Happy New Year!

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.

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.

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!

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.

In the distance, the Getty

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.

View over the dining terrace

Landscape

Fountain in the main courtyard

View from the tram stop

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.

Diesel Hammers

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:

Skirball at last

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:

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!

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.

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.

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?

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.

Waiting on the subway platform

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. 

This guy was riding a gasoline engine assisted bike and pulling a trailer with "Share the Road" written on the back.

Scenic Malibu

Where the cliffs are rotten - I'd hate for one of those things to hit me as I ride by.

I didn't stop for seafood, but I probably should have.

Turnaround point: The tacky McMansion

I've always wanted one of these. I don't know why.

Gary enjoys the view

Beachy! 

Memorial wreath with equestrian ribbons and handcuffs.

Looking south to Santa Monica from the Malibu Pier. Note layer of smog.

I'm told this was once the famous Alice's Restaurant.

Yes, yes they do.

Hello surfers!

If only there had been a cop. I could have yelled "Sugartits"

Santa Monica State Beach with pier in background.

Oh, yes. You're going to get some hop-ons.

From whence I came - looking north to Malibu from the Santa Monica Pier

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.

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.