It’s late summer in little London, Ontario. The nights are fresh, the mornings crisp and the days are warm.
It’s the kind of weather where I’m comfortable on my commuter bike Myrna. A light sweater and the morning trip is easy. A bit of rain? No problem. It’s still warm. Easy.
It feels a bit like cheating. Getting a 10 minute ride twice in the day with no effort.
Lately I’ve been appreciating the difference between activities and workouts. They both involve using my body and are part of my lifestyle. Thanks to having a smart watch for a year I’m seeing those two things come together in a surprising way.
Apple watches have an “Active energy” metric that calculates the calories one burns with movement.
I was surprised that my workouts only account for a third of my active energy.
Huh.
While I record my cycling commute I do not consider it a workout. I am wearing my office wear. The goal is to take it easy and not get too sweaty. I like recording so I will have my total distance cycled this year. I think it will be more than last year.
The weather will change. Fall is a couple weeks away and sometime in the next 4 months we will get snow. But for now it’s gorgeous outside and it’s easy to keep to my cycling commute.
A white bicycle symbol painted on asphalt with a dusting of golden leaves.
I definitely snuck down to our car last Saturday morning to get some dumbbells. The oak stairs at the bed and breakfast creaked with each step.
Out of consideration for the guests below us, Michel and I modified our workout to be low impact.
Plain 5 lb dumbbells sit in front of a blue antique glass beauty set that includes a perfume sprayer. Boxes of Chanel No. 5 sit in the background.
We washed up then took our bags and weights to the car. Other guests, decked out in cycling gear were enjoying the 7 course breakfast. We went for a walk until our seating time.
It was worth the wait.
Breakfast of oatmeal, fruit, smoothie, coffee, juice all served in crystal drinks ware and blue and white chins. There were croissants and soufflé too!
As our trip through New Brunswick continued we worked out in the kitchen of our next stay.
This open kitchen meant we easily fit two sweaty humans in there.
The best spot, bar none, has been the two workouts on the deck of my parents’ house. They overlook the St Croix River that forms the US border with Maine.
5 lb dumbbells sit on the deck railing. Beyond is the lush riverbank.
Was is a bit quirky to pack our dumbbells into the car?
Yes.
Was it awkward?
Sometimes.
Was it worth it?
Absolutely.
We had committed to doing a 4 week strength program. I wanted to figure out how to make it work on our vacation.
It felt good to keep the consistency. It was fun to figure out when & where. Our families were very supportive.
I’ll definitely keep fitness as part of my vacation planning in future.
I’m waking up this morning in Gananoque (ga-nan-KNOCK-way) in a four post bed. It’s ostentatious. It’s the exact opposite of every stay Michel and I have ever booked on our way home to New Brunswick.
The 1,000 Islands Bed & Breakfast was a Michel find. He convinced me that on the return trip we always drive through. We can afford the nicer stop on the way down.
A claw foot tub stands under a chandelier. It looks swanky.
Our vacation is one week. We will drive over 3,000 km by September 1. We know it is a lot but flying is expensive and doesn’t get us close to where our families live.
Last week we were gathering gear, cleaning bikes and planning cycling routes. Then Michel looked at me and said “What if we left the bikes behind?”
Huh.
What if we left the bikes behind?
We had both assumed cycling had to be the center of our activities over our vacation.
Huh.
Then we talked through what we enjoyed the most from vacations over the past couple years. Time together. Traveling light. Being spontaneous.
It then became clear, less stuff, less structure, more fucking chill. Like. Way more chill. Still more. Almost chill enough. There it is. Very. Fucking. Chill.
We need sleep and rest and recovery.
So we are tucking some dumbbells in the trunk.
A triangular metal weight rack has 5 pairs of dumbells. The lightest is 3 lbs, the heaviest 20 lbs.
We can keep our Peloton strength training going. It’s an app and I often just work out in my underwear. Super classy! Also very chill.
The rest of the week, when driving, we are looking for waterfalls that are short walks. It served us great in Iceland last year. We’d whisper “foss” (Icelandic for “falls”) and point. It was silly and wonderful. We need more of both.
Michel poses in front of Schribner Brook Falls in 2021. Lucy the dog is having a drink.
Four years ago we made it our mission to hike all the trails near McAdam NB. The shortest one was Schribner Brook Falls. It was a pullover and park with a, maybe five minute walk? It was a magical little stop.
So the cycling stuff is in London and that feels like a good choice this week.
So here is to a week of weights, walks and waterfalls with a giant serving of chill.
I’ve come to enjoy strength training. I had a run of a few years going into my gym at work. It was twice a week for an hour. Not enough for big gains but definitely enough to support my wellbeing.
I had a few injuries last year and I stopped going to the gym. There were so few things that I could do there that I couldn’t do at home it didn’t feel worth it.
When looking at my overall movement I had not been consistent at home. Yes, I was doing Physio exercises and the occasional strength workout but. It was sparse.
Michel wanted to get back to a regular strength routine. I am happy to take classes with him. We grunt, fart and laugh as our bodies ineffectually do things.
To put more structure to our training we decided to go back to a Peloton favourite, Total Strength with Andy Speer.
It’s a great 4 week program to begin/restart strength training. It’s 10 minutes of warm-up, 30 minutes of strength and 10 minutes of stretching.
I’m not great at warming up or stretching so this has been a welcome change.
This week we wrapped up week 1 with a short test.
A Strava screenshot showing a smiling Andy with open arms. The text announces the 5 minute strength test with Michel in my group.
What’s great about beginnings is the early gains. I got 22 squats and 12 pushups. I’ll let you know my week 4 results. They are sure to change.
I was talking with my RMT Kiet about restarting strength training. I shared that I was starting even easier than i thought I could do to build success.
He agreed that a common mistake is to go too hard too early and then folks don’t go back.
I focus on form, then get the speed up on reps and finally add more weight.
It’s a slow ramp up that works for me.
I hope you are finding fitness things that are working for you!
Yes. No doubt about it, I’ve gotten a reputation for knowing a bit about cycling.
In the bike locker at work my colleagues ask about bike fit. I’m not an expert on that so I refer them to Emily. Mechanic. Cyclist. Physiotherapist extraordinaire!
I’m in the hall and a friend confesses she’s signed up for a duathlon. We talk strategies for brick work outs. I think she’s going to have a great time.
I get a message on Facebook from a friend getting ready to start cycling her commute to university in the fall. She is looking for a better experience on her bike. She throws some names and models my way.
Oh dear!
My reputation for being sporty, particularly around cycling, is greater than my actual knowledge! I’m a dabbler, not an expert.
I think why women feel comfortable asking me about cycling is how open I’ve been with challenges and successes.
I’m not an exceptional athlete. I’m the lady with the ten minute commute.
Sure, I do some distance occasionally but I also am an enthusiastic fan of everyone’s workouts, events and races.
Sometimes I feel silly blogging about my modest goals or simple starts on a routine.
Other times I think my stories resonate. One doesn’t need to reinvent their whole like to get more movement in.
I’m not an influencer, in the sense that I make money or gain from my social media presence. I do model that daily movement is achievable.
I’ll take it. It’s a reputation I want to live up to.
A green cycling lane with white borders and a white bicycle painted on it. Go cycling!
On Saturday August 9 I’m volunteering to support riders on The Railway City 100 km Populaire and 200 km Brevet in St Thomas, Ontario.
The ride starts at 8am and is designed to have you back at the Railway City Brewery for lunch. If you are continuing on to complete the 200 km distance you head westerly and are back for dinner. It’s a great route with supported controls at 50 km and 150km. The butterfly shape means you are never further than 25 km from support. That feels nice.
I am a big fan of volunteering to support sporting events. Volunteers make the wheels go round!
From the Club Board, Chapter representatives and even people in Paris, France help ensure randonneuring events happen.
Routes are carefully designed and scheduled to allow folks to meet criteria for medals, qualify for Paris-Breast-Paris (PBP) and get all the distances in.
Clockwise from the top Fred, Marc, Natalie and Michel smile at the camera outside of Railway City Brewery the morning of the 2023 brevet.
Last year I rode the 100 km distance. It was the furthest I had ridden in many years.
Natalie and Michel smile at the camera after a successful populaire ride that included a little detour and a big serving of headwind.
The route is relatively flat and easy to navigate. It’s a great introduction to other riders and the sport in general.
So to pay forward the support I got I chose to volunteer again this year. I’d love to see you there!
You get a free trial ride without paying for a membership. You can find the routes, other details and the registration link here: Huron Chapter Rides
So…are you Rando curious? Come on out! I’ll be at the controls with snacks, sodas and a smile.
If all is going according to plan, I’m already rolling South-east from Grand Bend to London while you read this.
I got up at 4:30, Michel and I plunked our bikes on the back of The Natmobile and popped over to pick up Tracy & Tyler.
It’s an hours drive so a Tim Horton’s stop is “deriguer” before we coast into the motorplex, park and get ready to roll.
I love the nervous and excited energy of riders and volunteers as everyone schleps gear and runs to the bathroom a dozen times.
I’m feeling so good this year. My cycling volume is 3 to 4 times what is was the past 2 years. My legs are strong from my tiny but frequent commutes. My balance is much better thanks to physiotherapy. My fundraising is ON FIRE! So positive on so many fronts.
This year’s emotional component is much more poignant. A dear friend lost their parent to MS in the spring. Another friend is newly diagnosed has started treatment. They told me the treatment didn’t even exist 3 years ago. Wow. Talk about a concrete reason to fundraise.
My strategy for getting donations has often focused on my efforts to train up and good natured competition of who can raise the most money. I do that because it can feel icky to share other peoples’ stories and then ask for money.
Those stories are why we ride. I’ve cried a lot on rides. Tears of empathy, compassion, gratitude, frustration. All the tears.
I do get verklempt when I see the “I ride because I have MS” jerseys.
So. Rain or shine I’m riding even if the weather cancels one of the days.
It’s 80 km each day. Michel and I broughtsupplies for a self supported ride.
And if you would like to donate, there’s still time!
A wood teeter-totter looks like two worried ducks.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good go on a teeter-totter. The playground levers that are all the fun of a swing AND the pusher gets a ride too. Amazing.
However, teeter-totters are always in motion. You can bang against the ground at the bottom or, after quickly passing through neutral, be nearly flung off at the top.
It’s exciting! It is somewhat predictable as what goes up must come down. You need 2 to play.
It’s dynamic. There is no moment of not moving. Whee?
UGH. I WANT OFF!
This metaphor is getting as tired as my lower back this morning.
I have been searching for why the phrase “work-life balance” really chaps my ass and I think it’s this idea of equilibrium.
That, somehow, if one is smart enough, disciplined enough and cheerful enough you will attain calm equanimity and an orderly life.
Life has no interest in order. It is entropy.
“Entropy is a scientific concept, most commonly associated with states of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty.”
It takes a significant amount of energy to establish and preserve order.
Work
My paid work is all about organizing, analyzing and maintaining an orderly business with people, processes and technology. It requires precisely 7.5 hours 5 days a week. let’s bump that to 8 hours for commute/powering up ye olde laptop etc.
Sleep
I’m in bed 8 hours a night chasing, hoping, begging for more than 6 hours of sleep.
Life
That leaves 5 days a week with 8, uh, not unspoken for but possibly less structured time and 2 days a week with glorious 16 hour days.
Ready Player 2
Ok, so not all that time is available or useful. For example, at 6 am I zombie shuffle to my chair where Michel ply’s me with coffee. He follows that with a smoothie. Sometimes we talk. It’s a minimum of 90 minutes before I am at full function.
Sweet Mother of God, let me sit
On weekends I could just sit until 11.
Just.
Sit.
Breathe.
Think.
Rest.
Those unstructured weekend mornings are rare. More often than not we stick to our daily routine of shower, dress, walk the dog.
Weekdays that walk is roughly 30 minutes. On weekends it could be as long as 90. We have the more time, after all.
Bikey-bike
It’s summer here and that means Michel and I have cycling goals. So lately we leave on our separate ways to ride.
Different paces.
Different goals.
Divide and conquer.
We meet up by lunchtime, sweaty and hungry. We laugh, swap stories then off to our other things.
Single Player Mode
Michel is taking courses on AI. Roughly 15 hours of his non-paid work time is currently devoted to that. His paid work takes more of his day too, more like 10 hours during the week and often a half day on the weekend.
Keeping entropy at bay
Outside of his work, he commits to laundry, dishes, cleaning, garbage and recycling. I’m so glad I live with a feminist.
I focus on groceries, cooking, gardening, house repairs and some cleaning/tidying.
That is a lot to balance
Ok forget the old school lever teeter-totter. My life is a new fangled multi axel device requiring many people. It’s a Rube-Goldberg machine.
Deep dive focus vs MVP
My brain craves and thrives in deep dive focus. I practically orgasm at the thought of four hours working in my gardens.
The sheer joy.
The quiet.
The time to process the whirlwind of a week.
But it’s mostly done in 5 and 10 minute moments. It’s about to rain, quick, pull the crabgrass out of a tiny corner.
Back from a bike ride, water while cooling down.
Good lord, are those aphids?
So my garden is always 1 weekend away from awesome because once it gets to a minimum viable product (MVP) I need to shift to another aspect of my life.
I get to have one truly good thing
Every year 1 thing excels while other things wither on the vine (yes I’m looking at you cherry tomatoes of woe)
Right now my cycling is going great! MS Bike Tour fundraising is at my all time best. WAHOO!
The list of other things, like time spent with friends, household tasks…they have taken a hit.
I know I’ll shift my focus and swing wildly through neutral and deep dive into knitting or beading or breadmaking or…you get the idea.
Life is chaos, all hail Cthulhu!
I’m writing this post mere minutes before it is due. I’ll probably prep a few more posts to make a couple weeks easier.
Or not.
I may just jump on my bike or clean the fish tank or wash the windows or…
But I’ll definitely not be doing paid work stuff! Or sleeping. But honestly I’m never sleeping. GAH.
In two weeks I’ll be participating in the MS Bike Tour – Grand Bend to London.
The route is different this year, with a new endpoint in London. I like to practice the start of Day 2 to get a feel for what my tired legs and bum will need to do.
I checked out the route and saw a roughly 4 km stretch on Clarke Rd. It is a section of road Michel and his Randonneuring friends have been on. They decided the speed and volume of traffic without a shoulder means their routes that include that section are getting redesigned.
I was very worried for my safety. I thought about how many riders would be going along there. I thought of folks less comfortable on their bikes or in traffic than me.
I checked in with my Randonneuring friends who also design routes for the London Cycling Club. They recommended police with road closures or avoiding the section altogether.
Bolstered by my friends’ agreement with my assessment, I reached out to the ride organizer.
I was worried I was needlessly nervous but when other confident and experienced riders agreed I decided to risk looking silly.
A week passed. Then I got a reply. The organizer thanked me and said they consulted with the city and police. They modified the last couple kilometers of Day 1. I had offered some suggestions and they had come up with a plan that included police support and limiting time on Clarke Rd.
I was worried it was too late. That I would be dismissed or, worst, ignored.
None of that happened. I knew speaking up was the right thing. I’m glad my voice made a difference.
The new end of the route:
The route was updated July 9. Yay!
Oh and I’m striving to raise $2,500. If you would like to donate:
