Some days in April 2018 definitely got a check-the-box ride for #30DaysOfBiking. Wheels touched ground, feet touched pedals, pedals and wheels turned but the bike time didn’t merit any cookies or confetti.
Some days counted for health, just not transportation, as I put in trainer miles to prep for our upcoming bike tour.
Periodically I realized what a lingering effect #errandonnee had on my mental frame–it felt funny to ride just to ride instead of riding for a really specific purpose.
Other days were worth a celebration, like the 63 or so miles up and down the hills of the South Sound area and Vashion Island on the Cascade Bicycle Club Ride for Major Taylor, and the once-in-a-lifetime route for the Emerald Bike Ride on the Highway 99 viaduct.
And some days were highlighted by the simple pleasures of a bike date or dinner with friends.
So why DO this? If the rides aren’t either entertaining, productive, or meaningful in some way, why bother?
One piece of the answer for me is simply to be able to say I did it successfully.
Another piece is the awareness and mindfulness required to think of something Every. Single. Day. So much of life can end up happening more or less on autopilot. Wake up. Drink coffee. Brush teeth. (Flossing is now automatic–thanks to a #30DaysOfFlossing personal challenge.)
Paying deliberate attention to something I would say is a habit makes me realize how many days I wouldn’t necessarily be on the bike for various reasons. Between driving to Olympia for meetings every so often, other travel, and sheer I’m-Tiredness it can be more days than I want to admit and more days than I’d want to have pass without moving my body in some way.
Some of the notable or memorable days:
Day 2: Notable mostly for me realizing that I was still in #errandonnee mode so I had to ride for a specific purpose, in this case a trip to the garden store.
Day 3: Raced the bus and won.
Day 6: A nice little neighborhood spin to admire early spring flowers.
Day 6 #30DaysofBiking: Neighborhood Tour des Fleurs to catch the last of the warm sunshine. #BikeToBlooms pic.twitter.com/FAg3peYjpE
— Barb Chamberlain (@barbchamberlain) April 7, 2018
Day 7: Bike date with my Sweet Hubs to the delicious GreenBridge Cafe.
Day 7 #30DaysoBiking: Found a hole in the rain clouds for a brunch bike date. Eggs Benedict on polenta w/butternut squash, mushrooms, poblano cream sauce at GreenBridge Cafe is out of this world. pic.twitter.com/SGCkE9PPyH
— Barb Chamberlain (@barbchamberlain) April 7, 2018
Day 8: Rainy but rewarding Emerald Bike Ride.
Day 8 #30DaysOfBiking: #EmeraldCityRide rocked, even in the rain. Rode there/back so it was a 25mi ride for us.#BikeEmeraldCity #RideInTheRain #ridetheviaduct pic.twitter.com/RHlJC4Lf7k pic.twitter.com/vZlE8XaaLe
— Barb Chamberlain (@barbchamberlain) April 8, 2018
Day 10: Dinner w/Stef & Corey.
Day 10 #30DaysOfBiking: Out to dinner w/@StefRandolph & Corey of the custom bikes. Yummy ramen in sunny Olympia and then a wander along parks and trails. pic.twitter.com/qohjPmawPe
— Barb Chamberlain (@barbchamberlain) April 11, 2018
Day 18: Amtrak to a meeting with a nice side trip to the glorious colors of the Skagit County Tulip Festival–another Tour des Fleurs.
Day 18 #30DaysOfBiking: What a perfect day to bike to Skagit Tulip Festival fields, and what beautiful abundance. pic.twitter.com/9C77pj3sBW
— Barb Chamberlain (@barbchamberlain) April 19, 2018
More tulips. #30daysofbiking #SkagitTulipFestival #BikeToBlooms pic.twitter.com/5uMbPOME5S
— Barb Chamberlain (@barbchamberlain) April 19, 2018
Day 22; Ride for Major Taylor–biggest physical challenge of the month. Around 63 miles with hillshillshills climbclimbclimb.
Day 22 #30DaysOfBiking: #rideformajortaylor started cool/overcast, turned beautiful/sunny about the time we were hitting the hills on Vashon. Which were not the first hills on the route. pic.twitter.com/sBdqFpgf9G
— Barb Chamberlain (@barbchamberlain) April 22, 2018
Day 22 #30DaysOfBiking: My genius sweet husband when I said I didn’t think I could bike another mile when we got to Fauntleroy (57mi): “How about we get 2nd breakfast at Endolyne Joe’s?” You can see why I love him so much. pic.twitter.com/sCQvRWRfXH
— Barb Chamberlain (@barbchamberlain) April 22, 2018
Day 24: Cascade Bike Everywhere Breakfast,
Day 24 #30DaysOfBiking: This hall will be packed with people when @CascadeBicycle #BikeEverywhete Breakfast gets rolling. Beautiful ride on a clear morning with birds chirping, friendly riders along the way. pic.twitter.com/YUtXH5osUC
— Barb Chamberlain (@barbchamberlain) April 24, 2018
Day 25 Sun and shadow.
Day 25 #30DaysOfBiking: Fun with shadow pix at end of day since it’s *still daylight* when I get home after 7 at night. I love spring/summer 🌞💖. pic.twitter.com/GkklrPKdpW
— Barb Chamberlain (@barbchamberlain) April 26, 2018
Day 29-30: A great finish to the month with the Washington Bike Summit in Spokane.
Day 29 #30DaysOfBiking: Starting off right with a bike ride to the #WABikeSummit with bunches of Spokane riders and Summit attendees including @ArianaBikes. pic.twitter.com/sM6oqV0RE7
— Barb Chamberlain (@barbchamberlain) April 29, 2018
Day 30 #30DaysOfBiking: 2018 is in the bag! Started the morning right with a ride to speak at the @WTS_Org Spokane/Coeur d’Alene about Creating Streets that Work for Everyone. Then off to the #WABikeSummit for another great day of learning.
— Barb Chamberlain (@barbchamberlain) April 30, 2018
Day 30 #30DaysOfBiking: #WABikeSummit done and it was fabulous. Just biked up Doomsday Hill on the Bloomsday course. Wonderful views of Spokane River, more to see as I ride to downtown. #bikeSPO pic.twitter.com/Uzewx0rs5Z
— Barb Chamberlain (@barbchamberlain) April 30, 2018
Welcome to Spokane Falls. pic.twitter.com/rT7g94B0Vn
— Barb Chamberlain (@barbchamberlain) May 1, 2018
And there it is: 2018 #30DaysOfBiking wrapped up with every day checked off..
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