LOGIN Leaches
Now heading towards year 4 LOGIN is considered by those who attended to be a huge success. We have been successful in bringing together C-level people from around the world that develop games that are played online, mix in quality speakers and relevant sponsors , devoted adviser's and great volunteers and you have a recipe for success. This success isn't something that happened magically. It took a lot of people working together and devoting hundreds if hours , it required community support , and a lot of hard by Peter . LOGIN is called the best industry event by all those who attend. Sure we have had our share of problems but over all the event is a successful event. Please don't get that mixed up with being profitable!
After the event each year we give ourselves a week to cope with the post conference funk and then its back to work on planing the next years event. This year I made a big mistake. I started contacting people whose business cards I had collected at the conference. That might not be thought of as a mistake but that is only the first part. I asked if they had a good LOGIN experience and after the call I would add them to my address book , or invite them to join me on linked in.
The mistake was when I contacted a gentleman who gave me his card and I noticed he hadn't registered for the event. His title, Vice President Content / Entertainment Practice. The company he was with did not seem to be a small struggling company quite the opposite. When he told me he had enjoyed the parties I told him that the parties were for attendees only and that he should have bought a day pass or I would have been happy to sell him a party pass. I told him that since he attended I would like to send him a credit card authorization form or give him our address where he could mail us a check to make good for at the very least he should purchase a day pass. His reply was, " whats it to you if I didn't pay?" "There is no way in hell I am paying for an event where I just went to the parties and held meetings? " This response knocked me off balance and put me on the defense. When I told him that in my eyes gate crashers at LOGIN are not only stealing from me but they are stealing from all the attendees he got a bit pissed. He then sent me quick email telling me that his company attorneys have his meeting schedule along with a written letter from the Marriott that the Lobby areas are common areas and that he could be there if he wanted to be. How does one do this in less than 5 minutes? Was he bluffing , was it done in advance? All these questions racing through my mind. I sent an email back and said you win! I am dropping this, have a nice day.
Red flag for Asshole! He in advance had a letter from the Marriott about where he could be? I wonder??
But, I had his business card which to me met he was at our party which was clearing marked private party. So I told Mister whats it to you , what I thought and regretfully said I would like to post his name on the LOGIN web page along with a few others that were only pretending to be an attendee.
Mister what's it to you, wasn't the only LOGIN leach, there were a few others one was a CEO who had recently announced raising millions of dollars. One guy had the nerve to come down to our exhibit area and when I asked him if he was going to register he said no I am just here for a meeting? WTF! Why do some people think they are entitled to getting everything for free? Are they legends in there own minds? After pouring myself into an event each year and ending up in the red I feel like I have a right to take people stealing from me personally.
Was the guy I called on the phone just pissed because he got caught? I looked at his Linked in profile and it clearly said he was attending LOGIN. Is this the new way to do business? What about the CEO who was hanging out in the LOBBY just feet from our party, or the guy who told me he lost his name badge and 20 minutes later I saw someone else with the name badge on. Are these these the types of people we want to do business with? It seems to me that if these folks value the quality of the attendees that we bring together that should support the event instead of act as a LOGIN leach. We are not a company with deep pockets and a huge staff. We are Peter , Paul , James, Joe, John, Erik, Steve , Scott ,Brandon, Rich, and me, all working hard to do something really cool for an industry we love.
Sure there are a lot of conferences and they are expensive. We work hard to make sure our event offers the best quality and the best attendees. We understand that times are tough and people are struggling and they can't afford to attend all these conferences. We are happy to help people out! Our volunteers ranged from CEO's to students some helping before during or after the event so that they could earn a complimentary pass.
Maybe I should not take things so personally, maybe Mister whats it to you, was right when he emailed one of my friends and said, "So now you bring up an interesting point. Compromise might have been achievable, as I am always in favor of helping one out. However, Cynthia needs to go to business school to learn how to approach people and have professional discussions, with C-levels from companies. Her approach and tact; has been nothing short of unprofessional, inappropriate and downright offensive. Therefore, all hope of a compromise has subsequently been lost."
I honestly think if Mister what's it to you, registered for LOGIN 2010 I would prefer to send him a refund and tell him to stay home. Sure it might be immature and unprofessional but I find stealing to also be unethical , unprofessional, and insulting.
Please tell me if I am over reacting! Should I just be happy he booked at the conference hotel? Do you want to do business with Mister whats it to you?
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Traditions
When we moved back to Washington State Peter and I started a tradition of meeting each Wednesday for Lunch at a wonderful little Greek place in downtown Issaquah. It is a quite and cozy restaurant with , great food and wonderful service and its the perfect setting for intimate conversations or a nice place to sit and chat with friends. We considered this place as our own private restaurant. When we are at Tantalus we are young lovers. Tantalus was our secret and we only went there together. Each Wednesday Dale greeted us the same way with a huge smile and offering us our table which was located up a couple stairs with a nice window and a bit out of the way from the rest of the lunch crowd.
May 25 , 2006 our anniversary fell on a Wednesday and I new what I wanted to get Peter for a gift but I had been too busy to get to the store to pick it up. I figured since the store was next door to where we have lunch I could leave early and grab the gift, have it wrapped just before meeting Peter for lunch.
Revolution Art Gallery is a place that sells art by local artist a lot of the art is created from recycled products , its a great place to find one of a kind gifts and lets you support a local artist. One of the artists that is featured at the gallery makes fantastic clocks out of corrugated cardboard they have personality and charm. There were two clocks that had been on display for awhile but they were a bit pricey for cardboard. One of the clocks seemed to really fit my personality and the other one seemed more like Peter. After thinking about it I really wanted to give Peter the clock that seemed to represented myself. It's a small square clock about 6 inches tall and by 6inches wide. The different colors of cardboard that make the sides have a unique design and around the face of the clock there are old postage stamps. The stamps all have something to do with various types of air travel from hot air balloons, airplanes , space travel , blimps, all things I really love. So it seemed like the perfect gift to share with they guy I love. So I went ahead and spent $125 on a cardboard clock had it gift wrapped and told the clerk I was meeting my husband for lunch and was giving him the clock as an anniversary gift. I left the store and headed to our private meeting place.
Little did I know that as I was walking around the front of the building Peter was coming around the building from the back side. We were later told that we were only about 30 seconds apart. He too had a mission as he had also seen the clock with the air travel stamps and thought it would be a perfect gift. When he got into the store to purchase the clock it it was gone. He saw the other small clock that instead of stamps of airplanes and reference to air travel this clock had had music notes positioned creatively around the face. As a lover of music he decided he would purchase this clock and share with me something that he really loves. He bought the clock had it gift wrapped and told the sales clerk he was meeting his wife for lunch and would be giving her the clock as an anniversary gift. He then rushed off to our meeting place.
What we both found out later was the clerk at the art shop was really wishing that see new where we were having lunch. worried that we would want to return one of the clocks she called the owned of the store to share what had transpired over the past ten minutes. Both the clerk and the owner agreed that when we returned we could have a refund on one of the clocks.
Who in there right mind would want two cardboard clocks at a $125 each? The owner and the clerk where sure that once the gifts where opened we wouldn't want to keep 2 6ich square cardboard clocks for a total of $250. The owner told the clerk that it t would be okay to do a refund. So the clerk sat at the store and waited for our lunch to end to see if we would be back.
Once Peter arrived at the secret meeting place we ordered our lunch and traded gifts. We laughed when we saw what we each had picked out for the other. Peter and I shared our stories about how we had both just purchased them. Our waiter Dale was amazed as he looked at the almost identical one of a kind clocks that we had placed on the widow sill. He said, " you too think a lot a like you are meant to be together. " We had a hard time not laughing every time we glanced at our gifts.
After lunch we walked back to the gallery and as soon as the clerk saw us she told us she had called the owner and had permission to return one of the clocks. She couldn't believe that the clocks had sat in the store untouched for over 6 months and then purchased the same day. We explained that we were not there to return our gifts just to tell her it was pretty funny and to thank her for her part of making our anniversary memorable as it was obviously not easy for to keep a straight face when she was selling the 2nd clock.
The clocks are kept in each of our offices and each time I look at the time I remember a special day that was full of love and silliness.
May 25 , 2006 our anniversary fell on a Wednesday and I new what I wanted to get Peter for a gift but I had been too busy to get to the store to pick it up. I figured since the store was next door to where we have lunch I could leave early and grab the gift, have it wrapped just before meeting Peter for lunch.
Revolution Art Gallery is a place that sells art by local artist a lot of the art is created from recycled products , its a great place to find one of a kind gifts and lets you support a local artist. One of the artists that is featured at the gallery makes fantastic clocks out of corrugated cardboard they have personality and charm. There were two clocks that had been on display for awhile but they were a bit pricey for cardboard. One of the clocks seemed to really fit my personality and the other one seemed more like Peter. After thinking about it I really wanted to give Peter the clock that seemed to represented myself. It's a small square clock about 6 inches tall and by 6inches wide. The different colors of cardboard that make the sides have a unique design and around the face of the clock there are old postage stamps. The stamps all have something to do with various types of air travel from hot air balloons, airplanes , space travel , blimps, all things I really love. So it seemed like the perfect gift to share with they guy I love. So I went ahead and spent $125 on a cardboard clock had it gift wrapped and told the clerk I was meeting my husband for lunch and was giving him the clock as an anniversary gift. I left the store and headed to our private meeting place.
Little did I know that as I was walking around the front of the building Peter was coming around the building from the back side. We were later told that we were only about 30 seconds apart. He too had a mission as he had also seen the clock with the air travel stamps and thought it would be a perfect gift. When he got into the store to purchase the clock it it was gone. He saw the other small clock that instead of stamps of airplanes and reference to air travel this clock had had music notes positioned creatively around the face. As a lover of music he decided he would purchase this clock and share with me something that he really loves. He bought the clock had it gift wrapped and told the sales clerk he was meeting his wife for lunch and would be giving her the clock as an anniversary gift. He then rushed off to our meeting place.
What we both found out later was the clerk at the art shop was really wishing that see new where we were having lunch. worried that we would want to return one of the clocks she called the owned of the store to share what had transpired over the past ten minutes. Both the clerk and the owner agreed that when we returned we could have a refund on one of the clocks.
Who in there right mind would want two cardboard clocks at a $125 each? The owner and the clerk where sure that once the gifts where opened we wouldn't want to keep 2 6ich square cardboard clocks for a total of $250. The owner told the clerk that it t would be okay to do a refund. So the clerk sat at the store and waited for our lunch to end to see if we would be back.
Once Peter arrived at the secret meeting place we ordered our lunch and traded gifts. We laughed when we saw what we each had picked out for the other. Peter and I shared our stories about how we had both just purchased them. Our waiter Dale was amazed as he looked at the almost identical one of a kind clocks that we had placed on the widow sill. He said, " you too think a lot a like you are meant to be together. " We had a hard time not laughing every time we glanced at our gifts.
After lunch we walked back to the gallery and as soon as the clerk saw us she told us she had called the owner and had permission to return one of the clocks. She couldn't believe that the clocks had sat in the store untouched for over 6 months and then purchased the same day. We explained that we were not there to return our gifts just to tell her it was pretty funny and to thank her for her part of making our anniversary memorable as it was obviously not easy for to keep a straight face when she was selling the 2nd clock.
The clocks are kept in each of our offices and each time I look at the time I remember a special day that was full of love and silliness.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Cold Masks
It’s been a rough few weeks at our house. Hosting a sick house guest, then playing nursemaid to a sick husband and now our youngest daughter stayed home from school. With a runny nose, sore throat, cough and mild aches and pains she came down stairs this morning and said, “I think I have what dad had.” I told her to go back to bed and I called the school to have her excused. Around 10 AM she got up to take some cold medicine and asked me, “Why don’t people in the United States use cold masks when they are sick to help keep from spreading germs?” Good question, I had always figured it was for vanity reasons. Then she shared with me that in other countries it is considered to be polite to wear a mask to keep from spreading germs and that if she had a mask she could have roughed it out and attended school today. Am I a bad parent for not thinking of stocking the house with cold masks? I honestly can’t imagine being in high school and wearing a cold mask to classes it seems so uncool. I am obviously more shallow than my 16 year old! It’s nice to know she stayed home to keep from spreading germs but now I am wondering why cold masks are not catching on in the US? To avoid the risk of losing class credits many students go to school sick. To avoid the loss of income many responsible adults go to work sick. Do we need designer masks or just reminders that the masks are to keep from spreading germs not to protect us from catching them? Is it selfishness or is it vanity that keeps us from protecting others or is it something completely different?
Cynthia Freese
Issaquah
Cynthia Freese
Issaquah
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Dear Grandma,
As I tried to get myself into sleep mode last night my thoughts drifted to you. I went back through time and was thinking about my happiest childhood memories. Most of which were with you and Grandpa. I reflected on my young years playing outside at the Edgewood/ Milton house. I thought about the one and only time you ever spanked me, I was between the ages of 3-5 years old and I had crossed the street to check your mail. I thought I was being a good helper and in turn my good deed was rewarded with a swat on the bottom, followed with hugs where I was almost drowned in tears and almost died from having the life hugged out of me. I felt so loved!
Other firsts:
You wrote me the first poem I ever received , it was on a little piece of notebook paper: It went something like:
As the sun shines on your golden hair and eyes of blue and your mind is worry free
I will think of you, will you sometimes think of me?
Love
Gram T
Plum trees, gardening, swinging on the swing under the apple or was it a pear tree in the back yard? Making daisy chain crowns and of course picking dandelions. I have planted a plum tree at every house I have ever owned. This house I planted two. I prefer to spend time in the yard than doing housework!
I remember laying on my back in your back yard looking at the sky and watching the clouds I was certain that the earth was moving and not the clouds. I remember talking with you about what animals I saw in the clouds. Bunnies always bunnies!
I remember the man who tried to get me to look in his car so he could give me a bunny? I was riding my bike on the hill near your house and a man in a little red Volkswagen pulled up and tired to give me a bunny. I rode my bike as fast as I could back to your place because I was sure he was trying to abduct me. He count figure out why a little girl wouldn’t want a bunny and followed me to your house. He really had a little bunny which I was allowed to keep but once at home our tom cat pounced on it and snapped its neck.
Bunnies!
Going to Wyoming to visit Sharon and Paul with you and Grandpa and Uncle Randy for Easter was also one of my childhood highlights! I still have a photo Randy took of us standing in front of an old cover wagon that was parked off the side of the road near a filling station. It snowed for Easter and I got the most adorable yellow bunny. If that rabbit should talk! It’s 41 -42 years old eyes falling out and I think its being held together with a combination of snot and tears love and a bit of dust. I have carried that darn rabbit around with me every where I have gone. I took it to church summer camps, military boot camp , honeymoon, vacations, it’s been kidnapped and held for ransom by different friends at least a dozen times over the years. Three of my most favorite things are things I received from you and grandpa, The Swan Princess book, and the little gold swan ring holder / box and yellow bunny.
You get all the credit for introducing me to music and sharing with me some of my life long favorite silly songs:
Listening to you play guitar and yodel what fun! I remember once Auntie Sharon drawing faces on her toes and having them dance while you played and sang!
Birdie, birdie in the sky dropped some white wash in my eye
I am a big girl I don’t cry
I am just glad the cows don’t fly.
(This song still makes people giggle)
I had me a chicken that wouldn’t lay an egg so I poured hot water up and down its leg
The little chicken hollered and the little chicken begged but the little chicken laid me a hard boiled egg! Yee haw!
Cottage cheese, I had some at your house and I remember throwing up on the floor in front of your fridge. I still can’t eat cottage cheese unless of course it’s mixed with potatoes in a dumpling.
Bread pudding & milk toast were never better than if you made them they are still my comfort foods.
You made me feel so important by letting me play messenger for you when you were mad at Grandpa, I can see the house and the rooms as if it were yesterday! He was on the living room I seem to remember birds and greyhounds on the sofa or the wall paper I got to go tell him he was an old poop! He then gave me a message to give to you. You were in your bedroom and you had the neat red wall paper that always reminded me of a bandana.
I remember waking up at your house one morning and coming down stairs an having to follow a string around the house which eventually led me outside to find my first bike. Oh the joy and excitement!
My love of riding hills must go back to the early days of peddling from your house up the hill towards the house where I lived as an infant.
I wrote this a while back to share with my cycling team at a fundraiser event. There is a bit of fiction for appeal but most is from my heart.
The Church of Bike is Always Open
In the Church of Bike, I would be a sweat-slathered gospel singer belting out praises and stepping side to side to the beat of the divine cadence. My Lycra robes would be soaked and I would throw toothy smiles to my bike, who would lean on an indoor rack in the front most pew. Membership is easy in the Church of Bike. It only requires one to speak of the possibilities of cycling. All are welcome in the Church of Bike. It is compatible with any faith.
Cycling has the potential to be a spiritual act. By spiritual act, I mean an act that leads someone to access that which is intangible, that which is of spirit, that which is greater than the self. Possibly, you think that “spirituality” is for people clad in loose –fitting organic hemp who place crystals on corresponding chakras to balance their energy bodies. However, you can identify with the Church of Bike if you know the elation of beginning a descent after a brutal climb or if you have been seized by overwhelming love for your cycling buddy. If you find deep satisfaction in returning home from a ride covered in mud and bleeding from at least two different places, or if you have figured out a tiny aspect of your life after a long ride , then you understand the church of Bike.
I have not always seen the correlation between cycling and spiritual practice. I begrudgingly began riding as a child. My grandmother thought it was really fun to outfit me with a bike and weird gear and drag me out to nearby trails. Even though I was embarrassed about grandma’s neon bike outfits, I still evolved into a bike enthusiast. The correlation between biking and spiritual practice became apparent to me while I was trying to learn about meditation and yogo a few years ago. Sitting still just has never worked for me.
When I started incorporating spiritual practices into my life, my experience unfortunately were not always revelatory or drenched in white light. Mostly, I came to recognize that my mind is like a Tasmanian Devil who darts in circles and on occasionally clunks herself over the head with a large mammals femur. However, along with the discouraging realization looking at yoga and meditation also gave me a path to calm the whirling mind. As I began to bike more, I realized that cycling clears the mind just like other spiritual practices. While charging up a hill on my bike, the femur-wielding Tasmanian devil can hold no forum. My mind has to assume complete focus if I am to ride to the best of my ability. An Intense quiet takes over. It is, in fact, a meditative state.
The purpose of creating a serene state of mind is not solely to enjoy a reality more pleasant than tumult. Rather, in a serene state of mind, truth becomes clearer. And isn’t the pursuit of truth the point in this insane world of exultation, devastation, birth, life, and death? Cycling, like mediation or yoga can create a frame of mind where truth is present
In the Church of Bike, Cyclists take a refuge under the vaulted dome of their own toil. They relish in the beauty of knowing that the God’s vehicle takes the form of a simple machine underneath their butt. Will I have figures of Lance Armstrong and his incarnations on a shrine in my house Definitely not. Will I wash my bike in holly water probably not. However I will subscribe to the Church of Bike because cycling is a cherished practice, and I will be a dedicated practitioner until my body doesn’t work anymore. Halleujah.
C. Freese
Thanks so much for the encouragement you have always given me!
I have just signed up to do a fundraising ride for cancer. This time my ride will take me around Lake Tahoe. It’s 100 of Americans most beautiful miles which includes a nasty 8 mile hill that is a major altitude climb.
As I ride my bike in the cold wet snowy weather I am able to separate myself from the chills and numbness and pain as the pain of pushing oneself on a upward incline on a bike is nothing compared to what people living with cancer face daily.
When I ride no matter what the weather imagine the sun shines on me and my mind is free from care and I can think of you.
Love,
Your first grand daughter
Cynthia
PS. For my 50th birthday I am planning to ride my bike from Washington State to Washington DC in 30 days! I still have a year or two to train!
As I tried to get myself into sleep mode last night my thoughts drifted to you. I went back through time and was thinking about my happiest childhood memories. Most of which were with you and Grandpa. I reflected on my young years playing outside at the Edgewood/ Milton house. I thought about the one and only time you ever spanked me, I was between the ages of 3-5 years old and I had crossed the street to check your mail. I thought I was being a good helper and in turn my good deed was rewarded with a swat on the bottom, followed with hugs where I was almost drowned in tears and almost died from having the life hugged out of me. I felt so loved!
Other firsts:
You wrote me the first poem I ever received , it was on a little piece of notebook paper: It went something like:
As the sun shines on your golden hair and eyes of blue and your mind is worry free
I will think of you, will you sometimes think of me?
Love
Gram T
Plum trees, gardening, swinging on the swing under the apple or was it a pear tree in the back yard? Making daisy chain crowns and of course picking dandelions. I have planted a plum tree at every house I have ever owned. This house I planted two. I prefer to spend time in the yard than doing housework!
I remember laying on my back in your back yard looking at the sky and watching the clouds I was certain that the earth was moving and not the clouds. I remember talking with you about what animals I saw in the clouds. Bunnies always bunnies!
I remember the man who tried to get me to look in his car so he could give me a bunny? I was riding my bike on the hill near your house and a man in a little red Volkswagen pulled up and tired to give me a bunny. I rode my bike as fast as I could back to your place because I was sure he was trying to abduct me. He count figure out why a little girl wouldn’t want a bunny and followed me to your house. He really had a little bunny which I was allowed to keep but once at home our tom cat pounced on it and snapped its neck.
Bunnies!
Going to Wyoming to visit Sharon and Paul with you and Grandpa and Uncle Randy for Easter was also one of my childhood highlights! I still have a photo Randy took of us standing in front of an old cover wagon that was parked off the side of the road near a filling station. It snowed for Easter and I got the most adorable yellow bunny. If that rabbit should talk! It’s 41 -42 years old eyes falling out and I think its being held together with a combination of snot and tears love and a bit of dust. I have carried that darn rabbit around with me every where I have gone. I took it to church summer camps, military boot camp , honeymoon, vacations, it’s been kidnapped and held for ransom by different friends at least a dozen times over the years. Three of my most favorite things are things I received from you and grandpa, The Swan Princess book, and the little gold swan ring holder / box and yellow bunny.
You get all the credit for introducing me to music and sharing with me some of my life long favorite silly songs:
Listening to you play guitar and yodel what fun! I remember once Auntie Sharon drawing faces on her toes and having them dance while you played and sang!
Birdie, birdie in the sky dropped some white wash in my eye
I am a big girl I don’t cry
I am just glad the cows don’t fly.
(This song still makes people giggle)
I had me a chicken that wouldn’t lay an egg so I poured hot water up and down its leg
The little chicken hollered and the little chicken begged but the little chicken laid me a hard boiled egg! Yee haw!
Cottage cheese, I had some at your house and I remember throwing up on the floor in front of your fridge. I still can’t eat cottage cheese unless of course it’s mixed with potatoes in a dumpling.
Bread pudding & milk toast were never better than if you made them they are still my comfort foods.
You made me feel so important by letting me play messenger for you when you were mad at Grandpa, I can see the house and the rooms as if it were yesterday! He was on the living room I seem to remember birds and greyhounds on the sofa or the wall paper I got to go tell him he was an old poop! He then gave me a message to give to you. You were in your bedroom and you had the neat red wall paper that always reminded me of a bandana.
I remember waking up at your house one morning and coming down stairs an having to follow a string around the house which eventually led me outside to find my first bike. Oh the joy and excitement!
My love of riding hills must go back to the early days of peddling from your house up the hill towards the house where I lived as an infant.
I wrote this a while back to share with my cycling team at a fundraiser event. There is a bit of fiction for appeal but most is from my heart.
The Church of Bike is Always Open
In the Church of Bike, I would be a sweat-slathered gospel singer belting out praises and stepping side to side to the beat of the divine cadence. My Lycra robes would be soaked and I would throw toothy smiles to my bike, who would lean on an indoor rack in the front most pew. Membership is easy in the Church of Bike. It only requires one to speak of the possibilities of cycling. All are welcome in the Church of Bike. It is compatible with any faith.
Cycling has the potential to be a spiritual act. By spiritual act, I mean an act that leads someone to access that which is intangible, that which is of spirit, that which is greater than the self. Possibly, you think that “spirituality” is for people clad in loose –fitting organic hemp who place crystals on corresponding chakras to balance their energy bodies. However, you can identify with the Church of Bike if you know the elation of beginning a descent after a brutal climb or if you have been seized by overwhelming love for your cycling buddy. If you find deep satisfaction in returning home from a ride covered in mud and bleeding from at least two different places, or if you have figured out a tiny aspect of your life after a long ride , then you understand the church of Bike.
I have not always seen the correlation between cycling and spiritual practice. I begrudgingly began riding as a child. My grandmother thought it was really fun to outfit me with a bike and weird gear and drag me out to nearby trails. Even though I was embarrassed about grandma’s neon bike outfits, I still evolved into a bike enthusiast. The correlation between biking and spiritual practice became apparent to me while I was trying to learn about meditation and yogo a few years ago. Sitting still just has never worked for me.
When I started incorporating spiritual practices into my life, my experience unfortunately were not always revelatory or drenched in white light. Mostly, I came to recognize that my mind is like a Tasmanian Devil who darts in circles and on occasionally clunks herself over the head with a large mammals femur. However, along with the discouraging realization looking at yoga and meditation also gave me a path to calm the whirling mind. As I began to bike more, I realized that cycling clears the mind just like other spiritual practices. While charging up a hill on my bike, the femur-wielding Tasmanian devil can hold no forum. My mind has to assume complete focus if I am to ride to the best of my ability. An Intense quiet takes over. It is, in fact, a meditative state.
The purpose of creating a serene state of mind is not solely to enjoy a reality more pleasant than tumult. Rather, in a serene state of mind, truth becomes clearer. And isn’t the pursuit of truth the point in this insane world of exultation, devastation, birth, life, and death? Cycling, like mediation or yoga can create a frame of mind where truth is present
In the Church of Bike, Cyclists take a refuge under the vaulted dome of their own toil. They relish in the beauty of knowing that the God’s vehicle takes the form of a simple machine underneath their butt. Will I have figures of Lance Armstrong and his incarnations on a shrine in my house Definitely not. Will I wash my bike in holly water probably not. However I will subscribe to the Church of Bike because cycling is a cherished practice, and I will be a dedicated practitioner until my body doesn’t work anymore. Halleujah.
C. Freese
Thanks so much for the encouragement you have always given me!
I have just signed up to do a fundraising ride for cancer. This time my ride will take me around Lake Tahoe. It’s 100 of Americans most beautiful miles which includes a nasty 8 mile hill that is a major altitude climb.
As I ride my bike in the cold wet snowy weather I am able to separate myself from the chills and numbness and pain as the pain of pushing oneself on a upward incline on a bike is nothing compared to what people living with cancer face daily.
When I ride no matter what the weather imagine the sun shines on me and my mind is free from care and I can think of you.
Love,
Your first grand daughter
Cynthia
PS. For my 50th birthday I am planning to ride my bike from Washington State to Washington DC in 30 days! I still have a year or two to train!
team training the riding continues
Saturday morning April 14th 8 am: I jump out of bed and I load up my bike and gear up. I rush to the Redmond QFC located just off Novelty hill road to meet with a group of dedicated riders that ride no matter what the weather. We are riding as many of you know because we are training for a century ride around Lake Tahoe on June 3rd to help raise funds for the Leukemia Lymphoma society.
On the drive to the parking lot I ate an orange and once I got to the parking lot I scoffed down a raspberry yogurt and pumped up my tires. Okay, I better give credit where credit is do, James pumped up my tires as I changed shoes and put my shoe covers on so my feet would stay warm and dry. Another wet cold day for a ride. It was suggested we bring snorkel‘s with us. I sometimes wonder why I signed up to do this.
Being so busy at work I had not taken time to read about this weeks ride so I was clueless to where this ride was taking us or how far we would ride.
I am handed a map and I take a peek. It says Trilogy Snohomish / Monroe 46.4 miles 1 hour and 39 minutes. (Driving time) I did 50 miles two weeks before so I am not concerned.
Before leaving the parking lot this week’s ride was dedicated to Allison, Allison is 21 years old and just received a diagnose of having Leukemia as her birthday present this past week. Now, I remember why I signed up to do this!
As I start to peddle away from the parking lot I am secretly praying that I can stay in a vertical upright position throughout the day. My knees and elbows have finally healed from all the falling and I just had to invest in a new helmet (see last email on why I needed a new helmet).
Fresh air, rolling hills, and a nice down hill start 4.11 miles of down hill to start. Whoo hoo! This is really fun!
Then from out of no where a big black barking dog starts chasing after me! I reach for my tire pump to swing at it. Shit! the tire pump is still in the car. I start to raise my right foot to shake at it and Shit! Foot is stuck in clip and I really don’t want to fall. So option three, I scream and scream and dog continues to chase me and bark. I managed to out peddle him and stay on my bike. Major accomplishment!
Mile 5: It’s flat for about 50 feet! Then we get the rolling hills, the wind in our faces, and the smell of the country. Oh how lovely the smell of the country is when your peddling up hill trying to breath in and out and as you inhale the smell of cow dung goes deep into your lungs to the point of actually tasting it. Yum, Yum! This is how I spend my free time. This is usually a good time to remind myself why I am doing this again.
Mile 10: Coach Robin is telling us to eat and drink; she wants us to do this while riding. I am trying to tell her that it’s better to stop to do this because I wasn’t ready to kiss the highway. Robin said,” no stopping! Eat and drink!” Robin would make a great Drill Sgt. She actually had a fun cadence for our hill climbs and she doesn’t put up with much. I finally got to a point where I figured okay I will give it a go I am thirsty and I need to drink. I am on a small downward incline and so I don’t have to peddle I can coast and drink. That’s when I hit a rock ,dropped the water bottle and I quickly decided that if I tried to stop I would most likely fall or cause someone else to fall so I left the bottle for my team mates to ride around. We were doing line riding which means we have about 6 inches between us. So you can see if I stop with out warning everyone could end up kissing the roadside. So I am down to one water bottle.
Around Mile 14: the road changes to Elliot Road. It should be called Elliot hill and it was about 3 miles straight up. I had to stop halfway and get rid of some of the layers I was wearing as I was really warming up. My team mates stopped for a rest as well and we joked about taking a nap on the side of the road and they teased me a bit about my road side strip tease. I didn’t want to ride up Elliot hill and if bike shoes were easier to walk in I would have walked but given that bike shoes are made for peddling and not walking it is actually harder to walk than to ride. So the ride continues.
At the top of Elliot Hill Coach Robin tells us we are less than ten miles form the Snohomish bakery which she goes on to tell us is famous for the wonderful collection of homemade pies. She urges us to peddle faster so we can have some pie! We started peddling really fast as the thought of pie after Elliot hill was mouth watering. We were working on line riding most the day and the closer you ride to the person in front of you the muddier you get. I promise to include a photo of how we all looked when we arrived at the bakery for pie as someone on the team snapped some photos of us.
Mile 26 or so we have reached the bakery and we were all starving! I ordered a big slice of strawberry rhubarb pie and an apple juice and sat with a our foursome after sitting for a couple minutes I started to wonder if I was going to be able to lift myself off the chair.
As we started to head out another group of cyclists pulled up and asked if we saved any pie. The Snohomish bakery seems to be the place to go for pie. I can personally highly recommend it.
As we were leaving I was relieved that we are heading back a different direction as that 4.11 mile down hill start would not make a fun ending to the days so called rolling hill ride. It’s amazing how warm you get riding. After sitting and having pie and juice the first few minutes back on the saddle was a bit chilly. We rode for about 10-12miles or so and we stopped at a park where Bill had stopped to provide energy drinks and snacks. It seemed strange that we would stop for pie and snacks but heck I am not one to complain about being forced to snack on gummy bears and potato chips. Go with the flow is my attitude.
The last 12-15 miles: I started to get really tired. I kept telling myself that I needed to starting getting up earlier before rides and eat a good breakfast. Saturday is for sleeping in and given the option to get up early or wait until the last possible moment sleeping until the last possible moment wins hands down.
We had crossed a bridge and gathered so Coach Robin could give us advice on preparing for the last portion of the ride. This seemed odd as well. She proceeded to tell us we would be taking Snoqualmie Valley road NE up for 2.3 miles and then we would take a left on to 232nd Ave NE which was up 1.4 miles and then we would go left on to Trilogy PKY for a 1.2 miles which was up just a little more.
Did Coach Robin trick us? How did we get back to the bottom of the hill we came down? If I had bothered to turn over my directions I would have noticed by the map that we did a big loop and were going to end up back at the big hills we came down. If I had only looked before I abandoned my car. I would have started the ride at the bottom of the hill to spare myself going back up.
4.11 miles up hill and my ass was dragging. My legs were killing me and if I only had some water left! I started to feel dizzy so I though I better get off and walk. I was wishing I had given my car keys to someone so they could come pick me up.
By this point I am alone the last person on the hill. I have finally reached a nice down hill and I wondering if I missed my turn because I really didn’t remember riding up this one. I noticed a car heading my direction so I stopped and waved them down. The woman stopped and I asked her, “Which way to Trinity hill?” She said,” go left at the bottom of the hill, but you really don’t want to ride up it do you? “. I told her I was worried I passed it and if I had I didn’t want to turn around at the bottom of this hill only to go back up it as I am tired. She offered to give me a ride and I told her I was training for a century with team training in Tahoe and she asked for more info. I took out one of my letters that I keep handy and gave it to her. I thanked her and headed down the hill.
Do you believe in Angels? I met one on my way up Trinity Hill. I am not sure were he came from as he seemed to show up out of thin air. He was probably in his 60’s and appeared to be in excellent shape. He literally seemed to pop up out of thin air on his shiny very expensive looking bike. I was stopped part way up the last hill and I heard a voice behind me ask if I was okay. I laughed and said, “Sure I am just tired, but I am almost finished.” I had been huffing and puffing and maybe cussing a little wondering if I was ever going to make it to my car. I guess I didn’t hear him behind me with all my heavy breathing. He offered me a fresh bottle of water, I told him where my car was parked, and he told me to get back on my bike and ride. He stayed with me talking to me which helped me not think about how much I ached. When we reached the light across from my starting point, he turned left and vanished down the hill and I turned right where I was greeted by Coach Robin and my teammates.
49.4 miles and I didn’t fall, at least not until I got home and decided to take a quick spin up my neighbors drive way (Peter actually got a photo of this fall).
The benefits of this weeks ride, I found a great place to go have pie: which I would probably drive to next time
Having my teammate waiting for me and cheering me on actually made me forget about how hard it was and just made it all worth it.
Thanks again for supporting me and my journey
I have included elevation map of what I will be going up against in June http://www.bikethewest.com/Art/AMBBR-Elev.jpg
This June I am peddling 100 miles to help find a cure for blood cancers
http://www.active.com/donate/tntwaak/evergirl
Thanks again
Cynthia Freese
On the drive to the parking lot I ate an orange and once I got to the parking lot I scoffed down a raspberry yogurt and pumped up my tires. Okay, I better give credit where credit is do, James pumped up my tires as I changed shoes and put my shoe covers on so my feet would stay warm and dry. Another wet cold day for a ride. It was suggested we bring snorkel‘s with us. I sometimes wonder why I signed up to do this.
Being so busy at work I had not taken time to read about this weeks ride so I was clueless to where this ride was taking us or how far we would ride.
I am handed a map and I take a peek. It says Trilogy Snohomish / Monroe 46.4 miles 1 hour and 39 minutes. (Driving time) I did 50 miles two weeks before so I am not concerned.
Before leaving the parking lot this week’s ride was dedicated to Allison, Allison is 21 years old and just received a diagnose of having Leukemia as her birthday present this past week. Now, I remember why I signed up to do this!
As I start to peddle away from the parking lot I am secretly praying that I can stay in a vertical upright position throughout the day. My knees and elbows have finally healed from all the falling and I just had to invest in a new helmet (see last email on why I needed a new helmet).
Fresh air, rolling hills, and a nice down hill start 4.11 miles of down hill to start. Whoo hoo! This is really fun!
Then from out of no where a big black barking dog starts chasing after me! I reach for my tire pump to swing at it. Shit! the tire pump is still in the car. I start to raise my right foot to shake at it and Shit! Foot is stuck in clip and I really don’t want to fall. So option three, I scream and scream and dog continues to chase me and bark. I managed to out peddle him and stay on my bike. Major accomplishment!
Mile 5: It’s flat for about 50 feet! Then we get the rolling hills, the wind in our faces, and the smell of the country. Oh how lovely the smell of the country is when your peddling up hill trying to breath in and out and as you inhale the smell of cow dung goes deep into your lungs to the point of actually tasting it. Yum, Yum! This is how I spend my free time. This is usually a good time to remind myself why I am doing this again.
Mile 10: Coach Robin is telling us to eat and drink; she wants us to do this while riding. I am trying to tell her that it’s better to stop to do this because I wasn’t ready to kiss the highway. Robin said,” no stopping! Eat and drink!” Robin would make a great Drill Sgt. She actually had a fun cadence for our hill climbs and she doesn’t put up with much. I finally got to a point where I figured okay I will give it a go I am thirsty and I need to drink. I am on a small downward incline and so I don’t have to peddle I can coast and drink. That’s when I hit a rock ,dropped the water bottle and I quickly decided that if I tried to stop I would most likely fall or cause someone else to fall so I left the bottle for my team mates to ride around. We were doing line riding which means we have about 6 inches between us. So you can see if I stop with out warning everyone could end up kissing the roadside. So I am down to one water bottle.
Around Mile 14: the road changes to Elliot Road. It should be called Elliot hill and it was about 3 miles straight up. I had to stop halfway and get rid of some of the layers I was wearing as I was really warming up. My team mates stopped for a rest as well and we joked about taking a nap on the side of the road and they teased me a bit about my road side strip tease. I didn’t want to ride up Elliot hill and if bike shoes were easier to walk in I would have walked but given that bike shoes are made for peddling and not walking it is actually harder to walk than to ride. So the ride continues.
At the top of Elliot Hill Coach Robin tells us we are less than ten miles form the Snohomish bakery which she goes on to tell us is famous for the wonderful collection of homemade pies. She urges us to peddle faster so we can have some pie! We started peddling really fast as the thought of pie after Elliot hill was mouth watering. We were working on line riding most the day and the closer you ride to the person in front of you the muddier you get. I promise to include a photo of how we all looked when we arrived at the bakery for pie as someone on the team snapped some photos of us.
Mile 26 or so we have reached the bakery and we were all starving! I ordered a big slice of strawberry rhubarb pie and an apple juice and sat with a our foursome after sitting for a couple minutes I started to wonder if I was going to be able to lift myself off the chair.
As we started to head out another group of cyclists pulled up and asked if we saved any pie. The Snohomish bakery seems to be the place to go for pie. I can personally highly recommend it.
As we were leaving I was relieved that we are heading back a different direction as that 4.11 mile down hill start would not make a fun ending to the days so called rolling hill ride. It’s amazing how warm you get riding. After sitting and having pie and juice the first few minutes back on the saddle was a bit chilly. We rode for about 10-12miles or so and we stopped at a park where Bill had stopped to provide energy drinks and snacks. It seemed strange that we would stop for pie and snacks but heck I am not one to complain about being forced to snack on gummy bears and potato chips. Go with the flow is my attitude.
The last 12-15 miles: I started to get really tired. I kept telling myself that I needed to starting getting up earlier before rides and eat a good breakfast. Saturday is for sleeping in and given the option to get up early or wait until the last possible moment sleeping until the last possible moment wins hands down.
We had crossed a bridge and gathered so Coach Robin could give us advice on preparing for the last portion of the ride. This seemed odd as well. She proceeded to tell us we would be taking Snoqualmie Valley road NE up for 2.3 miles and then we would take a left on to 232nd Ave NE which was up 1.4 miles and then we would go left on to Trilogy PKY for a 1.2 miles which was up just a little more.
Did Coach Robin trick us? How did we get back to the bottom of the hill we came down? If I had bothered to turn over my directions I would have noticed by the map that we did a big loop and were going to end up back at the big hills we came down. If I had only looked before I abandoned my car. I would have started the ride at the bottom of the hill to spare myself going back up.
4.11 miles up hill and my ass was dragging. My legs were killing me and if I only had some water left! I started to feel dizzy so I though I better get off and walk. I was wishing I had given my car keys to someone so they could come pick me up.
By this point I am alone the last person on the hill. I have finally reached a nice down hill and I wondering if I missed my turn because I really didn’t remember riding up this one. I noticed a car heading my direction so I stopped and waved them down. The woman stopped and I asked her, “Which way to Trinity hill?” She said,” go left at the bottom of the hill, but you really don’t want to ride up it do you? “. I told her I was worried I passed it and if I had I didn’t want to turn around at the bottom of this hill only to go back up it as I am tired. She offered to give me a ride and I told her I was training for a century with team training in Tahoe and she asked for more info. I took out one of my letters that I keep handy and gave it to her. I thanked her and headed down the hill.
Do you believe in Angels? I met one on my way up Trinity Hill. I am not sure were he came from as he seemed to show up out of thin air. He was probably in his 60’s and appeared to be in excellent shape. He literally seemed to pop up out of thin air on his shiny very expensive looking bike. I was stopped part way up the last hill and I heard a voice behind me ask if I was okay. I laughed and said, “Sure I am just tired, but I am almost finished.” I had been huffing and puffing and maybe cussing a little wondering if I was ever going to make it to my car. I guess I didn’t hear him behind me with all my heavy breathing. He offered me a fresh bottle of water, I told him where my car was parked, and he told me to get back on my bike and ride. He stayed with me talking to me which helped me not think about how much I ached. When we reached the light across from my starting point, he turned left and vanished down the hill and I turned right where I was greeted by Coach Robin and my teammates.
49.4 miles and I didn’t fall, at least not until I got home and decided to take a quick spin up my neighbors drive way (Peter actually got a photo of this fall).
The benefits of this weeks ride, I found a great place to go have pie: which I would probably drive to next time
Having my teammate waiting for me and cheering me on actually made me forget about how hard it was and just made it all worth it.
Thanks again for supporting me and my journey
I have included elevation map of what I will be going up against in June http://www.bikethewest.com/Art/AMBBR-Elev.jpg
This June I am peddling 100 miles to help find a cure for blood cancers
http://www.active.com/donate/tntwaak/evergirl
Thanks again
Cynthia Freese
letters from my team training
Dear Friends,
This week’s team training ride was another cold and wet one. I started out the ride with better clothing and a new saddle which really made a difference. As some of you know it took me 6 hours to warm up from the last ride so wool socks and booties really make a difference. Our team training group was in good sprits regardless of the weather and we were all peddling hard to get to your half way point so we could have some hot coca. The halfway point ended up being just a few miles more than my last ride.
This week’s ride was dedicated by our team mate Bob: we rode for his sister’s 8 year old daughter who has just finished her last chemotherapy treatment. On today’s ride I noticed many team members have photos in zip lock baggies tapped to their handle bars to help them keep going when they are cold and wet and tired. One lady was telling me she just lost her husband of 25 years this last November. He died in his sleep the day after he had been diagnosed. Everyone seems to have a story of someone they have lost. As I ride with the group I am making friends and sharing something we have in common: A goal to help find a cure for Leukemia and Lymphoma.
Today’s ride was just over half of the total I have to be able to do by June 4th I rode 56 miles. We started in Fall City Washington and rode up to Snoqualmie Falls then turned around and headed back to Fall City and then we rode into Carnation. We mostly stayed on very rural roads. The smell of the country on a bicycle, there’s nothing like it and there’s no rolling the windows up folks!
Wednesday I will be going to Fred Hutchinson center for lunch and I will meet the child that I will be pledging the rest of my rides for. Memory’s of those I have lost got me started on this journey and from this point out I will be riding for someone that is still living.
There’s still time to sponsors me. You can just click on the link. http://www.active.com/donate/tntwaak/evergirl
Newt week I will try to have a team training photo up on the site. It’s just been so wet and muddy I haven taken the camera with me on a ride yet.
Thanks again
Cynthia
This week’s team training ride was another cold and wet one. I started out the ride with better clothing and a new saddle which really made a difference. As some of you know it took me 6 hours to warm up from the last ride so wool socks and booties really make a difference. Our team training group was in good sprits regardless of the weather and we were all peddling hard to get to your half way point so we could have some hot coca. The halfway point ended up being just a few miles more than my last ride.
This week’s ride was dedicated by our team mate Bob: we rode for his sister’s 8 year old daughter who has just finished her last chemotherapy treatment. On today’s ride I noticed many team members have photos in zip lock baggies tapped to their handle bars to help them keep going when they are cold and wet and tired. One lady was telling me she just lost her husband of 25 years this last November. He died in his sleep the day after he had been diagnosed. Everyone seems to have a story of someone they have lost. As I ride with the group I am making friends and sharing something we have in common: A goal to help find a cure for Leukemia and Lymphoma.
Today’s ride was just over half of the total I have to be able to do by June 4th I rode 56 miles. We started in Fall City Washington and rode up to Snoqualmie Falls then turned around and headed back to Fall City and then we rode into Carnation. We mostly stayed on very rural roads. The smell of the country on a bicycle, there’s nothing like it and there’s no rolling the windows up folks!
Wednesday I will be going to Fred Hutchinson center for lunch and I will meet the child that I will be pledging the rest of my rides for. Memory’s of those I have lost got me started on this journey and from this point out I will be riding for someone that is still living.
There’s still time to sponsors me. You can just click on the link. http://www.active.com/donate/tntwaak/evergirl
Newt week I will try to have a team training photo up on the site. It’s just been so wet and muddy I haven taken the camera with me on a ride yet.
Thanks again
Cynthia
more team training torture
Dear Friends,
I am sorry for missing last week’s newsletter. I have been trying to ride twice a week and we are only one week from our Online Game Development Conference which has been keeping me rather busy. If it wasn’t for my Saturday rides I don’t know what I would do. Riding has been a great way to get rid me of the weekly stress. So, I thank you all again for your support!
Since a couple of you called over the past couple weeks to let me know that you didn’t receive the weekly team torture newsletters I figured I better send you all out an update. I must admit I was worried that you might be getting sick of receiving my updates as I did have one person ask me to remove them from my mailing list.
After the April 14 ride I scheduled a buddy ride with a couple of teammates.
Jeanine and Ken work for the gambling commission and were going to be working in Fife so we agreed to meet near the casino so we could car pool to a safe starting point once they finished the work day. So we met up at 3 pm.
We started our ride at Meeker Mansion and rode down to the Van Lierop Bulb Farm, for those of you that would like a quick history lesson I included a link for you with a little history on Puyallup and the bulb farm.
Once at the bulb farm we hopped on the bike trail. The sky was dark and it was a bit windy we could hear a bit of thunder overhead. Should we turn around and go back? Ken commented quickly and without even thinking,” Josh can’t decide when he goes in for Chemo therapy treatment.” For those of you that are new to these letters Josh is a fantastic, courageous, bald nine year old with a fantastic sense of humor that happens to have Leukemia. Josh will often have his parents drive him out to cheer us on as we start our Saturday rides. Needless to say we continue the ride.
We talk as we ride and we discuss how we can meet our fundraising goals. We pass other cyclist that are riding the trail with local a bike club and we discuss the benefits of riding with team in training verses a local bike group. For the non athlete (me) it is much easier riding with team training because you know people are counting on you to reach your goals and everyone is so supportive!
This is a trail ride that is nice and flat and the scenery was not half bad. I recommend this ride for families with small children as you can start in Orting and not have to worry about traffic.
We rode through Sumner and Orting and up into South Praire. I was behind my teammates as always. We rode 17 miles each direction which made for a total of 32 miles. No dogs, no falls, and the weather wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t bad either.
Saturday April 21
I am going to give you the condensed version of this weeks ride because I didn’t realize I was so far behind. I started to skip to April 28th! WHICH I DIDN’T SURVIVE!
60 miles is the goal for this weeks ride, I can’t believe I almost forgot to write about this ride. It is so far my favorite! We started in Carnation and we made our way through Redmond, Duval, and Monroe and up to Sultan.
My regular riding buddies are home sick this week so I am with a new group of riders. Today ride is for Margie! Margie has been free of Leukemia for 3 years and she is my riding partner today! As we ride we talk we talk about what it was like for her to be diagnosed and her personal journey to help others. Margie is amazing and before she was diagnosed with Leukemia 5 years ago she had rode the Seattle to Portland 5 times each time in one day. More amazing Margie is 60 and she started riding at 45 (my age) there is still hope!
Only one really bad hill on this ride! I have found that if I have to stop on a hill I stop. I don’t walk .Walking is bad and in the stupid shoes it’s actually much harder than riding. I drink and then keep peddling. Drinking on the bike still isn’t something I have mastered. So I have to stop and drink. I have lost count of how many water bottles I have dropped on the rides. Unfortunately my team mates are keeping track for me! It’s something you might consider buying stock in, water bottles or helmets both good investments! When I stop I am actually now able to unclamp my shoes from the peddles and I no longer fall over. This means I might be able to wear shorts this summer after all.
So besides my coach I was the only person on my team to not walk the killer hill! I stopped twice and drank 2 large bottles of Gatorade but I made it! I think it was Margie’s words of encouragement that got me to the top of the hill. Thank you Margie!
Not far from any killer hill there seems to always be a bakery and the bakeries are always filled with bicyclists. The bakery in Sultan is actually worth the 30 mile ride. Homemade bread and for those of you that like meatloaf I was told it is made fresh daily. I had a half a sandwich and it was more than enough. The 30 miles back was un eventful at least compared to some of my other rides.
I can tell you that I am not sure where it came from maybe something in the sandwich but I got sudden burst of energy and I kept thinking that at this pace I am never going to finish Tahoe in a day so I picked up my pace from 12.8 mph and rode the back half at 16 mph I passed the middle group and finished far from last!
Once back at the parking lot I was asked what happened and I just laughed and said, I guess I am finished coming in last!
I will try to get you the week I didn’t survive shortly!
Thanks again
Cynthia
I am sorry for missing last week’s newsletter. I have been trying to ride twice a week and we are only one week from our Online Game Development Conference which has been keeping me rather busy. If it wasn’t for my Saturday rides I don’t know what I would do. Riding has been a great way to get rid me of the weekly stress. So, I thank you all again for your support!
Since a couple of you called over the past couple weeks to let me know that you didn’t receive the weekly team torture newsletters I figured I better send you all out an update. I must admit I was worried that you might be getting sick of receiving my updates as I did have one person ask me to remove them from my mailing list.
After the April 14 ride I scheduled a buddy ride with a couple of teammates.
Jeanine and Ken work for the gambling commission and were going to be working in Fife so we agreed to meet near the casino so we could car pool to a safe starting point once they finished the work day. So we met up at 3 pm.
We started our ride at Meeker Mansion and rode down to the Van Lierop Bulb Farm, for those of you that would like a quick history lesson I included a link for you with a little history on Puyallup and the bulb farm.
Once at the bulb farm we hopped on the bike trail. The sky was dark and it was a bit windy we could hear a bit of thunder overhead. Should we turn around and go back? Ken commented quickly and without even thinking,” Josh can’t decide when he goes in for Chemo therapy treatment.” For those of you that are new to these letters Josh is a fantastic, courageous, bald nine year old with a fantastic sense of humor that happens to have Leukemia. Josh will often have his parents drive him out to cheer us on as we start our Saturday rides. Needless to say we continue the ride.
We talk as we ride and we discuss how we can meet our fundraising goals. We pass other cyclist that are riding the trail with local a bike club and we discuss the benefits of riding with team in training verses a local bike group. For the non athlete (me) it is much easier riding with team training because you know people are counting on you to reach your goals and everyone is so supportive!
This is a trail ride that is nice and flat and the scenery was not half bad. I recommend this ride for families with small children as you can start in Orting and not have to worry about traffic.
We rode through Sumner and Orting and up into South Praire. I was behind my teammates as always. We rode 17 miles each direction which made for a total of 32 miles. No dogs, no falls, and the weather wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t bad either.
Saturday April 21
I am going to give you the condensed version of this weeks ride because I didn’t realize I was so far behind. I started to skip to April 28th! WHICH I DIDN’T SURVIVE!
60 miles is the goal for this weeks ride, I can’t believe I almost forgot to write about this ride. It is so far my favorite! We started in Carnation and we made our way through Redmond, Duval, and Monroe and up to Sultan.
My regular riding buddies are home sick this week so I am with a new group of riders. Today ride is for Margie! Margie has been free of Leukemia for 3 years and she is my riding partner today! As we ride we talk we talk about what it was like for her to be diagnosed and her personal journey to help others. Margie is amazing and before she was diagnosed with Leukemia 5 years ago she had rode the Seattle to Portland 5 times each time in one day. More amazing Margie is 60 and she started riding at 45 (my age) there is still hope!
Only one really bad hill on this ride! I have found that if I have to stop on a hill I stop. I don’t walk .Walking is bad and in the stupid shoes it’s actually much harder than riding. I drink and then keep peddling. Drinking on the bike still isn’t something I have mastered. So I have to stop and drink. I have lost count of how many water bottles I have dropped on the rides. Unfortunately my team mates are keeping track for me! It’s something you might consider buying stock in, water bottles or helmets both good investments! When I stop I am actually now able to unclamp my shoes from the peddles and I no longer fall over. This means I might be able to wear shorts this summer after all.
So besides my coach I was the only person on my team to not walk the killer hill! I stopped twice and drank 2 large bottles of Gatorade but I made it! I think it was Margie’s words of encouragement that got me to the top of the hill. Thank you Margie!
Not far from any killer hill there seems to always be a bakery and the bakeries are always filled with bicyclists. The bakery in Sultan is actually worth the 30 mile ride. Homemade bread and for those of you that like meatloaf I was told it is made fresh daily. I had a half a sandwich and it was more than enough. The 30 miles back was un eventful at least compared to some of my other rides.
I can tell you that I am not sure where it came from maybe something in the sandwich but I got sudden burst of energy and I kept thinking that at this pace I am never going to finish Tahoe in a day so I picked up my pace from 12.8 mph and rode the back half at 16 mph I passed the middle group and finished far from last!
Once back at the parking lot I was asked what happened and I just laughed and said, I guess I am finished coming in last!
I will try to get you the week I didn’t survive shortly!
Thanks again
Cynthia
Lake Washington
This week’s team training ride almost didn’t happen. My Doctor told me on the Wednesday before the ride that I would not be allowed to ride unless I passed my ECHO Stress test. So I got in Thursday a for the test in case you don’t know what this test is it is a test where you lie flat hooked up to heart monitors then you hop on the tread mill and go until you get tired. Every 3 minutes it gets faster and steeper. I didn’t get tired --I actually lasted the entire 21 minutes. The Cardiologist asked me if I was a marathon runner. So the good news is I was given a good bill of health and so my stress is gone Lol
I was able to do this weekend’s team ride! Details follow
Dear Friends,
Team training this week was a real challenge. I think I should have had more than a piece of peanut butter toast for breakfast!
Since I was going to miss the Saturday March 24th ride do to our Career Discovery event a team mate offered to go out and ride with me during the week. I think my team mates are afraid to have me ride alone because of the falling off the bike issues I have. So Wednesday we were looking at good weather so I loaded up the bike and drove into Bellevue prepared for a 32 mile ride. We had just gotten started and my chain kept falling off after a few miles it was obvious it wasn’t me and that the bike had some problems (I don’t know if the nine falls the week before had anything to do with it.) So my team mate recommended we turn a round and that I take my bike into the shop. My bike needed to be in the shop until just a few days before the next ride so I was stuck just sitting here and working.
For those of you local folks this week’s ride started at the Bellevue Park- In- Ride located just off 8th SE and as always it was cold and raining. We were scheduled to do a ride around Lake Washington. I now have a very large appreciation for the 520 and the I 90 bridges! We headed north and went through Kirkland and after a few miles we headed up Juanita hill. Juanita hill seemed to last forever and as we would come to each turn we were told oh it levels off just around the next corner, oh the games the trainers play… the good news is --I actually made it up the whole hill without falling. For those of you that have been following my team training torture you know that this alone was a major accomplishment.
I actually made it up the hill and down and to a nice level area going very slow as we were going through a gated area when I hit something and went sliding across the pathway on my head and hand. My head was okay but my right thumb was sprained. There was no way I was going to stop now for a stupid thumb we were not even to our halfway point! I continued to ride.
We some how managed to work our way to the University of Washington and then started on the rest the way around Lake Washington. We stopped in Leshi for lunch. Have you ever tried to read a map while riding a bike? As you all know I have a hard time just riding my bike so that you have an idea of this week’s ride I have included below the directions we were given. We were also told to practice eating and drinking while riding. For now I usually stop to drink because falling really hurts. It’s almost shorts season and there’s no way I could be seem in shorts with all my cuts and bruises. So stopping may take longer but for now that’s just better in my case.
After lunch we hit an area that had some rather interesting switch backs it might not have been so bad but it was rather steep and braking really hurt as I had to move my sprained thumb. The rest of the ride was rather nice and it wasn’t until the last 3 blocks going up a very small hill that my chain fell off and I ended up in the middle of the road on my face. I brushed myself off hopped back on my bike and tried to gracefully finish the ride. My team mates were all waiting for me at the park in ride cheering me on. I must say it was the worst 56 miles I have ever traveled and the most rewarding.
Just in case anyone thinks I am carried away please feel free to try this ride and don’t forget to eat and drink while riding and pay close attention to the directions because it’s really easy to get lost. I only got lost once this time and that is because I missed a traffic light and turned the wrong way in the Arboretum area and ended up going an extra 6 blocks up hill out of my way until I noticed my team mates were behind me ( they took the flat route on the map)
R 114th Avenue SE
L NE 2nd Street
R 112th Ave. NE - becomes 108th Ave. NE @ 520
L Northup Way
R Lake Washington Blvd. NE
L Veer at Carillon Pt. to stay on Lake Washington Blvd. NE - becomes Lake Street S.
L Central Way
R Market Street - becomes 98th Ave. NE
L NE Juanita Drive
L 175th St. - enter Burke Gilman trail at first intersection
Follow Burke Gilman trail until UW
L onto foot bridge over Montlake Blvd. - tricky hairpin turn at bottom
L Bike path on E side of Montlake Blvd.
L E. Hamlin Street
R 24th Ave. E - cross over 520
L at dead end into alley
R Glenwilde Place E
L E. Roanoke St.
R 25th Ave. E
L Lynn St.
R 26th Ave. E
L E. Interlaken
R Lake Washington Blvd. E (veer R at 31st Ave. E to stay on Lake Washington Blvd. E)
Turns into Lakeside in Leschi
Turns into Lake Washington Blvd. S just past I-90
R S. Juneau Street (at Seward Park)
L Seward Park Ave. S
L Entrance road to Boeing Field in Renton
R Perimeter Rd. W
R Sharp right at T
L Small bridge path over river
L Bike path
R N. 6th St.
L Park Ave. N
R N. 8th St.
L Garden Ave. N (becomes Lake Washington Blvd. N when you cross NE Park)
L Cross train tracks into Gene Coulon Park
R Park entrance
L Lake Washington Blvd. N
L Lake Washington Blvd. N (just before I-405)
R Bike path - look for the poles
Exit bike path onto Lake Washington Blvd.SE
R Back onto bike path at entrance to Newcastle Beach Park
Exit bike path onto Lake Washington Blvd.SE
Road changes names a couple of times but leads directly back to park and ride
I am past the half way point in miles and fundraising! Thanks again to all of you for your support. I have a new photo on the website of me and my ever so attractive bike gear! Check it out and my progress!
http://www.active.com/donate/tntwaak/evergirl
racing for a cure
If you try this ride please eat more than a piece of peanut butter toast before starting!
Sincerely,
Cynthia
I was able to do this weekend’s team ride! Details follow
Dear Friends,
Team training this week was a real challenge. I think I should have had more than a piece of peanut butter toast for breakfast!
Since I was going to miss the Saturday March 24th ride do to our Career Discovery event a team mate offered to go out and ride with me during the week. I think my team mates are afraid to have me ride alone because of the falling off the bike issues I have. So Wednesday we were looking at good weather so I loaded up the bike and drove into Bellevue prepared for a 32 mile ride. We had just gotten started and my chain kept falling off after a few miles it was obvious it wasn’t me and that the bike had some problems (I don’t know if the nine falls the week before had anything to do with it.) So my team mate recommended we turn a round and that I take my bike into the shop. My bike needed to be in the shop until just a few days before the next ride so I was stuck just sitting here and working.
For those of you local folks this week’s ride started at the Bellevue Park- In- Ride located just off 8th SE and as always it was cold and raining. We were scheduled to do a ride around Lake Washington. I now have a very large appreciation for the 520 and the I 90 bridges! We headed north and went through Kirkland and after a few miles we headed up Juanita hill. Juanita hill seemed to last forever and as we would come to each turn we were told oh it levels off just around the next corner, oh the games the trainers play… the good news is --I actually made it up the whole hill without falling. For those of you that have been following my team training torture you know that this alone was a major accomplishment.
I actually made it up the hill and down and to a nice level area going very slow as we were going through a gated area when I hit something and went sliding across the pathway on my head and hand. My head was okay but my right thumb was sprained. There was no way I was going to stop now for a stupid thumb we were not even to our halfway point! I continued to ride.
We some how managed to work our way to the University of Washington and then started on the rest the way around Lake Washington. We stopped in Leshi for lunch. Have you ever tried to read a map while riding a bike? As you all know I have a hard time just riding my bike so that you have an idea of this week’s ride I have included below the directions we were given. We were also told to practice eating and drinking while riding. For now I usually stop to drink because falling really hurts. It’s almost shorts season and there’s no way I could be seem in shorts with all my cuts and bruises. So stopping may take longer but for now that’s just better in my case.
After lunch we hit an area that had some rather interesting switch backs it might not have been so bad but it was rather steep and braking really hurt as I had to move my sprained thumb. The rest of the ride was rather nice and it wasn’t until the last 3 blocks going up a very small hill that my chain fell off and I ended up in the middle of the road on my face. I brushed myself off hopped back on my bike and tried to gracefully finish the ride. My team mates were all waiting for me at the park in ride cheering me on. I must say it was the worst 56 miles I have ever traveled and the most rewarding.
Just in case anyone thinks I am carried away please feel free to try this ride and don’t forget to eat and drink while riding and pay close attention to the directions because it’s really easy to get lost. I only got lost once this time and that is because I missed a traffic light and turned the wrong way in the Arboretum area and ended up going an extra 6 blocks up hill out of my way until I noticed my team mates were behind me ( they took the flat route on the map)
R 114th Avenue SE
L NE 2nd Street
R 112th Ave. NE - becomes 108th Ave. NE @ 520
L Northup Way
R Lake Washington Blvd. NE
L Veer at Carillon Pt. to stay on Lake Washington Blvd. NE - becomes Lake Street S.
L Central Way
R Market Street - becomes 98th Ave. NE
L NE Juanita Drive
L 175th St. - enter Burke Gilman trail at first intersection
Follow Burke Gilman trail until UW
L onto foot bridge over Montlake Blvd. - tricky hairpin turn at bottom
L Bike path on E side of Montlake Blvd.
L E. Hamlin Street
R 24th Ave. E - cross over 520
L at dead end into alley
R Glenwilde Place E
L E. Roanoke St.
R 25th Ave. E
L Lynn St.
R 26th Ave. E
L E. Interlaken
R Lake Washington Blvd. E (veer R at 31st Ave. E to stay on Lake Washington Blvd. E)
Turns into Lakeside in Leschi
Turns into Lake Washington Blvd. S just past I-90
R S. Juneau Street (at Seward Park)
L Seward Park Ave. S
L Entrance road to Boeing Field in Renton
R Perimeter Rd. W
R Sharp right at T
L Small bridge path over river
L Bike path
R N. 6th St.
L Park Ave. N
R N. 8th St.
L Garden Ave. N (becomes Lake Washington Blvd. N when you cross NE Park)
L Cross train tracks into Gene Coulon Park
R Park entrance
L Lake Washington Blvd. N
L Lake Washington Blvd. N (just before I-405)
R Bike path - look for the poles
Exit bike path onto Lake Washington Blvd.SE
R Back onto bike path at entrance to Newcastle Beach Park
Exit bike path onto Lake Washington Blvd.SE
Road changes names a couple of times but leads directly back to park and ride
I am past the half way point in miles and fundraising! Thanks again to all of you for your support. I have a new photo on the website of me and my ever so attractive bike gear! Check it out and my progress!
http://www.active.com/donate/tntwaak/evergirl
racing for a cure
If you try this ride please eat more than a piece of peanut butter toast before starting!
Sincerely,
Cynthia
Cameno Island ride
Hello Friends,
This week’s team buddy ride was not at all what I expected. As some of you know from my other updates the rain seems to be something I just need to get used to. Staying warm is the goal staying dry is impossible.
I offered to give a teammate (Carl) a lift to today’s ride otherwise I would have probably stayed in bed but a promise is a promise so I was up at 6:30am and at the Bellevue park in ride by 7:15 am. We had a choice this weekend on one of two rides I told Carl he could pick. This was my first mistake. I didn’t know Carl rides 60 miles a day and hills don’t faze him.
From Bellevue we drove north to Cameno Island. For awhile I thought I was going to be biking in Canada. Once at our starting point we checked our tires filled them up and got ready to go. Around 9 am about 50 of us pulled out of the parking lot all in wearing our sexy bike shorts, tights, team training shirts, and rain jackets. We took the first right and then the road curved to the left this is when my heart fell. The hill in front of me was something I never dreamt I would see on a bike route. I commented to my group of four and they laughed when I told them I was doing the Tahoe ride. Yes, today was the day I learned the Tahoe ride is all hills from start to finish. Have I mentioned that this was the fourth time on my bike and that I had never used any of the gears?
As I went up this hill and I swear it was the steepest hill I have ever seen, my trainer told me to start using some of the gears I paid for. He was talking me through the shifting process and that’s when I did something wrong and was pedaling and not moving. Unable to get my foot out of the clip I ended up under my bike instead of on top of it. The only thing hurt was maybe my pride and that’s only because as I fell I let out a yell so everyone turned then stopped to make sure I was okay. If I hadn’t handed my car keys to Carl I probably would have turned around and gone back to my car and taken a nap or better yet gone looking for a star bucks. I think I said this out loud which is when coach Ted the Torturer assigned someone to ride with me to work with me in gear shifting at least that’s what they told me . Drill sergeant Jim thought his job was to make sure I finished the ride in record time dead or alive.
I would like to say I didn’t keep track of how many times my bike road me instead of the other way around but I did keep track, 9 times total, three times each on three big hills. After about mile 35 I finally got the knack of when and how to shift gears to keep from falling. Between Ted the Torturer and Drill SGT Jim I was forced to use all 28 of the gears I bought with my bike.
By now my elbows ached and my right knee was bleeding but the good news is I was finally riding along on a nice flat surface. And I started to think that this really wasn’t all that bad. That’s when a large brown dog came running at me fast and barking fiercely. I love dogs but I am still having issues with my feet clipped to the pedals and not wanting to fall again I managed to get my left foot out and I was prepared to kick. Mr. Dog took one look at me and must have known I meant business because he sat down in the middle of the street and just kept barking I think the barking was to save face with the other dogs that may have been watching.
Next we came to a very long hill which was about a mile long and very steep. Steeper than the steepest hill I had every seen which as you may recall was just 40 miles back or so. This time we were going down hill. Sure going down sounds fun but it is also scary especially when you are riding with Ted the Torturer and Drill SGT Jim. Shift! Shift! Shift! They yell, pedal! Pedal! Pedal! They scream. I wanted to break! break! Break! and go slow! Slow! Slow! Maybe even coast a little. Ted and Jim told me I could coast up the next hill. Cars were racing by spraying yet more water on us and I was really flying I figured if I could get far enough away from my torturer I could pretend not to hear them. So I was flying down the hill which seemed like it was going to last forever may face was numb and cold and I kept saying to myself I don’t want to wipe out I don’t want to wipe out.
The whole ride was 56 miles and we finished around 1:30 pm. After the ride I was told I was going 52 MPH down that steep long hill in the pouring down rain and that my face was a white as a ghost with fear.
During today’s ride I only asked myself once what in the hell I was thinking when I signed up to do this and that was on the first big hill after my third time letting the bike take a rest on me, which then was followed with an out loud remark, “oh crap, all my friends have been sponsoring me so I have to finish”. I guess I have figured out why this program is so successful. Friends don’t like to let friends down! So today I dedicated this ride to all of you! Thanks for all our support! I couldn’t have finished today’s ride without you all.
.
Today’s ride was hard but I learned a lot about how to handle my bike so after everything it may have been the best ride so far. I found out on the way home that Carl doesn’t usually ride in the rain and if he had driven himself he would have played hooky and sat in the coffee shop. I guess it’s a good thing for both of us that we carpooled
Thanks again
Cynthia
I am half way to my goal!
http://www.active.com/donate/tntwaak/evergirl
racing for a cure
This week’s team buddy ride was not at all what I expected. As some of you know from my other updates the rain seems to be something I just need to get used to. Staying warm is the goal staying dry is impossible.
I offered to give a teammate (Carl) a lift to today’s ride otherwise I would have probably stayed in bed but a promise is a promise so I was up at 6:30am and at the Bellevue park in ride by 7:15 am. We had a choice this weekend on one of two rides I told Carl he could pick. This was my first mistake. I didn’t know Carl rides 60 miles a day and hills don’t faze him.
From Bellevue we drove north to Cameno Island. For awhile I thought I was going to be biking in Canada. Once at our starting point we checked our tires filled them up and got ready to go. Around 9 am about 50 of us pulled out of the parking lot all in wearing our sexy bike shorts, tights, team training shirts, and rain jackets. We took the first right and then the road curved to the left this is when my heart fell. The hill in front of me was something I never dreamt I would see on a bike route. I commented to my group of four and they laughed when I told them I was doing the Tahoe ride. Yes, today was the day I learned the Tahoe ride is all hills from start to finish. Have I mentioned that this was the fourth time on my bike and that I had never used any of the gears?
As I went up this hill and I swear it was the steepest hill I have ever seen, my trainer told me to start using some of the gears I paid for. He was talking me through the shifting process and that’s when I did something wrong and was pedaling and not moving. Unable to get my foot out of the clip I ended up under my bike instead of on top of it. The only thing hurt was maybe my pride and that’s only because as I fell I let out a yell so everyone turned then stopped to make sure I was okay. If I hadn’t handed my car keys to Carl I probably would have turned around and gone back to my car and taken a nap or better yet gone looking for a star bucks. I think I said this out loud which is when coach Ted the Torturer assigned someone to ride with me to work with me in gear shifting at least that’s what they told me . Drill sergeant Jim thought his job was to make sure I finished the ride in record time dead or alive.
I would like to say I didn’t keep track of how many times my bike road me instead of the other way around but I did keep track, 9 times total, three times each on three big hills. After about mile 35 I finally got the knack of when and how to shift gears to keep from falling. Between Ted the Torturer and Drill SGT Jim I was forced to use all 28 of the gears I bought with my bike.
By now my elbows ached and my right knee was bleeding but the good news is I was finally riding along on a nice flat surface. And I started to think that this really wasn’t all that bad. That’s when a large brown dog came running at me fast and barking fiercely. I love dogs but I am still having issues with my feet clipped to the pedals and not wanting to fall again I managed to get my left foot out and I was prepared to kick. Mr. Dog took one look at me and must have known I meant business because he sat down in the middle of the street and just kept barking I think the barking was to save face with the other dogs that may have been watching.
Next we came to a very long hill which was about a mile long and very steep. Steeper than the steepest hill I had every seen which as you may recall was just 40 miles back or so. This time we were going down hill. Sure going down sounds fun but it is also scary especially when you are riding with Ted the Torturer and Drill SGT Jim. Shift! Shift! Shift! They yell, pedal! Pedal! Pedal! They scream. I wanted to break! break! Break! and go slow! Slow! Slow! Maybe even coast a little. Ted and Jim told me I could coast up the next hill. Cars were racing by spraying yet more water on us and I was really flying I figured if I could get far enough away from my torturer I could pretend not to hear them. So I was flying down the hill which seemed like it was going to last forever may face was numb and cold and I kept saying to myself I don’t want to wipe out I don’t want to wipe out.
The whole ride was 56 miles and we finished around 1:30 pm. After the ride I was told I was going 52 MPH down that steep long hill in the pouring down rain and that my face was a white as a ghost with fear.
During today’s ride I only asked myself once what in the hell I was thinking when I signed up to do this and that was on the first big hill after my third time letting the bike take a rest on me, which then was followed with an out loud remark, “oh crap, all my friends have been sponsoring me so I have to finish”. I guess I have figured out why this program is so successful. Friends don’t like to let friends down! So today I dedicated this ride to all of you! Thanks for all our support! I couldn’t have finished today’s ride without you all.
.
Today’s ride was hard but I learned a lot about how to handle my bike so after everything it may have been the best ride so far. I found out on the way home that Carl doesn’t usually ride in the rain and if he had driven himself he would have played hooky and sat in the coffee shop. I guess it’s a good thing for both of us that we carpooled
Thanks again
Cynthia
I am half way to my goal!
http://www.active.com/donate/tntwaak/evergirl
racing for a cure
The Church of Bike is Always Open
In the Church of Bike, I would be a sweat-slathered gospel singer belting out praises and stepping side to side to the beat of the divine cadence. My Lycra robes would be soaked and I would throw toothy smiles to my bike, who would lean on an indoor rack in the front most pew. Membership is easy in the Church of Bike. It only requires one to speak of the possibilities of cycling. All are welcome in the Church of Bike. It is compatible with any faith.
Cycling has the potential to be a spiritual act. By spiritual act, I mean an act that leads someone to access that which is intangible, that which is of spirit, that which is greater than the self. Possibly, you think that “spirituality” is for people clad in loose –fitting organic hemp who place crystals on corresponding chakras to balance their energy bodies. However, you can identify with the Church of Bike if you know the elation of beginning a descent after a brutal climb or if you have been seized by overwhelming love for your cycling buddy. If you find deep satisfaction in returning home from a ride covered in mud and bleeding from at least two different places, or if you have figured out a tiny aspect of your life after a long ride , then you understand the church of Bike.
I have not always seen the correlation between cycling and spiritual practice. I begrudgingly began riding as a child. My grandfather thought it was really fun to outfit me with a bike and weird gear and drag me out to nearby trails. Even though I was embarrassed about grand pops neon bike outfits, I still evolved into a bike enthusiast. The correlation between biking and spiritual practice became apparent to me while I was trying to learn about meditation and yogo a few years ago. Sitting still just has never worked for me.
When I started incorporating spiritual practices into my life, my experience unfortunately were not always revelatory or drenched in white light. Mostly, I came to recognize that my mind is like a Tasmanian Devil who darts in circles and on occasionally clunks herself over the head with a large mammals femur. However, along with the discouraging realization looking at yoga and meditation also gave me a path to calm the whirling mind. As I began to bike more, I realized that cycling clears the mind just like other spiritual practices. While charging up a hill on my bike, the femur-wielding Tasmanian devil can hold no forum. My mind has to assume complete focus if I am to ride to the best of my ability. An Intense quiet takes over. It is, in fact, a meditative state.
The purpose of creating a serene state of mind is not solely to enjoy a reality more pleasant than tumult. Rather, in a serene state of mind, truth becomes clearer. And isn’t the pursuit of truth the point in this insane world of exultation, devastation, birth, life, and death? Cycling, like mediation or yoga can create a frame of mind where truth is present
In the Church of Bike, Cyclists take a refuge under the vaulted dome of their own toil. They relish in the beauty of knowing that the God’s vehicle takes the form of a simple machine underneath their butt. Will I have figures of Lance Armstrong and his incarnations on a shrine in my house Definitely not. Will I wash my bike in holly water probably not. However I will subscribe to the Church of Bike because cycling is a cherished practice, and I will be a dedicated practitioner until my body doesn’t work anymore. Halleujah.
Cycling has the potential to be a spiritual act. By spiritual act, I mean an act that leads someone to access that which is intangible, that which is of spirit, that which is greater than the self. Possibly, you think that “spirituality” is for people clad in loose –fitting organic hemp who place crystals on corresponding chakras to balance their energy bodies. However, you can identify with the Church of Bike if you know the elation of beginning a descent after a brutal climb or if you have been seized by overwhelming love for your cycling buddy. If you find deep satisfaction in returning home from a ride covered in mud and bleeding from at least two different places, or if you have figured out a tiny aspect of your life after a long ride , then you understand the church of Bike.
I have not always seen the correlation between cycling and spiritual practice. I begrudgingly began riding as a child. My grandfather thought it was really fun to outfit me with a bike and weird gear and drag me out to nearby trails. Even though I was embarrassed about grand pops neon bike outfits, I still evolved into a bike enthusiast. The correlation between biking and spiritual practice became apparent to me while I was trying to learn about meditation and yogo a few years ago. Sitting still just has never worked for me.
When I started incorporating spiritual practices into my life, my experience unfortunately were not always revelatory or drenched in white light. Mostly, I came to recognize that my mind is like a Tasmanian Devil who darts in circles and on occasionally clunks herself over the head with a large mammals femur. However, along with the discouraging realization looking at yoga and meditation also gave me a path to calm the whirling mind. As I began to bike more, I realized that cycling clears the mind just like other spiritual practices. While charging up a hill on my bike, the femur-wielding Tasmanian devil can hold no forum. My mind has to assume complete focus if I am to ride to the best of my ability. An Intense quiet takes over. It is, in fact, a meditative state.
The purpose of creating a serene state of mind is not solely to enjoy a reality more pleasant than tumult. Rather, in a serene state of mind, truth becomes clearer. And isn’t the pursuit of truth the point in this insane world of exultation, devastation, birth, life, and death? Cycling, like mediation or yoga can create a frame of mind where truth is present
In the Church of Bike, Cyclists take a refuge under the vaulted dome of their own toil. They relish in the beauty of knowing that the God’s vehicle takes the form of a simple machine underneath their butt. Will I have figures of Lance Armstrong and his incarnations on a shrine in my house Definitely not. Will I wash my bike in holly water probably not. However I will subscribe to the Church of Bike because cycling is a cherished practice, and I will be a dedicated practitioner until my body doesn’t work anymore. Halleujah.
I can see the finish line
The past four years has been like running a marathon. Working on events for the game indusrty has been fun but a lot of work. As I turn the last corner with just a half mile to go the finish line is now in site.
I think to myself, I can hardly wait to start preparing for the next race.
crap! I didn't see that dip in the pavement! so close!
I think to myself, I can hardly wait to start preparing for the next race.
crap! I didn't see that dip in the pavement! so close!
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About Me
- Cynthia Freese
- Issaquah, WA, United States
- I am who I am because of thousands of life experiences