If the shoe fits...

I retired a flight of shoes this week.  It's hard because we've been through so much together.  I rely on my shoes to protect and cushion my feet.  I've been having pain in my feet, which may or may not be related to the wear and tear on the shoes.  A friend recently asked me why I would wear shoes with holes in them when I have plenty of money to buy new shoes.  

So let me tell a few stories about these retired shoes, to honor them before they are donated to reuse-a-shoe, Nike's recycling program to turn old shoes into new materials like flooring and jacket zippers.  If you want to recycle a few pairs of your old shoes, a few nearby recycling centers are:

Nike Running Pasadena

37 West Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91105
626-793-7862

Fleet Feet Sports Burbank
1516 West Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91506
818-238-9522

From Left to Right: The Asics TK61E was an impulse buy at Big 5 sporting goods in Claremont (or Montclair) on a day when I had to teach lab and I didn't have closed-toed shoes.  I used them for walking, running, cycling, commuting, and teaching.  I logged 139 miles of fitness on MapMyRide, and now they are retired.  

The Nike ZOOM NUCLEUS MC+ was a shoe that I researched and was fitted for at Running Center in Redlands.  I logged 282 miles of fitness on MapMyRide, these shoes ran probably 13 races and many training runs.  

The Nike DUAL FUSION RUN was an impulse buy on my way to participate in the Color Run in San Diego.  I loved that they were hot pink and I ran/walked only 70 miles with them, but wore them on many bike rides and for teaching.  

The Old Navy MESH SNEAKERS were on sale for probably $10.  I bought them because I loved the tennis-ball fluorescent yellow color.  Turns out they were like barefoot shoes and I wore them for many bike rides and for teaching.  

Last but not least, the red PUMA.  I bought those in Switzerland.  They may have been on sale.  I wanted something to remember my trip there, something that could not be found in the US.  I wore them for 10 years, they are shredded in the heel and have a hole in the toe.  The little gold puma details are falling off.  When I wear them it hurts, so it's safe to say these are cleared for retirement. 

Here's the new lineup (from left to right): New Balance 730 (W730RB2) is an ultra-lightweight running shoe. ACTEVA™ LITE midsole provides optimal resistance to compression set.  ACTEVA LITE is 24% lighter than standard foam because it is a blend of Elvaloy® and ENGAGE™ to increase flexibility, toughness, long-term outdoor exposure, and soft touch. I liked the color scheme and the way it felt like wearing a nice pair of slippers.

Fila Turbo Fuel Energized running shoe has a memory foam insole for extra comfort and CoolMax® technology for ventilation.  I really liked the color.  I don't know how they will feel to run in, but I will wear them for teaching and possibly also for Zumba.

New Balance 580 (W580SG3) is a classic running shoe with ABZORB® technology for cushioning made of Dupont ENGAGE™ elastomeric polymer, and a sole of Isoprene rubber for durability.  I realize these shoes are made from petroleum, and I wonder if there are shoes that are made of primarily renewable materials.

Specialized Cadet cycling shoes that have a simple black exterior and all kinds of hidden goodies.  First, the shoes have a Lollipop™ inner plate to enhance pedaling efficiency while EVA midsole stabilizes and cushions off the bike. Second, there is a Lacelock™ elastic mechanism to securely stow shoelaces so they won't catch in your chainring. Third, the shoe is decorated with reflective elements for enhanced visibility.  So far I love these.

Nike Flex TR5 has an EVA midsole. The bottom of the shoe has a rubber traction outsole with pods at high wear areas.  I liked the way it felt also like a slipper when I put it on.  The shoe weighs 7 ounces, putting it in the lightweight category.  I guess stability shoes can weigh anywhere from 10-13 ounces which is probably why it feels so weird that this would be a running shoe.

Of all these new shoes: I hope to find something good for walking, something good for standing (teaching), something good for running, something good for cycling, and something good for dancing!  I doubt I will find the perfect all-around shoe, but I hope each of these shoes eventually proves that they have a specialty.

Summer Lovin'

I had a flashback yesterday jumping in my car.  It's hot and humid here in Southern California and I felt like I was 17 years old again.  I felt a rush of excitement when I realized that I could just drive straight to the beach and enjoy the waves all day.  Then I realized that I'm a grown woman and I should instead go to the store and return home to analyze some data.

It was interesting to entertain the idea for a moment and to contrast what was going on in my head 17 years ago with what is going on in my head now.  I just realized in the process of writing this that I had a flashback to half my life ago.  I used to absolutely LOVE summer.  I used to love waking up early and going to work at a telemarketing job (indoors) then heading to the pool to "lay out."  To me that was the epitome of summer.

Now I think about SPF 50, large hats, and polarized lenses before what bikini to wear.

I guess some things don't change, I still like my frames to have a cat-eye and tortise-shell.  I still like the color blue.  I still like to prevent chapped lips.  But instead of trying to get bronzer, I'm worried about sun spots.  Instead of laying around listening to the FM radio, I'd rather run in the sea and sand and try to tone up my tush.

We're biking from Anaheim to San Juan Capistrano this weekend with a large group.  The event is called the Metrolink Metric Century.  I've done enough biking events that I will not wear a sexy little tank top.  Instead I will wear something sensible (with sleeves) and my arm coolers (providing SPF 50).  I guess that's the difference between 17 and 34.

Jewel City Ride ~ Report

The 3rd annual Jewel City Ride (Glendale, CA) was a fantastic success!  We had 3 bike rides: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.  Having done some of the climbing for the advanced ride, I know for sure that it was a challenge.  My husband and I marshalled the intermediate ride.

In total there were about 130 riders.  The majority of cyclists chose the Fun & Fitness ride.  The feedback we heard from those riders towards the middle or back of the pack were that they didn't expect that many hills.  Even though the bigger hills from the 2nd annual event (last year) were moved to the Gear Grinder, some felt that there were still too many hills.  But the person who was saying that had only one gear on their bike.  There were very few complaints actually!  We had great weather and the cars we encountered were well-behaved.

The feedback we got from the Gear Grinder riders is that they got "dizzy" in the switchbacks leading up to North Glendale.  I'm glad it wasn't just me.  I wish I had taken some pictures of the event, but I was pretty focused on keeping everyone on our ride safe that I didn't want any other jobs.  There were professional photographers for the event, so it wasn't necessary to take pictures.  The other comment from Gear Grinder riders is that they would have liked to see an elevation profile.

The event got some good media coverage from Mr. CiclaValley and Streetsblog LA.  Some people on the ride indicated that they really weren't comfortable riding in traffic.  It may be a good idea to check out Bicycle Safety Classes throughout June, July, August, and September.  They will be held at a variety of locations including Claremont, Culver City, Downtown LA, North Hills, Long Beach, Pacoima, Reseda, and Santa Monica.  These classes are FREE of charge, thanks to Metro and a grant from the CA Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

BIG THANKS to the Glendale Rotary Noon for helping secure funding for this event and for providing support at the water stops (and for all the other things you all did that I'm not aware of).  It made a great community event to have the picnic cooked up by Rounds Burgers.  Some wondered why many of the sign-ups happened during the last few days leading up to the event, but from what we heard, many participants found about the event through word of mouth.

SF to Salinas Century

My California Coastal Bicycle Adventure will have to be continued... at least I made a century!

Day 1 (5/28): The route through San Francisco was facilitated by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, we took the wiggle. The ride through Golden Gate Park was scenic. We ended up on Lincoln Way, which wasn't great. We took 28th Ave nearly down to Sloat and followed Hwy 35 to Skyline through Daly City. We paralleled Hwy 1 via Palmetto and Francisco/Bradford before finding a bike path along Caldara Creek which led us into Pacifica State Beach.  We rode up and over Devil's Slide and down Hwy 1 to Half Moon Bay. We stayed the night at Americas Best Value Inn and Suites, eating dinner at Asian Kings Kitchen. The hotel offered continental breakfast, including hard-boiled eggs!

Day 2 (5/29): The second day of our trip we followed a bike path out of town and stayed on Hwy 1. A fruit stand in Davenport was a life-saver.  We arrived in Santa Cruz and stopped at 'Another Bike Shop.' Our hotel for the night was called Hitching Post Studios Inn.  They had laundry machines, a swimming pool, and a full-sized kitchen.  We rode to the boardwalk and out to the end of the pier.  We had dinner at Taqueria Agave, which served fantastically large portions.

 Day 3 (5/30): We had breakfast at Subway and made our way out of town on Soquel.  This portion of Hwy 1 does not allow cyclists in the roadway, so we took San Andreas to Beach.  The road labeled McGowan is called Thurwachter Rd.  Other than that we didn't have any problems navigating.  After taking Trafton/Bluff/Jensen back to Hwy 1, I noticed signs for a bus to Salinas.  Instead of riding by myself, it was eaiser to put my bike on the bus and get a ride straight to the Salinas Amtrak station.

When I left the house on Memorial Day (from LA to SF via Amtrak Coast Starlight) my panniers weighed about 15 pounds each.  I felt like they got heavier each day of the trip.  By day 3 I was bearly crawling, but I kept moving forward singing to myself "Takin' my time, gonna take my time."  I went through all the stuff I brought and didn't think I could have done without any of it.  In fact, I would have added a sewing kit.

One important thing I did forget was shoes. I ended up buying a pair of Specialized Cadet from Valencia Cyclery.  They worked out splendidly.  One thing that happened that I didn't expect is that my thumbs started getting blisters from the gear-shifting levers.  Also I wore a hole in my long-fingered gloves.

   

Mark Growden - Takin' My Time | Listen for free at bop.fm