Discover North Seattle with Jay Silver

Yes, I finished the Mercer Island "Escape From the Rock" triathlon this last weekend! Things went much better this time around. My bike chain stayed on and my time was an hour better because of it.

The only thing that wasn't so great was my endless nausea throughout the the whole process. I think I sucked down too much water during the swim. Oh, and about the swim - the water was much colder than usual! I was a bit shell-shocked for the first 5 minutes but finally got into a groove.

Mercer Island is so beautiful! I love participating in this triathlon every year.

Here are a couple of pics from my day of pain...er, fun. :-)

Just before the swim...

Just after the swim. Yeah, I was a little tired and nauseated.

The bike leg was great! They shut down the express lanes on I-90 just for us!

Yes! Finally done!

Ooh, pretty finisher's medal! :-)

- Jay Silver

Just another day at Carkeek Park for my wife and I.

Don't be fooled, that water is ice cold! I ran out soon after the pic was taken!

Juliana's a brave soul for enduring the cold water for this pic.

There were only a handful of people at the park this day. So much fun!

- Jay Silver

Okay, so I finally got my first triathlon of this season over with last weekend! I jumped into the season a little late, especially since Seattle's triathlon season lasts only a few months.

It was a beautiful, sunny morning and the water was perfect! I think there were about 600 people athletes there, and their ages ranged from the early teens to the mid-60's.

As most of you know, a torn knee ligament a couple years ago forced me to expand my athletic horizons beyond basketball and volleyball. So I tried out a triathlon and I was soon hooked!

Now I have several triathlons lined up to do this season and the Beaver Lake Triathlon was last weekend. I've never been to the Beaver Lake area before, but I'm glad I got to see it. It's a very beautiful part of Sammamish. The race course took me through Beaver Lake Park and the surrounding neighborhoods. Sometimes I would turn a corner and see one of the neighbors outside their house offering water and encouragement.

The most grueling part of the race was the 14 mile bike ride because it felt like the entire thing was UPHILL! There were several people who ended up walking their bikes up parts of the hill, but I made it up without even breaking a sweat! Okay, I'm lying. I made it up, but not without feeling like my legs were going to fall off.

Going downhill on the bike ride provided its own challenges. My bike chain fell off twice. The first time was the worst. My chain notonly fell off, it also jammed around the crank and I spent about 15 minutes trying to pry it out as the other athletes I had passed earlier began to pass me. That was lame!

The run portion was about 4 1/2 miles and I thought that would be the greatest challenge because the hilly bike ride. I felt great throughout the run, though. I even had enough wind to cheer on the other athletes I saw.

I'm still a little bitter about my chain coming off. It killed my race time by at least half an hour! So my goal is to get revenge at my next tri stop - the Escape from the Rock Triathlon on Mercer Island.

My wife, Juliana was kind enough to take some pics of me during the event. So as soon as I get them off the camera, I'll post them here.

If you're interested in local triathlons, check out the websites http://www.envirosports.com or http://www.seatri.org and search for local events.

- Jay Silver

It's always a treat to see a new cafe open its doors, especially when it's only a few blocks from my house!

Back in March the Blue Saucer Cafe threw their proverbial hat in the ring and started slinging shots for the Maple Leaf/North Seattle masses. Actually, I don't know if the "masses" have started showing up yet. But if the Saucer stays on the path of righteous coffee-making they won't do too bad. They have roots in coffee, as the owner is formally of Hotwire Coffee House. So they may be new to the neighborhood, but their blood flows dark brown. :-)

Blue Saucer is just down the street from Cloud City Coffee House, which may make it difficult for business until customers realize there is a whole different vibe here. It's a bit smaller but with a nicer interior and more welcoming ambience. They serve StumpTown Coffee (free trade, etc.), of who's Columbian blend I am quite a (new) fan.

If you're working on something and need a spot that's a little quieter in the Maple Leaf/Northgate area, check out The Blue Saucer. The music isn't blaring in your ears and the paint isn't peeling off the walls like you might find in some other independent shops.

They're so new they don't have a website yet. So you just have to experience it first-hand if you're in the area.

Right on the corner of 92nd and Roosevelt in Maple Leaf.

- Jay Silver

Did you know it takes about 1 hour to plant a tree? Did you know it burns an average of 204 calories?

You and your family are invited to take part in the Spring Tree Planting and Fall Adopt-a-Tree program at Green Lake Park.

Two great opportunities to learn how to plant/care for Cherry trees, decidous and evergreen trees.

Please call Barb at 206-684-0780 for more information and to sign up as an "Adopt-a-Tree" family.

Make it a family event!