Mmmm... a taste of the Pacific Northwest.

Hello from the GVRD, the Greater Vancouver Regional District

First Lookout, Cypress Mountain

Have you ever found yourself pre-occupied with thoughts of food, or is it just me? The other day I was down in Steveston

when the thought of an egg with ham and melted cheese on toast suddenly appeared from out of nowhere, persistent as fuck. I couldn't think of anything else for almost thirty kilometers until finally I got home and satisfied my craving. A few weeks ago I stepped on the scale, and the damned thing announced that I weighed 163 lbs. Holy crap. I am seriously dense. At that weight I should be six feet tall but instead of growing up, I'm already shrinking. I was surprised to see the number, but not really shocked. The clothes speak truth. If you've already guessed that I don't use the scale much, you're right. It's ancient, and it probably doesn't even tell the truth. Sometimes it gets stuck at zero and you have to jump on it a few times to get it to tell you anything at all. It babbles not. The only reason I stepped on it in the first place is that my clothes were feeling uncomfortably snug and I wanted to quantify how snug. It's bad. The last time I weighed anywhere north of 160 I'd not long ago born a babe.

But my shoulder is stabilized, and I've been riding again, blessed be. And suddenly I am not quite so fat. Yesterday that scale read 156 when I (literally!!) jumped on it. I don't feel much different yet, but it's encouraging, in any event.

#pinkgoesfaster

And everyone knows that getting rid of fat is to some extent a function of getting fit. For me the fitness is essential for all sorts of good reasons, and helping burn those pesky calories I so love to consume is just one of them. And I love to share my passion with other people. Road racing season is over. I miss riding with my fast friends. Many of them have switched to Cross Country, or CX. I would love to join in the fun, but it would probably take me about half an hour to dislocate or break something, so I'll have skip the whole cross thing. But damn. People are mad for the sport. Seriously. It does something to a person, something I would love to discover firsthand, but it isn't meant to be, not now, not ever. I intend to spend some time at the track this year, though it won't be a full training program, so you'll find me doing the #dawnpatrol,

and as often as not, looping Stanley Park first thing in the morning. Sometimes I even have company! There's a group of cyclists who meet weekday morningsfor a gentle SPloop or two before they stop at an interesting coffee shop or bakery. It's called IndieJavaFest, and if you're interested in joining, just shoot me an email and I will ask the administrator to add you to the mailing list. Ooooooor you can just come to Stanley Park at stoopid o'clock. Strava has a new feature that allows you to see where your friends are at the moment. I'll track my rides with my phone so you can find me. And please do, at least this month. Because company is good, and meeting other people who like to ride bikes always floats my boat.

Bikes and boats: an easy fit.

So food. Being fat sucks cause suddenly I start thinking about food at the strangest times. Does that ever happen to you? My little guy is always hungry, too, and sometimes it shocks me how much he can eat, but he's growing up leaps and bounds- he's a full six inches taller than he was a year ago!! He has an excuse, while I am just pre-occupied with food. I dunno about you, but I've noticed that when I eat too many carbs I put on weight. Sugar is especially bad, something to do with the insulin response. I need to eat more protein and fewer sugars and carbs in order to drop any weight. But sugar is an analgesic and I Love analgesics. Sugar makes babies feel better when given orally, and I can testify that it sure works a charm in prolotherapy injections. I love sugar, evil as it is to my waistline. But then I love all sorts of foods. The trick is to eat more of the good foods and fewer sugar infested treats. 'Cept when I'm riding hard. Then I do eat all of those yummy, sugary carbs and I enjoy them guilt free until my jeans get tight.

Steveston

I credit having lost a few pounds this month to my renewed morning rides, and to enjoying more of my favourite savoury foods, and fewer sweet ones. Oh, and I also avoided alcohol quite adamantly when I was unwell, but less so as my health improved. I tried to quit, but damned it, quitting is for quitters. Summer is all about salads, right? I have a quest in life which I truly indulge during the hottest months of the year. One day, I will discover the ultimate seafood salad. But the year is most definitely on the wane now. Summer is over.

Autumn heralds the beginning of soup season, and I have a definite favourite when it comes to making soup. We were at the Washington Avenue Grill the day after the memorial service for my uncle, and both my brother and I ordered the hot pots, he the vegetarian, and me the seafood version. After trying it, both my adult son and his girlfriend exclaimed that mine is much better. It probably speaks unsavoury things about my personality, but THAT bit was my favourite moment of the whole weekend. I keep meaning to record creating my favourite recipes for you, only damn!! It's complicated and time consuming creating those little YouTube movies, and time? Time is precious. Specially when I am riding enough to keep my serotonin levels where I need them.

But you really should try this. It's yummy.

Babble's Hot Pot

3-4 generous tbs butter or coconut oil
1 jumbo sweet onion diced
3 sticks of celery diced
4-6  med potatoes diced
3-4 large carrots, grated
2+ tbs cilantro (coriander) leaf paste - (Gormet Garden is great) or one bunch of fresh
2+ tbs lemon grass (Gormet Garden again) or a big handful of fresh, 1" pieces
juice of one lemon
1 can coconut milk
4 cubes organic chicken stock and water to taste
1-2 lbs protien of choice (I prefer a combination of prawns, scallops, and cod, but you can use any fish you like, or even chicken if you prefer)
* a few slices bacon (cut into small strips with kitchen scissors) is optional, especially if you are using chicken. If you choose this route, I recommend skipping the shredded carrots and adding sweetlet peas a few minutes before serving.
pinch of cayenne pepper

Sautee the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots, (and the bacon bits and chicken now if you are going that route) and add the herbs and spices, the lemon and finally, when it is hot hot hot, add the stock. Cook the soup till the potatoes are soft, and then add the fish and the coconut milk (and the peas if you are doing chicken) for the final few minutes, so that it is just gently cooked.

Sooooo good.  Mmmm. And good for you, too. Did you know that coconut oil is very good for your cardiovascular systems, despite its being a saturated fat? Very cool. And it tastes great, too.

Do you have a go-to recipe, a favourite food? I have a few. People tell me that they're yummy, so you should try them. I love love love an almond or cashew milk matcha latte in the morning, almost every morning. Again it's so good, and so good for you. McDonalds is damned, because the very best tasting foods are always full of tasty fresh ingredients. The fresher the better. Maybe one day soon I will turn my phone's camera on the proceedings so you can try it, too. Ha. Ok, so true confession time. The Sound Check video makes me cringe, so I am reluctant to capture anything else. Sigh. But then I used to be afraid to cross the Lions Gate Bridge, too, only I've done it so many times now that I don't even think about it, except to curse all of that damned fat as I crawl up the incline slow as molasses in a Moscow January. #Icandothis

It has been absolutely gorgeous here in Vancouver of late. Perfect riding weather, the best ever. Everything is quiet at the club for some reason. Used to be we had a Tuesday night ride and a Saturday ride, too. That, a stoopid o'clock or few and the Vets on Sunday and Bob's yer uncle. My #dailygrind sorted. I really should be at the track, working on my #legspeed. Oops. Sorry bout that. I get #carriedaway sometimes. I have a bad case of #hashtagitis.#Ihavespentwaytoomuchtimeonline  #OMG!!! #ohhelpIcan'tstop!!!

Oh thank God. I did it, #atleastfornow.We had a mini holiday on the Sunshine Coast last weekend, riding from Kits to Horseshoe Bay, and then ferrying to Langdale before finally stopping in Gibsons. We spent the night out on the water. The next morning we explored the town for a little while, too. We stopped at a few places, but my favourite was Gospel Rock.

There is nothing quite so deeply blue as the reflection of the sky in the waters of the mighty Pacific ocean. It was the perfect day to ride. So what do you think? Would you care to join me? I love that so many of you, my one hundred readers, are situated all over the planet. If ever you find yourself here in Vancouver, please do look me up, so that I can share with you the city I love so dearly.

Iona Beach

I can't wait to show you my favourite rides. I am going to push the lot of you to come here next August for sure, but really I would love to see you any time. Oh here we go. Oh Help... I can't ... stop... #cometovancouver! #joinme  #babblerides #friendsdontletfriendsgetfat #ridewithme #rideyourworriesaway #letsplay

Babblelogue... a work in progress.

Hello from Vancouver, home of the happy palm tree.

If you were a duck or a fish this summer might not have been one of your top ten, but if you're a palm tree? You're in luck.

Headed to Keats #pinkgoesfastser #cyclelikeagirl

How does it happen? Has it been a week already??? Big week. My bike and I went from Kits to Keats and back again, and then down to White Rock to say goodbye to a man who was once an integral part of my life. The final goodbye.

A big, stubborn part of me just wants to go away, ride my bike and heal quietly, but there's so much to post about!! Some of these things are very extremely exceptionally cool, and you should be in the know. The first item is very exciting. It's something which will happen in the dog days of summer, 2016.

This is important, especially if you are over thirty, so listen up. The inaugural Americas Masters Games will be held in Vancouver in August, 2016. It will be fashioned after the European Master's Games now in their second decade. This will be a similar World Masters Event, held in the tradition of the Olympic games, with opening and closing ceremonies, along with a series of cultural events designed to entertain and delight as they showcase the many diverse and beautiful aspects of this city. Cycling BC and the BC Masters Cycling Association are both on board and working hard to ensure that our province is well represented, so you can expect to see some of our biggest and brightest elite athletes at the games.

The thing which makes the World Masters events so well loved and attended is that they allow anybody to test their mettle.  Anybody - from anywhere - is welcome to compete. Yes, that means you. Are you an athlete? Are you over thirty, or will you be over thirty by the 26th of July, 2016? Sweet! Sign up! There are dozens of different sports, but in terms of cycling, it's the same as any race held today, from the local crits to the provincial and national championships: the only barrier to entry is to prove that you're licensed to race. So book your holidays! Come to Vancouver in August to compete in the Americas Masters Games! 

The prettiest place to come and play

Are you a runner? Lucky you. You don't need a license to run. You don't need one for volleyball or baseball, either. All you need is a few co-ordinated friends. Don't call on me for your baseball team, though. I don't qualify, and besides. I am going to be busy riding my bike. :)

I think that's it for the first item on today's agenda. Any questions? Yeah? You can try me, (though as usual, I know very little) or you can improve your odds. Go to the BC Masters' Facebook page, and ask Bill. He's the guy at the helm of the BC Masters' Cycling Association. Oh yeah, and he said "We need to appeal to women above all." Did you hear that? He's right, of course. There aren't nearly enough women on bikes, though certainly there are more today than there used to be. K.  So grab your wife, your sister, your wife's sister's friends, and her friends and the whole lot of you should come to Vancouver next summer. And then we can all play to win.

This is gonna be huge, and you really should be a part of it. It's like the Olympics for the rest of us. C'mon! Train up! Let's make this the best World Masters event yet.

I am still quite fat and out of shape, but I will do absolutely everything in my power to peak at my utmost personal best for next year's Masters Games. You are free to join me in training over the next eleven and a half months. Starting tomorrow morning, with a practice run of the Vancouver Fondon't.

This won't be me tomorrow morning

As you may or may not already know, I have ridden the Whistler Gran Fondo a couple of times. It is a fairly expensive bike ride, all things considered, but I would consider doing it again in any event for a few good reasons. 1) The cars are all diverted to the other side of the highway. It's the one and only day of the year when for a few brief hours in the morning the Sea to Sky highway (northbound) is cleared of motor vehicle traffic. This is huge, because there are sections along the way where a cyclist must normally stick to a path between the rumble strips and the drainage gates. Usually that's alright, but there are places where the way is worryingly narrow. No cars equals beaucoup peace of mind. Big. Huge. Relief. This alone is almost worth the price of entry. Sigh... I wish there were more car-free moments the world over. B) It's clean, and I am not talking about the improved air quality, either. As a club we at Escape Velocity rode from Squamish to Whistler and back one day this summer, and the number of flats we suffered was outrageous, thanks to all of the detritus on the roads. iii) It's HUGE! This matters. No matter what you might think of being part of a big athletic event, it is a powerfully, overwhelmingly positive experience. You are probably already aware that as a cyclist we definitely enjoy safety in numbers, but you might not understand how much joy and empowerment such and event incurs. Happiness is priceless.

But. Despite the benefits of riding from Vancouver to Whistler for the Fondo, it IS a painful amount of money to drop for a few hours of bike riding. And one of the things I love about riding a bike is that it is not a snob sport, even though we sport the best Snob. See... there is also a lot of great riding right here in the lower mainland, and it doesn't even cost any dollars to ride it, much less two or three hundred, with one exception. If you want to cross the mighty Fraser River at the George Massey Tunnel, then you will have to either pay a bus driver or swim. I recommend a bus, as the shuttle doesn't run very often. It doesn't cost anything other than what you might spend on food and drinks. And spare inner tubes should you try riding on a road that sees a lot of traffic, like we did on our way to Whistler this summer.

So... following in Bike Snob's footsteps, I am going to ride a Fondon't. Shoulda probably planned this months ago, but that's not how I roll. Besides. Months ago, I didn't know that I was going to be competing in the World Masters first Americas Games as I embarked upon my second half century. Suddenly the pressure is on!!

So. Tomorrow morning, I am going to ride around like somebody on The Wednesday Weed. I am going to try all of the best bike routes, racking up a few km and thinking of ways to connect my favourite rides together in an event a few folks might want to try. The Whistler Gran Fondo is tomorrow, and also the Masters Championship, rescheduled to run concurrently with the Fondo because of issues in August. So everybody I know will be busy during the fondo, and also: planning. Most people plan things and won't be able to drop everything to show up for a ride at nine am Saturday morning. So consider this your warning: The full-on you've got warning Fondon't proper will be coming soon, weather permitting. Fondon'ts haven't the rules a sanctioned race has, so we can be fairweather Freds, and we shall. Nevertheless there will in fact BE a Fondon't of sorts tomorrow morning. Beginning at Musette at nine in the morning, and likely headed somewhere toward Belcarra ... or Richmond... or Burnaby, or (and if you can believe it, at this point it actually appears to be this option) all three of the above. Or something. We'll see how it goes. There's a lake up there which might make a great Fondon't destination, come to think of it. Only this particular ride has a few beer stops thrown in, or so I've been told.

Sounds suitably crazy? This reconnaissance Fondon't will happen in the guise of a club ride, but you are still welcome to join us. Just go to the Escape Velocity site, print out and sign the waiver. And then join us on a mission. There might just possibly be only you and me on this ride, in which case I won't insist on your waiver. Like I said, almost everybody I know is riding to Whistler that morning, and those that aren't riding there will in all likelyhood avoid our typical starting spot, Musette Cafe, because it is a stone's throw from the staging area. The fondo is so big that the downtown core is innundated with bikes. It's actually quite awesome to see, but by the time we are setting out, the best riders will be two thirds of the way to Whistler, so that the only cyclists left on those downtown streets will be the fatties like me who stayed in bed till ten past seven!

I wonder what would be the best way to introduce a visitor to the city from the perspective of a cyclist, and how best to take them away from it all... tomorrow will tell. Speaking of getting away from it all, it really is time for the annual pilgrmage to Hornby Island, though as my uncle just passed on, I will have to pass this time.

K. I will probably add more photos later on, but for now, it is what it is. Hopefully we'll see you at Musette tomorrow morning at nine am!

Winding down: the dog days of summer.

Waiting out the storm. As these guys were taking shelter by False Creek a waterspout was spotted off Point Grey.

Hello peeps!
We have had quite a week. I can't wait to tell you all about it, but first I need to go and ride my bike for a bit. Back in a flash...

The Little 100 Rulz: Laps in Protocol.

The dog days of summer have brought an end to crit season and the dawning of cross country, or cx. Right smack dab in the middle of the transition is the Vancruisers Little One Hundred, a one hundred lap drinking game relay race traditionally ridden on a cruiser bike.

Last year's Little 100 drinking game relay race left us the defending champions,

even if the administration didn't want to give us the first prize at the time because they didn't like the retro drop bars on our bike. It's funny, cause if you ask the race organizers for more details about the rules  around what sort of bike is eligible to race (ie cruiser bike frame, 26" wheels, single speed with coaster brake) they always reply "RULES?! There are no rules!" and yet somehow two years in a row now, our bikes have managed to break the rules. Last year they didn't like the handlebars, and they called us team drop bar. They wouldn't give us first prize along with the cup, despite a decisive win. This year they said that our 1.125 tires broke the unwritten rule that a 26" tire should be a minimum 1.5 inches wide, but like the year before, they let us ride the race on it anyway.

Never mind. That short, rough circuit taught us that the suspension advantages of a fatter, shock absorbing cruiser tire more than make up for the weight savings of going with something narrower.

That's one of the many trees responsible for the roots which are chewing up the track. It's fitting that this event should be held in between crit sesason and cross season, cause it's a bit of a hybrid of a course. Sure it's paved, but it's not like any other bit of asphalt in this town. People wonder why the Vancruisers hold it at this site, but maybe the oval is the best possible place for a cruiser race, because where else would a cruiser tire possibly be more useful than on a root rutted bit of pavement?

It's ironic that even though with this bike we attempted to follow the flexible criteria of what constitutes a legal entry, we managed to break the rules anyway. So this year we just skipped all of the whispers behind our backs and chose the name The Cheaters for ourselves. We could have just changed the handlebars on last year's lucky bike, but they didn't much like that frame, either, so this year's entry started from scratch. With this:

This blog's primary photographer, (who happens to be handy with a wrench) was rebuilding an old Schwinn for a friend. He picked up this used bike for its wheels, to replace the rusted out wheels on the old bike, and was left with an aluminum cruiser frame suitable for the Little 100.

So he stripped it.

Then it looked like this:

He found an adaptor to switch out the American style bottom bracket for an European one. Y'know. To allow for a better selection of chainrings.

We used the same gearing as on last year's winning bike. He wanted to find an aluminum fork, mostly for the asthetic reasons, but they are few and far between at 26". So crabon it is, thanks to Bike Trashbar.

Looks fast for a cruiser, doesn't it? Well, we did hope...

That's Rod, or Pappy, as he is known. He is the founder of this drinking game event.

It wasn't far into the drinking game race when the chain fell off the first time. It happened again, too. It happened several times before it became clear that the time wasted in a track-side adjustment would more than make up for all of the time we were spending putting it back on the sprockets.

Lee came with the Fat Freds, but rode for us.

By then we'd lost our advantage. We gave it a good go, but in the end we came in second place. These guys won the drinking game race.

But the Fat Freds were the most fun.

We weren't the only team with mechanical difficulties. The all-girl team had to carry their bike off the course to free up the back wheel. They handled it with aplomb. Great girls, the lot of em.

You'll always drink ride with a group of wonderful people at the Vancruiser events, though. That's what makes them so much fun. And you'll always find a whole bunch of great bikes, too!

 You like unusual components? Got em.

Classic bikes? Check.

You'll find choppers sometimes...

and hard to classify, futuristic retro bikes, too.

And all sorts of bikes with personality.

Well, it's all said and done for another year. We continued drinking racing even though maybe we should have re-tired. And chances are we'll do it all again next time round, too. Anyone who knows me already know that I'll be drinking training hard for next year's event for the next 51 weeks.

Shocking scandal rocks saddlery's royal house of Brooks. (An investigative seat post)

Uh oh. Looks like trouble.

Dafuq is going on, anyway?

This isn't going to sit well with anybody.

 The company everybody turns to for the ultimate in fine craftsmanship is suddenly saddled with scandal. Their reputation was worth its weight in gold because Freds the world over will willingly part with a fair few hard earned quid to sport a Brooks saddle on their steeds. Brooks has always been above reproach, but suddenly that stellar reputation is suspect, with the revelation of these tawdry images of their newest product offering, the Cambium.

A rivet ran through it.

When pressed, this saddle's rider said that he felt cheated, absolutely robbed. "She rode alright, y'know? But you expect a few years of hard riding out of a saddle, right? I expected to be mounting a gorgeous piece of work for a long time to come, and instead look at it. Nothing more than trash. Common rubbish." We would argue that it is quite uncommonly expensive.

Bared essentials.

He said that he is embarassed to be seen with it all exposed like that, and who could blame him? It's like seeing a picture of a Hollywood celebrity flashing her privates as she's leaving her limosine - it's sordid, and yet it's almost impossible not to look!

Is this an anomaly? Is it just a tempest in a teacup, or is it the beginning of a whole new trend? Have you seen another one-year-old saddle with the visage of the ancients, all battered, tattered, torn and worn? Some people believe that a non-leather Brooks saddle is an abomination akin to creating life from lifeless tissue, a Frankenstein of sorts, but who knows? Maybe leather seats will go the way of the dinosaur, so that in future anything from the Pre-Cambium period will always and forever be considered obsolete.

Cambium Be Wear.

Anything is possible after all, but for the time being, I'll just stick with what I love, thank you kindly. Don't even think you're going to saddle me with anything less.  

Hey! If the universe really is infinite in all directions, then I am the center of the known universe, and so are you!

Hello from Vancouver!
SPOILER ALERT: this is all about me.  Me Me Me Me Me Me!! My favourite topic. Heh. Yep, and even better? It's up front and personal.

Velopalooza 2015 Pop Up Performance ride - the bellydancing stop

To you, my 100 cherished readers, tolerant, open minded, patient and gorgeous supporters: Thank you for being you, and for being here for me. Thank you for your personal messages, and for your consistent readership, and for your kindness and generosity. Um and to whomever keeps sending me those lovely, lacy little ditties? Thank you enormously! It's just that I'd need to see a certain type of physician on Harley St in London before I could ever hope to fill those particular cups, much as wish to. And to all of you: My God,  I've really missed you. I fell apart for a bit there. (Get it? Fell apart? connective tissue issues? Heh heh. I'll always appreciate my sense of humour even if nobody else does!) Above all, your sweet steady little stream of clicks and likes and shares helps enormously. Thank you. You rock. So.... (she says in her best Jewish grandmother tone of voice) "How have you been? Have you done anything amazing with your summer?"

I spent a fair bit of time at the races during the early part of the season.

I raced and I trained and I trained and I raced.

My happy place. This is way better than drugs. And that's me, third from the left.

                     I racked up enough points that I definitely qualify to register in cat 3 next year.

                                                                    Oh, and this:

Woooo hoooooo! 2nd overall on the Vets ride!!

I was pretty chuffed with my progress this year, and believe it or not, I was doing everything I could to minimize my risks on the bike. Seriously. I even left races and rides if it got a little sketchy or if I was feeling off in any way. I missed a lot of great miles with the Vets that I would have fought hard to stay in for last year, just cause I knew the consequences of a mistake at those speeds. Saved myself grief a few times, for sure. I was really happy to be doing what I love, and I was thrilled to be writing about bikes and cycling for work, too. Sounds perfect, right?  In theory.

I almost didn't care that nobody actually likes me.

Why can't you post spokeNscene on Reddit, for example? Hmmm? You can find my legs on websites all over the place, but I wrote to a couple of them and nobody even bothered to answer back. So lots of folks like my legs, but you won't find a lot of people talking about spokeNscene, nor asking about the bicycle enhanced lifestyle that made those legs happen. People are so strange. But then so are the Gods we so happliy worship.  Those damned deities have a bold sense of humour, that's for sure! Over the years, I've heard their laughter again and again, and I can most definitely hear it now. It is ironic. As strong and powerful as its muscles are, this body of mine is even more vulnerable and weak on the inside.

It's my fault. I neglected the bouncing for decades and now that mistake has come home to roost. Never mind. I never knew... and it's ok anyway. I can fix it, and maybe quickly if I do it right. I gave up alcohol. Well. Almost entirely. For years I consoled myself that though I can't have coffee or chocolate I can still drink a glass of wine with dinner. Very funny. My impact-free lifestyle has made me much, much more susceptible to fracturing than most people. Bikes have been my wheelchairs for many many years, and suddenly (or so it seems) I am ridiculously fragile. That No Impact EDS lifestyle is having a huge impact on my overall health.  Yes, I have broken again, this time a collarbone and a rib. And at the same time, my immune system is weakened, almost non existant. It's that I'm ... well... falling apart. (Cue shingles and months of antibiotic use to fight a series of infections. Yuck.) The Gods are laughing cause as much as I am fired up and ready to advocate for cycling safety and infrastructure expansion, my body instead has me laid up and waiting on healing.

You're thinking that I am a klutz, a spaz, and just generally, ridiculously uncoordinated, and you're absolutely right. But it's so much more than that. My body has gone into full meltdown.

And I object!! This is not Who I Am! I'm mutarded, for sure, but I'm strong! Healthy! Fit!! I never catch a cold, nor the flu, I haven't called in sick in many, many years, even though I am and always have been vulnerable to all of the little things that most folks don't bat an eye at. At 16, a staph ulcer erupted and left a purple heart scar on my left hip. Staph is in soil and doesn't affect most people, but I have had those flesh eating, skin melting infections a few times. Very strange. I catch  baby diseases like hand foot and mouth. I have an anaphalactic reaction to chocolate or drink coffee, and that's just Not. Fair. I mean, come on!

Connective tissue is central to healthy organs and the vascular system, too. It's not all musculoskeletal, though it's easy to see how that system's health and wellness is dependent upon strong connective tissue. This article about Caroline Smith will tell you a little bit about what it's like to live with EDS, and how thoroughly it can affect every aspect of a person's life. Everyone with EDS has neck issues. Many of us require fusion of the vertebrae protecting the spinal column. I have herniated discs in many places along the spine and will most definitely require stabilization surgery of some sort sooner or later.

It's an invisible disability, but it is every bit as taxing as it would be if I were back in a wheelchair. I look very healthy, so you would never in a million years label me disabled if you met me off the street. Well, not unless you see me in a sling

or something,

or a neck brace or ski poles or some other form of body support. I am like half baked china. I crumble and break.

The internet has seen my arse all banged up a few times but nobody would ever, ever look at me and assume that I am disabled. Someone accused me of not understanding how serious a business bike racing really is. He meant it. I wondered if he could possibly understand how very well I understand the risks, and I tried not to laugh at the irony. He could never possibly understand how even a slight mishap can quickly become very painful for me.

Gratuitous ass shot. Daddy always said you have to play to your assets.

This photograph speaks volumes. It illustrates the principle that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I love that. It builds character. I am plenty strong, thank you kindly, and a colourful character, too. I train hard. I work hard. Seriously. I am committed. Dedicated. Passionate. I believe in pushing the red line as hard and often as possible, and I listen to and rest this vessel. I have to. I didn't have an x-ray taken for that particularly painful bump, (I've had 40 CT scans!) but I'm willing to bet that tailbone cracked. We weren't going fast at the time, but that doesn't matter. I have known a lot of pain this year. Too much pain. It has taken a great toll on my health and wellness. I do what I can to combat it naturally. (Naturally!) But now I am feeling unfit, and twenty pounds overweight, and so this is a good time to invite you, my peeps, along on a journey of healing, of purifying and cleansing, of shedding old toxic habits and renewing the body's ability to shine, to thrive.

Meditation gives you another perspective, whatever your situation.

I like to meditate, in stillness and in movement too. Every conscious breath counts, right? Wherever, whenever, whatever you're doing, it's probably a good moment to be conscious and aware. It's always a good time to be alert. Rare is that moment of pure, conscious awareness. It's good practise to meditate in a queue or waiting for an appointment, or at least it is for me, because those are the moments when I am most inclined to give in to ego, and become frustrated and out of sorts. It's surprising how quickly those moments add up; what a boon to have spent them in a moment's peace instead of that more self important state of stress and anxiety. If only I had the sage's sense of inner tranquility by nature, so that I wouldnl't have to wage an eternal battle with my big, fat ego. It's an ironic battle, that: the crusade for inner peace.

It's always appropriate to breathe deep into your belly, to relax and seek clarity. Always, and never is it more needed than when you feel you don't possibly have even one moment to spare for anything else. Time is the one thing we can't commoditize (is that a word?) perhaps because it actually is pricesless. Nobody likes to wait, right? That's what makes a long commute so soul destroying! (unless, say you're doing something you absolutely love to do as you're commuting. An avid reader might just adore the long train ride in to the city from Coquitlam, and this mutard loves a good ride first thing in the morning, any and every season of the year.) I don't actually suffer time thieves well, but anger actually suppresses the immune systems. Bikes rock because all of that daily travel time is also a moving meditation time, personal improvement time. I admire those people who handle their life's challenges with out that battle to get to calm acceptance. Adore one of em. You know, the kind of folks who quietly get on with doing what needs to be done, without swearing, or anything. Meditation helps with all of that lymph robbing anger

Certain people think that since I am fit, I am just putting it on. "EDS can't possibly be all that bad if she can ride like that, can it?" I actually overheard a family conversation in which this was the prevaling wisdom. That assumption is patently ridiculous, and never more so than when the Para Pan Am Games are happening.  Worse still are the people who think that I should stop riding, that it is too dangerous.  Sigh.

Any time you want to talk to me about the real danger on our roads, oh please yes. Let's. In the mean time, trust me, exercise is good for me and I do actually know what I am doing, Bikes are my mobility, doing away with them entirely is unthinkable, at least until someone can fix this mutarded genetic code. Bikes are so much more than active transportation and simple mobility. They are medicine. The enormous good they do for me is good for you, too. Don't knock it till you've lived it.

I wonder if people remember Olga the Magnificent and the things we learned about aging through her.  Fitness is the very cornerstone of my health and wellness. Ehlers is progressive and degenerative, and I have to do everything I can to battle the ravages of age.

It's how I fight back.

I battle unstable joints with stabilizing muscles. A wheelchair is already quietly waiting in the shadows. Well,  actually it's hiding in my bikes. but those bikes are also poerful medicine. Riding a bike stimulates the produciton of the happy chemicals you get from a good workout, And, they trigger the same chemicals as many of the prescription medications I am so often prescribed, too. I haven't yet suffered many of the worst aspects of the disease, (namely the episodes which involve internal bleeding and trigger the horrible seizures which are my mum's contribution to my interesting genetic combination.) because I learned to listen to my body's signals. I stay as fit as possible because I learned long ago that the fitter I am the better I feel. Serotonin, Dopamine, Endorphins, all of the brain's happy chemicals tend to flee the brain cursed with chronic and extreme pain. Riding long and hard is the best prescription for re-balancing the happy juice. I groove on that happy juice. Always have.

The honest to goodness truth is that I can't tell the difference between the high I feel from the combination of serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, and -hopefully daily!- oxytocin (wink wink nudge nudge:) that I get from a red-line workout, and that state of euphoria that makes oxyxontin such a dangerous street drug. They are one and the same reaction in my brain. I often experience extreme pain. I always have and likely always will. That is why I am so well aquainted with the various types of pain relief as offered by the western medical institutions, as well as by the naturopathic and homeopathic, Traditional Chinese Medicine, ayurvedic, herbal, and I even shamanic disciplines.

Dope

I actually see a pain specialist these days,  He and his team were very happy with and quite vocal about how well practiced I am at all of the various aspects of pain control. I am surprised that it isn't more common for chronic pain sufferers to learn these coping techniques. It's a survivalist thing. I have to keep it up. It happened organically. I have lived with EDS for a fair few decades now and have learned a lot along the way. I had to. Like I said, I have made a few misakes along the, for sure. But I learned fromm them.  I listen and pay attention to what my body tells me, because my life is on the line, and becaise the consequences are so incredibly painful. I remember the lessons. Fortunately the body doesn't remember pain, but there is a lot to gain in retaining the tricks to handling it. Pain speaks for itself, right??

Sometimes people ask if I am a doctor. I love that. Nope, I am the opposite.

I love doctors, though. and they usually quite enjoy me. Not sure exactly why, but I hear it all the time. My doctor actually thanked me one day he said cause it's always interesting when I come to visit. Never a dull day, he said and he sees a LOT of me. (This is the MD who practices a form of ND and truly heals me.) Perhaps it's because I am that strange and unusual rare condition they studied in med school, come to life. The geneticists who diagnosed me were delighted with my competitive cycling lifestyle, insisting that it is the best way I might have managed to delay the degenerative damage this damned condition has scheduled for my joints, discs, valves and assorted connective tissues.

I have very limited mobility off of a bike because of the damage EDS has already done to my spine, and my hips, but on a bike I can go forever, or so it seems. EDS is a ruthless task master, Just when I figured I had worked out the best balance of life, well, just then twenty five or thirty years of an impact-free lifestyle came home to roost, and suddenly I am too brittle deep down inside, and very fragile. Another challenge, another adaptation. Now I bounce every day, to build my bone density and repair my immune system. It's an important aspect of babble's health K.I.S,S,  (that's Keep It Simple, Stupid). Do you remember? I mentioned it last year... I have neglected the second aspect for far too long, but as a checklist the KISS list stands: Move, Bounce, Breathe, Purify, Love a lot, Laugh, and Sleep.

The only problem with the KISS list is that it doesn't address how to address the repercussions of NOT living well for a while. It isn't just the bouncing. I have been taking prescription medications of some sort almost continually since my big crash in June 2014. My body is not happy. Stressed and overweight and burdened with toxic substances. What a combination. I have a way to go before I feel as if I am on top of my game again, but at least I know how to get there from here. And every step of the way is an honour, a blessing. Every day above ground is a good day. Even a hotter than hades, hell-fire-infused, smoke-infested summers' day above ground is much better than the inevitable-for-everyone-eventually, six feet under alternative, right?

Living well is all I'm trying to share via spokeNscene. Sure, it's personal sometimes, but it's also inclusive.  If you don't like it, then join the club and just click away. You'll be in great company. Promise I won't take it personally, but I do think you're crazy, you're playing on the wrong side of history. It's good this way of living, good for you and good for your community, too. And again, I've already made almost all of the mistakes it's possible to make, and have learned by them. Ha! I know more than a person really should about altogether too many vices, but I also know the way to an honest to goodness great way of living. There is a huge difference between knowing and doing though. My life actually depends upon taking the best steps forward from here, so you know which path I am on. Please do follow along with me. Give it a go. It's fun. I promise. C'mon... you know you wanna.

big big babs, hitting the trail

Oh dear, this is a looooooong and rambling post. I beg your pardon for babbling onanonanon like that. I will create a few youtube clips in the next little while, so you can see how the mission is progressing, and so I can pass along my most favourite foods, and other various and assorted ways to create healthy habits. You can't imagine what a challenge it was to post that video, BTW. I am vain. I am pretty close to rock bottom right now, all big and fat and hurting and unwell, and out of shape, but the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and nothing is going to get any better without some earnest effort, so here we go. I would love it if I didn't need to be lighter than I am now, but if I don't drop a few pounds, I am going to hurt even more than I do now. It's not that I am into that model thin, anorexic look, it's just that even five extra pounds adds a great deal of unnecessary stress to my poor joints. I really do fare better when I am as light as possible, without burning off any of that stabilizing muscle.

So... think about joining me on an adventure, will you? Let's see if we can't seek peak performance on the bike path to world peace. I will be back soon with a few of my favourite foods. Till then, keep spinning, and stay tuned. I'll leave you with a video of the whale we saw here in Kits a couple of nights ago, and with any luck,  we'll meet again soon.