Pure Awareness

I have always sensed that there is a deeper connection of body, mind and spirit, separate from divinity, especially in athletics.  Athletes have to be in tune with their own body, able to push themselves to far limits, while knowing where to stop to abstain from injuries.  I first became aware of this inherent connection during my years of swimming.  Swimming has always had a calming affect, and after an hour or so swimming laps, my mind would be clear and my problems resolved.  This was strengthened even more as I practiced bikram yoga.  I was able to connect with myself on a deeper, calmer level, something I would never be able to accomplish if I was not actively engaging myself in some sort of activity.

In the midst of my realizations, a Groupon (oh Groupon, how we love you) for an Effortless Mind Meditation Course at Fern Life Center came through.  Taught by yogi Ajayan, I honestly went in (alone) with some hesitations.  Come on, meditation?  An 8 hour meditation seminar?  Expecting some extreme yogis, I was pleasantly surprised when I walked into the yurt (oh yes, there is a yurt set up in his backyard) and realized everyone else there was also a Groupon-er and "normal."  (I say this in quotes, because although no one was completely off the ranch, there were definitely some fun and interesting characters there.  But I think thats just Seattle). 

Shoes off, in comfy sweats, incense burning, fireplace roaring (it was a pretty sweet yurt), everyone cozied up on the blankets and pillows on the ground.  Ajayan took us through the basic steps of meditation, the goals and different ways to practice meditation.  I have never even tried meditation before, so the basic foundation was perfect for what I was looking for.  We practiced meditating once before lunch and twice after.  On the second meditation, I stopped trying to meditate (counter-intuitive to me) and I actually started to get it.  Of course, once I realized I was doing it correctly and had stopped trying, it backfired and brought me back out.  But at least I know what it feels like now.

During the practice of meditation, you aim to reach pure awareness.  Ajayan describes pure awareness as, "transcending the gross layers of thought that comprise ordinary mind, and experiencing the molecular and atomic nature of consciousness that lies hidden within. The rigid boundaries of the gross mind can melt into pure energy and then finally into pure, unbounded consciousness, into the Truth of our own Being, which is universal and infinite..."

In training for endurance events, you end up spending a lot of time with yourself.  Especially on the bike and swim, you don't have music to help distract you, you end up spending a lot of time in your own head.  My goal was to take advantage and help myself in my connection to myself and the world around me. 

Today marks 5 months exactly from Lake Stevens 70.3 (but who is counting?) and as I am building the foundation for my event physically, I am now starting to build the foundation mentally as well.

Let me know if you have any specific questions, and I am sure I will have a story or two to share about the seminar.  You know I love telling stories  :)

What's In A Name?

I recently got a new bike, a 2010 Look 566. My first bike, a Marin Portofino, was my first road bike, ever.  Now that I am more into biking, I have been looking for a new bike with better elements.  I love my old bike, as it was there through hundreds of miles, blood, sweat and tears.  It introduced me to the world of biking.

I love the black and blue colorings of the Marin.  I also love that Marin is California based (in Marin County, just outside of San Francisco) and therefore has a grizzly bear emblem on it.  The Marin will always have a soft place in my heart for its ties to my home state. 

For my new bike, I feel like I need to spend some more quality time with it to really know its nuiances and feel.  I got it fit in the middle of Seattle's snowpacalypse this week at Montlake Bike Shop and am looking forward to spending some time in my new saddle, testing out my fabulous new red, black and white bike.

Now that I own two bikes, there has been confusion when talking about them. Before, I could easily say "my bike" and all would know what I was talking about. Now, referring to "my bike" can confuse the listener. I have decided it is finally time to name my two bikes.

However, this decision has yet to have any resolutions.  Whats in a name?  How do I name it?  I am normally not one to give names to inanimate objects, however all of my friends, families and pets have multiple names and nicknames I have given them.  So what is the block when trying to establish a name with my bike?

I have a few ideas rolling around, but none have really taken root.  Any suggestions on names - or how to go about naming your bike?

Olympic Hot Springs Weekend Getaway

I get cabin fever very easily (and often) living in a city.  Luckily, the NW has tons of great places to explore well outside of city limits.

This past weekend, a friend and I drove to the Olympic National Forest to hike out and soak in some hot springs.  We didn't go to the Sol Duc hot springs, but instead went to the ones near Hurricane Ridge.

The drive was beautiful.  Leaving around 6am on Saturday, we decided to drive down and around the water on the way there.  I loved the cute farm towns we passed through, commenting on cool looking trees and plants, and giggling at oddly named roads and signs.  The weather was pleasant, even some sun breaks peaked through which instilled hope for the hike as the weather report for the weekend was dismal.  Reaching the Olympic National Forest, the rain started coming down as we drove in.  And by rain, I mean pouring rain.  We were prepared to hike in the rain, but this was crazy rain.  Expecting it to let up soon, we stayed encouraged by the gorgeous drive and views along the way.

Lake Mills on the drive to the trailhead (picture doesn't do it justice, the water was sea-green and gorgeous)

Arriving at the trailhead, we quickly layered with nearly every piece of clothing we had brought.  Gloves and beanies were discovered; wine, sandwiches and snacks were packed into my hydropack. 

The hike itself was pretty easy, about 2.5 miles of mostly mud and snow.  It was intense to see the washouts above and below us, knowing how much effort was put in to restore the trails to usability.  Commentary on neat trees, plants and types of predators in the forest continued.

One of many gorgeous waterfalls we passed.

The rain continued to come down and didn't let up at all.  Despite soaking wet and starting to get chilly, our spirits were high as we crossed a raging river on a hand-made log (the only way across) and other, more sturdy bridges.

Snow covered bridge

We arrived at the hot springs and decided to check them all out before deciding which one to soak in.  We were told there was a total of 7, some smaller, some larger and some hidden off the trail.



At this point, the rain increased heavily, we were hungry and a bit cold.  Despite these factors, we stripped down and jumped into one of the more hidden hot springs.  Due to the cold pelting rain and the hot springs not being very deep (and kinda mushy on the bottom) we didn't last long.  We quickly dressed again and headed back out along the trail to hurry back to the car for some dry clothes.

At this point, the trail was flooded and we gave up on trying to avoid the pools of water, mud and snow.  Once back at the car, it was a ridiculous race to try to avoid the van of hikers club and keep somewhat dry while changing into sweats.  Dry clothes finally on, heat blasting and seat warmers toasting our buns, we were on our way to stay the night in Port Townsend.

the aftermath

Making our way out of the forest, the rain eased up but the sulfuric acid of the hot springs set in.  Poor Y had a bad allergic reaction and we stopped at the nearest gas station to grab some Benadryl. 

We arrived at the super cute Tides Inn and quickly jumped into bed to get under the warmth of the covers.  Showers, nap and dinner followed in this adorable water-front town.

well deserved drinks

On Sunday we decided to drive to Kingston and take the ferry back, arriving in Edmonds.  The sun came out and highlighted the small and absolutely cute port towns along the way.  My favorite was the white picket fence town of Port Gamble.  There was very little ferry traffic and we were able to drive straight onto the ferry.

I had a lot of fun and it definitely helped cure my cabin fever, for now at least.

Pick-up Lines for Runners

Shared off elizwalsh83 blog post on Runner's World, here are some pretty good pickup lines for runners:

PR here often?

You think you'd be tired after running in my dreams all night!

Are those tights reflective? I can see myself in your pants!

Do you wear Shape-Ups?

So, do you like speedwork? Because I'm always down for a quickie.

You like fast? I can be fast.

Let me see your body glide.

I like racing, but I'm not the first one done in everything.

If I said you had a great runners body, would you hold it against me?

Whaddya say we go back to my place and foam-roll each other out?

Gee...what should I do with all this left over body glide?

My Garmin told me I couldn't stop until I got next to you.

See that spike in my HRM feed? That's the moment I saw you.

Your pace or mine?

Is that a Garmin in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

I lost my bib number, can I use yours?

Lucky

I believe I am pretty darn lucky.  This past weekend helped emphasize that.

I am lucky that I have friends who will cuddle up on the couch with me and sing our way through Glee, feast on homemade snacks and laugh our way through commercials.  I am lucky that I have friends who will watch sad movies together because we should.  I am lucky that I have friends who will train with me and do endurance events with me.  I am lucky and so pleased that I have friends who will have intense discussions on the game of quidditch.

Sorta New Bike Trainer

I will admit it, I am a fair-weather biker.  Riding in the rain scares me, and although I do it, I would prefer not to.  As the PNW is prone to rainy days, I decided that the best thing would be to invest in a bike trainer so I can get the miles in while dry and toasty in my home.

Bike trainers (at least the good ones) run about $300, which is a bit pricey for me.  So I thought for a bit and realized that a friend of mine used to really be into biking and no longer is.  He is one of those people that always purchase the best of the best, so chances were that he had purchased a top of the line bike trainer a few years ago.  I contacted him and asked him if he was willing to sell me his bike trainer that was currently in storage, not being used.  He agreed.  I now the proud owner of a Cyclops Fluid indoor bike trainer.

Ah-ma-zing Motivational Exercise Video

"If you have something bottled up inside you, go straight to the snake shaker."

Sunday Ride - Lake Stevens

Yesterday we rode the first loop of the Lake Stevens bike course for the first time.  It is brutal. And we will be doing the loop twice.  This was the first time I have ridden since the Chuckanut Century in the fall and lets just say that I have a long way to go to get ready for this race.

We ended up doing about 32 miles and my average moving pace was 13.5mph.  Not bad for not riding in months, but not nearly good enough yet.

Here is the elevation climb, please note the lovely little gems located between miles 22 and 24.  These two have been dubbed "Big Pappa" and "Little Bitch"