This month is Bike Month, and this week is Bike to Work Week!

Those of you who have followed me for awhile or know me personally know that I’ve been commuting by bicycle to work for a really long time.  Actually I can’t remember for sure if it was 1993 or 1994 when I started, but that’s how long I’ve been commuting by bike to work!

I’ve pretty much seen it all — and then some.  I’ve seen a lot of bonehead cyclists putting themselves into danger and bonehead drivers almost causing accidents, and I’ve experienced first-hand all kinds of natural near-disasters, like flooding streets, high winds, and the heinous TX heat.  I had one literal run-in with a white Suburban (her fault: failing to yield right-of-way) a few years ago that cost me a broken nose and a couple of months of physical therapy for my shoulder.  And there was even one time that I almost got hit by a giant deer (yes, a huge buck, as in Bambi’s dad) galloping through suburban Austin (specifically, at Kerbey Lane and 35th St for those of you who live here).  It galloped right across my path and then rammed into the side of a Ford Explorer instead, creating quite a large dent in the door (and probably making the driver crap his or her pants), and then it continued on its way.

But in spite of all that excitement, no other activity has contributed more to my daily serenity than my bike commute.  My bike commute is essentially my daily meditation time, with the added bonus of being some workout time, too!  Bike commuting has become an essential part of my identity, in fact.  All the time, people in my building see me with my bike in the elevator each day, and they ask me questions about bike commuting.  I guess it’s a real conversation starter.

Awhile back I put together a short e-book about the basics of bike commuting, called Bike Commuting 101.  It’s posted in the subscribers only section of placidathlete.com, but today I’m making it available here because I want everyone to get this information about how to bike commute.  Click on the following link to download: bike commuting 101

I’m the kind of person who stops to pick up a penny off the ground, so I was super-stoked to come across these Speedo swim goggles in the bike lane on my ride home. They only have a couple of scratches but are otherwise in great condition. (And these are the kind I wear. )

Score!

You see? It pays to ride your bike!

This weekend, I participated in the Hill Country Ride (and Run!) for AIDS, which is held each April to raise money for central Texas non-profit organizations that provide services for people living with HIV and AIDS.  Over 1,000 riders, runners,and crew participated in this year’s event.  There were 83 teams, including my own Team Fembot, and together we raised a ride record of $585,000.

I can wholeheartedly recommend this ride to you as an extremely well-run event that is a huge amount of fun.  It is truly a ride that is filled with spirit and heart — it may sound weird, but as a rider you can really feel a sense of love and community on this ride.  The volunteers are so thankful for the riders and readily supply cheers, smiles, and hugs-a-plenty.

Team Fembot did the 53 mile route, but there are longer and shorter routes available so that pretty much anyone can do the event.  This year, they also added a trail run option for those who prefer to run instead of ride, or for those who wanted to do both a ride and a run.  (I originally planned to do both, but can’t run right now due to my plantar fasciitis, but hope to try it in the future.  The report from others was that it was a beautiful but rugged trail run, with a very enthusiastic and supportive volunteer crew along the route.)

The pit stops are a lot of fun, too, with each stop having a theme.  For example, although we skipped the super hero stop, we spent awhile at the Texas Rollergirls’ stop at the 20-mile mark, ate lunch at the Mardi Gras Stop, and then kicked up our heels for awhile at the Hill Country Club, after walking the red carpet, having a photo taken, and getting our champagne glasses filled with Gatorade from the waiter in a tuxedo!

After the ride, everyone relaxes at Reunion Ranch, where there is a swimming pool, “lake,” with paddleboats, mini-golf, post-ride massage therapists, tons of activities for kids, and a post-ride celebration and BBQ.   There is also a ceremony to remember those who have not survived AIDS, and to celebrate their lives.

Thank you to everyone who supported Team Fembot and the Hill Country Ride!  Your generosity provides life saving services for thousands of people.

Suzanne takes down "Slaughter Melon" at the TX Rollergirls pit stop

Volunteers at the Mardi Gras pit stop

Great service at the "Hill Country Club"

Ride Director David Smith personally gives a medal and a hug to each finisher. Here he is with the last rider of the day!

This wisdom applies to both Life and tri-training. Every day is a new day!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Now Dory’s advice when Marlin gets dejected, is to “Just keep swimming! Just keep swimming!”

For our purposes, I’d like for you to consider both the metaphorical and the literal meanings.

First, the metaphorical:  This is great advice, even from a fish:  Just keep moving forward! It does not matter if you are moving slowly, or find obstacles in your way, but if you want to progress toward your goals, and grow as a person, you must keep moving forward!

Now in the sport of triathlon, there is also the literal aspect to consider.  It goes without saying that during the swim, the best advice is to just keep swimming. But like I already said, it goes without saying. So let me suggest instead a more practical way to approach the problem of just keeping swimming for those of you who are relative newcomers to the sport and/or generally fear the open water (which is most people).  The breast stroke is a stroke that can allow swimmers to lower their heart rates, catch their breaths, and sight ahead to make sure they are on track.  Thus, I suggest swimming freestyle for a specified number of strokes (you can experiment to see how long you can go before switching strokes, but practice counting strokes so you can focus on a specified target) and then switch to breast stroke as needed to re-group.  This will allow you to take a break while continuing to move forward.

This is not very different from taking walk breaks on the run.  I also think it is a good idea for most athletes to take walk breaks through the aid stations, but if you are new to running, you may want to take more frequent breaks to keep your heart rate lower.  Again, this is a way to regroup while still moving forward.

When biking, just keep moving forward.  Eat and drink as you go, and do not stop unless you have a mechanical problem and have no choice but to stop.

In transitions, keep making as much forward progress as possible. You will necessarily have to pause at the rack to get your gear and go, but don’t stop to have a snack and don’t sit down to rest.  Just keep moving and get in and out of transition as quickly as possible.

So, take Dory’s advice — both literally and figuratively — and just keep swimming! just keep swimming! just keep swimming!

XTERRA is offering Placid Athletes a substantial discount off of triathlon wetsuits this season — up to 60% off!  XTERRA WETSUITS are backed with the best return policy and warranty in the business.  Take advantage of their 30-day return policy by taking your suit for a test swim, and if the suit doesn’t provide you with a perfect fit, you can return or exchange your suit.

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I have a new foot tape situation, after having gone to the doctor again after two weeks in the more expansive wrap. This new wrap is one I have to put on each morning and take off each night.

The good news:  I can swim again (which is why my foot is wet and the tape is starting to come off in the picture).  I got in a swim this afternoon, in this beautiful Austin spring weather.  It felt really good to get back in the water after being out a couple of weeks.

The bad news:  I continue to be prohibited from running, riding out of the saddle, squatting, lunges, calf raises, and any sort of activity that will stress the plantar fascia.  So I asked the doc:  “how long are we talking about here before I can run again?”  He says one month — at a minimum!  He goes on to say that it takes about 8 months for the ligaments to completely reattach to the heel bone, assuming no reinjury.  (Grrr. Not a placid moment.)

I have to stretch my calf for 30 seconds before I get up anytime that I have been sitting or lying down for 30 minutes or more.  The expectation is that I should stretch it at least 20 times per day.

It looks like for the indefinite future, I will be swimming, cycling (in the saddle), and doing only upper body strength training.  I think I see a lot of pool time ahead!  April’s Pool Days!

Friends, here’s a small, yet potent tip, courtesy of my podiatrist.

Every night before going to bed, spray whichever shoes you have worn that day with some Lysol disinfectant spray.  As the can says, this will kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses. If you’ve ever gone bowling, and thought, “Ewwww, I have to wear these shoes that 50,000 other people have worn?” please rest assured that the bowling alley sprays the shoes after each use (or at least I can vouch for Dart Bowl in central Austin, because I have seen them do it with my own eyes).

This simple step should take care of all those pesky foot conditions we might pick up from the showers at the gym, or the pool deck, or just from wearing damp sweaty shoes for too long — such as athlete’s foot fungus or plantar warts.  Spray your running shoes, spray your cycling shoes, and spray your street shoes.

But, please folks, don’t spray your feet!

Here’s how my barrel garden looks, as of this morning! Lots of greens on the way!