Stormy Weather

It's the rainy season, and I'm gonna bitch about it. I rode to school today, on my road bike, ending up soaked and dirty. On the bright side, I wore black and I look good wet.

Life has been stormy, too. I've just attended the Southern California Users of Magnets (SCUM) meeting, which was co-hosted by my research advisor, mentor, and personal hero, Professor Cynthia Larive and my husband's former research advisor, Professor Len Mueller. It was sponsored (in part) by the company my husband interviewed with in Boston last month, Bruker. I feel like I have a million projects going on right now and it's only a matter of time before I screw something up. But it's all about perception, right? And for now it seems I am managing.

I've been developing some educational materials for a course called "Instrumental Methods," which involves advanced topics in analytical chemistry, such as; chromatographic separations, electrochemistry, and spectroscopic techniques. Analytical chemists are known for attention to detail, accuracy & precision, and the desire to know (1) What substance(s) are present in a "sample" and (2) How much (of each substance) is present in the "sample." One could make a career as an analytical chemist improving experimental designs for targeted analysis or validating new methods to enhance the richness of information from a nontargeted analysis. Often, the analytical chemist is challenged to balance performance and cost, lending somewhat of an engineering or applied type of problem-solving to our field. We can also see a direct application of our work in many diverse types of fields: environmental monitoring, medical devices, pharmaceutical R&D pipeline, quality control, drug enforcement, etc.

Speaking of which, the reason I'm developing these new educational materials [namely a problem-based laboratory exercise] is because UCR Department of Chemistry was the recipient of a Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) donated kindly by the local Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) lab. It's cool because it's already set up to detect small amounts of volatile organic molecules in a complex mixture, because it was likely used to detect banned substances and their downstream metabolites in urine, feces or blood.

The class of substances we're focusing on in this activity are monoterpenes. These are found in citrus peel (among other plant-based sources) and are useful for cleaning and degreasing (as in the case of turpentine) and/or for fragrances in perfumes and soaps. I have isolated monoterpenes from a variety of citrus fruits, including orange, lime and lemon, tangerine and mandarin so far. Each peel has offered a complex mixture of these molecules (between 5 to 20 detectable monoterpenes per variety of citrus) and the subtle but statistically significant differences between fruits is what we're interested in recording.

Since my other research advisor, Julia Bailey-Serres, has been training me to think like a plant biologist, I asked the question "But why does the plant produce these compounds?" Surely not for us to use as a degreaser or additive to our soaps and perfumes. It turns out that these molecules have exhibited antifungal activity in addition to deterring insects from the area. This protects the fruit from pathogen attack and allows the citrus to live long and prosper.

I found limonene in high abundance in each peel extract, while the relative amounts of the minor components in each extract were variable. Orange and Tangerine peels contained little or no beta-pinene, both Lemon and Lime peel contained more beta- than alpha-pinene, and the relative amount of beta-myrcene correlated with strong and pleasant aromas (using the human nose detector that I have built-in for cross-validation). This makes good sense since myrcene is one of the most important chemicals used in the perfumery industry.

So as you can probably tell I'm still trying to find some footing for this lab, but I think it's coming along well so far. It's got to be ready to go in January when classes start (week of Jan 5, 2010) which is less than 4 weeks. This project, along with my regularly scheduled research and another educationally-related project (that I haven't even brought up here yet) is keeping me very busy. Oh yeah and I forgot to mention, we're moving to San Diego. But as I said, I'm managing. I have so many wonderful people in my life right now. Thank you all for your support.

Thanksgiving

I am thankful for... family. I married a wonderful man who is a native of So Cal. We are always welcomed by his parents and siblings and enjoy spending time with them very much. We also love our extended family throughout the country, as often as we can see them. They keep us grounded and at the same time encourage us to reach for the stars.
I am thankful for... health. There are always ups and downs with health, but for now we are in a stable period where we aren't consumed with daily worries about our health or the immediate health of anyone we know. Flu season seems to be on everyone's mind, and surely there are many people suffering, but at least some of us were able to get together and celebrate.
I am thankful for... friends. Our friends have shared some of the biggest events of their lives with us, and we in turn do the same for them. Good friends (such as we have) are around in fair weather and when it is a bit dark and stormy. New friends have grown with us through the changes we are making together and independently of each other. We couldn't ask for better!
I am thankful for... stimulation. I am lucky to be surrounded with opportunities for stimulating my mind and body. I can walk into a Science Library, attend a lecture, or participate in a roundtable discussion regarding the latest developments in chemical biology on any given day of the week. I can get together with friends for a bike ride, road run, indoor climb, lap swim, power yoga, push-up contest... you name it and I bet I can make it happen. I feel like I have the world at my fingertips sometimes. And the sheer beauty of the natural world enlivens me.
I am thankful for... community. I am so glad to have a larger network of people to interact with. I feel a sense of belonging to both the university and the city I live in. I enjoy participating in "local" happenings. I feel that ties to people in your community strengthens the quality of life for everyone. I really love going to local events in public lands and seeing the harmony that can exist when people work cooperatively.
I am thankful for... my dear husband. He really is the axis around which I spin. I feel that he has freed me from my own self-doubt. He allows me to flourish in the nourishing environment of unconditional love and support he provides. He is helping me become truer each day. I would be a much lesser person without his help. Thank you, honey!

Gratitude isn't always easy. I've been having a hard time with it lately. Thankfully we have holidays such as Thanksgiving where we can reflect on life in a more positive way. I've been searching for quotes to put on our T-shirts. How about:
"Tough times don't last but tough people do." - A.C. Green

On another note, the holidays mean FOOD at least in my family. I've been biking and running all year long to achieve the level of fitness I have now. Despite my efforts, I learned today that my BMI is still in the "overweight" bracket and I will have to lose another 8 pounds to be in the "average" realm. I have no plans to lose that 8 pounds during the holidays, I would like to make it my resolution for 2010 that I will maintain and perhaps by 2011 reach that sweet goal of 135 pounds and bearly out of the "overweight" category.

Mission Inn Run

Even though I've been commuting to work by bike, I haven't been on many "monster" rides lately. I did half of a big RBC ride to Tom's Farms last weekend but I wasn't able to finish the ride due to a time constraint. For some reason lately I've been more focused on running. Hmmm... psychological damage from the crash? Well at least the flesh wounds have healed. The alternate explaination is that opportunities to enjoy running have presented themselves and so I put a bit more time & money into that hobby for awhile. For one, I got a new pair of shoes....

The unbiased product review website http://www.productwiki.com/ says "The Nike Zoom Nucleus MC+ is a women's trainer shoe retailing at $115. It targets women who train or run long distances. It features a breathable upper with a supportive overlay design and a secure midfoot saddle to help keep users foot in a neutral position. Zoom Air™ unit in heel and forefoot. Decoupled Crash Pad helps reduce overpronation. Supportive shank, BRS 1000™ heel. Duralon™ and Waffle® Fill add cushioning, traction and durability. Nike+ enabled for instant workout feedback when used with a Nike+ SportBand or iPod® nano and Nike + iPod Sport Kit. Wt. 11.0 oz.

I got them because I was feeling some knee pain, and my new running buddy Ronly Schlenk recommended I replace my old shoes if they weren't cut out for long distance runs. I've been running about 5-8 miles per week throughout September and 10-15 miles per week throughout October. I'm not sure what all the stuff in that description means, but I did try on about 8 pairs of shoes in a store called Running Center in Redlands. The staff was very polite, respectful and helpful, carefully observing my stride in a variety of shoes. My old shoes were cheap ($30) and from Big 5 Sporting Goods (I got them on sale). According to MapMyRide, I started using those shoes 2/09/2009 and since then have put 139.86 mi. on them, making their price $0.2145 per mile. Hopefully these new kicks will help me kick butt and last long enough for me to justify the pricetag. And I know that footwear can't be expected to work miracles, but I am hoping this knee pain will be slightly alleviated. It might help if I stretch more regularly.

We (my husband and my mother-in-law and I) discussed during the race today our running goals. Here's what we came up with (1) that we would make team T-shirts with quotes on them (2) to do a 10K as our next event and (3) complete 4 half-marathons in 2010 as a team. If you have T-shirt ideas, if you want one, let us know because we're doing them as Christmas gifts. Talk about living! There's nothing more exhilarating than crossing a finish line with a cheering crowd and super-fast 10K runners sprinting past you, nothing more motivational than watching a sea of runners invading the streets of downtown Riverside for the sheer joy of running together, nothing more fun than running into friends old and new (Matt, Danny, Bernard and Alena, and Hugh) it was great to share this day with you; nothing is a more perfect expression of love than crossing that finish line together!

Road Rash => Rest Day

What can a cyclist do on a rest day? Write a blog post... So I'm on a complete rest day on account of I had my first crash yesterday. And am I feeling some pain today? Yes, I would be lying if I said I wasn't. Is it worse than my monthly menstral cramps? No. I am a bit sad that I won't have foxy arms & legs for halloween, but if it still looks gnarly I can dress up as a crash victim zombie and get some fake blood.

What happened? Well I'm still not sure, crashes happen really fast. What's going through my mind right now is (1) I ran 10 miles the day before and didn't get more than 5 hours sleep two nights in a row and worked long hours all week and I have slow reflexes even on a good day and therefore the bottom line is that I messed up (2) I got new tires and new brakes and this was my first ride after two major mechanical changes to my vehicle so the bike was to blame. The sweethearts I ride with keep offering to take the blame for me going down, but I'm just glad that I didn't take anyone else out. There is no ride worth going on if you injure yourself or someone else. I should have taken it easier that day.

What are my goals? Why put my body through this torture? What am I proving? And to whom? All these are great questions. The truth is that I don't know. I know I'm doing what feels good and right now I am training heavily. I enjoy the views and the outdoors and it brings me a warm and fuzzy feeling that lasts about a day-and-a-half. Which is coincidentially about as long as it takes for the pain from the exertion to fully hit my muscles. About the fourth day without a workout, I start to twitch and feel a pain in my muscles from not doing anything. If I go five or more days, I start to get really crabby at work and at home.

I just read a great article about how exercise can raise the baseline levels of both norepinephrine and dopamine. I think that's what I'm benefiting from. I know that without it I'm suffering. Everyone around me sees it, but I must endure. Luckily the cycling helps.

In the Interim

It's been so long since my last blog post, I had to look in the photo archives to see what I had been up to "in the interim." In August, we attended a bunch of parties, I worked in the lab a lot, yet I was able to log 250 miles between biking and running (4 runs). In September, my lab moved to a new building, we hosted a dinner party, I worked slightly less, and I logged 225 miles between biking and running (7 runs). Apparently though, I was not able to log in to Blogger and post anything. I was (and maybe still am) a little depressed. Grad school is hard.

My second time trial (Aug 29) was exciting, not as scary as the first. I got nearly the same time as the first one, but I didn't do any particular training in between them so it makes sense that I wasn't able to get much faster. I didn't mind winning the $30 prize for being the fastest woman in my age group. It didn't matter that I was only one of two people in that category. The important thing is that I enjoyed participating in it and I was able to reinvest the prize money into awater bottles, sunscreen, and new lights for my commuter bike!

My dear husband and I got to attend a fun party, the 3rd Annual Foilman (Sept 5) hosted by some fellow bicycle club members, Wade & Edith. It was a super-duper-sprint-Triathalon, complete with timers and prizes, but we just enjoyed being there and having great conversations. It was so relaxing and great for Mike to meet all (0r most) of my wonderful biking friends. It just made me realize how badly we need to get a bike for him so he can tour with us.

We also got to participate in the SmartRiverside Citrus Heritage Run (Sept 26) with family, my husband and myself along with my Mother-in-law and her husband. We arrived at sunrise and ran along almost the same route as the bike time trial. It was cool, shady and relaxing since I wasn't going for a personal best time. The point (in my mind at least) was to spend time together as a family and celebrate Riverside's history and beauty. There was even a marching band along the course to entertain and motivate us. Of course we had breakfast afterwards at the yummy Crest Cafe, which was the perfect way to end the race.

It's funny this year has gone by so fast. It's already the 10th month and time (mile by mile) has flown by! I've gone back to biking to school every day and trying to ride with friends or my club as often as I can. I've also tried to do Power Yoga at least once per week and I'm incorporating some interval training. People are asking if I'm sick or something since I've lost so much weight. I credit my genuine love for cycling and the support of my husband. Here are my updated stats from Map My Ride (prev. updated on May 18 post)...

Total Workouts in 2009: 157

Total Distance: 1,804.52 mi.

Total Burned: 82,030 kcal (approx. 23 pounds)

Gas Saved: 100.25 gallons

Money Saved: $348.87

Carbon Offset: 1,940.9 lbs. of CO2

My dear husband always asks me "What are your goals?" Like it's not OK to workout whenever I feel like it and do whatever feels right on that day. I'm not sure what to think about that. On one hand, I think I should just listen to my body, but on the other hand I feel like one thing I'm lacking is discipline and structure. One goal I have is to finish a triathalon. It doesn't seem right to have taken advantage of my relationship with the UCR Triathalon Club to get a sweet bike at a price I could afford and never actually use it in a triathalon. Hence the running. I also got a cap & goggles so I anticipate that I'll start swimming in the near future. TTFN.

I Don't Like the Drugs (But the Drugs Like Me)

It occured to me last night, as I was walking my dogs, that if my neighbor asked me to explain my life right now, I could legitimately say my life revolves around drugs.

Don't get the wrong impression, if you were my neighbor, you might think because there are always a lot of people going in and out of my apartment and staying up late talking, that we do nothing but "party."

The truth is that most of these friends are fellow scientists, studying some aspect of drugs and hoping someday to be employed by a drug company. For example, my biking friend Andrew is singlehandedly making drugs and determining their bioactivity. My good friend Homero studies the toxicicity of drugs by observing DNA damage as a function of drug dose. And I am searching for "natural products," drugs made naturally by plants.

As for me, I used to avoid taking drugs. Something about my upbringing told me that you shouldn't need to rely on external agents to "feel better." I guess that I would say now that pain which prevents you from getting out of bed is a sufficient reason to take drugs. I still tend to take the minimum dose.

The first drug I became comfortable with was Naproxen (available over-the-counter as Aleve). It was prescribed to me after a back injury. I found that it was non-addictive and effective at reducing my pain and inflammation. Those were the ballet days.

Of course when I had a fever, I was given Tylenol (paracetemol, acetomenophen) or Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). Other aches and pains, including my Mom's headaches, were treated with Motrin or Advil (ibuprofen).

All of these drugs are in the same class, non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which shut down the body's inflammatory signaling pathway. Because each molecular structure is slightly different, each of these drugs has a slightly different interaction with their "target" protein, cyclooxygenase (COX). Looking at their structures below, it is easy to imagine how they could "fit" into a "pocket" created by a much larger molecule. COX is about 350 times more massive than any of these "small molecule" drugs.

Interestingly, NSAIDs (and the substances they are converted to after the body's detoxification has begun) have additional "side-effects." For example, in addition to binding COX, Tylenol's primary metabolite AM404 interacts with the body's cannabanoid system, which is the mechanism responsible for paracetemol's pain relieving properties.

I stuck with non-addictive drugs until I discovered caffeine. ( : Maybe in future blogs I can discuss caffeine and other adenosine receptor antagonists. Other classes of drugs I would like to write about are histamine antagonists and seratonin reuptake inhibitors. Future blog topics of a scientific nature may be on the new wave of "biologics," as recently featured in Chemical & Engineering News, which are the newest revolution in drug development. I found it an engaging topic on a personal level because the article really highlighted the cultural divide between traditional "small molecule" chemists in pharma and those trained in molecular biology and bioanalytical chemistry who are equipped to produce and characterize protein-based drugs.

My First Time Trial

Well, this morning my alarm chirped at 5:30am but I couldn't drag my butt out of bed until 5:47am so there went my extra 17 minutes. Was it worth it? Well I did get 17 extra minutes of being sandwiched between my husband and my furry little mutt Edna, so maybe it was just as well. It will become clearer later why this information is important.

I got out of bed and started getting the stuff I should have laid out last night together. Bike, water bottles, Clif bar, fruit snacks, cycling shorts & top, boyshort underwear, sports bra, cycling socks (not really but they said I [heart] my [dog] on 'em and I thought they would bring me luck), cycling shoes, wallet, phone, camera, house keys. I went into the bathroom and washed off yesterday's mascara, walked back out to the living room and put on fresh mascara and all-over sunscreen, SPF 70 on my face and SPF 30 everywhere else. All this time I was walking around naked and then I looked out my balcony and saw some people watching me in a truck parked outside my apartment. Got dressed.

About 6:00am, I decided I needed caffeine, made a latte, ate the Clif bar, drank the latte, played with Edna, meditated, read "Effective Cycling" on Time Trials one more time. Put on my socks and shoes, cycling gloves, helmet. Said goodbye to Edna, Mel and Mike. Somehow it was 7:00am before I left the house. When I set my alarm I knew I'd be lagging but I thought I'd hop out of bed rather than drag it out for 2 snooze periods. I knew I'd have to hustle a bit to get down there on time and I had rather wanted to "stroll" down there and warm up gently. It did feel good though, zooming down Victoria Ave with little traffic and only the thick air pushing back at me.

I got down to "registration" at 7:30am, but there was nobody there! Instead of freaking out, I headed over to where I read the "starting line" would be. I kept thinking I saw other cyclists in front of me but I think it was just my imagination because when I finally encountered the other riders and trial organizers, it was 7:43am and I was LATE. It's a reoccuring theme in my life, the lateness. I'm working on improving in that area of my life.

Luckily, they let me register anyway. A half-sheet form and $5 later, I was known as rider 115 (Kayla) and I was wearing my matching orange jersey and Mike's orange sunglasses, right down there in the orange groves where we got married. The volunteers ask me if I have a goal. I tell them that it was too much work to make a projection and calculate it and I didn't let myself lose any sleep over it last night. I think they were surprised but they agreed that it was better to be well rested.

I started eating my fruit snacks. It was hard to stay calm. It was only 7:45am by my watch and I had nothing to do until 8:00 when the trial was scheduled to start. So I started disassembling my bike. I took everything off that I could: water bottles, front/rear lights, watch and routesheet clip, bag with tools/spare parts. On second thought, I decided to keep one water bottle. I don't know why but later on I was glad I had it. I started watching the ants, hustling in synchronicity along in discrete paths across a dead palm frond. I started thinking about how this race would be just me & the road without anyone to draft behind. Yikes.

Since I still had time I started doing Yoga. This helped my nervousness to dissapate, to get my mind focused, and to get limber from the ride over. It felt good to do some deep breathing. I wonder if anyone has designed a set of stretching exercises for cyclists that can be done using the bicycle as a prop. If not, someone should.

Next thing I knew, it was time to line up and we were told a few things about the route. Pothole here, wide turn there, have fun. There were sixteen riders and I was second to last. So I'm standing there. And standing there. I do a few circles in the street. Car up. Circle again. Car back. Back in line. Standing there. I started talking to rider 116, who had followed me down Victoria in the morning. I told him that he's going to be following me all race too because there's no way I'm letting him pass. I decided it right then.

People started coming across the finish line. It was so exciting! I was cheering for them but I got in trouble because the timer and the secretary couldn't hear each other on either side of the start/finish line. But it was cool to see the other riders come in hard. There was a family of spectators with a cowbell that totally made me smile. The other two lady riders (besides me) were neck and neck, I'd say that was the most dramatic finish of all.

When there were about 5 riders ahead of me, I started to realize that it was time. There was no way that I was going to be able to quit. I was in the queue and it was inevitable that I would be giving it my all in a couple minutes. All I could think about was that I had to pee. Why did I drink that latte? Should I go now or later? Maybe I drank too much of my water? I don't want to feel cramped down there during the trial... So I said it outloud. "I have to pee." Rider 116 says "I'll hold your bike, go in the orange groves." Guess what I did...

I came back out and two other guys went in! I guess I started a trend or maybe we were all nervous. Two riders ahead of me. One rider ahead of me. Rider 115, are you ready? Yes. Secretary, are you ready? 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. Go! I was hauling as fast as I could. That may have been silly. I got to the first turn and had to slow down quite a bit. Then I hustled to the next turn and had to slow down again. I was facing gravel, potholes and a large dump truck full of concrete in the oncoming lane (although stopped at a stop sign). It was intimidating and I slowed down a lot. Coming around the turn I saw the hill ahead of me and thought "maybe I should have strategized a bit more on my gearing here." But it didn't really matter.

I kept my cadence high and my breathing deep and regular. I put my upper body in a comfortable but somewhat lowered position for most of the hill. Towards the end, but before the turn, it gets steeper and I started to hurt. I thought, "maybe I burned up too much on the ride over here." Rounding the turn, I kept my cadence high and tried to visualize myself just hauling down the final straightaway and not letting 116 catch me. This is where I really opened up.

My thoughts returned to me when I saw a car on my left, wanting to turn onto the street I was on. Luckily, he saw me, but unluckily he was going my way. I decided to use it to make me go faster. I kicked it into a higher cadence and higher gear until I saw that sweet finish line. When it was clearly in view, I spun even faster and started really gulping air. Whew, when I rolled through the finish I was so amazed with myself. I didn't want to cry or anything, I just wanted to cool down and roll on home. I didn't really care about my time because I had no expectation to begin with. I finished 3 miles in 9 minutes 13 seconds which translates to 19.5 mph. That exceeds any previous speeds I've loosely documented so I'm happy with it. Now I have a time to beat. And 115 finished before 116.

When all entrants had crossed the finish line (including some of the volunteers) we took a group photo. I can't wait to see it because I know I'll have a glowing smile on my face. And I'll be surrounded by a truly great group of people.

One last topic, my knees hurt. I'm icing them now. I wish I wasn't. Any advice?

Life Lessons

So, having successfully completed my first Century ride yesterday, I wanted to sit down today and recount some of the things I realized during the ride.

(1) wanting to do something and being motivated/committed enough to finish it are 2 different things

(2) you have to take/ask for advice from people older and more experienced than you, your survival depends on it

(3) setting unrealistic goals doesn't do anyone any good

(4) a positive mental outlook is your most valuable asset

(5) each teammember should operate both independently and interconnectedly at all times, both autonomy/independence and communication/interreliance are important for team success

(6) "the price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand." - Vince Lombardi


I know I had some other good revelations but I didn't have a pen/paper to write them as I was riding and I was so focused on "Stayin' Alive" that I didn't have the brainpower to really remember.

I'm showing below the elevation profile, which you can see is relatively flat (1% grade at most). I've labeled some of the parts I remember most vividly.

(A) 6:45am, mile 11, When Cliff went down and bloodied his knee up, Edith and I taped a Maxi Pad to it

(B) 7:40am, mile 22, A second group joined us at the Corona West Metrolink station

(C) 8:20am, mile 29, A third group joined us at Featherly Park (see picture on Facebook)

(D) 9:13am, mile 42, Angel's Stadium/Honda Center, almost to the OCEAN!!! (see picture)

(W) 9:58am, mile 56, my first fiew of the pacific. (see pictures)

(E) 1:40pm, mile 84, The HOT part of the day (103 deg F), we took a 15 min shade break (a non-scheduled stop)

(F) ???, mile 92, The BIG HILL which was to me the most brutal part of the ride, after which I couldn't cool my body down at all. Luckily, my friend Tom told me to squirt myself with water and that helped immensely

(G) ???, mile 100, The Farmer Boys rest stop (also non-scheduled) where we sat inside in a wonderfully comfortable and AIR CONDITIONED building drinking ice water and eating beef jerky

(H) ???, mile 106, The last painful stretch where I also could not stay cool. I used almost all the water we picked up at Farmer Boys just to douse my arms and legs repeatedly

We got back to Mission Burger in downtown Riverside at ~4:30pm. At the time I felt I could have gone further but definitely did not want to face any more hills or heat.

Pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=91961&id=660124126&l=bfe7d29b93

My first CENTURY is tomorrow!

Well, since this is a blog about biking, it would be unfortunate if I didn't write about how I'm feeling right now, the day before I do my first century. Why am I nervous? Well I think it's because I'm afraid I won't be able to finish. Or maybe I will finish and then I'll scare myself at how tough I've become. Or maybe I'll end up in the hospital because I'll finish but I will seriously injure myself in the process. See how MY MIND SPINS around every possibility?

I did some good meditating this morning, wherein I realized that I need to focus myself and not be distracted by all the crazy energies going on around me. I'm doing OK and I need to feel that everything is fine in my world, because the truth is that IT IS FINE. I don't know why I have a nagging feeling that things are not fine, but it may have something to do with my position at school/work. I can't seem to keep focused.

My boss identified that I have a lack of motivation. At first, I was hurt by that comment, but with time I realized that RESEARCH IS HARD. That's OK, everyone understands that. But I have pretty much forgotten all the wonderful ways being successful and productive in graduate school (right now) will improve my life. That's what she meant. I've been addressing areas of my life that I had been deficient in, and that is hard too, but I need to really get motivated about school and commit myself for the remainder.

I am hoping that the long road of graduate school can be seen as an analogy for an endurance sport, hence the CENTURY I'm doing tomorrow might provide me with some insight that will help me in other areas of my life. Also my research involves studying plant metabolism under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, which is something of interest to athletes as well.

On a side note, my dear husband Mike insisted that I get $300 worth of cycling gear for my birthday (July 6). Bless his heart. Don't ask about the photo.

Clipless pedals

So, I finally got my first donated gear and it is all the more special because it comes from someone I love and respect very much, my cousin Josef Nygaard. He gave me a pair of Diadora Geko road shoes (men's size 7) that he had outgrown several years ago. They turned out to be perfect for me because they are already "broken in" but not completely broken down. To match them, I got Shimano 505 Clipless Pedals from my local bike shop (Anthony's Cyclery).

I have already been warned from experienced cyclists that they really are entry level pedals, recommended because they are "perfect for first timers" due to their doublesidedness, and they are not really suitable for intense training. They are advertised as being stylish, durable, and affordable, I got the whole system for under $60. I've been told that they are appropriate for "commuting and easy riding" and I have also been told that on intense rides I will experience the "burning diamond" of heat generated in the small area where the shoe contacts the pedal. I'm hoping to train on them for at least 6 months before upgrading to something more professional. If I don't notice any problems, I can just keep them.

I've already enjoyed a couple easy rides back/forth to work (3) and several leisurely rides around Riverside (10.26 mi last Saturday and 32.96 mi this Tuesday) and I haven't noticed any serious problems except for the first time I clipped in and panicked when I tried to clip out and stop. Unfortunately, I tipped straight over, but I hear this happens alot.

It had been said to me over and over that pedal systems conserve energy, helping the cyclist ride longer, stronger, and faster. So far I've noticed the benefits most on challenging hills that previously were a lot of work, but now seem downright fun. It's definitely easier to sprint uphill. As for flat ground, being clipped in helps when trying to maintain a steady but quick pace. I do have a bit of anxiety about going downhill (coasting) and being clipped in. In fact, I had a near collision at the bottom of the Canyon Crest hill (near the golf course) where a truck almost turned right into me. Luckily I was able to slow enough and he saw me and stopped also. Glad I didn't completely panic and fall over again. I did experience a tiny bit of fishtailing of my rear tire so I guess I need to consult "Effective Cycling" for more adventageous braking protocols.

vacances avec mon vélo

I recently had the good fortune to be in Northern and Central California with my Fuji and I was able to squeeze in about 25 amazing miles in between the visiting with family and friends. So worth it.

The ride up to the top of Twin Peaks in SF was grueling but the view was breathtaking and totally worth the effort.

The meandering I did along the well-marked bicycle routes in SB was so relaxing. There's nothing like a Sunday morning ride at the crack of dawn to bring peace and quiet to my soul.

My First Flat

Just a quick post about a great ride I had today with RBC. I love riding with those guys because I always feel safe and I get a terrific workout. Take today for example, I pushed past the 4o mile wall I'd been running up against. I've been wanting to do 50 miles in a single ride, but I just haven't been able to go that distance yet. Not only did I get closer to 50 miles today than I ever had before, but I did it on a ride with over 1500 ft of climbing. It was tough but the weather was cooperative, cool and cloudy with mist (but no rain) and a breeze. This would have been much more brutal with heat or rain or wind. The positive energy of (some of) the RBCers carried me on wings made of carbon fiber.

This weekend (yesterday) I also got to do the Corona Del Mar Scenic 5K with Sally Dyer (my mother-in-law) and Kristi Preston (my sister-in-law). It was as scenic as promised and just the right distance to enjoy every step. We ran in a women's race, which was fun because I've never done that before. I also got to run together with my family in a race, which is also something I haven't done yet. We had such a good time that I believe this race will be the first of many we'll do together.

Perfect Biking Weather

I’ve been riding my new bike a lot. Mom and dad gave me the money to buy a new bicycle, so I bought the fastest one I could afford (plus their help). I went into my local bike shop and the owner (who is a competitive cyclist and known for being a bike fit expert) asked me the following question, “What is it you really want in your new bike?” He stared at me and looked deep into my eyes. I felt like he penetrated deep into my heart and mind. He waited the agonizing seconds for me to formulate a thought. I couldn’t help myself, I said “I want to be AS FAST AS THE BOYS.”

Funny how I’ve always wanted to play with the boys. I’m obviously a girl but as a child I can always remember wanting to chase after boys, play with their toys and hear their stories. Anyway, I went to Anthony's Cyclery because a friend of mine (a boy that I ride with on Tuesday nights, we do nothing but hills and we call it Ceiling Tuesdays) said the UCR Triathalon Club gets their bikes there and that Anthony would take me seriously. It’s funny, the bike ended up costing me $1600, half of which I consider a gift from Mom & Dad. **THANKS!** My parents have always supported me, generously giving me the tools and instruction and freedom and encouragement to achieve anything I wanted in life. I am so lucky.

The other $800 I consider a gift from my husband, Mike. Because some people probably want diamond rings from their husbands, but not me. I love my wedding ring because of what it symbolizes but that’s all the diamonds I need. I consider this bike my 1 year anniversary gift because I got it right around that time. To respect his investment, I’ve been riding as much as I can (4+ days a week) for as many miles as I can do (10-40 miles per ride) as fast as I can (12-18 mph depending on who I’m riding with). Again, I am so lucky to have a husband who is supportive of my hobbies and is interested in promoting my health to the utmost.

The weather here has been really enjoyable lately. We’re getting cloudcover in the mornings, which is gone by noon. This keeps the morning/evenings cool and the afternoons are pleasantly warm and bright. We also have nice sunsets, mostly from all the pollution in the air, but it’s still pretty to me. Great biking weather!

Exercises in Nonconformity

My last few workouts have been more intense than ever! I have been enjoying myself thoroughly. I am trusting myself and my bike more. I have been pushing to gain both speed and endurance. I hunger for more miles. I eat pavement. I slice air.

Throughout these miles, I ride with all kinds of people, enjoying the challenge and intermittent converation. Sometimes though, I sense an undercurrent of non-acceptance and judgement. Hateration if you will. Of the many types of bicycle riders in the Inland Empire, I have found mainly these types to ride with:

1) Social Spandex Butterflies
These riders take it easy. They wear brightly colored jerseys and travel in packs. They tend to follow traffic rules. They ride expensive bikes and wear expensive cycling gear. They chat/gossip as they ride. For these riders, riding is a hobby best enjoyed at a leisurely pace. It's fun riding with these people because you can listen to their conversations or initiate a chat with someone new. These are good rides to spin, spin, spin and watch the scenery go by. Also fun because the rides usually stop at a coffee shop.

2) Ragin' Road Warriors
These riders haul ass. They also wear brightly colored jerseys and spandex, but usually printed with the logo of their team or the latest and greatest competition they've participated in. These riders don't bother chatting, they're too busy concentrating on their breathing. These individuals are likely to have tattoos and they tend to ride aggressively, sometimes ignoring traffic laws for the sake of keeping up their pace. They have GPS units on their handlebars and PowerNuggets for breakfast. These are fun people to ride with as I try to increase my speed. They don't bother my concentration with mindless get-to-know-you chatter. Also the camraderie at the end of a hard ride is nice.

3) Trixie Fixie Kids
These kids ride fast and dangerous. They wear black. At night. And they have no lights. Their bikes only have one gear. They don't bring tools, spare parts, or water. They may be intoxicated. They look cool hanging out in parking lots, one-upping each other, each stunt more dangerous and out-of-control than the one before. Then they ride on. They dress as if someone might photograph them. And then someone does. Pics from these rides end up on the internet, so you can see what you did even if you were too intoxicated to remember. Most of these kids are students or student-age and therefore ride vintage (some would say thrifty, and some would say ghetto) bikes. I like riding with this group because they are both fast and social. I always meet someone interesting who hides a genuine love for bikes beneath their eccentric facade.

4) Lonely Loner Laboring
I've seen these types out riding at night or during the day. They usually appear bent over the handlebars, grinding the gears, sweating and swearing, trying to escape from something or someone. Maybe you've seen them too. Sometimes I ride with them, sometimes they join in with whoever I'm already riding with, sometimes I pass them by. I might be one of these. I like riding alone, it's peaceful. It allows me to focus all my attention on the energy flows within myself and my connection to the energy flows going on outside myself. I enjoy the challenge of riding with other people, but nothing can replace the solitude of a solo ride.

On group rides, I usually get some egocentric comment like "why don't you wear cycling shorts?" or "why don't you have clipless pedals?" or "i guess you didn't get the memo about the island theme..." from other riders. Well the real answer is: I don't need to look like you to ride with you. I will abide by the rules, whether it be in regards to safety or courtesy, but I don't need to dress like you to enjoy myself. And that's why I'm called the bitch on a bike. I love riding my bike. I just got a new one. It's really fast. But guess what butterfiles: I don't have to buy the same outfits that the rest of you have to get faster. I just have to keep working hard. Hey fixies: You don't need to hate me for spending a lot on my bike, it's exactly what I wanted.

The Tour de Riverside (TdR) was this past weekend. I entered with my mother-in-law (MIL) and her husband, who were riding their tandem beach cruiser (a Kent Dual Drive 21 Speed). I was riding my husband's mountain bike (a Trek 800 Sport ST), and we thoroughly enjoyed the 18 mile tour. There are so many mature and beautiful neighborhoods in R'side, it was such a pleasure to ride. Also, there were some young kids on the ride with us (8 years and older) and they were an inspiration to me. The determination and grit on their little faces made me want to ride all the more. It remided me of my youth and how lucky I was to have a family that made cycling a part of our lives. The TdR was designed to:

1) To encourage the use of bicycles as a safe and viable mode of transportation
2) To enable cyclists to learn about the bicycle trails in Riverside
3) To raise awareness of environmental issues that are alleviated by bicycling (traffic
congestion, pollution, etc)

and since I believe in supporting all of these goals, I made the committment to participate. The only thing was that there seemed to be a lack of participants. I know I see hundreds of people on bikes every day and I would venture to guess that there were less than a hundred people there on that day. Oh well, maybe next year.

I thought I would just closeout this monster entry with my updated MapMyRide stats. I also realized that I haven't blogged about my new bike (a Fuji Supreme RC) which I love but that will have to be another blog for another day...
Total Workouts in 2009: 44
Total Distance: 558.70 mi.
Total Burned: 26,729 (kcal)
Gas Saved: 31.04 gallons
Money Saved: $108.02
Carbon Offset: 600.9 lbs. of CO2

Oh, yeah and I almost forgot... GIRO GIRO GIRO! The Giro D'Italia is on a rest day right now, but tomorrow the riders will tear up stage 10 (out of 21). I've had such a great time watching these races and I would like to thank Universal Sports for bringing it to a US audience. I know it's probably only because Lance Armstrong is in it, but I enjoy watching every rider in the race. I admire the team dynamics. I am energized by the sprints, uphills, downhills, and turns. I try to take one bit of strategy that I see in the race and implement it in my own rides. I use the word Giro as my battlecry as I pump my legs harder, better, faster, stronger.

Back in Blog

Well, I've had an eventful several months since my last post. I've been keeping my stats on MapMyRide so I've estimated that I've gone about 250 miles since my last post, either on foot or on bike. The number of miles I have traveled each month in 2009 has surpassed the previous month. I plotted the data and it seemed to fit, with an R(squared) = 0.9874, to an exponential function.

If I extrapolate 10 months into training (which coincides with October 2009), I should be averaging 570 miles per month. We figured that could be achieved by doing 30 miles x 4 days per week. Sounds reasonable! It wouldn't be out of the realm of normal serious training to do such a thing. That's why I colored that part of the plot with the California State flag. I think at the end of that, I'd be ready for a cross-state trip. Lake Tahoe? Hmmmmmmm.....

But how about my goal to "ride across the USA"...? I read about Matthew Klainer's 4,200 mile trip (http://www.rideacross.com/) in 63 days. Then I used my graph and extrapolated it to the month I am hoping to take my trip (June 2010). By 18 months into my training, assuming exponential growth, I could do 4,500 in a month. Hey, it sounds ludicrous, and it probably is, but everyone's got to set big goals, right? And that would definitely get me across the US.

The Ceiling is Getting Higher

Last night's ride was faster than ever. I was able to use higher gears for a quicker pace throughout the ride and when it was over, I was sorry it hadn't gone longer. That's what happens on weekday rides starting after 9pm I guess.

We ascended 1000 feet throughout our 12 1/2 mile journey. I must admit that I was thinking of my grandfather, who passed away last week. I was thinking about clinging to life while I still have the time to live it, rather than letting it slip away without doing anything meaningful.

Riverside Bicycle Club

So I've been cyberstalking the Riverside Bicycle Club (http://www.riversidebicycleclub.com/)ever since I moved to So. Cal. but had never attended an event because I didn't have anyone to go with. For me, critical social situations require help (backup) and a wingman can certainly diffuse a stressful first meeting. I finally found my in! Tyler and Sam had already been on several rides with RBC and invited us to join them today. Dave, Tyler, Sam and I rode from our apartment to the Mission Inn (4 mi) and then participated in a ride through Riverside (21 mi) and rode back home (4 mi). It was awesome!

The Riverside Raincross 5K Run/Walk was exhilarating!!! I was lucky enough to be able to run the whole time and finish right at 37:00 minutes:seconds. The course was dynamic, somewhat hilly, and very scenic. It has been so long (~Jan 2008) since I've run for any straight distance, I forgot how exciting it can be to run 5K. It's like the perfect distance to be a bit aggressive throughout. I was pacing myself until about the last 1/2 mile and people who had already finished the race began turning around and walking the course backwards, telling those of us who were unfamiliar with the layout that we should start sprinting. As soon as I knew there was only one uphill, one downhill and a turn left, I started kicking it into gear. I think that's how I got the real runner's high when I was done. Putting one foot in front of another isn't so different from pushing down on pedals one after the other, right?

After picking up my free orange slices donated by Gless Ranch, http://www.glessranch.com/, (incidentally that's where Mike and I got the oranges for table decorations at our wedding reception) and free "Dasani plus Vitamin Enhanced Flavored Water Beverage," I started walking the course backwards like the others had done, giving encouragement/direction to those who were still in the race. It was definitely a positive environment. In all the confusion, I had a hard time finding my dear husband Mike and our dear friend Homero. I did get to talk to some of the ladies who I saw running at a very fast pace toward the beginning of the race. One of the young (high school age) ones finished the entire race in 24 minutes! The older (mom age) ones finished in 30 minutes. I thanked them for their inspiring pace and enthusiasm and complimented them on their cute matching team outfits! They recommended I try some of the other 5K races down by the beach, since I seemed so enthusiastic about this one.

My friend and training teammate Andrew told me about a tool called Map My Ride. It seems like a great place to post your routes for the purposes of sharing good (and bad) routes for everyone's safety and enjoyment. Also there is an iPhone app so cyclists can download routes directly to their portable devices to prevent wrong turns. So I started inputting data from some of our recent adventures into the program and it puts out all kinds of encouraging stats like these (http://www.mapmyride.com/user/464890608312/) to keep me motivated.
Total Workouts in 2009: 11
Total Distance: 91.70 mi.
Total Burned: 4,128 (kcal)
Gas Saved: 5.09 gallons
Money Saved: $17.73
Carbon Offset: 98.6 lbs. of CO2

But it also forced me to confront some discouraging stats like...
Highest Education: Masters Degree
Occupation: Student
Employment Status: Full-Time
Income: $20,000 to $30,000
Have Kids: No Kids
Like if I'm not going to be able to work out now when I'm still in school and have no kids, how am I going to do it later on? And why am I still in school? And how come I make so little money? And when am I going to have those kids? And will I be able to reach my next level of education successfully? The balance between work/play has been difficult for me to regulate and I am still learning how to manage these aspects of my life in order to maximize my productivity and satisfaction both at work and at home. C'est la vie!

And these downright depressing facts...
Weight: 175
Waistline: 24"
Resting Heart Rate: 66 beats per minute
Body Mass Index: 32
I mean it is easy to get caught up in these numbers, right? If you spend your life striving for a target weight, aren't you wasting your life doing nothing but counting things? When is a person able to enjoy life? So usually I aim to be happy and not to worry about numbers like these. Sometimes though, I allow myself to not think of them at all. Perhaps I needed to be reminded of the true situation, not filtered through the lens of my genetic background excuses and not in the context of the people I see around me who are also obese, but from a quantitative medical perspective, I am currently doing damage to my internal organs by carrying this much extra weight around.

For some reason, I just don't like telling people my weight. But I decided that in the interests of being a real athlete here I have to be honest about the facts. I am considered obese right now with a body mass index of 32. Even if I lose 12 pounds, I'm still overweight. For me to get my BMI down into the vicinity of the high end of "normal weight," I would have to get down to my old welterweight of 135. I only remembering weighing this for a very short time when I was running 5K's several times per week with my then-boyfriend who was in Cross Country, and dancing 6 days per week both ballet and my high school dance team. I thought of this XCxboyf on my run today after I passed the 1 mile mark and realized I was holding a bunch of tension in my neck and arms and poorly regulating my breathing. Once I smiled and remembered what he showed me over 12 years ago, I felt my lungs open up and my stride improve. Incidentally, to become "underweight" I would have to drop down to a weight of 100 pounds. That's crazy!

Weekend plans

This weekend I plan to do some cleaning. I'm in the middle of cleaning my desk at school and also my husband and I are trying to stick to a schedule of chores to maintain a clean house. I'm really trying to make the effort to stay on top of everything going on in my life right now, but I feel I'm slipping on several fronts. I guess that's why they say, "You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time." This leads me to ask, "Who is most important to keep pleased?"

Another thing I would like to do this weekend is enter and finish a 5K race. There's one here in Riverside at Fairmount park and I figure it will be good cross-training. I've been telling people that I plan to run it and getting mixed responses. Some say, "Sweet!" and some say, "Have you been training for it?" I guess I figure that 5K "fun runs" have been designed so that anyone can finish them, regardless of their state of training. Plus I heard a story on NPR about a guy who was studying computer science who was trapped in his apartment building and burned 90% of his body. Part of his recovery involved training for and running in a 5K. If he can do it, so can I. See: http://thestory.org/sidebars/manoj-and-sharon-s-5k-race/

Finally, I'm going to The Bicycle Lounge (http://thebicyclelounge.com/) for the first time to put new shifter cables on my Bridgestone. This was my very first "big girl bike" that I got as a birthday present when I turned 13 (it was assumed I had stopped growing). I've had it ever since, through high school at Omaha North High, college at University of Nebraska at Kearney, graduate school at Arizona State University, and while I was teaching at the community colleges in Maricopa County. I used to commute to ASU but it was only 2 miles each way, then I communted to Scottsdale community college which was 11 miles each way, and finally I used it to commute to UCR which was less than 2 miles each way. It's seen better days, for sure, but with regular maintenance it has held up pretty well. According to an internet bike guru (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/) the Bridgestone team pioneered the design of the first generation mountain bikes by adding steeper frame angles and shorter chain stays, making them more maneuverable and nimble than the older designs, and considerably better climbers. In the '80s this design was considered "radical" but it proved itself on the trail, and was copied by everybody a few years later. This Bridgestone design still is the standard for rigid frame MTBs. Why not put a little love into the old MB and see what she is still capable of?

Why drop the B-bomb?

Well, I debated the name of this blog for quite some time, but I wanted biking to be in there and I have a soft spot in my heart for alliteration. First I did some on-bike brainstorming. I've been thinking about this for the past two rides at least (the Midnight Ridazz Salton Sea 2009 last weekend and then again on Riverside Ridazz Tuesday Ceilings). First, I checked to see if the domain names I had thought about were free. I realized "Bitch on a Bike" was unclaimed, although my other idea "Biking for Boobies" was already in use by some motorcyclists (but good for them!).

What really pushed me to type the phrase "Bitch on a Bike" into the Title field was that after I used the Google feature to obtain a profile of definitions for the word bitch (type in to the search field "define: bitch" to see what I mean). The original definition I had in mind was that a bitch is a person (usually but not necessarily a woman) who is thoroughly disliked. I used that *hate* and contrasted it with my love for females of the canine species, since I am the proud owner of 2 bitches (both mutts) and they are thoroughly liked by just about everyone.

The cool thing is that it can also refer to in general an unpleasant difficulty, as in "this problem is a real bitch." That relates to getting through graduate school. Additionally, bitching is a synonym for complaining, which as you will see, I tend to do quite a bit of. When things make me passionate or polarized, I blog about them. Awesomer still is that Bitch (or bitch) is a nonprofit, independent, quarterly magazine published in Portland, Oregon, that describes itself as a "Feminist response to pop culture." I might just have to start subscribing to that. And finally, to really put me over the edge, if one says "That was bitchin' " with the proper tone of voice, it means excellent!

The Inagural Blog Post

Welcome to my blog! I've been blogging since before they even called it that. I decided to start this blog through the Google clan as a way to establish myself formally in the blogosphere. I want to swim in the common waters of everymanblogger to see how it feels. Hopefully, I will be able to build some new connections and contacts through this medium.

I'm training for a cross-country bicycle ride. My goal is to take this ride after I graduate from University of California, Riverside with as a Doctor of Philosophy in chemistry. I have been an avid cyclist since the early 1980s. My most cherished memory is being buckled in behind my Dad flying through Elmwood Park in Omaha, Nebraska, stretching my arms out, tossing back my head, feeling truly free. I've been chasing that feeling ever since.

In addition to my interest in social networking and my plans to conquer North America on a bike, this blog is devoted to the daily events in the life of a graduate student. I do science. I've always asked, "Why?" Not only "Why is the sky blue?" but also "Why does that paint peel off the wall? What happens if I mix these two substances together and add energy?" My natural curiosity and passion for pursuing knowledge through experience has caused me to pursue the path to professional scientist.