Several years ago, I made the big decision to return to college to finish my Bachelor's Degree. Continuing my studies while holding down a full-time job meant that sacrifices must be made. The first thing to go, as you've likely surmised, was my blogging. I continued to Trikke during the early days of college, but as the classes grew harder and my day job required overtime, I reluctantly parked the Trikkes for a few years.
The sacrifices paid off as I recently achieved my long-time goal of earning my Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology. My capstone project offered me the freedom to choose my subject matter, and I used the opportunity to circle back to two hobbies I love so much - Trikking and writing. As part of this project, I rebuilt the Trikke Universe website with the hopes of it becoming the premiere Trikke community site on the internet.
In order to commit my full energy to the new website, I have migrated all of my Lehigh Valley Trikke posts to Trikke Universe to give it a running start. I will leave this blog here, as many have linked to it and found the posts useful, but the post you're reading now will be its last. I want to thank all of my fellow Trikkers for sharing this journey with me, and I hope you will join me in building an even bigger community on Trikke Universe.
Showing posts with label Personal Updates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal Updates. Show all posts
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Sunday, April 20, 2014
The Spring Thaw – Take 2
Everyone knows the old saying, “if at first you don’t
succeed, try and try again.”
This spring has certainly put our resolve to the test as
rainy, windy, and even snowy conditions have delayed many of our spring riding plans. The first casualty was Trikke Riders of
Pennsylvania’s LSM scheduled for 3/29 in Warminster Community Park which was besieged
by heavy rains. The rescheduled ride for
4/5 saw only half the riders able to make it, and even they braved strong
headwinds as they taxied up and down the runway on their three-wheelers. (Yours truly had another commitment that
day.)
Several of us met for an impromptu LMM (Last Monday of the
Month) ride at Glasgow Park in Delaware.
We were also plagued by raging winds, but enjoyed exploring the park and
getting to know each other better.
 |
| Norman, Ken, Jamie, Megan, Susan, and Pam at Glasgow Park |
I followed this up with a solo ride at Rodale Fitness Park
when Tuesday gifted me beautiful weather and an unusually easy commute
home. But this ride was also a reminder
of why we must ease back into our fitness regimens, as it left me with sore and
strained muscles and a recovery of nearly two weeks.
I rode the electric Pon-e Lite last Monday as I explored the
new Michael N. Castle trail in Delaware with Susan, Megan, and Cassidy. Again, high winds were a constant, but they
joy of being outdoors and exploring a new trail with friends gave me the
determination to push forward.
Yesterday’s ride on the Palmer Bikeway with new Trikkers Jim
and Val finally set me back on the path to recovery, both physically and
emotionally. The weather was as
picture-perfect as a day can get, and it was a joy to help my new friends improve
their riding skills. I extended my ride
with a solo excursion to the northern end of the trail and back racking up a
total of 6 for the day, and 27 for the season so far. While that may not sound like much, it’s
quite an achievement after a solid 5 months of inactivity during the harshest
winter in recent memory.
Looking forward, the Trikke Riders of Pennsylvania have
scheduled April and May LSM’s in some of our favorite locations. We will return to Warminster Community Park on 4/26, and Trikke on Martin Luther King Boulevard in Philadelphia on 5/31.
I hope to see both old and new friends at these rides, and
as we head for another beautiful mid-60 degree day here, I hope we can now safely
say that winter is behind us.
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Sunday, March 16, 2014
The Spring Thaw
It’s sunny now, almost warm, and there’s this funny green
stuff poking through the carpet of white in my yard. My cats are watching the birds flutter about
in the bushes beside my window, and the itch to ride my Trikke has become
unbearable. This can mean only one thing
. . . IT’S FINALLY SPRING!!!!
If you live in the northeast, my mind’s eye sees you nodding
in agreement as you read this. If you
don’t, I can feel your deep sigh of relief since you’ve no doubt heard our
horror stories about one of the harshest winters in decades.
As I re-read my last few posts here, I realize my winter has
not been as productive as planned. My
dreams of writing and web designing were replaced with almost daily shoveling,
snow-blowing, and ice-breaking. My
aching body decided it wanted to do nothing more afterwards than to curl up on
the couch with my cats and read “Game of Thrones.” Winter truly did come (I love you Ned Stark,
but did you have to be right about that?!), and I suppose I picked a great
season to read the series as the weather outside set the mood and atmosphere to
bring Westeros to life. But now it’s finally
time to snap myself out of my winter slumber and march myself down the Kingsroad
to my stable of Trikkes.
 |
| Spring ahead . . . |
Luckily all has not been lost this winter. The Trikke Riders of Pennsylvania picked up several new members during the deep freeze, bringing our total to 45. And we have set our first LSM ride for March29 at Warminster Community Park. As of this post we have 12 riders signed up,
and surely more will join us with the ride still two weeks away.
If you haven’t ridden with us here before, please consider
joining us. This is one of our most
popular ride locations, and it is well-suited to riders of all skill levels. The entire concrete runway is open for
riding, as well as paved trails around the park’s perimeter and across the
street at Northampton Municipal Park.
Whether you are looking to carve your very first mile, sweat
out an epic 20-miler, or do something in between, this park will give you the
ride you’re looking for. I am eagerly
joining this ride, although I may only be able to do a few miles as I seek to
reclaim the energy and fitness I lost over the winter.
I am also considering this blog “reopened” for the season,
and I still hope to launch a companion website soon. Elise Bennett’s Trikke Universe has grown well over the winter, and you can read my Keystone Karvers blog there as well.
Winter may have gotten us down for the count, but it’s time
to spring back into shape. I hope all of
you are done digging out of the mess and heading for the trails soon too.
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Wednesday, January 1, 2014
New Year, New Universe
I’d like to interrupt my winter slumber to wish everyone a
very Happy New Year and to share some exciting Trikke news. 2013 saw the end of an era as Trikke World
Magazine folded unexpectedly, but 2014 has already built a new home for our
carving community.
I’m thrilled to announce today’s debut of Trikke Universe, a site built from scratch by Elise Bennett. The site will form the new hub of the Trikke
community, complete with articles, blogs, links, and a new forum.
I’m also happy to say that one of the site’s blogs is my own
new “Keystone Karvers.”
Here I will share the best articles
from this blog, as well as updates on the carving scene in Pennsylvania and the
east coast.
Please join me in thanking Elise for her hard work to
establish the site. There is room for
others to be involved too, so if you have an interest in helping out please let
Elise know.
Here’s to wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year, and
lots of joyful miles of carving.
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Monday, December 9, 2013
A Long Winter’s Nap
I know what you’re thinking . . . didn’t I just have a long
autumn’s nap? I haven’t exactly been
writing here for a while, but a long autumn’s nap would be the furthest thing
from the truth. I know it’s easy to
throw around the “busy” excuse in this day and age, but “busy” is exactly what
I have been these past three months. I
don’t want to bore you with the litany of “must do’s” I have been faced with,
but I did want to take a little time today to reflect upon the year that is
winding down, and look forward to the new year that is just around the corner.
The highlight of the year was the growth our MeetUp group, the
Trikke Riders of Pennsylvania. We hosted
14 rides from late March through mid-November.
We hosted our inaugural group rides in several places: Rodale Fitness Park, the Chester Valley
Trail, the D&L Trail, the Cooper River Trail, and Liberty State Park. We had strong turnouts, including several new
members. Susan has begun organizing
rides, which will give us three organizers going into 2014. I’m anticipating another strong year of fun
and growth for this group.
As for this blog, it has been going strong for nearly a year
and a half. Sure, it’s had its highs and
lows, but it helped me learn better what I like to write and what everybody likes
to read. Despite this strength, my main
reason for writing today’s post is to say that I will be taking a break from
the blog this winter. I’m not going to
try to fill it with half-hearted non-Trikke posts just for the sake of doing so, because I
have chosen to direct my energy to other projects this winter.
A few posts ago, I hinted at two exciting changes coming for
this blog. Sadly one of them will not
see the light of day. I had been gearing
up to write regular articles for Trikke World Magazine, but we now know that
has ceased publication. The other change
is alive and well, and involves a new Trikke website I plan to build over the
winter and launch in time for the spring riding season. This blog will not go away, but will instead
supplement the material on my new website.
I will have more information on this when it’s ready, but I wanted to
give everyone something to look forward to as winter descends upon us.
In the meantime, there has been a lot of other Trikke
community-building happening online since the demise of Trikke World Magazine,
so I’d like to leave you with some links to keep you informed and connected
this winter:
- Trikke Riders of Pennsylvania – Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/TrikkePA/
- Trikke Riders of Delaware and Southeastern Pennsylvania – Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrikkeRidersOfDEandPA
- The Sweet Spot Annex: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sweet.spot.annex/
- Trikke Universe – Website: http://www.trikkeuniverse.com/
- Trikke Universe – Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/464652020314080/
- Trikker Chicks (New Address): http://trikkerchicks.wordpress.com/
- Silverlake Trikker (LSM Rides): http://silverlaketrikker.blogspot.com.au/
Thank you for being part of my journey through 2013, and I
look forward to an even better year in 2014!
Monday, September 9, 2013
Missions Accomplished!!
Today’s tale is one of rockets, Trikke hill climbs, and spontaneity. As I checked two items off my bucket list
this weekend, it was a spirited reminder that life is about more than to-do
lists.
We came to the fork in the road where the D&L meets the
Palmer-Bethlehem Rail Trail. Beyond that
fork was another bucket list item – climbing the “Two Mile Hill.” My friends were not up to that challenge, but
graciously agreed to part ways as they saw my hunger for doing the climb. As they headed for the boat launch, I
launched my T12 upward.
“Two Mile Hill” hill is not the steepest climb I know of,
but it is the longest. It’s a narrow
stretch of aging asphalt that hooks around Route 33 as it heads back towards
Easton. The grade is only 1 degree for
most of the run, but there are no breaks in the climb save a slight dip as it
crosses a driveway near Hope Road. The
summit is a metal bridge spanning Freemansburg Avenue, and I reached it after about
25 minutes of climbing. I’m proud to say
I rode the whole way, stopping only for a few pictures and to let a few
bicyclists through.
 |
| Susan riding Rokk-it Red |
My Friday commute home is never fun, but I got out a little
early and for once I thought I could get ahead of traffic on the Blue
Route. How wrong I was! As my car crept forward on the freeway at Trikking
speed, I turned the radio on for a traffic report. What I got while waiting was a report that a
rocket launch in Virginia would be visible from Pennsylvania later that
night. So I stayed up late, and from a
ridge overlooking the Lehigh Valley, I saw the glowing orange trail of the
LADEE rocket as it reached for the moon.
Check one lifelong wish off my bucket list!
I started Saturday morning on a high note. I awoke to a beautifully sunny day, and
looked forward to Trikking at Rodale Fitness Park with Susan, Dan, and
Pam. But for the second time of the
year, I arrived to a troubling sight at the park. Last time, the trail was ravaged by damage
from Hurricane Sandy, this time it was overrun by hundreds, if not thousands,
of bicyclists for a cyclocross event. My
heart sank as I realized my friends had just driven nearly two hours for a
non-event. But they took it well, and we
weighed our alternatives.
 |
| Pam riding one of her Triplets |
So my second spontaneous weekend event took us out to the paved
portion of D&L Trail along the Lehigh River. This is one of my favorite riding spots, and
I knew my friends would enjoy exploring it.
We started at Riverview Park and Trikked westward towards the boat
launch. The air was fresh and crisp, and
we nearly had the trail to ourselves.
We came to the fork in the road where the D&L meets the
Palmer-Bethlehem Rail Trail. Beyond that
fork was another bucket list item – climbing the “Two Mile Hill.” My friends were not up to that challenge, but
graciously agreed to part ways as they saw my hunger for doing the climb. As they headed for the boat launch, I
launched my T12 upward.
“Two Mile Hill” hill is not the steepest climb I know of,
but it is the longest. It’s a narrow
stretch of aging asphalt that hooks around Route 33 as it heads back towards
Easton. The grade is only 1 degree for
most of the run, but there are no breaks in the climb save a slight dip as it
crosses a driveway near Hope Road. The
summit is a metal bridge spanning Freemansburg Avenue, and I reached it after about
25 minutes of climbing. I’m proud to say
I rode the whole way, stopping only for a few pictures and to let a few
bicyclists through.
I find hill climbing to be one of the most challenging yet
fulfilling things I can do on a Trikke.
Perhaps this was because two years ago I could barely do a 25 minute
walk, let alone a 25 minute hill climb.
I savored my leisurely ride back down the hill, and was greeted by my
joyous friends as I neared the bottom.
They had begun climbing the hill to greet me, and I hope to see them
back for the full climb again someday.
All told I Trikked 11 miles that day, but my joy came from
the spontaneity of the ride and the company of my friends rather than just the
number on my odometer. In my stressed-out
life of jam-packed workdays and horrific commutes, I need more days and
weekends like this where I can just take a deep breath and savor whatever
goodness life decides to send my way.
Related Articles:
Monday, July 15, 2013
Lehigh Valley Trikke celebrates its first anniversary!!
WOW!!!! I can’t
believe a full year has flown by since I made my first post here.
I remember when I bought my first Trikke, one of my main
hesitations was whether I would actually stick with riding it. And when I started this blog, I had the same
fear. I conceived of the idea for this
blog during an energizing Trikke ride. I
came home and started it spontaneously that day, but then wondered what would
happen when my initial burst of enthusiasm wore off.
So what happened after that initial burst of enthusiasm wore
off?
Well, it hasn’t worn off!
I still Trikke regularly, and I have more ideas now than when I started
the blog. So many ideas in fact, that
this blog is on the verge of morphing into something bigger and better.
What is that ‘something’?
Well, there’s actually two ‘somethings’!! I can’t tell you the specifics just yet,
because I am in the beginning stages of getting them off the ground. But if you stay tuned, there are going to be
several announcements over the coming weeks.
But first I’d like to look back to celebrate the highlights of
this blog and my life during the past year:
- 53 posts including this one, for an average of one per week
- 198 miles of Trikke riding bliss, including one epic 21 mile adventure in Stroudsburg, PA
- 6 LSM rides hosted in partnership with Trikke Riders of Pennsylvania
- Upgraded my ride to a T8 Sport
- Learned to climb hills up to 4.5 degrees
The next year and beyond promises more riding and more
adventure. Thank you to all who have
visited here and shared your journeys with me along the way. I can’t wait to share the next phases of this
blog’s evolution with you!
Related Articles:
Monday, March 4, 2013
Skiing . . . With Just One ‘K’
Those of you who have been reading this for a while
certainly know my passion for riding my Trikke.
But do you know how I became interested in it in the first place? I’ll forgive you if you think it was simply
something I discovered out of my desire to become fit. It certainly fulfills me in that sense, but most
people don’t know that I initially discovered it out of my desire to learn to
ski.
Please bear with me as I take a detour down memory lane here. I’ve wanted to ski since I was a young girl
watching the downhill races during the Winter Olympics and on ABC’s Wide World of
Sports. The excitement of it fueled my
adrenaline, and the athletes made it look so fun and effortless. I wanted to become one of them.
I did not get my first chance to ski until the winter of
1996-97, when I joined some co-workers on a trip to Blue Mountain Ski Area. From where I lived at the time, this was a 3 hour journey, and I couldn’t wait
to make the most of the opportunity.
I may have weighed 80 pounds less back then, but I was a
bona fide couch potato. It was an icy
day on the slopes, and I was poorly dressed for the occasion. Despite taking a lesson and practicing on the
bunny slope, I quickly learned that skiing was far from effortless. And when you’re wet, cold, and your out-of-shape
legs are about to collapse, it’s anything but fun. My first run down the full beginner’s trail
would be my last. I fell more times than
I could count, and was shivering from being quickly soaked to the skin. I lost my nerve, opting to walk down the last
few segments of the trail rather than risk hurting myself on skis I could not
control.
And that was the end of my dream to ski. I put it behind me and moved onto safer
ventures, like racing cars (on my Playstation), and slaying vicious dragons (also
on my Playstation). I was glad I had
tried to ski, for I would’ve never known what might have been otherwise, but my
feet were thrilled to be back on flat and non-slippery ground.
So I thought I’d put skiing behind me . . . until I moved to
the Lehigh Valley in 2007. Once I was
living where I could reach Blue Mountain and Bear Creek within 20 minutes, and
the Pocono ski resorts within an hour, I discovered that my childhood dream
stubbornly refused to die. But I had a
problem, I was even more unfit and overweight than I was when I first tried to
ski. If it was difficult to do then, it
surely would be impossible now.
Or would it? I also
had many fond childhood memories of sledding and tobogganing on local hills,
and knew that by now someone clever must have invented another way down ski
slopes that required less physical ability than skis and snowboards. After a few seconds on Google, I had the answer
to my lifelong dream. It was called the
Trikke Skki. And boy did it look fun!!
I watched videos of people riding it, read people’s reviews
of riding it, and concluded that it really was a viable way for lesser fit
people like me to ski. There was only
one problem; none of the ski resorts in my area allow it. Although that slammed the door shut on one
dream, it opened another. It was through
this search that I learned about the 3-wheeled Trikkes that we’re more familiar
with. And boy did they look fun too!!
So I bought one a little over a year ago, and with it my
journey to fitness began. You know the
story from here. I’ve lost over 40
pounds, and gained a lot of strength and confidence. And if you haven’t already guessed where I’m
going with this, my newfound strength and confidence brought me back to Blue
Mountain last Monday to have another go at my dream of learning to ski.
And I’d have to learn the old fashioned way, with two skis
strapped to bulky ski boots and metal poles in my hands. I would have felt a lot more confident on a
Trikke Skki, but I also needed to overcome the old fears that have kept me off
the mountain for 16 years.
This time, things went much better. I picked a warmer day (yes, 39 degrees counts
as “warmer” here in the northeast), dressed in layered and somewhat waterproof
clothing, and got myself a great instructor.
Because I went early on a Monday, I had his undivided attention as he
took me through the basics, then out onto the beginner slope where I’d lost my
nerve a decade and a half earlier.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid as I started to
careen down that big hill. But with his
skillful mentoring and my better fitness, I found myself enjoying a controlled
carve down the trail. I didn’t even
fall! By the time he took me back up the
lift and down another short trail, I was breathing heavily but had a huge smile
on my face. I no longer had to wait for
the resorts here to allow the Trikke Skki to get out there and have a fun time.
I took a short break, and did 9 more runs down Vista and
Easy Out before calling it a day. If
there’s any question as to whether downhill skiing is legitimate exercise, I
can tell you that my muscles ached well into Thursday morning. Riding the Trikke and lifting kettlebells
certainly helped prepare me for this, but skiing itself is even more demanding.
This has been a much-needed breakthrough for me, and I am already
considering buying a season pass for next winter. This has been one of those winters that I’ve
only gotten outdoors to Trikke on one semi-warm weekend, so there is a
legitimate need for me to find something to enjoy outside during the colder
months. I still have a lot of room to
improve my skiing, but it is empowering to know that I am now able to work on
it.
In the meantime, I confess that my heart still yearns for a
Trikke Skki, and I still wish the resorts here would start to allow them. No doubt snowboarders once faced this same
challenge and overcame it, but I worry that there’s not enough people clamoring
for the Trikke Skki to get the same results.
For now I’ll enjoy the heck out of my three-wheeled Trikke most of the
year, but will have to embrace skiing with two blades and one ‘k’ if I want to
make the most out of my winters.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Starting Your Spring Success Story
You don’t need me to tell you what a long and grueling winter
it has been here in the Lehigh Valley.
Everyone I know is starting to climb the walls in anticipation of
spring. We never know exactly when that
first nice day will arrive, but we know it will be soon. It could happen next week, or it could take
another month.
So when that first warm day finally graces you with its
presence, and you eagerly mount your Trikke for the first ride of the year, how
will you know if your efforts at dieting and exercising over the winter have
paid off? What exactly does success look
like after you’ve been cooped up indoors all winter?
I’ve decided that I can’t measure my fitness level by where
I left off last fall. Despite my
devotion to my kettlebell workouts all winter, I need to face reality and admit
that I have still lost some ground.
- 2012 Record Bike Ride = 23 miles
- 2012 Record Trikke Ride = 21 miles
Instead, I need to look at where I was last year this
time. And boy was I a mess!! Years of sedentary living had taken their
toll on me, and my first bike and Trikke rides were short ordeals that left me
breathless.
- 2012 First Bike Ride = 6 miles
- 2012 First Trikke Ride = 2 miles
It’s great to reflect upon last year’s journey, because it’s
clear I made great strides towards a healthy lifestyle. Although there’s no mathematical formula that
can tell me where I should be at the start of 2013, I’m looking for a number
somewhere between last year’s minimums and maximums. I’m also going to base it on what I felt an average
ride was for me for most last summer. With
that in mind, here’s how I will define my success going into this spring:
- 2013 First Bike Ride Goal = 15 miles
- 2013 First Trikke Ride Goal = 10 miles
Technically I’m cheating a bit here, given that I already did
a 10 mile Trikke ride a month ago when we had an unseasonably warm day. But time has passed since then, and being
able to repeat that distance will let me know that my efforts since then have
paid off.
You should also take a step back and assess where you feel
you should be with your riding when those sunny, warm days return. Setting your expectations for your first ride
will also help motivate you to keep up with your indoor workouts in the meantime.
Speaking of which, how am I doing with my indoor
workouts? Those of you astute enough to
realize I missed my scheduled post last Monday might be wondering if I’ve
fallen off the wagon. Well, luckily I
haven’t. Last week was one of those “life
happens” types of weeks, and I just ran out of hours before I could post. However, I’m happy to report that I’m on
target with my exercise goals. I have
completed three kettlebell workouts for each of the last two weeks, and I feel
fantastic!! This brings me to the end of
the 5th week of the 6 week long Kettleworx program, and the finish
line for that goal is in sight.
So how are you doing as you prepare to emerge from your
winter hibernation? What will your
success story look like as you ride your bike or Trikke for the first time this
year?
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Monday, February 4, 2013
No Space? No Equipment? No problem!
You just finished shoveling away the latest round of snow
that fell yesterday, and now you’ve heard that even more is coming
tonight. As you wearily put your shovel
back in the garage, your eyes fall on your favorite Trikke, all folded up and
enjoying its winter slumber. As you gaze
at it longingly, remembering how happy you were riding it on those gorgeous
spring days, you wonder if you’re up to the challenge of getting back on it
this year. You’ve packed on a few extra
pounds from those holiday feasts, and your muscles have weakened while you’ve
rested in bed fighting the cold or the stomach flu.
 |
| Rokk-It Red and Lean Green settled down for a long winter's nap |
Although it’s often hard to believe, spring really is just
around the corner, and it’s time to start thinking about getting yourself back
in shape so you carve your Trikke through a nice, long ride when that first
warm day arrives. You find yourself wondering just how much of a setback this
winter has been to your fitness.
You will definitely lose muscle mass during long spells of
inactivity, but a week or two off in the winter may not be as catastrophic as
you think. The time it takes for your
muscles to start to atrophy varies due to many factors, including your gender,
the type of training you were doing (endurance versus power), and whether you
are a recreational athlete or a competitive athlete. Take a look at this article to assess where you might be, and then commit yourself to an indoor exercise
plan until the weather becomes more Trikke-friendly again.
I went a full six weeks with no exercise of any kind this
winter, but I got back into the game in early January with my kettlebell
workouts. While I did feel a slight
regression, I was nowhere near as unfit as I was a year ago when my fitness
journey was just beginning. In fact,
during a workout last week I got that delightful burst of energy again, letting
me know I had re-crossed that hurdle where exercise goes from being a miserable
chore, to being energizing and uplifting.
I have been touting the benefits of kettlebell workouts for
a while now, but I realize they may not appeal to everyone. Perhaps you have a similar situation to mine that
restricts your indoor exercise options? You
can’t afford a gym membership, you don’t want to go to the gym because you don’t
like the atmosphere, or you don’t feel it’s worth joining one for just those
few months of the year that Mother Nature conspires to keep you indoors. But you also find yourself living in a small
house (or apartment), and you don’t want to toss your comfortable recliner to
the curb just to make room for a new treadmill or elliptical.
My kettlebell workouts are ideal for doing in cramped indoor
conditions, but if you’re looking for something else, here are 27 otherexercises you can do in the comfort of your own home without purchasing any
additional equipment. Using nothing but your body and a floor mat,
you can customize a fitness routine from a variety of squats, lunges, crunches,
planks, pushups, and more. This is also
an exercise plan that you can take with you when you travel. If you need some extra motivation, print
these out and tack them up along with some photos of you on your Trikke. Know that you are doing these workouts now so
that you can enjoy more miles of carving later.
I’m talking big here, but how am I actually doing with my
New Year’s resolutions? Well, I’m still
a bit “off” in the eating right and having fun categories, but I’m happy to say
that I’m really back in the groove with my exercise routine. I’ve already started moving from the 5 pound
kettlebell up to the 10 pound one for a number of moves, and I feel like my
fitness is back where it was before I stopped in late November. The number on my scale stubbornly refuses to
budge, but I can’t help but wonder if that’s because I’m building more muscle
mass again. What matters most is that I
feel fantastic again! I’m starting to
look forward to my workouts, and I’m feeling energized upon completing them.
The finally tally for January is as follows: 14 Trikke miles (2 rides) and 9 kettlebell
workouts. Considering I spent the first
week of the year battling a head cold, I’m more than happy with this result and
am looking forward to even more success in February.
Hang in there through these final weeks of winter, and keep
your eyes on the prize of being fit enough to Trikke on that first warm
day. Heck, here in the northeast
anything above 40 degrees without snow or ice on the ground will meet my
requirements for being “Trikkeable”!
Related Articles:
Monday, January 28, 2013
Is it Spring Yet?
 |
| Thinking of spring . . . |
Clearly I need some new inspiration to get me out of the
winter doldrums, and I’m willing to bet that you’re in the same boat. Hopefully you’ll find the fitness success story of Nina Mosby
as inspiring as I did. Her journey began
much the same way as mine did. A few
years ago she weighed in at 265 pounds, the result of a busy but sedentary
lifestyle. She began biking with her
son, sister, and nephew, and the enjoyment of riding made her feel like a kid
again. This was the catalyst that
sparked her new, active lifestyle. She has
lost 100 pounds from bicycling, and now leads group rides.
I started at a similar weight to Nina, and although I’ve
been stuck on a plateau for a few months, reading her story gives me hope that
I can still lose more weight and meet my goals.
I also like the mention of Nina leading group rides, because leading
Trikke rides is something I’ve started to do.
It’s easier to commit to an active lifestyle when you are enjoying it in
the company of friends.
There was no LSM ride here this month because of the dismal
weather, but I am already starting to plan the year’s rides. I’m making a firm commitment towards starting
them back up in March, and will throw a last-minute one in for February if the
weather looks promising (or at least marginally tolerable). I hope you are planning to join some of these
rides, and now is the best time to give me some feedback. Where would you like
to ride? What is the best time of day
for you to ride? I know us Trikkers are
spread out geographically in the northeast, but I’m hoping I can come up with
enough locations that give everyone a chance to join us.
Well, this week is a new week, and I’m not giving up on my
New Year’s resolutions. I hope you are sticking
to yours, and if you aren’t, here’s your chance to renew your commitment.
Recent Articles:
Monday, January 21, 2013
A Slight Stumble
Progress on my New Year’s Resolutions:
Exercise: Goal met via 3 Kettlebell workouts. Although I admit it’s been a bit tough to
motivate myself to do them, I’m glad I did.
I am feeling stronger and more capable than I was two weeks ago,
although I am still taking frequent breaks between exercises.
Calorie-Counting: FAIL!
I am over my calorie count by an indeterminate amount. I got very busy at work in the early part of
the week, and also spent most of the week in a mental funk. These two things kept me from entering my
calories in to the Lose-It! app, and also led me to make poor eating decisions
involving candy bars and donuts. This is
the time when most people lose their initial enthusiasm for their resolutions,
and will declare their efforts a failure because of a small slip-up. Although it’s frustrating, I’m looking at
this as just a small stumble on a longer journey, and I will vow to come back
strong next week.
Having Fun: Goal met – Knowing this was my last week before
returning to my part-time studies, I made an extra effort to do some enjoyable
things, and more importantly, I tried not to feel guilty for it. Last night, I treated myself to dinner at
SaladWorks then went to see Zero Dark Thirty.
This was an enjoyable and much needed night out for me. I also downloaded Bejeweled to my smartphone,
enjoying an old favorite that I hadn’t played in years.
As we struggle through the winter blues, remember that you
are not alone if you have succumbed to it. Warmer days are ahead, but for now
we must battle the blues and let ourselves recover from any of the seasonal
viruses may catch. Here’s some articles
about how others in the Trikke Community are coping with the same woes:
And if you are thinking of hitting the slopes for the re-located TrikkeSkii Inn,
here’s a great primer for you.
For the next week, remember to keep the bigger picture in mind. It may not be a lot of fun working out indoors, but keep doing it so you're in top form for riding your Trikke when the good weather returns.
Recent Articles:
Monday, January 14, 2013
Puzzled by the Mild Weather
As we conclude a mild weekend here in the Lehigh Valley, I
am happy to report that I am feeling better and have enjoyed my first two
Trikke rides of the year. My weekend
visit to a friend in Delaware allowed me to rack up 14 miles of riding in her neighborhood,
which is blessed with flat, smooth pavement and light traffic.
Combined with the two kettlebell workouts I did earlier in
the week, I have succeeded in doing 4 days of exercise this past week. This surpasses my New Year’s Resolution of a
minimum of 3 days a week, so I am happy with my progress.
I have to confess that I wasn’t as good in the eating
department. Although I honored my
commitment of using the Lose It! app for calorie counting, I ended the week 4,177
calories over budget. Yikes! In a way I don’t regret it though, because my
friend’s cooking is superb. I rarely get
treated to a homemade meal, so this wasn’t something I was going to pass
up. The important thing is I tracked my
calories, held myself accountable, and know that as of tomorrow morning I will get
myself back on my diet plan.
It’s easy to forget to mention my third resolution of “having
fun”, because it’s not as easily tracked with statistics and smartphone apps. Because this was my last free weekend before
resuming my part-time college classes, I made sure to get plenty of fun and
relaxation in. The two Trikke rides
helped immensely with that, as did learning to play a home-made board game with
my friend, playing fetch on the beach with her dog, and beginning one of the new jigsaw puzzles I bought at Puzzles in Lewes, DE. If you’re ever in the area, be sure to check
out this delightful store that is full of jigsaw puzzles, games, and other
novelties.
Because New Year’s resolutions are still fresh in our minds,
I’d like to share an article I found on Simple Ways to Motivate Yourself EveryDay. Motivation may come effortlessly the
new year, but gets harder to maintain as the drudgery of our normal lives
creeps back in. Refer back to this anytime
you feel yourself slipping with your goals.
Winter is now returning to the Lehigh Valley, and I know my
Trikke will probably be parked for a while again. But this weekend has recharged and
rejuvenated me in so many ways. That
brief taste of spring should hold me over until the good weather returns.
Recent Articles:
Monday, January 7, 2013
My Maiden Monday Mashup
Welcome to my first “Monday Mashup.” This is the start of a weekly series that
will point you in the direction of the latest in Trikke and fitness news, as
well as update you my own progress towards my wellness goals.
I wish I was starting this you by telling you that I Trikked
a zillion miles and pumped a hundreds of pounds of iron, but the reality is I’m
still at the tail end of fighting off a head cold. While I’m getting better each day, I’ve
decided to hold off resuming my exercise program until I can breathe a little
easier again. There’s no point in
stressing a body that is still in resting and recovery mode. The one fortunate side effect of this cold
has been a diminished appetite, which has allowed me to beat my weekly budget by
941 calories without any feelings of deprivation.
Since the winter weather persists in the Lehigh Valley, I plan
to return to my indoor kettlebell workouts in the next few days. For those of you unfamiliar with this very
effective exercise program, here are 7 Reasons You Need to Try Kettlebells Now.
The New Year promises to bring new trails to explore when
the weather improves. I have driven past
Penn Pump Park in Palmer Township several times recently, and have been eyeing
up a new ribbon of asphalt pathway being laid south of Walter Avenue. I’m presuming this will connect the existing
Palmer Bikeway with the Wilson Bike Path which starts at Edgewater Road and
later merges with the Palmer Bethlehem Rail Trail. The path is still roped off, but once it
opens I intend to go exploring.
There is also a new multi-use trail in Montgomery County
paralleling the newly opened route 202 bypass.
This one is a little farther from home, but will be worth investigating
as well. A preliminary report from a colleague
who lives in the area tells me that the trail is hilly, but wide. I will have to visit it firsthand to
determine how Trikke-able those hills are, but I am always excited to hear about
a trail with enough carving width to share comfortably with our two-wheeled and
two-legged friends.
If you and your Trikke are cooped up indoors as well, now is
a good time to catch up on TrikkeWorld's Top 50 Stories from 2012. There are enough useful tips and interesting personal
stories in there to pass the time while waiting for spring.
Hopefully I will be well enough to have more progress to
share here next Monday. In the meantime,
I wish you a lot of success with your New Year’s resolutions. This is the time of year that our motivation is
highest, so be sure to use that newfound drive to make 2013 your healthiest and
happiest year yet.
Related Articles:
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Happy New Year!!
I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season. The time has come for my obligatory New Year’s
Resolution post. I have to confess that
I normally don’t set resolutions, but if I’m seeking to inspire others with my
writing, then I feel it’s the right thing to do. I also feel that after a wildly successful
2012, I owe it to myself to stay on track with my health and fitness goals.
I had a quiet evening at home last night, still recovering
from my head cold. I spent some time
reflecting upon 2012 and journaling about my successes. Once that was done, my thoughts inevitably
turned towards 2013. That’s when the
stat-junkie and project manager in my head began to run amok, crafting all
kinds of lofty goals for me to achieve. “How
many miles would I Trikke? Bike? How many Kettlebell workouts would I do? How often would I walk? How far?
How fast?”
“ENOUGH!!” shouted the voice of reason. “You’ve got to keep it simple or you’ll be
overwhelmed and discouraged.”
So I back-pedaled, dug to the core of my ambitions, and came
up with just three simple resolutions:
- Exercise a minimum of three times a week
- Count calories and stick with my high-protein diet
- Have fun and be Kid-Like
Why these three?
Because if I do these specific things, I will achieve my more elusive
goals of losing weight, having more energy, and being happier. For the sake of clarity, here is how I will
achieve each of these goals.
Each exercise session will be one of the following:
- Trikke 1 hour minimum (approximately 7 miles)
- Bike 1 hour minimum (approximately 11 miles)
- Walk 1 hour minimum (approximately 3.5)
- Kettlebell workout (25 minutes including warm-up and cool-down)
The stat-junkie in me will track and report my progress as
always, but allowing myself this flexibility can better accommodate the
unpredictability of the weather and my otherwise jam-packed schedule. It also allows me the freedom to do what excites
me most on that day.
I had previously used the free Lose-It! app (http://www.loseit.com/) for counting
calories with great success. A few
months ago, I simply got lazy and stopped inputting my data. It was little coincidence that my weight loss
plateaued around the same time, and I’ve gradually let junk food creep back
into my diet. So today I’m going to
recommit to using this app. I’m going to
set it to guide me towards losing one pound a week. That is a very achievable goal, and if I lose
52 pounds this year, I will be very close to my ideal weight. For reference, I lost about 40 pounds last
year, but didn’t start working on that until late February.
My final resolution of having fun and being kid-like is
aimed at restoring some happiness and balance to my life. I may have achieved a lot in 2012, but it
came at the cost of becoming a borderline workaholic who feels guilty about
doing anything that doesn’t have the word “work” in it . . . work, school work,
house work, yard work, workout . . . can you see the problem here?! Over the holidays, I rediscovered the joy of
my sedentary hobbies. For better or
worse, they have always brought me joy and helped me to relax. Yet in 2012, I struggled with the guilt of
knowing they had led me to become an overweight and out of shape sloth. So I avoided them completely, despite the emptiness
that left in my heart. For 2013, I am
giving myself permission to enjoy these things in moderation, maintaining a
balanced approach to the other aspects of my life.
To tie up one final loose end, last week I had set a goal of
doing a 6-week kettlebell workout program.
My plan was derailed after just one workout due to catching a bad
cold. I had said I would publish my new
schedule for it, but in light of my new resolutions I’m not going to. Why?
To allow myself the flexibility to pick an outdoor exercise should
mother-nature gift the Lehigh Valley with some pleasant winter weather. Odds are that most of my upcoming exercise
sessions will have to be indoors, thus meeting the original kettlebell goal
anyway, but I’d rather stay flexible should a Trikke-able day present itself.
I intend to hold myself accountable to my resolutions by
posting about them weekly. I think most
of us have grown cynical of resolutions, because the vast majority of them are
abandoned within weeks. So every Monday
evening, I will share my progress here.
Why Monday evening? Simply
because my “weekend” is Saturday through Monday, and that’s when I have the
most time to exercise and write. Just
knowing I have to keep this public should keep me on course. More so, I hope by sticking with my
resolutions I can prove that it can be done, and can inspire you to stick with
yours too.
What are your New Year’s Resolutions? And how do you plan to stick with them? We’re all in this together, so let us all know
your plans so we can encourage each other.
And by all means, please hold my feet to the fire should I fail to do
what I’ve said I would.
Here’s to wishing you a safe, successful, and prosperous
2013, no matter what your resolutions are!!
Related Articles:
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Have Fun and be Kid-Like
 |
| Waiting for better weather to ride my pride and joy so . . . |
But admit it, don’t you sometimes feel guilty for letting
yourself feeling like a kid? You enjoy
playing, but there’s something deep inside you that says that it’s time to “grow
up” and “be responsible.” I’ve come to
loathe that inner voice, and while I know that it’s healthy to kick back and
have fun, I’ve often had difficulty banishing those disparaging thoughts. That demon inside tells me I don’t have time
for fun; I must work harder if I want to be successful.
At our company Christmas party last month, our soon-to-be-retiring
CEO gave an inspiring speech, part of which included qualities he felt we
should all have. In amongst the usual
bits about working hard and being a part of a team, were two qualities that
more of us should embrace:
- “Have fun.”
- “Be kid-like.”
As the words came out of his mouth, they struck right at the
heart of my inner demon and laid him to rest. Here was the ultra-successful CEO of a
company that has achieved double-digit growth through the Great Recession and
become an iconic mid-Atlantic chain, telling us that it was not only okay, but
actually essential to enjoy ourselves and let our inner child see the light of
day. If he can be successful with that
philosophy, then heck, so can I!!
I’m one of the lucky few who work for a company that
embraces such values, and I really took his words to heart. We all talk about work-life balance, but few
of us actually achieve it. I’m terrible
at letting myself become overloaded in the work department, but I intend to
keep his words close to my heart as I learn to feel less guilt for letting
myself indulge in my childish pleasures more often. This will be on my list of resolutions for
2013 for sure.
I need to make that mental shift because as I’ve embraced
becoming fit in 2012, I’ve unfortunately started to feel guilt towards my
sedentary hobbies which were responsible for getting me so out of shape in the
first place. I’ve sort of come to feel
that riding my Trikke is the only fun that I’m “allowed to have now.”
I got out early from work yesterday, and I’m off for the
Christmas holiday today. As much as the
house needed cleaning, I decided that I deserved to have a break and a happy
holiday too. I won’t stray too far down
the path of talking about how tough Christmas can be for us single-folks, but
let’s just say this year I’m really determined to beat the blues that usually
accompany my holidays. So I let myself
be kid-like for a few hours, and pulled out some toys I bought a while back.
As a kid, I was always enthralled with the “lots of assembly required" types of gifts, and this is something I have never outgrown. The happiest sound on Christmas morning for
me was the distinctive rattle of a box of Legos. Last night, I lost myself for a blissful few
hours assembling a Lego replica of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water.
Then this morning I put together a small photo-etched
replica of the Golden Gate Bridge. I am
a fan of architecture and construction, so I really enjoyed these projects and
felt like I’d come close to replicating the joys of past Christmases. More importantly, I’m making progress towards
realizing it’s still okay to enjoy my sedentary hobbies. After all, it’s these hobbies that bring most
of the happiness into my life.
Like everything, it’s all about balance and moderation. So go ahead, and let yourself be a kid again
this Christmas. Play with some toys,
draw a picture, play a game, ride your Trikke, or do whatever makes you feel
joyful and alive again!!
I’d like to take this time to wish all my readers a safe and
happy holiday season. You have enriched
my life by being part of it, and I look forward to more of the same in 2013!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any
compensation for writing this post. I
have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have
mentioned. I am disclosing this in
accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guidelines
Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Sunday, December 16, 2012
A Year of Progress
As the official start of winter approaches here in the
northeast, the weather has conspired to keep me indoors and off my Trikke. The past two weekends were completely rained
out, and when we got one mild, sunny day yesterday, it coincided with the start
of a head cold which kept me inside and in bed.
Because it’s so easy to get down about the weather and fall out of the
habit of exercising as a result, I thought this would be a good time to take a
step back and reflect on the past year to remind myself just how far I’ve come.
A year ago, I had a total disdain for exercise. I work at a desk job, and my favorite hobbies
(reading, video games, model making) are all equally sedentary. I should also mention that I’m a part-time undergrad
student, which keeps me seated at my computer long after the work week has
ended. Is it any wonder that I had
packed on close to 100 excessive pounds and found simple things like climbing
my stairs to be exhausting?
But something changed last year around this time. I don’t know whether it was the beautiful,
mild winter we were blessed with? Or
whether approaching the age of 40 set off some warning bells in my head? Or that the more I sat still and lay around,
the more my body began to ache? What matters
is that something changed, and it changed rather spontaneously.
 |
| The walk that started it all . . . |
It was a mild late-November day, and I had just gotten the grade
for the final project and presentation for my first semester back after a
17-year absence from school. Much to my
relief, I earned an “A” and wanted to reward myself by taking the day off from
housework. So I went to my workshop in
the garage and plunked myself down at the workbench to work on a model
car. Despite the cool, fresh air blowing
in through the open garage door, I found myself getting restless and antsy. All I had done was trade one desk for
another.
So I went for a walk!
It was completely spontaneous, but a walk along the beautiful D&L
Trail alongside the Lehigh River seemed the perfect way to enjoy the mild
autumn day, and to reflect upon the successful completion of my first semester
back in school. I enjoyed my walk,
except for one small problem. After just
a half-hour of walking, I was exhausted, winded, light-headed, and nauseous. Is it any wonder I had such a disdain for
exercise when it made me feel so rotten?
As tempting as it was to retreat into my sedentary world, something
shifted in my mind telling me that if I didn’t do something soon to change my
health, it might be too late. I was sick
of feeling entombed in a sack of flesh that just seemed to bog me down in
misery. So I kept walking. I made a commitment to walk three times a
week, gradually increasing my pace and distance as I felt able to.
I walked through the winter, even on the coldest days, and I
saw others out there riding their bicycles.
I yearned to ride mine again, and decided that I didn’t need to wait for
that “perfect spring day” to do it. So
on February 5, I rode 6.5 miles on the Slate Heritage Trail on a sunny, but 41
degree day. It was torture; not because
of the cold, but because every crank of the pedals was difficult and
agonizing. I must have stopped every
half mile to rest, but the important thing was I made it to the end of the
trail and back. Bicycling had seemed so
spirited and effortless in my youth, yet here I was crawling along at snail’s
pace, gasping for air every inch of the way.
I was even passed by an older gentleman riding a rusting bike that had
to be as old as I was.
Determined to conquer the limitations my neglected body imposed
on me, I set a goal of biking 1000 miles in 2012. Of course I wanted to lose weight, but
instead of saying “I want to lose 100 pounds,” I opted to set a more concrete
goal, that if followed, would ultimately result in me losing weight. I credit this back-door approach with the
success I have enjoyed since.
 |
| Some of the Lehigh Valley's best sights can only be reached by bike |
I continued to walk and bike regularly, feeling stronger as
the spring months approached. My biggest
problem now was the literal “pain in the butt” that resulted from my bike
rides, which started topping 10 miles. I
had been eyeing Trikke’s carving vehicles for years, and decided the time was
right to buy one. This would give me
something to do the day after a long bike ride, instead of resorting to the “my
butt hurts” excuse to avoid exercise.
My first ride on Lean Green, my secondhand T78 Deluxe, took
place on March 10 in 37 degree weather.
I was like an excited kid with a new toy, and wasn’t going to let
anything as petty as the cold weather stop me from riding it. I had practiced the basics of riding in my
driveway, but my trip to Bicentennial Park was my first time on a “real trail.” I managed to do 2.1 miles, which left me
gasping for air and sweating out of every pore, yet also left a huge grin
plastered on my face. They say you need
to find something you love to commit to an exercise program, and I knew that
day that I finally had.
Combining my three forms of exercise with a newly adopted
high-protein/low-calorie diet left me feeling like a new woman by the end of
March. I no longer felt sick and
exhausted after exercise, and was instead beginning to feel invigorated by
it. I racked up the miles on the bike
and the Trikke, and when the heat wave hit in July and August, I bought a
kettlebell and training DVD’s to take my exercise indoors. I had come so far already that I didn’t want
to regress to the state I was in just a few months earlier.
 |
| My new passion for living!! |
During this time, the Trikke stood out as not only my favorite
exercise, but a newfound passion in my life.
I joined the Trikke Riders of Pennsylvania, and attended June’s Riding
Clinikk in Philadelphia, making new Trikking friends along the way. I eagerly returned to the trails as soon as
the heat wave broke, and continually rode faster and further than ever before.
With Rokk-It Red, my new T8 Sport, I conquered the steep
hill at Rodale Park on October 20, and completed an epic 21.2 mile ride with my
friends in Stroudsburg on November 11.
Although every muscle in my body ached after these rides, it felt so
good, and had reignited an internal energy that had been missing for close to fifteen
years.
Although I did not meet my literal goal of biking 1,000
miles this year, I still consider that goal met in the sense that I have
adopted a healthy and active lifestyle as a result of it. Although the year is not quite over, I have
achieved the following:
- Biked 305 miles
- Trikked 227 miles
- Lost 40 pounds
- Dropped 6 pant-sizes
- Regained the energy I had in my mid-20’s
- Discovered the benefits of cross-training
- Made over a dozen new friends
- Started this blog
A variety of circumstances beyond my control have prevented
me from exercising for the past three weeks.
While I cringe as I feel myself starting to slide back into that familiar
lazy abyss, I realize that I’m writing this post to inspire myself as much as
to inspire you. The winter weather and
this head cold are just a minor detour on a long journey. If I can revive myself after two decades of unhealthy
living, and go from being sick after walking 30 minutes to feeling energized
after Trikking three hours, then I can certainly pick myself up and dust myself
off after the setbacks December has thrown at me.
The coming new year will be an opportunity for me to set new
goals and to share them with you. I have
become a big believer in the idea that we are more likely to achieve our goals
when others hold us accountable for them, so I will put mine here for the world
to see.
If you’re just beginning your journey towards health, what’s
the first step you will take? If you’re
already on that path, what can you do in 2013 to up your game? I’ll be posting my official goals closer to
New Year’s Day, and I’ll look forward to hearing what yours are too. Let’s work together in 2013 to inspire each
other to new heights!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Back in the Saddle
Er . . . or should that be “Back on the Foot Rests”? Regardless of how I say it, yesterday’s
return to three wheels really soothed my soul after going through a trying
couple of weeks.
I have been a little more absent from the world than my
recent blog posts would indicate. I have
to confess that I wrote the last two articles before Hurricane Sandy hit, and
had them scheduled to auto-post during the week. That was good foresight on my part, as the
massive storm left me without power for 24 hours and without internet for the
better part of a week. All things
considered, I was one of the lucky ones.
Despite sustaining some minor damage from the 70+ mph winds that tore
through the Lehigh Valley, I look at what our brethren at the Jersey Shore are
dealing with, and I know how much worse it could have been.
I spent the bulk of last weekend cleaning up downed tree
branches, as well as cutting down two trees that have been damaged bit by bit
with every storm in recent years. They
were diseased, and I decided to just take them down entirely before they
damaged my property or caused someone injury.
Although my body would tell you this hard work fell into the exercise
category, my mind was growing increasingly cranky at not doing anything fun. Several weeks of cold and cloudy weather
certainly weren’t helping my disposition either.
So with yesterday’s return of sunshine and temperatures in the
60’s, I eagerly accepted my friend Tara’s invitation to ride with herself, Tom
and Mary up in Stroudsburg. I realized
that life really does look brighter atop the foot rests of a Trikke, as we rode
through the peaceful neighborhoods in town.
Everyone was enjoying the nice day as well, raking leaves in their yards,
or taking to the streets to walk or bike.
I am continually amazed at how many smiles I get as I Trikke past total
strangers. They smile, wave, say hi, and
offer words of encouragement on my ride.
Imparting these moments of happiness to those around me is one of the real
rewards of Trikking, and no matter how rough a week I may have had, I can’t
help but feel warm and happy inside.
Like my first ride with Tara a few weeks ago, she again had
that magical effect of inspiring me to ride faster and further than I’d go by
myself. After several loops through the
neighborhood, she took us up some steep hills on the campus of East Stroudsburg
University. Some of these are beyond my
current ability, but seeing her and Tom climb them gives me something to aim
for on future rides. We rode well into
dark, and I was grateful I had recently installed lights on my T8.
When we were nearly back to our starting point, I checked
the tracking app on my phone to see we had covered 18.65 miles! Recalling that my longest ride to date was 12
miles, I should have been elated to have blown that record out of the
water. And I was, but . . . the
realization hit me that doing just another 1.35 miles would put me at the 20
mile mark for the first time ever. More
importantly, it would let me reach a goal I had set when I bought my T78 back
in February. At that time, I had set a
goal of Trikking 200 miles for the year.
It seemed nearly unthinkable at the time, yet after the LSM ride in
Warminster, I was at the 180 mile mark.
A 20 mile ride would let me check off that goal as met.
So Tara and Tom agreed to circle the block a few more times
with me. I had held up pretty well most
of the ride, but now my arms were aching, my back was aching, and it was just
pure adrenaline that was moving me forward.
When we reached the finish line, I’d racked up 21.18 miles for the
day!! I had met my goal, and in the
process discovered that I’m capable of a whole lot more than I ever imagined.
Thank you, Tara, for pushing to towards new heights!! It’s always good to make a comeback, and this
comeback was a heck of a boost for my mind, body and soul.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Faith Can Move Mountains
You would think after I conquered Mount Rodale Saturday and
completed my longest ride ever, I would have been content to sit back and
relax. But as fate would have it, I
would be back on my Trikke and heading to the Pocono Mountains for a longer and
more challenging ride on Sunday.
I first met Trainer Tara and her husband Tom from Northeast Trikke at June’s Trikke
Academy in Philadelphia. Tara made her
Trikke World Magazine writing debut last week, as she inspired us with her
story of learning to ride on terrain that can intimidate all but the hardiest
Trikkers:
I was thrilled to head up north yesterday to ride with Tara,
Tom and their friend Yarrow, who is just learning to ride herself. (And doing quite well, I might add!) Apart from a few group rides in southern
Pennsylvania, I always ride solo here in the Lehigh Valley, so I jumped at the
chance to make some new friends and enjoy their company as I explored a new
area.
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| Trikking's more fun with friends! |
Riding on hilly streets and sidewalks, a few with crumbling
surfaces, can be quite tough, but the endorphins from Saturday’s ride were
still coursing through my veins as I embraced the new challenge. I’ve been
doing 10 mile rides on relatively flat trails for a while now, feeling that was
the extent of my abilities. It is easy
to become complacent when we exercise, and that is why riding with friends can
really encourage you to push yourself to the next level. That’s exactly what happened on this ride, as
I was overjoyed to complete 12 grueling miles, setting a new personal
record. A few short months ago, I would
have backed away from such a ride, feeling that it was impossible for me. But having persevered has rekindled my faith
in my ability to tackle increasing challenges.
Thank you Tara, Tom and Yarrow for allowing me to join you
on this awesome adventure!!
Tara plans to host regular group rides on Sunday afternoons,
and all are welcome to join in the fun.
I will be riding with them as often the weather and my schedule permit. If you would like to challenge yourself to
conquer this great terrain, contact Northeast
Trikke for more information.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Climbing Mount Rodale
With the return of beautiful fall weather today, Rokk-It Red
was clamoring to get outside to explore more of the Lehigh Valley trails. She had never been to Rodale Fitness Park
before, so I loaded her into the car and drove her to one of my favorite
places.
I’ve gotten good at climbing the small hills on the 0.6 mile
inner loop, and I can easily lap it many times now. But I have always set my sights on the grand prize,
which is climbing the big hill that I’ve affectionately dubbed “Mount Rodale”
at the beginning of the 1.3 mile outer loop.
Despite my increasing fitness and Trikking skills, I’ve always put that
goal somewhere “off in the distant future”.
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| Pictures don't do it justice. It's steeper than it looks! |
Perhaps it was all the pent up energy and frustration I’ve
felt after several rough weeks of being cooped up at home and at work in the dreary
weather, but as today’s warm sun cascaded down onto Mount Rodale, I couldn’t
help but gaze at it longingly as I took the fork in the path that steered me away
from it and onto the flatter inner loop.
My second pass of the same spot just made my yearning that much greater.
Should I try it today?
Could I possibly do it today? “No
way,” I thought. “I’m getting stronger,
but I’m just not ready yet.” But as I
approached the fork the third time, I made a quick decision. I would try to climb Mount Rodale! Today!
Right now!
The outer loop’s steepest hill comes just after the fork,
and reads as 4.5 degrees on my iPhone level app. Despite my best efforts, I ground to a halt
in the middle of it. No surprise here. Ignoring the fact that I made it half way,
the critical demon that lives inside my head began berating me. What business did a fatty like me have trying
to Trikke up such a big hill anyway?! Surely
the whole world must be laughing at my folly. Before the critic could continue, I scolded myself for scolding myself
and got back to the matter at hand. I
walked Rokk-It Red up the more gradual middle part of the climb, got back on,
and resumed Trikking. The approach to
the summit of Mount Rodale grew steeper again, but not quite as steep as the
lower part. With some effort, I did make
it up the 3.5 degree hill and smiled with joy as I glided down the back side.
“Okay, that wasn’t so bad,” I thought. I could still enjoy the inner loop today, and
I’d come back next year to tackle Mount Rodale again after my skills improved
some more. I circled the inner loop two
more times, all the while realizing I didn’t want to wait until next year. I would try it again . . . today!
My second attempt at Mount Rodale was only marginally more
successful. I ground to a halt at the
same place again, but instead of walking, I gave Rokk-It Red a good boost by
kicking off a few times, and then I rode her the rest of the way up that steep
hill. This was promising! I decided to settle into a pattern of 2 laps
on the inner loop followed by 1 lap on the outer loop for the rest of the day.
By my third attempt at Mount Rodale, I was really determined
to succeed. I put everything I had into
building momentum leading up to the base of the steep hill. Rokk-It Red began her inevitable
slowdown. “You can do this!” I actually
said out loud, as I punched into the next carve even harder.
My heart was pounding in my chest as my breathing became more
labored. I punched and leaned, and
punched and leaned, and punched and leaned, and Rokk-It Red kept crawling
slowly up Mount Rodale. It was now or
never! “Come on! You’ve got this!” I
shouted. Punch and lean, punch and lean,
punch and lean, and . . . there it was . . . a sudden surge in momentum that
told me I’d crested the top of the steepest part!!
I reminded myself to keep breathing as I continued climbing
towards the summit. My mind flashed back
to all the trials and tribulations of my journey towards fitness . . . the 30
minute walk last December that left me light-headed and nauseous . . . the 10
mile bike ride in February that left me so sick, trembling, and crying to the
point I almost gave it up for good . . . my first 2 mile Trikke ride in March
that was fun, but exhausting . . . the 15 mile bike ride in April that left me
feeling great and renewed my faith in my ability to do this . . . my first 10
mile Trikke ride in July after attending the Academy in June . . . and now this
. . . as I finished my mental recap of the year, I crested the top of Mount
Rodale for the first time without stopping!!
I did it, I did it, I FREAKIN’ DID IT!!!
Was that a tear in my eye as I glided back down the hill, or was it just
the wind from my new burst of speed? My
lips trembled and my heart beat faster as the impact of what I’d just achieved
sunk in.
 |
| Feeling on top of the world!! |
I did 2 more laps on the inner loop, but instead of peeling
off to go home as I had planned, I decided to have one final go at Mount Rodale
for the day. I had to know, was it just a
fluke that I made it up the first time?
Or had I really taken my Trikking to new heights?
With renewed optimism, I carved towards the steep base of
Mount Rodale. My tired muscles were
burning, but I had little doubt this time what the outcome would be. I kept punching and leaning and before I know
it I was back at the summit of Mount Rodale!
Despite my fatigue, I think it was actually a bit easier this time.
As much as I wanted to keep riding, I knew I had reached my
limit for the day. I peeled off the
trail and did a victory lap around the parking lot before putting Rokk-It Red
away for the day. When I checked my MapMyFitness
app, I found that one more surprise awaited me . . . I had not only scaled
Mount Rodale, but I had just completed my longest Trikke ride ever at 10.41
miles!!
I feel so alive and invigorated right now, I want to shout
it from the rooftops!! What a journey
this has been in just 10 months to go from feeling sick and defeated after a
half-hour walk to Trikking 10.41 miles and conquering some of the steeper hills
the Lehigh Valley’s trails have to offer!!
And to think my fitness journey has only just begun . . .
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