I can bike it! 2 months + the fear of the long slow climbs of the Kirkland Triathlon = just do it. At the office I realized I probably could have been riding this climb a month ago. I have discovered my mind is the last bit to get in shape. This is strange, I am one of those bothersome optomist joyously chatting about coffee at the near end of a disastor. There was more to this fat than just menopause.

It is amazing what a brain picks up as children grow. Growing old in the USA is not to be looked forward to. Family, teachers, and the media marched along the same path, no wonder my mind is fighting this change. And now I see I am not only doing this for me but for my son! His brain is watching his mom bike in a triathlon at 50. He is tuning into our media and community that reflects a lifestyle free from cars and drugs while full of home cooked meals and physical activity as a lifestyle not a hobby. A good discovery – I’m off for another cup of coffee!

My son took me to see Ponyo, On the Cliff by the Sea for my birthday, it was a lovely gift! The first Miyazaki film I have been able to see on a big screen (and I have all of Miyazaki films!)! You can search for what the movie is about, but what you will not find (or find easily) is…

Ponyo is Japanese Hollywood. Just as Disney, Westerns, and all those (horrid) docu-histories reflect life in Britain and the USA this film is a reflection of Japanese culture. An ancient, community focused culture.

This movie is more in the line of  Totoro than Spirited Away. Ponyo is a magical fish — Disney has poorly translated as a ‘goldfish’ — who uses her magic to turn into a girl and Sosuke, a 5 year old boy, who comes to her rescue and promises to love and protect her. This is also a story where all the ages of life are cared for and honored, the importance of neighbors and social responsibility, and personally to commit to and fulfill social duty.

The morning before I saw this film I agreed to accept Cascade Bicycle Club prize to ride the Seattle-to-Portland event. In my mind flashed training, diets, equipment cost… focused and ‘Solo’. After watching Ponyo I realized that I have won a chance to participate in a Northwest community! Riders as young as 2 and as old as 87 join together to experience the NW in July. With our small traveling village of up to 10,000 I look forward to my mistakes and successes. I can no longer envision this ride as a solo event but a community ride.

The shocks, surprises, and staying up late with my Harry Potter marathon I woke with that feeling.. sneezing/snuffles/coughs/fever. Time for my FluBustinRamen!

1 packet Ramen
3 cloves garlic
fresh Basil
2 thick slices RED onion (must be red!)
2-3 TBS green curry
1tsp wasabi powder
1tsp Miso paste
Nori strips
2 TBS lime juice

Hot green tea (and for over 21y, 1 Lg goblet Red Wine)

Put a pot of water on to boil. While you wait > prepare the garlic (smash and chop),  Basil (cut to size you like), onion, and Nori Stips (again cut to the size you like). In a large soup bowl add the Miso, lime juice, curry paste, and wasabi.

When the water boils add about a cup to the soup bowl (and here is the secret to preparing miso broth! NEVER cook wasabi and miso!). Add the Ramen noodles to the pot with boiling water to cook.

Gently stir the ingredients in the soup bowl until dissolved. Add the chopped ingredients. When the ramen is ready add as much water to the broth to achieve the broth you enjoy.

Eat, nap and wake up healthy! yea!

I found out (I would say) half the route is uphill with 2 really good hills (one like Denny way at Denny Park only twice as long and another ….. well a bit shorter but steeper). The rest are just long and up (like going up University Way only 2.5 miles not a few blocks). Like a good captain I sent out the info…

What I didn’t put in the email was my sister noted I was turning sickly green just going over the course in a car. Felt a bit better after a Guiness at Wilde Rover and a bit of Irish tucker. 5 star Service & Food at fair prices. Then we covered the 2nd half of the course.  I’ll have to warn my boss to plan I’ll be calling in sick the Monday after the race…

I think the Kirkland Triathlon committee needs to use my improved map improvedMap.pdf

As the chainwheel turns, I am asking myself — what am I going to do after the triathlon… I really need to stop asking questions.

I am also the type that a) never wins any contest b) enters a lot of contest knowing I’ll never win…. so I won. Not the cute (and needed!) bike shorts, not a new bike, not even the water bottle… I won the bloody GRAND prize!

Hello -

Congratulations!  You completed a survey during our Bike Share Expo last week, and your name was drawn as the winner of a 2010 Seattle to Portland registration, offered by Cascade Bicycle Club.  Please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to take advantage of this prize.  If you are not interested in doing this ride, we will go ahead and offer this to someone else.

Thanks again for attending our Bike Share Expo!

Eileen Kadesh…….

On my 50th birthday! On a New Moon, what can I do. I’m going to do it! Seattle to Portland!

All through spring 09 I’d bike a couple of days then stop and try again the following week. Going 6.5 miles to work I had Denny way and the University Way Hills to face, I walked them. It was too easy and comfortable to grab a bus. I needed a bribe.

I opted to get a couple of friends together for a triathlon relay team! What started as incentive for me has turned into a fund raising event for Northwest Health Law Advocates (NoHLA). Our triathlon is the Kirkland Triathlon at Carillon Point.

I am collecting donations at FirstGiving. Take a look and give what you can (leave a comment, check out the pics, any donation is worshiped!  ;-) ! All Tax deductible, supports a great organization, and I am now biking to work everyday (even those challenging 7am board meetings). I am also biking to the library (learned how to lock a bike in a city)!

15 Aug 09 1 figured belly!

At least for me it is NOT hip to be round. As I peaked last winter with a 3 finger belly my body was sending me warnings I had to stop this weight gain. My knees were hurting, back promising to slip out with every turn, restless legs adding to my insomnia, and the traditional hot flashes with my menopause.

I had to be honest with ME and decide what foods were adding weight. I Love to eat, I enjoy my meals, food is a celebration. I could not live, even a short time, on a ‘diet.’ Luckily there are abundant tricks, if the questions are correct.

• I love my afternoon sandwich! Full of veges, onions, and — mayonnaise. The bread has some fat but is awesome! Dave’s Killer Bread is full of all organic greatness! The Vegannaise, that could be the culprit. I replaced the Vegannaise with Ume Plum Vinegar (found in the Asian section of most grocery stores) and loved the results.
• Bed time snacks & stories. Some nights I just love to eat late while enjoying a great book or DVD. Instead of grabbing another sandwich I now either have Miso soup or Ramen. I know, sounds fattening! But it must work because I lost weight.
• Butt snacks. Yes as a tech I call them Butt snacks, that is where these foods go.  Just don’t buy them. Put the money in a jar for the (YES, soon to be released!) New Windows 7 laptop or a decent road bike. I have found rolling veges in a tortilla with my fav Ume Plum Vinegar satisfying. I also enjoy adding leftover rice or jo jos (Potato wedges broiled in olive oil and spices! yum).
• Mochas! My morning Mocha, no one takes that from me. I did discover if I use only cocoa and a bit of sugar no soy milk I get a richer mocha and don’t miss the fat.

I asked myself how did I stay thin while attending Seattle Central Community College? I lived off of ramen, sushi, rice, and miso (and coffee). That is the diet I returned to and at last the weight stopped gaining and started to go down. With a 2 finger belly and a return to a more Asian diet I lost the hot flashes, insomnia, and restless legs at night caused by menopause. I ended all the negatives of menopause and losing weight without wasting a dime on diet fads/books/drugs or prescription meds.

It was time to get serious about how to get active again.

1 packet ramen/person
Olive Oil
1 clove garlic/person
1/4 medium Red onion/person
Ume Plum Vinegar (found in the Asian section of most grocery stores)
greens (usually Chard, Spinach, and Basil are good)
Young Carrots
Cucumber (plan on about 1/4 per person)
Garden fresh herbs (Tarragon & Sage are good)
Salt & Pepper to taste

• Boil the ramen until done. While the ramen is cooking prepare your garlic cloves and chopped red onion.
• Drain and place in large bowl. Pour enough olive oil over ramen to cover. Mix in garlic and onion. Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• After 30+minutes chop up your greens, herbs, carrots, and cucumber. Get the ramen from the fridge add the chopped ingredients, Salt & Pepper to taste and chill for 15-30 minutes.
• Enjoy!

2 trays ice cubes
1/4 – 1/2 cup Santa Cruz Organic lemon juice
1/8 – 1/4 cup Santa Cruz Organic Lime juice
Sugar
(secret ingredient) mint water

In July we discovered if you place 3-4 branches of mint into a container of water in the fridge for a day you have essence of mint water! Very satisfying on hot, thirsty days and perfect for Lemon Icies.

Place all ingredients in blender and start with 1/2 cup mint water (plain water will work if you forgot to make the mint water).  Add more water as you blend to keep the ice cubes moving. DO NOT stir when the machine is on. Turn off, stir, add water, put the lid back on and blend again, repeat until the desired thickness is reached. We like ours spoon thick.

I finally received my first smile this morning. Morning rides I find myself against the flow of bikers coming out of North Seattle going to the city while I am leaving my city location for my job in the U district (University of WA area). I have been biking solid since June and today that smile said “yes you bike to work, but we’ll see come Autumn” from a young skinny dude whose body type is one who biked from birth.

This of course does not count all the smiles on 13 August 2009 when Seattle enjoyed over 2″ rain in less than 2 hours. There were a – very – few who had rain gear, most of us were in shorts & tees. At least we did not have a head wind to battle against so we could enjoy the soaking grinning like puppies in puddles.

My Ortlieb Front Panniers passed the downpour test. No moisture could find a path inside after 18 months use, 3 m constant use. Yes I use Front Panniers for back bags. I didn’t have the extra $75 for larger back bags and didn’t need the extra room. Front bags hold 2 weeks worth library books, CDs, and laptop; 1 week of groceries, or my work gear of cloths, lunch, laptop and files just fine. They are smaller so easier to carry off the bike and cheaper.

On the other side I am also amazed the panniers have not melted in our record +100 weather. All I need is to test them in snow.