Riding the Route of the Hiawatha

Dusty and I are huge history nerds. Seriously. We spend weekends traipsing around Montana hunting down historic sites. We're those people who buy the "Roadside History of Montana" books and then read them aloud on a drive. Dusty has kind of a big thing for the Milwaukee Road (railroad), more specifically. I'm a fan too.

Big, huge nerds.

So it should be no surprise to you that we used a day of our vacation to ride the "Route of the Hiawatha" last week. And while I wouldn't call it a workout, I would still call it an awesome adventure.

Here's how it works. You drive to Lookout Pass ski area on the border and buy your $9 ticket. It's another $9 if you're taking the shuttle bus back from the bottom to the parking area. Since we were headed back to Harrison after the bike ride, and you can drive from the end of the trail along the old railroad bed to St. Maries and on to Harrison, we only paid for DJ to take the shuttle bus.

Tickets in hand, you drive into Montana and get off at the Taft exit. Then you drive up about 2 miles to the "East Portal" of the St. Paul Tunnel and park in the parking lot.

Pro tip: the earlier you can get there the better. We arrived at about 11 am and the parking lot was nearly overflowing.

The East Portal area has some really nice interpretative plaques about the Milwaukee Road through this area and the "Big Burn" of 1910.

Once you've gotten acquainted with the signage, you head to the tent where they check your ticket and give you the FAQ's.

You'll need to bring your own bike, headlamp (for the tunnels) and helmet. I'd also recommend taking water/ liquid and snacks.

'Cause I'm all about the snacks!

And from there, you're off! First through the mile and a half long Saint Paul Tunnel. In the depths, it's 45 degrees year round. Your headlamp will definitely not seem bright enough at first, and the sides are full of water, but it's really, really a cool deal!

The interperative signs at the railroad sidings are really well done.

The route winds in a loop around a long drainage in the upper St. Joe River, so you're able to look down on the trestles you'll ride across below. 

The Milwaukee Road was completed about 1910, and went to an all electric railroad between Harlowton, MT and Avery, ID. They were able to draw hydropwer off of Montana Power's new dams on the Missouri River; which of course was another subsidiary company of Standard Oil, along with the Anaconda Company and the Milwaukee Road. Sounds like familiar politics, no?

The ride is pretty much all downhill, though at a gentle 3-5% grade. I could have ridden back up it, but it would have been a grinder under the hot sun.

 It's fun to look back up and see where you've been.

The inside of the tunnels are pretty muddy, so a little splatter is to be expected (note: Dusty's rear end).

The tricky part about tunnels is coordinating turning ON the headlamp and taking OFF the sunglasses.

Overall, the route is a really neat way to bring people into contact with their national forests and history. It sounds like the trail will be extended 30 miles from Taft to St. Regis sometime in the nearish future. Since it's all downhill and they run a shuttle back to the parking lot, one doesn't have to be athletic to use the trail. I'd recommend riding the Route of the Hiawatha for any reasonably fit person who can balance on a bike and operate the brake levers. It's really a fun way to get back into some of the most extraordinarily beautiful, and remote, parts of the US!

Bike to work week

Bozeman has a pretty hard-core biking community. By that I mean folks who mountain bike, road bike (despite MT's narrow-ass roads with no shoulder) and are die hard bike-to-workers. Like, they bike to work through the winter in the snow.

I'm not that hard core.

The Bozeman Bicycle Advisory Board sponsors Bike Week every May, in which they arrange for a number of local coffee houses, restaurants and other merchants to offer prizes to people who stop by their shop while riding their bike to work.. You take your helmet in, get a sticker and a free coffee or something.

I've mentioned before why I occasionally ride my bike to work. I'm not as committed as some people. But this week I pedaled my way to work on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, despite a forecast for rain. Since my husband and I work together, I can always throw my bike in the back of his truck and catch a ride home at 5pm if it's raining. My real motivation for biking to work this week has been to be able to go for bike rides for exercise. It's so much more fun than running or going to the gym to ellipticize.

I've learned a few things this week while riding to work:

1. I'd need to have a stash of important things at work. Specifically, coffee, creamer and sugars. It's not easy to ride with a coffee mug, and I can't afford in cash or calories to go buy coffee downtown. 
2. Even if it looks cold out, wearing a jacket is usually too much. Even at 35 degrees. My hands get cold, but pedaling the bike keeps my core temperature up. It's weird to arrive at work both sweaty and cold. 
3. Along those lines, a toiletries kit with deodorant, makeup and other touch up necessities would probably be a good idea for keeping me looking professional. 
4. It is possible to ride your bike in a skirt. I did so on Tuesday in my Mountain Hardwear skirt and on Wednesday in a Banana Republic dress with a really full skirt. It seems the key to not flashing everyone is a full or A-line skirt. No mini's (obviously, since I'm headed to work) or tighter pencil skirts. 
5. It takes a while to break in your "saddle" after a long winter of other activities. Ouch.
6. Knowledge of safe bike routes is key. No need to put yourself, and uncertain vehicle drivers in danger. You can use the City of Bozeman's interactive GIS map to find bike routes. 
7. A good commuting bag is a must. It's impossible to ride a bike with a purse, and really, I'd make fun of you for it. I have a North Face hip pack with a cross-body strap, which was a gift from my dad 10 years ago. It's fine, although maybe not big enough. I like that it clips around my waist since it keeps the bag from sliding around on my body. And I'm to cheap to buy a new one. 
8. Pack light. Duh. Specifically, taking leftovers stored in a heavy glass container for lunch is probably not in your best interests. Not the end of the world, but no need to haul around extra weight. 
9. Have a bigger wallet; one that could double as a clutch purse if necessary. 
10. Give yourself extra time. I'm usually a go-go-go-go-GO bike rider. Why go slow? But when you're wearing work clothes and don't want to arrive to work drenched, it's sometimes necessary to gear down and ride at a more leisurely pace. 

Will I bike to work every day this summer? Probably not. This week just happened to coincide with nice weather and a lack of evening meetings, meaning I could ride home with DJ if the weather changed. It's kind of fun though, and a nice to get outside in the sunshine every day. 

On biking to work, and other financial considerations

Gas in Montana is currently $3.59/ gallon. I'm sure that seems "cheap" to many of you already paying $4.00+ a gallon, but for me, it's incredibly galling to pay $50 to fill up the tank of my sedan. Or to see DJ spend $70 filling up his truck.

My Nissan Altima gets decent gas mileage. 20 miles per gallon or so in the city, 28+ mpg on the highway (depending on how fast I'm driving). We only live 4.2 miles from work, and if I don't go anywhere else, I usually buy three tanks of gas every two months, or 1.5 tanks a month. 

I ran the numbers a week or so ago because I was curious to see how much money it costs me to drive to work each day. 

Known factors:

• Distance: 4.2 miles one way, 8.4 total
• Gas tank capacity: 17 gallons
• Gas price: $4.00/ gallon
• Fuel efficiency: 20 mpg

So... trying to remember a little math problem solving here... 

17 gallons of gas X $4.00/ gallon='s $68.00 to fill an empty tank (!!!)

17 gallons of gas X 20 mpg='s 340 miles on one tank

340 miles / 8.4 miles per trip='s 40 trips

8.4 miles per round trip/ 20 mpg='s .42 gallons per trip

.42 gallons X $4.00='s $1.68 per round trip

$1.68 per round trip X 5 times/ week='s $8.40

$8.40 x 4 weeks a month='s $33.6 dollars a month in gas.

... huh. Even with gas at $4 a gallon, $33.60 a month in gas to drive back and forth to work might just be worth the convenience. 

Riding my bike is a good alternative, if I don't have a late night meeting or obligation. For example, I rode my bike to work in the 35 degree weather yesterday. The ride took me 20 minutes (which seems slow; I'm out of biking shape) and was pretty easy, although I did arrive both chilled and sweating a bit. 

I planned to bike from work to an AOII obligation at 6pm, then home before dark at 8:30pm. And then it started snowing. And then there was a winter storm advisory which rapidly progressed into a winter storm warning. Instead of completing my loop, I put my bike in the back of DJ's truck and rode home with him. Had a quick dinner, and drove back into town for my AOII meeting. Drove home at 9pm in a blizzard. 

So yeah, that didn't really work out well. I like getting in an extra 20 minutes of cardio, and the 15-20 minute ride is comparable to driving. The real hassle with biking to work is the uncertainty of it. What if it snows? What if it rains? I usually have 2 night meetings a week; it'd be a fruitless endeavor to ride into work, then make DJ come get me because of weather. I'm also the bag lady, with a lunch bag, purse, briefcase, and sometimes gym bag. How do I schlepp all of that, not to mention coffee, to and fro?

Hopefully the weather will stabilize shortly. I do plan to ride my bike to work frequently this summer, but not because I'll save money. The environmental impact is nice, but I don't have a huge footprint of oil consumption already. I'll bike to work because it's a fun way to add more exercise to my day, to enjoy the weather and to change up my routine. But biking to work 3 times a week probably won't really start until May June.

Soon enough

I woke up this morning to a sound I hadn't heard in a while: rain.

Not snow. Rain; beating against the windows.

I did a little happy dance getting out of bed, as rain overnight instead of snow usually means: SPRING!

Aaannnddd then the power went out, so there's that.

And it's been snowing all afternoon. Big, fat, fluffy, wet spring snow flakes.

In a way this almostspring is my favorite time of year. I like the anticipation. I like reveling in one more weekend of guilt-free reading in bed before the go Go GO Go outside of spring and summer. I like the buds on trees, the bulbs peeking through, the thundersnows we sometimes get.

This Cybil-esque weather does a number on my exercise routine though. I can barely muster the will to go to the gym. Why exercise inside when it's 45 degrees outside? Thus the running. Thus the long walks with the dog. Thus the contemplation of getting my bike out.

Soon though. Soon I'll be biking at lunch.

Hell, with gas at $3.29 a gallon, I'll be biking everywhere this summer!

Running between seasons

I can tell that winter must be close to over by my enthusiasm level for going to the gym. About this time every year going to the gym feels like punishment. I want to be outside, even if it is only 35 degrees out. I actually considered dragging my bike into work today for a lunchtime bike ride. I go for a ride at lunch three times a week when the weather is nice enough. But 45 degrees is just a tad too cool still.

I've been running a lot this spring. Well, a lot for me is three times a week. I wouldn't classify myself as a runner though. For me running is the ultimate form of exercise for a procrastinator. It only takes 30 minutes to equivocate what 60 minutes in the gym would do. I can take the dog. It's over quickly, gets results and means I can move on with my day faster. I can just go. 


I can't run every day though. Sometimes I have a morning meeting, sometimes my legs just aren't up for it. So I'll substitute with a walk, preferably with Harlow. Anything to be outside in the fresh air. I get some form of exercise every day, though perhaps less intense than I have in the past.

Like the weather right now, sometimes my exercise quota is intense, sunny, and full of movement . Other days it's quiet, serene and low key. A bit of both seems to do me good.

Mornings

I've become a go-go-go-go person. I truly do get more done when I'm busy than when I have an entire day to myself. Something about having deadlines, or being motivated to go to the gym right now or else it won't happen because of this meeting. I thrive, really, under a moderate amount of pressure.

In the last two weeks I've been trying to find ways to actively relax. I don't mean zoning out in front of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, because while that show is mindless, I'm not relaxed afterwards. Not invigorated. Not calmed the fuck down. Instead, I'm wondering why in the love of god all of those women look like aliens? Have you noticed that? Seriously; they scare me.

But I digress.

I went to two yoga classes last week, and learned two important things: 1) I am not bendy; and 2) yoga is kind of hard! My triceps are sore this morning from Saturdays class.

Does it help me relax? hmmm. Kinda. Not in a "wow I see the world in a totally different way" kind of relaxation, but in a "well that was a n ice change of pace from my usual workout."

I've also tried to protect myself by putting limits on when I'll discuss work. My board's holiday party was last night, and two of the members tried to ask me about a business item. The same business item which cranked my shoulders into a knotted mess of frustration on Thursday. I was rude to the board members, throwing up my hands in the stop signal and saying "I'm sorry, I can't talk about this now," and "I spent four hours on this last week and I just can't now. We're having a nice social gathering. Would you like another beer?"

But one of the most important things I do for myself a couple of days a week is give myself some time at home alone with the dog in the morning. I'll spend 45 minutes after DJ leaves to drink my coffee, browse email and blogs, and pet the doggie, who never can have enough attention. Then I hit the gym, the shower and work. I'm lucky to work in an environment that allows flexible hours, so I can roll into the office at 10 am and work until 6 pm without reproach.

Mornings home alone seem to be the only time I get to myself. And I appreciate them more and more.

Cerebral Exercise

I wish you could see the thought process that goes through my head every day when I prepare to work out. It would look something like this:
Procrastinate, procrastinate, okay dude you better go, or you'll skip out. Millions of excuses; I should get to work early, I could sleep in, I'll go to a power pump or pilates class later today. Yeah later.

Later rolls around and I'm all: oooh, there's the calendar reminder for the class... Hmm, I'm in such a good rhythm at work though. I can't stop now. And I'm hungry. I will have lunch instead, the go do cardio later this afternoon. Yeah, I can't stop working on this project now.

Then the afternoon rolls around, and I drag my feet more: gaahhh I guess I HAVE to go now. Where are my snow boots to put on? Where are my socks? Did I forget athletic socks, because that'd be a great excuse to skip the gym. Oh shit, there's my socks.

Grab the gym bag, out the door, walk two blocks to the gym and into the locker room. Change into athletic gear, reach for my lock to secure my stuff. Oh shit, did I forget my lock? Because that'd be a legit excuse... Oh, there it is.

And yet, once I get on an elliptical, a bike or a treadmill, this whole exercise thing isn't so bad. Its me, music or trash tv, and a magazine I'd never pay for, for about an hour. I leave feeling slightly slimmer, and surprisingly recharged. Its my little space of time just for myself, and I often don't carve out that kind of time.

But every day its the same struggle to make myself exercise. But I keep showing up, driven by the specter of genetic propensity towards heart disease and diabetes. And pride that I'm not spilling out of my jeans. And fear that there is a morbidly obese person inside of me who wants to use chocolate covered cinnamon bears to get out.

So I go, six days out of seven, I go. And maybe more than my muscles, I'm exercising my self will to make myself do something that I don't want to.

Confessions of an Addict

I have a confession to make. It’s not news to a lot of people, especially DJ. I am an addict.

I service my addiction daily, or six times a week at a minimum. I’m late to work because of my addiction. I sacrifice time with family when we travel to get a fix. I get cranky, crabby, and easily irritable when I haven’t gotten a hit in the last 24 hours. Cravings for my addiction have caused me to do things I never would have thought of, like take time away from doing things I love while on vacation.

I often annoy the heck out of DJ by trying to squeeze time into an already busy day to feed my habit. I make us lake for the company Christmas party, late to leave for trips, and get up early to make sure I feed my compulsion. I get short-tempered when we travel and I don’t have access to a gym or running trail.

I need it. My body needs it. And while I might not look like an addict, I sure as hell hate going a day without at least 45 minutes of gym time.

I, my friends, am an exercise addict. Or rather, I’m addicted to the endorphins I get after exercise. I feel so much better after working out. I sleep better. I eat healthier too.

Ok, my definition of addiction does not go as far as  WebMD's definition of exercise addiction.  Clearly it’s a real and serious issue for some people. But I do plan my day around when I can sneak a gym session, bike ride or run in. I also don’t strive for perfection; I like wine and chocolate too much to strive for 5% body fat!

But I do plan crazy things, like getting up at 6am to go to the gym when my day is too busy to squeeze it in any other time. Getting  up at 8 am tomorrow at the lake to go for a run on the bike trail. Scheduleing a two hour bike ride the morning of our wedding. Setting reminders on my work computer for all of the gym classes I like to take, and marking my availability as "tenative" during those times.

It can feel selfish too. I prefer to exercise alone. I like to go at my own pace, jamming out on my iPod. Fast on a bike, slow when running. It takes me away from my family and friends when we’re together. A few years ago I went with my dad on a bike ride and left him in the dust, which he reprimanded me for when we got home. Apparently a leisurely bike ride with my dad wasn’t something I had the time for, not when I could go all out for an hour.

Biking in 2005 at the lake.

My mom and me getting ready to bike it out.

It’s been a lifestyle choice for me for nearly five years now. This obsession, this need, and this craving. My worst nightmare is blowing out an knee, because then I couldn’t exercise while I recover. How would I handle that?

I’m making light of my gym obsession. And I know most doctors would prefer if their patients were so motivated. But I also recognize that sometimes, I should just lighten up on it a little.

How can such a good thing sometimes feel so… self-interested?

Cross Postings

Just a quick FYI- I submitted both a challenge question to Bodies in Motivation,which Linda was nice enough to post. The first is a Pilates Review, the second is a Challenge Question, which I will also post here:

When I started my first professional job, I decided that I’d eat lunch at my desk during the day instead of going home for lunch (we live in a town small enough where I could go home). Our office gets quiet during the noon hour, and it’s often the best time for me to get stuff done. And we usually have leftovers I can take, which makes it healthier and cheaper than going out. But now 2.5 years later, I think my mind has associated “sitting at desk” with “must put something in my mouth”. I get the munchies when I sit down. I crave something to eat while working on a 12 page staff report. I’m almost always between snacks; yogurt, apple, crackers and cheese, chocolate covered cinnamon bears. Since I’m finally coming around to the idea that I can’t justify eating like crap by saying “but I worked out today”, I’d really like to break this habit. But clearly I can’t abandon my desk. So far, I’ve bought lollipops to stick in my pie-hole every time I get a craving, but I’d like to wean myself off of these too. Anyone have a suggestion?


I recieved some good adivice through the Bodies in Motivation postings. Can anyone make any further suggestions?
 
And if you haven't yet, go check out the website- it's a really helpful and encouraging place!

Work it out

It’s no secret I’m a gym-a-holic. Fighting off the family fat genetic is a daily effort for me, and I’ve written before about how exercise is important to me. Despite the minimal actual impact on my physical appearance, working up a sweat daily makes me feel better about my body and have better body confidence. I might not wear a six 4, but god damn it, I can run a mile in 8 minutes. And a second one too. And I’m proud of that.

But sometimes my dedication to keeping fit feels really selfish. Tonight I went to a 5:50pm pilates class and then did cardio for 40 minutes before stopping by the house to check things out for the evening. By the time I got home at 7:30pm, DJ had already made home made salsa (OMFG, SO GOOD. We’re never eating store-bought AGAIN), and tacos for dinner, and eaten too. I certainly don’t begrudge him for eating without me; just the opposite, I feel guilty for not being home to help make dinner and eat with him.

My weight has crept up since grad school. Some of it was the lifestyle change; I’m not walking back and forth to class 40 minutes a day, in addition to going to the gym for an hour. I attribute a few more lbs to a slowing metabolism. I used to think that as long as I exercised I could eat whatever I wanted- so not true anymore. Some of it is related to living with a man who is a fantastic cook, and my related lack of self control. And I take full ownership of that.

And I promise, the purpose of this blog post is not to cry “Wah! Poor me! I’m so fat!” before devouring another bag of kit-kat bars (WTF, why did I buy those?) because, really people, I’m not! I’m healthy (see also: Hiking the Ridge) and active and like apples too! But I also am above weight for my recommended Body Mass Index. And my family does have a history of heart issues and diabetes. For those reasons, it’s important to me to keep fitness in the forefront.

Some might think that this focus is wedding-related. In many ways it is; I don’t want to drop a shitload of money on expensive, but well worth it, photography, only to look at it and wish I’d worked harder to whip myself into shape.

But I’ve also been focused on trimming down since before Christmas. My clothes weren’t fitting well, and after nine months of two steps forward and one step back, my closet just now no longer a source of frustration. And that time frame is indicative. It’s taken me nearly 10 months to loose 10 lbs on my own. And that right there tells me that I can no longer eat whatever I want and expect to feel good about my body.

I’m striving to eat better. Eat less. Turn to something other than chocolate-covered cinnamon bears for stress relief. And I’ve shaken up my exercise routine too, by adding a twice weekly pilates class (yeah, ME, doing pilates. I’m selling tickets for the comedy show!). And I’m SOOO excited to move back into our neighborhood on Friday (TWO DAYS) and go for walks in the evenings as a way of undwinding.

I

’m starting to wonder if I need a goal to work towards, a la Linda on Bodies in Motivation. It would be nice to focus on training for something instead of just “losing weight”. I’ll keep up the hard work until I find something, but does anyone have any suggestions for me? I think triathalon season in Bozeman has passed, but small road races? Has anyone else found something that motivates them to keep up the hard work, other than the chub hanging over their waistband?