Happy New Years
Cycle the WAVE Newsletter
Issue No. 18January 2011

A toast to all of you for being a part of something GRAND!

Cycle the WAVE gets national recognition!
 
We had a meeting in Washington, DC with the National Network to End Domestic Violence.

Who knows what state may host the next Cycle the WAVE!!
Our Survey Results are in!
A huge thank you to the participants of the recent CtW survey. 
 
Based on your responses we learned some interesting facts:
  • 50% heard about CtW through a friend;
  • 87% rode to support the cause;
  • 31% indicated they knew a friend who would ride CtW less than 25 mile distance;
  • 85% plan to ride CtW 2011!
With these results and your comments, we can continue our mission to provide the best possible riding experience as well as raise awareness and support victims of domestic violence.

REI Presents
Cycle the WAVE 9/18/2011
 
REI logo
 
Our Newest partner;
The City of Bellevue
City of Bellevue logo
Calendar of Events Supporting EDVP

world of hope edvp save the date
Dinner & Auction
Saturday, May 14, 2011
 
 Meydenbauer Center
11100 NE 6th Street
Bellevue , WA 98004
 
For more information, please visit EDVP's website.
 
Ride Update

Your Cycle the WAVE Team is:

Excitedly working on our new 2011 jersey;
 
Busy developing more corporate sponsors/partnerships;

Dreaming up more fun ideas.....
 

Evaluating survey results to make Cycle the WAVE 2011 even better!

 
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Meet the Riders:

Team Bum PhotoTeam Bum Wrap - Inspired by Fashion, Powered by Caffeine and Bound by Friendship

By Janelle Jones

 

    In short, Team Bum Wrap is made up of my friends from grammar school, college, work and Irish dancing who are active, drink lattes and have a good sense of humor.  The instigator is Marietta Burdulis, who in March of 2009 asked if I wanted to ride with her in the Burly Girl ride ('cause she wasn't going to wear a shirt that said "Girly Girl").  I laughed; my bike had not seen the light of day in over ten years.  And 62 miles - is she crazy?  But the seed had been planted and by that August, I had convinced four other friends to find their bikes and start riding, and Marietta had recruited Pam. 

   We began meeting on the Burke Gilman trail for our weekly ride.  We were a proud bunch on our circa 1990 mountain bikes as we rode in search of distant coffee shops while we discussed kids, marriage, dating, work and other life issues!  (Note: distance is based purely on perspective.)

    By September we were bikers!  We were in training!  No Girly Girl ride for us - Middle Sister and beyond!  Cycle the WAVE, here we come!  Little did we know, here come the hills!  And boy did they keep coming.  Hill after hill after hill.  By the first rest point we had already split into three groups:  Marietta and Pam "I have road bike, watch me ride", Mary, Hannah and myself "I am strong, watch me pedal", and Sandy and Nancy "I am smart, watch me go 42 miles".  Somehow we all made it back in one piece, proud and amazed that we had climbed all those hills (there are no hills on the Burke Gilman) and after an adult celebratory beverage, we agreed to do it again in 2010.  But maybe we should add hills to our training?

    So how did this unorthodox gaggle of friends become a team you ask?  Through fashion!  We found these fantastic wrap-around bike skirts created by Sweetspot Skirts and once two of us had them, everyone had to have them.  Then, to justify our matching attire as we rode to and fro from local coffee shops, we laughingly named our selves "Team Bum Wrap" and ordered another round of lattes!  And when it came time to sign up for the 2010 Cycle the WAVE and there was a space for team name, it became official.

    Although we are far from calling ourselves cyclists, we do regularly get together, ride our bikes, enjoy a latte and discuss the happening of our lives.  We all agree it's fun, it's healthy and it's cheaper than therapy.

   We love Cycle the WAVE for providing an event that has allowed us to better our own lives and strengthen our friendships while helping other women and their families at the same time.  It really is a winning event for everyone.

Training Tips:
Resolution Solution 
By Shannon Paterson
ACHIEVE Personal Training and Multisport Coaching
    New Year's resolutions are like butterflies...both represent a life changing transformation.  But did you know that the expected lifespan of a butterfly is three days?   Hmmm.
    The problem is we set ourselves up to fail before we even leave the cocoon.  Resolutions are often dramatic declarations of denial, "I'm giving up sugar", or overzealousness, "I'm going to work out two hours/day".  Kudos for the desire to improve your health, but this year don't just do it for now, do it forever.  How?  By choosing a balanced approach.
    The absolute best way to lose weight and keep it off is to use a balance log.  I call  it a balance log, not a food log, because long term weight loss is best maintained when you balance healthy eating and consistent exercise.  Manipulating one without the other may work temporarily but it's like cramming for a college exam - you may pass the test but you won't learn anything.
    Here are the steps to implementing a successful balance log for your New Year's resolution:
    1.  Find a track.  No, not a running track (although that would be a good tool, too).   Find a good tracking method that is easy to use and provides clear representation of your calories in (food) vs. calories out (exercise).  There are plenty of free internet sites and smartphone apps.  For iPhone users, I recommend the "Lose It!" app.  That way you have your balance log at your fingertips throughout the day.  For a good internet site try www.livestrong.com or www.fitday.com.
    2.  Use it!  Yes, this is a Yogi Berra-ism, but you have to use the balance log for it to work.  Commit to logging in absolutely everything, every day, without exception.  This isn't much fun on days you stray to the honey jar, but honestly logging will help you figure out how to balance your week.  That's one of the key life-long learning tools - there are days when you eat more than you need to but it doesn't mean you have to throw in the towel.  Instead, use the towel to wipe your tears (or crumbs off your face) and make smart adjustments over the next few days.
    3.  Know before you go.  Be proactive with your log.  Before your next dinner party, preload your log to see how the day will unfold if you eat "w, y, & z".  This way you empower yourself rather than leaving it up to chance.  You can even plan for dessert!  It's much easier to skip the bread basket when you know you get a sweet treat at the end of the meal.  Just be sure to go back and double check your entries for accuracy at the end of the day.
    4.  Measuring up.  Speaking of accuracy, it's a must.  You need to measure out your food portions initially, until you reset your brain-to-plate ratio.  Ginormous serving sizes have skewed our sense of normalcy.  The food guide pyramid defines a serving of cooked meat as 2-3 ounces.  Along with other protein sources (eggs, beans, nuts, etc.) you should get 2-3 servings a day.  On the other hand, the average steak house calls an 8 ounce steak a "petite" portion.  That petite portion is more than most people need for an entire day.  So measure your food using a measure cup/spoon, food scale, or find out what a serving size visually looks like.  For instance, a 2 ounce serving of cheese looks like a pair of dice.  And a serving of cooked pasta is a half cup - which looks like nothing compared to the mound of carbs piled on your plate at Macaroni Grill.
    5.  No brainer.  The good news about logging your exercise is the balance log does it for you!  When you initially set up the balance log, you'll input weight and estimate your resting metabolic rate.  Thereafter, it can provide realistic calculations for exercise calories expended -- unlike stationary equipment that tends to overestimate your "burn".
So make your 2011 resolution to make the balanced solution!  Commit to logging in for at least one solid month and you can achieve changes for good, not just for now.
    If you would like to work with Shannon, she can be contacted at [email protected].  Her website: http://web.mac.com/shannondale1972/PT/SP_personal_training.html
BikeloveBike L♡VE: 
Gearing Up for Winter Riding 

By Cynthia Krass

    Welcome to Bike L♡VE.  If you are like me, you love to ride, and you want your bike to work perfectly, but the thought of working on your bike sends you into a panic or elicits a yawn.  When I was a kid, my dad used to work on old sports cars.  He enjoyed spending his weekends under the hood, up to his elbows in grease.  Me, well, I would rather go to the dentist.  Or better yet, ride my bike.   But, of course, I know that if I want my car to run reliably, I must ensure it gets the maintenance it needs.  Same with my bike.  Even though I don't actually work on my bike, I still must ensure it gets the periodic, routine maintenance necessary to keep it running reliably.  Hence the inspiration for this monthly column.  Each month we will be bringing you equipment-related topics that assume that you do not want to spend time/money/energy becoming an expert on bike equipment, but that you want your bike to work perfectly.  Every time you ride.
This month's topic is not for the faint at heart:  gearing your bike up for winter riding.  Okay, I know that the weather looks pretty bad through your kitchen window, but trust me - riding every now and again in the winter is not that bad, especially if you have the right stuff.
    First and foremost, a set of fenders makes all the difference in the world  Fenders can't keep the rain from falling, but it cuts out most of what is annoying about the rain - the spray from the tires.  Quickie clip-on fenders provide some relief, but your best bet is to have a full set installed seasonally by a local bike shop.  Planet Bike makes a good set, complete with mud flaps, for about $35 a pair.
    Wet weather riding requires more frequent chain lubrication (subject of a future column).  It only takes about five minutes, and when you have your fenders installed at the shop, ask them to show you the proper way to lube a chain after getting caught in the rain.  Noise, not appearance, is the best way to determine the need for lubrication.
The other thing to consider is what to wear.  For me, the goal is not to stay dry, mostly because that is nearly impossible.  My goal is to stay comfortable despite being wet.  Consider a first layer made of synthetic wicking material, better yet, wool first layers from SmartWool, Ibex or Icebreaker.  If the temperature is below 45 degrees F, a light mid-layer is recommended.  Your outer layer should be visible, windproof and breathable.  Rain jackets that promise to keep you dry are typically not very breathable, and after 15 minutes of riding, you get moist and cold from the inside out.  These jackets become like a basting bag, and can be enough to turn you off to future cold weather riding.
     Full-fingered gloves and a performance head covering go a long way towards keeping your warm and comfortable.
    If you are still reading, then perhaps you are willing to give it a try, at least in marginal weather.  Most riders have threshold criteria, or a "misery index" for deciding on a winter ride.  It is a good idea to decide ahead of time what kind of weather you are willing to ride in, because it is too easy just to blow it off if it looks iffy outside.  For me, I do not set out in a downpour, but I head out despite a light rain, the threat of rain, or a still-wet road from a previous rainfall.  In this region, the threat of rain is typically more common than an actual downpour, and as a friend wisely remarked, "The weather looks much worse through a window."
Good luck and happy riding!