Alyn Libman's
Figure Skater on tour...but not on skatesFrom 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. 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. Who am I? I'm also a chameleon - who I am to you may not be who I am to someone else. I am a son, grandson, nephew, and sibling of nondescript origin to my family and pets. I am a figure skater, a skating coach, and a competitor with the Cal Figure Skating Team. I am majoring in American Studies at the University of California at Berkeley and will be graduating in May 2008. I am a Point Scholar who works hard to educate my community and society at large about the multitude of isssues facing LGBT youth today. I am a Brother at the California Chapter of Alpha Delta Phi. I am active with the Sisters and always enjoy putting the "fun" in fundraising, especially for organizations that work with youth and transgender populations. I am a work-study student/desk jockey at Health Research for Action where I ensure that the resources in our publications are updated and relevant. I am a person who believes in social justice and will do whatever is in my power to help pursue that goal. Why Ride? I'll start with a short story. When I was 14, someone I saw on a daily basis confided in me that he had been living with AIDS for half of his life. This revelation not only shocked me, as it quickly dispelled all of the myths I had internalized about HIV and AIDS, but it also allowed this man to share his story with me. Up until that point, I had never knowingly met anyone with AIDS and thought that anyone who had AIDS was going to die within a year or two. I thought I would be able to recognize anyone with AIDS after reading And the Band Played On. Mind you, I learned all of this from a book I checked out at the library when I was in 2nd grade. Whether or not he knows it, that moment and the subsequent conversations we've had over the past 9 years have been inspiring and have taught me that openly living with AIDS is still incredibly stigmatized in our society. I'm riding to help fund HIV/AIDS educational programs to reduce the risk of transmission of HIV. I'm riding so that my friends who are HIV+ or living with AIDS can have access to the medications that keep them healthy. And on a more personal level, I'm riding because I want to have the opportunity to be inspired by others, to hear their stories, and to spend the next six months physically and mentally challenging myself in ways that I haven't done before. What Can You Do?
If you donate $100 or more, I will sew a decal or patch on my cycling jersey in your honor. And if you have something more particular in mind, like you want to knit me some arm warmers or decorate my helmet, I'm open to propositions. The more creative, the better! Just remember...whatever it is can't clash with the red dress that I have to wear on red dress day... If you have any questions, please send me a message here and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks for all of your support!
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Alyn's latest blog entry:
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2008 
Taking a quick nap before my short program at Intercollegiate Nationals
Alyn's Goal: $3,600.00
Current Total: $3,250.00 |
Listen to Alyn's Gabcast |
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. |
Alyn's LinksSan Francisco AIDS Foundation
L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
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Alyn's BlogTuesday, April 22, 20083:16 PMI've got good news and bad news...The good news is that I saw a doctor this afternoon and I'm allowed to bike right now, though it's a matter of whether or not I can/want to endure shoulder pain. He said biking isn't going to threaten my shoulder, it just won't feel great. So I'll keep that in mind as I keep popping ibuprofen (don't worry mom, I talked to the doctor about how much I can take) and icing my shoulder. The bad news? He doesn't know if I bruised a bone in my shoulder or if I tore my supra spinatus. He wants me to have an MRI done as soon as my worker's comp insurance authorizes it. Who knows how long that will take...but I hope it doesn't take too long! If I bruised my bone, my shoulder will hurt for another 2-3 months but there won't be much I can do about it. If I tore the muscle, then I may need surgery...I'll have to see. I want to thank EVERYONE for all of your support. If you haven't donated and you're reading this and you're debating whether or to donate, just remember that your money will be going to someone with HIV or AIDS who relies on the San Francisco AIDS Foundation for health care and services. Help me reach (and exceed) my personal goal of raising $3600. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Saturday, April 19, 20084:53 PMShoulder updateI finally had an appointment with an orthopedist on Tuesday. I'm not sure how sketchy he is, but I'm glad that I have an appointment nonetheless. I haven't been riding because holding the handlebars hurts my arm. I've been going crazy not excercising so I went to the RSF this morning and just did stationary bike for an hour. I didn't have to use my arms and I got quite the work out. It looks like I'll be doing stationary bike until I get the OK to resume my regular exercise. Grrrr. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Monday, April 7, 20087:18 AMCycling seems to have saved me this weekendI feel as if I need to confess something. I've been in Michigan since Thursday morning and have not touched a bike since Wednesday night. Since arriving, I've spent most of my waking hours at the ice rink skating or watching my teammates skate. So why write about skating when this is clearly a blog about training for the ALC? Well because I think my ALC training, though somewhat sporadic as of late, definitely saved my ass this weekend. The California Figure Skating Team (UC Berkeley) qualified to Intercollegiate Nationals which was hosted by University of Michigan. My team captain, the lovely person that she is, signed me up for 5 events. Now normally, I wouldn't complain too much. But I haven't really been skating much and two of the events require quite a bit of one ice training. The bottom line is, it takes lots of training to get through a 4 min 15 sec program. Somehow, I finished both my long and short program without collapsing on the ice. I took it one step at a time and finished. I credit my ALC training with this accomplishment for a few reasons. First, I've learned not to focus too far ahead when I'm riding but to just think about what I need to do as I'm doing it. Rather than thinking about hill at mile 50, I'm going to focus on getting up the hill I'm climbing and forget about what I'll be feeling like in 20 miles. I also managed to control my breathing better on the ice after talking to a bunch of experienced riders who gave me some breathing tips when cycling, especially while exerting a lot of energy going up hills. Instead of doing my usual "let's try to breath as fast/much as possible because I feel like I can't breathe" I slowed my breathing down quite significantly and just tried to not feel like I was hyperventilating. And last but not least, the fact that I've been doing some long distance training, at least by my standards, certainly contributed to my success this weekend. Although I didn't skate the most amazing program of my life, I got through it without having done the program in over 2 months. I was shocked but can see how much cross training can help my skating and how much skating has helped my cycling. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Sunday, March 30, 20085:47 PMIf my bike could talk...It would probably tell me to finish my thesis already so I could ride it more. This morning J. and I headed over to SF for a 46 mile ride over to Tiburon and back. The usual suspects were in present (Saulsalito, Camino Alto) and a few special and uninvited When I got off the Golden Gate Bridge, I breathed a sigh of relief and told my legs that it would be flat from there until I got back. When the last hill popped up, I got cranky and my legs weren't happy either because I'd been pushing myself pretty hard on the flats and rollers over the course of the ride so I could work on my time. I did 46 miles in 3 hours and 31 minutes. I'm pleased with my progress though I know that I will be stiff tomorrow morning. After the ride, I signed out got my bike valet parked, and went over to the therapy table for a myofascial release treatment and some roller treatment. Both felt incredible and my hamstrings and hip flexors are thanking me for it. I think I'm going to make an appointment to see Aundi sometime soon so I can get some work done on my trouble spots. I checked out the expo, bought some bike clothes, snarfed down a hot dog, and met some new folks. The ride leaders kept pointing out that the ride is almost 2 months away...8 more weeks and that's it. I'm excited but a tad bit nervous. I'm actually concerned about the fundraising bit more than the ride but I'm still working on that. It looks like I may be having a fundraiser at the end of April at the White Horse - more details will be announced once things have firmed up a bit. Anyhow, I'm over the $1000 mark now (thank you!) and have about $1500 to go to reach the minimum I need to do the ride. Ideally I'd like to get to $3600 but I'm aiming for $2500 and just going to see what happens. Beginning April 12, I will be riding Saturday and Sunday back to back. So if you think I've dropped off the face of the planet now, just wait until then. If you want to see me, you'd better bribe me with back rubs, hot tubs, and butt massages...I'm more than a little serious about the last one ;) It's time for me to stop procrastinating and get back to writing my thesis... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Wednesday, March 26, 200812:25 AMOuch.I've had a minor setback in training but I'm back on the bandwagon. My shoulder has been hurting more than I thought it would and despite my uncanny ability to ignore pain, I couldn't pretend that everything was fine. Rather than going on the two long rides I planned last week, I opted for a couple of shorter but still intense hill rides. I figure it's best to take it easy for a little bit and not put too much pressure on my shoulder. I was truly surprised at how much I felt the pain in my arm. Who would've thought that biking works out your upper body that much... Assuming that I'm able to handle riding on Sunday, I plan on doing a longer ride. I'll probably go out for a Friday morning hill climb and do 30 miles of hills. No, I'm not a masochist. Don't quote me on this but I kind of like climbing hills because I can actually see what's around me :) Trust me, it's nice to see everything from above because it doesn't happen often when you're my height. Enough of the self-deprecating humor. I think I'll do the Grizzly/Tunnel Loop backwards and then turn around and do it the way I normally do it. I've heard doing Grizzly Peak first is more challenging but I suppose it's good to mix it up. Otherwise, it looks as if I might be having a fundraising event for my ALC ride at the end of April. After talking to Tommy Salami at the White Horse's Wednesday night Drag King show, I'm hoping that everything works out. I have tons of certificates and other fun things from some local businesses and would really like to give them away. Besides, the East Bay King's Club puts on an awesome show and I can't think of a better way to raise awareness, raise some money, and have a good time. Last but not least, I had a strange realization in the shower this morning as I was shaving my legs. Yes, I started shaving my legs right after I started training for this ride. As embarrassed as I am to admit it, it's kind of nice having smooth legs. My sheets feel fantastic when I go to bed the first night after shaving and I like the fact that I can actually see my leg muscles without the hair obscuring the view. And my legs have definitely grown more muscular since January...thank you Mr. Obvious! My quads are starting to get a little slab-like and if I was about 10 pounds thinner I might scare myself. Let's hope my jeans don't start busting open or else I might end up being Mini-Me version of The Hulk for Halloween. That's all for tonight. It's late and I know I should be in bed, but my body seems to be under the impression that it's 4 pm and not after midnight. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Sunday, March 16, 20088:19 PM68.4 miles and I'm still going!I realize that it's been almost a month since I've last updated. I've been more or less MIA because I came down with some evil cold/flu thing, ended up in the ER after having an anaphylactic allergic reaction to a currently unknown substance (though I highly suspect it was to Chinese elm tree pollen...), and hurt my shoulder at work when one of my students decided to tackle me... But really, all is well now! Being off my bike was pretty frustrating because I feel as if I've made quite a lot of progress. It's difficult to quit cold turkey for a prolonged period of time when you've built up a ton of momentum and feel energized and motivated from all seeing your hard work pay off. Two weeks ago, J. dragged me out of my studio for a very flat and easy 20 mile ride. Unfortunately, the ride ended up taking about an hour longer than expected because I got a flat on my rear wheel which has a derailleur, your chain and chain ring, and a few other bits and pieces that make changing that wheel a bit of a pain. Prior to that Sunday, I had never had a flat and my riding companion hadn't changed a tire in something like 9 years. So after a lot of hard work (on her part, I mostly stood around and looked pretty), we finally got rolling and finished the rest of the ride without any hitches. Fast forward to today - I've been more or less off of my bike, not excercising, and recovering from an illness that kept me in bed for over 10 days. I hate being in bed but it was all I could do. I digress. When J. informed me, or more precisely told me, that I was going to ride this weekend, I looked at her skeptically. When she told me that the ride was 68 miles and full of hills, I thought she was insane! My longest ride prior to today was 48 miles (I think?) so a 20 mile jump is pretty significant. And when you add on the fact that I had to be up at 5:45 am (which is really 4:45 if you count the daylight savings bit), my body wasn't quite awake yet. You think I'd be used to it after training for skating for so many years and waking up at 3:30 but being a lazy college student, my circadian rhythm has shifted so that anything before 10 seems early. We drove to the city while it was still dark. After seeing the sunrise and the beautiful and miraculously clear view of the Golden Gate Bridge as the hillsides glowed from the sun, I felt somewhat better about my impending doom, I mean bike ride. The wind and cold were not promising though I knew that it'd be windy so I was prepared. The ride started off great - even though I hadn't been riding, I knew the beginning of the ride because I've done it a few times. Each time I ride it, it feels easier and more enjoyable. I spent the first third of the ride with a fast pace group and was able to keep up with them, doing the first two major hills without a problem. We rolled into Fairfax for a bathroom and refueling break, and then set out again for White's hill which isn't as innocent as it sounds. While riding up the hill, my legs started feeling rubbery but I pushed myself to keep going until I couldn't take anymore. I hopped off my bike for about 30 seconds, stretched and hopped on. All the while, my saddle has been giving me problems and making my nether bits numb and painful. It was rather distracting and difficult to focus on the ride when I was trying everything I could to make it go away. Once I conquered the hill, I started a nice descent into a long string of rolling hills. Now some cyclists would scoff at the idea that these were hills since their version of hills are what normal people would call mountains, but rollers really suck because you're constantly climbing and descending and the descents are usually too short to really gather enough momentum to help you climb. You're also constantly shifting gears so you can maximize your speed, but it doesn't necessarily help if you get stuck in a pack or hit a stop sign. I was warned prior to setting off that I'd need to eat and drink more than I thought so I was doing the best I could to prevent myself from "bonking." Bonk I did. Somewhere around mile 30, the rubbery leg feeling started getting worse. But I know from past experience that sometimes the feeling subsides if you continue on or drink water, so I did both. I also tried eating more and drinking my energy drink. But no, the lead legs continued to worsen. I was finally forced to acknowledge the fact that I was bonking when I couldn't exceed 4 mph on FLAT road when my normal pace for flat riding is between 15-22 mph. Yeah...so I stopped and scarfed down half of a sandwich, another energy bar, a bottle of energy drink and water and talked to a ride leader for about 30 minutes. I started feeling better, but the next 11 miles were more challenging than they should have been. The incredible beauty of that 11 miles definitely made up for the pain, fatigue, and numbness....Biking through old growth redwoods, canopies of trees, riding along side a creek, smelling that foresty fresh smell, listening to birds chirping, watching rays of light filter through the trees...I can't even begin to describe how beautiful it was. I would definitely consider subjecting myself to the torture of doing those hills just to ride those 11 miles. After lunch, I got a second wind and was able to fly through the rest of the ride, only stopping to fix my saddle and hit the obligatory rest stops. I'm pretty pleased with my performance today though I know that I could've finished sooner had I not bonked. It took me 5 hours and 30 minutes on the saddle to ride 68.4 miles, though the actual time I was out was significantly longer because of all of the pit stops along the way. Today was truly an accomplishment. I'm really proud of myself and astonished that I finished the ride. I've never been an endurance athlete and to be quite honest, didn't think I'd be able to complete the training rides. I find myself not only completing them, but enjoying them immensely. I'm beginning to discover how much I've missed that sort of challenge over the past few years since I haven't been as active. Not to say that skating isn't challenging, but it's nice to change it up a little after 18 years. Besides, my body is starting to get too old for the kind of beating that it gets when I really train for skating. At least cycling is low impact (unless you fall) and you can push yourself as you see fit. Being a competitive little bastard, I push myself because I enjoy the challenge. But when I don't feel like it, it's nice to just be able to sit back, look up and enjoy the scenery. I also like how cycling is both a social and individual sport - you can talk and get lots of support when you want/need it, but can just as easily do your own thing. So that's all for now. Tomorrow should be fun...I'm sure I'll be waddling with the best of them! Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Tuesday, February 19, 20081:48 PMGlutamine - the miracle amino acidLast Sunday's ride really killed my quads. I was so sore for the next few days that I even sat out of my sports performance training class because I was afraid that I'd injure myself. I thought back to my days of training and decided to do a little research on sports performance, endurance training, muscle recovery and nutrition. I learned about this wonderful little amino acid that body builders and other athletes have been using for years that assists with muscle fatigue and helps prevent soreness. After work, I went over to my local GNC and purchased two bottles of L-Glutamine (it was a sale, so normally I wouldn't have bought two) and decided to try them before my 42 mile ride on Sunday. The ride itself was nice. I'm slowly getting used to being on my bike for long periods of time. The only bad thing about the ride was that my left hand started getting tingly towards the end so I know that I need to vary my hand position more as I'm riding. I was able to go up the final hill (Saulsalito) with less effort than I did the first time and it definitely felt easier than doing the 3 bears last weekend. I followed the directions on the bottle - took two before my ride with my breakfast and my usual multivitamin, and two when I got home from the ride. When I woke up Monday morning, I was really shocked because [i]nothing[/i] hurt. My shoulders were fine, my back wasn't sore, and my legs felt perfectly normal as if I had just sat around the day before reading books. I kept waiting for something to start hurting and as of this afternoon, I feel no residual soreness. I'm taking it as a good sign, perhaps that I'm getting a little stronger, and perhaps that taking amino acids will truly make a difference in my training. This morning, J. and I went over to the RSF to do a half-hour of stationary bike. I really dislike stationary bikes, but it was good having someone next to me that I knew even if we didn't talk all that much. In any case, having her next to me allowed me to keep my eyes off the old guy with very tight/short spandex bike shorts with a very jiggly butt. It was not flattering to say the least. I won't even waste my energy talking about all of the undergrads who decide to do cardio and do homework but who just kind of sit there and don't actually put any effort into their workout. I know they're all thinking "I go to the gym, but don't seem to lose weight or feel any better..." Well, that's because working out actually requires you to be mentally focused and present...not zoning off into la-la land reading Judith Butler. I did my half hour at the gym plus my sports performance training class and some abs. I did 32 minutes at a 23 mph pace. I managed to keep my cadence in the 90-110 range (though mostly around 96) which is good. Accupuncture later and then lots of sleep... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Sunday, February 10, 20082:12 PMI rode the bears...and not the big hairy men kindAfter a nasty bout of food poisoning on Friday that lasted until early evening Saturday, I wasn't sure if I'd be up to riding. I spent all day Friday/Saturday in bed or watching movies. Needless to say, I felt back to normal this morning and figured I'd take advantage of the beautiful weather. No rain or wind or hail this time, but let me say this: HILLS. I just got home from perhaps the most challenging ride I've done yet - a 33 mile ride from Orinda up Bear Creek Road, to Alhambra and San Pablo Ave. The first hill, or should I say "Papa Bear," is a 3 mile climb that killed my quads. Now I take pride in the fact that I have strong legs but I had to get off twice to take a break because my legs were burning so badly. I'm pleased to say that other than the first two quick stops, I was able to complete the ride without stopping for air. After getting over the three bears, the rest of the ride was relatively easy. The only thing that made going up those hills worthwhile were the fast descents and nice scenery. I'm not looking forward to repeating the ride, but realize that it's a necessary evil in order to really work on my climbing. Ugh. Otherwise, I'm pleased with my progress on this ride. I finished the ride in 2 hours and 35 minutes (not including the stop at Starbucks for a quicker picker upper and some awesome cookies). When I'm not climbing, I'm pretty comfortable at the 13-18 mph range, though sometimes I can break 22 if the road is right. The ride leaders and other riders were amazing and super nice. I felt very welcome and was pleased to see that there were more people closer to my age. No offense to the elder riders, but sometimes it's nice to be with people my age...Now I'm gonna duck because I know a few people will swipe at me. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Tuesday, February 5, 20087:34 PMToday was a 20+ mile dayToday was the commuter day from hell. I ended up riding a little over 21 miles today in transit from the various places I had to be today. Not only did I ride all over creation but also did about 90 minutes of "sports performance training drills" which royally kicked my behind. I did some abs to balance out the cardio portion of my morning workout and then headed over to the rink to coach. Needless to say, I did not skate when I got to the rink because 1) my butt hurt from sitting on the bike and 2) I was tired and didn't want to burn my legs out so I couldn't ride home. Now that I'm home and sitting in my faux-leather Ikea office chair, I'm starting to realize what kinds of challenges I'll be facing over the next few months. I can already feel myself getting stronger (my commutes to and from work are getting easier, especially the smallish hills) and riding is getting to be more natural. I find myself getting antsy if I can't ride because of the weather and actually enjoy getting out on the road and going for a ride. I'm trying to get a few people together to do a morning ride on Friday. I might try to join up with the ALC riders if I can...otherwise I'll just wander over to Tunnel Road and work on climbing. It's time for a long hot soak... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Monday, February 4, 200812:08 PMOver hill, over dale...as I hit the hail filled trailYesterday J. and I drove over to San Francisco to do a 35 mile ride from the Golden Gate Bridge to Saulsalito and Tiburon and then back. The weather was supposed to be somewhat decent with The Weather Channel forecasting a chance of scattered showers. All I have to say is that the Weather Channel either needs to update their equipment or change their definitions for the words "scattered" and "showers." Somehow, I don't think hail that is blowing sideways, heavy rain (intermittent, yes, but heavy nonetheless), and very gusty winds counts as mild weather. Despite the crappy weather, the ride itself was beautiful and challenging. On my way to the bridge, there was an amazing rainbow that stretched from one of the towers of the bridge to the mountains (or hills) that I would soon be climbing. There were ducks bobbing in the water by the bay, going under every once in a while to nab some food. On my left, I saw a lone white stork that reminded me of all the "birdies" I used to see in the LA River as a kid. The towns that we passed through during the ride were quite nice. I could see myself stopping and wandering the next time I do a ride there and don't have any time constraints. Aside from the fact that I had never biked more than 20 miles (give or take) before the ride, I had also never biked across the Golden Gate Bridge. The first time I crossed the bridge at the beginning of the ride, it was pouring rain and slightly windy. As we got closer to the middle of the bridge, we all got pummelled by a surpise hail storm. All I have to say is that my face hurt like hell from being hit by hail and my hands and toes were frozen. After getting across, the rest of the ride was pleasant (except during the downpours after I got across the bridge and after my lunch break). On the ride back to the starting spot, the wind got pretty heavy and I almost slammed in a pylon and the rain while crossing the bridge because the wind was so strong. The ride itself was a great experience because I had never been on a ride with more than 2 people. I would guess that there were between 30 and 40 cyclists who rode. It took some getting used to but about 5 miles in, it wasn't so bad. Early into the ride, I realized that I was expending too much energy trying to bike slowly and increased my pace so that I was still exerting but not feeling too tired. I finished the second half of the ride at a much quicker pace and was able to conquer the hill at the end of the ride at a decent pace. I'm pleased and looking forward to riding more! Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Monday, January 28, 200812:25 PMUpper Body/Core StrengthIt was raining when I left the house this morning so I decided to take the bus and go to the gym after my 8-9 am class. I did about an hour of upper body training (shoulders, chest, back) and then took a half hour abs/back class. I went through the same upper body routine as I did last week. For whatever reason, I couldn't do as many unassisted pull ups, but some of the other exercises felt a little easier. The core class killed me...I haven't really worked my abs since July because of surgery and boy, could I tell. I have a feeling that my abs will be sore tomorrow, but at least I have a better idea of how much I need to train my core. If the weather is still nice when I get off of work, I'll go for a ride around town and a short skating session. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Saturday, January 26, 20084:12 PMQuick RideAfter I got off work this morning, I went home and got on my bike so I could beat the rain. This time, I succeeded. I didn't want to push my luck by going on a long ride and getting stuck in a downpour, but didn't want something too easy. I settled on the Claremont/Tunnel Rd/Grizzly Peak/Claremont Loop. I rode a total 14 miles in about 80 minutes. The little odometer thing that I bought is pretty useful but also kind of annoying. It took me a while to figure out that the best way to get up the hill without burning out was to drop to a lower gear and spin faster. I thought my legs would get more tired, but once I did it, I was able to conquer the hill without stopping. I did take a couple of rests because I got distracted by the reading on the little computer in front of me and kept thinking "wow, I'm going up this hill at 8.2 mph" and then I got burned out. I've never gone over the hill and down Grizzly before and it was quite a rush. I looked at my speed a few times and was shocked to know that I was going over 30 mph. Needless to say, I was careful and did make sure to control my speed especially around the turns. It was a short but intense ride. I'm thinking that I'll try to do this ride at least once a week so I can work on getting stronger and not pooping out on the hills. I hope my legs aren't too sore tonight and tomorrow. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Monday, January 21, 20089:51 AMBrrrrrrrr....It's time for a confession or two. Yesterday, I overslept and missed my training ride. Either I forgot to set my alarm or I turned it off without realizing it. I think it was probably the latter, but I'll save myself the guess work and just accept that I didn't make it. This morning I got up and prepared to go out for a ride in order to remedy the fact that I didn't go yesterday. I got pretty bundled up and headed out to go warm up and see how I felt. It was absolutely FREEZING and then it started raining and getting a tad windy. It was in the 40s to start with plus the water plus a bit of wind plus the wind that you get when you're riding. I confess, I went to Bakesale Betty's instead and got myself a slice of pumpkin bread and biked back home. But I'm not giving up. After I warm up a bit and change, I'm going to head over the gym and do some stationary bike and weights indoors, away from the cold and rain. Yes, I'm going to cheat and drive my car or take the bus, but at least I'm getting on a bike today, even if it isn't my own. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Friday, January 18, 20087:26 PMInteresting happenings going down in the hoodSometime over the last 5 days, I must have surreptitiously passed into the "bike" community. All of a sudden, people started assuming that I actually know something about bikes (I can change a tube and oil my chain, but that's about all) and random bikers have started giving me the "hey what's up?" nod as we pass each other during our commutes. It's kind of cool to suddenly be initiated into this subcommunity, though I'm not sure what it means, if in fact in means anything at all. If I start spouting new lingo, you'll know why. Well, time to go make myself a tuna sandwich because I definitely don't feel like standing in the kitchen tonight. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Thursday, January 17, 20087:50 PMPounding the PavementAfter putting in a pretty grueling day at the ice rink yesterday, I realized that I needed a day to recuperate with as little riding as possible. Since the weather was nice and I didn't really feel like being indoors, I decided to get a jump start on fundraising before the semester really ramps up and makes it difficult to get out and about. I hopped on my bike and cruised around my neighborhood, talking to a wide variety of businesses and was pretty surprised at the amount of support I received. For one thing, people were truly amazed that someone actually WANTED to ride almost 600 miles in 7 days and was somewhat cheery about the whole shebang. Maybe it's too early in my training for me to regret signing up but so far I feel great and it gives me an end goal to work towards. In case you haven't noticed, I'm goal oriented and if I know what is ahead of me, I'll figure out a way to get there. The other thing that was amazing about this afternoon was all of the stories I heard from people about their friends and loved ones who had completed the ride. One woman even asked me in a hushed tone while turning slightly pink, if I knew about that "butt cream." I told her that I did and then she proceeded to apologize in advance for what she then demonstrated - how people's inhibitions suddenly disappeared after Day 1 when the chafing and pain began and suddenly, people were scooping that stuff and cramming it down their pants like it was going out of style. I rode to and from the rink this afternoon and my legs feel nice and loose. Now if I could only get drivers in Oakland to figure out that bicycles are in fact vehicles and that they do have the same rights that cars do. And no, I do not have to ride on the sidewalk (as one pissed off and high driver screamed at me with his middle finger raised) or ride so close to cars that I just barely miss hitting the side mirrors. To be continued... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Wednesday, January 16, 20086:42 PMThank you all!!Thank you to everyone who has offered their support! I really appreciate all of your words and will definitely keep you posted about my progress! Training has been going as well as it can be for day 4. I set up my odometer/speedometer and have been (sort of) keeping track of my pace and distance. I say sort of because I think my meter is defective because it keeps freezing and I have to keep resetting it in the middle of rides. Not so useful...I've been biking around town as my sole form of transportation the last few days and seem to be averaging somewhere around 8 miles a day. Yesterday was a little longer - did about 16 miles - and skated for an hour and a half. The biking is a nice warm up for skating and a nice cooldown. I think being forced to ride everywhere for the next few months may help my skating and help me prevent injury. I guess I'll have to conduct a little experiment and see... My local bike shop, Tip Top Bikes, have been very generous and helpful in getting me set to train. I got an awesome bike adjustment this morning and when I got on my bike to ride to work, it felt completely different and MUCH easier to get around. Before, I was kind of biking bowlegged and my saddle was bothering me and making my tender bits, well, rather tender. So I swapped out my cushy saddle for a different saddle that I had laying around and it feels fantastic. Even though it's firmer, the width and length better suit me and allow me to adjust my cadence so that my knees and ankles are in better alignment. Who would have thought that a few little adjustments to the seat, drop bars, and my cleats would make such a huge difference. On another note, I spoke with a few of my friends and I may be in the process of planning a beer bust at a bar in San Francisco to help me ride in June. I'll keep you all posted as the details get sorted out. Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb Monday, January 14, 20087:17 PMSo the journey beginsYesterday, January 13th, I committed the next six months of my life to train for the AIDS Lifecycle. I've been considering doing the ride now for a while but was a little hesitant to commit because I didn't believe I could ride 545 miles in 7 days. After all, figure skating is not exactly an endurance sport and endurance has always been my Achilles heel. Somehow, I have a nagging suspicion that one ride will lead to another, but I'll wait and see. I started the morning with a nice, flat 20 mile ride with my friend J. We took BART to Lafayette (I think) and then biked around the area and ended up on a regional trail with lots of morning joggers, dog walkers, and even a few goats. This was my first long ride in a few months. Although it wasn't difficult, I realize that my pace (around 10 mph) definitely needs to increase by the time I ride in June. I went home after the ride and took a nice bubble bath to help me relax and loosen up my legs. Then I met up with J and Jennifer to head over to the ACLC Kickoff party in SF where I ran into a few friends and finally registered for the event. The event was pretty cool and I'm looking forward to meeting people as I start doing the training rides. This morning, I took my bike over to the local shop for a tune-up since it was pretty long overdue. The couple who run the shop are awesome and have been really helpful and supportive. I'm going to start riding to work and to campus again and stop relying too much on my bus pass... Permalink | Share this posting : Care2 News | del.icio.us | digg | NewsVine | Reddit | YahooMyWeb |
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