detour within the first few miles to take a picture of our bikes on Waterford Bridge.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterford Bridge</td></tr>
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It's important to take pictures of your bike leaning up against things. It really is.</div>
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Then we rode on and meandered around the country on a perfect Sunday morning. We rode with speed at times and at a slower pace at other times. We took pictures, especially of Joy and her new bike - Pixie Duster.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JS-k0p6CMEE/VeNjCLGGqQI/AAAAAAAABZQ/0OV3_3stm9A/s1600/Joy%2B%2526%2BPixie%2BDuster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JS-k0p6CMEE/VeNjCLGGqQI/AAAAAAAABZQ/0OV3_3stm9A/s320/Joy%2B%2526%2BPixie%2BDuster.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joy on her new bike, a Twin Six named "Pixie Duster." I'm in the background on "Zippy"</td></tr>
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We talked. We stopped at times to check our route. We stopped once because a wasp stung me (ouch). We enjoyed the scenery. We laughed. We smiled. We had a good time.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y8wiNxY-t1k/VeNjif_hqwI/AAAAAAAABZY/PxLuslGPoEI/s1600/IMG_6861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y8wiNxY-t1k/VeNjif_hqwI/AAAAAAAABZY/PxLuslGPoEI/s320/IMG_6861.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katy and Joy crushing gravel</td></tr>
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Life doesn't get much better than this, I think. Wonderful riding companions. About 20 miles of good gravel. A gorgeous Sunday morning. Yeah. Life is most excellent. I am one lucky gal.</div>
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Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-14572950402261010242015-08-29T17:16:00.000-05:002015-08-29T17:18:03.677-05:00Bikepacking Trip Wrap up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our bike packing trip is complete and now, three weeks later, I'm finally getting around to writing up what is probably my last blog post about the trip.<br />
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<b>The first thing to address is the big question - do we want to go bike packing again? </b><br />
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<b>The answer? Yes!</b> We definitely want to do more bike packing and include camping into future adventures. Bucket list routes include (but are not limited to) the <a href="http://www.bikekatytrail.com/" target="_blank">Katy Trail</a> in Missouri and the <a href="http://www.elroy-sparta-trail.com/" target="_blank">Elroy Sparta Trail</a> in Wisconsin.<br />
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<b>Secondly, a big Thank you</b> is in order to the good people of <a href="http://www.milltownsports.com/" target="_blank">Milltown Cycles, aka Milltown Premium Adventure Goods</a> for equipping us with our bikes, our seat bags and for fielding lots and lots of questions about bike packing.<br />
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<b>Now here's our bike packing wrap-up report with info on equipment, weather, coffee and other stats! </b>Not interested in bike packing? Well, this might be kinda dry stuff so you might want to skip down to the bottom to the Coffee section of this post and call it a day.<br />
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<b>Bikes</b>: Owen rode his 2013 Salsa Mukluk 2 fatbike. I rode my 2013 Salsa Vaya 2. Both bikes worked well and were well-suited for the task. Since the Mukluk is a bit slow compared to the Vaya, Owen will likely switch over to a bike other than his fatbike for future trips.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2oerI1u8jEs/VeIk7-pgxPI/AAAAAAAABXY/xgX3KTkPmRU/s1600/IMG_2525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2oerI1u8jEs/VeIk7-pgxPI/AAAAAAAABXY/xgX3KTkPmRU/s320/IMG_2525.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bikes fully loaded along the Gandy Dancer Trail</td></tr>
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<b>Dates</b>: Departed Shell Lake, Wisconsin on Sunday evening, August 2nd. Arrived back in Shell Lake on Wednesday, August 5th<br />
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<b>Milage:</b> 169.2 miles.<br />
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<b>Our Route:</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Day 1 - County Road B from Shell Lake to Siren, Wisconsin.</li>
<li>Day 2 - The Gandy Dancer Trail from Siren to Danbury then all the way south to Luck, WI</li>
<li>Day 3 - Luck, WI south to St. Croix Falls then back north to Siren via The Gandy Dancer Trail</li>
<li>Day 4 - Siren back to Shell Lake, WI via County Road B</li>
</ul>
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<b>Gandy Dancer Trail Conditions:</b> Trail conditions were excellent overall while we were on the bike-specific portion of the <a href="http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/name/gandydancer/" target="_blank">Gandy Dancer</a>. As mentioned before, once we hit the ATV portion of the trail in Danbury, all bets were off for biking. Trail conditions were much better in Burnett County than in Polk County. In fact, we could see a distinct difference in trail conditions at the county line on the trail. The trail in Polk County was mossy in parts and there were also some deep sandy stretches where I had to get off my bike and walk for about a dozen feet. Not ideal.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TFaYUKwCltc/VeIsrMPxYGI/AAAAAAAABYw/IRBS1kHzXG8/s1600/IMG_6574.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TFaYUKwCltc/VeIsrMPxYGI/AAAAAAAABYw/IRBS1kHzXG8/s320/IMG_6574.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gandy Dancer Trail in Burnett County</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EJPmkm0pvZc/VeIpoFXcyJI/AAAAAAAABXs/xACvdGaQcoA/s1600/IMG_2554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EJPmkm0pvZc/VeIpoFXcyJI/AAAAAAAABXs/xACvdGaQcoA/s320/IMG_2554.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gandy Dancer Trail in Polk County</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xBZfbYyQm7A/VeIso_sJGlI/AAAAAAAABYY/gi4dWqCwbss/s1600/IMG_2537.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xBZfbYyQm7A/VeIso_sJGlI/AAAAAAAABYY/gi4dWqCwbss/s320/IMG_2537.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mossy trail in Polk County</td></tr>
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<b>Weather</b>: We had the great fortune of having great weather each day of our trip. Temps were in the mid 70s to low 80s at midday. The humidity was low. We could have biked another day but decided to reward ourselves with a day of sightseeing and relaxing before we needed to be at our son, Ryan's, Trumpet Workshop concert on Thursday evening (While we were biking, Ryan was attending a Trumpet Workshop camp at Shell Lake Center for the Arts in Shell Lake, Wisconsin. Rose was at a Korean language camp near Bemidji). Good thing we decided not to bike on Thursday because the day turned out to be overcast and it ended up raining like crazy.<br />
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<b>Bug report:</b> We were prepared to deal with mosquitos and packed plenty of bug spray but found bugs to be almost a non-issue on the trip. Owen did get stung on the first day but a wasp or something and I had a small bug fly into my face and sting me. Neither sting turned out to be an issue, though.<br />
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<b>Weight</b> (of the bikes and stuff, not of the people):<br />
Since we did not carry sleeping bags, a tent or cook food along the way, our luggage and equipment didn't weigh much. Fully loaded, both of our bikes were easy to ride. We could tell we had some extra weight behind us in our seat bags but never felt that the full bags made for more difficult going.<br />
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We probably should have weighed our equipment before we left but kinda forgot to. So we pulled our bike bags off our bikes when we got home and weighed them to see how much weight we carried. We factored in weight for the water (two bottles each) and snacks we carried and were pleasantly surprised at how light our bikes were when fully loaded.<br />
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Owen's packed bags weighed in at 16 pounds<br />
My bags weighed in at 11 pounds<br />
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I'm not sure what "normal" is as far as weight goes but I do know that when people go on long bike packing trips they'll carry considerably more than we did.<br />
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<b>Bags</b>:<br />
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Owen carried a Bontrager handlebar bag, a <a href="http://banjobrothers.com/products/current/frame-packs/frame-pack-medium/" target="_blank">Banjo Brothers medium frame bag</a>, a <a href="https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/Cockpit/MountainFeedbag" target="_blank">Revelate Mountain Feed Bag</a> and a <a href="https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/Seat-Bags/Viscacha" target="_blank">Revelate Viscacha seat</a> bag.<br />
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I carried a small handlebar bag (not sure of the brand), a <a href="https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/Seat-Bags/Pika" target="_blank">Revelate Pika seat</a> bag and a Bontrager "Pro Speed Box" bag on my top tube near my handlebars.<br />
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<b>Overpacking? Yep. A bit.</b> Both Owen and I felt we could have left some stuff behind and would have been just fine.<br />
Here are some overpacking examples:<br />
<ul>
<li>We had two 4 oz. tubes of sunscreen but could have managed with one.</li>
<li>Owen also packed his swimsuit (not sure why, I guess I mentioned swimming at some point) and had three shirts when he just needed one.</li>
<li>We both packed a second jersey and could have managed with one.</li>
<li>We had jackets and used them but didn't end up needing the tiny rain ponchos we packed.</li>
<li>I packed a tiny bit of makeup (BB cream and eyeliner) but by the end of the really didn't care if my skin looked all even toned or not. Normally, I'm a bit self conscious about going out without makeup but at the end of the day I was just like, "hey, I rode my bike all day and I feel great so therefore I look great and if you don't like how I look I really don't care."</li>
</ul>
<b>What we wished we had packed: </b><br />
<ul>
<li>I thought I would be able to get shampoo at hotels along the way. That wasn't always the case. So I wish I had packed a small container of shampoo.</li>
<li>I also wish I would have packed a small tube of lotion.</li>
<li>Duct Tape. I almost bought some to patch up the cleat attachment holes on the bottom of my shoes because lots of sand snuck in the holes. I also just like duct tape.</li>
</ul>
<b>Coffee:</b><br />
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I think bike rides are always better when you stop for coffee. I prefer a whole-milk latte and Owen likes a basic black coffee. We found two super excellent coffee shops along the Gandy Dancer Trail that are worth mentioning (there are likely other good coffee shops, too, but these are two we found). Both of these shops are within a block of the bike trail.<br />
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<a href="http://www.freshstartcoffeeroasters.com/index.html" target="_blank">Fresh Start Coffee Roasters</a> in Webster, Wisconsin: Great coffee. Yummy treats. Nice decor. Art for sale including great photography.<br />
<a href="http://www.thecafewren.com/" target="_blank">Cafe Wren</a> in Luck, Wisconsin: Great coffee. Yummy treats. Excellent lunch food. Super nice deck/patio. Art for sale. Cool biking glasses for sale.<br />
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Well, that's it for our Gandy Dancer bikepacking trip wrap up report.<br />
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I'll report in with more bike adventure related news soon!<br />
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<br />Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-31826712116915857102015-08-16T20:56:00.000-05:002015-08-16T20:56:40.000-05:00Back to Day 3 - Bike packing adventureIt's coming on two weeks since Owen and I went on our bike packing trip so I figured I'd better get back to writing about day 3 as I <a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/08/170-miles-since-sunday.html">promised to do in my last post</a>.<br />
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We started Day 3 in Luck, Wisconsin with super weather once again. Owen and I keep thinking we'll get going early but it was about 9:00 a.m. by the time we had breakfast, packed up and were on the trail again. We headed south on the Gandy Dancer Trail for St. Croix Falls, an easy 15 mile ride and found our way through some city trails to downtown St. Croix Falls.<br />
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Owen wanted to see the falls, so we took some pictures then found a little coffee shop, Coffee Time, and had lunch. They were busy and we had to wait awhile for our order, but the two women working there were so sweet and the food quite good so it was well worth the wait.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gUOACSQ6Owg/VdE7MjJcAII/AAAAAAAABWo/uHP5tz6jEuk/s1600/IMG_2546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gUOACSQ6Owg/VdE7MjJcAII/AAAAAAAABWo/uHP5tz6jEuk/s320/IMG_2546.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Croix Falls</td></tr>
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We wanted to stop at <a href="http://www.cyclova.com/" target="_blank">Cyclova</a>, a bike shop a couple of doors down from Coffee Time, but were bummed to discover that they were closed on Tuesdays. We looked in the window instead and saw what appeared to be a good line up bikes including bikes from Salsa Cycles like the Salsa Vaya and Mukluk Owen and I were riding.<br />
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We decided to head back north on the trail but first we wanted to find the actual beginning of the Gandy Dancer Trail so we could say we'd ridden the entire bike friendly portion of the trail. We would our way around a bit and found the trail's beginning and took a couple of pictures then headed back north.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XA84NpKayaA/VdE7q4LpoKI/AAAAAAAABWw/G8UvLjjE2T0/s1600/IMG_2551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XA84NpKayaA/VdE7q4LpoKI/AAAAAAAABWw/G8UvLjjE2T0/s320/IMG_2551.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm about to ride onto the southmost start point of the Gandy Dancer Trail</td></tr>
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Our ride north back to Siren was good and uneventful other than there are a few soft spots on the trail that almost caused me to wipe out. The soft spots occurred when the trail crossed roads and also at the exit of a short tunnel. After skidding about a bit in a couple of places, I got smart and got off my bike and walked through the soft spots.<br />
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On our way back to Siren, Owen and I stopped for coffee at a bike friendly cafe called <a href="http://www.thecafewren.com/" target="_blank">Cafe Wren</a>. It's right at the side of the trail just north of Luck and we had spotted it the day before and decided we needed to make it a destination. Very glad we did as it's my kind of cafe! Good coffee and snacks, bike parking, artwork from local artists and a huge outdoor seating area. We actually stopped back at Cafe Wren for lunch with Ryan on our drive back home - in part so I could buy some Luck, Wisconsin bicycle pint glasses they sold there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MpO-Zdmcbjk/VdEsmgKNkrI/AAAAAAAABWE/qJnpkHwxA5E/s1600/IMG_6570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MpO-Zdmcbjk/VdEsmgKNkrI/AAAAAAAABWE/qJnpkHwxA5E/s320/IMG_6570.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owen out on the patio at Cafe Wren</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JtjmdZ9J4FE/VdE4Fzj6tqI/AAAAAAAABWY/40wTOoP2gto/s1600/IMG_6622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JtjmdZ9J4FE/VdE4Fzj6tqI/AAAAAAAABWY/40wTOoP2gto/s320/IMG_6622.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luck, Wisconsin pint glass from Cafe Wren</td></tr>
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After Cafe Wren, well, it was more and more pedaling. We stopped in Milltown Wisconsin to take a picture for our friends at <a href="http://www.milltowncycles.com/" target="_blank">Milltown Cycles</a> (the shop where we purchased our Salsa bikes and a whole bunch of other things) then pedaled on until we made it to Siren, Wisconsin.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cru41Q9PQO8/VdE9V24UWiI/AAAAAAAABXA/7hH0nnCw8g8/s1600/IMG_2552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cru41Q9PQO8/VdE9V24UWiI/AAAAAAAABXA/7hH0nnCw8g8/s320/IMG_2552.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milltown, Wisconsin</td></tr>
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There, we checked in at <a href="http://www.mylodge.com/" target="_blank">The Lodge at Crooked Lake</a> (we would have stayed at the Pinewood Motel again but it was full), cleaned up and walked across the lot to Adventures Restaurant for dinner. We walked around Siren a bit and over to Crooked Lake then settled in for the evening.<div>
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And with that, Day 3 was done.</div>
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Stats for Day 3</div>
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<ul>
<li>53.6 miles</li>
<li>5 hours 28 minutes moving time</li>
<li>9.8 mph average speed</li>
</ul>
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Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-1565294026779971352015-08-05T18:34:00.001-05:002015-08-05T18:35:25.954-05:00170 Miles Since Sunday<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We have wrapped up our four day bike adventure and, to reward ourselves, have settled in at a B&B for the evening.</span></div><div><br></div><div>Since Sunday we have biked about 170 miles. The bikes worked great. Our bodies worked great. I'm a bit sore (methinks I need to lower the nose of my saddle a bit) and really can feel that my legs have been working. Other than that, though, I felt like my body was more machine than anything and once I got pedaling, I just kept on going. </div><div><br></div><div>I'll write more about yesterday's ride later (in short, 54 miles from Luck to St. Croix Falls back through Luck and overnight in Siren) but here's a brief recap of today...</div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Today we slept in and got riding at 11 a.m. Gorgeous day! Had a wonderful 30 mile ride from Siren to Shell Lake where we had lunch at The Pottery Shed (one of my favorite places). Rode to our van which was parked at our son's camp in Shell Lake, packed up the bikes and are now showered and settled in for the evening. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I'm going to eat now!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Here's some pictures from today. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zZ17MZVK_vA/VcKdcFW5fvI/AAAAAAAABVU/Ww-5M0Amgcs/s640/blogger-image--1203273531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zZ17MZVK_vA/VcKdcFW5fvI/AAAAAAAABVU/Ww-5M0Amgcs/s640/blogger-image--1203273531.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SP-vvC61PEk/VcKdgcvXNWI/AAAAAAAABVk/WPK9W7HCRXs/s640/blogger-image--2109300959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SP-vvC61PEk/VcKdgcvXNWI/AAAAAAAABVk/WPK9W7HCRXs/s640/blogger-image--2109300959.jpg"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SP-vvC61PEk/VcKdgcvXNWI/AAAAAAAABVk/WPK9W7HCRXs/s640/blogger-image--2109300959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rmvfeLP-rPs/VcKdeq4waEI/AAAAAAAABVc/sYXD4EjvE9w/s640/blogger-image--1597580047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rmvfeLP-rPs/VcKdeq4waEI/AAAAAAAABVc/sYXD4EjvE9w/s640/blogger-image--1597580047.jpg"></a></div></div><br></div></span></div>Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-38995512647707765362015-08-03T21:33:00.001-05:002015-08-14T10:03:19.766-05:00We're in Luck!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We're in Luck, Wisconsin this evening instead of Superior and we feel lucky to be here!</span></div>
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We had breakfast at a little cafe in Siren this morning and were on the Gandy Dancer Trail heading north by 9:00. </div>
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The going was somewhat slow but the crushed limestone trail was good and we made Danbury by 11:00. We had lunch then I bought some fudge and made a comment to the lady in the fudge shop that we were heading to Superior. When she figured out we were on bikes she got worried and told us the trail turned into an ATV trail and said the trail wasn't good for bikes. We knew that to some degree - but have never seem ATV trails so didn't know what to expect. We had done as much online research as we could but still didn't know how the trail would work for our bikes. We just knew we had a long 50 miles ahead of us to make Superior and that there were basically no towns in between. </div>
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Well, we got on the trail and soon discovered why the fudge shop lady was worried. The trail north of Danbury was great for ATVs, somewhat possible on a fatbike but impossible on my Vaya. Owen said my back wheel was skidding all over. The trail was made up of deep sand and gravel and there were no packed sections in which to ride. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We rode less than a mile and decided to turn back. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Turning back was a good call. We decided to bike the trail south back through Siren and bike until we got tired. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After an hour, we stopped for a coffee at a great little coffee shop in Webster, Wisconsin. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Then we biked on through Siren on the well maintained trails through Burnett County. Then we hit Polk County and trail conditions changed and were not so nice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Mostly, the trails were mossy and not well kept up but rideable enough but I hit a few spots<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> of deep sand that I almost wiped out on. Scary. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">After almost 54 miles of riding total for the day, we </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">decided to stop for the night in Luck, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Wisconsin. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Our hotel, The Luck Country Inn, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">is nice. We had a good dinner at the Bon Ton tavern (they have a great outdoor patio).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Tomorrow, we will likely ride the trail all the way south to St. Croix Falls then ride back north to Siren. That's the plan, anyway. As we learned today, plans can always change!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We're both tired but are feeling strong. Our bikes and gear are working great. We are having fun and are probably eating too much! Good night. </span><br />
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Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-57797947493395068042015-08-02T20:03:00.001-05:002015-08-02T20:03:33.107-05:00Safe and sound in SirenWell we are safe and sound in Siren, Wisconsin and have finished day 1 of our bike packing adventure. <div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BWz98ePHIaw/Vb6949a7pSI/AAAAAAAABTU/3t9lRvn50Ko/s640/blogger-image--1120195256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BWz98ePHIaw/Vb6949a7pSI/AAAAAAAABTU/3t9lRvn50Ko/s640/blogger-image--1120195256.jpg"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BWz98ePHIaw/Vb6949a7pSI/AAAAAAAABTU/3t9lRvn50Ko/s640/blogger-image--1120195256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-U7hzZUhjcoo/Vb691fNv1AI/AAAAAAAABTE/rU_ZYeAYVPc/s640/blogger-image--2002821481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-U7hzZUhjcoo/Vb691fNv1AI/AAAAAAAABTE/rU_ZYeAYVPc/s640/blogger-image--2002821481.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>We took off from Shell Lake just before 4 p.m. and headed west on county road B for Siren. At mile 3.5 Owen got stung by a bee or something so we stopped to check him out. Owen reacts terribly to mosquito bites so I was quite worried he'd swell up and have an allergic reaction. But he didn't, thank goodness. We biked on. </div><div><br></div><div>We had about a 15 mph headwind all the way to Siren. That was a bummer but we managed. The ride went well. The scenery was beautiful. </div><div><br></div><div>After 2 1/2 hours (27.8 miles) of biking we rolled into Siren. We're staying at a little motel, the Pinewood Motel, and we're having dinner right now at the Pour House. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i87pAP64qss/Vb693cM47CI/AAAAAAAABTM/iHm5kBqIayE/s640/blogger-image-689144557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i87pAP64qss/Vb693cM47CI/AAAAAAAABTM/iHm5kBqIayE/s640/blogger-image-689144557.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">My foot is a little sore. Other than that, I'm feeling strong. </span></div><div><br></div><div>Planning on 70 miles (Owen says it's all downhill) tomorrow. </div></div>Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-63434584138410768452015-08-01T21:37:00.001-05:002015-08-01T21:38:21.502-05:00It's almost Go Time!Tomorrow Owen and I take off on our bike packing adventure. We are mostly packed but will finish up in the morning. We have some time as we are not due to drop our son off at camp until 1:30 p.m. at the earliest. It's likely we'll leave our home for Shell Lake, Wisconsin around 10 a.m. and be biking by mid-afternoon.<br />
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At present, our plan is to bike 30 miles to Siren on Sunday afternoon and overnight there. We talked about biking to Danbury, another 10 miles further north, but I could not find a non-smoking hotel room open (at a reasonable price) at the local casino hotels. It's not that we are really picky about non-smoking vs. smoking rooms but that combined with the fact that we have just a few hours to get anywhere on Sunday made us decide we'd bike a shorter distance on our first day. Seems less stressful.<br />
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On Monday we plan to bike about 70 miles all the way to Superior. We'd make it a shorter day except that hotels appear to be scarce along the Gandy Dancer Trail so we'll just make a day of it and pedal away.<br />
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Once we're in Superior, we overnight then Tuesday morning head back south again for Shell Lake. I think we can make Shell Lake in two days of about 50 miles a day. If not, we'll take longer. We have an extra day built in as we don't have to be back in Shell Lake to get Ryan until Thursday.<br />
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I'm a bit stressed about carrying everything on my bike but I think I have things under control. I packed all of my clothes and some toiletries and a book to read (Neil Gaimon's The Ocean at the End of the Lane) all in my Pika seat bag. It weighs about five pounds and I still have room to spare. I'll finish packing a first aid kit, some other toiletries and some food in my handlebar bag tomorrow morning.<br />
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Tonight, Owen and I took the bikes out for a little test ride around the neighborhood with our seat bags all packed. The bikes rode great even with extra weight hanging off their back ends. In theory, we should have biked a lot longer and tested things out even better. But, oh well, we didn't. We'll be fine.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here we are with our bikes packed and almost ready to go!</td></tr>
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I'm feeling pretty excited about our upcoming adventure! I've wanted to go on a bike packing trip for well over a year now and I'm so glad we are making it happen!<br />
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I feel excited about something else, too. This morning Owen and I rode the 25 mile route of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tour-de-SAVE/188765119864?fref=ts" target="_blank">Tour de SAVE</a> charity bike ride that raises money and awareness for suicide awareness and education. We've done the <a href="https://www.save.org/" target="_blank">SAVE</a> ride several years and are glad to help raise money for SAVE. The weather was perfect for the ride this morning and the attendance was good - I don't know how many rode, maybe 60? I met some great people and enjoyed myself immensely.<br />
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I feel doubly good about the ride because 1) we helped raise money for a great cause and 2) I, for the first time ever, rode 25 miles without taking a break. Normally on a ride of 20 or so miles I stop and rest about 10 miles in. Today, I felt great and just kept on pedaling.<br />
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After riding so well this morning, I'm feeling pretty confident about being able to ride strong this week.<br />
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I'll write as often as I can to keep you up to date on our bike adventure!Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-26350453452049053032015-07-27T17:01:00.002-05:002015-07-27T17:01:31.892-05:00On the Horizon - Bikepacking!Both kids will be at camps next week so Owen and I have a whole week to ourselves. Instead of going on a relaxing vacation, however, we are going to load up our bikes and go on a bikepacking trip!<br />
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We don't have a tent, sleeping bags or equipment to make food along the way so we are going to stay at hotels along our route. This sort of bike touring is commonly called "credit card travel" - as in you use your credit card to pay for accommodation and food along the way. That said, we will be packing clothes and other things so will get a taste for what it's like to carry things on our bikes.<br />
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Our plan is to drop Ryan off at camp on Sunday in Shell Lake, Wisconsin. We'll leave our van at his camp and bike northwest to Siren where we'll pick up the Gandy Dancer bike trail that goes north along the Minnesota/Wisconsin border. We'll bike that to Superior then take another bike trail from Superior back down to Shell Lake. I figure we'll bike about 200 miles in four to five days (Sunday will be a short day as we won't leave until mid-afternoon. Thursday will be a shorter day as we need to be back in Shell Lake well before evening). I've never been on a multi-day ride so it will be interesting to see how my body holds up!<br />
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<b>As for equipment...</b><br />
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<b>Bikes:</b> Owen will be riding his 2013 Salsa Mukluk 2 and I'll be riding my 2013 Salsa Vaya 2. Both bikes have two bottle cages so we'll have two bike bottles each. We'll also have a bike pump on each bike. I have a bike computer on my Vaya. Both bikes will have headlights mounted on the handlebars and we both have clip on tail lights.<br />
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<b>Bike Bags in which to carry our stuff: </b><br />
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<li>We purchased <a href="http://www.revelatedesigns.com/" target="_blank">Revelate</a> seat bags from <a href="http://www.milltowncycles.com/" target="_blank">Milltown Cycles</a> for both of our bikes to put our clothes in. Owen got a bigger bag than mine because he has more room for it on his Mukluk than I do on my extra small Vaya. The seat bags expand out to carry a ton of stuff! Owen's bag is the <a href="https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/Seat-Bags/Viscacha" target="_blank">Viscacha</a> and mine is the <a href="https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/Seat-Bags/Pika" target="_blank">Pika</a>. </li>
<li>We'll both have handlebar bags (not sure of the brands on these - we've had them for ages) for our toiletries and first aid stuff.</li>
<li>Owen will carry spare tubes, patch kit and bike gear in a <a href="http://banjobrothers.com/products/current/frame-packs/frame-pack-medium/" target="_blank">Banjo Brothers frame pack</a>. </li>
<li>I have a Bontrager "Pro Speed Box" bag that sits on my top tube near my handlebars. My iPhone and some snacks will go in this bag</li>
<li>Owen will probably have a <a href="https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/Cockpit/MountainFeedbag" target="_blank">Revelate "feed bag</a>" on his Mukluk in which to carry his iPhone and snacks</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_gHL9HiAfcA/Vbam2st9D2I/AAAAAAAABSQ/OHAzAz8Dqz4/s1600/IMG_6482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_gHL9HiAfcA/Vbam2st9D2I/AAAAAAAABSQ/OHAzAz8Dqz4/s320/IMG_6482.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We brought the bikes inside in the air conditioning so we could try on our new bike bags and check our equipment. Here's Owen's Mukluk (the fat tire bike in the back) and my Vaya</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<b>What will we bring?</b><br />
<br />
We've learned to pack light from all of our trips in our little Pacer and, before that, our Christen Eagle (the Eagle had almost no baggage space - I had to fly with a duffle bag between my feet). That said, we'll be packing even lighter for the bike trip.<br />
<br />
This is my tentative plan for clothing.<br />
<br />
<b>I'll wear:</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>bike shorts (<a href="http://www.terrybicycles.com/Apparel/Cycling-Bottoms/Bella-Short_2" target="_blank">Terry Bella shorts</a>)</li>
<li>jersey</li>
<li>sports bra</li>
<li>Smart Wool socks</li>
<li>bike shoes</li>
<li>bike gloves - fingerless</li>
<li>sunglasses</li>
<li>bike helmet</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>I'll pack:</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>one pair pants that zip off into shorts (Kuhl brand)</li>
<li>two short sleeve shirts</li>
<li>one lightweight jacket</li>
<li>extra pair Smart Wool socks</li>
<li>underwear (4 or 5 pair)</li>
<li>bra (one that packs flat)</li>
<li>sandals</li>
<li>extra jersey</li>
<li>pajamas (lightweight knee length t-shirt thing - might leave behind depending on space)</li>
</ul>
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<b>We're considering:</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>I'm giving some thought to bringing a swim suit since we'll be surrounded by lakes and I'm sure it would feel good to swim at the end of a long day of biking. But I think the suit will not make it.</li>
<li>I'm also giving some thought to bringing a spare pair of bike shorts. That said another option is I'm thinking about bringing some really thin panty liners to stick on my chamois to keep my shorts a bit more hygienic. Not sure on that yet.</li>
<li>Owen is wondering if we should bring ponchos for rain. We have some that pack up really small</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>As for other stuff we'll pack </b>- I don't plan to bring much for personal items. Since we're staying in hotels/motels I can (hopefully) plan on finding soap and shampoo in the room so don't need to pack things like that. I should be able to fit most of my stuff in a quart sized zip-lock baggie.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KsMNIqTBFR0/VbamzlrujII/AAAAAAAABSM/pmqnSJcWalU/s1600/IMG_6483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KsMNIqTBFR0/VbamzlrujII/AAAAAAAABSM/pmqnSJcWalU/s320/IMG_6483.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Vaya equipped with bags</td></tr>
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<div>
<b>Here's a tentative list of personal items I'll carry in my handlebar bag:</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>travel toothbrush</li>
<li>small tube of toothpaste</li>
<li>dental floss</li>
<li>small thing of liquid Castile soap</li>
<li>spray on hair conditioner (so I can actually comb through my hair after I shower)</li>
<li>comb</li>
<li>contact lenses (I'm bringing daily disposables)</li>
<li>my glasses</li>
<li>vitamins/melatonin/ibuprofin</li>
<li>maybe some BB cream</li>
<li>lip gloss (Burts Bees)</li>
<li>Icy Hot</li>
<li>maybe a small container of lotion</li>
<li>pen & small notebook</li>
<li>elastic ankle support (for my left foot - <a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/07/this-post-was-also-published-on-my.html">for my plantar fasciitis</a>)</li>
<li>racquet ball (also for my left foot - rolling the ball under my arch works out the muscles on the bottom of my foot)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
<div>
<div>
<b>Stuff Owen and I will share that will go in my handlebar bag:</b></div>
</div>
<br />
<div>
<ul>
<li>sunscreen</li>
<li>small thing of aloe vera (for potential sunburn)</li>
<li>bug spray (likely some Off wipes I found - easier to pack)</li>
<li>hand/body wipes (great for quick clean ups along the trail)</li>
<li>Benadryl cream (for bug bites)</li>
<li>hand sanitizer (I have a small spray container)</li>
<li>a travel towel - most likely bringing. I think it could come in handy</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>As for other stuff</b></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>We'll carry some food (meat sticks, Clif bars, nuts) and will purchase these things along the way as they are pretty easy to find in convenience stores</li>
<li>I'll bring a container of Nuun <a href="https://nuun.com/shop/nuun-active/tri-berry/" target="_blank">electrolyte tablets (tri-berry flavor</a>) </li>
<li>I like to have Clif Shot bloks on hand (Mountain Berry flavor)</li>
<li>several pant leg straps that double as straps to fasten stuff onto our bikes, if need be</li>
<li>lightweight bike lock</li>
</ul>
<div>
Well, that's the tentative lineup of equipment, clothing and personal items. We'll pack up our bikes with everything and go on a ride to test everything before we head out on our trip. </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>To those of you who bikepack, does it look like we are missing any essential items?</b> Let me know! We still have time to make adjustments before we head out on our trip!</div>
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<br />Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-8469234171696557002015-07-24T18:06:00.002-05:002015-07-27T16:56:27.209-05:00X-Ray Follow up<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.799999237060547px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i>This post was also published on my <a href="http://www.myrnacgmibus.com/writing-space/">Writing Space blog</a> as <a href="http://www.myrnacgmibus.com/posts/x-ray-follow-up/">X-Ray Follow up</a>.</i></div>
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I figured I should write a quick post to follow up on my <a href="http://myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/07/x-is-for-x-ray.html">X is for X-Ray post</a> to let you all know what’s going on with my heel pain.</div>
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I went to the podiatrist and have the official diagnosis of Plantar Fasciitis and Peroneal Tendon Injury in my left foot. The bone spur I have in my left heel has likely been growing for several years but probably isn’t contributing much to my heel pain. That said, I’ve been stretching that foot a lot and may have been irritating the tissue around the spur which would contribute to the pain. It’s likely that the root of the pain came from clipping in and out of my bike pedals so I have loosened the tension on my pedals a lot so that clipping in/out is much easier to do. Other than that, I’ve had a tendency to carry my left shoulder higher than my right. I’m not doing that so much now but that might have also caused me to be off balance and put undue pressure on my left side.</div>
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So, what am I to do? Rest. Ice. Stretches. Wear good shoes. Biking is a fine form of exercise. Yay! In addition to what the doctor ordered, I’m stepping up healing with other care therapies to give myself a better chance of getting back on my feet.</div>
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I work with a wonderful bodywork person, Shari Setchell of <a href="http://www.bodyeclectichealing.com/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Body Eclectic</a> and have found that she can actually make my pain go away when she does work on the muscles in my leg so I’m seeing her every week or two weeks for awhile. She is also helping me figure out how to keep my body in balance so that I don’t keep having pain. I decided to get back to my chiropractor and have her make sure my back is aligned properly just in case alignment issues have been contributing. My spine was a bit out of whack so am glad I got back in there. I also see an acupuncturist so am having her do both needle work and muscle work on my left foot and leg when I’m in for my regular appointment.</div>
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The pain in my left heel is not gone but things have improved a lot. I’m optimistic that my heel will heal.</div>
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Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-90054610028211822212015-07-15T09:25:00.002-05:002015-07-15T09:25:28.474-05:00X is for X-Ray<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.799999237060547px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i>This post was published in a slightly different format on my <a href="http://www.myrnacgmibus.com/posts/x-is-for-x-ray/" target="_blank">Writing Space blog as X is for X-Ray</a>. The information in X is for X-Ray pertains to my bicycling life so I am posting it here at Idyllwild as well. </i></div>
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Yeah, I know that writing about X-Rays for day “X” of an A to Z Blogging challenge is predictable because “x-ray” is the first thing people think of when they think of a word starting with X. Thing is, I really do have a reason to write about x-rays because I had two of them taken today. So, even though I was hoping to come up with something really swell for my “X” day it makes more sense for me to write about what is on my mind – and today that’s x-rays of my left heel.</div>
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Here’s the deal – I’ve been struggling with ankle and heel pain on and off for, well, about a year now. I haven’t been too worried about it because the pain hasn’t been consistent or that bad. It started out with some muscle discomfort in my left ankle and I found that ankle to be less mobile than the right one. When I first had the pain I figured I hurt it somehow – maybe even from repeatedly clipping out of my left pedal on my bike (I clip out of my left pedal more often than my right because that’s the foot I put down at stop signs and the like). Chiropractic care and stretching/strengthening the ankle helped it somewhat and sometimes I pretty much forgot about the pain.</div>
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In the past months, however, the pain has moved from my ankle more into my heel making it hurt to walk. Still, I haven’t thought much about it figuring the pain would go away with time. But it kept getting worse and I found myself limping around quite a bit and in pain more often than not. I’d get sharp stabs of pain in my heel and also had a constant ache. This past weekend I was in so much pain I was even crying.</div>
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I don’t like limping and crying and certainly don’t like moving around slower than full speed. I figured I’d better get into the doctor to see if there was something structurally wrong with my foot that was causing the pain so I got myself in to the doctor.</div>
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Guess what? There is something wrong. I have a fairly large bone spur on the bottom of my left heel and a smaller one on the back of my heel.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FMJFPo_F8lc/VaZssAm-TkI/AAAAAAAABRs/nK2iG5XbrXw/s1600/Left%2Bfoot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FMJFPo_F8lc/VaZssAm-TkI/AAAAAAAABRs/nK2iG5XbrXw/s320/Left%2Bfoot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the x-ray of my left heel as well as some helpful red arrows pointing out details</td></tr>
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Heel spurs (according to <a href="http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/heel-spurs-pain-causes-symptoms-treatments" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">WebMD</a>) are “caused by strains on foot muscles and ligaments, stretching of the plantar fascia, and repeated tearing of the membrane that covers the heel bone.” My theory is that my spurs may have grown because I’ve been doing more aerobic exercise in the past several months and because I’ve been riding my <a href="http://www.myrnacgmibus.com/posts/v-is-for-vaya/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Vaya</a> a lot. My Vaya’s pedals are really hard to clip out of and doing so has been putting a lot of strain on my foot. I didn’t realize how hard it was to clip out of them until I rode my road bike last week. I can clip out of those pedals easily with almost no strain to my ankle (time to make an adjustment to the Vaya’s pedals!) whereas clipping out of the Vaya is always hard.</div>
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I’m guessing that the repeated strain on my left ankle and increased impact on the bottom of the foot from aerobic exercise have aggravated things to the heel spur level of ailments. That’s my theory, anyway. I’m no expert. I just know that it’s difficult to walk and I’m in almost constant pain and I’m tired of being in pain. It’s good to know that there’s a reason for the pain, at least, and that the x-rays show no signs of arthritis. In fact, I think my foot bones look pretty nice!</div>
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As for what’s next, I’m going to see a podiatrist to see what he has to say.</div>
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Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541324048517256234.post-19090294956097697312015-07-06T17:50:00.001-05:002015-07-06T18:30:32.553-05:00Riotgrrravel Reflections<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.799999237060547px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i>This blog entry also appears on my Writing Space blog as <a href="http://www.myrnacgmibus.com/posts/r-is-for-riotgrrravel-reflections/" target="_blank">R is for Riotgrrravel Reflections</a>.</i><br />
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Two weeks ago, on June 20th, I rode <a href="http://riotgrrravel.com/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Riotgrrravel</a>, a gravel race/ride for women and am happy to say that I completed the 30 mile ride. Riotgrrravel is very well organized ride meant to introduce women to gravel racing. The ride is organized and put on by an awesome woman named Ellie and her family. Ellie started the ride just last year (I rode Riotgrrravel last year and <a href="http://www.myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2014/06/riotgrrravel-wrap-up.html" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">wrote about my experience on my Idyllwild blog</a>) and I’m so glad she did it again this year.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pPLPBewy0z0/VZsNNmhqYDI/AAAAAAAABQs/Gbuj1pVTvKM/s1600/IMG_6244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pPLPBewy0z0/VZsNNmhqYDI/AAAAAAAABQs/Gbuj1pVTvKM/s320/IMG_6244.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here we are at race start just about ready to go! From left to right: Lisa, Joy, Me & Katy. </td></tr>
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Last year the weather was stellar but the route had to be changed practically moments before race start because of flooding in the days previous to the race. This year the roads weren’t flooded but the morning of the race thunderstorms moved in. We woke up that morning thinking the ride would be cancelled due to the thunderstorms but the rain cleared out before start time and the roads ended up just a bit tacky instead of sloppy for the race and the ride was a GO!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xjBFQXfL0DU/VZsOI8a3KeI/AAAAAAAABQ0/sEHMl5xlCRs/s1600/IMG_6235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xjBFQXfL0DU/VZsOI8a3KeI/AAAAAAAABQ0/sEHMl5xlCRs/s320/IMG_6235.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous scenery along the route</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, sans-serif;">About 200 people were registered to ride the race but because of the uncertainty about the weather and road conditions, only 60 some people actually showed up to ride the 50 mile and 30 mile routes (20 rode the 50 miler & 40 rode the 30 miler). Given how many people didn’t even show, it’s a great accomplishment to have shown up and finished. I rode with my “gravel gal” friends Lisa, Katy & Joy and we crossed the finish line together in 3 hours, 29 minutes and 39 seconds (a solid 10.6 mph – I believe we were in 23rd place). My </span><a href="http://www.myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/06/box-of-frogs-adventure.html" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Box of Frogs</a><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, sans-serif;"> biking friends, Kate and Victoria, were also on the ride and finished 17 minutes before we did. After the ride my gravel gal pals and I ate pastries and lunch at a bakery. And then we got shakes at the Dairy Store. And we laughed and talked and had a good time as we ate and as we drove home.</span><br />
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The self supported ride was full of good gravel, gorgeous scenery and awesome women (and some awesome men). I’m really glad I rode the ride this year. But, I’ve got to say, I found the ride really frustrating simply because I didn’t do as well as I hoped I would. I don’t want to dwell on the negatives here – but it might be helpful for someone to read this anyway (or maybe simply because it’s therapeutic for me to write about it).</div>
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I had figured the 30 mile Riotgrrravel would be relatively easy compared to the 60 mile Box of Frogs ride I completed two weeks previous. That ride was a <a href="http://www.myrnacgmibus.blogspot.com/2015/06/box-of-frogs-adventure.html" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">grand gravel/mud/tar/slippery sludge adventure</a> that was terribly difficult. I rode most of <a href="http://www.boxofrogs.bike/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Box of Frogs</a> with Kate and Victoria, however, and somehow we chatted and pedaled our way through it all. I had also figured that since two of our group were new to gravel racing and I had oh so much “experience” because I’d ridden two gravel rides already (Box of Frogs and Riotgrrravel) and have been riding for several years, that I would maybe even be sort of a leader in our little group of gravel gals.</div>
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Well, those were nice thoughts, anyway. Turns out the ride was not easy and I was not at all a leader as the rest of my group had to wait for me several times so I could catch up.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gravel, lots of gravel, and my gravel gal friends on the road ahead. </td></tr>
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We started out the ride and got rolling right away. We had headwinds right off and and I quickly fell behind our group of four. We’ve ridden together on training rides and I thought I would have no trouble keeping up with the group. Maybe they are more charged with race adrenaline, I thought (whereas I wasn’t thinking race as much as ride and set off at my normal pace). Maybe they are simply stronger than I am. Whatever the case, I was behind, not far – but far enough that I got discouraged a bit. So I told myself, “that’s okay. This is your pace. You know you can finish the ride at this pace. It’s okay if they go on ahead” and I kept on pedaling.<br />
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But the headwinds were hard to pedal against and I felt tired from the get go. Mentally I just didn’t feel with it. I felt tired (I really didn’t sleep much the night before so I know that didn’t help). And, within the first few miles, I noticed my (ahem) “lady parts” were getting sore. It is not normal for me to be sore so I was puzzled then realized I was way heavier on my hands and front of my seat than I usually am, probably because I was tired and kinda collapsing forward. I did my best to shift my weight back and kept on pedaling.</div>
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About then, oh, we were just five miles into the race, I suppose, the helpful little voice that told myself I was riding at my own pace and it was okay that people were ahead of me started saying not so nice things to myself like, “you’re too slow” and “it sucks to ride alone” but then I’d try to offset those thoughts with nicer things and remind myself that I was riding my own ride and I just was having one of those off days and I knew that if I just kept pedaling I’d finish.</div>
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Lisa dropped back and rode with me for awhile. Then I decided I needed to stop and rest. That was a smart move. I sat in the shade and ate a Clif Bar. Then I cried rather ridiculously for awhile and told Lisa I was so disappointed in myself and that I was pretty sure I was the last person on the course (the brain is a liar – I was far from last. And what does it matter, anyway?) and that she and the gals should just go on ahead and I’d finish on my own. I haven’t cried on a ride in years. I thought I was over that. I guess not.</div>
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Lisa said all sorts of nice things and we rode on. Then we caught up with Katy and Joy at an intersection where they, and several other people who were resting there, got to see me fall as I came to a stop because I was so tired I couldn’t manage to clip out of my pedals. I have never done that. It’s rather embarrassing. At least I didn’t cry! Oh, I didn’t really get hurt, either, just a bit of a scrape on my knee.</div>
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We rode on. Looking back, I estimate we had nasty headwinds or quartering headwinds at least 75% of the time. I am not a fan of headwinds. Sometimes I rode with my friends, sometimes I fell behind. I kept pedaling. And tried to say nice things to myself. But the ride was really, really, hard for me.</div>
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That said. I kept pedaling and I had some fun with my gravel gal pals. We took some pictures. We crossed the finish line together. And, I cried again because I was just so glad to have finished.</div>
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After the ride, after scarfing down some candy bars nicely provided by volunteers from Hope Lutheran Church (they opened their church and parking lot to us as a ride start location – thank you!), I talked to Kate and Victoria about how hard the ride was for me. We talked about nutrition both pre-ride and during the ride to see if that might have been a factor (not a whole lot different but I did lack in energy chews which I found to be helpful on Box of Frogs). We talked about the F-ING headwinds and decided they were a huge factor. I felt better after talking to Kate and Victoria. Ultimately we chalked up my not so great of a ride because I was tired and lacked mental and physical energy and ran out of happy thoughts to something pretty simply – I was having one of those days. They happen.</div>
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But here’s the thing – even when you’re having one of those days you keep on pedaling and finish the ride anyway. Partially because no one is there to pick you up but mostly because you set out to finish a ride so you finish it. And that’s what I did. I set out to ride Riotgrrravel and I finished the ride. Yay!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gravel Gals (from l to r: Me, Lisa, Joy & Katy) crossing the finish line of Riotgrrravel 2015!</td></tr>
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Myrna CG Mibushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103642734132391167noreply@blogger.com1