Cost of Racecations

I got a really nice compliment from my coworker today. She said I'm looking good in the body. And the skin too. I feel so much gratitude that I have the resources to spend on running and running-related travel. I know it's not the end of the year (yet). But I thought it would be interesting to look at how much we spent in our "startup" year compared to the following year. I told myself I wouldn't need to buy new stuff as much in 2025 since I already had most of the things I would need to complete a marathon.

TOTAL SPENDING IN 2024 = $6549

• Disneyland 5k 2024 $1466
• LA Big 5k 2024 $284
• OC Marathon 2024 $522
• CdM Scenic 5k 2024 $640
• SMC Classic 10k 2024 $1063
• Mission Inn Run 2024 $1075
• Holiday Half Marathon 2024 $1499

TOTAL SPENDING IN 2025 = $6476

• LA Marathon 2025 $1366
• Rose Bowl Half 2025 $724.11
• CdM Scenic 5k 2025 $1749.42
• Cookie Mile 2025 $35
• Bimbo Global 10k 2025 FREE
• Mission Inn Run 10k 2025 $1804.95
• Clueless and Breathless Half 2025 $35
• Random Clothing, Hats, Sunglasses $462
• Shoes $301

PROJECTED SPENDING IN 2026...

• 1/11 Citrus Heritage Run $676
• 1/18 Rose Bowl Half 2026 $126.42
• 2/15 Palm Desert Half 2026 $80.50 registration + $249.00 hotel
• 3/8 LA Marathon $1448.47
• 6/10 Epic Sister Camping / Disneyland Trip $2000+
• 8/1 Nebraska Family Reunion $2000+
• 9/27 - Bimbo Global Race 10k
• 10/18 - Mission Inn Run 10k - $120 registration
• 10/24 - Nike Women's Half

PROJECTED SPENDING IN 2027... 

• 1/17 - Rose Bowl Half $109.40 registration
• 3/7 - LA Marathon $363.69 registration + LARR membership + photo package

I didn't join Sparkle Squad for the 2025-26 season. I didn't renew my Strava subscription. I kind of miss it but also kind of not. Definitely the Sparkle Squad was an opportunity to spend more via the facebook group and little gift exhanges throughout the year. But I do kind of miss the features of the Strava subscription, I almost renewed it yesterday when I tried to access the heatmap for the purposes of route planning and I couldn't see street-level details. But I also miss when it would tell you "Athlete Intelligence" about something it noticed about your run. Usually it would say something encouraging like, wow that was a lot of climbing, or you really pushed your pace. It felt like I had a friend encouraging me for what was new or improved with each training session.

I guess what I'm trying to do right now is let go of the Palm Desert Half. I've never done it before and if I did it, I could get another medal for the Run Riverside County Challenge. I skipped Every Woman's Marathon 2025, and I'm okay with it since I was awarded a greater teaching load mid-semester. I thought it would be a nice trip, out to Palm Desert. But now I do have my Spring 2026 teaching schedule. Haha. Looks like I'll be running a marathon every Tuesday and Thursday.

SPRING 2026 TEACHING SCHEDULE

• MW 09:30am-12:20pm
• TR 09:30am-12:20pm
• TR 1:00pm-01:50pm
• TR 02:30pm-05:20pm

It's uncertain whether RunClub+ will continue for Spring 2026. I will be making enough from my CSUN units, so I don't really need the income from the side hustle, but it is nice to have the support from the other moms in the group. I am trying to unsubscribe from disney influencers because I don't want FOMO. I'm close to unsubscribing from LARR as well because they keep talking about this half-marathon and that drumstick dash. I'm trying to enjoy the races I signed up for and run the training runs. The actual race day doesn't feel as special when you're running a world major every other weekend. I enjoyed the Bimbo Global race a lot more than I thought I would. I enjoyed the Mission Inn Run a lot less than I thought I would.

I want to do the Mission Inn Run in 2026 because they have a legacy program. I would get a loyalty item, such as a hat, and a 3-year pin! I could put the pin on my patch jacket. It did work well to have our son stay with his grandma. However, kiddo was already nervous about Thanksgiving because he thought we would be dropping him off at grandma's again for an overnight. He said he was scared about that and didn't want to be away from us. So I would consider that when planning the potential Palm Desert Half and any other races for 2026. I'm glad I didn't sign up for the Holiday Half, even though that race was very special to me last year.

My motivation for running is to set a good example for my son. I took a few days off from my training plan, and I noticed that I had a noticeable drop in gratitude and joy. I had an increase in resentment and feelings of being disgruntled. I stayed home on Sunday when I would normally be out running and it was like I was in the way of my husband and the routine he's established with our son, they have some stuff that they enjoy doing together on Sunday while I'm out on my long run. So, I guess, it's become ingrained as a long-term pattern now that we've been doing this for two years. I really remember Thanksgiving weekend 2023 as the first runs leading up to the Disneyland 5k 2024.

As far as traditions this holiday season, I think we're going to just stick to training and our weekly routine and not do much else. Like, yes, bake cookies at home. But no, we're not planning to do any elaborate holiday light display that you have to pay to get into. I am still taking advantage of Buy Nothing to get things that are new to me, but also free. Yes, I have been stockpiling gifts for Albert to open on Christmas, which, by the way, we have no plans for. About half the gifts are games, which we can play at home. Running and doing my training is bringing me joy. And I look forward to returning to Fit4Mom in-person classes with Albert over winter break. I would also like to go rollerskating or ice skating at least once.

running nightmare

I had my first (but probably not last) running nightmare last night. I was doing a half marathon with my friend who I used to run with in college. She was always stronger and faster than me. We got 4 miles into the race and for some reason I was running with all this baggage. Like a vest, a belt, a wagon filled with backpacks and stuff. So we had to stop because they forgot to sing the national anthem before we started. We all filled an auditorium and had to sit there for like 45 minutes while all our muscles were getting cold and we had to wait for the choir to arrive. I was complaining to my friend all these minutes.

So the choir finally gets up on stage and the announcer calls my friend to the stage to lead the song. I felt so bad for complaining because I didn't know it was going to be my friend up on stage. So then when it was over, I stayed around until everyone left because I was for some reason cleaning up the auditorium and waiting for my friend to say goodbye to all the singers. Then we finally got going and my friend says, hurry up we gotta get back out there before it starts raining. So we ran another mile and at a water stop my wagon fell apart. We were in another state from where I live, and apparently, I was not familiar with the course. My friend lives in Wisconsin.

So I tried to put the wagon back together but I didn't have the instructions. We saw a packing and shipping place where we could put the whole thing in a box and ship it back to my house, but the cost of doing that was more than the cost of the wagon. My friend goes, hurry up it's about to start raining. So I grabbed my raincoat, left my wagon at the shipping place and started running again. I asked my friend how we were going to meet up with her husband and kids after the race and she was like, I have no idea. I asked her, don't you use Strava beacon or have some way to track each other, she's like no.

We keep running and it starts raining so we put on our raincoats and then she goes, yeah it's about to get super hilly. And at that point I guess I had enough so I woke myself up. It was one of those dreams where it feels so real, when you wake up, you're not sure if you were really in Wisconsin. So far, we have decided NOT to do the Disneyland 5k in 2025 and I have registered for the LA Marathon. I think this is my brain's way of processing a worst-case scenario.

LA Big 5k 2024 Race Report

 

The LA Big 5k was great! My favorite was the last mile and the finish. It was a fast course with hills and trees. It started and ended in Dodger Stadium with views of the LA skyline at sunrise and traversed the arboretum of Elysian Park. I was grateful to a man running in front of me for the first mile who was blasting some good music. I didn't bring headphones or a speaker so I relied on the ambient noise to entertain me through the race. During the second mile, I was very aware of the uneven pavement and I was focused on not tripping. I skipped the water stop.

The event was well-organized. There were about 8000 runners in the 5k. Parking was free. The race is organized by the McCourt Foundation and Mr. Frank McCourt was the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Dodger Stadium from 2004 to 2012. In 2008, McCourt bought the operating rights to the Los Angeles Marathon. In 2019, he donated the Los Angeles Marathon to his Foundation. The post-race expo was outside, and more than 60 vendors were present. It had big marathon energy because it was part of the LA Marathon weekend.

 
The weather was great, it felt chilly at the start but was ideal while running (48-54 deg F, partly cloudy, 1-4 mph wind). I sported my new Mama shirt and new Freya Women's Dynamic Wireless Sports Bra. I had on arm-warmers and my CRZ YOGA Women's Naked Feeling Biker Shorts - 8 Inch inseam. High Waisted Workout Yoga Gym Running Spandex Shorts Side Pockets X-Large in the color they call Savannah which is kind of a terra cotta. I love the pockets.

I had my Nathan Trail Mix running belt with only one water bottle. It was handy to have the running belt to collect the post-race snacks. They gave us fruit snacks, chips, banana, electrolyte drink, Pocky, some kind of granola bar. I felt so salty after drinking all the electrolyte samples at the race expo on Friday and the chips they gave us were super salty too. Before the race, I had french toast sticks between 4-5am and then 4 egg whites between 6-7am. I didn't drink much water before the race, but I drank about 20 oz after.

Overall, I wanted to report that I tried to do too much this weekend. I almost cried today during my cross-training workout (a group fitness class with Fit4Mom). It went by so fast, I wasn't able to be fully present for any of it. I wasn't able to accurately document all of it. I was hoping to get photos of every person who attended Albert's birthday party, but it was too hard. And I don't think anyone took a photo of me, so it kind of became a blur.

I might be crazy, but I just spent the better part of today entering in mileage for my workouts for the next year. My training buddies said they might want to run the full marathon next year, and I was wondering how that would fit with the runs I already have planned. It wasn't too difficult to fit it all in, actually. But the thought of running 15 miles continuously is very intimidating right now.

I ordered another Coast-to-Coast Bounce Back Back Travel Kit from Fluffy Fizzies because I love the sugar scrub, the body butter, the massage bar, and the massage oil. If I ordered them separately, it would be the same price or more expensive than buying the bundle. And the travel kit comes in a super-cute clear zip bag. I have yet to try the bath bombs, and that's the first thing I wanted to try when I originally placed my order. The website says that the bath bombs dissolve in hot or cold water so it could be for a bath or just a foot soak. I'm not sure I would use the compressed towels on my face, but maybe on my feet after a treatment to prevent slipping and falling.

I have yet to try the Samsung Galaxy Watch that was gifted to me by a friend. I don't know what features it has that would help my training. St. Patty's Day had me thinking I need a lime green sparkle skirt. We need to bring back the Tinkerbell half!

Thank you Rise and Run Podcast for all the training tips and motivation.

https://www.womensrunning.com/training/why-you-should-write-a-race-report/

• The event itself: Where? How long? When? Weather?
• Course description and evaluation of event logistics
• How you trained for the event
• Your gear and nutrition
• Specific experiences (this might include)
  • Thoughts at every mile
  • Mantras you may have used
  • Falls (if any—always entertaining)
  • Conversations you’ve had with others
  • Conversations you’ve had with yourself
• DNF experience (if applicable) OR
• Your finish and associated emotions
• Your overall evaluation of the event

Salty & Sweet Car-Free Travel

We had a fantastic car-free November. Metrolink saved us from sitting in freeway gridlock, and welcomed our bicycles and our dog on board.

Sweet Santa Ana

Our packing list was kept simple: We brought lots of lights for our bicycles, three headlights and three taillights each bicycle.  We had 2 rear panniers each bicycle and 2 front panniers for one bike and 1 dog carrier for the other bike. 
Instead of a purse, I brought my camera bag. I brought two hair bows, which ended up being used as a belt and neckerchief. I had a half-shirt that I wore underneath the dresses. I wore an extra dress and yoga pants on the way down there. I felt like a few things were missing, but we made it despite.

Thanksgiving day, we biked to family's house using the Peters Canyon Trail and the San Diego Creek Trail (10.5 miles mainly on the Mountains to the Sea Trail & Bikeway). It was a bit warm, and the ride felt long, but by the time we arrived we were so relaxed and ready to enjoy catching up with family.

Black Friday we walked to have brunch at the "Yellow Basket" at the corner of Main & Dyer while scoping out the bus and bicycle traffic. We decided to stay inside during the remaining daylight and take OCTA buses to access downtown Santa Ana.

Route 55 took us from Halladay & Dyer to First & Main. The bus fare was $2 per person, if we had planned on being on buses all day, we could have purchased a day pass for $5 per person. We walked West to Broadway and then North to 2nd St and discovered a Promenade (which is where we spotted the map & directory below). We saw Grand Central Art Center, which was not open, but we peeked in the windows. There was a fountain and a few trees were decorated with lights.

There was a cute roundabout at 3rd and Bush street, which isn't even visible on Google Maps Satellite View yet. The upgrade was paid for by Active Transportation (ATP) funds from the State of California.  I definitely felt safe walking there, there were very bright streetlights that had a vintage look and the few cars that were entering/exiting the parking lot were traveling very slowly. There were secure bicycle parking facilities called Bike Huts, which require monthly or yearly membership, probably installed to support residents of the lofts in the downtown area.

We walked East through the alley between 3rd and 4th streets past some gorgeous murals towards the Yost Theater. We encountered another fabulous Promenade called "Fiesta Plaza."

We gave in to temptation to do some shopping and entered R&R Western Wear 'Casa Del Sombrero.' There were the blingingest shirts, belts, boots, and hats that you can imagine! We picked up one belt and 6 colorful bandanas. According to Yelp, R&R has been in Santa Ana for 58+ years! It felt great to support a small business instead of heading towards The District at Tustin Legacy, which we assumed would be packed with people (and speeding cars).  It felt great to do some walking and not have to worry about driving/parking our car, which we couldn't have done anyway since we didn't bring it.

Exiting R&R Western Wear on the North we walked to the corner of 4th and French St to take some pictures with the large decorated Christmas tree at Plaza Calle Quatro. The appearance of some gentrification along 4th Street became evident as we passed Wursthaus and mLovewell and were chased by some people from the Santa Ana Restoration Church asking for cash donations.

We passed The Frida Cinema and ducked into the 4th Street Market to take advantage of the public restrooms and free smells. The market had a cool space on its North side that had what looked like a kid's play area, a DJ and a bunch of picnic tables. I wanted to go in and play with the oversized Jenga blocks and Connect 4, but it was getting late and we had Thanksgiving leftovers to eat back in our hotel room.

There were so many awesome shops, restaurants and cultural venues in Downtown Santa Ana that I could have stayed longer, but we decided to end our walking tour there and took the OCTA 53 bus back to Main & Dyer (the Yellow Hat). I would love to return to Santa Ana on the night of an Art Walk (First Saturday of each month from 6pm-10pm) or the morning of a Farmer's Market (Sundays 10am-2pm on 2nd St Promenade).

This walking adventure was inspired by Jonathan Gold's LA Times supplement on the 101 best restaurants in LA. As I was thumbing through the glossy food photos, a phrase caught my eye, "newish restaurant row in downtown Santa Ana" and it must have stuck in my mind because when we extended our Thanksgiving Trip by an extra day, I knew I wanted to explore the area.

We biked from our house to the Northridge Metrolink station along Reseda Blvd and Parthenia St (2.2 miles). We took Train 116 to LA Union Station at 2:52pm. We took Train 686 to Tustin, arriving after the sunset at 4:49pm. We biked along Edinger Ave to Kensington Park Dr to Valencia Ave to Tustin Ranch Rd to Barranca Pkwy which turns into Dyer Rd (4.2 miles). There were bike lanes most of the way. 

Coming home we took Train 663 from Tustin to LA Union Station at 12:25pm. We took Train 265 to Sylmar/San Fernando arriving at 2:46pm. We biked along Hubbard St to Laurel Canyon Blvd to Rinaldi to White Oak to Devonshire to Reseda (8.3 miles). If there were weekend trains on the Ventura County Line, we could have biked fewer miles. Parthenia and Hubbard are not great for cycling, they could be improved with bike lanes.

Salty Santa Barbara

Contrasting the Santa Ana trip with our other November travel adventure, where we visited my sister at UC Santa Barbara on Veteran's Day, downtown Santa Ana is humble in comparison to downtown Santa Barbara.  In both cases we stayed at La Quinta Inn & Suites, due to their welcoming pet policy.

We took our car with us to Santa Barbara because it's not yet possible to take dogs on Amtrak and Metrolink only goes as far North as Ventura. It would be possible (in theory) to bike from Ventura up to Santa Barbara (32 miles) but since our 10 mile bike ride was more grueling than enjoyable, I don't see us biking our dog and loaded bicycles against the ocean headwind anytime soon.

In Santa Barbara, we walked from our hotel to Cantwell's Market & Deli for provisions. We took a short dog walk along State St from Arrellaga St to Anapamu St. In a future visit, I would definitely explore more of State St on foot or on bikes.  The hotel had free bike rental, which we didn't use. We did a longer walk to the Mission Santa Barbara, about 1 mile from our hotel.  It was a great feeling to climb that hill and look out over the ocean imagining what it was like for early California settlers.

We did an epic walk from my sister's hotel to the UCSB campus.  We headed South on Storke Rd and then East on El Colegio to a bike path along Ocean Rd. We passed Pardall Tunnel on the way to a scenic overlook at Ocean Rd and Del Playa Dr. We ate at Dumpling King, avoiding large chain restaurants nearby. Making our way back to the Courtyard by Marriott on Storke Road it was about a 4 mile round trip walk.

I had never fully appreciated the "party school" reputation of UCSB until that moment. This walk was on Friday night, under cover of darkness. We saw students coming up from the beaches with surfboards and students playing beer pong on the lawns of Camino Pescadero. There were bicycles outfitted with cages navigated by older men for collecting the beer cans and bottles left behind by party-goers. There were many students walking from house to house, and others cruising through the neighborhoods on bicycles. A few young people drove through in cars, but they were severely in the minority. For how can one find the party by following the music when car engines interfere?

Another fabulous walk was had the following morning. We tried to rent free bikes from her hotel, but they had only 2 and couldn't locate them at 6am when we wanted to borrow them. My sister and I walked North on Storke towards The French Press, which unfortunately did not open until 7am on Saturdays. We headed West on Hollister Ave and then South on Santa Felicia Dr.

Just past Best Buy, we smelled something wonderful. We thought it was coming from Costco, but as we got closer to the big-box retailer, the smell went away. We turned Northeast and followed our noses to Anna's Bakery which opens at 6am seven days a week. We got coffee, doughnuts and breakfast burritos, all of which were heavenly and fresh. They had outdoor seating and a steady stream of locals came through for their morning fix.

We passed through Girsh Park on the way back to the hotel. Also noteworthy was "Ice in Paradise" a skating rink. Although it would have been great to explore Santa Barbara by bicycle, we sure did see lots of sights on our walks.

If we went back to Santa Barbara, I would know that there are buses that we could have taken from downtown (State St) to the UCSB campus. If Amtrak allowed dogs, or if we were willing to bike 32 miles and travel only on weekdays, we could have done that trip car-free.

In conclusion

It was great to spend time in cities (Santa Barbara, Santa Ana) that have invested in bike lanes and improvements to make pedestrians feel welcome. These cities are walkable and bikeable, as evidenced by the many cyclists and pedestrians we saw during the day AND at night. It was great to be a tourist in these cities and spend some of my hard-earned money on these unforgettable experiences at small businesses. The sights and smells from the plants and sea air are giving me the energy to keep going and finish this semester strong!

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

MultiModal Weekend (Part I)

The weekend of October 14-16th was a big experiment for me.  I used bike, bus, car and train to get around LA County.  I have been wanting to write about the experience and compare each way of getting to and from downtown Los Angeles for a resident of Glendale.

https://www.strava.com/activities/744729565

Friday, October 14th, after work I left California State University, Northridge around 2pm.  I rode along the Orange Line Busway Bike Path.  I rarely ride at this time, but there were lots of school-age teenagers walking on the sidewalks of Reseda and Van Nuys.  I got a little bored in NoHo, but that's normal.  It's not that fun riding in the bike lane along Chandler Blvd, especially when there aren't any other cyclists out there to chase.  After cutting down Keystone, I took an unplanned left turn on Alameda, which had a pretty nice bike lane (that I'm not seeing on Google Maps).  The video below shows it at 53 seconds in.

I went down Victory Blvd to a little side street called Ruberta, which used to have a cool "Halloween House" but now it doesn't.  I refilled my water bottles in the drinking fountain at the Glendale Narrows, then rode/pushed/carried my bike across the Bette Davis Picnic Area (Cyclocross training) and up to Riverside Dr to gawk at the closure of the Los Angeles River Path.  

The Army Corps of Engineers will be hosting a public meeting on Monday, November 7th, from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at the Friendship Auditorium by Griffith Park (3201 Riverside Drive) and LACBC encourages all to attend and speak up.

All that being said, I took the detour through Griffith Park and entered the bike path by the dog park. I exited the path at Fletcher and took the route through Silver Lake and along Sunset Blvd to reach Spring St. I don't know why other people don't like going that way. It was also the first time I really didn't need a route sheet. That's what I love about CicLAvia, it makes me understand how to reach downtown LA without a car.

Raw crunchy four kale mix, shredded cabbage, apples, shredded carrots and avocado, grape tomato, tossed w/ maple orange dressing, topped w/ currants, hemp seeds & creamy hummus dressing drizzle 

http://thelacafe.com/salads.html

After reaching LACBC headquarters, I had dinner at the LA Cafe.  I don't know if it was the 2 hours and 40 minutes I'd just spent winding my way gradually from The Valley to Downtown LA, or if the salad was REALLY GREAT but I haven't had a better meal in years.  There were picnic tables in a parklet, a couple of nice bike racks to lock up.  It was the ideal way to wind down from my ride and take in a street view of the city.

Now I'm off to make the City of Glendale more walkable.  I'll have to finish this post in a multi-part series.

Value Update

I wrote a post titled "value" about 3 years ago, and my views on the topic have evolved since.  Rightly so.  I was riding (one of) my bikes to school last night and thinking how privileged I am to be able to do that.  Not that I'm special, but "having the rare opportunity to do something that brings particular pleasure."  We were brainstorming the theme for Earth Day 2017 and we came up with "Biking is for Everyone."  Which is to say that everyone has access to the privilege of riding a bike.

$0.15 per week

I was thinking about the bikes that I ride.  The first is a 1987 steel MTB.  I've been riding the mountain bike since I could stand over the top tube, maybe like 1993.  Taking into account the amount my dad paid for it and the length of time I've been riding it, it's like he paid 15-cents per week for me to have the privilege of riding this bike.  I read an article about custom steel frames and this bike isn't custom to me, but I feel like it is because we are aging together.  In the article, the frame builder points out that the bike will often outlive the rider.  I hope to keep riding this bike until it costs $0.10 per week, which is only about 11 years from now.  By then, I'll have my student loans paid off.  Everyone has goals, right?

The red bike has had about 3 or 4 different seats, 3 or 4 sets of handlebar grips, and now has front and rear racks.  The picture above makes it look like the bike has front suspension, but it doesn't.  Instead there is a lovely curving front fork that is graceful and attractive.  Also the top tube is more horizontal.  Right now, the bike has 1.95 inch wide tires, which are a comfort on pothole-infested streets.  They are knobby on the outer edge and smooth where the rubber meets the road, causing some people to say, "hey your tires are bald," but the tires were made like that.  In the past, I've bolted a milk crate to the rear rack, which was fantastic for carrying things like textbooks and birthday cakes.  This bike has only one water-bottle cage.  I have a cup-holder that could be attached to the handlebars, but it's not on there now.  I use a dog hiking backpack as a mini-pannier toolbag when we go out on group rides.  Also, I have a sweet flag mount that fits on the rear wheel quick release, and we ziptie the flag to the rear rack to prevent it from flapping around too wildly.

$0.61 per week

The blue bike is a repurposed mountain bike that I found on Craigslist back in 2010.  It was made in the late 1990s, and is branded Performance M505.  It's a steel frame, but some components are aluminum (like the handlebars).  It's a fantastic city bike.  The bike has a sturdy rear rack that I hook panniers on, or bungee my backpack on top of.  Of the time that I've had it versus how much I paid for it, it's cost me 61-cents per week.  It easily fits on the rack of a bus.  I rode it from San Francisco down to Salinas loaded down with camping gear.  I ride it back and forth to Pasadena, loaded down with textbooks and homework.

I've been looking for pedal toe clips and straps to make climbing easier, either new or vintage, but for now the bike has platform pedals.  This bike has two water bottle cages. My coffee in a 40 oz hydroflask is bungeed to the rear rack while milk and an empty coffee mug are in the bottle cages.  Perfect for work.  I am considering a handlebar bag.  I had one on a bike that I rode as a kid, and totally loved it.  What would I put in there?  My new big smart phone, which is too big for the old seatbag that I used to put my old phone in.  I always carry a pump, spare tube, tire irons, and a patch kit in my backpack.  By the time the price of this bike comes down to $0.10 per week, I will be 68 years old.  I could still be riding a bike then!  Why not?

$3.40 per week

The road bike I have is the only rack-less bike.  It's great for traveling ultra-light, with the exception of two water bottle cages.  I include a pump on the down tube and a seatbag with tire levers, spare tube(s), patch kit, and an emergency phone.  This bike has clipless pedals.  On a recent layover at LA Union Station, we had 2 minutes to run from the Metro Red Line to the Metrolink Orange County Line.  On the marble floors, my shoes made quite a horrible noise.  Maybe I should get some shoe covers.  I would have to live to be 336 years old for this bike to cost $0.10 per week, so I'm guessing that won't happen.  But I do think of this bike as a gym membership.  We pay $40 to use the YMCA per month, and after owning this bike for over 7 years, it has been cheaper than paying a monthly fee for gym access.  When I belonged to Bella Fitness, that was $80/month and so it would have worked out to pay for the bike within 2 years (in case you're looking to justify buying a new bike).

We're going down to the beach this weekend for a pre-4th of July LACBC Sunday Funday ride. I'm considering going to the party store to get some patriotic decorations and cover the bikes in stars and stripes.  Reminds me of the J. E. George 4th of July Parade that went through my neighborhood in Omaha, NE.  This year is the 66th year of the parade.  Although I won't be there, I really want to decorate our bikes with streamers and such.

Strava Heatmap

Speaking of my new smartphone, I'm starting to use Strava.  All the data from Strava users is put on a map, which city planners can use to justify adding more cycling infrastructure where people actually ride.  So I'm trying to ride where I wish there were more infrastructure and mapping it on Strava.  For other stuff like walks and regular commutes, I am still using MapMyRide.  No more Nike+ device, no more Garmin Forerunner 110, just one smartphone with GPS.

I tried to ask myself if I could exist with only one bike and one pair of shoes.  It would be difficult for me.  But we're definitely working to simplify our lives as much as possible.  As we're approaching an ideal level of space vs. clutter, I will try to make a vlog about our tiny house and post it/share about it here.