All Work And No Play

It's been a week and I have been slacking, but for good reason, I swear! For those of you who don't know me personally, I have the joy of working on an amazing TV show on ABC called... "Wipeout". Best job I have ever had. I mean, seriously, I get to watch people get tossed around all day and see some pretty epic Wipeout's. We are gearing up to shoot and it has been taking all my time and energy, no bicycling for me. I don't feel too guilty

Here's a sneak peek of what's going on in my "office". Can't show the stunts because they are top secret, but if you are a fan of the show you should follow us on facebook: Wipeout!!

Blowing up the Big Balls for Monday's shoot.

Jill Wagner's quarters.

Building our Akela Crane so we can get those awesome sweeping shots.

Our victims.. I mean, Day Testers.

Our brave testers about to go head to head with the Qualifier.

Mixing the mud in our beloved MUD TANK.

Rebooting For the New Year

It comes without saying (although I am going to say it anyways): The New Year is a time to erase old mistakes and start over. A time to reset, and start over. At least that is how I see it. I told myself this year I would not resolve to lose weight. I don't need to but the pressure to be thin in LA is always at the back of my mind and sometimes it gets the better of me. So, no weight loss resolutions, but I do resolve to work on being the healthiest me I can be, both off and on the bike. This is my first off-topic sort of post, but if you are riding you bike often, I hope that you are doing your body justice by being the healthiest you that you can be.

It was right after new years that I was scrolling through Netflix and came across Fat, Sick And Nearly Dead. I love documentaries and enjoy learning more about health and nutrition and if you are trying to think of ways to get yourself to a healthy place, I recommend it. 

I find it touching to watch someone as they endure the struggle of a major life change, such as a major weight loss. It's a lot of work. I was 35 pounds heavier when I graduated college and immediately entered the struggle of weight loss. I was young with no nutrition related guidance and trying to figure it out on my own without support. I eventually discovered Weight Watchers and it forever changed my life. They taught me how to eat and with that simple change I managed to drop 20 pounds alone. I've carried the knowledge I learned with me all these years and, although I no longer follow the program, I have been able to maintain and keep the balance.

Last year I saw two bouts of strep throat, among several other ailments. My body was full of poisonous antibiotics that felt as though they ripped the insides of my stomach apart. After watching Fat, Sick And Nearly Dead, I was inspired to attempt "juicing". Being in overall good health with no weight to lose, I opted for their 3-day New Year, New You! reboot because, to be honest, I thought there was no way I was going to survive more than 3-days of a juice only regime. I need to chew!

To properly prepare for a reboot, they advise you to slowly ween yourself off of items such as caffeine, meat, and processed foods. I didn't quite do that. I actually did the opposite. The day before I started my 3-day reboot, I went to the farmer's market, loaded up on 3 days worth of fruits and veggies, set up the Breville juicer, rode my bike 20 miles, then went out for dinner and drinks for the girls. That meal consisted of curly fries and a raspberry vodka seven up as an appetizer, fish and chips and another raspberry vodka seven up as the main course, followed by a few bites of bread pudding and vanilla ice cream. I thought I was going to have to be rolled out of there. Oh! And then there was the most amazing watermelon jalapeno for dessert. Clearly I didn't take the first step as seriously as I should have and I do recommend you follow it exactly. My 3 days went like this:

DAY 1:

This happened every 15 minutes. ALL. DAMN. DAY.

How am I ever going to make it to Day 2?

Get out of my face or I will BITE YOU!!!!

DAY 2:

Stop yelling at me!!!!

I don't know if I am coming or going... 

'Nuff said.

DAY 3:

I have to say, after the 3 days, I feel AMAZING! I've cut my caffeine intake back 90% and have more energy then I've had in a long time. I'm feeling so great that I am going to try to adapt more of a macrobiotic diet and limit the amount of poultry and seafood I take in. My main concern is having enough energy for my rides, but as I learn more about this eating plan I am sure I will find ways to adapt.

My first attempt. Apples, beets, carrots and greens!

Stay healthy, eat clean, and pedal on Lady Pedalers!

Comfy Cozy is Worth Every Penny

When is this cold weather going to leave us? I know, I know... I'm Canadian, this is like summer to me.  BUT IT ISN'T. Living the past 13 years in Los Angeles has thinned my blood and I am the first person to complain when the weather gets cold.  I have this fabulous little heater than sits on the counter next to my desk. I named him Sherlock and he is my lifeline. Perhaps I am mildly dependent on him but he is always there for me, keeping me warm, happy and with a smile on my face!

I wrote my name on it and made him my own.

I can't always be sitting in front of my computer with Sherlock blasting heat onto me. Even though it is a happy place, I would much rather be on my bike. BUT IT'S COLD OUTSIDE! Time to layer up. I'm such a wimp!!

I rode with the boyfriend a week ago and I took every piece of clothing I could find and slapped it on in an effort to stay warm. Needless to say about half way through the ride my temperature was rising and I was wondering, if just maybe, I might have put on one too many. You're probably thinking, she looks fine. Well... you tell me!

At this point I really didn't care. Nothing could ruin my day more than by having cold fingers and toes. I'll take you all through my awesome outfit. The more I look at it, I'm quite proud!

Bare with me.. some of this I have mentioned before but there's no harm in sharing again (in a little more detail)!

1. LAS Victory helmet (retails for around $150). Great helmet. Love the little spike design at the back. I crashed in a LAS Victory helmet and it kept my noggin safe and sound. Expensive, but aren't you worth protecting to the fullest? Only downside I found (and I didn't learn this until I chopped my hair off and needed a pony tail at the base of my head), is that it's become a pain to get it on in the right spot, with the right fitting because of the ponytail. Before my hair was always in a long braid so this was never a problem. It's still a great helmet and I recommend it to everyone. It's light weight, has plenty of ventilation and comes with swappable liners.

2. Oakley Jawbone custom sunglasses (retails for around $200-$250). I had to get a pair to match my bike. I just had to! But then I went and swapped out my bike. At least the new bike (a Giant TCR Advanced) is black and white and goes with EVERYTHING! Color matters. These shades are great for cycling. You can swap out the lenses whenever you want. They've got vented lenses (in 6 different colors no less), polarized and photochromatic. The choice is yours. I won't ride without them, eye protection is crucial, and since I suffered an eye injury back in 2009, I won't ever leave mine unprotected again. You never know what a rock is going to kick up and smack you in the face!

3. Base layer and jersey. The jersey is a no brainer but when you start riding the wind just cuts right through the damn shirt. I get why, but on a cold winter day, it's not going to cut it. I don't have an officially legit base layer, so if Rob doesn't have a clean one for me to borrow, I reach for one of my thick dryfit workout tanks.

4. Pearl Izumi Women's Elite Softshell 180 jacket (retails around $175). BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER (boyfriend Rob scored beaucoup points with this one)! I needed a jacket and so this was the perfect gift for me, and it came in the perfect color ever. It's a great jacket, comfy and fits well. I'm a "smedium" so I got a medium in this. Fits great in the length of the jacket, sleeves and bust, but I wish it was a little more fitted in the mid section. Since I won't be racing in it, I'm not too concerned. It's fabulous, pretty and I love it!

5.  Pearl Izumi's Women's Cyclone Gel Glove (retails around $40). These gloves are perfect for the cold weather. A little thicker than my usual gloves, they provide excellent wind protection and moderate water protection. And... they just so happen to match the jacket. SCORE!

6. Pearl Izumi's Women's Elite Cycling Bib (retails around $145). Super comfy, love the clasp at the front that brings the straps together atop my boosum. Much more comfortable than having the straps on the outside of the girls, rubbing up and chaffing on my side boob and arms. NOT FUN!

7. Pearl Izumi's Elite Thermal Knee Warmers (retails around $35). Now, you probably already know how I feel about this if you read my other post about Cold Weather Riding Blues. They aren't female-with-thighs friendly. They cut, they irritate and jack up my blood flow. Not cool! But, they kept me warm and since I didn't have another option (I really need to invest in cycling pants), the do just fine.

8. Electra Women's Koi Stripe Knee Socks. (Retails for around $20). CUUUUTE! Not cycling socks, but they worked for me. They covered me from where the knee warmers ended, all down to my tootsie toes. If they were black and blue striped versus the brown, they would've matched perfect. However, on the bike, moving at the speed of light (I dream), you could hardly tell.

9. Sidi Sock Shoe covers. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE shoe covers. Makes a night and day difference and worth the $30 bucks or so. If you are on a super tight budget, try getting a large man's sock and cut a whole in the bottom for the cleat. Get creative!

So all in all, it took a little digging and lots of creativity but I managed to make it work, keep myself warm, and stay on the bike in some sort of fashionable manner. At least I think so...


Pedal on, Lady Pedalers!

Lycra is For Lovers

Who knew lycra could be so amazingly comfortable, sexy and fun? When I first started riding, the one part of cycling that was holding me back was the lycra. I have never found it to be flattering, even on the fittest female form. Maybe I was wrong. It can't all be that bad, right? It's a men's sport and that is clear in many of the kit designs I have seen out there.

In my mind, this is how I would look in lycra.

Well, I admit that maybe I was wrong about it all along. It's not that bad, and if you are willing to make the splurge, it can be amazing. Especially when you have someone like Jenny, the Graphik Deziner (check her out peoples of the cycling world) designing the kit. She just finished H&S Bicycles 2013 men's and ladies Giordana kits and they are AMAZING. H&S opted for the pricer Giordana brand this year and so far, nothing but rave reviews. They're comfy and the SEX APPEAL?!?! Apparently there are some guys in their H&S kits now breaking PR's on Strava.... Hey... we can dream but I would have to say there is a correlation between feeling sexy and riding faster. I know a lot of ladies in the group have purchased the new kit. It's time to try this theory out!

When I first was getting used to the idea of lycra, I started out simple with the Pearl Izumi Sugar shorts, as I know I have mentioned many times. They are a great short, however, originally designed for spinning. What I love about them is the short cut, so when I ride in the summer I don't get that funky cyclist tan. Eventually I upgraded to Pearl Izumi's Elite Cycling Bib. I felt like an idiot. These shorts are comfortable and designed with a female form in mind. Can it get any better than this?  Apparently so!

Giordana... If you could talk, I am sure it would be in a soft, romantic tone that would cause me to melt. The name itself sounds so regal. GIORDANA. It gives me chills...

So, here's the new 2013 H&S Bicycles ladies kit. I have to brag, lycra has done wonders for my backend!

2013 H&S Giordana Ladies Kit

2013 H&S Bicycles Ladies Kit

I'm picky and, thank his lucky stars, I love the boyfriend's new kit. Colors are simple and well placed. The design isn't over the top, and the new logo has a hit of softness that, as a lady, I can appreciate.

If you have a favorite big, kit, jersey or short, tell me about it and show me some pics! In the meantime, here are some to make you laugh, courtesy of Tubulocity.com.

Word can't explain... I thought a true cyclist doesn't show?

Not a fan of the diaper-esk design.

He borrowed it from Heidi Klum. I still think she pulled it off better HERE.

So which one has to ride backwards? 

Introducing the Flaming Mangina!

Why? Why, why, why?!?!?!

Grr baby. Not sure what is more impressive. The tiger or the stash.

New Years Resolutions?

It's been awhile since I have posted. My apologizes for slacking! To be honest, I haven't been on the bike much in the last 2 weeks. I finally got to ride the other day, and put in a solid 30 miles. I got to ride with the man (which is always a bonus) but I am thinking I might have worked a little too hard that day just to keep up with him. Not that riding hard is a bad thing but after going 2 weeks without a ride, I ended up paying for it in the worst possible way. I woke up at 3am the next morning unable to move. Owww! I am not even exaggerating. I woke up in pain and couldn't even sit up, let alone turn my head. With some help, I was able to get up and make it to the couch, where I spent the next 15 hours laying on a heating blanket and watching back to back Lifetime Original movies. Oh Lifetime... how is it that you suck me in every time? From "Maternal Instincts" to "Lying Eyes" to "My Stepson, My Lover" (what is with these titles???), it's as addicting as a drug. once you watch one, you're sucked in for life (Hmm... now the network title "Lifetime" makes sense). 

Each time I tell myself, just one, yet 6 hours later I wonder where my day went. So my time off work, originally planned for lots and lots of rides didn't quite happen as planned. Aside from being over schedule and out of shape, I blame the cold. It doesn't make riding look as exciting as a warm comfy bed.

Did anyone make a New Year's Resolution this year? Every year I tell myself I am not going to make a generic resolution that I am going to fail at trying to achieve. This year I resolve to ride 2 centuries and up my overall mileage. Juggling a hectic work schedule, an overbooked 5 year old and a boyfriend who's trying to go Pro, doesn't leave me much time to get a ride in. I resolve to make time for myself and my bike.

Surely I am not the only one with this time management balancing act of a problem, so I went to my beloved friend Google for an answer. I came across an article posted on Bicycling.com, fittingly titled: "Can't Find Time To Ride?". There tips were short and precise. I like it!

1. Schedule your rides, and put them on your calendar like they are a doctors appointment.
2. Buddy System! Worked in kindergarten and still works now. If it weren't for my lovely, fellow Lady Pedalers, Jenny and Tammy, I probably wouldn't have done half the rides I did last year. Thanks ladies for your continued support and encouragement.
3. Give yourself a goal. Have something cycling related to work for, such as: complete a triathlon, enter a race, do a century, or ride 400 miles in one month. Odds are, if you are working towards something, you are going to reach it if the pressure to complete it is there.
4. Stay prepared. This one... oh this one is me. Sometimes I look for excuses not to ride, like I can't find my gloves or my Garmin is dead. Keep your gear organized, clean and charged and be race ready every time. The easier it is to get going the better chance you are going to jump on the bike and roll out.

So, tell me, Lady Pedalers... what's your bicycling New Years Resolution? What held you back in 2012 and what are you looking to change?

Tell me what keeps you moving and pedal on!