My Cycling Ritual

It wasn't until my whole routine was thrown off by one simple misplacement that I realized, I have a cycling ritual, and it's a mood changer.

One small hiccup in my 20 minute prep ritual falls out of place and my ride is guaranteed to start off on the wrong foot. Luckily, after 5 minutes on the bike I have usually snapped out of it, but still... it messes with my mojo!

First, I wrangle all required cycling items:

• sports bra
• heart rate monitor
• chamois cream
• jersey
• bib
• socks
• cycling shoes
• Oakley's
• helmet
• hair tie
• gloves
• Garmin
• water bottle
• tire pump
• Gu
• Cash and ID

The order of my assembly is crucial in keeping the balance:

1. Strap the girls in and put on the sports bra
2. Apply my chamois cream in the appropriate places
3. Wash hands
4. Slap on the heart rate monitor
5. Get into the bib and do the Lycra dance. I was shocked to find that nothing comes up when you google "Lycra Cycling Dance". I think I found a video that needs to be made. Stay tuned.
6. Put on the jersey, followed by the socks and then cycling shoes.
7. Hook your Garmin to the bike (I do so using a FABULOUS K-Edge Garmin Mount) and turn it on because sometimes it takes FOREEEEEEEEEVER to get it up and running.
8. Load in a water bottle with fresh water. I say fresh because once I kinda, sorta, forgot to put a new water bottle on my bike and learned the nasty way.
9. Pump up the jam on those tires. I do100 in the front and 110 in the back. Why? Because Rob said so.
10. Pull hair back into a ponytail, put on Oakley's, tack on the helmet, slap on the gloves, toss a GU, cash and ID into my pocket, turn on the Garmin (nothing is worse than realizing you forgot to do that) and hit the road.

Today I road a quick ride on my lunch break and my whole world was turned upside down when:

1. I forgot a hair tie. Rob said, No worries, use a rubber band. A RUBBER BAND????????? He just doesn't get me sometimes. I could never do that to my hair.
2. I realized my lack of time to sort laundry came back to bite me in the arse when I put on a bib that seems a little bigger than I remembered. Did I lose weight!?!?! YAY! Oh no wait... they say OTR Racing on them and were clearly Rob's. Riding in mismatched Lycra is a sin and so I started my ride in shame, with my head hung low. I look like that person who has no idea what's going on. That can't be me, IT CAN'T!!! 

H&S Bikes and OTR Racing, what a beautiful union.

Despite my ritual being incomplete and me having to do a little improvisation, the ride wasn't all that bad (well except for the side wind that was determined to take me out). I started out a little grumpy, but that might have been due to the fact I broke the stem of the valve off in my pump and I wasn't sure if the tire was going to hold. I decided to risk it. It was lunch time and I knew one of my 70 Wipeout co-workers would pass me on the road and I  wouldn't be stranded for long.

Post ride, now I am in a great mood, relieved a little stress and discovered that sometimes you got to take what life hands you, and make due with what you've got. If you're determined, anything is possible, and it's not worth it to sweat the small stuff. So it's time I throw, not the routine out the window (I'm a Virgo. I could never) but the little anxieties that come up when something is not perfect and out of line... I'll learn to do without those.

Post ride, it turned out to be a bright, bright, bright, bright sun shiny day!

I Wanna Race My Bicycle!

This past Sunday, H&S Ladies debuted in their first race of the season at the Roger Millikan Crit. I was very sad (and jealous) that I couldn't be a part of it, but SO SO SO proud of the ladies. I've been on the bike twice in the past month and am recovering from a nasty cold. Didn't want to risk an injury so I sat it out (insert pouty face here).

Warming up. Damn! It was cold!

Anyways, so proud of my ladies! Everyone Needs a Jenny (one day after riding a century no less) and the amazing Tammy both raced, as well as two ladies new to the group. They all pushed hard and finished with smiles on their faces.  It was a great race with a pack of about 21 ladies (2 of whom I question...?). Although there were no "wins" for H&S, all the ladies raced well, and most important, FINISHED!

All smiles all the time.

I have always been a little skeptical about racing. I am a competitive person and I want to win! Knowing I am not physically prepared to take on a race at this time, I probably would have been the one throwing my bike in the grass out of frustration after coming in dead last. I know, I know... lame, childish, call it what you will but how do you deal with that emotion? I want to be better than I am. As a single parent working full time in television, it can be hard to find the time to get on the bike. I'm motivated but I don't have the skill. I struggle to find the time to ride, and to ride without having to be heavily hopped up on caffeine. I made it a goal this year to make riding a priority but so far I have failed. That ends today!

Who's with me? Stopping with the excuses here and buying a Costco size pack of Sugar Free Rebull. Let's keep on pedaling and do this!

Power baby!

Powerhouse Jen making a comeback.

Clearly she needs a little Jenny in her life.

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!

We All Go Down, Sooner Or Later

One of the very first things I was told when I started riding that when it comes to crashing, 

"It's not a matter of IF, it's WHEN..."

Sounds scary, I know, but not all crashes are bad. I've probably had about 2 or 3 "Zero Mile Per Hour" crashes in the past 5 months. You know, the ones where you slow down at a red light and think that you don't need to unclip because the lights about to turn green but it doesn't and you take a leaning dive for the curb? Yeah, I've been there.

For those of you that know me, or have been into H&S Bicycles in Burbank and seen their trophy "Wreck Relics" Wall of Fame (not shame, I take pride in my crash!), you've probably seen my jersey and heard about my crash.

I was finishing up a training ride from The Observatory back down into Griffith Park. The last hill is a wide open road with a few curves in it that I have rode many, many times (and if you are a local and watch Sons of Anarchy, you'll know this spot well).  I had each turn memorized and it was one of my favorite spots to test my limits. So, I set myself up and started my decent. There was another cyclist in front of me and I realized I was coming up behind him quickly. I changed my course and immediately after doing so I saw a HUGE pothole right in my path. I panicked. Simple as that. I panicked and made a rookie mistake, grabbing my brakes as hard as I could. Well the good news is my brakes worked, perhaps a little too well because the bike came to a stop and I didn't. Next thing I know, I am gazing out of my Oakley Jawbone Sunglasses (custom white and blue to match my bike of course) and everything is upside down. Well, this can't be good. To be honest, I am quite proud of how I dismounted myself from the bike. My feet became unclipped from my Speed Play clipless pedals instantly (I know that's a fear for many, but don't let it be) and I did a forward tumble like roll off the front. I managed to not hit my head at all but got some road rash from my right shoulder down to my left ankle.

When the motion stopped and I realized what happened, I jumped up and grabbed my iphone, which had flown a little further downhill than myself. HUGE shout out to Otterbox. I have the slim Reflex Series case and my phone didn't have a single scratch on it, despite flying through the air and landing screen down on pavement. I dusted my shirt off (only really noticing the tear in my jersey on my right shoulder at first) and grabbed my bike. I jumped on, only to realize the derailleur was broke and my boob was hanging out (not literally but that would have been funny; My Target C9 Champion Seamless Cami sports bra held up and the girls were safely intact). My friends came around looking for me and my nurse friend (I am so glad I was riding with her that day) decided to call 911 to have me checked out. We'd been riding for 2 hours and it was already 100 degrees out. Nothing appeared to be broken but she wanted to be sure. The plus side to this was that I got to spend my latter morning with some hot LAFD firemen, which isn't a bad thing whatsoever. At the hospital I got checked out and had my road rash cleaned. BY FAR this was the only time during the whole day that I cried and screamed. The crash itself didn't hurt that much, it was the stinging, burning sensation of the rash, coupled with the nurse scrubbing it clean with what felt like a Brillo pad. Rob got there just in time to take the brunt of the cursing and screaming. Bless his heart for putting up with my less than pleasant demeanor.

My jersey. Perhaps a prototype for a ladies jersey complete with breathing room for our ta-tas?

Apparently I tucked and tumbled to the right, I was going for an "off-the-shoulder" kind of look.
I don't think it worked.

Road Rash is Bad Ass (a Cyclist's Badge of Honor)

All cleaned up and ready to go, I asked Rob if he brought me some clothes. This is when sending (or bringing) a woman to the hospital to collect me would have been a good idea. Rob showed up empty handed. I love him for being there when I needed him and for taking care of me, it's just these are things some guys just don't think about. 

At the scene of my amazing 10.0 Olympic dismount, Rob took my jersey and the hunky firemen cut the front of my FAVORITE Pearl Izumi Sugar Shorts. So I was just hanging out in my bra and half cut shorts, oh and the shoes had to come off because I ride on SpeedPlay and the cleats are on the outside of the shoe (not recessed) making them harder to walk in. The hospital was nice enough to give me neon yellow grip socks and a gown, but I am pretty sure I looked like a mess wandering out of the hospital alone, half dressed with massive helmet head while Rob fetched the car.

Now that you have read this whole story you are probably wondering why on earth I shared my darker cycling experience. It's not to scare you and nor should you be. All I could think about after the crash was how soon could I get back on the bike. My body and my bike needed some healing time, and I took it. But I knew I had to get right back out there. I would be lying if I said my crash didn't affect me. But I learned from it. I have become more cautious and am taking things a little slower until I feel I have put in the miles and built up my skill level. We all should be cautious and aware when we ride, and be patient if you are just starting out. It might be a little longer until I feel at complete ease going downhill at 32 miles per hour again but the most important thing is that I didn't give up and that I continue to ride, strengthening my skills each day to be better, faster, and stronger.

I'll leave you with this my Lady Pedalers... when you do crash, DO NOT take Road Rash wound care advice from a male cyclist. They will tell you to let it dry out and scab. Sure, if you want scars to remember your crash by you could follow their advice. I sure didn't. Keep those wounds clean and moist. Once you've done the initial scrub out, put some Neosporin on the wound, cover with a piece of Tegaderm (it's a fake skin like bandage that covers the wound but doesn't stick to it) and let them heal (changing the bandages regularly of course). Once the wounds have closed up, rub a little vitamin E oil or lotion on it for good measure.

Pedal on Ladies and ride safe!