Candlemas Plus Two Day: the Sportsmans peered from the windows of their detached home . . . → Read More: February shadows lead to single track sampling]]> Candlemas Day: Punxsutawney Phil stuck his head out of Gobbler’s Knob, saw his shadow (or the dude still rocking a Top Hat), and dashed back into his eco-friendly condo-minimum; glibly announcing to the world that there will be six more weeks of winter.

Candlemas Plus Two Day: the Sportsmans peered from the windows of their detached home in North Vancouver, saw bluebird skies and shadows, and quickly put together a schedule that would allow all Scott, Emily, and Beryl to sample some North Shore single track before the aforementioned six weeks of winter returns (followed by 12 weeks of spring rain).

Straws were drawn and it was my turn to turn the pedals in haste to reach the trailhead meeting time.  I Underestimated the required time to reach the trailhead. I Overestimating the haste in which I could turn the pedals.  And I made bad choice at a city park trail junction resulting in additional climbing and a few extra kilometers.  So, natch, I reached the meeting place five minutes after the group started their ride.

Time to Chase; at least I had already warmed up!

Fortunately,watching ManTracker, is educational as well as entertaining, and I knew that I was on my prey’s trail..

A gutbusting, gasping climb later, and I caught a glimpse of another single speeder (yes, you heard me correctly, ANOTHER SINGLE SPEEDER on the NORTH SHORE!), blurry was the state of my oxygen deprived vision

At last,  I was able to integrate my pony with the other ponies in the group, which was comprised of five bikes; three 29ers, two of which were single speeds. Just two years ago, I’m sure that I had the only 29er on the North Shore (which everyone felt it was their moral duty to inform me that you CAN’T ride a 29er on THE SHORE)

there were skinnies to ride

and rocks and roots to launch

there were even local celebs and pros to make a hole for

following a mad dash home, we bundled Beryl up in the Ergo, and it was Emily’s turn to smile on Fromme.  She was so excited, she wasn’t able to keep her Siren’s front wheel grounded.

the gang rode off, leaving Beryl, myself and my camera to wander the trails

The concentration level was high for Em’s return to single track

and some of her previous lines eluded her

like Andrew’s (still riding his SS) squish and squirt

or the slightly higher choice

but, soon, she’ll be back in her comfort zone; maybe even crossing it up…

somehow, after wandering around for two hours, we managed to leave without any pictures of Beryl. I just brought the wrong lens/camera for self-portraits (since she was hanging from my chest)..

(Sunday was almost as nice, demanding another snack of single track)

While Em returned to Fromme, Beryl and I went for a jog/chariot ride…

1st stage – base layer, accompanied by a definite lack of enthusiasm

next stage – NF fleece layer; slight bewilderment, she’s been here before

strapped into her Chariot; letting her displeasure be known

weatherproof, but not soundproof, Beryl is still letting me know that she’s ready to roll

once the wheels start rolling, the eyelids get heavy..

stopping in a park drew forth a contemplative pose from Beryl

]]> http://www.ssportsman.com/2012/02/february-shadows-lead-to-single-track-sampling/feed 0 http://www.ssportsman.com/2012/02/sunset-while-commuting http://www.ssportsman.com/2012/02/sunset-while-commuting#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:31:49 +0000 Sportsman http://www.ssportsman.com/?p=4793 Last bit of light on the Lions

below the bridge

Georgia Bay from the . . . → Read More: sunset while commuting]]> Last bit of light on the Lions

below the bridge

Georgia Bay from the Second Narrows

I stopped cycling on Dec 16, my last day of work and my last bike commute for at least a year (Canadian maternity leave is 52 weeks).  The time off work opened up the days for walking and swimming.  Walking to . . . → Read More: Beryl’s Arrival]]> Following up from a couple of previous posts on trying to stay active throughout the pregnancy…

I stopped cycling on Dec 16, my last day of work and my last bike commute for at least a year (Canadian maternity leave is 52 weeks).  The time off work opened up the days for walking and swimming.  Walking to the seabus for the nautical public transit trip downtown and then a mile swim at the YWCA.   My swim suit was at it’s limits!

By the time the holidays and my family came, I could only waddle a couple kilometers each day, but managed to do something every day until 2 days before Beryl was born.  Overall, I remained lucky throughout this pregnancy and very very happy to have been able to exercise so regularly.

And for those interested some details on the actual birth.

In summary, I was as lucky with the birth as I was with the pregnancy.  Our midwives were a perfect match for our desires and goals.  Their relaxed but thorough approach to my healthy, normal pregnacy helped keep my anxiety attenuated.  They supported my cycling habit, vegetarian diet, and mental health concerns (I have had some previous experience with depression and well, if Anxiety and Self-Doubt were an Olympic sport I’d be Podium Material).  They supported our decision to have a home-birth.  To increase the chances of a smooth birth, we also added a fanastic doula, Lolli Comar, to our team.  Our ideal was a home birth, but we also registered at 2 of the hospitals that our midwives use just to cover the bases.

I had been having mild to moderate contractions every 8-20 mins since Dec 25.  By 12:30 am Jan 31st, I was pretty certain that things were progressing.  I was in and out of sleep until I woke Scott up around 3:00 am.  He put the TENS machine on my back and we went back to bed.  At 7 am we called the doula who recommended a walk, but it was 10 am before I had the energy to get out of the house.  I think it took us an hour to go 4 city blocks!  In the meantime Scott has given the midwives a heads-up call at 8am.

Breathing. Walking. Breathing.

The doula arrived at our house near 2 pm.  Lolli kept both Scott and I focused and reassured.  She had me changing positions, walking up the stairs and generally labouring throughout the house.  I was grateful that we had an expert to help us through the labour.  Sometimes the contractions would come on top of each other without a break and sometimes there was enough of a break to fall asleep for a minute or two.  Having Lolli there to reassure us that things were normal and safe let me stay focused on each minute of the labour instead of watching the clock or getting worried about how the intensity of the contractions could possible increase.

The midwife came to the house around 4 pm and the labouring continued. Upstairs, downstairs, on the couch, in the bathroom, leaning on the bed, in the labouring pool.  I was deliberately not looking at the clock, but I knew that it was now dark outside and had to be after 4:30 pm.  I declined when the midwife asked if I wanted to know how far along the dilation had progressed.  Scott and I had discussed that earlier and decided it would be too easy for me to overthink how the labour was going, and possibly get upset or anxious, if I wasn’t as far along as hoped for.

Festive Labour

Eventually the time for pushing came.  That was very hard work.  Exhausting.  After pushing for about 2 hours,  I was tired.  All I wanted was a short 10 or 15 min nap.  If I could have that nap, I knew I could deliver the baby.  But, labouring women don’t get naps!  I remember hearing the doula and midwife say to each other that my fitness and core muscles could be making the pushing more difficult.  I had been in a reclining position on the sofa without much progess and was pursuaded to move into a squat.  A few pushes later, Beryl arrived at 10:10 pm!

Our moms arrived around 11pm as the midwives and doula were finishing cleaning up.  By 1 am we were on our own as a family.  We went upstairs and realized that we had an unclothed, undiapered baby and no one to help us figure out how to do it.  It only took us abour 40 mins to figure it out…clearly all of our engineering degrees didn’t qualify us for baby dressing 101.

It was great to have Beryl at home and to go straight to our beds.  We didn’t have to move or leave the house for several days.

I will brag a bit– the midwife said my placenta was one of the biggest and healthiest she’d seen for a baby of Beryl’s size!  I also was fortunate enough to not have any tearing or other trauma.  Looks like a lifetime of exercise and good diet may have helped me (but luck and genetics probably were bigger factors)!

Almost a month after Beryl’s birth, we remain lucky.  Like mom AND dad, she she is a very good eater.  She was 1 oz over her birth weight of 7 lbs 7 oz at the 1 week checkup and just over 9 lbs by 2.5 weeks!  I wish she would sleep as well as she ate, but we have had a few 4 hour eat/sleep cycles.

Sunday started with such high hopes, it was going to be a rainy day in North Van (or all of southern BC), so we chose to cruise to Squamish, visit shortly with Armand, and go for a short hike.  Possibly up near the Chief, or along some of the lower . . . → Read More: Nap time at the Sportsmans]]>

Sunday started with such high hopes, it was going to be a rainy day in North Van (or all of southern BC), so we chose to cruise to Squamish, visit shortly with Armand, and go for a short hike.  Possibly up near the Chief, or along some of the lower trails in Crumpet Woods, or look for bald eagles in Brackendale.  We managed to get out of the house at a reasonable time, and decided to hit the new coffee shop in the neighborhood. Of course, this being BC, the coffee shop was closed on Sundays (?!?!), quick detour to Lynn Valley to a shop that ultimately had mediocre coffee (at best) and pastries.

While waiting from Emily to pick up the coffee, Beryl shared her opinion on car seats in a parked car anyone within earshot

However, once we were on the road, between the soothing sounds of Click and Clack on NPR, and the Rumble of our VW Diesel, she resumed her usual transporting posture…

At Armand’s suggestion, we decided to try some new (to us) trails in Paradise Valley, with the assumption that hiking through Old Growth would shield us from the unrelenting rain and winds. However, as we got approached Paradise Valley, the rain had been replaced by a very wet, very heavy snowfall with flakes the size of toonies!

The hike still sounded lovely and between the fleece attachment to the Ergo carrier, the rain attachment, Beryl’s north face thermal layer, her Smart Wool socks, and her North Face Fleece outer layer, we knew Beryl would be warm enough, but I hadn’t thought to put the snow chains into the car and we weren’t willing to risk the roads, so we headed back to North Van.  And, as things sometimes workout, as we got closer to home we rationalized ourselves right out of going for a hike int he rain in Lynn Valley (it was lunchtime, after all)…

Once we had eaten, our house was beset by a full-on nap attack..

With a full belly, Beryl succumbed

safely hidden behind the newest piece of furniture and nestled on a little foamy pad, Pumpkin also threw in the towel

the contagion quickly spread laterally, enthralling both Oskar and Emily

I fought valiantly, but eventually, with the assistance of the NFL playoff games, I also fell victim to weighted eyelids..

The bike lane across the 2nd narrows was clear and salted, unlike the exit, where someone missed the 1st switchback…

-8C and blue skies combined for an irresistible call to ride on Fromme

. . . → Read More: a Post of Two Rides]]> The first ride was a fixie ride to submit some paperwork for Beryl in downtown Vancouver…

The bike lane across the 2nd narrows was clear and salted, unlike the exit, where someone missed the 1st switchback…

-8C and blue skies combined for an irresistible call to ride on Fromme

snowed in

in the snow covered forest

checking out new sections of The Spirit Trail, a largely separated bike path that will eventually connect Deep Cove to Horseshoe Bay.  It’s only lacking two sections for us to pull the Chariot to Stanley Park with very few traffic interactions

I could see sunlight breaking through to the North Shore from the Dunsmuir Viaduct (under grey skies)

I took the time, and went out of my way, to ride all of the separated bike lanes ending beside the horribly decimated plaza in front of the Art Gallery.  The Occupy Vancouver movement clearly prevented people from using this popular, in-demand plaza…

Body English required to continue occupying the snow packed skinnies

With the mountain to myself, I was able to climb the ever-popular Bobsled trail..

and today’s PSA….

We were transported to the North pole

saw an old fishing hole giving up the goods

under watchful eyes of bright, but skittish wildlife

I saw Emily passing by Bag End

before . . . → Read More: Christmas Festival of Lights]]> Our Friday evening strolling date took us down the hill.. drawn to the Park and Tilford Gardens Christmas Festival of Lights..

We were transported to the North pole

saw an old fishing hole giving up the goods

under watchful eyes of bright, but skittish wildlife

I saw Emily passing by Bag End

before she found a some lights that tickled her fancy

enough to try to take some home

but we would’ve had to put into the cart go get them home

How long before Beryl is old enough to enjoy a night like this?

That was September of 2009..

since then I’ve warrantied both Velocity rims

and then replaced the replacements . . . → Read More: the cost of commuting in Vancouver]]> When my Morgul Bismark was stolen the first month of living in Vancouver, I purchased a Surly Cross Check with a seemingly rugged build, fitted it with full fenders and lights, and deemed it ready for the regular rainforest riding

That was September of 2009..

since then I’ve warrantied both Velocity rims

and then replaced the replacements with Mavic Open pros

I’ve lost track of the number of brake pads I’ve worn through, despite riding fixed for most of my winter commuting

I’ve warped the shell of a Surly rear hub

and worn out the original Race Face bottom bracket, and tonight, I replaced its Shimano DA replacement (with another 7900)

I thought single speeding would reduce replacement requirements

and a moment of zen

The thing is only one person gets to be in control on one of these.  And it . . . → Read More: Control Issues]]> We all have control issues.  Knowing the turmoil and absolute derangement that our lives are about to take with Beryl’s imminent arrival, I (Emily) cherish every situation where I have control, or at least the feeling of control.

The thing is only one person gets to be in control on one of these.  And it isn’t the pregnant stoker (woman sitting in back).

Thanks to a generous friend of a friend we got the opportunity to borrow a tandem for a couple of weeks.   We started the bicycle built for two adventure by attending morning yoga class.  Not quite enough oms to relieve all of my apprehension about having my 35 week prego belly motored around by my singlespeeding husband.  But it was a beautiful and sunny autumn day and pedalling in the sunshine was calling (and the accompanying call of leftover pizza post-yoga pre-marital-communications-test).

After getting the bike adjusted to our heights and with a few words of direction and encouragement from the bike’s owner, Scott executed a few practice manouvers while I watched.  Scott rolled back and I took a deep breath, threw my leg over the bar, grabbed the bars, settled into the second position and clipped into the pedals.  We rolled, nay, we wobbled and weaved down the alley.  Worse than any anxious father in the passenger seat slamming his foot on an imaginary brake pedal while teaching his teenager to drive, I grasped for brake levers.  The handle bars felt naked.  No shifters, no brakes.  I had NO CONTROL over this bike! ohmygoodnessohmygoodnessohmygoodess.

Maybe riding a tandem works better if only the person in front knows how to cycle, athough we managed fairly well once I stopped hyperventilating at every intersection.  As an experienced cyclist it did not feel good, comfortable, normal or reasonable to:

1)  see only Scott’s helmet and courier bag.

2)  have no control braking– other than my constant refrain of “I’m scared. Can we go slower?”

3) have no control on cadence — other than my constant demand to ‘SHIFT!!!” regardless if we were going uphill, downhill or no hill at all (kind of like Goldilocks but in spandex).

4) stay clipped into the bike at every controlled intersection.  Scott would unclip both feet, brace himself and the bike, but the bike still leaned. It leaned enough that my cycling instinct kept expecting that I should fall over. splat.

Nevertheless, it was fun!!  Rolling through Vancouver together with my sweetie on a sunny November weekend. We got into the groove as we rolled into Stanley Park, coming into the part of the ride with fewer interruptions and longer sections of pedalling without intersections or stoplights.  Now, Scott has been my favorite riding partner for over 3 years now.  We’ve happily done everything from long road rides, short work commutes and lots of dirt miles and dirt days together.  I knew that we had different riding styles.  Scott does most everything singlespeed.  This means he can spin like a whirling dervish going downhill and low-cadence power through climbs (both of these are symptoms of the singlespeeder losing the necessary brain function to pedal and SHIFT at the same time).  I, however, love my gears.  And I love coasting (and I, scott, rarely coast unless I’m spun out). Especially right now.   I have a small window of speed, power, cadence and time that is comfortable on the bike.  Scott was a superstar shifter and I only had to remind him 9 or 10 times to shift.  The hardest part was coasting.  Scott said it felt wobbly if we coasted, but pregnancy is hard on the body, and I needed time to shift positions and simply get up off the the saddle.  Sigh.

3 hours (!) and 25 kms after taking off we got home.  Still  smiling, still in love and not yet fully convinced to add one of these to our quiver.  As the stoker I need to channel more ooommmmmmms and give up that illusion of control!  And pinch Scott when we forgets to call out bumps.

Damn…. the baby is even making my shadow wide! (although I am wearing baggies on top of tights too    ).