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.

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

SF to LA packing list

As much as I hesitate to admit, I am undertaking a bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles.  The reason I am not keen on bragging about it is that I don't know for sure that it will happen.  The forces of the universe are going to have to sing in harmony for everything to work out.  Regardless, as I pack my bags, I wanted to document the items that I will bring.

Starting from my Top 10 List, I have a bicycle, water bottles, safety flag, helmet.  Said bicycle has been cleaned and tire liners have been installed.  The brakes and shifters are in working order.  I have added a second water bottle cage.  The rear rack has been used to mount panniers.  I bought this bike in February 2010 and named it "mi corazón azul" because it reminded me of Côte d'Azur (the French Riviera).  My husband and I were living 90 miles apart and I was struggling with being separated from him.  My heart was broken, since I had always wanted to live in San Diego (La Jolla) and I couldn't.

SONY CYBER-SHARE DSC-T10 Digital Camera

KODAK EASYSHARE M530 Digital Camera

I am ready to retire my Kodak digital camera.  The things I don't like about it are numerous (1) it takes poor pictures in low-light (2) the compartment where the battery and memory card are stored keeps coming open (3) when the battery is jostled out of its position because the compartment is opened, the date and time have to be reset before you can take a picture.  As a result, there are some pictures that have incorrect date/time stamps because I was more excited to take a picture immediately than to reset the date and time to correct settings.  I will probably bring one of our Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T10 cameras instead.  Those also have a slim profile, and we own two of them.  That means twice the batteries, twice the battery chargers.  Twice the cables for downloading the pictures.  The reason for duplication is the aforementioned 90 mile separation.

The important tools to bring, to keep it lightweight, are: a pedal wrench, a link breaker, a multitool for allen wrenches, tire irons, a patch kit, spare tube, and a pump.  Logan (on pedalingtonowhere) suggests extra rack bolts, zip ties, nuts, and a few chain links. Some of these tools fit in my seat bag, others will have to go in the panniers.  I don't think I would bring extra spokes, but I have located a handful of bike shops along the way.  I should bring bicycle lights, possibly spare batteries or the USB charging cables, and a headlamp for camping.

This tent is over 12 years old... and weighs ~14 pounds

I know it's not a great idea to add new items at the last minute, but I might go buy a new tent today.  The one I have is pretty big and pretty heavy.  There are Memorial Day sales going on, which may bring us a small discount.  I got a 1-person tent for $35 at Big 5 Sporting Goods.  I practiced pitching it twice so I think I'll be good with it.  I'll go to the storage unit today and pick up my sleeping bag.  Don't think I'll have room for a tarp or a yoga mat.  The weather looks good (for San Francisco at least) and hopefully we will be blessed with low winds and no rain!  I'll probably use spare clothes for a pillow.

The outfit I'm wearing above is part of what I will be packing for clothing.  I'm definitely bringing my Adidas track suit.  I will bring a windbreaker jacket.  I will bring about 4 pairs of cycling shorts, my legwarmers, and 2 pairs of arm coolers (to prevent sunburn).  I will bring about 4 pairs of socks and probably 4 sportsbras.  I will probably bring only 2 jerseys, with sleeves.  I will bring 2 t-shirts (one short-sleeved, one long-sleeved) and about 4 pairs of regular panties.  It will be good at the end of the day to change into something clean, dry, and absorbant.  2 pairs of gloves (one full-fingered, one fingerless), and a long-sleeved winter jeresy.  I'll bring my cycling cap and maybe also a hat for wearing around camp.  I want to bring a pair of sunglasses for sure.  I will also pack a reflective vest for safety.

The toiletries that I'll bring include: face wash, face sunscreen, body sunscreen, chamois butt'r, toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo/conditioner, and cooling foot creme.  I hope to have room for the addaday roller and possibly a racquetball for self-massage. J/K no room for those. A clothesline is a good idea, along with laundry soap that could be used for washing clothes.  I will also pack a small towel or washcloth.  I added contact lenses, contact lens case, contact lens solution, glasses, glasses case, sunglass case.  I added body glide, a hair comb, and face lotion.

For food, I'm stymied.  We had originally planned on having a chase vehicle so I bought a bunch of gus and gels.  But carrying 15 pounds of Clif bars and blocks seems a bit ridiculous.  I have been pouring over a book, Bicycling the Pacific Coast, that details where you can find bike shops and grocery stores along the route.  I'll probably just load up my panniers with the essentials and weigh them.  Amtrak has a 50 pound limit, which I hope I won't get anywhere near, per bag.  I'll just add/subtract until the bags are balanced and reasonable.

I'm reminded of scenes from the movie Wild where Cheryl Strayed thought she had it all and she learned along the way what was necessary and unnecessary.  I packed a mini-first aid kit with different shaped bandaids, sterile pads, athletic tape, triple-acting antibiotic oitment and Aleve.

Independence Day Ride Report

Mile 1

Mile 25

Mile 55

Mile 64

Mile 82

Mile 92

Things we learned from this trip:

*** REAPPLY SUNSCREEN ***  And/or buy lightweight armwarmers with high SPF and don't imagine it's better to have a sleeveless jersey.  It's not worth the extra sun exposure.  When the words "We should probably put on sunscreen," are uttered from your mouth, THEN DO IT!!!  Talking about sun protection does not translate into applying sun protection.  Bring a lightweight sun hat.  With a wide brim for poolside recovery time.  I took in more sun on Day 1 hanging out on the balcony.  Could have been prevented.

The first 55 miles we went ~10 mph.  The last 25 miles we went ~ 5 mph.  We thought we might make it to Oceanside, but we decided to end the southward-bound leg at San Clemente.  There were more hills through the last part of our ride and I had one moment of blinding pain in the legs up a hill.  But more than our legs, my arms were absolutely sunburned and I would not have wanted to go further.  I mean, someday I will want to go further, but just not on this trip.  We waited a good 2.5 hours for our train, but I took a 25 minute nap in the shade while listening to the waves.  Totally chill.

Resist the tempation to eat at McDonalds.  It sounds like a good idea but it is not.  We started from a McDonalds.  I ate eggs with salt and pepper and a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast on Day 1.  Beware of 7-11 Sugar-Free Slurpee.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  Sometime after the McDonalds and the Slurpee, I started to have GI distress on Day 1.  Maybe it was too much heat and humidity.  Maybe the electrolyte/water/carb balance wasn't right.  We stopped at McDonalds on Day 2 also, in Dana Point.  I felt my stomach/small intestine tie up into knots and had trouble breathing both days after eating at McDonalds.  Just sayin'.

Booking your hotel at the last minute is either brilliant or really stupid.  We had a sickening suite atop Hotel Irvine on the 14th (top) floor.  The suite had 2 bigscreen TVs, 3 sliding glass doors, a dinnertable for 6 people, 2 balconies, 2 entrances... need I go on?  We arrived just as all the fireworks displays were all around us.  Amazing.  Traveling with 3 adults made it hard to choose a hotel and we wanted one room with two beds.  Seems like all the normal rooms were taken so we got a sweet suite for the price of a regular room.  But we had to ride 8 miles away from our coast route to get to it.  And 8 miles back to the coast in the morning.

Staying on the PCH is fine as long as you aren't in a hurry.  Through Laguna and Dana Point there was hella traffic.  This is why we got our orange safety flags.  But still, we might have considered taking a parallel route.  Stopping at all lights is a must but be prepared for how much this traffic and the hills will slow you down in terms of reaching a certain distance in a particular amount of time.

Consider buying a disposable camera.  I didn't take nearly as many photos as I thought.  Almost all of them are posted here.  We saw so much gorgeousness but it's all in my head now.  The camera I have is on its last leg.  The battery compartment keeps popping open, causing me to have to reset the date and time before taking a picture.  Not cool when you're wanting to snap a photo quickly.

Something happened when charging my Garmin overnight at the hotel so it didn't work in the morning.  Of course, it's working fine now, but I felt naked without it on Day 2.  I guess the message here is don't count on your technology and bring a backup camera (or a disposable one) and a backup watch.  I would have been a bit more relaxed knowing what time it was at all points along the route on Day 2.  And it didn't help that all of us kept asking "What time is it?"  It just kept reminding me that my Garmin mysteriously would not turn on.  And that bummed me out.

I LOVE my new cupholder.  I hardly even used my regular water bottle.  It was much easier not to have to lean down to grab and replace a traditional bicycle water bottle.  Much easier to fill a to-go cup with ice and water and then drink it through a straw.  I had some fizzy electrolyte tablets that I didn't want to put in a water bottle and the cupholder/disposable cup system was good for that.  Although it tasted kind of yucky in warm water.  The panniers worked out great, too.  Made us look like more serious long-distance cyclists.

Independence Day Ride

I'd like to spend indepedence day on my bicycle.  We are planning to ride a century: from Glendale to Oceanside.  On DAY 1 we plan to take the same route we did on Christmas Eve through Pasadena, down the Rio Hondo and San Gabriel River trail and along the ocean to Newport Beach.  As you can see, all the climbing is at the beginning to get through Pasadena.  The weather is supposed to be 68 degrees F at 7am when we leave McDonalds on Brand Blvd in Glendale.  It's supposed to be 78 degrees by 10am.  It is forecast to be 85 degrees by 1pm in Santa Fe Springs.  In Cerritos, it may be 82 degrees at 3pm.  It should be 77 degrees in Seal Beach around 5pm.  We're expecting sunset at 8:08pm at which time it will be 71 degrees in Huntington Beach.  I honestly don't know when we'll arrive in Newport Beach.  These times and temps are approximate, of course.

1) water stop at Jack-in-the-Box on York Blvd. (7 miles)
2) water stop at 7-11 on Hellman and San Gabriel Blvd (15 miles)
3) water stop at Santa Fe Springs Park (27 miles)
4) lunch at Liberty Park (33 miles)
5) water stop at Alamitos Bay (42 miles), maybe plug in phone @ a coffee shop?
6) water stop at PCH and Goldenwest (50 miles)

On DAY 2, the second leg of the trip will be a new route for us, heading down the Pacific Coast Highway and through Camp Pendleton to Oceanside.  The good thing is that we can stop at San Clemente if we're too tired to go through Camp Pendleton.  The forecasted high temperature in Dana Point for Saturday (7/5) is 78 degrees F.  The high in San Clemente is predicted to be 81 degrees.  Camp Pendleton is expected to reach a high of 77 degrees between noon and 1pm.

There are Metrolink stations are as follows and times are provided for weekend train #667

Oceanside, 5:30pm
San Clemente Pier, 5:51pm
San Clemente, 5:53pm
This will get us back to LA Union Station by 7:50pm and we might have to ride back to Glendale from there unless we wait at LA Union Station until 8:55pm to catch train #271.

Just like for Death Valley, I wanted to make a packing list here to get physically and mentally prepared for the journey.  Death Valley was critical because it was supposed to be cold, in the 30s or 40s at night, so I had to bring lots of warm clothes.  Also, DV is in the middle of nowhere so we had to bring in all our food.  This trip is different since it's summer, we're going to be in the city, and we're not bringing a car.  We got flags for our bikes since we plan to ride down PCH during the day on Saturday.  I thought it would be safer.  And why am I always on my period when I plan for a century ride?  Is it the universe reminding me that I am a strong woman, yet still a mortal that has to deal with this (female) body?

Routeslips are posted here for Glendale to Newport Beach and Newport Beach to Oceanside.

Highlighted items need to be purchased

Gels/Gus/Blocks/Bars

Fruit

PB&J Sandwich

Salt bagels

Garmin

Garmin charging cable

Phone

Phone charging cable

Camera

Camera charging cable

Swimsuit

Flip flops

Cycling shoes

Sunglasses, Sunglass case

Bibs (cycling shorts)

Sports bra

Jersey(s)

Socks

Warmup pants/Jacket (my adidas)

Helmet, Gloves

Armwarmers?, Kneewarmers?

Bandana and/or hat

SPF Lipbalm, Sunscreen

Contact lenses (case, solution)

Toothpaste/toothbrush

First Aid Kit (Bandaids, Gauze, Tape, anti-inflammatories, scissors, tweezers)

Tampons, Pads

Body Glide

Chamois Creme

Bike (obviously)

Lights (+extra batteries)

Water bottles

Cupholder

Flags

Panniers

Bungee cord

Routeslip, Binder clip, Maps

Pen (for writing)

House key(s)

Ca$h, Insurance Card, ATM card

Tire Pump

Tools (Spare tubes, Allen wrenches, Tire irons, Screwdriver, Patch kit, Zip ties)

Bike lock(s), Bike lock key(s)

Chain lube, WD-40

A rag for cleaning, Wet wipes

Sewing kit

Earplugs

Ziploc bags

Spare rack nuts and bolts

Duct Tape

Toilet paper

Matches

References:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?page_id=31730
http://www.thirdwave-websites.com/bike/bike-trip-packing-list.cfm
http://www.greenvillespinners.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=296060&module_id=63532

bike-related news

There are some bike happenings coming up!  The days are getting longer and my legs are getting stronger!

First I have to give a SHOUT OUT to the next CicLAvia which is April 6th From 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., along Iconic Wilshire Boulevard.  We might get a group together and ride from Glendale.  Cost: FREE.

Second, the Amgen Tour de California is rolling through SoCal. Stage 6 - Santa Clarita to Mountain High Friday, May 16, 2014.  Riders will roll out of Santa Clarita at 11:35am and bike 94.4 mi to finish at Mt. Baldy.  Elev Gain: 11,700ft.  That's a Friday and I might see the riders somewhere along that course.  Stage 7 (May 17) starts at 11:40 am again from Santa Clarita finishing with laps around Pasadena.  It will be great to ride over there and watch some real professionals.  This is a Saturday and is FREE for spectators.



Third, want to discuss the Jewel City Fun & Fitness Ride.  Happening May 18, 2014 in Glendale, CA http://www.glendalerotarynoon.org  This should be a great LOCAL community event.  I've never done it before but I found it on active.com.  I will look into this as a way to learn new routes and connect with other people here in Glendale that care about bicycle issues.  Cost: $15-40. 

I read in the News-Press (Saturday-Sunday March, 8-9) that about $138,000 is slated to pay for improvements in Glendale to cover markings and signage along segments including Broadway between San Fernando Road and the eastern city limits.  Glendale's bicycle plan includes 100 miles of bike lanes, roughly five times that which currently exists.  About $2 million has been spent since 2004 on bike lanes, bike racks, and street improvements near schools.  Thank you City Council!  Keep approving bike projects, please.

Lastly, I wanted to share this awesome "Mini Medical School for the Public" video I saw on YouTube. Registered dietitian Heather Schwartz Garza discusses advice for cyclists (both amateur and competitive) which really helped us understand why we got headaches after our most recent bike ride to Hollywood (due to dehydration most likely).  We learned that if you ride for longer than 1 hour, you must pay careful attention to your nutritional needs to avoid feeling crabby for 2-3 days afterwards.

Christmas Ride Report

Our Christmas Century was most epic!  We started out with our new Panniers in Glendale and ended up in Newport Beach.  Through the city, we enjoyed riding the bike lanes on Verdugo, Colorado, Eagle Rock, and York Blvd.

1) water stop at Jack-in-the-Box on York Blvd. (7 miles)

Through South Pasadena (Monterey Rd), Alhambra (Chapel Ave), and Rosemead (Hellman Ave) we rode along broad residential streets. We climbed an overpass to cross the I-10 on Jackson Ave and followed fellow cyclists along Garvey Ave to enter the Rio Hondo Bike Path.

2) water stop at 7-11 on Hellman and San Gabriel Blvd (15 miles)

We went under the 60 freeway and crossed the 19 (Rosemead Blvd) where a guy was selling flowers and candied apples. Rio Hondo was super-scenic and colorful with leaves and a variety of plants at this time of year.  From there it was easy to follow the signs for the San Gabriel River Trail.  There were plenty of parks to stop and use the facilities and refill our water bottles.

3) water stop at Santa Fe Springs Park (27 miles) **restrooms closed until after New Year's Day!

We met a fellow cyclist who was a total inspiration.  He had lost possibly more than 100 pounds after being bit by a mosquito and experiencing a year of paralysis.  He told himself that if he ever became mobile again he would change his lifestyle.  And we saw him that day riding from Pico Rivera to Seal Beach and back in one day.  Way to go!

4) lunch at Liberty Park (33 miles)

When we got to the terminus of the San Gabriel River trail at Seal Beach we took a few minutes to eat and take photos.

5) water stop at Alamitos Bay (42 miles)

One of my favorite parts of the route was crossing through the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.  We were definitely saddle sore at this point and all the biodiversity really cheered us onward.  There were also plenty of restrooms and water fountains along this part of the route.

6) water stop at PCH and Goldenwest (50 miles)

I loved the Huntington Beach portion of the ride, especially the dog-beach.  It was super fun to see all the dogs frolicking in the waves while we were suffering through the last decade of miles.  I definitely got to use all kinds of layers.  I was rocking the UCR cycling kit (Champion System), which I call the Cadillac of chamois and dear husband was sporting the Sugoi.  We both had bib-style shorts and tight-fitting jerseys.  I also had Pearl Izumi long-sleeved outerwear which came in mighty handy as the ocean breeze picked up and the sun began to set.

7) arrival in Newport Beach (54 miles)

I was feeling really beat-down just before I saw the sign welcoming us to Newport Beach.  Luckily I was traveling with a native (dear husband) and he knew a shortcut to get to our hotel (North Bayside Drive and Back Bay Drive).  It was really fun seeing all the fishermen and riding over a bridge to avoid the big climb at the intersection of the PCH and Jamboree.  We checked into the Hyatt Regency and got a room with a sliding glass door so we could roll our bikes up and into our room.  We stayed two nights and had a great walk around Balboa Island on Christmas day for some cross-training.  We made it a priority to book a hotel with a jacuzzi which we used at the turnaround point for our trip, soaking with massaging jets for 20 minutes.  I also did a cold-treatment by standing in the pool for 15 minutes, followed by a return to the hot tub without jets on for 10 minutes.

We packed plenty of nutrition for our trip.  Sliced apples, oranges and pears were our fresh fruit for hydration, sugars and electrolytes.  We used Quaker oatmeal bars (chocolate chip) and Gu shots.  Clif shot bloks and PowerBar performance energy bars, Hammer gels, and Jelly Belly Sport Beans.  Pretty much anything and everything to get us through the ride.  On the way there we also had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which we didn't have on the way back...

8) water stop at Huntington Surf & Sport / Mobil gas station (72 miles)

We rode along PCH rather than close to the water to get home faster.  It was weird that there were very few pedestrian crosswalks, but it was pretty to see the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve from the inland side rather than the ocean side.  I bought a Huntington Beach sticker at the Surf & Sport.

9) snack stop at Out*Spoke*N (74 miles)

We stopped at a bike shop to get some Gu.  It was a good place to have a chat with other cyclists but we were on the move and didn't stay long.  I'm sure if we had timed it better we could have spent more time here and less time at the gas station.  It was kind of hilarous though to stop at a gas station and not fill up our gas tanks, just breeze on through fueled by carbohydrates and water!

10) water stop at Liberty Park (84 miles)

Some of the ride I was sans-jersey and styling my sports bra and bibs.  It was cool and refreshing.  There was a bit of wind on the ride home, a hot dry wind that left us encrusted with salt.  Interestingly, we didn't have any electrolyte beverage, but I think that's why the sports chews and bars were so important.  We tried to eat every 45 minutes.  Also tried to drink every 15 minutes, but it was probably more like 20.  I wish my Garmin watch would beep when it was time to eat or drink.  At least it keeps track of pace and time (and date).  I only wore sunscreen on my face and I ended up with a gnarly cyclist's shorts tan and a farmer tan on my upper arms.

11) lunch at Wilderness Park (90 miles)

This stop was idyllic with crane, swans, pelicans, ducks and a cute puppy frolicking among the families enjoying the outdoors there.  The restrooms and drinking fountains were welcoming features of the park.  I never knew much about Downey, CA but now I can say that I've been there.  We also never knew there were so many horses along the way.  It was interesting to be riding along in a turn-of-the century mobile (a bicycle) flanked by 1800's style transportation (men on horseback) and modern day machines (cars stuck in traffic on the 605 freeway).

12) water stop at 7-11 on Hellman and San Gabriel Blvd (103 miles)

By the time we hit the 7-11 again, all the fight had been knocked out of us.  We could bearly make complete sentences, let alone argue about whether or not a video should be recorded.  At Huntington Dr and N Atlantic Blvd we had a brief stop to put on our lights since the sun was setting and we had to hustle the remainder of the journey in the growing darkness.  Each half of the trip burned 6000 calories and took us about 7 hours.  Shoutouts to Dan Slater and the Riverside Bicycle Club for giving us the knowledge and confidence to undertake this epic Christmas ride.

When we got home, we ate the last of our carb loading meal.  It was great to have a home-cooked Christmas.  We also got a free dessert at the restaraunt Shor consisting of a pumpkin crème brûlée and two sugar cookies.  Guilt free!

Thanksgiving Ride Report

This Thanksgiving was like none other!  We rode over the river and through the woods with dinner on our bike rack.  We prepared fruits and veggies from the garden using a Swiss Army Knife and a Microwave.  Regardless of the warnings about free radicals generated when heating plastic, we steamed the vegetables in Ziploc bags and added the butter after.  We had Eggplant steaks, Parslied potatoes & carrots with sliced garlic, Swiss chard with mushrooms, Spiced baked squash, Sweet onion and whole garlic cloves, and Snitzbrot.  We used only the finest paper plates and plastic cutlery.  We drank tap water with gusto.

It was really amazing because we stayed at the Doubletree on the 10th floor and from our hotel we could look at downtown LA and just barely see Griffith park.  It was daunting to consider the ride home because the day after Thanksgiving we got rained on nearly the entire ride home.  It was super fun riding by the Beverly Center and through Beverly Hills.  Also Fountain Ave bike route was extremely enjoyable.  Loved the Ballona Creek Bicycle Path and the bike lane along Venice Blvd.  It was thanks to CicLAvia that we felt comfortable riding through various parts of LA and for the first time I started to feel like "this is my city."

value

I've been thinking about value lately.  I've said this before, but I'll remind myself again, when a word gets stuck in your head, you better get it thought through, because it might be the universe trying to tell you something.  Or the universe that is your grey matter.

First, I think of values (political) such as whether people "value human life" or not.  I mean, who doesn't at least value their own life.  When I think of my own health, which I take for granted, I realize that many of us do not make daily choices that lead to a state of optimum health.  Others do.  A recent trip to Las Vegas cemented these opposing values in my mind as part of the fabric of American culture.

Then, I think of value (bargain, price) which we may have had at Circus Circus.  I enjoyed the theatrical escape of being geographically distant from my house, which seemed much less cluttered when we returned than when we left.  Something about staying in a dirty, crowded, noisy hotel makes you enjoy the peace and quiet of your own home when you return to it, exhausted.  I went totally WifeBOT5.0 on the house with the remaining glycogen in my system from the crystallized ginger and added some boiled turnips and barley/lentils for good measure.

Also, I think of value (of a color based on its reflectivity).  I like highly reflective colors!  Especially for biking and cycling.  Think of them as photon friendly.  High value is like canary yellow or cyan (#00FFFF). Low value is like a king's red or navy blue.  I still haven't gotten to my craft project of adding reflectors to a couple of pairs of pants and a jacket using iron-on double stick batting and fluorescent orange ribbon coated with retroreflective tape.  I have one running outfit, but I want a few things for urban night-cycling.  Wolfpack Hustle, this summer I am riding (at least once) with you.  Found my stack of blank canvases so a flock of birds I hope to paint.  I've been watching you carefully this spring my feathered friends.

Finally, I'm thinking about eVALUEations.  It's the end of the semester and naturally I am evaluating my students while they are evaluating me.  We each give each other a certain number of points, and then I give them a letter grade, they submit teaching evaluations (both electronically and on paper).  If my garden were to evaluate me, it would give me an F.  The value on the thermometer was above 100 deg F yesterday, which means it's time for the dogs to get their summer haircuts.  At the shop they ask you, what value?  Meaning how short of a razor guide to use.

Value is everywhere in my life these days, but I am in a big moment right now.  Finishing up at Claremont and heading into a summer of new experience!  Grades are due in a week.  We had our first research meeting yesterday, so it felt great to show how much progress we've made this past semester.  Publication-quality figures!!!  I feel like my neighbors are valuing (or evaluating) the educational garden in the front yard.  We have our first ripe tomatoes and cayenne peppers (thanks to this heat wave) and there are seeds forming on many of the native and cultivated plants.  These are a few of my values: plants and chemical education.

Yeah, and it's BIKE WEEK in LA.  Amgen Tour de California is happening!  You can take your bike onto any bus for free.  There are bike lanes spontaneously popping up around town this week and weekend.  I value my carbon bike, it was costly.  I value the Reve Tour and they gave me a free subscription to a magazine so I can read stories other writers write and other photographers photograph about a lifestyle I wish I had more time for.  But I guess that is what tells us about our values.  What you spend your time doing must be what you value, or as Tony Robbins would say: "You're out of alignment, and that's why you're not happy."  It's almost time to align myself with a showerhead, but at least the thoughts about value are out of my head and down here (not on paper), or should I say: up in the cloud?  Maybe later today I can align myself with my bicycle around Claremont or otherwheres.

work/life balance

I've been wanting to write about this for awhile now (since Apr 2nd at least) and since I'm shooting for 10,000 pageviews, I want to get one more post in for April. So here goes, work/life balance...

I've had the [Illustration by Hallie Bateman for Pandodaily] stuck in my mind ever since I first saw it (pun intended).

woman-in-half

Then when an opportunity to speak with the filmmaker of "Lost in Living" at a screening on CMC campus, I knew I had to make time to go.  Also the event was being hosted by CMC Prof. Audrey Bilger and every single event she plans is good.  What an amazing role model.

I cried.  At the end.  I didn't want their stories to end.  I wonder if Mary Trunk felt that way, too.  I have to thank her and the artists who star in this reality-show glamazon escape film.  We see gorgeous artists in full bloom, soaring through the story while doubting themselves along the way.  It was so powerful to see friendships and generations evolve over the course of 2 hours.  Did I mention I love time-lapse photography?

Also, I got a copy of the DVD and I would be happy to have a screening.  Call me, maybe?  Our house is such a mess right now, I think dear husband is completely incapable of making progress towards helping with it. For me, I'm imagining what Henry Ford would have said: "Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs."

I'm not a mom, but I'm definitely a woman who struggles with the daily grind of balancing creative time and housework. I'm losing the battle on the home front, but potentially winning it on the outside. But maybe that's what all women feel like. When I read my cards, the image that I saw was King of Swords, an unstoppable force of nature. That's how other people see me, but I wouldn't even describe myself like that.

All the moms in the film judge themselves and their decisions, but all are creatively established to the point that they can handle rejection and even continue to work productively (and successfully) while raising children.  Nothing could have inspired me more to continue writing, even if I do not have a clear picture of my audience.  Let's continue this conversation...

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.