Winter in Minnesota

I've finally admitted it; it's winter! Eid al-Adha has come and gone. Winter Solstice has come and gone, whew, we made it through the longest night without any ghost issues. Hanukkah has begun and is soon to pass. Christmas is over. Boxing Day is over. All of this means, I ain't ridin' my bike. I have moved everything into the basement and put the road bike on the trainer. It's not much fun but I can at least catch up on all the movies I've been wanting to see. 

I've plugged the TV in and hooked up the DVD player and the cable box, all by myself! The bike is strategically placed in front of the TV for better viewing. I have a stack of wood near the fireplace just in case I don't workout hard enough to stay warm. So far that has not been a problem but you never know, we still have January coming up. I also found my weights and workout balls so I have no excuse for not staying in condition over the winter. The gym I belong to has closed the location closest to my house so I don't know if I will be makin' it to the gym. I'm not much a gym person anyway; somehow I just can't get myself to go and having everything I need right here at home works much better. 

I certainly miss my long Friday morning rides and my afterwork rides on the Gateway. I'm sure we will get a couple warmer days and I will be able to try winter riding again.  I can also spend this time figuring out next years rides; that's half the fun anyway. 

40 degrees in December

Dint wanna waste the bright, bright sun shiny day so I pulled the old Kona out of the garage yesterday. I haven't ridden this bike for quite some time so I wasn't sure what condition it was in. Mike's boyfriend Curt had been riding it over the summer so I figured it should be OK. I brought it into the house to warm up a bit, even at 40 the bike was super cold; call me a wimp but I dint wanna put my butt on a cold bike. I added air to the tires and lowered the seat and it was ready to go. I headed to the park down the street, getting used to riding on the snow. I have zero experience with riding in the snow. I went out one time early this year to check out the Gateway trail and ended up riding in some snow but that was all. Anyway, the snow on the street was pretty well packed and not too bad to ride on; the snow in the park was something else entirely. Super fun! I rode around the neighborhood for a while just testing things out. The slushy snow was probably the worst, the hard packed stuff was a little slippery but not too bad to ride on. I only hit one spot of nastiness where I thought I might lose it and as expected I had a car behind me but I just pedaled harder and stayed upright. 

I think having the hardtail and a heavier bike made things a little easier, like putting sand bags in the back of the pickup. I really enjoyed my ride through the neighborhood, the neighbors probably think I'm nuts but that's OK. It felt good to be out riding again, I haven't been on my bike since October. My back is starting to feel normal again, now I just have to keep it that way. I have some space in the basement set up for my bike trainer and workout equipment, so I should be good to go for the winter. 

The weather today has been yucky, it was raining when I drove to work at 0530 and now the temperature has dropped and we are getting snow. I guess I wont be doing any outside riding for a while again. Good thing I bought those cross country skis to keep me entertained through the winter add that to my curling and yoga and my evenings are pretty well filled. 

SYLVIE AWARD - MS150 Ride

This weekend was the Minnesota Chapter Multiple Sclerosis state convention. We, the Edina Realty "Real Estate Riders" received the Sylvie Award for raising the most team funds in 2008. We as a team raised over $112,000.00.

Thank you to Edina Realty, Mortgage, Title and Real Estate our team sponsor. Thank you to all of the MS staff and their many volunteers that made the MS150 ride so enjoyable. Thank you my family and friends who supported me in so many ways, without you we could not have made this happen. 

GOALS FOR THE 2009 REAL ESTATE RIDERS: To have 175 riders and to raise $125,000.00. We believe that both of these goals are very realistic. If you have not signed up you can go to www.realestateriders.org and click on the button that says "Join The Team". This will take you right to registration. The price to register is $30 until December 31, 2008, then the price will go up to $40. Save $10 and sign up before the price goes up!

Come on, join the team, let's ride together to fight this disease!

bikes

I took a count the other day, I now have in my possession two mountain bikes, two road bikes and one hybrid. I am in the "clean out the house" mode and need to make decisions about what I'm going to do with these. I know I'm keeping the two mountain bikes and one road bike. I may have a buyer for the hybrid so that just leaves the other road bike.  I was using the hybrid to ride to work but have decided to add a rack to one of my mountain bikes and use that instead. 

I need to purchase some warmer riding clothes, right now I'm good until about 35/40 degrees but anything colder than that and I freeze. I also need to find my other head light as it has disappeared over the summer.   

I haven't been on my bike for nearly a month as my lower back has been bothering me but I've decided to just bite the bullet and deal with it. I eat way too much to not be exercising on a regular basis. Curling season has begun so my Tuesday and Friday nights are dedicated to that, Thursday is yoga night so I'm thinking Mondays and Wednesdays will be good riding days, and maybe a Friday morning. 

One lesson I learned this year is that if I'm going to spend my summer riding then I better spend my winter getting my projects around the house done. I've been in a mad scramble to get the yard ready for winter and I don't think I'm going to make it.  I need at least two more warm days to get it completed. I'm happy I was able to get a load of wood before the weather turned crappy. 

Brrr, I miss the sun. The way the squirrels and birds have been acting this year I think we are in for a long winter. 

Rules of the Trail

I received my International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) magazine this week and thought I would share some information with y'all, just in case you have not become a member yet, hint, hint, wink, wink. This also allows me to practice my typing as I have a test coming up, yuck!

NEW RULES

An update for the venerable Rules of the Trail.

IMBA developed the "Rules of the Trail" to promote responsible and courteous conduct on shared-use trails. Keep in mind that conventions for yielding and passing may vary, depending on regional traditions, traffic conditions and the intended use of the trail.

1. Ride On Open Trails Only

Respect trail and road closures - ask a land manager for clarification if you are uncertain about the status of a trail. Do not trespass on private land. Obtain permits or other authorization as may be required. Be aware that bicycles are not permitted in areas protected as state or federal Wilderness.

2. Leave NO Trace

Be sensitive to the dirt beneath you. Wet and muddy trails are more vulnerable to damage than dry ones. When the trail is soft, consider other riding options. This also means staying on existing trails and not creating new ones. Don't cut switchbacks. Be sure to pack out at least as much as you pack in.

3. Control Your Bicycle

Inattention for even a moment could put yourself and others at risk. Obey all bicycle speed regulations and recommendations, and ride within your limits.

4. Yield to Others

Do your utmost to let your fellow trail users know you're coming - a friendly greeting or bell ring are good methods. Try to anticipate other trail users as you ride around corners. Bicyclists should yield to all other trail users, unless the trail is clearly signed for bike-only travel. Bicyclists traveling downhill should yield to ones headed uphill, unless the trail is clearly signed for one-way or downhill-only traffic. Strive to make each pass a safe and courteous one.

5. Never Scare Animals

Animals are easily startled by an unannounced approach, a sudden movement or a loud noise. Give animals enough room and time to adjust to you. When passing horses, use special care and follow directions from the horseback riders (ask if uncertain). Running cattle and disturbing wildlife are serious offenses.

6. Plan Ahead

Know your equipment, your ability and the area in which you are riding - and prepare accordingly. Strive to be self-sufficient: keep your equipment in good repair and carry necessary supplies for changes in weather or other conditions. Always wear a helmet and appropriate safety gear. 

The Rules of the Trail are good guidelines, but pay close attention to trail signs - they have precedence over general rules.

Reglamento del Sendero

1. Siga el recorrido establecido

2. No dege huellas

3. Controle su bicicleta

4. Siempre ceda el paso a los otros

5. Nunca asuste a los animales

6. Planee con anterioridad

What would we do without trails?

October

There is definitely a chill in the air these days. I've only been on my bike once in the past week and that was for the Fall Colors tour a sure sign that winter is fast approaching and Karen's getting lazy. I'm blaming it on the short days, I get up in the dark, go to work in the dark and by the time I get home, grab something to eat I only have about 2 hours to do something before it gets dark again. Couple that with the rain we've had this week and I can come up with some good excuses for being lazy :)

Tomorrow however looks to be a sunny 70 degrees so I'm going to get the mountain bike out and take it for a spin in the morning, then I will be puppy sitting in the afternoon and I Curl at 5 pm. 

Saturday also looks to be a nice day so I plan to take the road bike out for a ride along the river, last weekend we did not have a lot of color for the Fall Colors tour so I'm going to try again this weekend.  This time I'm going to stick to riding along the river and skip the lakes part of the ride. I'm also thinking of by-passing the drop into Hidden Falls and take Summit Ave back home instead. Summit is always a beautiful ride and then I can check out the ghost bike on Summit and Snelling Ave. a memorial to the woman who was hit by a car while riding her bike.

Pedal, pedal pedal

Looking for Color

Crosby Park


Crosby Park
Mississippi River