“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” - Benjamin Franklin

Possibly. I'd like to think that I am good at a lot of things, yet I have been making more excuses lately than normal. I am good, but sometimes I wonder if I there is anything I am really, truly great at. Maybe that's where the excuses come to play.

I'm guilty. Guilty as charged. I was finally called on it today and it was something I knew I was doing but I found a way within myself to justify it, and eventually believed it was the truth. But it's not.

What's weighing me down? Racing. I want to race my bike, I do, but I know I am nowhere near where I need to be (by my standards) in order to compete successfully. I've heard it takes 3 solid years to develop yourself as a cyclist. I've been going at it hard for 2 months. That's it! I've been riding for a year but after a crash and long work hours, I wasn't able to give it my all. I want to be fast, I want to have the endurance and the ability to push through the pain. 

What's stopping me? 

Probably my pride and my ego. I've never thrown myself into something without the assurance that I was going to be good or great. I don't have that here. I know I will be dead last, not even fair, just straight poor. I know at some point I will throw up at the start line, during the race, or both. I know I will get lapped, and lapped, and lapped, and eventually pulled, if I haven't already given up on myself before the ref comes around. Why can't I accept that?

I have an amazing team of women, all new to the competitive aspect of the sport. Some have been riding hard for a year and are making amazing strides. I am so proud of these women! I wish I could fast forward and be right there with them. 

What's stopping me? 

I was raised that an A in school was good but an A+ would have been better. Why didn't I get an A+? 

How do I accept the truth, and dive in with both feet, knowing I will most likely walk away with a F, maybe a D if I am lucky? 

How do I accept the fact that I am not going to do as well as I want to until I put in the hours, days, weeks and months of training needed to earn that better time, to not get lapped 5 times, and to be able to stick with at least the chase pack?

How do I suck up my pride and throw myself to the wolves knowing that what I want won't happen, but that is okay, I have to start somewhere?

I know the answer is easy. Just get in there and do it. That's what I tell all the ladies who are interested in racing. I need to take my own advice.

The best way to learn is to do. Quit the excuses, make yourself vulnerable, embrace a last place finish or a DNF. Wear it proud and know that if you put in the work, the only place to go is up. 

So.... that's exactly what I am going to do.

I know these ladies will always have my back. Or in this case... my ass.

The Infamous "Race Face"

The best part about taking pictures at the crit races is seeing what I end up with. Half the time the pictures are blurry or I've cut of the head of the rider I was trying to shoot. Every so often I manage to take an AMAZING picture, but my favorite ones are the infamous "Race Face" pictures. I get it, it's hard out there, you're giving it all you've got and that is clearly read across your face. 

Here's a few of my favorite Race Faces so far. If you're in any of these pictures, I mean no disrespect! Race Face is a badge of honor. Wear it proud! I can only imagine what I am going to look like when I start racing, but I am sure I will fall into one of the categories below.

POOP FACE.
He's either got to poop or Rob's let one loose. Either way, I feel for the guy.

AHHHH!!!! FACE.
Now there's a distraction technique.

CHEESE FACE.
This is my favorite. Whoever you are, keep it coming! 

WANANBE-A-WINNER FACE.
Eau de Final Sprint. These never disappoint. 

GRUMPY PANTS FACE.
Someone's realized he isn't winning.

BLOWFISH FACE.
Breathing not required.

50+ FACE
This just looks like it hurts!

LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD FACE.
I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

That Dreaded Email...

Look Out! **Doesn't Matter What The Name Is You're Officially Now At War** just took your QOM!

Me: That bitch!

In my defense, halfway through this ride we stopped to talk plan of action with Coach BF Rob...
which was AT LEAST 10 minutes. Oh AJ, sorry for putting you on blast but... I'm coming for you.

I have a love-hate relationship with Strava. I act like it's "Strava? Whatever. No big deal. Seriously. I've got better things to do." (well those better things to do is really just one thing, ride my bike). Unless I get a QOM or did something rad like rode 60 miles. You better believe I'll be posting it up on facebook and sending an mass email. Heck... it'd be worthy of a blog post.

But when I do get that crown, all that sparkly gold, it's an uplifting mood moment that gives the feeling that I can walk on water. So, when I get that email saying that someone took my QOM... damn son, bring it on!

I act like I don't care but it's really because I am still not as fast as I was pre-crash (oh did I ever mention I was chasing a QOM when I crashed - Oopsy! Bitter, slightly). I cling to my few QOMs with all my might (even telling the Tam-Tam to back off and let me have at least one. She's just THAT GOOD).

When I upload my rides... it goes like this:

1. Put the bike down and run to the computer. Scrambling for the cable, all while still in my sweaty lycra.
2. I know I totally got that segment! Grins, grins grins.
3. Plug Garmin into computer.
4. Garmin not detected. #$%@! Unplug, replug, hit refresh a zillion times.
5. New (ride date, yadda-yadda). Click to upload. Why is it taking FOREVER...
6. Name ride something to make others jealous (Climb, Climb, Climb to the Sexy Firemen Ride) - anyone who posts this (my H&S ladies you know who you are) better know that I am coming after all the QOM's on every segment of this ride. I heart Firemen!
7. Open the ride and... NOTHING. Or maybe (x3) but they are all 2nd and 3rd best times that are no better than the last time you did that ride (yet you swore you kicked but but then you realized you forgot to turn your Garmin back on after you stopped or stopped in the wrong spot - oh Tam-Tam).
8. Create a new segment during the ride in a spot you are certain you killed it in, only to watch it go to your best friend/fierce competitor/amazing teammate.

So for now I am carrying on, pretending that it doesn't really matter and hoping that the less I focus on those QOM crowns and the more I just ride, ride, ride that those crowns will start appearing and ladies all over Southern California will be getting that dreaded email.  

Keep on pedaling!

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!

Tour De Christmas Lights, A Quick Thought

One of the lovely ladies of the Tuesday Night ride had a great idea of doing a Christmas Lights Bike Tour. BRILLIANT! I L-O-V-E Christmas!! Normally this time of year I get in the car, drive aimlessly around town, looking for the best spots to see the lights.  What a great way to get up off the couch and do something I was going to do anyways?!?! So off we went from the bike shop, zig zagging our way through the residential streets of Burbank. We stopped to enjoy, appreciate and snap a few pictures of the sights that we encountered along the way. Now if it weren't for my encounter with a dose of lactic acid (stay tuned for tomorrow's post), perhaps we would have stopped for hot cocoa at the end of the ride. Damn you lactic acid. Damn you.

A common theme was the giant Santa and hot air balloons. What do hot air balloons have to do with Christmas? I tried to figure this one out and have come up with nothing. If there's something that you know that I don't about it, let me know. I have to make sense of this madness! Am I missing something?

One of our first stops. I love this time of year!

Shane, getting in the spirit.

If you missed our ride, or are too far away to join us, you know what I' thinking, right? Do your own Tour De Christmas Lights and share your pictures with us!

Cold Weather Riding Blues

It's getting cold out and it's time for me to start layering up. I am not a fan of cold weather (it's one of the reasons I moved from my hometown in Beautiful British Columbia, Canada to Sunny (and warm almost all the time) Los Angeles. By my hometown's standards, Fall/Winter in LA is like Summer/Spring in Canada. But I've been here 13 years now and I've adapted all too well. So what on earth do I need to keep myself warm? Honestly at first I didn't know, so I borrowed Rob's base layer shirt, knee warmers and windbreaker, mixed with my usual jersey and bib, and threw on a pair of Pearl Izumi arm warmers that I bought for when I did my September ride around Lake Tahoe. It worked, but I realized I need my own things, designed for my body.

For instance, I used his Pearl Izumi knee/leg warmers. They did a great job at keeping me warm but the bad at the top cut into my thigh and not only created a hideous indent in my leg but the pressure it put around my thigh at the band was distracting and messing with my pedal stroke. I get why the band is there, to hold them up, but they are not lady friendly! I don't have big thighs either. Pearl Izumi, what gives???

A had a similar situation with the Pearl Izumi arm warmers, but it wasn't nearly annoying and didn't affect my comfort level on the bike. The only time they became a problem was when I got a flat tire. It took over 30 minutes to get that tire changed (something I need to learn to do - but I did learn a bike tire makes a horrible hula-hoop) and in that time, as my arms got colder, the arm warmers slowly began to slide down. I don't see this being a big problem in the future, assuming I learn how to change a flat in 5 minutes...regardless, I'll still wear them. They do what I need them to do.

So what options do we have to stay warm? Long sleeve base layers, windbreakers, jackets, long pants, tall compression socks,  shoe covers and caps! Oh My! Wait. Assuming I bought one of each, I am looking at $600, plus another $50 or so in tax. Hmm... yeah that isn't going to happen. Oh Rob...?

So maybe I don't need ALL these things. Breaking down how I felt during my ride the other night, I am definitely thinking the first items on my MUST HAVE List are:

1. Shoe or toe covers ($35-$50). Who knew my cycling shoes had little air vents in them? My poor piggies are FREEZING!
2. Headbands to cover your ears or a cap ($17-$40).
3. Windbreaker or Jacket, something light to break the wind, maybe with a little liner to keep in the warmth ($70-$200)

After the essentials, my WISH LIST OF WANTS would be:

1. Short and long sleeve fancy base layer (for now I will use whatever is in the t-shirt drawer)
2. Long cycling pants with chamois (for now I use my favorite Pearl Izumi Elite Women's bib with a pair of Target Dry Fit workout pants over top)
3. Long sleeve jersey. Why not? I'm a girl. I like options!

Items I ALWAYS ride with and will NEVER be caught without (100 degrees or 40)

Mile 55 and I was feeling it. I look so serious!
But I'm wearing my LAS helmet, Pearl Izumi Elite bib and
arm warmers, my gloves and my Oakley's. I'm ready to roll!

1. Gloves. Originally I started with fingerless gloves so everyone could see my pretty nails but after I crashed I opted for the full finger gloves. Safe hands are pretty hands! Check out my nails off the bike.
2. Cycling bottoms with a chamois (my bib of choice is Pearl Izumi's Women's Elite. Remember, Love Your Lady Parts!
3. Oakley sunglasses (or comparable). I have cut my eye open once before (in a non-biking related accident) and ever since then I love to keep them protected. No glasses, no riding.
4. Most important - MY LAS HELMET! Got to keep the head safe. I don't care how much it costs, I want the safest because, damn it! My noggin is worth it.

Tell me about the items you can't ride without, and Pedal on, Lady Pedalers!

A Broken Shifter Changed My Life

Now remember that awesome blue SPECIALIZED ROCKHOPPER I was telling you about? It's my pride and joy. I know it's a basic bike, and I know I've outgrown it, but I can't bring myself to get rid of it! We've been through a lot!

Case in point... one of my first lunch time rides, my boss and I set out to climb the hills of Placerita Canyon. I was struggling like you won't believe. I kept thinking to myself... there is no way I am this out of shape. I chased my boss up the hill as fast as I could, mildly embarrassed with how long it took me to get there. Once I caught up with him, he looked at me sideways, and said, "Well no wonder you are having such a rough time, you climbed the hill in the hardest gear." I didn't know if I should have been proud or embarrassed. At least I wasn't as out of shape as I was beginning to think!

Running out of time, we headed back to the ranch (aka work). I called upon a co-worker, who knew a thing or two about bikes, and he took one look at it and told me my shifter was broken. Sad face! I just started riding my bike and it's already out of commission. Now, normally if something needed fixing I would call up ol' Dad and he would take care of it, but I knew it was time for me to start figuring all of this stuff out on my own. And I did. Yes!! My co-worker referred me to a sweet bike shop in Burbank called H&S Bicycles (check it out people... www.hsbikes.com). So I crammed my bike into the back seat of my car and headed over to H&S. Upon arriving, I was greeted by a vary handsome bike shop owner, Rob.

Long story short, I left with my mountain bike fixed, a sweet new road bike (with all the bells and whistles) and an amazing boyfriend. I think I did pretty good for myself!

The sweet new road bike

The handsome new boyfriend

We All Have To Start Somewhere

I was lazy. Simple as that.  I won't call myself an athlete, but when I actually put forth any sort of effort, I am not that bad. I'm uncoordinated but I manage.

It was sometime in January when I realized the scale was moving rapidly in the wrong direction. Work had a lot to do with that. How? I work in TV Production and if you've every been on a TV set, you've heard the word "Crafty". Oh crafty... every child's dream. A room full of candy, chips, baked goods  (bacon, egg and cheese breakfast burritos in my case), and everything your heart could yearn for. Oh, there were fruits and vegetables in there too but I swear they were hidden, or maybe I just wasn't looking for them.

Anyways, that dang scale. It was haunting me and I knew I needed to do something about it. My coworkers were feeling it too, so we started a friendly weight loss competition. Put me up against anyone and I will do what I can to destroy them in competition. That's how mountain biking came back into my life. I went over to my dad's house and pull my old 2000-and something blue SPECIALIZED ROCKHOPPER out of his garage and took it out for a spin. I hadn't been on that bike since finding out I was pregnant with my now 5 1/2 (that 1/2 means EVERYTHING - if you have kids, you get that) year old daughter. I was rusty, heck the bike was too. I knew that if I was going to take this seriously, then I would eventually clean her up or upgrade (which I eventually did but we will get to that later).

I do need to give a shout out to my Dad. He's the one that got me in to mountain biking and I really need to thank him for that. Being his only child (of 4: girls-3, boy-1) who had any interest in:

A) Riding a bike
B) Being seen in public with their father;

He went out and bought me that Rockhopper, got me all the gear, and dragged me out into the mountains to ride with him. I have to give him some credit. He beat me up the hill EVERY SINGLE TIME (#!&$). A few times I was convinced he didn't know what he was doing (like the time he "fixed" my flat at the top of the hill, only to have it blow out on the way down causing me to crash into a VERY prickly bush). But somehow together we survived and the first time I got back on that bike after a 5 year hiatus, it was like I never stopped, and that burning desire to beat him up the hill is stronger than ever - stay tuned... it will happen!

Back on the bike, riding dirty!

Eventually I broke down and bought a bike rack for my old Yaris. 

My daughter, though grown accustomed, was grateful.

What Are We All Doing Here?

I love riding bikes. Beach Cruiser, Road or Mountain bike, if it has two wheels, put me on it. So when I decided to take a serious interest in cycling, I came to one surprising realization. Where are the women? Where's all the product for the ladies? I don't like being told what to do, especially by a man. I want tips and how to's from a women's perspective. A guy can talk to me about saddles until he's blue in the face, but unless he's got a va-jay-jay... his advice is USELESS to me. 

My point being? I couldn't find enough resources out there to give me access to the information I was craving. Granted, there are a few good sites out there (big ups to www.teamestrogen.com)... but My Fair Ladies... we deserve it all!

So I hope you choose to tune in and follow me on this journey. The goal is to get the facts out, from a female perspective and toss in some awesome video tutorials/tips/reviews, etc. Together we are going to learn about these bikes discover the latest and greatest products for women, get comfortable and feel confident so that we can be strong and independent (Sassy and Gorgeous) Lady Pedalers!