I'm spending my New Year's Eve at home, with the last of a lingering cough, watching comedy specials on Netflix.
Hopefully, I'll have enough lung capacity in the morning to go on a group ride.
Hope all of you are safe and well and have a wonderful 2012.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
A week's rest and all is better.
I went back to see the family for a week over the Christmas holiday, and as a result of getting absolutely no exercise that week, my heel feels great!
The rest of me feels like a stuffing-bloated whale, but hey, you can't have everything, now can you?
Since I'm nursing the tail end of some bronchitis (over the holiday. Thanks, Universe. Thanks a lot.), I decided to do some yoga. I had a coupon for a series of classes at a 'hot' yoga place near me, and since friends have raved about how great the heated room yoga is for improving flexibility, I went and gave it a try.
I warned the very nice teacher upfront that I'm a yoga beginner (I've only done a few classes at the gym), but she assured me none of the sequences were going to be all that difficult.
Good thing, too - that was like sitting in a damn oven for 75 minutes. I think anything more strenuous would have made me explode.
I brought a liter of water with me, but it wasn't nearly enough and I walked out feeling marginally more flexible but with a terrible headache since I didn't have enough water.
Also, what no one will tell you about 'hot' yoga is that it smells really, really bad.
Everything everyone in the room has eaten in the past few days starts to come out of their pores about half an hour in, so the room ends up smelling like curry, asparagus, and underarm funk.
The instructor had one of those little oil burners with lavender in it, but that was like trying to hold back a tidal wave with a kitchen sponge.
People, please. If you're going to do heated room yoga, have the common decency to lay off the Indian food beforehand and wear a deodorant.
The class let out about 5:30, and my original plan had been to go from the class to the gym to sit in the steam room (funk-free heat), but a heavy fog had begun to roll in and I was worried about biking home after dark in heavy fog.
On the upside, I've had a muscle in my shoulder that's been stiff for about a week, and it feels much better after the class.
I just need to remember to bring nose plugs next time.
The rest of me feels like a stuffing-bloated whale, but hey, you can't have everything, now can you?
Since I'm nursing the tail end of some bronchitis (over the holiday. Thanks, Universe. Thanks a lot.), I decided to do some yoga. I had a coupon for a series of classes at a 'hot' yoga place near me, and since friends have raved about how great the heated room yoga is for improving flexibility, I went and gave it a try.
I warned the very nice teacher upfront that I'm a yoga beginner (I've only done a few classes at the gym), but she assured me none of the sequences were going to be all that difficult.
Good thing, too - that was like sitting in a damn oven for 75 minutes. I think anything more strenuous would have made me explode.
I brought a liter of water with me, but it wasn't nearly enough and I walked out feeling marginally more flexible but with a terrible headache since I didn't have enough water.
Also, what no one will tell you about 'hot' yoga is that it smells really, really bad.
Everything everyone in the room has eaten in the past few days starts to come out of their pores about half an hour in, so the room ends up smelling like curry, asparagus, and underarm funk.
The instructor had one of those little oil burners with lavender in it, but that was like trying to hold back a tidal wave with a kitchen sponge.
People, please. If you're going to do heated room yoga, have the common decency to lay off the Indian food beforehand and wear a deodorant.
The class let out about 5:30, and my original plan had been to go from the class to the gym to sit in the steam room (funk-free heat), but a heavy fog had begun to roll in and I was worried about biking home after dark in heavy fog.
On the upside, I've had a muscle in my shoulder that's been stiff for about a week, and it feels much better after the class.
I just need to remember to bring nose plugs next time.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Work eats my life!
Work is normally pretty slow in December, but for some reason, this year it's been insane. I'm averaging 70 hours per week, which leaves very little time for enjoying the wonderful cool winter weather here in Southern California.
The bikes are gathering dust while I slave away (I'm at work before dawn and off after the sun sets so I'm driving my car, which I try never to do), but the overtime will make a nice check when I get back from seeing my family in Tennessee over the holiday.
Whichever holiday you celebrate, I hope it's wonderful!
The bikes are gathering dust while I slave away (I'm at work before dawn and off after the sun sets so I'm driving my car, which I try never to do), but the overtime will make a nice check when I get back from seeing my family in Tennessee over the holiday.
Whichever holiday you celebrate, I hope it's wonderful!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Museum Day!
A friend wanted to see the exhibit inspired by Women Hold Up Half the Sky at the Skirball Cultural Center.
The Skirball is at the intersection of Sepulveda and Mullholland in West LA, and I figured since I needed to get a ride in anyways, that I'd bike it (and be thankful that I have the freedom to be able to move around by myself without needing permission from a male relative). The hill's not as steep as one would imagine. It's a solid grade, but not unmanageable.
We were due to meet at two, but I thought since I'd be riding right past it and it's free, I'd stop in at the Getty Museum and check out The Pacific Standard Time exhibit.
The ride to the Getty's not steep at all ( didn't even have to use my granny gear) and on Sunday, the traffic's light enough that I didn't fear for my life the few times I had to veer way out into the traffic lane to avoid some of the downed trees that the city hasn't gotten around to clearing away after last week's windstorms.
Although parking at the Getty is $15 per auto, it's free for bicycles, so I rolled up, was directed to the bike racks by the super nice staff, and hopped on the tram which took me up to the museum.
I always forget to bring the good camera to the Getty. It's such a gorgeous place with amazing views and cell phone shots just don't do it justice.
Unfortunately, I didn't leave myself enough time to see the entire exhibit and the grounds, so I guess I need to go back and remember the SLR.
I continued up Sepulveda, and past the Getty it got a bit steeper, but still nothing too terrible. The road's a mess because of the construction. I'm not sure how safe I'd feel doing this ride during the week.
I finally had to break down and use the granny gear on the bike, which dropped my speed to about walking pace, but finally, just as my legs really started to object:
I guess it doesn't surprise me that the Skirball doesn't have any bike racks. After all, they're at the top of the Sepulveda Pass and this is Los Angeles. Center security told me to chain my bike to the handrails on the stairs.
I managed to find a section that wouldn't impede pedestrian traffic and went into the building to wait for my friend.
We perused the exhibit, which was education and depressing. I knew there was trafficking here in Los Angeles, but they had an audio presentation with victims and it just felt so wrong to hear someone say they were sold to a home in West LA.
After we finished, we decided that we needed something a bit more uplifting, so we went and got some dinner (lucky for my my friend drove, so we threw my bike in the back of her car) and saw Arthur Christmas, which was very cute and sweet. We were the only ones in the theater:
When we got out of the movie it was cold, so I was very grateful for the ride home in the heated car. When I got home, I had to turn on the heat, which I almost never have to do.
It's still cold today, but there's a gorgeous blue sky so I might bundle up and venture out to enjoy the day. The really good news is that my heel feels fine this morning! I can't run again until the doc clears me, but this is happy!
The Skirball is at the intersection of Sepulveda and Mullholland in West LA, and I figured since I needed to get a ride in anyways, that I'd bike it (and be thankful that I have the freedom to be able to move around by myself without needing permission from a male relative). The hill's not as steep as one would imagine. It's a solid grade, but not unmanageable.
We were due to meet at two, but I thought since I'd be riding right past it and it's free, I'd stop in at the Getty Museum and check out The Pacific Standard Time exhibit.
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| In the distance, the Getty |
Although parking at the Getty is $15 per auto, it's free for bicycles, so I rolled up, was directed to the bike racks by the super nice staff, and hopped on the tram which took me up to the museum.
I always forget to bring the good camera to the Getty. It's such a gorgeous place with amazing views and cell phone shots just don't do it justice.
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| View over the dining terrace |
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| Landscape |
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| Fountain in the main courtyard |
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| View from the tram stop |
I continued up Sepulveda, and past the Getty it got a bit steeper, but still nothing too terrible. The road's a mess because of the construction. I'm not sure how safe I'd feel doing this ride during the week.
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| Diesel Hammers |
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| Skirball at last |
I managed to find a section that wouldn't impede pedestrian traffic and went into the building to wait for my friend.
We perused the exhibit, which was education and depressing. I knew there was trafficking here in Los Angeles, but they had an audio presentation with victims and it just felt so wrong to hear someone say they were sold to a home in West LA.
After we finished, we decided that we needed something a bit more uplifting, so we went and got some dinner (lucky for my my friend drove, so we threw my bike in the back of her car) and saw Arthur Christmas, which was very cute and sweet. We were the only ones in the theater:
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| Just like having my own private screening room |
When we got out of the movie it was cold, so I was very grateful for the ride home in the heated car. When I got home, I had to turn on the heat, which I almost never have to do.
It's still cold today, but there's a gorgeous blue sky so I might bundle up and venture out to enjoy the day. The really good news is that my heel feels fine this morning! I can't run again until the doc clears me, but this is happy!
Friday, December 2, 2011
Blustery!
Here in Los Angeles, we've been having record high winds over the past few days. It's certainly made things interesting. Trees blowing down, power lines whipping in the breeze, free of their poles, houseplants flying through the air (my poor neighbors. First, the feral cats ate their ferns, and then the wind blew the replacements into the next ZIP code), etc..
The winds were predicted to taper off today, so this afternoon I decided to go for a ride. Since I'm just starting a training cycle (no pun intended), I kept it on the small ring and enjoyed the beautiful blue skies that we get when the winds blow all the smog out of the city.
I only got in real trouble with headwinds at one point during the ride, but I was going downhill so it wasn't all that bad.
Also, this was my first ride on new shorts. Over the weekend, I took advantage of the big sale at our local bike shop and got myself a pair of Mavic shorts at about 70 percent off. The pair I got are women-specific and have some sort of extra awesome waistband. Or something. My French is a bit rusty.
Holy crap those things are comfortable. It's almost like not even wearing pants. They didn't solve the problem of my toes going numb after about an hour, but I think that my saddle is too wide.
When I was shopping for saddles, since my hips can be politely referred to as 'child-bearing', I only looked at the wider models of road bike saddles. Turns out, I might have purchased a saddle that's too wide, according to the bike shop guy.
So next week I'm going to really have a look at some narrower saddles. Tonight, I have to go to a friend's concert, and since it's in Venice (where there's never any parking), I'm going to ride the commuter down there.
Just have to check the batteries in my tail lights.
The winds were predicted to taper off today, so this afternoon I decided to go for a ride. Since I'm just starting a training cycle (no pun intended), I kept it on the small ring and enjoyed the beautiful blue skies that we get when the winds blow all the smog out of the city.
I only got in real trouble with headwinds at one point during the ride, but I was going downhill so it wasn't all that bad.
Also, this was my first ride on new shorts. Over the weekend, I took advantage of the big sale at our local bike shop and got myself a pair of Mavic shorts at about 70 percent off. The pair I got are women-specific and have some sort of extra awesome waistband. Or something. My French is a bit rusty.
Holy crap those things are comfortable. It's almost like not even wearing pants. They didn't solve the problem of my toes going numb after about an hour, but I think that my saddle is too wide.
When I was shopping for saddles, since my hips can be politely referred to as 'child-bearing', I only looked at the wider models of road bike saddles. Turns out, I might have purchased a saddle that's too wide, according to the bike shop guy.
So next week I'm going to really have a look at some narrower saddles. Tonight, I have to go to a friend's concert, and since it's in Venice (where there's never any parking), I'm going to ride the commuter down there.
Just have to check the batteries in my tail lights.
Monday, November 21, 2011
BadIdeaVille. Population: Me.
My doctor is a good guy, and also a cyclist, which is why I brave the crosstown commute to see him rather than someone closer to me who's also in network.
Today, I had an 8:30 am appointment, and since yesterday's heavy rains had stopped and the sun was out, I decided to ride the bike instead of drive.
Sure, the roads were wet, but what's the point of hauling around the extra weight of disc brakes if you don't really use them once in a while?
I'd forgotten about car tires and wet roads.
Needless to say, by the time I got to the doctor's office in Hollywood, I was not only soaked to the skin, but filthy from the damp road gunk that had been thrown up into my face by passing cars.
Awesome.
I had a short conversation with said doctor about my blood pressure (not so bad!) and my registering for the Spring Death Valley Ultra Century.
According to my doctor, the ride is terrible with crosswinds and very, very taxing.
Also according to my doctor, they have SAG wagons so I can quit if I get tired.
Yeah, that's going to happen.
I don't predict quitting unless something catastrophic happens, and maybe not even then.
We'll see. The ride is in March.
Today, I had an 8:30 am appointment, and since yesterday's heavy rains had stopped and the sun was out, I decided to ride the bike instead of drive.
Sure, the roads were wet, but what's the point of hauling around the extra weight of disc brakes if you don't really use them once in a while?
I'd forgotten about car tires and wet roads.
Needless to say, by the time I got to the doctor's office in Hollywood, I was not only soaked to the skin, but filthy from the damp road gunk that had been thrown up into my face by passing cars.
Awesome.
I had a short conversation with said doctor about my blood pressure (not so bad!) and my registering for the Spring Death Valley Ultra Century.
According to my doctor, the ride is terrible with crosswinds and very, very taxing.
Also according to my doctor, they have SAG wagons so I can quit if I get tired.
Yeah, that's going to happen.
I don't predict quitting unless something catastrophic happens, and maybe not even then.
We'll see. The ride is in March.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Social Media FAIL
The only thing that could possibly have made this funnier is if they had referred to the site as "the Tweeter". Does no one who works at this club have teenage children?
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Same stuff, different bike
The good news is that I can ride, I just can't ride Gary. The more upright position of the commuter bike doesn't irritate the heel at all, which is good.
It makes headwinds suck like nothing has ever sucked before, but I guess I'll consider that training, although I'm seriously considering swapping out the straight handlebars for drops, so I can at least make some attempt to get more aero when I'm spinning headlong into a Santa Ana wind.
The heel's finally gotten to the point where it feels like it might actually be getting better. The doc's going to take a look at it next week and let me know if I can start running again.
It makes headwinds suck like nothing has ever sucked before, but I guess I'll consider that training, although I'm seriously considering swapping out the straight handlebars for drops, so I can at least make some attempt to get more aero when I'm spinning headlong into a Santa Ana wind.
The heel's finally gotten to the point where it feels like it might actually be getting better. The doc's going to take a look at it next week and let me know if I can start running again.
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| Waiting on the subway platform |
Monday, November 7, 2011
Glorious Fall Weekend Ride with Mucho Photos
Saturday was one of those days that just makes me glad I live in Southern California - the sky was blue, the air was clear (actually clear, not 'clear for LA), and although it was on the chilly side, it was a perfect day to go for a ride.
I'd intended to leave early, but got stuck doing weekend errands and yakking on the phone with my sister, so I left around noon. I decided to ride north on PCH, because it's a beautiful ride. I wasn't in much of a hurry, just enjoying the day.
Total mileage was 42, but it took me a long time because I kept stopping to take pictures and chat with other cyclists who were also slowing down to enjoy the beautiful fall day. I think this was my last PCH ride for a while, as the climbing's irritating my heel, and I'd really like for this thing to get better.
The next day, it rained all day, so I took my life in my hands and drove the car to the gym, then napped in front of the TV.
I'd intended to leave early, but got stuck doing weekend errands and yakking on the phone with my sister, so I left around noon. I decided to ride north on PCH, because it's a beautiful ride. I wasn't in much of a hurry, just enjoying the day.
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| This guy was riding a gasoline engine assisted bike and pulling a trailer with "Share the Road" written on the back. |
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| Scenic Malibu |
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| Where the cliffs are rotten - I'd hate for one of those things to hit me as I ride by. |
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| I didn't stop for seafood, but I probably should have. |
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| Turnaround point: The tacky McMansion |
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| I've always wanted one of these. I don't know why. |
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| Gary enjoys the view |
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| Beachy! |
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| Memorial wreath with equestrian ribbons and handcuffs. |
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| Looking south to Santa Monica from the Malibu Pier. Note layer of smog. |
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| I'm told this was once the famous Alice's Restaurant. |
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| Yes, yes they do. |
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| Hello surfers! |
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| If only there had been a cop. I could have yelled "Sugartits" |
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| Santa Monica State Beach with pier in background. |
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| Oh, yes. You're going to get some hop-ons. |
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| From whence I came - looking north to Malibu from the Santa Monica Pier |
The next day, it rained all day, so I took my life in my hands and drove the car to the gym, then napped in front of the TV.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Back in the gym, for now
Currently, the Santa Ana winds are blowing here in Los Angeles, which means that the air is hot, dry and, well, gross. Since it's blowing from inland to the ocean, all the allergens, pollution and general malaise that float in the air are now headed straight for me.
Mainly, it's the hot and dry that causes my problems. Hot because, well, it's hot. Dry because the dry air makes me cough like I'm about to die. I had originally intended to do a 30 ish mile bike ride today, but upon waking up with dry eyes, a dry nose, and a dry throat, I decided to stay indoors.
So, I went to the gym. Since I hate doing cardio at the gym (running in place is intolerable, even with trash TV to distract me), I did weights and then a yoga class to stretch out.
I haven't done much weight training since the triathlon season started, so it hurt. Way more than I remember weights hurting, but then again the yoga hurt, too. Mainly because of all the bending.
Then I went and sat in the steam room and felt awesome until I had to go back outside.
Hopefully, the hot and dry will be over soon - according to the weather report, it should only be like this for another couple of days.
Mainly, it's the hot and dry that causes my problems. Hot because, well, it's hot. Dry because the dry air makes me cough like I'm about to die. I had originally intended to do a 30 ish mile bike ride today, but upon waking up with dry eyes, a dry nose, and a dry throat, I decided to stay indoors.
So, I went to the gym. Since I hate doing cardio at the gym (running in place is intolerable, even with trash TV to distract me), I did weights and then a yoga class to stretch out.
I haven't done much weight training since the triathlon season started, so it hurt. Way more than I remember weights hurting, but then again the yoga hurt, too. Mainly because of all the bending.
Then I went and sat in the steam room and felt awesome until I had to go back outside.
Hopefully, the hot and dry will be over soon - according to the weather report, it should only be like this for another couple of days.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Open water season ends
It's officially fall here in Southern California, which means that the fun we've all had swimming in the ocean (and making friends with various sealife) is now officially on hold until next year.
Which sucks for me. I much prefer swimming in open water to swimming in the pool, but even though I'm totally game to hop in the ocean when the water's below 60 degrees, no one else is, so I'm stuck staring at the black line until summer.
Yesterday, a group of us went for our last OWS of the year - I just dragged my legs, although I could have kicked as the water made my feet, hands and face go numb after a few minutes.
The downside was the visibility - about 18 inches (although given what's probably in the Santa Monica Bay, that might be an upside. I don't really want to see the shopping carts and used condoms.), except that every so often, we'd swim through these odd warm patches of water.
I know that it's just an ocean current thing, but part of me kept wondering what it was that could pee that much and how close it was to our group.
We swam about a mile, which was a bit longer than usual, but we had to swim an extra few hundred yards to find a place to exit that wasn't crowded with surfers.
I don't mind surfers, but I don't want to be swimming near them when one of them loses a board.
We managed to go through the surf zone in between wave sets, which is good for swimming but bad for body surfing.
It was a great morning, and I'm sad to see the seasonal end of the ocean swims.
Guess I'll have something to look forward to for next year.
Because of the injury, I've dropped out of what was to be the final race of the year - the Palm Springs HITS Olympic. I'll probably go and cheer team mates, but it's not the same as actually doing the race.
Which sucks for me. I much prefer swimming in open water to swimming in the pool, but even though I'm totally game to hop in the ocean when the water's below 60 degrees, no one else is, so I'm stuck staring at the black line until summer.
Yesterday, a group of us went for our last OWS of the year - I just dragged my legs, although I could have kicked as the water made my feet, hands and face go numb after a few minutes.
The downside was the visibility - about 18 inches (although given what's probably in the Santa Monica Bay, that might be an upside. I don't really want to see the shopping carts and used condoms.), except that every so often, we'd swim through these odd warm patches of water.
I know that it's just an ocean current thing, but part of me kept wondering what it was that could pee that much and how close it was to our group.
We swam about a mile, which was a bit longer than usual, but we had to swim an extra few hundred yards to find a place to exit that wasn't crowded with surfers.
I don't mind surfers, but I don't want to be swimming near them when one of them loses a board.
We managed to go through the surf zone in between wave sets, which is good for swimming but bad for body surfing.
It was a great morning, and I'm sad to see the seasonal end of the ocean swims.
Guess I'll have something to look forward to for next year.
Because of the injury, I've dropped out of what was to be the final race of the year - the Palm Springs HITS Olympic. I'll probably go and cheer team mates, but it's not the same as actually doing the race.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
My Achilles Heel
So the soreness in my left Achilles tendon escalated during Sunday's race, and when I went to the doctor Monday, he gave me the bad news that it's now full-blown tendinitis, and told me very firmly that there is to be no running of any sort in my life for at least the next four weeks.
Which is fine, there's still biking and swimming - except that Tuesday, when I got in the pool and tried to do a flutter kick, the tendon hurt when it contracted, so now - no kicking, either.
Except that I won't give up swimming. I just won't. You can't make me.
I figured I'd just use the pull buoy and still manage to get some swim work in - which was fine on Tuesday. Tuesday's workout is very drill-heavy and focused on form, so I really got a chance to pay attention to my catch and pull.
Today, however, was the masters workout with the Sadist (and yet he looks so normal), and true to his reputation, it was 2200 meters of speed work.
All of which I did with the pull buoy.
I can still feel my arms, but I kind of wish I couldn't.
The upside is that after a month of this, I'm going to be super ripped! Yay!
Which is fine, there's still biking and swimming - except that Tuesday, when I got in the pool and tried to do a flutter kick, the tendon hurt when it contracted, so now - no kicking, either.
Except that I won't give up swimming. I just won't. You can't make me.
I figured I'd just use the pull buoy and still manage to get some swim work in - which was fine on Tuesday. Tuesday's workout is very drill-heavy and focused on form, so I really got a chance to pay attention to my catch and pull.
Today, however, was the masters workout with the Sadist (and yet he looks so normal), and true to his reputation, it was 2200 meters of speed work.
All of which I did with the pull buoy.
I can still feel my arms, but I kind of wish I couldn't.
The upside is that after a month of this, I'm going to be super ripped! Yay!
Monday, October 17, 2011
What Not to Do
Instead of posting yet another boring race report (good swim, good bike, bad run. Same as ever), I thought I'd share a post-race parking lot photo for your enjoyment:
Yes, that's a very expensive bike and very expensive race wheels left in the bed of a pickup truck - not locked, and no owner anywhere in sight. Plus there's a wetsuit if you care to grab that, too.
I'm stunned that someone would be this, well, trusting in the second largest city in the US, which, by the way, has had a rash of bike thefts in the last few months.
Hell, I wouldn't even leave Gary unlocked in the bed of my pickup, and I'm fairly certain no one in the parking lot of a triathlon would want to steal Gary.
I threw Gary in the back of the car and drove off in search of post-race food after taking this picture, but I sincerely hope that this person - whoever they are - came back from where ever they were to find their bike and wheels still there.
Yes, that's a very expensive bike and very expensive race wheels left in the bed of a pickup truck - not locked, and no owner anywhere in sight. Plus there's a wetsuit if you care to grab that, too.
I'm stunned that someone would be this, well, trusting in the second largest city in the US, which, by the way, has had a rash of bike thefts in the last few months.
Hell, I wouldn't even leave Gary unlocked in the bed of my pickup, and I'm fairly certain no one in the parking lot of a triathlon would want to steal Gary.
I threw Gary in the back of the car and drove off in search of post-race food after taking this picture, but I sincerely hope that this person - whoever they are - came back from where ever they were to find their bike and wheels still there.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Fall Means Furnace in Southern California
It's time for the annual Santa Ana winds, which means just when the rest of the country's getting pink-cheeked from the frosty air, we're cooking like proverbial hush puppies in the deep fryer of life.
The winds create a hot, dry heat that burns the eyes and makes anyone with allergies wish they were dead.
I went for a quick run this morning before work - I'd intended to get up at 6 and run for an hour, but I overslept so I decided to do a half hour run. I stepped out of the house at 6:45 and it was already hot and dry.
I spent most of the run coughing due to the dry air, and by the time I got back from an easy, easy run (30% walking, actually) I was sweaty and gasping.
What I really want to do is go jump in the ocean and stay there until it cools off, but sadly, I've been working too much to get in more than a quick workout here and there. I've also been drinking what seems like gallons of water and not peeing at all, which I'm told is bad.
Local news is predicting the heat breaking over the weekend, which will be wonderful.
Sunday is the Playa del Rey sprint tri. I'm woefully under trained, but it's just a sprint and it's so hot I don't really care, so I'm not sweating it much (insert groan here).
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Santa Monica 5000
Sunday was the Santa Monica 5000, which I had signed up for a few months ago and then promptly forgot about.
I hadn't done any running since Malibu (not even for a cab), but it was such a beautiful day that it made up for any lack of training on my part.
I rode my bike to the start, since I figured parking would be evil (and it was), and then checked in and got my number. I'd forgotten to bring my race belt, so I had to pin the number on my shirt, which was really annoying - I kept hitting it with my hand and I'm sure I'm going to look pregnant in any race photos.
The start was huge! All of the various races (pro/elite, kids, baby joggers, 5k, 10k) went off in waves through the starting corral. I hung back as the corral was really crowded and it was too early in the morning for me to be dealing with body contact.
I ran into my friend Dan (who has run the LA Marathon three times!) and he was kind enough to slow down and run with me for the first quarter of the race, and give me some pointers, which was very cool.
After the first water station, Dan took off like a rocket and I stayed at my pokey pace. I was actually running slower than I had after biking 40k a couple of weeks ago, but the sky was blue with fluffy clouds, the day wasn't too hot and everyone was in a great mood.
Halfway through the 10k, my glutes started to stiffen up, so I kept having to stop and stretch out, which is probably helped contribute to my time being so slow - 1:14 (I averaged just under a 12 minute mile).
Still, it was fun and at the finish line, they had cheerleaders, which was awesome even if the did run out of pancakes by the time I finished. To console myself for the missing of the pancakes, I joined a few fellow racers at M Street Kitchen and had some of their fantastic bacon!
I hadn't done any running since Malibu (not even for a cab), but it was such a beautiful day that it made up for any lack of training on my part.
I rode my bike to the start, since I figured parking would be evil (and it was), and then checked in and got my number. I'd forgotten to bring my race belt, so I had to pin the number on my shirt, which was really annoying - I kept hitting it with my hand and I'm sure I'm going to look pregnant in any race photos.
The start was huge! All of the various races (pro/elite, kids, baby joggers, 5k, 10k) went off in waves through the starting corral. I hung back as the corral was really crowded and it was too early in the morning for me to be dealing with body contact.
I ran into my friend Dan (who has run the LA Marathon three times!) and he was kind enough to slow down and run with me for the first quarter of the race, and give me some pointers, which was very cool.
After the first water station, Dan took off like a rocket and I stayed at my pokey pace. I was actually running slower than I had after biking 40k a couple of weeks ago, but the sky was blue with fluffy clouds, the day wasn't too hot and everyone was in a great mood.
Halfway through the 10k, my glutes started to stiffen up, so I kept having to stop and stretch out, which is probably helped contribute to my time being so slow - 1:14 (I averaged just under a 12 minute mile).
Still, it was fun and at the finish line, they had cheerleaders, which was awesome even if the did run out of pancakes by the time I finished. To console myself for the missing of the pancakes, I joined a few fellow racers at M Street Kitchen and had some of their fantastic bacon!
 | ||
| One gorgeous day and one shitty phone pic. |
Friday, September 30, 2011
Vacation!
Since completing the Malibu tri, I've not done much working out. I did some yoga, did some swim classes concentrating on form, not distance, sat in the steam room, and basically just relaxed. I've ridden the commuter bike for short trips, but between workout fatigue and work being busy, I've been much more sedentary than usual.
Except I forgot that I'd signed up for the Santa Monica 5000, a 10k that's happening on Sunday. This Sunday. As in day after tomorrow.
I haven't done any running (real or otherwise) in over a week.
I figure the worst that can happen is that I have to walk more than run.
Hopefully, I'll finish before the pancakes run out.
Except I forgot that I'd signed up for the Santa Monica 5000, a 10k that's happening on Sunday. This Sunday. As in day after tomorrow.
I haven't done any running (real or otherwise) in over a week.
I figure the worst that can happen is that I have to walk more than run.
Hopefully, I'll finish before the pancakes run out.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Malibu Tri race report with photos
 |
| Finished! Where's the booze? |
The Malibu "International Distance" (since I guess we can't call it an Olympic any longer), was the first race I've done longer than a sprint.
The clock makes it look like it took me longer than it really did. My overall time was 3:31:26, which, since my goal was to finish in under four hours, was pretty good.
First off, this was the biggest transition area I've ever seen. Yowza. It was crazy.
The swim was really wonderful, if a bit cold. The water was really clear, which is unusual for Southern California. It was a 1500 m parallel to the shore swim, and I went wide to avoid the crowd. I was about 20 feet further out than most of the people, which was really nice because there was no contact, but a bit difficult because I had no idea how to gauge how fast I was going. I had to pop my head up several times to get my bearings, but I swam pretty straight, which was good. I wasn't really concerned about the swim, so I just took it easy and swam at a moderate pace and enjoyed myself.
I ended up passing many of the breast strokers from the previous wave, but since we were the last wave, there was no one to overtake me.
Swim time: 41:07
I staggered out of the water, took a few seconds in the showers, and then wobbled over to the bike. I'd gotten a camping sink - sort of a collapsible bowl and used it as a footbath, which worked great. I rinsed off, tried to dry off, put on my bike shoes, and was off.
T1: 8:26
I have no idea how that happened. It felt a bit slow, but not 8 minutes slow. I guess I took a nap that I don't remember or something. I know I didn't make a phone call or have a drink. Oh, well.
 |
| Gary and I head out. Gary looks considerably more fresh than me. |
The bike was wonderful. I just love riding on PCH and with one traffic lane closed and right-of-way through the intersections, it was just fantastic.
I felt good on the bike and Gary rocked the house, except that I'd somehow gotten sand in my shorts on the swim and had some chafing issues since I'd forgotten to use the lube cream that I'd bought. Oh, well.
At the turnaround, they had bottles full of Accelerade, which I can't drink as it gives me a potty emergency, but I still grabbed a bottle just in case since my bottle of Perpetum was running a bit low.
The main problem I had was what to do with the bottle since I had two on the frame already - I ended up sticking it down my bra, which surprisingly didn't bother me at all, I just had to remember to pull it out before the photographer took my picture as I was heading back into transition.
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| Looking at this photo, you'd never know I have a water bottle shoved down the back of my shorts. |
Bike time: 1:30:31, average speed 16.4
I can usually do 40k in about 1:15, but that's when I haven't just been swimming for a mile. The main problem that I had is that for the last half of the bike I had to pee like crazy and I just can't bring myself to wizz on the bike (although it might have washed out some of the sand), so I just had to suffer.
T2: 5:10
Again, I don't know where that came from. It didn't feel that slow, but I guess it took me a while to put on the compression socks.
The run is the part I was really worried about - I'd anticipated having to run/walk it and having it take about 90 minutes.
After a break to pee at the first restroom I came across (my bladder was so full I'd stopped caring about time), I felt pretty good on the run.
The Malibu tri run is really gorgeous - it's along the beach path, and there's a wonderful view of the water and the sand. There was one area where the ground was flooded and it was slippery, but other than that I just ran along and didn't have to walk very much at all. I cheered my friends and drank water at the aid stations (and stopped completely at one to eat a Cliff Bar and chat with the volunteers), and felt really good, but not particularly fast.
 |
| A surprisingly un-forced smile |
Imagine my surprise when I completed the run in 1:06:10 (10:50 pace). It's not that fast, but it's way faster than I've been running all season, so I'm extremely happy with it.
After I finished, I hung out at the expo (sadly, rather small), ate something and cheered for the people coming in behind me.
We'd gotten a hotel, so I went back, hung my wet/sandy stuff up to dry, and then took a shower.
 |
| luggage rack used to dry wet stuff |
I got to bed about 9:30 and slept like the dead.
Sunday morning I woke up, and then went down to the hotel's pool, where they had a continental breakfast laid out by an outdoor fireplace. I ate a well-earned pastry, and sat for a long time with my feet up, just watching the clouds.
I was sore for about four days afterwards, and I had a fantastic time.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
I'm hip and didn't even know it!
Today, I took Gary to Bikerowave for a pre-race tune up and scrubbing (no matter how hard I try, I just can't get all the sand out of Gary's chain unless I take it off and put it in the solvent tank - the chain, not the sand).
While I was there, another guy came in with a Centurion (one model up from Gary), and informed me that that these bikes are the new hot thing amongst the hipster set.
Dammit.
I feel like I need a sign that reads "I had this bike before it was hip" so that no one mistakes me for a hipster while I'm riding.
I guess I'm okay, though - I'm not wearing anything that could even be remotely interpreted as 'hip' and Gary's got a lot of uncool aftermarket parts that some guy in a fedora and girl jeans just wouldn't tolerate.
Also I haven't yet changed Gary's bar tape because I'm being silly and superstitious. We've ridden the Malibu course four of five times with the old bar tape and I'm afraid to change it before the race. I know it's stupid - flame on.
The race is Saturday! I don't know if I'm ready, but Gary is!
While I was there, another guy came in with a Centurion (one model up from Gary), and informed me that that these bikes are the new hot thing amongst the hipster set.
Dammit.
I feel like I need a sign that reads "I had this bike before it was hip" so that no one mistakes me for a hipster while I'm riding.
I guess I'm okay, though - I'm not wearing anything that could even be remotely interpreted as 'hip' and Gary's got a lot of uncool aftermarket parts that some guy in a fedora and girl jeans just wouldn't tolerate.
Also I haven't yet changed Gary's bar tape because I'm being silly and superstitious. We've ridden the Malibu course four of five times with the old bar tape and I'm afraid to change it before the race. I know it's stupid - flame on.
The race is Saturday! I don't know if I'm ready, but Gary is!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Busy!
Work has been insanely busy, which is good - overtime equals money, after all, but it also means that I haven't got a lot of time to do much else with my life, including biking, running or swimming.
I've gotten a few swims in, but I haven't been running due to a sore Achilles tendon, and haven't been on the bike for almost a week.
Which is super bad, since I have a race in 11 days.
I'll do the Malibu Olympic distance on September 17, and I feel like I just haven't gotten enough saddle time, but there's not much I can do about it,since I'm not willing to quit my job to finish a few minutes closer to the middle of the pack.
Oh, well. Just remind me that the purpose of all of this is to have fun. And get a T-shirt. But mainly to have fun.
Also, I got the score of a lifetime at the TriLAB's Labor day sale - TWO DeSoto women's tri tops and shorts for $11 each.
At least I'll look good when the people who actually had time to train blow past me.
I've gotten a few swims in, but I haven't been running due to a sore Achilles tendon, and haven't been on the bike for almost a week.
Which is super bad, since I have a race in 11 days.
I'll do the Malibu Olympic distance on September 17, and I feel like I just haven't gotten enough saddle time, but there's not much I can do about it,since I'm not willing to quit my job to finish a few minutes closer to the middle of the pack.
Oh, well. Just remind me that the purpose of all of this is to have fun. And get a T-shirt. But mainly to have fun.
Also, I got the score of a lifetime at the TriLAB's Labor day sale - TWO DeSoto women's tri tops and shorts for $11 each.
At least I'll look good when the people who actually had time to train blow past me.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Extremely belated race report
Work's been beyond insane, so I'm just now finding time to write a race report for the Hansen Dam sprint triathlon.
Swim: Eeeeew... Just.. Ewww. The "open water" swim takes place in the lake that's stocked with catfish for 'sport' fishermen - the water was close to 80 degrees and smelled like a dirty aquarium, which, I guess, in a way, it was. Gross buckets. Also, I got kicked in the face at the stare - not a normal face kick, but a full on heel to the chin contact.
I had to stop at the first buoy and tread water for a few minutes to get my bearings. Of course, this then put me to the back of the really slow swimmers, so the rest of the swim was spent trying desperately to get around the woman who was swimming zig-zag and always seemed to be blocking my path.
No one from the group behind caught me, and I actually overtook some of the breast strokers from the previous group, so I guess I did okay. Not great, but okay. 500y in 14: 27. Okay, it's terrible.
Note to self: next time, don't get kicked at the start.
Bike: did I mention that Gary made that course his bitch? I did? Good, because he did. It was moderately hilly, with nothing really over a cat 2 climb. Once again, no one from the later group caught me, and I managed to catch some of the slower mountain bikers from the previous groups. More importantly, I felt okay going downhill at close to 40 mph. Yay! Bike: 11 miles in 34:02. Not it's not going to set a record, but it felt good.
Run: This is where I stunk up the joint. By the time I started my run, it was starting to get hot. Really, really hot. I gulped some water in T2, but was suffering on the run by about yard 100.
Compounding the problem was the running on horse trails - loose sand. Awesome. I gave up trying to run the uphills and just walked them. Also, I doused myself with water at every aid station.
Finally, I crossed the line after doing 5k in 36:47. Okay, that's bad, but I knew it was going to be bad. It's fine, though. I had a great time (except that damned sandy fun), and it's only two weeks until Malibu - first Olympic distance!
Swim: Eeeeew... Just.. Ewww. The "open water" swim takes place in the lake that's stocked with catfish for 'sport' fishermen - the water was close to 80 degrees and smelled like a dirty aquarium, which, I guess, in a way, it was. Gross buckets. Also, I got kicked in the face at the stare - not a normal face kick, but a full on heel to the chin contact.
I had to stop at the first buoy and tread water for a few minutes to get my bearings. Of course, this then put me to the back of the really slow swimmers, so the rest of the swim was spent trying desperately to get around the woman who was swimming zig-zag and always seemed to be blocking my path.
No one from the group behind caught me, and I actually overtook some of the breast strokers from the previous group, so I guess I did okay. Not great, but okay. 500y in 14: 27. Okay, it's terrible.
Note to self: next time, don't get kicked at the start.
Bike: did I mention that Gary made that course his bitch? I did? Good, because he did. It was moderately hilly, with nothing really over a cat 2 climb. Once again, no one from the later group caught me, and I managed to catch some of the slower mountain bikers from the previous groups. More importantly, I felt okay going downhill at close to 40 mph. Yay! Bike: 11 miles in 34:02. Not it's not going to set a record, but it felt good.
Run: This is where I stunk up the joint. By the time I started my run, it was starting to get hot. Really, really hot. I gulped some water in T2, but was suffering on the run by about yard 100.
Compounding the problem was the running on horse trails - loose sand. Awesome. I gave up trying to run the uphills and just walked them. Also, I doused myself with water at every aid station.
Finally, I crossed the line after doing 5k in 36:47. Okay, that's bad, but I knew it was going to be bad. It's fine, though. I had a great time (except that damned sandy fun), and it's only two weeks until Malibu - first Olympic distance!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Tired, but pleased.
Hansen Dam Sprint Tri race report coming later in the week. Since Sunday's my normal off day and the race was Sunday, I'm out of sorts today.
I've been super cranky pants all day ( I almost lost it in REI when they didn't have the Recoverite flavor that I like) and now just want to sleep.
Guess that means I needed a rest day.
The short version is that I finished right in the middle of my age group and in the upper half of the lower half overall, and Gary made the bike course his bitch. Sweet.
Hope you all had a great weekend!
I've been super cranky pants all day ( I almost lost it in REI when they didn't have the Recoverite flavor that I like) and now just want to sleep.
Guess that means I needed a rest day.
The short version is that I finished right in the middle of my age group and in the upper half of the lower half overall, and Gary made the bike course his bitch. Sweet.
Hope you all had a great weekend!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Holy crap, it's almost September!
Work's gotten busy, which is a good thing for the wallet, but bad for the interwebz. I've been in blog withdrawal, but I think the last of the DTs are done now.
This weekend is the Hansen Dam sprint tri with the team, which will be a fun time, provided I manage to finish before it gets really hot. Also, I think I'm going to try to manage someone else going to get my race packet, as I really don't want to make that drive twice.
The derailleur cable on my 'beater' bike broke, but before I fix that I've got to change Gary's cassette - right now I'm running a 14-27, and I need a little more oomph out of that high gear, so I got 12-26 on ebay that I'll stick on before Malibu, which is now in less than a month.
Yikes!
I'm right in the middle of a build phase, so I'm tired and hungry all the time. Awesome.
And now to go for a run before work.
This weekend is the Hansen Dam sprint tri with the team, which will be a fun time, provided I manage to finish before it gets really hot. Also, I think I'm going to try to manage someone else going to get my race packet, as I really don't want to make that drive twice.
The derailleur cable on my 'beater' bike broke, but before I fix that I've got to change Gary's cassette - right now I'm running a 14-27, and I need a little more oomph out of that high gear, so I got 12-26 on ebay that I'll stick on before Malibu, which is now in less than a month.
Yikes!
I'm right in the middle of a build phase, so I'm tired and hungry all the time. Awesome.
And now to go for a run before work.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Why I need a step-through frame
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
So far, so good.
Today, I did Amalfi loops (four of them) with the Perpetuem, and had no nausea, no gas, and no emergency potty stops (except one when I had to pee, but that doesn't count).
I had two bottles - one with water and a Nuun tablet, and one with the Perpetuem. I worked back and forth between the two and it seemed to go well. The only problem is that I got the strawberry vanilla Perpetuem and it tastes like watered down depression. It's not gross, it's just.. sad. Watery and sad.
Which is a shame, because I like the strawberry Recoverite. So I'm going to try the Orange Vanilla Perpetuem and see if that's less depressing. They also make a flavorless, which might not be a bad idea, except that no one around here seems to carry it.
Should you care to peruse, here's today's Strava ride data. Remember, when you look at how slow I'm climbing, that Gary doesn't have a compact crank or a granny gear and weighs over 20 lbs. He's not fat, though. He's just big-boned.
Guess it's not so bad. I did get "Queen of the Mountain".
The Amalfi loop is like a big mind you-know-what. It's got a climb, followed by a flat section, followed by a climb, followed by a flat section, followed by a climb that makes me want to cry. Or barf. Either works.
Here's where I wiped out a couple of weeks ago:
This is "Chainbreaker Hill" looking back from the top:
It looks fairly innocent, except that it comes after a nice downhill so you're in a high gear, and then it goes from a gentle slope to a really crappy incline and that's where the chain breaks due to too much of le torque. Luckily, this hasn't happened to me, as I'm too much of a wimp to even try this one on the big chain ring.
And last, but not least, is "Surprise Hill". You know you're just about done with the loop, you've had a nice downhill and then a nice stretch of flat street and you start getting optimistic and thinking that you got this shit handled and then.. Surprise! It's a hill! D'oh!
End of the ride view of the Pacific Ocean:
I'm always tempted to take the commuter to the hills as it's got a granny gear and the climb would suck marginally less, but the point of this loop is to get stronger.
And tired.
Very, very tired.
I'm meeting a friend in Santa Monica for dinner tonight, so I'll grab the beater bike and stay in a low gear.
I had two bottles - one with water and a Nuun tablet, and one with the Perpetuem. I worked back and forth between the two and it seemed to go well. The only problem is that I got the strawberry vanilla Perpetuem and it tastes like watered down depression. It's not gross, it's just.. sad. Watery and sad.
Which is a shame, because I like the strawberry Recoverite. So I'm going to try the Orange Vanilla Perpetuem and see if that's less depressing. They also make a flavorless, which might not be a bad idea, except that no one around here seems to carry it.
Should you care to peruse, here's today's Strava ride data. Remember, when you look at how slow I'm climbing, that Gary doesn't have a compact crank or a granny gear and weighs over 20 lbs. He's not fat, though. He's just big-boned.
Guess it's not so bad. I did get "Queen of the Mountain".
The Amalfi loop is like a big mind you-know-what. It's got a climb, followed by a flat section, followed by a climb, followed by a flat section, followed by a climb that makes me want to cry. Or barf. Either works.
Here's where I wiped out a couple of weeks ago:
 |
| My nemesis. Note extreme banking on the right side. That's where I went down. |
 |
| Goodbye chain, it was nice knowing you. |
It looks fairly innocent, except that it comes after a nice downhill so you're in a high gear, and then it goes from a gentle slope to a really crappy incline and that's where the chain breaks due to too much of le torque. Luckily, this hasn't happened to me, as I'm too much of a wimp to even try this one on the big chain ring.
And last, but not least, is "Surprise Hill". You know you're just about done with the loop, you've had a nice downhill and then a nice stretch of flat street and you start getting optimistic and thinking that you got this shit handled and then.. Surprise! It's a hill! D'oh!
 | ||||
| Surprise Hill |
End of the ride view of the Pacific Ocean:
 |
| Dammit, forgot my swimsuit and bike lock. Next time. |
 |
| Ocean Ave. and San Vicente Blvd. |
And tired.
Very, very tired.
I'm meeting a friend in Santa Monica for dinner tonight, so I'll grab the beater bike and stay in a low gear.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Hey, a deal's a deal.
A facebook friend is selling her 2008 Specialized Allez road bike. It was only ridden for one year, never crashed, and has been gathering dust in her living room since 2009. She's got the same pedals that I use (the Look-style), and is including spare tubes and tires, 6 CO2 cartridges, a bento box, etc..
All for $600. Since just the bike goes for about $800, I'm seriously considering it.
It's not that I want to replace Gary, it's just that I start getting all funny when there's a really good deal offered up.
I'll go and test ride it, have a look at the components, and see if I either come to my senses or try to cram one more bike into my already crowded living room.
Or, should I save my pennies and get a real time trial bike?
In other news, I've been using Cytomax as my sport drink of choice for quite some time now, and it's always worked well, except lately it's started to cause considerable intestinal distress, which is a polite way of stating that it causes me to feel nauseous, fart uncontrollably (which I guess would discourage drafters), and then spend an hour on the pot cursing the day I was born.
The Accelerade looks and tastes like Windex, doesn't work very well, and gives me gas (although not as bad as the Cytomax), so that's out.
Everyone else seems to like the Hammer Perpetuem, so I got a single serving packet at REI (for $2.50! That stuff better be made with unicorn tears and all-organic glitter), and I'll try it out next longish workout.
If you're in the Southern California area and would like a 30 serving jar of Accelerade that's only had two servings taken out, let me know. I swear I haven't spit in it, farted on it, or poisoned it. Much.
UPDATE: After reviewing my financial situation and then having a good cry, I have decided that I simply don't have a half-dozen spare Benjamins to spend on a bike when I already have a perfectly good road bike.
All for $600. Since just the bike goes for about $800, I'm seriously considering it.
It's not that I want to replace Gary, it's just that I start getting all funny when there's a really good deal offered up.
I'll go and test ride it, have a look at the components, and see if I either come to my senses or try to cram one more bike into my already crowded living room.
Or, should I save my pennies and get a real time trial bike?
In other news, I've been using Cytomax as my sport drink of choice for quite some time now, and it's always worked well, except lately it's started to cause considerable intestinal distress, which is a polite way of stating that it causes me to feel nauseous, fart uncontrollably (which I guess would discourage drafters), and then spend an hour on the pot cursing the day I was born.
The Accelerade looks and tastes like Windex, doesn't work very well, and gives me gas (although not as bad as the Cytomax), so that's out.
Everyone else seems to like the Hammer Perpetuem, so I got a single serving packet at REI (for $2.50! That stuff better be made with unicorn tears and all-organic glitter), and I'll try it out next longish workout.
If you're in the Southern California area and would like a 30 serving jar of Accelerade that's only had two servings taken out, let me know. I swear I haven't spit in it, farted on it, or poisoned it. Much.
UPDATE: After reviewing my financial situation and then having a good cry, I have decided that I simply don't have a half-dozen spare Benjamins to spend on a bike when I already have a perfectly good road bike.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Beer me!
I'm not normally a beer drinker - I don't like the taste of it very much, and it's too, well, beery for me. I'd rather drink wine, sake, vodka, etc..
But a strange thing happened the other day. I was scheduled to do a 30 mile training ride, so I decided to do it on the commuter bike and make a stop at a farmer's market that's about 8 miles away from me in Culver City.
So I headed out, figuring I'd do a couple of loops on the Ballona Creek bike path, hit the market really quick as I knew what I wanted from a particular vendor (he sells seedlings for $1.50, and I needed some more tomato plants for my garden), and then book it back home.
Of course I forgot about the strong winds we have this time of year, and since the commuter bike doesn't have drop bars, I was really fighting the wind for most of the ride. On an 80 degree day, a nice brisk wind coming from the ocean should be refreshing, but in reality it was just exhausting.
When I got back home (after doing a tad under 30 miles), I had, for the first time in probably my entire life, an insatiable craving for beer. Not a heavy dark beer, either, but a light pilsner. I hiked up to the local bar, downed two glasses, and felt better.
I didn't continue to want beer and I haven't had the craving since. In fact, I'm back to thinking beer is yucky.
I've been riding in the heat for *coughcough* years and this has never happened before.
I wonder what it was?
But a strange thing happened the other day. I was scheduled to do a 30 mile training ride, so I decided to do it on the commuter bike and make a stop at a farmer's market that's about 8 miles away from me in Culver City.
So I headed out, figuring I'd do a couple of loops on the Ballona Creek bike path, hit the market really quick as I knew what I wanted from a particular vendor (he sells seedlings for $1.50, and I needed some more tomato plants for my garden), and then book it back home.
Of course I forgot about the strong winds we have this time of year, and since the commuter bike doesn't have drop bars, I was really fighting the wind for most of the ride. On an 80 degree day, a nice brisk wind coming from the ocean should be refreshing, but in reality it was just exhausting.
When I got back home (after doing a tad under 30 miles), I had, for the first time in probably my entire life, an insatiable craving for beer. Not a heavy dark beer, either, but a light pilsner. I hiked up to the local bar, downed two glasses, and felt better.
I didn't continue to want beer and I haven't had the craving since. In fact, I'm back to thinking beer is yucky.
I've been riding in the heat for *coughcough* years and this has never happened before.
I wonder what it was?
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Ah, hot tub. How I love you.
My friend, the beautiful and talented Jenna Phillips, leads an indoor Mission: Possible at the Sports Club LA.
Since I'm not a member of one of the most expensive gyms in the city, I have to beg Jenna to put me on the club's guest list for the class.
When she can, it's great. Jenna's Mission: Possible workouts are fun and extremely challenging, and afterwards I get to sit in the club's hot tub.
While my gym is nice, they don't have a hot tub and the bathtub in my apartment is too small to get more than a third of me in there, so getting to soak my entire self in overheated water while getting a back massage is a rare treat.
I know it's bad for me, but it feels so good.
So after an ass-kicking Mission (push up tabatas. Ouch), I swam a few laps in the club's beautiful pool to get the lactic acid out of my limbs, lolled on the sun deck with the rich people, then retired to the locker room where I soaked in the glorious hot tub.
When I started to feel like an overcooked noodle, I got out, hit the shower , then strolled over to the clubs in-house restaurant and had a happy hour pepperoni pizza (personal sized, not a giant one) and a beer. I then biked about a mile home while chanting "shut up, legs"
This morning, I'm only moderately sore, but I am feeling a little bloated from the salt.
It was worth it.
Since I'm not a member of one of the most expensive gyms in the city, I have to beg Jenna to put me on the club's guest list for the class.
When she can, it's great. Jenna's Mission: Possible workouts are fun and extremely challenging, and afterwards I get to sit in the club's hot tub.
While my gym is nice, they don't have a hot tub and the bathtub in my apartment is too small to get more than a third of me in there, so getting to soak my entire self in overheated water while getting a back massage is a rare treat.
I know it's bad for me, but it feels so good.
So after an ass-kicking Mission (push up tabatas. Ouch), I swam a few laps in the club's beautiful pool to get the lactic acid out of my limbs, lolled on the sun deck with the rich people, then retired to the locker room where I soaked in the glorious hot tub.
When I started to feel like an overcooked noodle, I got out, hit the shower , then strolled over to the clubs in-house restaurant and had a happy hour pepperoni pizza (personal sized, not a giant one) and a beer. I then biked about a mile home while chanting "shut up, legs"
This morning, I'm only moderately sore, but I am feeling a little bloated from the salt.
It was worth it.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Gary's about to get a lot girlier!
Baby pink handlebar tape for the low, low price of $6, with free shipping. I love you, eBay.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
The Laws of Physics
Today was a team ride, doing what's called the Amalfi Loop on the Westside.
It's a great training ride, because it's a steep hill with some switchbacks - one of which is a hairpin turn to the right on a steep hill. Said turn is excessively banked, so when one is riding it, the bike tries to veer to the left, thus requiring the rider to lean right to correct.
When I was halfway through said turn, I chose a spectacularly bad moment to reach - with my left arm - down to grab my water bottle, and, of course, started to fall over. Also of course, since I'm usually accustomed to unclipping the right foot first, that's the foot that I got unclipped first.
Unfortunately, I was falling to the left and turning to the right so not only was the wrong foot unclipped, the combination of my weight, the turn, and the angle of the hill meant that I got up close and personal with the pavement, resulting in a really nice scrape on my left knee and a chainring mark on my right calf. Like so:
He really did mean well, so I just smiled, nodded and refrained from trying to tell him that the reason I fell was because the laws of physics, not because of my ineptitude with the clipless pedals.
Massage guy turned out to be very knowledgeable about vintage bicycles,and may be able to help me locate a stem bolt for Gary, since the one he currently has is stripped, making any height adjustment of the handlebars impossible.
Massage guy also gave me a discount card (and a free sample of BioFreeze), so a sports massage may be in my future.
It's a great training ride, because it's a steep hill with some switchbacks - one of which is a hairpin turn to the right on a steep hill. Said turn is excessively banked, so when one is riding it, the bike tries to veer to the left, thus requiring the rider to lean right to correct.
When I was halfway through said turn, I chose a spectacularly bad moment to reach - with my left arm - down to grab my water bottle, and, of course, started to fall over. Also of course, since I'm usually accustomed to unclipping the right foot first, that's the foot that I got unclipped first.
Unfortunately, I was falling to the left and turning to the right so not only was the wrong foot unclipped, the combination of my weight, the turn, and the angle of the hill meant that I got up close and personal with the pavement, resulting in a really nice scrape on my left knee and a chainring mark on my right calf. Like so:
This resulted in high fives from my teammates, and a lecture from the well-meaning sports massage guy (who was there to give promo massages and get us all hooked) about how I should better learn to use my clipless pedals.
Gary bit me
This was taken at the end of the ride after I had washed the blood off my shin
He really did mean well, so I just smiled, nodded and refrained from trying to tell him that the reason I fell was because the laws of physics, not because of my ineptitude with the clipless pedals.
Massage guy turned out to be very knowledgeable about vintage bicycles,and may be able to help me locate a stem bolt for Gary, since the one he currently has is stripped, making any height adjustment of the handlebars impossible.
Massage guy also gave me a discount card (and a free sample of BioFreeze), so a sports massage may be in my future.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Team in Training Blog update, week 7!
In which I wax poetic (sort of), about group workouts and how I've been a big fundraising slacker lump.
http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/malibutr11/rachelwells
http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/malibutr11/rachelwells
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Look what's arrived!
My old chest strap was a long hard piece of plastic that went across the front of the chest with a thin elastic across the back. This one's softer and wider, and the transmitter snaps onto it for ease of washing and replacement.
At some point during my swim, I forgot I had it on, it's so very nice and comfy. It lost signal right when I got in the water, but picked it back up and I never got the dreaded 00 after that.
It also came with a hard plastic something that looks like a bike mount for the wrist band. I might use it during a spin class, but God knows I've already got enough crap clipped to Gary's handlebars when I ride, so I'll be keeping the wrist band on my wrist for rides.
In other news, it's getting hot around here, and while it's great fun to ride along the beach bike path, I'm having a terrible time getting the sand out of Gary's chain after said beach rides. I'm going to have to switch out his cassette (I'm currently riding on whatever six gear was laying on the table at Bikerowave when I was working on Gary, but I really want to go back to a 7 speed), so when I do that I'll pull the chain off and give it a good scrubbing.
I had one of those chain washer things that Park Tool makes, but it got broken when I moved so I'm back to scrubbing the chain the old fashioned way.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Okay, fine. So I don't hate Polar. I love Polar.
Never let it be said that the squeaky wheel doesn't get greased. Or something like that.
After my bitching and moaning, I woke up this morning to a message from a very nice rep from Polar offering me a new, improved chest strap for my HRM. It'll be here in a few days.
Now that's customer service. I'm impressed.
After my bitching and moaning, I woke up this morning to a message from a very nice rep from Polar offering me a new, improved chest strap for my HRM. It'll be here in a few days.
Now that's customer service. I'm impressed.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
I hate my HRM
Several years ago, when I was shopping for a heart rate monitor, I settled on the Polar F6. Mainly for cost reasons, but also because my gym had a workout rewards program that would read that particular monitor (one year later, I got four free personal training sessions because I logged so many workouts).
It's been an annoyance from day one, though. My main issue with it is that it loses signal at least every five minutes, so when I look down to see what my heart rate is, it reads 250 bpm or something.
"Oh, that's great", I think. "My heart's going to explode. Hope I paid my life insurance bill this month."
Then, I look down a minute later and see that my heart rate now reads 00.
"Awesome. I'm dead. But I'm still running, so that must make me a zombie. Which is kind of cool, but I don't really like brains, so what's a girl to do? Do they make zombie mojitos?"
"Oh, wait... 155. Good to know I'm not dead. Yet."
The older the Polar has gotten, the worse this losing signal thing has become, so now I'm logging workouts like this:
Duration: 1.5 hours. Max heart rate: 240. Average heart rate: 50. Calories burned: 12.
I've replaced both batteries (the one in the wrist band and the one in the chest strap), and have come to the conclusion that it just sucks and I'd love to replace it. Unfortunately, there's no money around here for a new one, so I'm just going to have to deal.
But when I do come into some funds, I want to get one of those fancy HRMs that have a GPS and can balance my checkbook for me.
DISCLAIMER: I don't drink mojitos, but maybe I would were I a zombie. Who knows?
It's been an annoyance from day one, though. My main issue with it is that it loses signal at least every five minutes, so when I look down to see what my heart rate is, it reads 250 bpm or something.
"Oh, that's great", I think. "My heart's going to explode. Hope I paid my life insurance bill this month."
Then, I look down a minute later and see that my heart rate now reads 00.
"Awesome. I'm dead. But I'm still running, so that must make me a zombie. Which is kind of cool, but I don't really like brains, so what's a girl to do? Do they make zombie mojitos?"
"Oh, wait... 155. Good to know I'm not dead. Yet."
The older the Polar has gotten, the worse this losing signal thing has become, so now I'm logging workouts like this:
Duration: 1.5 hours. Max heart rate: 240. Average heart rate: 50. Calories burned: 12.
I've replaced both batteries (the one in the wrist band and the one in the chest strap), and have come to the conclusion that it just sucks and I'd love to replace it. Unfortunately, there's no money around here for a new one, so I'm just going to have to deal.
But when I do come into some funds, I want to get one of those fancy HRMs that have a GPS and can balance my checkbook for me.
DISCLAIMER: I don't drink mojitos, but maybe I would were I a zombie. Who knows?
Friday, June 10, 2011
Did someone send around a memo?
I live near the West LA Veteran's Administration, and that's where I usually do my runs. It's got a nice hill (I hate it when I run it, but it's great for training) and a built in cheering section from the resident veterans ("you go girl!"), plus unsolicited advice on form from the peanut gallery as I wheeze by.
It's lots of fun, which is why I keep going back.
There are normally one or two folks smoking, but for some reason, yesterday was "smoke 'em if you got 'em" day at the VA. Seriously, every single person I ran by had a cigarette. I have enough trouble breathing when my heart rate's at 180 because of that damn hill. I don't need cancer sticks as an additional obstacle.
I began to wonder if there had been some sort of conference call that I'd missed or something. I ended up running on the streets around the VA, where there was less smoke, but no cheering section.
Good for the lungs, bad for the morale.
It's lots of fun, which is why I keep going back.
There are normally one or two folks smoking, but for some reason, yesterday was "smoke 'em if you got 'em" day at the VA. Seriously, every single person I ran by had a cigarette. I have enough trouble breathing when my heart rate's at 180 because of that damn hill. I don't need cancer sticks as an additional obstacle.
I began to wonder if there had been some sort of conference call that I'd missed or something. I ended up running on the streets around the VA, where there was less smoke, but no cheering section.
Good for the lungs, bad for the morale.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Team in Training Blog update!
I updated my fundraising blog today and the link is here.
I spent my holiday doing mundane things - started off Monday doing the Santa Monica stairs with the extra wonderful Jenna Phillips, so of course my legs hurt for the rest of the day.
I then pedaled (slooowly) to the grocery store and got enough stuff to cook meals for the rest of the week. Polenta with fresh corn (chilled and sliced, it's really damn tasty), kale salad, quinoa, etc..
Since there was no master's swim yesterday due to the holiday, I'm going to swim for about 1/2 an hour and then bike out to the garden to water the baby tomato plants.
I spent my holiday doing mundane things - started off Monday doing the Santa Monica stairs with the extra wonderful Jenna Phillips, so of course my legs hurt for the rest of the day.
I then pedaled (slooowly) to the grocery store and got enough stuff to cook meals for the rest of the week. Polenta with fresh corn (chilled and sliced, it's really damn tasty), kale salad, quinoa, etc..
Since there was no master's swim yesterday due to the holiday, I'm going to swim for about 1/2 an hour and then bike out to the garden to water the baby tomato plants.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Wheeeeee!!!!
Today was an hour long ride, concentrating on speed.
Not just maintaining a fast pace, but staying sane while flying along at what seems dangerously fast given how little padding I'm wearing while I ride. Gary, of course, is rock solid - not a shake or shiver no matter how fast I push him, but me? I suck. As soon as I get up above 20 mph, my head starts to mess with me, no matter what I do (look forward, not down, ogle hot bike racer guy riding just ahead of me, etc...)
I'm certain the cure is just more road time, so I headed out to San Vicente Blvd in Santa Monica, aka bike racer central (it has a long stretch with no lights or stop signs, a good bike lane and it's freshly paved), and concentrated on staying around 20 mph, and as fast as i could stand it on the downhills (top speed? about 25 mph, but I almost wet my pants while I was doing it). Upside, 20 mph only seems slightly scary now.
I did about 20k in an hour, which isn't super fast, but it's a good start.
Now, off to stretch before work tonight.
Not just maintaining a fast pace, but staying sane while flying along at what seems dangerously fast given how little padding I'm wearing while I ride. Gary, of course, is rock solid - not a shake or shiver no matter how fast I push him, but me? I suck. As soon as I get up above 20 mph, my head starts to mess with me, no matter what I do (look forward, not down, ogle hot bike racer guy riding just ahead of me, etc...)
I'm certain the cure is just more road time, so I headed out to San Vicente Blvd in Santa Monica, aka bike racer central (it has a long stretch with no lights or stop signs, a good bike lane and it's freshly paved), and concentrated on staying around 20 mph, and as fast as i could stand it on the downhills (top speed? about 25 mph, but I almost wet my pants while I was doing it). Upside, 20 mph only seems slightly scary now.
I did about 20k in an hour, which isn't super fast, but it's a good start.
Now, off to stretch before work tonight.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Busy Saturday
Saturday started out with an 8 am group run for Team in Training. I worked late the night before, so I didn't have a lot of sleep and didn't have time to eat before I left home - I just grabbed the bike and headed out.
The run was good. Earlier in the week I found a pair of the K-Swiss blades at the discount shoe store, and Saturday was the first run on them. I was worried that they didn't have enough arch support, but they're really comfy, lightweight and since they don't have laces, I didn't have to worry about shoe tying at all. Even though I wasn't wearing socks I got no blisters and had none of my usual lace-related numb toes.
We ran about a 5k in the park and afterwards I was so hungry I could have eaten most of my teammates. I had a Lara bar, which, although not very satisfying, did prevent any cannibalism on my part.
Right after the run, I went to the Santa Monica farmer's market to get veggies, then went back out to the park and did Mission: Possible with Jenna Phillips (core workout, heavy on the yoga based strength moves. It's surprisingly ass-kicking and if you're in the area, I recommend it). Of course, since I'd run a 5k earlier in the day, Jenna made us do 50 yard sprints.
After a quick trip home to change into less smelly clothes and put on some makeup, I went to the Montana Ave sidewalk sale. A friend's tea store was having it's grand opening so I wanted to swing by and offer moral support.
There wasn't much for me to buy on the sidewalks. Most of my impulse purchases fall into the realm of sporting goods, and all the shops seemed to have were foofy dresses, high heels and lingerie for women with no boobs.
The notable exception was the knitting store, who had a super amazing sale. I got four skeins of 'cashwool' which are normally $30 per for $10 each. Score. Only problem was getting everything home, since I only had the grocery bag pannier with me.
After finding my friend's tea shop, I sat and chatted for a while until my legs started to stiffen up, so I pedaled back home, sat in the tub for a while and then watched old episodes of 'Numbers' on Netflix while rubbing my legs and being bummed that the Rapture didn't happen (I was all set to loot).
Today is my rest day so I'm going to go do a yoga class and then sit in the hot tub at the gym.
The run was good. Earlier in the week I found a pair of the K-Swiss blades at the discount shoe store, and Saturday was the first run on them. I was worried that they didn't have enough arch support, but they're really comfy, lightweight and since they don't have laces, I didn't have to worry about shoe tying at all. Even though I wasn't wearing socks I got no blisters and had none of my usual lace-related numb toes.
We ran about a 5k in the park and afterwards I was so hungry I could have eaten most of my teammates. I had a Lara bar, which, although not very satisfying, did prevent any cannibalism on my part.
Right after the run, I went to the Santa Monica farmer's market to get veggies, then went back out to the park and did Mission: Possible with Jenna Phillips (core workout, heavy on the yoga based strength moves. It's surprisingly ass-kicking and if you're in the area, I recommend it). Of course, since I'd run a 5k earlier in the day, Jenna made us do 50 yard sprints.
After a quick trip home to change into less smelly clothes and put on some makeup, I went to the Montana Ave sidewalk sale. A friend's tea store was having it's grand opening so I wanted to swing by and offer moral support.
 |
| the dress hides the padded bike shorts |
There wasn't much for me to buy on the sidewalks. Most of my impulse purchases fall into the realm of sporting goods, and all the shops seemed to have were foofy dresses, high heels and lingerie for women with no boobs.
 |
| Mmmm.. yarn.. |
 |
| Santa Monica PD horses. |
After finding my friend's tea shop, I sat and chatted for a while until my legs started to stiffen up, so I pedaled back home, sat in the tub for a while and then watched old episodes of 'Numbers' on Netflix while rubbing my legs and being bummed that the Rapture didn't happen (I was all set to loot).
 |
| It's so ugly I love it. No, I didn't buy it. |
Today is my rest day so I'm going to go do a yoga class and then sit in the hot tub at the gym.
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