Pregnancy Part 26

We had our breastfeeding class this week at the hospital. It was taught by a male nurse. There were 6 couples there, but I think 3 of the women attended with their moms. One was a second time mom who didn't successfully breastfeed her firstborn because she went I to early labor and there were lots of complications. It was very helpful to practice the holds and swaddling with a doll. The teacher had a beanbag breast so that he could demonstrate. He had a PowerPoint presentation with a lot of embedded videos. Dear husband said he learned that there was a lot more to it than he initially thought, and he was glad he attended the class. The class was free and lasted 2.5 hours long, plus there were free cookies!

I think it's kind of sad that the brick and mortar Motherhood Maternity stores are closing. How are people supposed to buy clothes that fit properly when they can't try it on?

I got the above top and bottoms for my hospital "going home" outfit. The pants I got are in black, in case of blood leaking out. But they're totally comfy. The first pair I picked out was so uncomfortable, but dear husband grabbed these and had me try them on. See what I mean? Sometimes you can't tell what will feel good until it's actually on your body. Got this whole outfit for $35. So many of my yoga pants are "over bump" and it's nice to add one to the collection that is "under bump." Since I don't know at this point whether I will do a vaginal birth or Caesarian section, it's good to have loose pants that don't necessarily have to go over bump.

Of course it doesn't look like this on me. I do enjoy when they use plus-size models because it helps e get an idea of what the garment will look like on me. I'm looking forward to the day when each store uses a body-scanner to generate a virtual version of you and then you can virtually try the clothes on and see how it will look on YOU. For example, the pants are very long and pretty much drag on the ground because of my short legs. But I just don't know if it will be cold on the day we're discharged so I'd rather have pants that cover just in case.

I think I picked up the shirt because it was a good price (on sale) and I liked the pattern. But also it was really comfortable and something I could see myself wearing even if I wasn't pregnant. I tried on a few nursing tops but they weren't really my size. This Motherhood Maternity was in a small corner of a Macy's store at Victoria Gardens. Even my husband was like, "this is it?" I know we're only pregnant for a short time of our lives, but it's so nice and comforting to wear things that look good and are appropriately tailored for our pregnant bodies.

I got this swimsuit and the one below at a Motherhood Maternity store closing sale at the Santa Anita mall. I don't think I would have paid the full price, but I am so glad I got this. It's messaging is kind of silly and won't work after I am no longer pregnant, but I like to let the lifeguards know that I'm pregnant in case something goes wrong while I'm at the pool. I like that this is a pretty traditionally cut one-piece bathing suit. It has a few smaller criss-cross straps in the back to keep the shoulder straps from falling down. It's gathered around the bump area, which you can't see from this picture. I want to say the suit was about $24. It's been a while since I bought it.

Again, I probably wouldn't have bought these swim separates at full price, but at 70% off it was really a steal. I mean a good deal. I think I can definitely get away with wearing this one after birth. I've never been much of a tankini person or a swim skirt person, but I just didn't know what kind of shape my body would be in by now or after the baby is out, so this seemed like a good option. And the top is very bra-like and has wide supportive straps that criss-cross in the back. I think the two pieces were like $12 each.

I don't LOVE buying new clothes, but it's necessary every once in a while. Especially for things like swimsuits. They only last so long and it's hard to find them secondhand. To pack our hospital bag, we wanted dedicated "going home" outfits that wouldn't be worn for any other purpose. It's hard to give up the yoga / PJ pants that I have because I only have 2 pairs that fit now and I wear them every day. Likewise with shirts. I have probably 4 now that make sense, so you can believe that I won't be packing them away for an indeterminate amount of time.

It also seems that maternity clothes aren't "made to last." Many are made of stretchy fabric that is very thin. I am washing them carefully (delicate cycle, Woolite) and line drying, with some hopes that they will become useful hand-me-downs for my younger sisters. It makes sense that the fabric is thin, though, because I do seem to be overheating much more easily than before.

Pregnancy Part 7

Today is 15 weeks. I am feeling happy and hungry. Despite eating lots over the weekend, I did not gain a significant amount of weight. It is so easy to get stressed about eating too much, not eating enough, and whether I'm eating the "right stuff."

I am pretty much hungry all the time now. I am a bit concerned because I looked at my lab results from my first trimester screenings and although everything looks good with the baby, it seems like some of my levels are elevated, which points to a UTI. Of course, when I called my doctor's office this morning I found out that she hasn't looked at the results yet because she was on vacation last week. I'm not so upset about her taking vacation, but I hope I will get a call back today with some advice about whether this is something to be alarmed about or just nothing.

I made the appointment to speak with Human Resources at my school to get all the information and paperwork for my leave of absence in the spring. I informed my boss that I will not be teaching. It is all starting to get pretty real.

We ended up taking a spontaneous trip to Santa Ana over the weekend. We left school at 3pm and sat in traffic for 3 hours on the I-5 freeway. We listened to the Practical Entrepreneur podcast and This American Life podcast. We snacked on fruit and energy bars. We drank lots of water. It was actually pretty relaxing for me at least. We arrived at our hotel around 6pm, dropped off our little doggie, picked up McDonald's drive-through, and went straight to the football game at Newport Harbor High School. The game was a blow-out. Corona del Mar scored 55 points against Lakewood who scored 7. It was still fun to sit with family and greet my nephew out on the field after the game.

We got back to the hotel around 10pm, ate a bit of snacks and went to sleep. We both slept so well, we decided to book another night! It was so relaxing. I had the continental breakfast at 7am, then went back to sleep for a bit. We woke up at 9am and went to meet family for brunch at Coco's in Anaheim. We went back to the hotel, watched a couple of episodes of Keeping Up with the Kardashians and then the movie Devil Wears Prada on the E! network.

My sister called and it was great to have a long chat with her. We had dinner at the Stonefire Grill and then went for a long walk on the beach. We got back to the hotel in time for dear husband to have a dip in the jacuzzi while I watched a couple episodes of Midsomer Murders on PBS.

Corona del Mar Main Beach

The next morning, we had continental breakfast together around 8am. Then we took Edna Jo for a long dog walk around Santa Ana. There were lots of other dogs and people to say hello to. When we got back to the hotel, we packed up and got on the road home by 10am. Traffic was nice and we were home within 1 hour. We did some grocery shopping and then took naps. A couple loads of laundry and some garlic-butter chicken later, we went to bed around 9pm.

It was great to get away, but we have some plans for next weekend. We plan to do some house-cleaning (bathrooms, vacuuming, etc.). A good thing about getting away is that you come home to see how your house looks compared with a professionally-maintained hotel room. Let's just say that our whites could be brighter. I'm glad fall is coming, I am getting done with this heat. I did sleep with the windows open last night and it was glorious.

The things I was missing on the trip were: flip-flops, shorts, headphones/earplugs, swimsuit and sunscreen. We've perfected our packing routine to the bare minimum from our bicycle travels, but now that we're driving, there's no reason not to bring a few more comfort items. Also, it would have been good to have two sets of utensils. I ended up eating leftover mac & cheese with my hands and then the next morning Mike cut his mouth on the crappy plastic spoons in the breakfast area. There's no reason why we can't bring our own silverware.

Fertility Part 19

I am writing my first post about pregnancy. We are currently pregnant. It is a scary feeling because I know there are still many things that could derail our train, but at least our locomotive has left the station.

July 3rd - 11dp5dt - hCG: 260 IU/L - E2: 1,014 pg/mL - P4: 31.4 ng/mL
July 5th - 13dp5dt - hCG: 664 IU/L - E2: 912 pg/mL - P4: 28.6 ng/mL

Here is our schedule going forward:
July 12th - week 5 - Labs only
July 19th - week 6 - Labs + ultrasound
Aug 2nd - week 8 - Labs + ultrasound (might be able to lower medications)
Aug 16 - week 10 - Labs + ultrasound (might graduate to regular Ob-Gyn)

I am heading out in a minute to get acupuncture. I skipped restorative yoga on Friday, instead I found a gorgeous shaded walking trail. I feel a bit uncomfortable since I have a lot of tightness in my lower abdomen. I am afraid to overdo other stretching or exercise. I am weighing 192 pounds as of today. I have a fear of gaining too much weight too fast. I had a good birthday weekend.

Central Coast Trip

We had a wonderful 5-day (4-night) vacation in Grover Beach this New Year's.  My panniers weighed about 26 pounds.  The raingear was not used, but rain was in the forecast so it was good we had it just in case.  The most valuable items were the windbreaker, yoga pants, and a zip-up hoodie.

It was easy to catch the Amtrak from Glendale.  The Holiday Inn Express provided continental breakfast, of which we used to make lunches of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.  This helped keep the cost of our trip low.  Our walks and bicycle rides were completely free.  We considered seeing a movie, but there wasn't anything we could agree upon.

I am providing our modest itinerary and detailed packing list for our own documentation, but also I would hope it would help you consider what you would bring if you had to carry everything.  There are things I missed, but I used everything I brought.  It felt really good to simplify our lives if only for a week.

It was really fun to be able to take the bus.  The 5-cities transit was awesome!  We bought a $5 all-day pass for the day we went to San Luis Obispo, since we took two different bus lines.  Even though we were early for the bus (which runs only once per hour) we took the opportunity to do some "Bus Stop Calisthenics." Analogous to my favorite passtime, "Train Yoga."  When you consider the urban landscape one big playground for adults, and stop caring what people think, life can be more fun!

Itinerary

Day 1: Fri. Dec. 30

Boarded train at 3:17pm
Arrived at 7:54pm
Biked to hotel
Dinner at Carl's Jr

Day 2: Sat. Dec. 31

Bike ride to Grover Beach beachfront
Viewing of Monarch Grove
Bike tour of Pismo Beach downtown
Walk to 5 Cities Center, Branch Street
Bus ride back to K Mart
Dinner at AJ Spurs

Day 3: Sun. Jan. 1

Bike ride to Avila Beach
Walk to Grand Avenue
Dinner at Round Table Pizza

Day 4: Mon. Jan. 2

Bus ride to San Luis Obispo
Tour of Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
Shopping at Phoenix Books

Day 5: Tue. Jan. 3

Lunch at Station Grill
Boarded train at 1:55pm
Arrived at 6:50pm
Biked home

Packing List

Outerwear Raingear + Stocking cap Light jacket + Windbreaker Sun hat + Cycling cap Scarf + Headscarf Bicycling gloves	Underwear Undershirts (1 camisole, 3 t-shirts) Long sleeve cycling jersey Boxers or panties (5+ pair) Socks (5+ pair) Bras (1 sports and 2 regular)
Tops Hoodie (zip up) Sunglasses + case + cleaning cloth Bicycle helmet Safety vest	Bottoms Hiking pants (Convertible) Yoga pants Dress pants Cycling shorts
Toiletries Face wash, lotion, eye cream, serum Toothpaste/toothbrush Contact lens case/solution Chapstick, face SPF 50, body SPF 30 Comb, headband, tampons, medication	Electronics Phone + Charger GoPro + Charger Lights + Charger Computer + Charger Music player + Charger
Other Swimsuit Resort Dress	Footwear Cycling & Walking shoes  Flip-flops

Zion NP Packing List

Outerwear

Coat (heavy)

Jacket (windbreaker)

Hat (stocking)

Scarf

Gloves (ski/waterproof)

Underwear

Tights

Long Underwear

Undershirt (camisole, t-shirt)

Performance shirt (long sleeve)

Boxers (briefs or panties)


Tops

Sweatshirt

Fleece (zip up)

Backpack + water bladder

Sunglasses

Sun hat


Bottoms

Thermal socks

Performance socks (2 pair)

Hiking pants

Hiking boots

Flip-flop (sandals, thongs)


Other

Swimsuit

Snacks (Clif bars)

Rink Rat

Skating is my new addiction.  It came to me this summer that I wanted a reward, and what better way to feel good than to go zooming around on 8 wheels?  I live 0.6 miles from Moonlight Rollerway, so it's crazy I didn't start frequenting it sooner.

Remembering the days of my childhood, I knew what I had to do: Find a "play it again sports" and get a pair of used skates.  I went to the location in Sherman Oaks first.  Although they had a bunch of great fitness equipment, I didn't see or try on any skates that got me excited.  Then I tried the location in Pasadena.  I found the skates pictured above in perfect condition.  They're a size 10 and I generally wear a size 9 in shoes, but hey I could wear thicker socks.  Or just tighten the laces.

Skate rental at Moonlight is $5 and I got the skates for $50 so I only needed to use them 10 times for the purchase to make up for itself.  I'm proud to say I've skated 11 times already.

The boots of my skates are Riedell, which has been making figure, speed, in-line and roller skates since the 1940s. The wheels are Powell, a Stanford-educated engineer who started making his own wheels in the 1970s.  He's associated with skateboarding more than rollerskating.  But I think it's cool that the skates I eventually settled on are so infused with skating history.  Also, I might put a pom-pom on there (that's what the chain is there for).

From Bloglovin' The nostalgic building that houses Moonlight Rollerway was built in the 1940’s and before Harry’s Roller Rink opened there in 1956, it was used to make airplane parts for the great war. The skating floor is the original Harry’s maple flooring, “with no nails all tongue and groove”– it’s basically a living artifact of 20th century American leisure.

I'm getting my skating muscles back, practicing starts and stops by doing "Red Light, Green Light" and practicing turns by doing the "Hokey Pokey" and practicing skating backwards during the "Beginner and Intermediate Backwards Skate."  I might eventually try this type of skate dancing.  There's so much talent at Moonlight.

Monday - adult night - [not yet]

Tuesday - adult class + live organ music - 9/13, 9/20, 9/27

Wednesday - skate dancing class + rainbow night - 8/17, 10/19

Thursday - roller derby practice + throwback music - 8/25

Friday - all ages afternoon - 9/9, 10/21

Saturday - all ages afternoon + evening session - 9/24

Sunday - all ages afternoon + family night - 7/31, 10/2

Clearly, live organ music is my favorite night~!  It's not crowded.  The video above shows the ambiance of that night.  Really good skaters come out, too.  Someday I want to go skating in Northridge.  Rainbow Night is so indescribably amazing, you have to experience it for yourself.  It's like an aerobics class, where everyone's REALLY INTO IT.  At some point, the fog machines start blowing and the lights dim and people really let go of their inhibitions.

I don't remember too much about Thursday, except to say that the derby girls scare me.  They train hard, skate low to the ground, and circle for hours.  Maybe it scares me because I'm interested in it, but maybe it scares me because I hear that they get pretty severe life-changing injuries.  Friday (all ages) skate is mostly kids.  But as long as you don't run them over, it's fun.  The kiddos had a meltdown when the Jacob Sartorius - Sweatshirt song came on.  It was like the Beatles!

Our neighbor offered to sew me something one time, and the pattern I picked out was for a skating dress.  She said "I don't need a pattern to make you a circle skirt."  Well, she never sewed the skirt, but now that I have my sewing machine out, I can make it for myself!  I can see why people like skating in dresses or short skirts, skating really gets your muscles working.  I've noticed my booty has lifted in the past several months.  I attribute it to skating.

I was walking home from the rink last night and snapped the shadow picture above.  The sun was setting and it struck me that I could see a cool shadow of me and my skates.  A few blocks later, a Jeep slowed down next to me and yelled something out the window.  I pretended not to hear it, but the driver was so persistent.  He didn't pull forward to the stop sign, instead yelling again: "It's hot that you skate."

I don't particularly love being yelled at by passing cars, it makes me feel unsafe, but I think the truth is that active transportation is hot.  It's awesome to walk around, take the bus, skate through CicLAvia, bike LA, it's all hot.  I will definitely get my skates on for Glendale meets Atwater Village (Spring 2017).  I'll make a follow-up post about CicLAvia-Heart of LA in October.  But what I want to say is that getting active is attractive.  Moving gets you feeling good, and that's hot!

Best $1 Ever

Bike To Work Day 2016... I was flying down White Oak in the valley and this happened:

I got screwed! Earlier that morning, I was going through the checklist in my mind of everything I would need to change a flat to make sure I could change my tire if I had to.  I always do this when I'm biking to or from work.  I wondered if I was really prepared to fix a flat on that day.  I knew I had:

• Pump
• Tire irons
• Patch kit
• Spare tube

Yes, I thought, I had everything.  I just didn't think I would actually need it.  So there I was, hauling as fast as I could away from work, towards my house on Bike To Work Day, trying to make it to one commuter pit stop before it closed, and PSSsssst the tire went flat.

I had my GoPro running, and I considered filming myself changing the flat, but then I thought, "what if I can't do it and then all I end up filming is myself having a pity party right there on the curb."  So I turned off the camera and took out all my gear and got to work fixing the flat.

I love having a road bike with quick releases, it makes getting the tires on and off very fast and easy.  Removing the screw from my tire involved unscrewing it and inspecting the inside of the rim for damage.  I used the tire irons that I keep in my backpack at all times.  They cost $1.  They're lightweight plastic.

So I got the tire and tube off the rim.  I removed the flat tube and placed a $1 bill over the hole in the tire.  The image below uses the wrapper from an energy gu or bar, which also cost about $1, but I was taught by Riverside Bicycle Club to use cash so that when you get to the bike shop, the mechanic gets a nice tip!

Photo from bikehacks.com

When I reached for my pump, I took one look at it and realized (S#@$) I had brought a mountain bike pump instead of a road bike pump.  I have at least 3 small pumps and some of them are configured for Presta and some for Schrader.  But luckily, just this month we had purchased several adapters for a cost of, you guessed it, only $1.

After opening the Presta valve and fitting it with the adapter, I placed the tube inside the tire and gently inflated it.  This gives the proper shape to the tire and makes the fit snug between the tire and tube.  I shimmied my gloved hands along the tire with the tube inside it to make sure that the tube was seated comfortably in there.

I replaced the tire onto the wheel, again it helps to be wearing gloves, firmly gripping the tire and stretching it back into place.  I did use the tire levers a little bit here, too.  Then I put the wheel in my lap and started pumping to reinflate the tire to specificication (110 psi).  The pump I have has a gauge on it.

Mini Dual G

Try as I might, I could only get just past 60 psi but I figured hey, I'll just ride slow and get to a bike shop.  But I ended up riding all the way home.  So I guess the take-home message is that you MUST travel with these items at all times.  This flat was not patchable I would say, so I'm grateful I had a spare tube.  And the $1 adapter saved my a$$.

From our commuter workshops we learned that most cyclists fear biking to work because they aren't sure how to address changing a flat tire.  I did the job in about 15 minutes with very little drama and with no help whatsoever from passersby.  If I can do it, so can you!

Profound thought from the ride home: If I ride fast, it'll hurt less when I get hit by a car from behind. That's physics people!  But why was I having such a morbid thought?  Hey drivers: give me 3 feet.  And slow down please.  I got a flat while riding in a bike lane.  If I had swerved to avoid the hazard (screw, glass, etc) and not swerved towards the door zone, there would have been nowhere to go since cars were whizzing by me at 50 mph in an area with a 35 mph posted speed limit.

I am a cyclist

Six years ago, I classified cyclists into four groups. Today I propose a fifth category: the commuter!

Originally, I classified myself under "Lonely Loner Laboring" because I spent time alone on my bicycle. People are buzzing about how Southern California is shifting to a more bicycle-friendly landscape. There are bike lanes and sharrows on more of our roadways. Either I'm connecting with more cyclists, or there are more people out there on bikes now.

Just when I think I'm alone, I look around at a red light and Voilà, there are two more cyclists coming up behind me. I love it. Also, I rarely ride alone now. My dear husband is usually right there with me.

Reflecting on my classification scheme (don't get mad, it's what scientists do!) I realize now that with more diversity in cycling, it's useless to try to fit cyclists into boxes.  Many of us crossover into more than one category.  When I wrote that post, I had just started riding with Riverside Bicycle Club (for three months) and I was upset that folks were peer-pressuring me to ride in spandex.

Wavy Bob

I read a lot of articles from Bicycling magazine, which is great but also tends to push people to buy stuff.  You definitely don't need to buy stuff to ride a bike, with the exception of a bike.  It's also good to have lights, a helmet, and some reflectors.  But other than that, wear what you want!  There are many creative solutions for commuters.

Wavy Stacked Bob

The biggest apprehension I hear from people that are unsure about riding a bike to school or work is that they will mess up their hair or outfit.  That's where a little creativity comes in!  For me, it is easier to maintain a haircut that looks great straight out of a helmet.  When my hair is longer, and in the cooler winter months, I use a silk scarf under my helmet to create a hair-flip.  You're not going to come out of the helmet looking this glam, but a haircut like this can get smooshed under a helmet, dry a little bit smooshed and come out looking wavy and soft.  The longer version is best for winter, covering a little of your neck and ears.  The shorter version is good for summer, to keep your neck cool.

Pixie

Pixie

Another hairstyle that worked great for me was a pixie.  Now I understand that this hairstyle may send your boyfriend or husband into a tailspin, but it's not on his head!  You will want to stay cool, but still look cute and then this haircut is for you!  It was great for me when I was doing lots of cycling AND running.  Just enough hair to dump a cup of water on it and cool off, but not a mop of hair to trap the heat in.

Another thing I consider when I commute is not wearing light-colored pants.  I got lots of great colored jeans from Express (and the Goodwill), some of my favorites right now are Gloria Vanderbilt.  Obviously, from the picture you can see that Express jeans are for when I'm leaner and the GV brand is more accommodating to a curvy frame.  I wear tall-ish socks and tuck the bottom of the jeans into the socks (in the Winter) whereas in the summer, I roll up the bottom of the jeans for a capri-style that's a bit cooler for my ankles.  If you get a grease-mark on a dark pair of jeans, it isn't as noticable.  And if someone does notice, just tell them that riding a bike is awesome.   Say proudly, "yeah, I bike to work."

As for shirts, I rock a tank-top as a base layer.  I don't wear a sports bra for commuting, but a regular bra with a camisole-built-in-shelf thingy is a good combination for all-day support.  In hot months, I will wear my reflective vest directly over the tank top and put my work shirt in my backpack.  In cooler months I wear my reflective vest over a button-down shirt.  I don't mess around with safety.  Even though I call these my "dork vests" I feel like it's a seat-belt.  Something that is pro-active.  We saw a guy riding with one of these last night, he had not fastened it in the front, so the vest was billowing around him and it really looked like an angel was flying along with him.  He wasn't even riding fast, but he looked like he was because of his vest flapping.

Summer Safety

Winter Safety

I have written a lot about shoes, and the only thing I will say is that I always tuck in my shoelaces.  The last thing you need when you're riding in traffic is to get your shoelace caught in your chainring in the middle of an intersection.  I've ridden in sandals, sneakers, cycling shoes, and boots.  I've not ridden in high heels (pumps) but that's because I don't really wear those.  Not to say it isn't possible.  The only thing to be wary of is that if you're wearing platforms, you might want to raise your seat up accordingly, or if you're wearing flats (to the point of Barefoot shoes) you may need to lower your seat.

I tried the lifehack called Penny in Your Pants to ride in a skirt.  My commuter friends said it looked like I had balls, so I prefer to ride in a skirt with cycling shorts underneath.  It is fun to ride a bike in a skirt, but doesn't work well in a pencil skirt.  I have some pencil-ish skirts with stretch and a nice slit in the back that can work, but more A-line or even circle skirts work better.  The thing I liked about "Penny in Your Pants" is that you don't have to buy stuff to make it work.  And that's what I love about commuter cycling style.  It's not about the look, but you don't have to look awful.  It's more about creative solutions to adapt to the lifestyle.

However you ride, the important thing is that there are many types of cyclists.  You don't have to fit into a box to call yourself a cyclist.  You don't need a $200 kit.  And if you don't know what a "kit" is, then don't worry about it.  Just ride.

Freedom Ride ~ Report

This ride was designed to liberate participants from their cars, instead riding bicycles through Los Angeles and Orange Counties, returning via Metrolink train.  We accomplished this goal with a small group of riders, which was good since it was our first time planning and leading such a ride.

We prepared for the ride by, of course, riding.  We rode ~40 mile rides many weekends in May, and ~50-70 mile rides in June, to be ready for this ride.  We started discussing it in March and set the date about a month ahead of time with a few of the riders who were really dedicated to riding it.



We planned a good amount of water/bathroom stops and regroup points, even adding one at 301 East Coast Hwy, Newport Beach, CA 92660 (Chevron/Subway) which had a very clean restroom and a great soda fountain with water/ice.

We cut the trip short of the routeslip by catching the train at Tustin instead of Irvine, but it worked out perfectly.  We learned that there's a Jack-In-The-Box and Subway/CircleK/76 to get snacks for the train.  We were only about 10 minutes early, but the train was a little late.

We met some new "bike people," other folks who enjoy freedom on two wheels as we do.  Altogether, the trip was inexpensive ($10 day pass for the train) especially since many of us brought our own snacks.  We got someone riding Metrolink that had never done it before.

LA River Ride ~ Report

The LA River Ride this year was hot, literally.  Of everything I could say about the day, the heat is the most noteworthy.  According to the Weather Underground, the temperature was 97 degrees.  Although at some points on the roads, a cycling computer read well into the triple digits.

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) did a fantastic job of providing water stops.  Hollenbeck Park had restrooms and large water reservoirs (and music!).  Maywood and Dills Parks were also great!  There were small Clif bars, peanut-butter pretzels, water, electrolytes, and trail mix with nuts and rice crackers.

Hollenbeck Park

Maywood Park

Dills Park

Aquarium of the Pacific

I am extremely grateful to all the volunteers who made these rest stops possible.  I am also grateful to Wayne "Ridetime" Howard for taking us on the Metrolink Metric Century the weekend before the LA River Ride.  Riding in the heat for the majority of the day helped us prepare to successfully complete this ride without incident.

We completed 70 miles in about 7 hours, for some segments we were going 16-18 mph.  I will caution riders that the segment of the river trail around Firestone has some really nasty underpasses.  The trail zig-zags around some large curbs after going over a kind of bump and there is no visibility for riders coming under the roadway.  I'm not complaining, it's always great to have an underpass, but these ones are gnarly and we had a rider from our group collide with another rider in a head-on collision.  It's unclear who (if either of them) violated the centerline rule, and I'm not saying the trail should be removed or redesigned, but I am urging all cyclists to ride safely in this part of the course.  Riders that passed us, walking their bikes, mentioned that someone always "goes down" in this part of the ride, every year.

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.

OC Half Marathon ~ Race Report

Our training schedule looked like this:

02-01-15 Training Run #1 = 7.52 miles (16:44 pace)

03-01-15 Training Run #2 = 9.41 miles (15:44 pace)

03-28-15 Training Run #3 = 11.34 miles (15:41 pace)

05-03-15 Race Day = 13.53 miles (14:59 pace)

The course was GORGEOUS:

Not strictly along the water, but we had enough cool ocean breezes to help us towards the finish line.  This was not a particularly hilly course, with a 450 ft elevation gain.  We trained on the course for Training Runs 2 & 3.  I think that really helped.  Training in the outfit that I actually wore on race day was a good idea.  Races are fun because you don't have to carry anything.  There were plenty of water and bathroom stops.  My three favorite cheering groups were: (mile 6) a K-Pop Drill Team, (mile 7) a band playing under the PCH, and (mile 11) where there was a short 5% grade.

Some people run to win, some people run for charity, but this run was for family.  I wrote in February that my goal was to run a half-marathon pain-free.  Well, that didn't happen.  Right now (two days later) my toenails still hurt.  But it was a great day to be outdoors and together with people that I love.

Top 10 list

I've been pondering a question lately: if you could keep only 10 possessions, which would they be? The reasons I'm thinking about this are twofold: I live in a 327 square foot house AND I'm still considering a cross-country bicycle trip.  If you live in a small house, it's silly to be a pack-rat.  And if you plan to live for a couple of months on the road, carrying the weight of everything with you, it's time to think about which items are really meaningful and which items are just heavy junk.

Obviously, I would keep my bicycle.  This is the first grown-up bike I have owned and we've been through so much together.  I took this beauty with me when I left for college, riding out what is now called The Links trail for some much-needed escape from the busy campus life at University of Nebraska at Kearney.  I rode to and from Arizona State University in Tempe as a graduate student and to University of California, Riverside along bike lanes and trolley routes.  I've taken this bike down to Newport Beach along the San Gabriel River Trail.  It's one of my core possessions that is almost as important to me as my heart.

I would keep a journal.  I've been writing in a journal since I was about 12 or 13.  I kept one all through high school.  I wrote periodically through college and started writing regularly again in graduate school.  Of course, I would try to keep something lightweight, but this is a deal-breaker, I would not undertake a journey of a lifetime without a hardcopy journal.  There's no need for electricity, but I would also need to being a pen or two to write, sketch, and think.

There are several water bottles that I've had over the years that I love.  On a long trip, I would have to bring at least one water bottle.  I like one that has writing on it that shows where you biked from.  I used to have one from Arizona but it got so old and weathered that it started leaking from the side.  The one I carry now is from California and I think that if I went on a long trip, I would like to keep that one or something like it.  Obviously the helmet is a necessity.  The things you have to bring are not as fun as the things you choose to bring, but can we just go ahead and include tools, pump, patch kit, spare tubes, and panniers as one thing?

I would need a tent.  And a sleeping bag.  Can we use our bicycle lights as a flashlight?  I don't think I would bring an entire camping stove.  I don't think I would bring lots of food either.  I saw the video below a while back and it really stuck with me.

How Bicycles Can Save Small Town America - PathLessPedaled.com from Russ Roca on Vimeo.

I would definitely have to take some toiletries.  Does this mean I would need a small towel?  I gotta wash my face, hair, body and brush my teeth.  Also have to include sunscreen.  I guess I would also have to include some clothing so I'm not biking naked.  This means socks, bike shorts, jersey, jacket, sports bra, and shoes.  Possibly also a hat and sunglasses.

I'm sure I'm up to my 10 items.  What's on your list?

Ride Report: R2R California Challenge, Day 7

There are bike rides and then there are Ride 2 Recovery rides.  One is pure fun and leisure, while the other is a testament to all things orderly, businesslike, safe, and efficient.  There is no "i" in teamwork and I felt that I was a part of something greater by participating in this ride.

79 miles, 6 hours 30 min, 12 mph, 4360 Calories

We had been wanting to try taking the train out to Ventura and riding either North or South from there and this organized ride gave us an opportunity to go for it.  Leaving work at 4pm on a Friday, we visited CycleWorld in Northridge for some last-minute adjustments to our bikes.  Then we hopped the Metrolink train to East Ventura station, arriving at almost 7pm.  We forgot our directions to the hotel, but Ventura has plenty of marked bicycle routes, and we followed the sunset West until we arrived at our destination.

A short walk to The Habit provided a Santa Barbara burger, Cesar salad, pastrami sandwich, and sweet potato fries.  We could see the meeting place from there, so we went to bed knowing we were very near the start of the next day's ride.  In the morning, we ate continental breakfast in the hotel: oatmeal, yogurt, eggs, potatoes, and sausage.  Also, the coffee was strong.  We headed over to the Crowne Plaza hotel and found a congregation of riders and support vehicles waiting.  Just before we left, we used the restroom and snagged a banana.

Most everyone there had been riding all week and were outfitted in the R2R jersey.  We did our best to fit in.  Mike had the R2R bibs and I had an R2R hat, but it was clear that we were "day riders" just joining for the last day of the challenge.  The ride briefing was informative and there was a speech from the city of Ventura.  At this point, we had no idea yet of the coordination that must have gone into planning a ride of this scale.  The riders were organized into groups: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta.  We opted to ride with Delta group (12 mph), thanks to the guidance of our friend who originally exposed us to R2R via a facebook event last year.

We rolled out to the sound of bagpipes and rode 2 by 2 alongside the Naval CBC Port Hueneme.  Folks came out and cheered us along.  We entered CA-1 (East Pacific Coast Highway) at Hueneme Rd.  Until this point, I did not realize how amazing the support was for the ride.  We didn't stop after this.  There were escort vehicles including motorcycles, police cars, fire engines, ambulances, and boats along the water.  They would sound their sirens and flash their lights and even blow a stream of water out to salute as we passed.  It was incredibly moving.  And we were literally moving!


Riding to our first rest stop, we chatted freely.  People started to wonder where we were stopping when a bathroom break was needed, but we all made it to Sycamore Canyon (Pt. Mugu) without much difficulty.  There were water bottles, Gatorade, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, and port-a-potties for us to use.  Everyone was stretching and talking, making sure that all riders were doing OK.  There was a person making rounds with "second skin" spray for those who had spills on previous rides and had open sores that would have been painful if sweat dripped across them.  Torn shorts and jerseys were further evidence of difficulty on previous days' rides.

We rolled through Malibu (the "boo") and it was gorgeous.  The most striking thing about the ride was that we didn't have to fight traffic at all.  I would say the organizers did a fantastic job of streamlining our trip.  There were a few climbs, but nothing too grueling.  It was particularly exciting passing Neptune's Net and Moonshadows, two restaurants that I had always accessed by car.  We had a regroup stage at a parking lot in Topanga, just past Pepperdine University.  We were handed Gatorade chews and water bottles, much needed for the final climb to LA.

After joining all groups together we stepped up the pace to 16-19 mph.We arrived at the West LA VA Hospital just after 2pm.  A food truck from In-N-Out Burger provided us cheeseburgers and Lay's potato chips and we drank Gatorade and Coke Zero.  There were speeches and live music.  We stayed about an hour, then used the port-a-potties and headed out to Wilshire.  The ride home was uneventful (in a good way).  We took a "Copenhagen" left onto La Cienega to get up to Fountain Ave.  We rested at the top of the hill and then hurried across Fountain to the McDonalds before turning to Hyperion.  I had many moments along Fountain where I thought I couldn't make it all the way home, but we did it!

Our trip was epic.  We brought with us 6 Gu packets, one packet of Clif Blocks, one package of electrolyte Jelly Beans, a camera, two phones, our ID and health insurance cards, our train passes, one change of clothes, flip flops, 2 bike pumps, 2 spare tires, tools (Allen wrenches, patch kit, tire irons), sunscreen, chap stick, helmets, gloves, and bikes.  Traveling so light was liberating and we learned to trust our instincts and the power of riding with a large group.  We are looking forward to riding with R2R in the future, both for training rides and challenges.  It was humbling to be among so many motivated and inspiring leaders in cycling rehabilitation.

personal style

Thinking back to my earliest attempts at personal style, I remember the grunge era. I had a couple of flannel shirts and a few pairs of Dickies and one sweet pair of Airwalk shoes.  I always felt like a tomboy and these were the first clothes that I picked for myself.  After grunge gave way to the Spice Girls, I identified with Mel C and styled myself "sporty spice" which didn't make much sense since I didn't play any sport.

In college, I didn't give much thought at all to my clothing. Partly because I went to school in a rural area where the shopping options included Wal-Mart and a really expensive department store. In graduate school, I started teaching. I lived in the Sonoran, Mojave and Chihuahua desert regions therefore my clothing consisted mostly of culottes and a pair of white eyelet capri pants.  My tops were not given much thought either, but I started wearing bright colors more.

My first year of teaching in the community college, I wore slacks (or jean-like pants that were not blue denim).  I loved plants with spandex on the first day after washing, but after wearing them for awhile, they tended to be effected by the gravitational pull, exposing the top of my underpants.  Or my belly.  Either way, totally unacceptable.  I found a large set of polo shirts to be perfect tops.  Some were short sleeved, some were elbow-length, and some were three-quarter sleeved.  They were in a variety of pastel and non-threatening single colors (absolutely no horizontal stripes).  I liked things without prints.

When I started graduate school (again) I survived mostly on the same outfits that I had used for teaching but my dress got even more casual with days of working in the lab and no longer teaching.  I dressed up a bit more if we were hosting an invited speaker, but nothing like a business suit and certainly no skirts or dresses (with the exception of my wedding!).  I amassed a great collection of 'nerd shirts' which are given away at conferences and have slogans printed on them like "lab rat," and "give precise details of sample preparation."

After school, I landed a fantastic job at a private liberal arts college.  My friend's mom had been a teacher and offered me two gigantic bags of her "teaching wardrobe" for my new work environment.  She liked prints (flowers mostly) and the color purple.  She gave me lots of dresses!  I found a store called "It's A Wrap" that sells second hand clothing from television and movies.  Each semester I spent at least $200 on work clothes.  Somehow that doesn't sound like a lot, but it was a time that I felt free to express my personal style and invest in myself.  I was conscious about my appearance and I wanted to highlight my femininity since I was teaching at a women's college (in the Spring semesters, at least).

For the fall semesters, I got a bunch of brightly colored skinny jeans from Express and a new pair of glasses à la hipster.  I like to make fun of LA hipsters and their fixed gear bikes, but maybe I'm closer to one of them.  I am artistic, but not pretentious, and I do incorporate vintage (read: thrift store) pieces into my wardrobe.  When I left that school, I got a faux-hawk and my department chair told me they were losing the most unconventional dresser in the department.  I still can't decide if that is a compliment or something that I should have considered during my appointment as a direction to tone down my wardrobe.

I moved to the school I'm at now and my style has evolved (or devolved).  I backtracked to Old Navy for a half-dress, half-business casual wardrobe at the beginning of working there.  Now I am sporting a $40 wardrobe from Goodwill.  I do think it's a shame to wear brand new clothing that was probably sewn by child laborers in Bangladesh.  That's why I prefer second-hand.  I'm teaching labs again so I need all natural fibers and clothing that won't suffer sticker-shock if it is ruined by acid or dissolves in a solvent.  I don't take the liberty to consider myself a fashion icon, but that doesn't mean I don't have a personal style.

I would like to think that I dress age-appropriate and work-appropriate.  One lifestyle consideration is that I get to work by bicycle, which is why skinny jeans are so great.  No excess fabric to get caught in your chain.  I do enjoy biking in skirts, with bloomers or bike shorts underneath of course.  It's fun to have a dress flapping in the breeze, but pencil skirts don't work so well.  Neither do the trend of longer skirts.  There are certain colors I like, such as turquoise.  I think it brings out my hazel eyes.  

I have a few pairs of shoes that I like but they're starting to wear out.  One pair of red Pumas I got in Switzerland brings back good memories.  Another pair of hot pink Nikes I bought for the Color Run makes me smile.  I also love my tennis-ball fluorescent yellow shoes I found at Old Navy.  When I completed the statement "I need more _________ in my life," one of the words that came to mind was "shoes."  I would probably get this pair of Toms if they weren't $54.  Another thought I had was "I need more flowers in my life."  I still wear lots of solid colors, but I'm more open to prints, especially ones involving flowers.  I won't say women in science have it easy, but we do have choices.  What we choose to wear under our labcoats makes us unique.