Kathy's
I'm riding to LA cuz it costs too much to drive!From June 1-7, 2008, I'm bicycling in AIDS/LifeCycle. It's a 7-day, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to make a world of difference in the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS. Plus, I'll burn a ton of calories! ;0 Help me support the San Francisco AIDS Foundation by giving what you can. We'll keep riding until AIDS and HIV are a thing of the past. (Remember all the magazine subscriptions, cookies, cookie dough, etc I bought from your child? Well, it's payback time!)
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Kathy's latest blog entry:
Sunday, Jun 15, 2008 
New pic with new bike due soon...
Kathy's Goal: $2,500.00
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HIV/AIDS Fact of the DayProvided by AIDS/LifeCycle The number of women in the US living with HIV has tripled in the last two decades. |
Kathy's LinksSan Francisco AIDS Foundation
L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
Experience AIDS/LifeCycle 2007
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Kathy's BlogSunday, June 15, 20087:53 AMDay 2 and moreSo, at the end of Day 1 I wasn't having fun and I was never going to do this again, but I was glad that I was there. Day 2 is the big 105 mile ride. I had never ridden more than 55 miles before (except for the 80 miles of Day 1!) So I started out the ride with some concern about my quad and my ability to finish such a long ride. I started riding, and I stopped at all the Rest Stops to hydrate and eat a little bit. I remembered "Drink before you are thirsty. Eat before you are hungry." At some point in this leg, I wondered how again how I could get picked up by the Sag Wagon. But, I didn't really need it yet....just in case. ;0 But once I hit mile 90, I knew I could finish. At mile 100, another rider passed me and offered congragulations for our century! I almost think someone would have been "posted" at that point to offer official congratulations. ;0 For many of us, it was our first century. I went to the gear truck and asked the driver where the "P" grid was located. He said it was "all the way over there." I grabbed my large backpack and the tent and trudged off. I found the "P" section and followed a line of tents: P27, P26, P25. I hit P14 and that was the end of the row. I looked at the tents to the left and right and didn't see where the lower "P"s were located. "F*ck it," I thought. "I just rode 105 miles. I'm putting my tent down here!" Needless to say, I didn't see my tentmate that night either. The Mystery of the Missing Tentmate was still unsolved. The next day was the infamout "Quadbuster Hill." Even though I'd ridden up Kings Mountain Road in San Mateo (a four mile climb) I was still nervous about this climb due to all the hype surrounding it. But, like most hills, I just shifted down into the lowest gear and took my time. Plenty of people passed me on the hill and I passed a few. The good thing about hills is the downhill that usually follows it. That was fun! I finished that day and now I was beginning to realize for the first time that I would be able to ride the entire 545 miles without getting picked up by the Sag Wagon. Once I was able to relax about my riding ability, I began to enjoy myself more. One day was 42 miles. "What's the catch?" I wondered. The catch was "hills, hills and more hills!" There were about six or eight long hills. They took a while to get up them, but we were rewarded with fun downhills. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Saturday, June 14, 20082:48 PMTraining since I've been back...I've figured that I have a certain degree of fitness and I don't want to lose that. I have been tentatively planning on a long trail run in September. I have been waiting to finish this Ride so that I would have time to go to the gym again. a I took the Sunday following my return as a rest day. In fact, I took a 45 minute walk to get sandwhiches for lunch. After about 15 minutes, I began to think I might be overdoing it! My legs were still kind of tired. Monday, back to the gym for the first time in months. Chest, Shoulders and Calves for about 45 minutes. Tuesday, I went for a 4 mile run. It was hard. It wasn't even a matter of my legs being tired. I felt winded -- as if I hadn't been doing any cardio for months! Wednesday, I rode the trainer at my house for an hour. Since I was no longer worrying so much about my quad, I went up to Level 3 for a little bit. I'm beginning to think I have allergies again so I took some Claritin. Unfortunately, I have heard that Claritin takes 3 days to work. Thursday, back to the running. Another hard 4 miles. Hmmph. Also another gym workout: Back, Biceps and tricepts. I kept my weights low and my reps high. My arms are still sore as I write this. Friday I was back on my mountain bike for a little bit over an hour. Felt fine. Allergy meds taking effect. Saturday, hilly 8 mile trail run. Kicked my *ss due to the hills. Lots of uphill and the downhill was too steep to comfortably run. I did run it "uncomfortably", but my back is sore now. Last night I signed up for a triathlon in September. It will be my first. Someone had asked me what do I do after the AIDS Lifecycle. I wasn't sure so she suggested a tri. It's a sprint tri which means, for me, that it's short. It doesn't mean, for me, that I'll be sprinting! ;0 Earl kind of wants to do the Ride next year. It's a big time committment -- I'm not sure I could do it again.
Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb 2:25 PMThe Ride - Day 1... Well, before I write about the Ride, let me first thank all of the people who donated to this event. For those of you who donated this year, remember to declare it on your taxes! ;0 I think soliciting donations is harder than the actual ride -- and the ride wasn't easy! Okay, so Day 1 of the ride was almost 80 miles from the Cow Palace to Santa Cruz. I was nervous about the whole thing. We started off en masse -- 2500 riders exiting the Cow Palace together. Some guy and I actually touched bikes a bit. I wobbled but regained my balance. I think he had to put a foot down. I also think it was his fault -- but don't we always think that? At Lake Merced, we saw an ambulance. That night in camp we heard that a rider had broken a wrist. I later wondered if that was where it happened. The first part of this ride was kind of fun and familiar. Goodness knows Lake Merced is familiar to me from both running and biking. We passed three exits to Pacifica from Skyline. I kept thinking it was decision time for me: if I turned right, I could be back in bed by 8:30! ;0 We went down Skyline to Hwy 92. The hills weren't too bad. Shift down and take your time. Then we turned left onto Highway 1. I've actually ridden part of this with Earl before. More hills but I've ridden them before. For most of the legs of this journey, we will come across 4 Rest Stops as well as a Lunch Stop. Part of my plan to pace myself was to make sure that I hit every one. This first Rest Stop of the RIde was familiar to me from a bike Tour de Something or Other. It was very crowded with crazy bathroom lines. I worried that all Rest Stops would be like this but that's not the case. In the days to come, I'd find that Rest Stop 1 was sometimes crowded but the others thinned out as the riders gained some separation. Due to the mass start, many of us hit this Rest Stop at the same time. Fast forward to mile 60. I began to feel some tightening in my right quad. I was slightly worried. I wondered how you can get picked up by a Sag Wagon. Did I just go into a Rest Stop and say, "I'm tired, now!" I couldn't do that! I pedaled on. The last couple of miles, my quad tightened some more. I rolled into camp and parked my bike at Bike Parking. Apparently, every night the Ride crew scan our bike numbers to make sure we have all made it to camp. Good to know! I decided to find the grid where I was supposed to set up the tent in case my tentmate had already arrived. I found the "P" section of tents and followed the little flags. I hit the end of the row at P09, P08 and P07. I talked to the woman in P05. We were actually standing on the dirt of a softball field. Neither of us could find our spots so we figured our flags blew away. P05, Hillary and her dad, and I decided to just set up camp there. I retrieved my tent and gear (and had to listen to some women comment to her tentmate as I struggled by, "Sure glad we got luggage with wheels!" "Hmm," I thought, "Not helpful! What happened to all the love we were supposed to be feeling?") Hillary showed me how to set up the tent. I inflated the air mattress (Thank you to those who convinced me that this was a necessity!) Then I grabbed some clean clothes and toiletries and went off to find the showers. Later on that night, I tried with little success to recharge my Garmin Forerunner. Bummer. That night, I reflected on the day. I decided that a) this riding was really hard work, b) this wasn't that much fun, and c) I was glad that I was there. I was so looking forward to next Saturday when Kerrie would pick me up! But, this was an experience that I was glad to be participating in. Tomorrow (or later today) Day 2.... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Monday, June 9, 20089:02 PMOut of touch ...... and it was killing me! I had all these plans for staying in touch electronically while I was gone. Well. This webpage is not optimized for accessing via your mobile phone. I could enter a headline, but not an actual entry. So, I guess if something really monumental happened, I could just send a bunch of headlines to convey information. Plus, I had bought a charger that I supposedly plug into the wall and charge. Then, I was supposed to be able to plug stuff into it and get about nine hours of charging for my personal electronics devices. Well, that didn't work. I had planned to charge my Garmin Forerunner from the thing. It started charging but the unit kept turning off and acting like it needed to be recharged after less than an hour. It killed me to be riding without my Garmin telling me how far I'd ridden, the elevation, the grade, my time, my heart rate, etc. I did get information for the first day: I burned almost a pound of calories on the first day! Recharing my phone didn't work out so well, either. I purchased a battery (AA) powered charger from an electronics store. I also purchased six extra batteries (it took 2 at a time.) Well, I would plug my phone in and eventually the light would turn green, indicating a full charge. No. When I checked, the battery appeared to be only charged about 70%. And, worse, it didn't last very long at all. After a 20 min phone conversation with Kerrie one night, I got a warning from my phone that I needed to recharge the battery or I might lose all my information. With six batteries, I barely kept myself connected to the outside world. The occasional text messages but no more phone calls, and certainly, no internet access. I was stunned to come home and find that Hilary had suspended her campaign and thrown her support behind Obama. Well, enough of my portable electronics trouble. I expect you might be wondering how the actual ride went. Well, it's late. I just got home today and I've been running errands and unpacking and stuff. So tune in (hopefully tomorrow) as I organize my thoughts and give you one first timers view of the ride.... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Saturday, May 31, 20084:36 PMI am officially orientated ....... and in under two hours! Today was mandatory Orientation -- the day we drop off our bikes, watch the Safety Video, sign in and get our tent and gear "chips." My day started off inauspiciously (unuaspiciously?) Yesterday, I was down at Kerrie's and put the bike rack back on my car so I could transport my bike to Orientation. Well, I was 3/4 of the way home when I realized that I left the keys to the bike rack at Kerrie's house. I really didn't have time to turn around since I was heading to a chiro appointment. I hoped that I could fit the bike into the car -- squeezing it past the bike rack. I went to my appointment. (I woke up with a very stiff lower back on Thursday --- probably stress from work and the Ride!) Between chiro appointments today and yesterday and copious Ibuprofen, my back is feeling much better. I went back home to see if I could squeeze the bike into the car. I tried to fill the tires but my for some reason, that didn't seem to be working. I'm hoping to give them some air tomorrow before we ride out. The bike went easily into the car - more easily than Bud went into the cat carrier. Bud was heading off the the vet for the week since I think it is too much to ask of Earl to stop by my house twice a day to give Bud a pill! Earl will stop by to check on Mac, though. I arrived at the Orientation and was given a sticker for my bike and one for myself: B10. So, I guess that's where I'll find my bike all week. Then off the the Safety Video. ALC is really really serous about this part. You can't go any further until you have an orange wristband to prove you sat through the video -- which wasn't too painful. Our host for the event said that if you lose your orange wristband, you'll have to sit through another showing of the video to get another wristband! Next stop was Check-In where I was given stickers for my bike and helmet. Also, two more wristbands. One is the ALC emergency number and the other says that I'm a vegetarian -- at least for the week. The good news here was that the veggie lines are usually shorter. Step Four was tent assignments. Since I'm traveling alone, a tentmate will be assigned. I walked into that room and hoped that I was not looking at the Tent Assignment Line. It was, by far, the longest line all day. I chatted with another woman while in line. I wondered if we would end up being tentmates since she was traveling alone, too. But, when we got close, she chose to go with the three people ahead of us in line. Was it something I said? ;0 I got to the table and was given three chips: one to attach to my gear, one to hang around my neck, and one to attach to the tent when I get it. The future tentmate will be given a chip to match my tent chip. Finally, off to find my bike and put my number on it. I feared that I wouldn't even remember what my bike looks like since it's been so long since I've ridden it! But, I did recognize the rack that I put on it today before we left! ;0 Now, I had to make a couple of quick stops: REI for some arm warmers (the ones that I had ordered didn't come in time!), new gloves and a jersey. Then to Target for some last minute supplies: cold water wash, toothbrush and paste, binder clips (well, they were on the packing list!!) and stuff like that. I got home around 4:30 and just wanted to take a nap -- did I mention that my allergies were acting up? Not badly, but enough to make me a little bit tired. But, since I need to go to bed early -- got to be at Opening Ceremony pretty early tomorrow for a 6 AM ride out -- so I didn't. Well, tomorrow is the big day. I have stuff to charge my personal electronics so hopefully I'll be able to keep in touch. In case you didn't notice, dear reader, there should be a link on this page so I can call in my report from the road and you can hear what I have to say... Maybe I'll try it tomorrow! Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Wednesday, May 28, 20084:26 AMIt's crunch time ...... no, not that kind of crunch! I don't like working out my abs! It's time to start making sure that I have all the necessary supplies to keep me going on a 7 day bike ride: Tiger Balm (both patch and balm) being on the top of my list. "Alleve" is right up there, too. I've resigned myself to some sag wagon time. It's ironic, too. When I first signed up for this back in November, I told someone that I thought it was irresponsible of people to sign up and ride without adequate training. And now here I am. My longest ride was several weeks ago and it was only 55 miles. Yikes! I still think it it better to begin the ride somewhat undertrained than to start with a sore quadricep muscle. I have to admit, though, that I have not been doing my hamstring strengthening exercises. I thought they were of value, but I've been spending a lot of time with Kerrie -- and she has hardwood floors. I know that's a lame excuse! ;0 After all the donations that I've received, I can't see how I could not ride -- even if I'm not in the shape I'd like to be. I'll suck it up (and the Alleve) and do the best I can. Meanwhile, Sunday's ride was back at Coyote Creek Trail. I know that nothing I do this week as far as riding will help me on the Ride. Any training adaptaion will have occurred after the Ride. So, I did an easy 30 miles. This was the first time that I didn't see a snake on the trail. Oh -- I almost forgot. I did have an (obviously not entirely memorable) experience this time. I rode up toward a man and his son riding along the trail. The path has a painted line down the center to signify coming and going lanes. The man was in the middle of the left lane while his young son was in the middle of the right. Thinking that kids are more unpredictable, I decided to pass the dad on the left. But, I was expecting that he might not move so I was preparing to ride into the dirt to the side of the path. I rang my bell and the dad responded -- by moving over to his left. Well, that's where I was! I said something like "Oh, sh*t!" as we made some contact. I wobbled and got my left foot out of my toe clip and came to a stop. I turned back to find the dad on the ground. He had fallen in the dirt, at least, which was more forgiving than the paved path. I felt bad about knocking him over in front of his son. I must have asked him five times if he was okay. He assured me that he was so finally I turned to ride on. Then the analysis started: "Was I going too fast? Well how fast can I even go on a mountain bike? Well, look, you're at 18 MPH right now!" Let's hope I got any tendency to knock people over out of my system...I don't need that kind of energy once the Ride starts! I could start a terrible domino thing if I'm not careful.... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Saturday, May 24, 20089:49 AMBack on the trail again...... On Tuesday of last week, I ran in the park again. I'm really enjoying being on the trail again. Part of me (the crazy part) wants to bring my running shoes on the Ride ! After the run, I came home, messed around on the computer for a bit and then back on the Nordictrak for a 2 hour ride (one episode of "Bones", two episodes of "House.") I am beginning to feel just a little bit stiff in that quad but there's not much I can do about that. This morning I was back on the trail again. Colleen wanted to run part of the trail that we'll be running in September's 50k race. The trail starts at Saratoga Gap and goes down to the sea, I think (It is called Skyline to the Sea trail!) It looks like there's a net elevation loss: my favorite kind of trail! You'd think I have learned by now to check the hydration pack for water before I grab it but no. After about forty-five minutes, I wanted a drink. I sucked and suuuuucked and got about two drops of water! Luckily, it was cool and foggy so I wasn't dying. I'm a crappy navigator -- I've mentioned that before -- and i actually led us to a Boy Scout camp! We turned around when we heard the young voices and saw the tents. It was a fun run and I'll be glad when the Ride is over so i can concnetrate on trail running again. ;0 Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Sunday, May 18, 20082:45 PMBack to Coyote Creek Trail ....... in 88 degree heat. Yikes! Today was special; I know not why. But I didn't have to pay the $6.00 parking fee at the park. And I remembered to go to the bathroom before I started. Which meant that I didn't spend 15 miles eyeballing every tree and shrub as a potential "privacy barrier" like my previous ride on this trail! I am feeling more confident about my quad so I didn't take it quite as easy this time. I made it to the end of the trail about almost fifteen minutes faster than last time. I stopped at the end of the trail for my usual Odwalla bar. The trail terminates in a quiet residential neighborhood. I saw a sign for a bike path so I decided to follow it for a while. I was hoping to be out for about 3-1/2 hours and the trail part had only taken me about an hour and fifteen minutes. I followed the signs until hit a major street. I think it was Monterey Road in Morgan Hill. It had nice wide shoulders and two lanes in either direction. It was also very lightly traveled. I rode against the wind for the first part of this rode. It has a cement barrier between the North and Southbound lanes so I was not going to be able to turn around very easily; I had to wait for a major cross street. That street was peaceful, hot, windy and boring. But, for just packing in some not too difficult miles, it wasn't too bad. When I decided to turn around, it was very easy to cut across the street to the left turn lane to make a U-turn against the red light. There were just no cars. I returned to the end Coyote Creek Trail. I had seen a water faucet here and wanted to refill my hydration pack and my water bottle. There was a small group of riders there already. I thought they were playing with the water and shooting it straight up in the air (well, it WAS hot) but they weren't. The faucet had a tendency to spray the water. One woman tried to fill her water bottle but soon gave up. I, though, who'd been out for 2 hours and thirty minutes at that point, was more persistent. And patient. Plus, I tried to block the wind with my body since I think that was part of the problem. Unlike my last visit to this trail, the wind was in my face on the way back. And it was pretty hot. I was super glad that I had filled my water. I tried to be patient with the return part -- not my strong suit. I thought, come Ride time, I'm going to have to learn a LOT of patience! When I got back to my car, there was an ice cream truck there. I was very tired and thirsty. I put my bike into the car and walked over to the truck, though the music playing over and over and over again (you KNOW how those ice cream trucks are!) was getting on my nerves. But all was forgiven when they pulled a can of Coke out of an ice filled cooler! There is nothing like a caffeinated and sugary soda to totally re-energize you after a long endurance event. (Worked for me when i walked from Bush/Van Ness to Pacifica one time, too!) My quad doesn't feel too bad. I'm getting a little bit more confident about the Ride.... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Saturday, May 17, 200811:14 AMFor today's workout ...... I ran a little and biked a little bit indoors. An early morning run around the lake -- haven't done that in several months -- followed by two episodes of "House" and one of "Bones" -- two hours on the NordicTrak. My right quad is getting a little bit stiffer. I'm trying to stretch it. Yeah, I probably should have been doing that several months ago! All this powered by one (large) cup of coffee and an Odwalla bar... I'm trying to find some Accel gel. I'm not sure where I got it before but the website assured me that Target had it -- they don't. I want a gel with protein. A visit to REI might be called for.... I did pick up some travel size lotions, shampoo, etc for the Ride. Thinking that I should inflate the air mattress to see how well the pump works. Shoot, I'm hungry..... time for some lunch. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Friday, May 16, 20084:30 PMRun in the sun ...... and heat. Whew! Tiny little 34 minute run that was kicking my ass due to the heat. I went to my usual spot in GG Park and had to park farther away. Everyone was parked at the end of the park so they could go to the beach. I could have sworn that this particular run was more shaded. I forgot my Garmin ForeRunner so I couldn't see my heart rate. I took plenty of 30 - 60 sec walking breaks, though. I'm beginning to stock up on supplies for the Ride. I just got off Amazon.com where I ordered some Butt Butter. I've never needed it before but I don't want to find out during the Ride that I need it only to not have some available. Also ordered some more jerseys; I've got plenty of shorts! I'll need to get some energy gel. I prefer Accel because it is one of the few that has protein. Carbs are necessary but I think the protein helps the recovery process. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Thursday, May 15, 20089:38 PMTwice a day ...... on the NordicTrak. Bud (the cat) had a vet appointment this AM so I was able to ride the NordicTrak in the AM for an hour. I got to work pretty late so I stayed late (I'm tired of using my VAC hours on vet appointments!.) When I got home, I rode for another hour. My quad was actually feeling a little bit stiff so I took some ibuprofen. I'll need to be sure and stock up for the Ride. Both rides were uneventful -- I mean, I'm on the NordicTrak...how exciting could they get? I've watched more TV in the past week (since the end of the testing for promotions at work) than I have all year, I think. A lot of it has been while riding the NordicTrak, at least. I finally took some white paper off the handles of the NordicTRAK and found that the bike actually reads heart rate (like those at the gym do.) Who knew? Also, I had been wondering what this one wire was doing on the display panel. It was just kind of hanging loose. It occurred to me to plug my iPod into it...(Again, who knew?? ;0 ) What the bike doesn't have -- and I think this is important -- is a holder for your TV remotes! Today will be a litte run (very little considering the heat.) Tomorrow I'm hoping for both a run and a ride. But you know what they say about good intentions... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Wednesday, May 14, 20086:06 PMWhat I've been doing ....... in my post-promotional studying life is pretty much what I was doing in my promotional studying life. Let's face it: studying wasn't high on my agenda! Now the only stressor in my life is this Ride. And I'm resigned to the fact that I will be likely become good friends with the SAG wagon driver. I may have mentioned that my theory was that it was better to start the ride under - trained that with a painful quadricep. So, I've given it some rest. For a while, I did the hamstring strengthening exercises that the physical therapist gave me, but I haven't done them in a week. :( I haven't written lately but I haven't been completely idle. On May 9th, I went out for a brief trail run. I miss my runs! On Saturday, another two hours on the Nordictrak and two episodes of Sara Connor: the Terminator Chronicles. That was okay. On May 11th, another ride on the mountain bike. This time I rode on the Foster City Ped path to Redwood City and then about 45 minutes on the streets of RWC before I turned around. That's a pretty flat ride. It was pretty breezy on Sunday, too. I rode for just over 3 hours and my quad feels only a teeny bit tight. Happy news. Today, another run. I'm digging my runs again. I've been trying to get Colleen to run an ultra run (start with a little 50k) but most of them are on trails and she doesn't like trails. We have tentatively agreed to shoot for a 50k in September, though. That gives me something to work toward once this Ride is over. Which is not to suggest that I will put the bike away once I return. But I'll surely take a few weeks off and then I will use it as cross-training. My bike riding "career" started witht the Tour de Peninsula and I would like to ride that again. As well as the Tour de Menlo and the Tour de Woodside. ;0 It's getting to be crunch time. I reviewed the packing list. They actually listed condoms/dental dams. Huh! Anyone who has the energy (as well as non-tender privates!) for all that after riding all day has gotta be quite the stud or studette! ;0 Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Sunday, May 4, 20082:02 PMCoyote Creek TrailWell, after blogs of writing, "I'm getting onto the bike this weekend! For sure!" I did actually get back on the bike this weekend. I wanted to find some long, flat piece that wouldn't unduly stress my quad. Foster City Ped path seemed like the perfect spot, but I got a late start. So, I used the navigation system in my car and punched in "coyote." I found some kind of park at Hellyer that looked promising. It was only about 12 minutes away. I drove to the park, and asked the kid in the shack if there was a bike trail. He told me the trail went for about fifteen miles to Gilroy. "That'll work," I said as I gave him six bucks to park. So my plan was to ride at least fifteen miles and then turn around. So, if that is my plan, why would I not even consider using the restroom prior to the ride?? I mean, I had to "go" so why would I think that that need/urge would pass if I just started riding? So, one part of my body is trying to hurry this ride up and the other part (my right quad) is urging me to maintain a more moderate pace. This is actually a very nice trail with several family units biking together yet it wasn't too crowded. It was a pretty breezy ride and I kept my sweater on the whole time. I definitely felt some difference between my left and right quads as the ride wore on but nothing too worrisome. I rode to the end of the trail -- the kid at the entrance was right about the fifteen miles -- and stopped there for some trail mix. I had been riding for almost an hour and a half. When I turned back, I felt like I finally had the wind at my back. I upshifted and seemed to get a pretty good pace going. I was still conflicted, though, between the need to pee and the need to take it easy on my quad. When I finished, it turned out that the wind must have been at my back since it took me only an hour. The only area of concern was that my right quad started tightening up again at about mile 29.5. I think that the first thing that I will pack for the Ride will be ibuprofin! I was pretty happy with the state of my quad, though. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Saturday, May 3, 200812:15 PMTwo hours on the bike at the gym ...... and my butt is still sore. I even wore bike shorts underneath my gym shorts! Made me very self-conscious. But, two hours! Not bad. Especially when you consider that I didn't have my video iPod: No Gray's Anatomy! The iPod is still kind of "jacked up" from installing and re-installing iTunes. What a headache iTunes has been! I seem to be in the process of creating a new library. In the meantime, there is absolutely content of any kind on my 'pod. Creating this new library is slow going as iTunes tries to do something about some "gapless" thing...I don't even remember except that watching it work is marginally more interesting than watching paint dry. I think. As far as my quad, I'm happy to report that it feels pretty good. Not 100% but maybe 95 percent. Meanwhile, my cold has gotten a little bit worse. Yesterday I was talking to Patricia and she said that I sounded terrible. I don't think that's true. I'm taking the usual: Airborne, extra Vitamin C and Zicam. Kerrie wants me to take "real" medicine, like Dayquil! ;0 Tomorrow my plan is to actually ride a bike outdoors --- but that was actually today's plan. Look how well that turned out! ;0 I want to get a bike hitch for the back. I think. Either that or a rack on top for the bike and for the kayak. I'm not sure a Prius could fit two kayaks on top. They seem like pretty narrow cars. (Earl had asked me about the kayak. I said, "Well, since I always kayak with you, we'll put both on top of your car!") (I still think Earl should have signed up to be a roadie!) Tune in tomorrow.... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Thursday, May 1, 20084:46 PMRunning for reals ...... this time. Brought my stuff to work, got enough sleep last night, the stars and planets were aligned. Everything came together for a short little run that showed me just how out of shape I am -- running-wise that is. Saturday we'll probably see just how out of shape I am cycling-wise. I had some vague yet grand plans that I was ready to hit the San Mateo trails again. Luckily, my schedule didn't allow for that. I went to a little trail in SF and got my heart rate up on the small and short inclines (I can't in all honesty call them hills. San Mateo Open Spaces have hills!) But, it was great to be out there running again. I have been fighting allergies this week. Or so I thought. This morning I'm leaning more toward another cold. I've whipped out the Zicam and the Airborne and we'll see what happens. Next week is the oral part of the promotional exams. I obviously need to kick this -- whatever it is -- by then. Once that exam process is done, I can spend more time worrying about the Ride. ;0 I still haven't gotten up the nerve to try the TENS unit...maybe tonight. E says he will buy it from me for what I paid. I don't want to give it up w/o trying it, though. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Wednesday, April 30, 20088:37 PMSo what was my excuse this time?The plan had been to run today and ride tomorrow. Run again on Friday and get back on the "bike" bike (i.e. outdoors, off the trainer!) on Saturday and sunday. I had my running clothes, my running watch, time. What was missing? Only energy and desire, apparently! I left work early and picked up some Rx for me and for the cat -- two separate stops! -- and then came home and took a nap. I'm not sure if I'm not getting enough sleep or if it's allergies again but I was super tired at work. And I've built up such a tolerance to caffeine that more coffee isn't the answer. A nap worked well enough, though. After the nap, I got on the trainer at home, determined to ride for two hours. Well, that didn't happen. How about 97 minutes and 25 miles? Better than nothing. The good thing about riding at home is that I can multi-task: laundry, re-install iTunes (boo, hiss!) Plus, I don't run out of water. And I clear out some TV shows from Tivo. Mine has an 80G hard drive but I imagine it fills up quickly if you don't watch the shows -- and you save them as "Don't Delete." I also did my hamstring strengthening exercises. I threw in three sets of pushups just for kicks. I considered trying out the TENS unit (nerve -- or hopefuly muscle) stimulation, but it got to be late and I still have to read the directions more carefully. The last time I looked at the directions, I kind of stopped at the point where it said that I should have a doctor's prescription to use the unit. Well, tomorrow I'll bring my running clothes to work again and we'll see what happens! ;0 Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Monday, April 28, 20088:34 PMDoing the minimally necessary ...... or, I hope I am. I hope that I haven't lost too much of the fitness that I had gained when riding on the Training Rides. But, I figure that I can't go into the ride in June with a sore quad. So, I'm resting. And worrying. Which isn't exactly restful. Sunday I spent 45 minutes on the stairclimber. Which was hard. Not even watching the WPT (World Poker Tournament) could keep me from thinking, "Is that clock broken???" It wasn't that it was hard but I was tired. But, I also had "thattimeofthemonth" issues, too. And maybe allergies, again. Tonight I was back on my trainer at home. Well, at least I can get in some good TV watching. Caught up on The L Word and also watched an episode of Bones. I wanted to go to the gym but I had to do some laundry, too. The trainer at home is convenient that way. The other day, one of the guys at work showed me some kind of electrical nerve (or muscle) stimulator that his aunt had bought in Japan. He and another guy wanted to attach the electrodes to my arm. "You first!" was my response. But, after watching H's arm twitch, I decided it looked like fun. So, E put the patches on my arm. He said, "I'll only turn it up to 2 and you can hold it. You can turn it higher if you want." Well, I barely felt anything at level 2. So I cranked it up to 10 and felt a fun little zzzzt in my arm. "What else you got?" I asked. He showed me some icons but he didn't know which was which because the text was in Japanese. I pressed one at random and there was a difference in the charge but nothing too exciting. I pressed another and felt a pulsing between the two electrodes and watched as my muscle twitched. That was fun. "Where can I get one??" I asked. E said they sell them in the States. I went back to what I was doing. About two minutes later, he came in to show me that Amazon.com had something similar for about $50 (much less than the $200 his aunt paid.) He showed me the write up. Well, needless to say, I ordered it. And it arrived yesterday. K said to not even think of trying it on her unless it has the Underwriters Laboratory sticker! I began to tread the directions and found that you aren't supposed to use it without a prescription! ;0 Doh! I've been trying to find some good instructions on the web about where to put the electrodes (away from your heart, for sure!) but every thing I read mentions "after your physician has shown you" how to use it. I had great plans for the device. I figured it could aid me in my rehab of my quad. On another alternative therapy type note, tomorrow I have an appointment with the chiropractor for my back. I think the hamstring strengthening exercises are hurting it a little bit. It's been stiff lately. I was trying to find a training ride for this weekend, but everyone is up to at least 68 miles! Rats! ;0 I want to get out on the bike this weekend though. We'll see... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Thursday, April 24, 200810:03 PMThat seat has not gotten ...... any softer! Rode the NordicTrack for 45 minutes, did my hamstring strengthening exercises and then rode it for 30 minutes more. I wanted to go to the gym to ride but I left my membership card at work. Then I thought I'd go for a run but also left my Garmin ForeRunner at work. I am the Queen of Excuses! I would like to start going back to the chiropractor, too. Ever since I was assigned to the IT dept at work, I've been too busy to go. But, the hamstring exercises seem to be a little bit tough on my lower back. Or maybe it's the NordicTrack... or sitting in front of the computer in the evenings... It just occurred to me that something is going to have to be done about Bud, the cat. He was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and is currently being given pills (or portions thereof) twice a day. My usual cat sitter is actually allergic to cats so he can't give Bud a pill. I just returned from Carlsbad. I had to board Bud with the vet for about five days. When Bud returned, Mac, the other cat, acted like he'd never seen Bud before. Hiss, hiss, yowl, yowl. With the occasional exchange of not very serious blows. By yesterday, Mac seems to have remembered who Bud was but I hate to have to go through this again in June.... I did tell Mac that next time, he'll get boarded too and maybe then he'll have some sympathy for Bud! I'm hoping to have Bud's thyroid irradiated before June, though. That will clear up his condition and solve this problem... He just needs to stabilize first... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Wednesday, April 23, 20084:54 PMNew NordicTrak ...... with an "UltraSoft" seat! Maybe too ultrasoft? Got on the trainer for about 30 minutes yesterday. It was okay. I'm riding it at level one and my heart rate isn't going much above 100. But, my legs felt okay. Rode it today as a warmup to the hamstring exercises. Then another 30 minutes just to ride it. It was better today, but I'm not really liking the seat too much. The good thing about the seat, though, is that you can move it forward or backwards. Hmm, now all I need is a plum line.... Gotta say, I'm catching up on a lot of tv with this new toy. And it looks great in the living room -- NOT! ;0 Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Tuesday, April 22, 20085:09 PMA visit to the physical therapist..... he thinks swimming is a good idea, too! Hmmph! He says that if I swim intervals, I'll do better on the hills. But! He also said that my right hamstring is tighter and weaker than my left which would explain why I'm getting pain in my right quad -- and not my left. He gave me some exercises to do to strengthen my hamstrings as well as some stretching tips. I actually feel more optimistic now. As far as swimming, well, I'll try anything! Meanwhile, I finally pulled out that big box that I bought several months ago: NordicTrack AudioRider U300. I plan to put it together and ride it tonight. I was going to go to the gym but I left my iPod at work. What's the gym w/o Gray's Anatomy? Not much! Now I have a full selection of my favorite Tivo'd shows. Enuff blogging -- time to start building! Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Sunday, April 20, 200810:34 AMReturn to the gym ...... Part 2. Back on the Lifecycle again but this time with my faithful iPod and Gray's Anatomy. Finally, I see firsthand the destruction wrought by sleeping with your roommate! ;0 Meanwhile, I rode the bike on Level 1 for one full episode without problem. Tuesday, I will watch two episodes on the bike! ;0 How many months ago was I doing this? How I have regressed! Tomorrow I go to physical therapy for my leg. Hopefully, they will have some idea of what I can do to crosstrain without stressing out my quad. So, as I mentioned yesterday, I was in Carlsbad this weekend. As I drove along the highway, it made me wonder what our route would be like. Especially when we passed the incredibly stinky cow pens! The kind of smell that lingers in the car miles after you've passed the last cow. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Friday, April 18, 200810:29 AMBack in the saddle again ...... of the LifeCycle! Finally, I return to the gym. It took a trip down to Carlsbad and Legoland, but I got back on the bike. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the earbuds for my iPod so I rode w/out knowing what happened after Meredith Gray slept with George! I didn't even have any tunes since the music in the Fitness Room was way too soft to be inspiring (soft as in volume, that is -- not necessarily content.) But, the good news is that a 35 minute ride on Level 1 did not seem to stress out my quadricep at all. I would have ridden longer if I had anything interesting to look at or listen to.... Tomorrow (or the next day!) will be a longer test.... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Monday, April 14, 20083:56 PMWhy I hate Windows ...... Vista or otherwise. Because, I was in the middle of this blog when my computer shut down to install some updates! I had already told it to wait, but, apparently, it got tired of waiting! Anyway, today I went to see the doctor. One of the things I was concerned about was the pain in my right quadricep that I have been experiencing. Now, we all have heard that pain is the body telling us something. I was hoping that the doctor might tell me that my body is a fuddy-duddy worry wart and that I shouldn't listen to my body. Maybe, my body doesn't really know what it is talking about since we've been cycling for just a short time. Well, the doctor instead said, "I think you might have quadriceps tendonitis." Can I train through it? Well, not exactly. If it hurts, stop riding. Try swimming! she said. Yeah, and how is that going to give my legs (and butt!!) the necessary muscular endurance to cycle for seven days in a row? It's not. I'll keep riding but I need to find some relatively flat course so I can cycle in a pretty low gear. I mostly need some time on the bike. Hill climbing would have been good, but at this point, I'm worried since my last long ride of 55 miles was about three weeks ago. I think I'll take my trusty iPod, (actually, it's been a little less than trusty lately. I'm trying to download some of that Sara Connor: The Terminator Chronicles from iTunes on it but not having a lot of luck. I haven't had time to figure out what the issue is, though.) to the gym and catch up on Gray's Anatomy. I also did some yoga on Saturday and Sunday (DVD in front of the TV.) I'm hoping that will help. The doctor did sign me up for some physical therapy. I'm hoping that will help, too. Tomorrow, the gym! I guess.... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Saturday, April 12, 200811:00 AMRunning again ...... and boy, am I rusty! I don't even remember the last time that I went on a run. Between studying for the promotionals and riding the bike, I just haven't found the time. But, because I am having problems with tight quad, I decided to give my quad a break and go for a run - working out my hamstring. I ran a trail in GGp and it was tough but fun. I was glad to be running again. Afterwards, I had a quick breakfast and then did about 20 minutes of yoga (from a DVD) which emphasized legs. Then I went for a ride. My quad still tightened up but perhaps not as badly. I hope, I hope. I have also figured out that this latest cold is actually allergies. That certainly isn't helping anything. I usually suffer through them but I'm trying generic Claritin. We'll see if that helps. I was told, though, that it actually takes about 3 days of taking it before it really kicks in. Hmm, then I should have started on Wednesday. Sunday I will rest my legs, Monday I will study, and Tuesday I'll try another bike ride. In the meantime, I'll be doing yoga and stretching in an effort to loosen up that right quad. I'm worried about the Ride.... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Thursday, April 10, 20085:41 AMAnother cold ...... What is this? Like, my 50th cold this year? It sure feels like it! Between the studying and now this cold, not much riding is getting done! I have a dr. appt. scheduled for this AM. One of the things that I will ask her about is the pain in my right quad. That is actually of much more concern to me than yet another head cold! Stay tuned ... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Sunday, April 6, 20082:18 PMAborted Ride, Part2So today I rode my mountain bike. I rode to the Lake from my house. It's not far -- about five miles -- but, it's got some good hills right from the start. I got to the lake and began to feel some discomfort. After one lap around the lake, I knew that I needed to head back. My quad was tightening up right above the knee again. Knowing I had about two miles of hills ahead of me (at leat half of which is probably 6% grade) I figured my quad wasn't going to feel any better. A friend suggested that I go see the doctor. I'll do that, I guess. Also, in case it's just an overuse injury, I need to find some kind of cross-training to do while I rest it. I am already thinking it's time for a run. A few runs around the lake and then back to the trails! Meanwhile, let me get some ibuprofen.... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Saturday, April 5, 20089:50 AMAborted ride...... a familiar but as yet undiagnosed pain. I was RSVP'd to ride 69 miles in the East Bay. I woke up late, though, and decided to ride around the lake about 15 times to get that same mileage in. I had another concern, though: pain in my right thigh that I've been experiencing almost since I got the new bike. It used to take 20 or 30 miles before I felt it, but last Sunday, I felt it during the 27 mile ride. On this ride, I felt it start before I had finished one lap around the lake. I don't know if this was some "damage" that occurred during the six weeks or so that I rode before getting the bike "fitted" or if it is something else. It comes on gradually and, last Sunday at least, got to a point where I grunted in pain once. For all of you "doctors" out there, it's only on the right leg, it comes on gradually, and it's affecting my lower quad above the knee (with a slight emphasis on the outer portion of the lower quad.) I was feeling pretty discouraged when I felt it start up again so soon. I rode two more laps before I called it a day. I drove home wondering how I can ride to LA with this issue. I'm hoping that this is leftover pain from the pre-bike fitting rides, but even if it is, I'm not able to train like I need to. But, it occurred to me that this issue started with the new bike, so I will try riding the mountain bike again. Maybe it was my destiny to ride the Ride on the mountain bike. I'm very curious to see how my thigh does with the other bike. If I have to, though, I'll put slick tires on this bike, change out the pedals to clipless, and ride it on the Ride. Stay tuned... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Sunday, March 30, 20081:13 PM"Turn Right! Turn Right!""Was he talking to ME?" I thought. Then "Sh*t" as that rider cut in front of me as he turned right. In fact, that particular rider was actually doing more than talking to me. He actually made a pretty valiant attempt to "herd" me from my path. I heard him yell one last time, "You're heading onto the Bridge!" And then I saw that I was, indeed, about to join the car traffic onto the bridge! Sh*t was right! I was able to turn around on the shoulder and head back about 50 feet or so to where the cars coming off the bridge had to stop before heading down to Sausalito. Luckily, the car that was stopped there was a convertible with the top down so I was able to clearly communicate with the driver that I was going to cut across him and make a left. I don't think that cars at that stop sign are expecting a biker to be coming from off the bridge on the wrong side of the roade. The worst part of this was that I apparently led some other biker astray because someone else had followed me past the right turn. It was a beautiful day for a ride. This was my first AIDS Lifecycle training ride with a group heading into Marin. We started at Golden Gate Park and rode across the Bridge to Mill Valley. We stopped at the Depot, which was totally familiar to me as the place where the Dipsea race starts. This wasn't exactly a strenous ride (except for heading out of Sausalito there are about two really steep hills as you leave town.) But, the ride across the bridge was windy and I had those cursed clipless pedals making me a nervous wreck! Yes, still! Coming back over the Bridge was pretty windy. I maneuvered around the towers without problem, though. Earl was actually blown against one of the towers the one time we rode over the Bridge. (It was only after we had returned to our cars that he told me he was afraid of heights.) I followed some guys (and gal) from the Presidio pretty much back to the Park. I was surprised that they weren't stopping at stop signs. Since they weren't, I didn't either. (I know, I know. If they jumped off the Bridge, would I have followed? From what I've disclosed already, I think we can see that I could have stumbled off the Bridge all on my own!) It was a pretty good ride, but took longer than I expected. I wanted to spend a little time at the Expo, but all I had time to do was turn in some sponsor checks. And speaking of sponsors, thank you to Karen for the donation! It was Karen's idea to ride in this in the first place. I think it was way back in October or November that she first said we should do this. She never did sign up but I'm glad she got me to do it.
Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Saturday, March 29, 20086:46 AMBear with me ...... I've only had the clipless pedals since Weds so I'm still getting used to them. So, they are dominating my blog. I went out for a little San Bruno to Canada rode ride yesterday. The weather was pretty cool so I put on leggings (note to self: don't let the leggings bunch behind your knees!) Part of this route included Sawyer Camp Trail. This was good to practice turns. I am still getting the hang of not leaning to turn rather than turning the handlebars. It works so much better but I still have trust issues. I got a couple of actual cycling jerseys yesterday. We'll see how those look on my next longish ride. I've been resistant to buying a) a road bike, and b) cycling clothes (except for shorts, of course) because "I'm a runner, not a cyclist." But, I am beginning to dig the whole cycling thing and I am beginning to see when it might be useful to have some supplies where you can just grab them. The other day, I was out riding and stopped by the side of the road to digetst some energy gel. A woman rode past and asked if I was okay. I said yes. Yesterday I also stopped by the side of the road to have an Odwalla bar. And I realized that most cyclists don't stop to eat -- they eat on the bike which is why that woman thought something might be wrong. I think, though, that eating on the bike thing is something I'll have to practice. I didn't have too many problems clipping in and clipping out. Until I returned to my car. Which was parked at the top of a hill. I always try to clip out early. And I did try. And failed. And kind of panicked in that I didn't try again or try my other foot. So I rode past my car down the steep hill. At the bottom, I clipped out just to do it. Then I clipped back in and rode back up the hill. I got 3/4 the way by standing and pedaling but then had to sit. And after a few pedals, I considered what I would do if I just coulnd't pedal anymore. I thought I might be too tired to clip out, at that point. Yes, it WAS a steep hill. While I was considering things of that nature, I rolled over the top and back to my car. I had clipped out by then and just when I got the the car, almost stopped, the left foot almost clipped back in of its own accord. That would've been a drag! Hopefully, I will soon master this pedal thing so I can obsess in the blog about something else.... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Thursday, March 27, 20085:43 PMClip in ...... clip out! Clip in .... clip out! Yes, it was time to try out the new pedals (as well as the new configuration of seat and bar height.) Part of me (the chicken sh*t part) wanted to go park right by Los Gatos Creek Trail so I would keep the clipping in, clipping out to a minimum. But, in the end, I parked at my friend's house and rode about two miles on the streets to the trailhead. This included several stop lights and signs, so I got some practice. I would like to say that I clipped in, clipped out with ease but that's not the case. I clipped out super early cuz it often took me two tries. I have read that to clip out, I should imagine that I'm squashing a bug. I've got the twisting part down, but not the pressure part. Also, I usually kept my right foot clipped in. I should probably try to gain proficiency with on both sides, but I'm not ready to confuse myself yet. I found that it made me nervous to have my feet stuck to the pedals on the turns. I had read in a book to imagine that I was climbing stairs as I pedaled. I found that to be really useful. It allows you to release the pressure on the foot coming up much sooner than you might otherwise. Also, it gets you to start pushing downward at the 12:01 position rather than the 2 or 3 o'clock position. It felt different and it felt like it increased my cadence. Dan from the bike store has recommended that I keep it at 90 or more RPM. Special and very big thanks to Earl for a super generous donation. I haven't reached the $2500 mark yet, though, so feel free to click on "DONATE" Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Wednesday, March 26, 20085:28 PMBike Fitting...... at Mike's Bikes. I brought the bike to Mike's for a fitting. The first thing to do was to change the pedals to clipless. Well, actually, the first thing to do was to buy shoes for the cleats. One of the reasons that I am biking and not running so much is because I have a bit of plantar fasciitis in my left foot. So, when Dan and I talked about shoes and the stiffness of the sole, I was quickly sold (or is it "soled" ? :0 ) on a carbon sole. There would be no flexing of my foot! The only thing about that is the cost, of course. Carbon is certainly pricy. But, you know, Bicycling magazine said to skimp on the pedals and spend the money on the shoes. (They also said to skimp on the jersey and spend the money on the shorts. That seems like a no-brainer!) Anyway, so after picking out the shoes (which luckily were in a color that I could live with -- unlike every other model which were silver, or pink) we picked some (relatively) inexpensive pedals. He said that they would be easy to clip into. Pretty much exactly what I'm looking for in a pedal. While Dan was setting up the bike with the pedals and the shoes with the cleats, I was watching some video of some clips from a bike race through the 1980's. There was no sound but it was interesting to watch these skinny guys falling all over each other in the road. Then Dan put the bike on the trainer and I hopped on. The first thing he did was raise the seat. I knew I should have done that. Then I pedaled some more while he sipped his coffee. I actually started to sweat a little. He then lowered my handlebars so that they were more level with my seat. Previously, they had been higher than my seat. And that was pretty much it. He gave me some good advice (ride daily, don't worry about distance so much as frequency. After frequency, worry about time. Worry about distance last.) Also, stretch! Dan gave me the ALC disccount plus a little bit more on the pedals since he was really trying to get me an even less expensive pair but they were out of stock. All of that was negated, though, by the parking ticket I found on my car when I came back to it. SF meter maids work harder than any other City employee! ;0 I kind of wanted to go for a ride but it was a study night..... I'll be glad when that's all over! BTW, to those who read this blog regularly, I normally don't worry about the date too much, but I've decided to let the date reflect the day of the actual ride, or in this case, fitting.... so if this appears to be backdated, that's because it is! Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Monday, March 24, 20086:00 PMEaster SundayYes, of course I would ride on Easter Sunday. Luckily, it was a "short" ride of forty miles (or 39.69 for those of us with a Garmin!) It was a good ride and I remembered (almost belatedly) that I carry several energy gels for a reason! On that 55 mile ride last week, I ate one 190-cal Odwalla bar ... and then wondered why I was so tired afterwards! The worst part was that we had stopped for lunch but I didn't want to eat anything big -- I was saving my appetite for my post-ride Starbucks meal. Even worse, I had plenty of gel with me during that ride, but didn't eat any of them (it's hard to say that you actually "eat" energy gel -- "ingest" might be more accurate!) So, the forty mile ride went pretty smoothly, though there were more hills than I had anticipated. I navigated without difficulty. It was actually a pretty small group. I don't know if the usual crew turned up their noses at a "mere" forty miles or if they started Easter early. I RSVP'd for a 28 mile ride next Sunday -- and I was almost snobbish about the miles! But, I'm hoping to do a long long ride next Saturday so I wasn't sure how I'll feel on Sunday. Plus, Sunday is the Expo and I love expos! Wednesday I'm scheduled for a bike fitting. I plan on buying shoes, cleats and clipless pedals. There was a time in a recent ride on the new bike when I thought, "Gee, I think clipless pedals would make this part of the ride just a little easier!" I am still experiencing some pain in my right quad which I attribute to the seat probably not exactly where it needs to be. The seat has been surprisingly okay for 55 miles. I think that I will mark the tag on the inside of my bike shorts with a number to tell them apart. I need to start figuring out which ones work better on the longer miles so that I bring those ones on the Ride. Plus, I haven't yet needed Butt Butter but I should get some just to make sure it works okay for me.... 'nuff said about that! Kerrie has a large backpack with lots of compartments that she will lend me for the ride...saving me (or depriving me) of the excuse to shop for one! It's still only March but it is almost April! I can't leave everything for the last minute! Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Monday, March 17, 20086:52 PMWhat's the difference between ...... lazy and wimpy? Cuz I think that if I don't want to take my new road bike out in wet weather it's cuz I'm wimpy; Kerrie thinks a better term might be lazy! ;0 I'm sticking to wimpy. And, it turned out that I was not the only rider who woke up Saturday AM, looked outside, and pulled the covers back over our heads (or maybe, over our bikes!) But, I had no excuses Sunday. It was a beautiful day though a little chilly. I was with the usual South Bay Sunday Training Ride gang. We were riding 55 miles. I started off with the riders near the end since I wanted to conserve my energy. (What for, I'm not sure!) There were some good (or bad, depending on your perspective) hills. I found myself being wimpy on the downhills. If I just let myself lean into the turns and not try to steer, I'm much better off. But, I braked a lot (though not INTO the turns.) We hit the Los Gatos Roasting Company (or something like that) and re-grouped with more of our group. Plus, there were some people still behind us. Some people had an actual lunch but I just wanted to eat my Odwalla bar and get going again. Another woman and I were both concerned about getting chilled so we decided to set out together. And here's my dilemma. What exactly is the etiquette when you and another rider casually decide to leave together? Jean and I decided to leave and then three other women decided to come with us. First Jean led for awhile. We kind of casually took turns leading. There was no design. One woman was strong on the hills and she passed all of us on them and then she'd lead for a while. At Rancho San Antonio, the hill climber (I'm sorry I can't quite remember her name) and I paused to make sure we were going the right way. I couldn't see the other three women. Should we have waited for them? I wasn't sure because none of us were ride leaders and the group had been casual. But, nonetheless, I felt a little guilty. But, not guilty enough to pause long. We made sure of our route and continued. I wasn't even sure if the hill climber and I were "riding together." At one point, I asked if she wanted to stop because I was going to take off a layer. She stopped with me. When we got to Foothill Expressway, I think we had a tailwind because I was riding in the lead at a really good clip (for a CAT 2 rider, I guess.) I am always anxious to get back and I had to pee since the break at 25 miles. But, eventually, I realized that I lost the hill climber. Again the dilemma. Should I wait or go on? I didn't know what had happened to her. Had my pace been too fast? Had she turned off? I paused and several riders from other groups passed me. I thought I saw her about 50 yards behind but I couldn't be sure. I started up again and she caught up to me at the next light. It had been her. She thanked me for waiting. I felt bad that I hadn't waited further but I hadn't been 100% sure it was her. We finished together. After we signed out, I went to Starbucks to use the restroom and get some food. I was starving. I saw the other three women from our group. One of them waved to me. I feared hill climber and I had committed a faux pas by not waiting. But, I'm not sure what the rules are .... .... and do they count if you really really really have to pee? Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | |
