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.

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!