nightraining

the sharp lunar crescent

cradles my bike

in this crisp, clear night.

the cool air silently surrounds me

until my shoes meet their pedals

with a reassuring click,

the gears barely making a sound

as the wheels swiftly spin me homeward.

Update #2 From Canada

Yesterday we drove from Penticton to Lake Louise. It was beautiful, but somewhat cloudy and rainy, and I'm betting there was a lot more beauty behind those rainclouds. We made camp at the "terrain de camping" in Lake Louise, had dinner in the shelter in the company of 2 Swiss tourists, and then made our way to both Lake Louise and Lake Moraine for some stunning views at dusk.

And now, for another small update by the numbers:

# bike rides completed: 3

# deer sighted: 10

# elk sighted: 3

# chipmunks avoided: 4

# groundhog/squirrels sighted: too many to count

I'm hoping for some additions tomorrow.

And for your viewing pleasure, here's a taste of what we've been up to...

First Night of Camping

Sunset from our campsite

Riding by the sweet Radio Observatory!

Recovery Food

Driving through the Canadian Houseboat Capital

There is an electric fence to keep bears out of the tent campground at Lake Louise.

Lake Louise Lodge

Yes, it really is that turquoise, and yes, we really were as cold as Tricia looks.

Clouds enshrouding the glorious mountains.

Blue sky peeking over the peaks.

An Update From Just Across the Canadian Border

Here we are in Penticton, British Columbia, eating breakfast at a cute little cafe ("Aloha Charley's") with wifi. We left home Sunday morning, and made our way to Winthrop in the Methow Valley of eastern Washington. Yesterday we made the short drive across the border and up to Penticton, where they host Ironman Canada. I don't have much time, because we've got 8 hours of driving ahead of us before we make it to Banff, but I'd like to do a little update by the numbers.

# bike rides completed: 2

# bike rides that went ~70% farther than planned: 1

# deer sighted: ~8

# dead snakes sighted: 2

# chipmunks avoided: 1

# times loaner camp stove used: 2 (Thanks, TBJ!)

# borders crossed: 1

Can't wait for more wildlife sightings. Hope to update again once we make it to our condo in Canmore!

Putting It Behind Me

The Mt. Hood Cycling Classic came and went. There were many notable parts, like my fantastic home stay and host family, the weather gods that mostly smiled on us for the hard stages and my fabulously horrible results. But now I'm working on putting that behind me, and looking ahead at the next two months or so. Here's what's on tap:

Banff Bike Fest - 4 stages over 3 days in Canada's gorgeous Banff National Park. Need I say more?

Hailey Criterium - Since I'll be in Boise to help Sammy celebrate his birthday over Independence Day weekend, we figured we'd get in some local bike racing, too.

Boise Twilight Criterium - This race is known for its searing temperatures and big crowds in Kristin Armstrong's hometown.

Cascade Cycling Classic - The name says it all - lots of climbing in and around Bend, Oregon, in this epic National Racing Calendar stage race.

After that, I'm going to try something I've been thinking about doing for a long time: triathlon.

Beaver Lake Triathlon - A short, sprint-distance tri with an "easy" swim, a climb-y bike, and a little bit longer run will test my abilities to make the most of transitions - and see how I measure up against my coworker, Ben!

Lake Stevens Triathlon - An Olympic distance triathlon that is going to be quite the challenge, but I'm excited to see how it goes.

Stay tuned!

Challenges

Cycling (and any endurance sport, I would expect), is the kind of sport that allows for a fair amount of introspection, requiring the athlete to look inside herself for the next stride, the next stroke, the next finish line, the next race, the next goal. What's more, I am constantly asking myself if this is all I have to give, and whether I can - or WANT to - give more. And when I don't want to? Then what comes next?

Then I start looking at my options.

I just finished the book Born to Run. I don't want to go into it too much right now because I'm gearing up to read it a second time, after which I plan on having LOTS to say. But I'm beginning to realize what I really want out of cycling, sport, my life and myself. (Yes, those last two in particular are BIG, and certainly not prompted solely by the book - I've been stewing on all this for awhile now.) I want the challenge of the race, I want the relationships that racing brings. Equally important, though, is my desire for something new. Perhaps that is part of the challenge, but as I race the same races over again with the same competitors and the same courses, I can't help but think it's time to move on.

And perhaps this time the challenge will be just that - letting myself try something else, stray outside the lines I've drawn for myself, find my own new path. The saying goes something like, "You'll have more regret for the things you never tried than the things you did." But how do you pick what to try? They don't teach you that in kindergarten.