Both routes will be on paved roadway and will have 3 rest stops with Gatorade, water, fruits, vegetables, cookies and of course donuts. There will be professional bike mechanics along the route to help with any problems that might occur. The course will be clearly marked out and will have a Police Motorcycle lead out. Bike helmets are mandatory, no exceptions!

Admittedly, this is not a Milwaukee event, but one . . . → Read More: The Birky Challenge – June 4th, 2011 8am]]>

The Birky Challenge is a 67 mile memorial bicycle ride in Fond du Lac to honor fallen Police Officer Craig Birkholz, badge #67. (This course also has a shorter loop of 40 miles)

Both routes will be on paved roadway and will have 3 rest stops with Gatorade, water, fruits, vegetables, cookies and of course donuts. There will be professional bike mechanics along the route to help with any problems that might occur. The course will be clearly marked out and will have a Police Motorcycle lead out. Bike helmets are mandatory, no exceptions!

Admittedly, this is not a Milwaukee event, but one I thought area bikers might be interested in hearing about. For more information, or to register for this event visit: http://fdlpolice.com/inner2.iml?mdl=events.mdl

All this snow and ice has certainly put a damper on runners’ spirits, but how many of you are missing your bikes? Ladies, if you are nodding your heads right now then the upcoming Women’s Weekend at RaysMTB just might be the event for you. Described as a “fun, no-attitude indoor bicycle park,” Ray’s welcomes riders of all ages and skill levels. And now the weekend of February 25th you can get a chance to  ride with the Wonder Women of mountain biking.

A little bit of info:

Hosted by: Leigh Donovan 1995 World Mountain Bike Champion 2001 World Cup Mountain Bike Champion 9X U.S. . . . → Read More: MKE Women’s Weekend 2011]]>

All this snow and ice has certainly put a damper on runners’ spirits, but how many of you are missing your bikes? Ladies, if you are nodding your heads right now then the upcoming Women’s Weekend at RaysMTB just might be the event for you. Described as a “fun, no-attitude indoor bicycle park,” Ray’s welcomes riders of all ages and skill levels. And now the weekend of February 25th you can get a chance to  ride with the Wonder Women of mountain biking.

A little bit of info:

Hosted by: Leigh Donovan
1995 World Mountain Bike Champion
2001 World Cup Mountain Bike Champion
9X U.S. National Mountain Bike Champion

Ladies, this is a must-see, truly unique event, featuring the real Wonder Women of mountain biking. Absolutely off-the-charts! Get schooled by top Pro Women Bike Racers and hang out with hundreds of the most incredible array of women riders you’ll ever find in one place at one time. This annual event has gotten bigger and better every year. All topped off with a rockin’ party! You are in for the experience of a lifetime!

There will be women’s only rides and coaching sessions as well as the opportunity to watch and ride along with the pros. Rental bikes are also available. This sounds like a great chance for women to learn from each other about biking in a fun, non-competitive setting. And parties are fun too.

Check out the website for the complete schedule and more details about this awesome event!

As . . . → Read More: Be Prepared: A biking lesson learned at 6:30 am]]>

Meg

About Meg: “I’ve been active since 1st grade when I started playing soccer.  As I got older (through high school) it got more competitive and became a year round activity.  Ever since, not working out doesn’t feel right.  In college I was a coxswain for the men’s crew team at MU.  When I started working I realized that fitting ‘fitness’ into life is much harder.  So now, I bike, go to the gym, and started going to Bikram this past winter.  Doing and having available a variety of things allows me to fit something into most days, because business and life are different every day.”

Slow down Even biking at a leisurely pace only takes a bit more time than driving there. Studies have shown that trips of less than 3 miles are often quicker by bike. It takes 10-15 minutes to bike the nearly 3 miles to my job. When I drive, it takes at least that long (by the time I find parking and walk to the building). 10 minutes of . . . → Read More: Bike to Work: What I Learned in a Week]]>

I started a new job last week, and it’s close enough that I can bike to work! I gave it a test drive 3 out of 5 days last week and here’s what I’ve discovered:

Slow down
Even biking at a leisurely pace only takes a bit more time than driving there. Studies have shown that trips of less than 3 miles are often quicker by bike. It takes 10-15 minutes to bike the nearly 3 miles to my job. When I drive, it takes at least that long (by the time I find parking and walk to the building). 10 minutes of cycling is just enough time to get a little sweaty so I walk my bike the final block to cool down a bit before I enter the office.

Ride safe in the bike lane!

On the ride there, I’ll zoom past cars that are stuck in traffic and can often maneuver through a red light (carefully) to keep my momentum. Studies show that 60% of auto pollution happens in the first few minutes of operation, before pollution control devices can work effectively. So even a short ride like this is helping the planet just a little.

Bike safe
Own the road. On wide roads, ride just to the right of the traffic lane; on narrow roads, you have a right to the road. Stay just inside the traffic lane a bit so that cars must partly cross the middle line to pass. (This removes the temptation to try to squeeze by you.) This might seem counter-intuitive but don’t bike all the way over to the right too close to the parked cars or curb. Instead safely take the space you need.  Use hand signals, bells, whistles. Be alert, and obey traffic laws. Wear a helmet!

No backpack
Some days I need to transport things to the office. I can wear a backpack to carry my books, change of clothes, and other necessities – however, I think I will invest in different kind of pack soon. Even from cycling just 10 minutes, my back gets hot and sweaty (not very professional!). I could look for a pack with a mesh back to keep me cool, or transfer that weight into a container away from my body. You can get racks for  your bike that accommodate packs called panniers. For many people it makes much more sense to carry items this way.

You can bike in a skirt!

Dress for success
Did you know you can bike in a skirt? As long as the dress/skirt isn’t too short (you wouldn’t be wearing it to work if it was, right?) and not too long (it could get snagged in the wheel) you will be fine. There are skirt guards available if you are worried about long coats, skirts, or other fabric getting caught in your wheels. One day I wore a dress on the bike to test that out, and the other two days I changed when I got to work. I definitely felt more comfortable wearing fitness gear and changing when I got there, although it was another step in the process to choose an outfit and then pack it up for changing into at the office.

This week I’ll have to test my dresses and see what else I can get away with wearing. If you wear pants on the bike, you’ll want to roll up the leg on the right side so that it doesn’t get caught or dirtied in the chain. When you get to work, take about 10 minutes to cool down and then you can use baby wipes to ‘clean up’ a bit. Fit Milwaukee reader Megan says she joined a gym near her work so that she can shower if she needs to, or fit her workout in right before or after her bike ride to and from work.

Putting a bike on a bus rack is easy!

Check with your workplace
Bike commuters are eligible for extra benefits. You could earn $20 a month for expenses like locks, tires, and tune-ups, thanks to the Bicycle Commuter Act. (Your employer needs to sign up to participate.)

Still can’t commit?
“I have to drop off the kids.” – Hop in the van, throw your bike on a Bones bike rack and bike from the daycare/school.

“It’s too far.”  – Cut the mileage in half: The first day, drive to work with your bike, then ride home that night. Ride to work the next morning, then drive home.

Or, take the bike halfway – park it and take the bus the rest of the way. The Milwaukee County Transit System now offers bike racks on buses! I tested out the bike rack at Chill on the Hill the other day with some help from Meghan, and it’s way easier than it looks. Don’t be intimidated – give it a try!

See, now you’re all out of excuses.

Additional resources for bike commuters can be found here:

Bike Your Drive – REI

BikeLeague.org

Paul Dorn’s Bike Commuting Tips

Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin

Do you bike to work? Do you have any tips to share?

Depressing, right? Stinky . . . → Read More: Running Funk: When you don’t want to run]]>

I’m in a running funk. I don’t want to run, not even a few miles. I don’t even want to think about running. When I do run, I just think about how miserable it is and how long I’ve been gone and how long til I’m home and what torture it feels like. I dwell on how awful I am at running and how I could be using this time to do something else and how I’ll never get faster so why try? I’m sick of all my routes and tired of doing the same thing all the time.

Depressing, right? Stinky attitude. That’s why it’s called a funk.

What got me in this funk? I suspect it’s because I’ve willingly agreed (and paid!) to run 26.2 miles in October, something this body isn’t meant to do. I’m pretty sure it is meant to eat cookies and surf the web.

My mantra and outlook on fitness is that if I surround myself with fitness and with running it will stay in my life. But when you sign up to run a marathon it becomes another job. Marathon training can take over your life. (Wives threaten to divorce husbands over the amount of time devoted to training!) I have enough jobs. I need more fun.

It’s not fun to run in this sweltering heat wave that’s been looming over Wisconsin for the past few weeks. As soon as I step out the door I want to die. I usually feel happy when I see other runners out there. I want to give them a high five and say ‘Keep it up!’ But during the heat wave of fury, I feel sorry for runners when I see them out getting miles done. I almost want to yell at them and asked them what has possessed them to exit their homes on such a day.

I’ve bailed on quite a few runs because of the heat. That’s not good for the mental aspect of training, either. Runners know that you pound through some crappy miles because there’s always a good run around the corner, and that’s what keeps you going. I haven’t had one of those in a while.

I could also be burnt out due to overtraining or lack of rest days. We forget how important those are in our routine. Or I do, anyway. The rest days are an investment in our improvement. They are how we get better.

How will I get out of it? I’ve been on my bike. Lots. Biking is not an equivalent workout (burns less than half the calories) but as an alternative it’s keeping my cardio up while I’m not running. Plus, biking creates its own breeze. Less miserable than slogging along in the heat.

I’ve also tried new things. I joined Alicia and Tracey for a Body Pump class at the West Suburban YMCA. It was a fun workout and made me sore for the next 4 days! If you would like to try their classes, visit any of the locations and ask for a trial membership.

Finally, I talk about it. I ask others what they’ve done to get out of their running funk.

And then I wait.

So, have you ever been in a funk about running or lacked motivation to do your workouts? What did you do in the meantime, and how did you get out of it?

Tell us in the comments!

If you would have asked me four years ago to go for a run, I would have chuckled, grabbed my book, and taken a seat while you went for your run. I was not a runner, or much of anything that involved exercise. I might throw in a work out DVD once in a while or go for a walk around the neighborhood on a nice day. But given the choice, I would prefer to do anything but exercise.

Then my husband and I . . . → Read More: My Journey from Couch Potato to Triathlete]]>

Fit Milwaukee welcomes Sherry Wilde and she shares her first triathlon experience. You can find her on Twitter as @sherrywilde.

If you would have asked me four years ago to go for a run, I would have chuckled, grabbed my book, and taken a seat while you went for your run. I was not a runner, or much of anything that involved exercise. I might throw in a work out DVD once in a while or go for a walk around the neighborhood on a nice day. But given the choice, I would prefer to do anything but exercise.

Then my husband and I became close friends with our neighbor who was on a mission to lose weight. The guys started running together, which evolved into training for a marathon together, which involved joining a gym. Inspired by the guys, I joined the gym as well. For the first time in my life I started working out on a regular basis. The routine was generally the same: elliptical, treadmill (walking pace, of course) or bike for thirty minutes to an hour followed by some weight lifting (thank you very much to the trainer I met with for the free consultation). I followed this routine on and off for about two years.

At one point I entered the gym’s tri competition: 10 minute swim, 20 minute bike, 15 minute run. When the results were posted, I learned that I actually beat someone. This was a huge first for me. I never won anything athletic in my life. And this is what beating one person felt like – winning! As a kid in gym class I was always the last chosen for a team and I hated every minute of whatever ridiculous game we had to play – even Red Rover (tagged out AGAIN!). I could not wait until it was time for art class. Or free reading.

So this notion that I was actually better than someone at an athletic activity rolled around my brain. I continued going to the gym and attempted to run outside a few times (and oh, my, that is way harder than on a treadmill). Around this time a close friend of mine signed up to do the Danskin Women’s Sprint Tri. She had a great race and spoke very highly of the whole experience. I was intrigued, but not yet committed. I could not even run for 30 minutes straight or lap swim without taking breaks at each end of the pool. But maybe someday…

Fast forward to May 2008. I underwent a surgery which went horribly wrong, and I ended up in the hospital for three weeks. During that time I had three additional surgeries to repair the damage done in the initial surgery, both lungs filled with fluid and were subsequently drained (that hurt even on a morphine drip), went a little crazy on Benadryl, had a blood transfusion, and arrived home with a gapping hole in my abdomen and a colostomy bag. (Sounds fun, right?) I spent that summer healing and gaining my strength back. In November of that same year my colostomy was reversed and I returned home from the hospital to heal once more; this time with just a few scars.

In January 2009 I went back to the gym, committed to getting back to full strength. In February, inspired by my friend and the fact that I was alive to do so, I signed up for the Danskin. I started to run, for minutes at a time, for the first time in my life. I followed a training program which involved more walking than running at first, gradually increasing the amount of running time, until I was running for 30 minutes straight.

In May 2009 I ran my first race ever, Sarah’s Stride in Wauwatosa. I finished in about 36 minutes and I got the race t-shirt, which means a lot to someone who never got one before. I spent the summer of 2009 training for the Danskin: swim, bike, run, repeat, further and further everyday. I studied up how to do transitions (from water to bike, then bike to run). I did a few lake swims & practiced the transitions. I loved every minute of it. (It should be noted that my husband, @dwilde, trained with me. He was all set to compete in his own tri, but alas, the Danskin is only for women. However, @dwilde was thinking about organizing the Manskin. Find him on Twitter for more details.)

The weekend of the race arrived. I was a little nervous and plenty excited. I hemmed and hawed over purchasing a sweatshirt with the Danskin logo on the front. In the end, I didn’t buy it. I was so caught up in the day. I felt so honored to be at the Expo. Most of the women there were athletes, and I was one of them!

The morning of race day arrived. I set up my transition area, tried to remember where my bike was (the balloon I tied to the bike rack offered little in the way of assistance due to a slight wind), and headed over to the starting line. With some help I wiggled into my wetsuit and put on my bright pink Danskin swim cap. There were athletes and their supporters everywhere. The music was blaring and the announcer began calling groups forward. The first group to start the race was the breast cancer survivors. Melissa Etheridge’s “I Run for Life” started to play. I looked over at at my friend who had come to support me. Her eyes were filled with tears, as were mine. Those women about to race had surpassed insurmountable odds. I felt like I had as well. This race was to be my personal celebration of my life, of being saved a year and a half earlier. I had made it.

My age group was called. We got into the water up to our ankles. We were all giddy. Smiling. Laughing nervously. I looked over at my husband, my friend, and my parents who had all come to cheer me on. I smiled & waved. And then it was go time.

The swim was by far the hardest part of the race for me. I was very thankful that I had on a wetsuit that kept me afloat when a) a stronger swimmer swam over me b) when getting kicked in the face by a swimmer in front of me, and c) when I got tired – which was soon after starting the race. After what seemed like a lifetime (but was really only 22 minutes) I made it to shore. I heard my husband yelling and looked to my right.

There he was all smiles and cheers, which helped me talk myself into hurrying up my first transition. The bike ride was my favorite, and strongest, part of the race. Those 52 minutes flew by. Near the end of the bike, I took a gel. Then I was running on legs that felt like cement blocks. 34 minutes later I crossed the finish line high-fiving spectators and pumping my fists in the air. I got my medal, my picture taken, and found my family. I was so freaking excited. Earlier that morning I was not a triathlete. 2 hours and 8 seconds later, I was.

This year, I will for sure be buying that sweatshirt.

View . . . → Read More: Milwaukee Area Drinking Fountains]]>

It’s getting hot out! It’s good to always have a source of water when planning long runs. If you run near the lakefront, or in Bay View, there are lots of fountains marked off on this map. If you have some of your own to add, please let me know in the comments! I’d love to have a more comprehensive guide to hydration in the Milwaukee area.

View Larger Map

But there is another trail I’ve been enjoying lately.

The Hank Aaron State Trail is ideal for bicyclists, walkers, runners, and skaters. It starts at Lakeshore State Park and runs east-west through Miller Valley! The well-maintained trail takes you through the third ward, past Potowatomi Casino, Miller Park, and rejoins the . . . → Read More: Discover the Hank Aaron State Trail]]>

I’m all about mixing up my running routes. Usually I gravitate towards the water, and end up along the lakefront near downtown Milwaukee. I live in Bay View so I run through South Shore Park and along the Oak Leaf trail into Cudahy and South Milwaukee.

But there is another trail I’ve been enjoying lately.

The Hank Aaron State Trail is ideal for bicyclists, walkers, runners, and skaters. It starts at Lakeshore State Park and runs east-west through Miller Valley! The well-maintained trail takes you through the third ward, past Potowatomi Casino, Miller Park, and rejoins the Oak Leaf trail on both ends. The west end will lead you into Doyne Park where you can get to  Hart Park and into Wauwatosa, while the east end connects with the Oak Leaf Trail along the lakefront.

If you’re going to enjoy the trail, a good place to start is near the Harley-Davidson Museum. If you do an out-and-back along the trail headed west, you will head uphill first and have a mostly downhill run/ride for the way back. From the HD museum to Hart Park is about 6 miles. If you choose to bike the path, this is a great roundtrip distance and you get some really good hill workouts where you can feel the burn in your thighs!

I’d suggest taking a look at the map (PDF) before you head out because there are just a few spots where it can get a little tricky when you are supposed to turn into a park or there is a fork in the road.

There is also a 5K race on the trail, coming up in August!

11th Anniversary Hank Aaron State Trail 5k Run / Walk

Saturday August 14, 2010

Race Start 8:30 am

Registration 7:00 – 8:15 am

“Held each August, the Hank Aaron State Trail 5k Run / Walk is a great way to enjoy the Trail. The course starts in the shadow of Miller Park, travels through the Menomonee Valley along Canal Street, and winds its way on the Trail along the river finishing again near Miller Park. The run/walk is always a wonderful family event with lots of information on the trail and local organizations, raffle prizes, beautiful scenery, and a great venue for teams.”