Yah sorry about that...no I haven't been on any epic adventures. Sometimes life gets in the way! I've been extra dilligent about riding to work lately, which was totally ruined this week because I've had a stomach ache all week! Chris and I watched a couple documentaries last night Forks Over Knives (2011) and Killer at Large (2008).
Riding my bike more has been great. I needed to do some maintenance the other day because it started making a funny noise...this turned into a massive If You Give a Mouse a Cookie situation (one of my favorite books from childhood because it is a cute example of a real life problem of getting distracted while trying to complete a task that I am constantly falling prey to). I ended up re-truing the wheel because it was wobbly. Then it was still making the noise so Chris replaced the axel, cones and bearings. Yet the noise persisted. Turned out one of the spokes (this one has gone loose before) had gotten loose...even though I just tightened them up.
Meanwhile I was riding Chris's bike to work, which is slightly too big for me. Boy did that little bit of size make the world of difference, that was a tough ride! Well after I fixed the noise the wheel got out of true again...so I get to go back to that (plus it's not round anymore either) so I'll make it work! It's like a giant tangle of yarn, and I can sit for hours and untangle that mess. Tonight will be a good night, maybe Chris will BBQ for us.
Unfortunately, even though the weather has been absolutely ideal for a good ride, I have been having a tummy ache for the last few days. I feel a lot better today, must have gotten whatever was bothering me out of my system...so to speak ha ha ha! Originally I was hoping that Chad would be able to join us for a ride with a bike club in his area (I think he'd enjoy having fellow cyclists to enthuse with and learn from), but I think he's going to be studying this weekend (per his FB post). We'll ask anyway...it's just the morning right (and Scouting is just one night a week....right?)?
Ultimately I'm hoping to meet up with a cycling group in my area that I can ride with regularly on something a little more trying than my 10 mile round trip commute. I need a challenge. I love doing triathlons, I really do, but I think my tendonitis is really going to hold me back from progressing at any reasonable pace towards doing anything other than sprint triathlons with a 5k run portion. After 5k it starts to act up big time, and that's with Vibrams as my shoes. If I try regular running shoes I give it a quarter of a mile before I'm in tears with pain.
I'm looking forward to a post from my favorite Yogi in training, Wednesday, and I've also passed out an invite to my former program leader (she's just graduated from work!) who is a Marathoness (Marathoner seems too masculine!) with a passion for getting her feet on the pavement. Hopefully she'll accept the invite. She gave me my copy of Born to Run, which I absolutely loved reading, it was completely inspiring, and the reason I'm still running!
Showing posts with label Bike club. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bike club. Show all posts
2011-01-14
Trip of the Month: January
I think i still have more pictures from Colorado, but it's important to keep up with current events, and then go back later!
So we decided to go to Big Bear for Kiefer's birthday, and it was beautiful. I felt very over booked, so we sadly skipped out on the Jackie Bristow Memorial 5K, which was probably just as well because I came down with a gnarly cold this past weekend. In fact I am currently home sick from work because said aformentioned illness =(.
We drove up late Friday night, dropping the kitties of at my mom's house. Crookshanks was extremely displeased with the incarceration during the drive. Then we made our way up the mountain, which was totally bizarre because HWY 330 washed out in the last rain! So we drove up HWY 38, it was long and winding, but we made it up a okay (at 2am...). Poor Kate was sick when we picked her up though. We never got to get up on the mountain because Kate and I were sick the entire time. We did enjoy the Ice Cream Social a cople times while we were up there, YUM! And a few awesome games of Life!
I feel like they've changed the game of Life some since I played last...of course this one WAS missing some pieces, but probably not as many as the game my sister and I used to have! My mom won one game, and Kiefer won the other.
Wow this is probably a fairly incoherent entry. Anyway, on my way home from work yesterday I got ANOTHER flat tire. This one resulted in a cut in the wall of my tire that was about 3/4" long =(. Had to run out and get another tire ($19) last night, and REI was the only place left, so I had minimal selection, and it was teh suck.
I fell asleep on the sofa last night instead of taking my turn at Wii Fit, and slept a good 12 hours...this prompted me (along with a throat so sore I could barely swallow) to stay home today.
Needless to say, Ryzzie's Day Off is not nearly as exciting as Ferris' was. Oh well.
I kindof wish I could just blog professionally, maybe I'll get a tablet and draw up some cartoons as well hhaahahah!!! Yah right!
Next trip of the month will be to Vegas for the Rugby 7s World Series. I'll be blogging and posting from the hotel, we'll be staying near the freemont.
I think it's time for me to come up with a logo for my blog. Okay, cat on my lap, impossible to type on laptop with lap cat. It's one or the other, and furry Dr. Crookshanks usually wins.
So we decided to go to Big Bear for Kiefer's birthday, and it was beautiful. I felt very over booked, so we sadly skipped out on the Jackie Bristow Memorial 5K, which was probably just as well because I came down with a gnarly cold this past weekend. In fact I am currently home sick from work because said aformentioned illness =(.
We drove up late Friday night, dropping the kitties of at my mom's house. Crookshanks was extremely displeased with the incarceration during the drive. Then we made our way up the mountain, which was totally bizarre because HWY 330 washed out in the last rain! So we drove up HWY 38, it was long and winding, but we made it up a okay (at 2am...). Poor Kate was sick when we picked her up though. We never got to get up on the mountain because Kate and I were sick the entire time. We did enjoy the Ice Cream Social a cople times while we were up there, YUM! And a few awesome games of Life!
I feel like they've changed the game of Life some since I played last...of course this one WAS missing some pieces, but probably not as many as the game my sister and I used to have! My mom won one game, and Kiefer won the other.
Wow this is probably a fairly incoherent entry. Anyway, on my way home from work yesterday I got ANOTHER flat tire. This one resulted in a cut in the wall of my tire that was about 3/4" long =(. Had to run out and get another tire ($19) last night, and REI was the only place left, so I had minimal selection, and it was teh suck.
I fell asleep on the sofa last night instead of taking my turn at Wii Fit, and slept a good 12 hours...this prompted me (along with a throat so sore I could barely swallow) to stay home today.
Needless to say, Ryzzie's Day Off is not nearly as exciting as Ferris' was. Oh well.
I kindof wish I could just blog professionally, maybe I'll get a tablet and draw up some cartoons as well hhaahahah!!! Yah right!
Next trip of the month will be to Vegas for the Rugby 7s World Series. I'll be blogging and posting from the hotel, we'll be staying near the freemont.
I think it's time for me to come up with a logo for my blog. Okay, cat on my lap, impossible to type on laptop with lap cat. It's one or the other, and furry Dr. Crookshanks usually wins.
2010-09-26
Getting out for the weekend, and spending some dough!
So the plans for this weekend were as follows:
Friday Night - Three Musketeers at the Theatricum Botanicum
Saturday - Surfing in the morning, then some cheese festival in the afternoon
Sunday - Mountain biking on Fullerton Loop
In reality this is what transpired:
Friday
Kiefer and I headed to Costco to pick up 2 extra elite surf boards (the $99 special you know!), and then threw on our gear to ride up to Topenga Canyon on the GSXR. Boy was that a nerve wracking ride! For Kiefer it was because we took every turn up Topenga Canyon Road nice and wide due to my added weight on the back. For me it was the fact that 75% of the road on the way up has what seems to be a trench for some kind of plumbing most likely, that has been filled in with asphalt that has been "smoothed out" with several men with shovels. It was very bumpy, and very scary through a turn in the dark.... We eventually made it to the play (20 min late), but it was fantastic. I happen to love the story behind the Three Musketeers, so I really got into it very quickly. The actors were very good =). Our ride home was MUCH MUCH better, as the downhill side was totally smooth, so we enjoyed a brisk drive through the canyon, and then a nice zippy ride down the fwy (pronounced FWEEEEE) home. We hit the hay right away, as surfing was booked for 8am sharp!
Saturday
So I wake up at the crack of dawn (as always), it's like I don't even need an alarm clock anymore or anything! I prep a tasty breakfast of Cream of Wheat and scrambled eggs + egg whites with salsa (yum!), and we get ready for the salt water. Now, admittedly I was not really looking forward to getting into the water yesterday. It was the first day of shark week, and cold water just sounded really uncomfortable. Plus we didn't have wetsuits...you know? So first we headed to a local surf shop to check out wetsuits. Those fit us okay, but were not really in our price range. Well let me rephrase: Crab didn't like the color (orange), Kiefer was meh (color and fit), and I was not amused by the price ($230). So we convened and decided instead of actually surfing we'd go shop for suits.
We dropped the boards back at our house, and headed out. Sharky Ryzzie was getting grumpy due to lack of food, so when Kiefer suggested going to Sports Authority I was very whiny about them probably not having any, or not having any in the guy's sizes. (Crab needed a LS, Kiefer an MT, I just needed a men's L, so easy there). They had plenty of $100 or less suits, but none of them fit right. I tried some ladies ones on and ended up totally shredding my fingers in the process. I guess the way my fingers were rubbing on the material was just rubbing them raw =( I have those on both hands too. We gave up on SA, and headed out.
Earlier I had mentioned Spyder Surf, but they had been closed. Well it was like 10:30 so they were definitely open now! Crab navigated us there, and we were pleased to see they said "500 wetsuits in stock now!" and something to the effect of "BIG SALE." So the boys piled right in, and I followed along moping because I had booboos. I walked right up to the desk with a sad face and asked if they had bandaids. They guy felt SO sorry for me, and went into the back and got out the first aid kit and got me a couple. After that, he proceeded to help us out big time!
Chris and I ended up getting AWESOME deals on these suits:
Both DEEPLY discounted, and both perfect fits. The guys at Spyder Surf on PCH were SO helpful, and SUPER SUPER nice, so I would recommend going there to ANYONE. They even brought us water while we were trying on our suits, and it was tasty water too. I'm not one to post stickers or promote shamelessly, but they were so helpful, and so nice, and friendly that I KNOW I will do all my surf shopping there from now on. Oh and Crab even got a suit for about $100 which was nice too (also rip curl, but I don't know what brand).
So we headed home for our next event. Well it turns out our buddy, who had selected this event had totally forgotten about it. We were NOT offended at all, considering it's been 100+F all weekend inland, so Kiefer and I decided to stay home. we tried this great pizza place in South Redondo Beach, and it was indeed fancy pants gourmet pizza. The crust even had a tasty flavor and everything! Yum! We also did a fun motorcycle/bike ride (I rode the GSXR, and Kiefer rode his road bike) over to the local Motorsports store, and BevMo! to check out moto-X gear for the season, and pick up some beer to go with the pizza we'd be ordering later. Yum!
We finished up the evening with the end of Seven Samurai. Phew! Long day!
Sunday
My friend from work came over by 8am as planned, so we headed for Fullerton. We pulled up to the Ralphs at 8:58 am, in plenty of time. Everyone showed up on time, and we slathered up with sunscreen, and finished up our last minute adjustments before heading out. Everyone had a great time, even though Crab fell down several times (new clipless + shoes, he just needs more practice). I even took a dive trying to get up a curb. I went up a couple smaller ones before that, but hadn't attempted anything so large before, but I figured I'd give it a go. Well I misjudged and/or was going to slow, so I pulled up (WAAAAAAYYY) too early, and smashed right into the curb instead. Fun times! Didn't fall on my but, but my hands touched the ground nice and solid for sure. I count that as down.
Sean had fun flying down a few hills by skidding sideways, and Crab even took a nice steep hill we were all certain he was going to die on, and did fine (I have videographical proof!). We were hot, Crab tried to pass out from carb crash, and a little over doing it, and I tried to get too hot, but stuck my head in a sink at a bathroom we passed, so we were having fun (despite my complaints, hey someone had to do it!).
Well I was having a BLAST with my new bike. It was great that it has disc brakes, non-twist shifters, front suspension, actually fit me, everything about it was great.
OLD:
NEW:
You can just SEE the awesomeness abound! I love my Cannondale F5. Kiefer was saddened by my GT Palomar, so he showered me with this gift. I asked him to not literally shower me, as I felt the bruising would be very apparent.
Anyhoo!! We're riding along, having a great time, and at about mile 9 I go to shift (on some nice, flat ground) and all of a sudden I hear this sickening CRUNCH as my pedals seize up. Now I figure something's gotten stuck, or the chain's popped off. This kind of thing happens. NONONO. I look down to see that my rear derailleur has completely snapped off.
Yes, that's right, on the inaugural ride of my brand new bike, it broke. Completely snapped off the hanger assembly. I found a nice shaded parking lot to hang out at until they finished the ride, and came to pick me up. After a tasty lunch at Daphne's in Fullerton, we headed home (so my friend from work could take off), and then to Helen's Cycles to see what they could do for my new baby.
They were completely dumbfounded by this break. The guy that sold me my bike was not happy to see me unhappy, and the mechanics were just like WTH how does that happen!?!?! They are going to keep her for the week, and get SRAM to replace it on warranty. They are hoping SRAM will send an upgrade for my troubles. I'm glad to get a free upgrade, but I would have rather finished my ride you know? Le Sigh, oh well, she'll be back soon and I can have more adventures.
I just wanted to ride my damned bike!
Friday Night - Three Musketeers at the Theatricum Botanicum
Saturday - Surfing in the morning, then some cheese festival in the afternoon
Sunday - Mountain biking on Fullerton Loop
In reality this is what transpired:
Friday
Kiefer and I headed to Costco to pick up 2 extra elite surf boards (the $99 special you know!), and then threw on our gear to ride up to Topenga Canyon on the GSXR. Boy was that a nerve wracking ride! For Kiefer it was because we took every turn up Topenga Canyon Road nice and wide due to my added weight on the back. For me it was the fact that 75% of the road on the way up has what seems to be a trench for some kind of plumbing most likely, that has been filled in with asphalt that has been "smoothed out" with several men with shovels. It was very bumpy, and very scary through a turn in the dark.... We eventually made it to the play (20 min late), but it was fantastic. I happen to love the story behind the Three Musketeers, so I really got into it very quickly. The actors were very good =). Our ride home was MUCH MUCH better, as the downhill side was totally smooth, so we enjoyed a brisk drive through the canyon, and then a nice zippy ride down the fwy (pronounced FWEEEEE) home. We hit the hay right away, as surfing was booked for 8am sharp!
Saturday
So I wake up at the crack of dawn (as always), it's like I don't even need an alarm clock anymore or anything! I prep a tasty breakfast of Cream of Wheat and scrambled eggs + egg whites with salsa (yum!), and we get ready for the salt water. Now, admittedly I was not really looking forward to getting into the water yesterday. It was the first day of shark week, and cold water just sounded really uncomfortable. Plus we didn't have wetsuits...you know? So first we headed to a local surf shop to check out wetsuits. Those fit us okay, but were not really in our price range. Well let me rephrase: Crab didn't like the color (orange), Kiefer was meh (color and fit), and I was not amused by the price ($230). So we convened and decided instead of actually surfing we'd go shop for suits.
We dropped the boards back at our house, and headed out. Sharky Ryzzie was getting grumpy due to lack of food, so when Kiefer suggested going to Sports Authority I was very whiny about them probably not having any, or not having any in the guy's sizes. (Crab needed a LS, Kiefer an MT, I just needed a men's L, so easy there). They had plenty of $100 or less suits, but none of them fit right. I tried some ladies ones on and ended up totally shredding my fingers in the process. I guess the way my fingers were rubbing on the material was just rubbing them raw =( I have those on both hands too. We gave up on SA, and headed out.
Earlier I had mentioned Spyder Surf, but they had been closed. Well it was like 10:30 so they were definitely open now! Crab navigated us there, and we were pleased to see they said "500 wetsuits in stock now!" and something to the effect of "BIG SALE." So the boys piled right in, and I followed along moping because I had booboos. I walked right up to the desk with a sad face and asked if they had bandaids. They guy felt SO sorry for me, and went into the back and got out the first aid kit and got me a couple. After that, he proceeded to help us out big time!
Chris and I ended up getting AWESOME deals on these suits:
Both DEEPLY discounted, and both perfect fits. The guys at Spyder Surf on PCH were SO helpful, and SUPER SUPER nice, so I would recommend going there to ANYONE. They even brought us water while we were trying on our suits, and it was tasty water too. I'm not one to post stickers or promote shamelessly, but they were so helpful, and so nice, and friendly that I KNOW I will do all my surf shopping there from now on. Oh and Crab even got a suit for about $100 which was nice too (also rip curl, but I don't know what brand).
So we headed home for our next event. Well it turns out our buddy, who had selected this event had totally forgotten about it. We were NOT offended at all, considering it's been 100+F all weekend inland, so Kiefer and I decided to stay home. we tried this great pizza place in South Redondo Beach, and it was indeed fancy pants gourmet pizza. The crust even had a tasty flavor and everything! Yum! We also did a fun motorcycle/bike ride (I rode the GSXR, and Kiefer rode his road bike) over to the local Motorsports store, and BevMo! to check out moto-X gear for the season, and pick up some beer to go with the pizza we'd be ordering later. Yum!
We finished up the evening with the end of Seven Samurai. Phew! Long day!
Sunday
My friend from work came over by 8am as planned, so we headed for Fullerton. We pulled up to the Ralphs at 8:58 am, in plenty of time. Everyone showed up on time, and we slathered up with sunscreen, and finished up our last minute adjustments before heading out. Everyone had a great time, even though Crab fell down several times (new clipless + shoes, he just needs more practice). I even took a dive trying to get up a curb. I went up a couple smaller ones before that, but hadn't attempted anything so large before, but I figured I'd give it a go. Well I misjudged and/or was going to slow, so I pulled up (WAAAAAAYYY) too early, and smashed right into the curb instead. Fun times! Didn't fall on my but, but my hands touched the ground nice and solid for sure. I count that as down.
Sean had fun flying down a few hills by skidding sideways, and Crab even took a nice steep hill we were all certain he was going to die on, and did fine (I have videographical proof!). We were hot, Crab tried to pass out from carb crash, and a little over doing it, and I tried to get too hot, but stuck my head in a sink at a bathroom we passed, so we were having fun (despite my complaints, hey someone had to do it!).
Well I was having a BLAST with my new bike. It was great that it has disc brakes, non-twist shifters, front suspension, actually fit me, everything about it was great.
OLD:
NEW:
Anyhoo!! We're riding along, having a great time, and at about mile 9 I go to shift (on some nice, flat ground) and all of a sudden I hear this sickening CRUNCH as my pedals seize up. Now I figure something's gotten stuck, or the chain's popped off. This kind of thing happens. NONONO. I look down to see that my rear derailleur has completely snapped off.
They were completely dumbfounded by this break. The guy that sold me my bike was not happy to see me unhappy, and the mechanics were just like WTH how does that happen!?!?! They are going to keep her for the week, and get SRAM to replace it on warranty. They are hoping SRAM will send an upgrade for my troubles. I'm glad to get a free upgrade, but I would have rather finished my ride you know? Le Sigh, oh well, she'll be back soon and I can have more adventures.
I just wanted to ride my damned bike!
2010-09-14
Dear fellow cyclist commuter,
You do not have a name, but you know who you are. I like you. I don't know you at all, but I like you. Why? Because we have something in common, and it's something I happen to be rather passionate about. I will always smile and say hi to you. I will ask how your ride is, not to make small talk because I don't like the sound of quiet, but because you might have some genuine advice or some good commentary. Maybe you need to gripe about the guy who just cut you off, because "yeah I can't believe he did that either! What a jerk!!!"
I check out your ride, and your gear, and note what I like, and what seems to be effective so that I might get a better idea of how effective various safety gear can be.
I respect you. I respect that you choose to ride your bike, but I also respect you as I respect any other human being. I will always say excuse me, and please and thank you. I will not cut you off, or swear at you, or yell at you. I treat you the way I wish to be treated, so you can feel the way I do when someone is genuinely nice you me. I want to share with you. Like I said...I like you.
So why do you feel compelled to be rude to me? Sure many of us have a difference of opinion when it comes to street riding tactic. I will not dispute this. I, however (as high and mighty as this statement is) will not tell you what to do. If you want to ride on the side walk, as much as it grates on my soul, go ahead. Despite the fact that you are LESS visible to vehicles exiting driveways, and MORE likely to run over a pedestrian, I respect the very idea that you might not be comfortable with cars passing you at +30mph relative to your speed. I'm not you, so I can't knock it.
Why do you have to pick on me for riding in the center of the lane on narrow streets? If the lane width permits (i.e. car width + bike width+3 feet <= lane width) I will ride along the side. I do not want to be "that guy" unnecessarily holding up traffic. HOWEVER, my research shows conclusively that if lane width does not permit (i.e. car width+bike width+3 feet >= lane width) it is UNSAFE to ride on the side of the lane. This is called Vehicular Cycling and even my own personal observation is that if I ride in the center of the lane, drivers respect me as a fellow, albeit slow in some cases, driver. They pass by changing lanes fully, and change lanes again in front of me. There is no aggression, it is just driving.
When I ride on the shoulder, they try to pass me with as little room as possible. This not only makes me feel uncomfortable, but is extremely dangerous. As a cyclist I have no escape path, and as a motorcyclist I know this is inherently wrong. Choosing to put myself in this situation is like taking a gamble. I'm not a gambling woman, and I'm not willing to put my life on the line for that bet, because the odds are NOT in my favor.
Finally, when you tell me "you're asking for it" inferring to me asking to be hit by a motorist while riding in the center lane, I am flabbergasted. When you say things like this I am so affronted that those words crossed your lips without being met at the mental threshold by your censorship mechanism, that I find myself speechless. To me, saying that, is like saying a woman is asking to be raped by wearing a short skirt. I like to wear short skirts, I do NOT wish to be raped. I don't wish that upon anyone, and I don't want to get hit by a car, nor do I want you to get hit by a car because you ride on the sidewalk. This is not a logical argument as to why I should not continue my riding habits as is.
I am telling you this because I like you. I feel a sense of camaraderie when I ride with you, whether you pass me, I pass you, or we ride along side for a few blocks. I consider us to all be in a club together, and I will continue to do my best to be supportive of you when I ride, and aware of you when I drive. I will still stop to help you with a flat, or a band aid. All I ask is that you respect me too.
Cordially,
Ryzzie
PS I know that for every vocal person there are hundreds who would never think to say something like what has been said to me. I know you are out there, and I love you too! Keep riding!
I check out your ride, and your gear, and note what I like, and what seems to be effective so that I might get a better idea of how effective various safety gear can be.
I respect you. I respect that you choose to ride your bike, but I also respect you as I respect any other human being. I will always say excuse me, and please and thank you. I will not cut you off, or swear at you, or yell at you. I treat you the way I wish to be treated, so you can feel the way I do when someone is genuinely nice you me. I want to share with you. Like I said...I like you.
So why do you feel compelled to be rude to me? Sure many of us have a difference of opinion when it comes to street riding tactic. I will not dispute this. I, however (as high and mighty as this statement is) will not tell you what to do. If you want to ride on the side walk, as much as it grates on my soul, go ahead. Despite the fact that you are LESS visible to vehicles exiting driveways, and MORE likely to run over a pedestrian, I respect the very idea that you might not be comfortable with cars passing you at +30mph relative to your speed. I'm not you, so I can't knock it.
Why do you have to pick on me for riding in the center of the lane on narrow streets? If the lane width permits (i.e. car width + bike width+3 feet <= lane width) I will ride along the side. I do not want to be "that guy" unnecessarily holding up traffic. HOWEVER, my research shows conclusively that if lane width does not permit (i.e. car width+bike width+3 feet >= lane width) it is UNSAFE to ride on the side of the lane. This is called Vehicular Cycling and even my own personal observation is that if I ride in the center of the lane, drivers respect me as a fellow, albeit slow in some cases, driver. They pass by changing lanes fully, and change lanes again in front of me. There is no aggression, it is just driving.
When I ride on the shoulder, they try to pass me with as little room as possible. This not only makes me feel uncomfortable, but is extremely dangerous. As a cyclist I have no escape path, and as a motorcyclist I know this is inherently wrong. Choosing to put myself in this situation is like taking a gamble. I'm not a gambling woman, and I'm not willing to put my life on the line for that bet, because the odds are NOT in my favor.
Finally, when you tell me "you're asking for it" inferring to me asking to be hit by a motorist while riding in the center lane, I am flabbergasted. When you say things like this I am so affronted that those words crossed your lips without being met at the mental threshold by your censorship mechanism, that I find myself speechless. To me, saying that, is like saying a woman is asking to be raped by wearing a short skirt. I like to wear short skirts, I do NOT wish to be raped. I don't wish that upon anyone, and I don't want to get hit by a car, nor do I want you to get hit by a car because you ride on the sidewalk. This is not a logical argument as to why I should not continue my riding habits as is.
I am telling you this because I like you. I feel a sense of camaraderie when I ride with you, whether you pass me, I pass you, or we ride along side for a few blocks. I consider us to all be in a club together, and I will continue to do my best to be supportive of you when I ride, and aware of you when I drive. I will still stop to help you with a flat, or a band aid. All I ask is that you respect me too.
Cordially,
Ryzzie
PS I know that for every vocal person there are hundreds who would never think to say something like what has been said to me. I know you are out there, and I love you too! Keep riding!
2010-09-02
Swimming etc....feeling sickly
I don't know, today for some reason I just don't feel....right. In fact it started last night when I got home from work. That ride just took everything out of me. We went to the pool but I felt like I was just kindof there, swimming laps, and going, but not really into it. Maybe I was a little chillier than I thought on the ride home. Out here by the beach things are cooling down in the evenings with the fog & marine layer. Time to invest in some leggings and perhaps one of those ultra visible yellow jackets.
Speaking of which! some random cyclist guy came up and started telling me I was riding wrong. Not my technique, but my behavior. Well I ride the way I do for a reason. I take up my full lane, because rather than giving me 3' of clearance like they are supposed to, most drivers just give me 3", and that is not enough for me. If it is a wide street, I will ride on the side, so we both have enough room to ride safely. I pay taxes just the same as them, and I'm going to ride on the road. he's like "oh I've been rear ended before blah blah blah" and I am thinking "well I've been nearly knocked off my bike several times by motorists." Yes I ride a little differently. Probably from riding motorcycles around first, but it seems to work. People pass me just fine, and I'm okay with that. They typically get fully into their lane before going around me, and give me plenty of room. Sure there's the odd jerk-face that can't WAIT to get to the next stop sign before me, despite the fact that I'm going to overtake them again and again at each subsequent stop sign. Yes people are crazy, but I feel like it keeps me sharp. I have to pay attention to the road when I'm riding, so I don't get distracted by stress, or worry about things. It's really nice.
Speaking of riding, Sunday Kiefer and I had our first group ride with a local cycling club. It went really well, and I'm quite proud of myself. We did a big hill, and had a great time! Ok so the hill was big to me (up in Rancho Palos Verdes) and I thought I was going to quit a few times going up, but I held on, and persevered. 21 miles approximately all in all.
We also all rode our bikes to the Grocery store on Tuesday. Me, Kiefer and my daughter. It was lots of fun, and a bit of a challenge for her, but she did it, and she was super proud of herself. I just need to get her confidence at starting from a stop up so we can raise her seat higher, then she'll have an easier time of the hills.
A good active week so far!
Speaking of which! some random cyclist guy came up and started telling me I was riding wrong. Not my technique, but my behavior. Well I ride the way I do for a reason. I take up my full lane, because rather than giving me 3' of clearance like they are supposed to, most drivers just give me 3", and that is not enough for me. If it is a wide street, I will ride on the side, so we both have enough room to ride safely. I pay taxes just the same as them, and I'm going to ride on the road. he's like "oh I've been rear ended before blah blah blah" and I am thinking "well I've been nearly knocked off my bike several times by motorists." Yes I ride a little differently. Probably from riding motorcycles around first, but it seems to work. People pass me just fine, and I'm okay with that. They typically get fully into their lane before going around me, and give me plenty of room. Sure there's the odd jerk-face that can't WAIT to get to the next stop sign before me, despite the fact that I'm going to overtake them again and again at each subsequent stop sign. Yes people are crazy, but I feel like it keeps me sharp. I have to pay attention to the road when I'm riding, so I don't get distracted by stress, or worry about things. It's really nice.
Speaking of riding, Sunday Kiefer and I had our first group ride with a local cycling club. It went really well, and I'm quite proud of myself. We did a big hill, and had a great time! Ok so the hill was big to me (up in Rancho Palos Verdes) and I thought I was going to quit a few times going up, but I held on, and persevered. 21 miles approximately all in all.
We also all rode our bikes to the Grocery store on Tuesday. Me, Kiefer and my daughter. It was lots of fun, and a bit of a challenge for her, but she did it, and she was super proud of herself. I just need to get her confidence at starting from a stop up so we can raise her seat higher, then she'll have an easier time of the hills.
A good active week so far!
2010-08-28
Lets go surfin' now, everybody's learnin' now....
So today was another surfing fun adventure day. Our friend showed up at like 830 and we threw our lunches together and hopped in the car and headed to the beach. Pier Surf had excellent board rentals, and decent wetsuit rentals. it was $44 for Kiefer and I to share a board, and rent 2 suits for 2 hours, and $32 for our friend for his suit & board. All in all we did really well. We all caught waves, and Kiefer got more and more comfortable with navigating the waves as the day went on. I'm really proud of how he's come along, because i remember a few months ago he had no interest in surfing. Now I got him to buy a volley ball, so maybe we can give that a try sometime! The real goal is to get him to go snorkeling with me. If we're going to go to New Zealand next year, you can bet I'm going to want to do some snorkeling (there is some to do there right?). Heck, I'd love to snorkel out in Catalina, there is a beautiful dive park there, which is open to snorkelers as well.
He said he is getting more and more comfortable with the ocean, and that really makes me happy, because we live right by it!
Tomorrow we're going to meet up with a local cycling club and go for a beginner ride with them. I am excited to learn the ways of the road, and I just hope there are some people our age there (you know, more friends is always exciting!). We're supposed to meet up with them at 845 for the ride, I think we'll show up a little extra early, just so we can be sure not to miss everyone.
Oh! I forgot to mention, today, I got my feet on the board for the first time! Yes, I stood up! I am super proud of myself, because I'd never done it before, and today I did it! The waves weren't the best, but I caught them again and again. I'm getting a lot better, and it's very encouraging! I just picked waves that would catch me, and I'm finding that I'm less and less afraid they're going to KILL me, and more and more just ready for the ride! That's what I've been waiting for, is that level of acceptance, that the wave is going to do something, and that I KNOW what it's probably going to be, and that now I can get on it. Now to make it a regular thing. Kiefer, our friend and myself (and even my sister!) has agreed that we shall do this again next month. this makes me really happy, because that means that it would be worth my while to get a board of my own! I think wetsuits are first in order, and it will be tough for Kiefer to get one since he's super long and lean.
I'm open to suggestions to good places to find wetsuits for surf, and what brands/styles to get etc!
Yesterday Kiefer took me to see Volbeat at the House of Blues in Anaheim. They were great, played a tribute to the Misfits (a guilty pleasure of mine since the age of 14), and one of the openers did a tribute to Nirvana. We were down in the front, and people kept moshing. I think Kiefer was worried he'd have to drag me out of there to keep myself from being hurt. HAH! I've been the wall of the pit before, you just shove the shovers back 2xs as hard, and they go away. I was expecting it. If there is a pit at a Juliana Theory concert....there could be a pit anywhere. They even did a "wall of death" I held my own, and enjoyed the show a lot. Thank you for the date Kiefer!
I want to hear stories on Monday, about how you got out this weekend!
PS, look for something new next weekend. I plan to start a "Sunday Dinner" weekly post where I post a tasty and healthy recipe for you to try!
He said he is getting more and more comfortable with the ocean, and that really makes me happy, because we live right by it!
Tomorrow we're going to meet up with a local cycling club and go for a beginner ride with them. I am excited to learn the ways of the road, and I just hope there are some people our age there (you know, more friends is always exciting!). We're supposed to meet up with them at 845 for the ride, I think we'll show up a little extra early, just so we can be sure not to miss everyone.
Oh! I forgot to mention, today, I got my feet on the board for the first time! Yes, I stood up! I am super proud of myself, because I'd never done it before, and today I did it! The waves weren't the best, but I caught them again and again. I'm getting a lot better, and it's very encouraging! I just picked waves that would catch me, and I'm finding that I'm less and less afraid they're going to KILL me, and more and more just ready for the ride! That's what I've been waiting for, is that level of acceptance, that the wave is going to do something, and that I KNOW what it's probably going to be, and that now I can get on it. Now to make it a regular thing. Kiefer, our friend and myself (and even my sister!) has agreed that we shall do this again next month. this makes me really happy, because that means that it would be worth my while to get a board of my own! I think wetsuits are first in order, and it will be tough for Kiefer to get one since he's super long and lean.
I'm open to suggestions to good places to find wetsuits for surf, and what brands/styles to get etc!
Yesterday Kiefer took me to see Volbeat at the House of Blues in Anaheim. They were great, played a tribute to the Misfits (a guilty pleasure of mine since the age of 14), and one of the openers did a tribute to Nirvana. We were down in the front, and people kept moshing. I think Kiefer was worried he'd have to drag me out of there to keep myself from being hurt. HAH! I've been the wall of the pit before, you just shove the shovers back 2xs as hard, and they go away. I was expecting it. If there is a pit at a Juliana Theory concert....there could be a pit anywhere. They even did a "wall of death" I held my own, and enjoyed the show a lot. Thank you for the date Kiefer!
I want to hear stories on Monday, about how you got out this weekend!
PS, look for something new next weekend. I plan to start a "Sunday Dinner" weekly post where I post a tasty and healthy recipe for you to try!
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