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!

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!

All I Want For Christmas is Some Sweet Bike Gear

...not my two front teeth. I have those.  Well... one is a porcelain veneer because I knocked it out in the 3rd grade running up a metal slide, but still. I want some sweet bike gear! To be honest, I picked a lot of these things based on looks. I am visual. I want to look good and DAMN IT! I deserve it! And so do you. I hope to get my hands on these items and let you know my true thoughts as we all know that some things aren't always as they appear. But for now, check out my list of what I have my eyes on.

Electra Ticino 7D in Glacier Blue. I know, this is a bike, not bike gear but it would be nice to have something for a casual ride to the grocery store, right? I fell in LOVE with this bike when I was at H&S Bicycles 2 weeks ago. What a beautiful bike! I have a thing for blue anything. The color is so soothing! Electra makes 3 different models of the Ticino (20D, 8D and 7D) and to be honest, I chose the 7D because I feel in love with the color and the hammered fenders. The 20D, of course, appears to be the much better bike, offering 20-speed over 7 or 8 and additional accessories, such as the Ticino alloy rear carrier. However, none of that stuff is super important for me. I can add on the accessories that I want when I want. I think this would be a cute bike to tote around town on while chasing my 5-year old on her bike. I would love to get on one of these bikes and see if there is much of a difference between the 7 and 8 and note the drastic difference of the 20, if any.







Pearl Izumi's Women's Elite Barrier WxB Jacket. Baby, it's cold outside! I need a versatile jacket like this one to keep me warm when I'm on (and off the bike). It's light enough to wear on a cool fall day and durable enough to block the wind on a winter ride. It's waterproof and has a breathable 2-layer knit face fabric with Titanium for thermal regulation. FANCY! It's got a retractable drop tail which comes in handy for those wet rides (planned or unexpected) and has reflective elements for low-light visability. You don't need to wear white to be seen anymore. I dig the red and black... H&S Bicycles colors. Thanks Pearl!













Cat5Gear Cyclist Case. A virgo's dream come true. I'm always on the go with my bike. Sometimes I take my gear to work and ride on my lunch break, or I drive to meet up with friends. I even flew for the first time with my bike this past September. When I'm on the go I ususally just throw everything into a too-small gym bag that I can't get to zip up. I came across this case where you can neatly store all your cycling gear: shoes, helmet, garmin to Gu's. It's all there. Leave it to my native homeland (O-Canada!) to get it right. I approve (and I would LOVE to get my hands on one - hint, hint).












Sidi Moon cycling shoes. To be honest, the only interaction I have had with Sidi thus far is my amazing Sidi shoe covers that are covering my BOOORING white Shimano cycling shoes. If you want a way to look expensive and elite, Sidi shoe covers, no one will know what's underneath them! Shhh! But seriously, I've heard nothing about amazing things about these shoes, so of course I am curious to get a pair. Based on looks (I'm a female, of course I want something that looks HOT). I'd get the Moon. Metallic silver. What's not to love? I saw this in person yesterday, My Super Fave Bike Nerd Hero Jenny ('memba her?) picked herself up a pair. LOVE cannot describe the look of these shoes. I hope to bless my toesies in a pair, but in the meantime I will have to fake it with my Sidi shoe covers over my Shimano shoes. In the meantime... tell me Jenny, what do you think?

What Are You Riding For?

This past September I rode my first charity ride, JDRF's Ride To Cure Type 1 Diabetes in beautiful Lake Tahoe. After the ride I was asked to write a post about my experience, and I thought it would be great to share it here as well. If you haven't thought about riding for a charity or cause, I highly recommend looking into it and seeing if there is a ride near and dear to your heart, or simply one that inspires you.

I first learned about JDRF and Type 1 Diabetes when I started working on ABC’s show “Wipeout” in 2010. Honestly, I didn’t know much at all about diabetes and I didn’t know anyone who was T1D. That changed when I met my new boss, Executive Producer, Kevin Wehrenberg. Kevin’s son Charlie has T1D. His dedication to his son and JDRF has inspired me to be passionate and proactive for a good reason.

In early 2012 I started to feel as though I was neglecting my personal wellbeing and so I took the initiative to reignite an old passion for mountain biking. I knew I couldn’t just ride my bike. I needed a goal to motivate me. I searched online for a biking event and sorted through page after page until I found a link to “JDRF’s Ride To Cure” TID in Lake Tahoe. That’s it! That was was the event I was going to train for. So what if I have never rode a road bike, let alone own one. How different could it be? I was drawn to the ride from the moment I saw it, and I knew come September I would be joining many others as they peddle around the lake. I signed up for the ride and went to the bike shop that night and bought a road bike.

Training proved to be harder than expected. I jumped on my bike, expecting to be incredible, strong, and fast. I had all the tools (fast bike, fancy bike shoes and lycra, lots of lycra), how hard could it be? It turned out I would have to earn those skills, and eventually (more like hundreds of miles later) everything would come together. And it did.

4 months, 700 miles and 55 hours later, ride weekend had arrived.  The night before the event, all JDRF riders gathered in the ballroom at the hotel to discuss the following day’s schedule of events. It was here that I realized the magnitude of what I came here to accomplish. I knew I was here to raise some money and ride my bike, I never thought about what I would be taking away from the experience. There were 2 people that came into my life that night that changed me forever. Ironically, they don’t even know that they did.  The first, a young college student who had a pancreatic transplant to rid her of T1D. The transplant was a success, and she was no longer T1D. However, she suffered a major setback. The transplant caused her to go legally blind. But she wasn’t there as support to a rider. She was there to ride a tandem bike behind her father. The second person was an older woman named Rose, a woman with T1D who had been diagnosed with a tumor earlier in the year (after posting this article to JDRF's website I was sad to learn that Rose's illness took her from us. She will continue to be an inspiration for years to come).  Rose had signed up to ride and was determined to participate, but the effects of the tumor paralyzed one side of her body. Knowing how important this ride was to her, a dear friend of hers made it a personal mission to find a solution. And she did, locating a trailer-type bike that could be hitched to the back of her own. It even had hand pedals so her friend could participate too.

It was these incredible strong women that helped me truly realize how important JDRF is to someone with T1D. I’m not just riding my bike and raising money for research, I am helping to change lives and give everyone with T1D the opportunity to have the best quality of life, getting one step closer to a cure.  I could have sat back and done nothing, that’s easy. To be honest I don’t know why I waited so long to get involved, but at least I was here now. The surprising part for me was that the more I reached out, the more connections to T1D I discovered I had. My journey on this ride grew and continued to take on more meaning.

With emotions running high, I woke up early the morning of ride day excited and yet anxious.  I couldn’t eat my breakfast. I didn’t know what to expect, and I didn’t know if I was prepared. I am stubborn and I am not a quitter and I knew I had to give it my all to make sure I crossed that finish line. Ten miles into the ride we started our first climb. I was feeling pretty good going into it, my rhythm was smooth and it was as if I was dancing on my pedals. Then it hit me. With one deep breath, everything changed. I wasn’t used to riding at such a high altitude and quickly learned that the deep breaths I relied on in training to control my heart rate and breathing were out of reach. I was taking in what felt like half the amount of oxygen than normal. I need my deep breaths! Three miles into the climb we hit our first rest stop in Emerald Bay. I pulled in and threw my bike down. I paced back and forth. I felt defeated and I couldn’t find my focus. I didn’t even want to look at my bike. Why are you failing me? Every worry I had going into this event came rushing through my mind and words were swirling around my head, crashing into one another with no clear direction. How was I going to finish the ride if I couldn’t gain control of myself?  I played with these thoughts and then it all came to front. Focus. Why are you here? What are you trying to accomplish? Who am I doing this for? Charlie (and everyone who lives with T1D).  Charlie made me a poster and the JDRF staff affixed it to my hotel room door upon my arrival. It said, “Thank you for all your hard work… be strong.” That’s all I have to do. Be strong.

I didn’t want to let Charlie down. Those with T1D have to manage and live with it every day. Some days are great, some not so much, but they persevere. I am blessed with good health and I live a healthy lifestyle. I can do this. So I kept peddling, and kept repeating to myself over and over, “This is just one tough day. At the finish line I get to move on. Charlie doesn’t. He wakes up every day as a T1D. This is just one tough day.”

Around the 35-mile mark a JDRF Ride Coach from the Greater Michigan Chapter rode up next to me to check in. I told him about my struggles and he assured me I would be okay. It was, simply put, a struggle with my mind. He rode 7 miles with me until the lunch stop. He kept me distracted and before I knew it, I was more than halfway to the finish line.  I was grateful for his distraction and realized after the ride I didn’t catch his name. I tried to find him the next day, which proved to be a tough feat because everyone looks completely different when they aren’t decked out in lycra and full riding gear. So if you read this, thank you for helping me keep my faith in myself strong.

Lunch came as a much-needed break for me. I refueled and redirected my focus on the real reasons why I was riding. The remaining 30 miles were amazing and emotional. I took in the picturesque views that Lake Tahoe has to offer, admiring her beauty in all her glory. I tackled the last major climb without fear and embraced the descent back into South Lake Tahoe head on. My legs felt powerful, but more importantly, my mind was clear and my confidence was strong. Nothing was going to stop me. With the last two miles in sight, emotion began to build and I even got a little teary-eyed. If you asked me a year ago if I would raise a few thousand dollars to ride a bike 72-miles for charity, I would have told you that you were crazy. Yet here I was, about to finish, not only for Charlie but for myself as well. I stood up in my saddle and sprinted as hard as I could. Crossing that finish line was a dream becoming reality. I never thought I would be strong enough, or dedicated enough to follow through, both physically and emotionally. It is amazing what you can accomplish when you set your heart to it, when it matters most.

Shame On You Lactic Acid.

Shame Shame, Double Shame (I couldn't help myself)!

If you read my post about the Tour De Christmas Lights, they you will know how happy I was to ride my bike the other night. Well, what I didn't mention was what happened to me three-quarters into the ride.

After viewing the lights at a leisurely place, we headed over to Glendale to step up our game just a tad. I thought I would be in for an easy ride, and for the most part it was, but wow did that one climb at the half way point catch me off guard. Apparently this whole "only riding once a week" thing has taken its toll. I know what my new year's resolution should be: Commit to more "ME TIME" and get more time on the bike! After reaching the top of the long and steady climb, I saw relief in the rolling hills... but my calf disagreed. Mid pedal stroke I was struck with a nasty, debilitating pain in my right calf (insert a slow motion N-OOOOOOOOO here). This has only happened to me once before. I didn't know what to think about what was happening. I've been told on more than one occasion that this was a result of lactic acid build-up in my muscles. HUH?

So that's what the culprit looks like. Hmm...

Having heard about Lactic Acid and it's relation to cycling before, prompted me to do a little more research.  This article from Active.com explained it well: "Every Cyclist's Enemy: Exploring Lactic Acid".

Our bodies need energy to function (duh) and glucose is the primary source of fuel during exercise. As our bodies perform strenuous exercise, we start to breath faster and hard as we attempt to move more oxygen into our muscles that are doing all the work. Sometimes the muscles need this energy production faster than our bodies can deliver the oxygen. In these instances, the muscles doing all the work (in my case my quads and calves) start to generate energy anaerobically and the muscles respond by breaking down carbohydrates for energy. The effect of this is the now presence of lactic acid (accompanied by a burning sensation).

After reading this article, I have a better understanding what happened and everything that they mentioned rang true. 

1. I cramped up shortly after completing a fast (by my standards) climb.
2. Although my heart rate monitor wasn't recording (!#&@#$%), I could tell that based on my breathing (in comparison to past experiences) I was working around 80% of my aerobic capacity with a heart rate somewhere in the high 160s to high 170s. Hence, lactic acid production increased and became constant.

So what do I do to prevent it? Keep riding of course! Well, more than just that. My plan is to:

1. Rest and recover
2. Stay hydrated (always a good idea)
3. Change your eating habits (See below for some recommendations)
4. Gradually increase the intensity of my workouts over time (ease into those harder rides)
5. Stretch before and after
6. Keep on pedaling

If you want to take some further preventative measure, consider alternating your eating habits. Eat more foods that are rich in the mineral magnesium. Some examples would be whole grain products, tofu and nuts/seeds. Eat more cold water fish, such as salmon (this is an easy one for me as I was raised in the Pacific Northwest and grew up on salmon). Salmon is high in essential fatty acids and will also help reduce inflammation post-ride. Lastly, eat more foods rich in vitamin B (meats, vegetables, whole grain products, eggs, etc).

So LACTIC ACID... just another hiccup, a learning experience if you may. It was bound to happen and now I'm a little wiser because of it. So, maybe it's not a shame-shame after all.

Pedal on, Lady Pedalers!

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!