Quote Originally Posted by salsabike View Post
Thanks, Wahine. I am having a ton of fun, especially now that I am on vacation from both jobs until late August. I didn't have much vacation the last two years, so for the next month and a half I plan to train and weave. Weave and train. That's IT.

Dex, come to this Sunday's pool clinic with me! That way there will be at least two of us who feel overweight, uncoordinated and dumb. And we'll do it anyway and leave feeling better, which is what happened when I went last week. Remember, I'm 70 pounds overweight. I am just fixedly ignoring any thoughts about how I look.

I have a Part B to my philosophy of life as articulated last year (Part A: If I'm not feeling like an idiot regularly, then I'm just not being adventurous enough), and I actually identified this Part B while driving to the pool clinic last Sunday, having never gone before and feeling pretty nervous about it. Part B (small drumroll) is: Do everything you're afraid of. (Because often it works out well when you actually do it). (no, I don't mean EVERYTHING. I still plan on never sticking my finger into a cobra's mouth, or whatever).

Sadly, I told this Part B to Chris when I got home, all excited, from the pool clinic, and he now thinks I am obligated to go do Juanita Hill on my bike because I said I was afraid of it. Juanita Hill is not steep but it is very, very long, about 2 1/2 miles. It's a favorite among area cyclists. We've done it on the tandem several times. The pool I swim at--which, Dex, is really nice, by the way, in case you want to come there--is WHERE ELSE? Right at the dang top of Juanita Hill. I think that in a few more weeks, I will have to try it.

I'm not usually this yakketty online. It's all the adrenalin.

Hey adrenalin-woman!
Yep, Eleanor Roosevelt is known for advocating your Plan B: "We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot."

I've done Juanita Hill in both directions more times than I can count and you'll do just fine. Yes, it's a bit longer when you ride north from Juanita Beach park, however it's not as steep a grade as riding south, up and over it from the Kenmore side - plus it has some gentle 'shelves' built in and a good-sized bike lane. Just take your time, get in a rhythm, with an easy gear to relax and spin, sit back in your saddle, open up your chest/lungs to breathe freely and roll on up there!
Then when Ms. Sadist Yoda starts yammerin' on about Snowden hill, you can just smile sweetly and impress the he!! out of her!
Tailwinds!
Mary