Experiments in Uphill Climbing

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Cycling Question: How do you get more power out of your pedal stroke?

Yes, I know about the ankle flexion, the "scraping mud off the bottom of your shoe" action, the lifting of the heel on the upstroke and driving the knee forward as you come to the top. I've been working on smoothing out my pedal stroke to get more power out of each rotation, but the steep hills that I encounter on every ride here in Kitsap County seem to add another challenge.

So yesterday I tried some other things out on the many hills along the "easy" 25 mile loop from my house. Just leaning forward with my chest toward the handle bars, while keeping my hands loose and arms relaxed seemed to activate some different muscles for me, as opposed to sitting more upright, and my speed went up by about a mile and a half per hour while my cadence remained the same. I also tried shifting my weight forward and back on my saddle a bit, which changed up the muscles I was using as well, but found that in order to maintain forward momentum on a long, steep incline, I needed to stay back in the saddle the majority of the time. If I was climbing out of the saddle, keeping my rear back, just sort of hovering above the saddle and keeping my chest low, arms bent and relaxed, seem to provide the easiest access to more power. If I wanted to overtake somebody on a hill, say in a triathlon, this would be the position to be in to make that happen quickly.

Tomorrow's ride will provide more hills to experiment and improve my skills on.....perhaps a power meter is in my future.

-Michelle

Powder Rules still in Effect

Saturday - February 27, 2009
by Elisa

It's a little known fact around these parts that during the winter months I spend very small amounts of time at our house in Poulsbo. (It's actually year-round - who am I kidding?). The reality is I have not spent a weekend 'home' since October 2009. Every Friday night the husband and the kids (& dogs) pile in the car, sit in line for and ride the Kingston/Edmonds ferry and drive 2 to 3 hours (depending on number of potty stops, errand running & traffic) to the recreation Mecca of Washington which is located near Plain, WA. (Plain is just a short 1/2 hour drive from the quaint Bavarian town of Leavenworth). It is in Plain where my husband and I have a small cabin we purchased in 2004 to maximize our snow recreation abilities.

As winter's go, this one is not one for the record books. With no significant snowfall since the first week in January, snow levels at the 1,500 feet elevation (and 2,000 & 3,000....) which is where the cabin sits are left to the dirty piles of cinder & sand mixed crud at the side of the roads. It has been a warm and foggy late January and February. Snowmobiling and snowshoeing opportunities are much less than optimal. Having snowboarded for 9 straight weeks, I was ready for a weekend at home. My oldest son was done with lessons for a week and the Chilly Hilly was on Sunday. That was good enough for me.

Until Friday morning. Snow report stated 4" overnight and another 5-9" throughout the day and night. That's all it took. I can ride Chilly Hilly any day. Powder Rules.

My husband had already committed to snowmobiling with a buddy, so it was my boys and I off to the mountain. A true BLUEBIRD day! I was beaming from ear to ear. I couldn't hear the whining and complaining going on the in the backseat. We were all going to have an awesome day. No matter what!

Well, hmmmm.... Powder rule: No Friends on a Powder Day was going to be a challenge. When your mountain friends are your offspring one's obligation is adjusted a bit. Oh, that's okay. I was out on the slopes on the BEST conditions of the season. We were going to have an awesome day. Heck, the pure energy from the hoards and hoards of people that were also out to get a piece of their own frozen happiness was enough to make anyone smile. (I have never seen so many people in a lift line at Mission. sshhhh!)

I was still optimistic at the end of the first run. The boys, not so much. The terrain park was closed (I don't blame them, the WHOLE mountain was a park at that point in time!) and it put a major hole in their sails. Sam kept getting stuck in the powder and I was making him get himself unstuck (WHAT WAS I THINKING???) and the time came where Max (who is the family cheerleader) finally felt a twinge of jealousy from the attention that the 3-year old snowboarder receives. What was I to do?

Quick! Plan B. Early lunch was in order. Put some carbs & protein into their bodies and reward them with sugar. I even stuffed my pockets with more candy to ensure the rest of the day went without further whining. While having a private moment it dawned on me ....

.... it was me. My expectation was too high. I wanted to have the best time I've had all season, yet, I was holding my kids to the same standards that I hold them too each mountain day. If I needed more out of the day, I needed to give the boys more. I needed to help Sam if he got stuck, I needed to give more to Max (he was asking to go to daycare... yes, he just wanted to play) and I needed to put into perspective what the point of 'family' skiing/riding is. It's to spend time with each other. This too shall pass and they will be invoking their own 'powder rules'.

So, I left my bad attitude in the bathroom and we went out and goofed around on the mountain the rest of the day. Max got his wish and played in daycare for an hour where he built a snow fort and had a snowball fight with one of the staff members, he was in his element! Sam & I had some one-on-one snowboarding fun for last time as a three year old.

Top it all off - ice cream in town (it was 60 degrees out) on our way home.

In a shameless effort for self-promotion (or kid promotion), feel free to check out this video of my riding partners in action! All footage was shot during the past week, including a few clips from this epic day.

Chilly Hilly 2010

Sunday, February 28, 2010

We awoke to the sun illuminating the snowy peaks of the Olympic Mountains. I've had the Chilly Hilly penciled onto my calendar for four years now; looks like I picked a banner year to actually participate in the event. My husband, Shawn, was getting on his bike for the first time in a couple of months, but he gamely rose early, as he always does, made coffee for us both and loaded the bikes onto our van. I'm not sure he knows this, but above actions are a direct pipeline to my heart.

The ride, which is put on every year by the Cascade Bicycle Club, starts in Winslow for those of us on the west side of the water. For those to the east, the ride starts at the Seattle Ferry terminal, with a ferry ride (a gorgeous one this year) across. I missed seeing the cyclists roll off the ferry, but have heard it is awesome to watch. Now, why would I pay money to ride a course that I can travel any day I want, for free? If you've ever done an organized ride, you know the answer. It feels great to be riding along with thousands of other cycling enthusiasts! Cars can barely muscle their way through as cyclists claim the road on this truly scenic 33 mile loop along the rolling hills of Bainbridge Island. And the islanders love it. Bainbridge Island is very bicycle friendly. Signs are posted all over the island claiming, "Bainbridge Shares the Road", with a picture of a cyclist and an equestrian below it.

My husband and I are both signed up to ride the STP (Seattle to Portland bike ride) this year and this event was great training for that. Riding in a crowd with some car traffic mixed in can take some getting used to, as well as the added challenge of knowing which gear to be in on the quickly changing gradients of the course. I confess to letting out a couple of loud whoops on the uphills. I just love hills, what can I say? After letting loose a loud "Wooooohoooo!" on the steep hill approaching Battle Point Park, the guy I was passing looked at me sideways, with a half smile, and panted, "Yeah, fun stuff." I'd like to think I cheered him to the top and that he didn't bail and walk. I heard some responding whoops behind me, but I didn't look back, as my heart was hammering away and I myself was quite focused on getting to the top while avoiding contact with the numerous bicyclists about me.

Battle Point Park is about half way through the ride and serves as a rest stop for participants, with food booths, vendors and the ever important port-o-potties. We stopped briefly and chatted a bit with a gal at the REI booth there, who offered us some merchandise coupons and kindly took our photo.

There is a chili feed at the finish of the ride, but we opted to get back home to our kids. We both enjoyed our "cycling date" though, and I got the feeling our kids were happy about it too. We celebrated our accomplishment by plopping on the couch to watch the Olympic Gold Medal match between the U.S. men's hockey team and Canada, which was a very exciting overtime game in which Canada won 3-2 and about which all Canadians will likely remember exactly where they were and what they were doing on that particular day for years to come. I'm pretty sure it's going to stick in my mind as well.

-Michelle

North Kitsap to Central Kitsap Bike Loop - 38 miles

Thursday - February 25, 2010


After a brief dip in the pool to mainly soak our aching bodies (or mine at least) from yesterday's hiking adventure. We geared up and rode out on what looked to be shaping into a fine mid-day sun filled biking trek. (Nice shades Michelle!)

For Kitsap County, this route is pretty easy-going with rolling hills and flats that are mostly calm with an overall ascent and decent of 1300 ft. The biggest challenge is Bucklin Hill Road in Silverdale and the approach to Viking Way off of Scandia Road. The latter, I thought I was going to have to descend and try again.

Lessons learned: Always be prepared for rain. Soaked to the bone we could not stop laughing. This silly little rain cloud would not leave us alone. Blue sky to the west and blue sky to the east. Right overhead and rain it did. Not just a little NW drizzle, a NW spring downpour. Cameras and cell phones exposed. Feet pedaling in puddles each turn of the crank. Where's my ziplock bag and booties when I need them?

I'll be ready next time.

Mt. Walker Has It All

Rain was predicted, but we went anyway. And typical
of the fickle Pacific Northwest weather, it was mostly sunny on our hike up Mt. Walker on Wednesday. For those of you who have hiked up Mt. Walker in the past, no this was not a dare, and yes we did bring a three year old and a 1 year old up to the summit with us. Not so much we, but Elisa. The truth is, kids always want their mom. Plus, Sam is NOT a baby and does NOT need to ride in a backpack thingy for those types of people! Jeez! It's hard to argue with a three year old capable of hiking a 2 mile trail that climbs 2,000 feet in switchback after switchback. Whew! Okay, I confess I picked him up a few times and even tried to put him in the backpack, but he really wanted to hike and hike he did.

We made it to the top in two hours. I wildly underestimated the time it would take us to get to the top with two small children in tow. I was thinking 40, 45 minutes to the top. Which was accurate for the downward journey, but wildly optimistic on the upward trek. Grades of 10 to 12 percent are encountered on this hike, but we weren't on a tight time schedule and we both had a good mindset, so all was well. Eli got to get out and stretch his legs a bit at the top, we all enjoyed a good snack, and Sam got to have mom carry him (and his brother) for most of the way down. His little legs were finally pooped after running down the first quarter mile and falling hard on a large rock in the trail. Elisa achieved supermom status in my book, yet again. Though her e-mail the next day saying, "I can........hardly walk.", did cheer me a bit. Ha!

The summit of Mount Walker has two scenic viewpoints that are joined by a 1/2 mile loop trail. When the gate is open you can drive to the south viewpoint on the 4 mile dirt road. The Mount Walker Road is right on Highway 101 just south of Quilcene. The trail head is just a short walk up the road on the right hand side. The trail is well maintained, well traveled, and must be glorious in May and June when all the rhododendrons are in bloom as they are abundant from top to bottom. I'm planning to go back in May with my own (not so) little hikers.

Elisa had two different styles of back packs (one for me and one for her, though mine remained mostly empty) and she switched the packs out on the way down. Apparently, the softer style baby pack is much more comfortable for mom and baby than the rigid frame style. I would have to agree, even though I wasn't actually carrying any real weight in either pack, the soft pack was barely noticeable on my back. I'm not sure of the brand......Elisa?

Anyhow, what a great adventure with the little rascals. We are both looking forward to hiking/running up with just a water bottle in hand sometime in the near future.

Elisa, Sam and Eli are ready to hike. (above left)The Hood Canal glistens below as we near the summit (above). We watched a cargo ship cruising down to Seattle in the newly named Salish Sea, but alas, Mt. Baker was obscured in clouds to the north (summit, left). Mt. Constance is shrouded in clouds to the west and close by from the north viewpoint (below).

I'll see that 15K feet...

...and raise you one snowboarding preschooler.

Having never actually calculated vertical feet, I had to get assistance from the resident skier of our house (who is six years old). Apparently, it's a skier thing. But that wasn't all. I had to actually look up Mission Ridge's mountain stats to do the math. A great way to learn a bit more about my favorite local sliding spot.After replaying the day's events with Max, I actually giggled to myself. How extremely lucky I am to have kids that are as excited to spend a day on the mountain as I am. Sam, my three year old (I only say that because I am quickly running out of time to do so) throws a huge tantrum at the end of each day when we announce that 'this is our last run.'

My husband and I have a slight advantage, if we take into account BOTH days we rode/skied this weekend our total vertical feet is somewhere around 18,000 feet. It just takes us a little longer to get there, but we get it done! Did I mention we practically had the mountain to ourselves on Monday?! (Oh, yeah - we played hookie...)

We've been going to Mission Ridge in Wenatchee, WA since 2006. Currently, Mission is the ONLY ski/snowboard resort in Washington with childcare. As my family is back in the Midwest and Rob's family is on the East Coast, without childcare, well, I don't want to think about it. The daycare is run by Ms. Paula who does a fantastic job managing the facility. All three boys have spent countless hours in the caring environment so conveniently located at the base of the mountain.

Max recently concluded his first Mission Trainer consecutive week lesson package which consisted of a two-hour lesson each Saturday for six weeks and he had so much fun is now signed up for the Spring Sequel, a four week lesson package. This past weekend he was also given the opportunity to give Jr. Devo a trial run. Jr. Devo is an all mountain ski program designed for the younger skiers and snowboarders. We are pretty sure we know where Max will choose to be next year. He had an awesome time being challenged by some older, more experienced seven-year olds.

Did I mention the snow at Mission Ridge? Cascade concrete it is not. The cold temperatures and dry air of eastern Washington keeps the snow that lands at the resort less icy than it can be at other ski areas nearby. On second thought, having the mountain all to ourselves on Monday was pretty cool. The snow isn't that great. Go to Stevens Pass!

Cowboy Up!

If you can't have fresh powder sunshine will do. Cowboy Mountain beckoned us from the parking lot upon arrival at Stevens Pass on Saturday morning. I had caught the 6:25 a.m. Kingston ferry with my family as per usual for a ski day. We were all looking forward to warm weather and sunny skies on the slopes. I knew Elisa was going through similar motions on her way to Mission Ridge. Mission Ridge offers some first rate child care for mom's and dad's with little ones, making for a fun and relaxing day for the whole family. Me, I'm just trying to stay ahead of mine, as this year they are hot on my heels everytime I turn around. I'm loving it!

We managed around 15,000 vertical feet with a leisurely lunch outside the center lodge. The lines were short and the snow was fast. While we munched our sandwiches the good people of the NW Avalanche Center were busy selling "Cowboy Up!" t-shirts as a fundraiser for the Avalanche Rescue Dog program. The dogs were out and about and could be seen with their trainers all over the mountain. Some new pups are on the team this year too. The T-shirts sported a picture of all the dogs on a chair lift together.....hard to resist! Leah Weissman of The Whatcom Independent penned an interesting article regarding that subject entitled "Dogs of Winter" if you are interested in knowing more about that program.

The 360 degree view from the ferry on the way home really capped off our trip. Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier, the Olympic Mountains, the Seattle skyline, and Whidbey Island beckoning toward the San Juans were all clearly visible. Cameras were clicking all over the place, including mine. We made several laps of the ferry, upstairs and down, just trying to take it all in before disembarking the vessel in Kingston. All in all, it was another great day in the Pacific Northwest.

-Michelle