Blood on the Tracks » Brian

The Empire Builder

Brian — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:39:23 +0000

Amtraking from Portland to Chicago, two days, two nights, October 8-10. Border Patrol came onto the train at White Fish, Montana. Why? Our train car porter told us the Border Patrol has jurisdiction within 30 miles of the border, and that they regularly look for “illegal immigrants” at this stop. I wondered where they think these “illegal” human beings are coming from and going to? Is it simply a matter of the overarching components of Homeland Security seeking any excuse they can to throw their weight around, here a train stop in the middle of virtually nowhere but within 30 miles of the border with Canada? So, they have “legal” authorization to search any human being they don’t like for some unexplainable reason, or perhaps based on racial, ethnic or cultural prejudices provoked by certain “suspicious” appearances or “features.”

We ate each of our six meals in the dining car, invariably paired with others at a table where we could almost be assured of enjoying an interesting conversation, along the scenery along the rails, ranging from politics of the USA and/or the world, to work/hobby interests, to vacation plans or experiences, to the varied quality, price and taste of Amtrak food, actually not so bad. Because we had a sleeper, all meals are included in the price of our ticket, a great feature of going by train in style. Here’s a small gallery of that leg of our journey. [photos by Becky]

Tuesday, June 14

Brian — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 05:31:51 +0000

I completed 42 miles of handcycling today. My shoulders feel good after having received a diagnosis last November of serious arthritis. Have been on an anti-inflammatory diet [no gluten (wheat), no casein (dairy), no phytates (soy, except Miso and Tempeh), no refined sugar], and along with acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and massage, my shoulders are now able to arm-power my handcycle 40-50 miles a day without pain. We’ll see how it feels once the 800 mile handcycling tour begins on Saturday, June 25, at 8 am from behind Lincoln Hall on Portland State University campus, for the 30-mile trip to the first stop at 2 pm in Newberg, OR. But this is a routine I must keep up for at least three weeks until I arrive in San Francisco. On Friday evening at 7 pm, June 24, the night before, I will have unveiled for the public my new book at a signing in the upstairs community room, People’s Food Co-op, SE 21st and Tibbetts in Portland.

Sunday, June 5

Brian — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 06:37:05 +0000

I handcycled 38 miles today, a few miles less than yesterday, as part of my continued training for the cycling book tour that begins June 25. I carb up the night before at dinner, then in the morning I start with about 18 ounces of water. Soon after beginning cycling I have half a sandwich on gluten free bread of almond butter and honey. In a couple of hours I have a second half sandwich of the same. Meanwhile I regularly drink water with a little electrolyte solution from my camelback strapped to my back through a tube always resting near my mouth for easy access. Yesterday I saw two other handcyclists on the trail. Today, none. But hundreds of regular cyclists going in both directions on the trail that varies in width from 8 to 12 feet. I anticipate averaging 40 miles a day once the tour starts, thus the need to build my endurance.

Training

Brian — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 18:30:40 +0000

Today, June 4, I handcycled 45 miles as I strive to build up my endurance that will certainly be tested once I start the daily cycling tour on June 25. I started too late in the day — 9am. I need to get in the habit of beginning at 6am so that I get all the day’s cycling in before noon when the sun is more vertical, more fatiguing, and before the winds pick up in velocity. I first cycled east on the Springwater Corridor into a headwind to near Boring, then reversed directions and cycled west to downtown with the tail wind (big relief). Took a short break along the Willamette River before going east up the long, but fairly gradual hill, but again into a headwind. It is all practice as I will need to confront various weather factors day after day — temperature, wind, humidity — and change of elevation up or down, etc. Stay tuned!

Handcycling Preparation

Brian — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:24:21 +0000

To prepare for handcycling the 800 miles from Portland to San Francisco Bay Area, promoting my book AND cycling as transportation POLICY, I am building up my endurance by increasing my weekly miles to over 200, while doing monitored weight training, acupuncture, massage, and a very conscious diet that precludes gluten (wheat), casein (dairy, tho butter is okay), phytates (uncultured soy), refined sugar, and nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers). So, I eat most fruits and vegetables, cultured soy such as miso and tempeh, rice, deepwater fish, organic beef and poultry, eggs, oatmeal, teff, natural sweeteners such as honey/agave/rice syrup, beans and lentils, gluten-free bread, and a sundry of other foods. This is a diet that eliminates those foods that tend to be inflammatory while possessing cancer preventing anti-oxidants.

Sneak Preview

Brian — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 18:30:35 +0000

I don’t expect the books to arrive until June 20th, but I will read a few passages from my manuscript at a VFP fundraising event on June 11th, 6-9pm at the Metanoia Peace House, 2116 NE 18th Ave., Portland, Oregon. Here is the event flyer with more details: