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