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 to work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bike to work. Show all posts
2011-12-19
Back on the wagon...of P90X & Triathlons
So a friend of mine has coerced me into doing P90X again. Actually a couple of them have. Dane shared the secret to putting up with Tony's annoying nicknames and innane jokes. What is this secret you say? I shall tell you:
Memorize the workouts, then put the T.V. on mute.
Sheer simple genius....right? Yeeeeesssss. Kayla has asked that a few people join her in doing the exercises, like some kind of support group. If you have never watched P90X (there are some out there who have been mere bystanders to this torture session, and know exactly what I mean by watched) then I bid you to do so, so you understand that the dedication is not to being able to do it physically, no.
The dedication comes in when you have to willingly subject yourself to Tony's self centered innanity (is that even a word??? I guess it is now!) for an hour+ a day. Every day. It's harder than you might think.
So today, when I get home from work, I'm going to turn on my computer and do it. I swear!
Speaking of work, I haven't ridden to work in like a week, and even then the week before last I drove a few days because I had to borrow things from coworkers, or it was rainy or windy. (I know I know...I live in Los Angeles and I'm whining about the wind and rain, I just feel like a cat those days and just want to hide!) Today has a slight chance of rain, and I'm just too freaking tired to put up with it, after my friend's wedding this weekend. Tomorrow I shall ride, and either first thing in the AM or when I get home tomorrow I shall again subject myself to the P90Xification.
I also need to get back into my morning run. I used to get up every day and stumble out of the house for a run in the morning. Then I got tendonitis in my foot, and couldn't run for almost 2 years. While that's always going to be there, the Vibrams seem to really help keep the pain at bay. Riding the bike all over the place has really helped with my asthma too. I noticed when I finally did the Tinsel Triathlon again this year, that my athsma was never a factor in my slow running like it always used to be, this time it was just that my legs felt like lead.
One thing at a time though. I'll keep biking, and I'll get my overall fitness up with Tony & Kayla before I start adding the runs in more than once a week with Nick.
Lastly I've been motivated to keep up with my blog once more. I feel like there are lots and lots of things that I wish I could do regularly, and there just simply aren't enough hours in the day. I'd like to post a regular recipe up here once per week, and call it Sunday Dinner. I'll have to invent some other things for me to post regularly about, like...an assignment!
Enough of that, I have a real job to keep up with.
Memorize the workouts, then put the T.V. on mute.
Sheer simple genius....right? Yeeeeesssss. Kayla has asked that a few people join her in doing the exercises, like some kind of support group. If you have never watched P90X (there are some out there who have been mere bystanders to this torture session, and know exactly what I mean by watched) then I bid you to do so, so you understand that the dedication is not to being able to do it physically, no.
The dedication comes in when you have to willingly subject yourself to Tony's self centered innanity (is that even a word??? I guess it is now!) for an hour+ a day. Every day. It's harder than you might think.
So today, when I get home from work, I'm going to turn on my computer and do it. I swear!
Speaking of work, I haven't ridden to work in like a week, and even then the week before last I drove a few days because I had to borrow things from coworkers, or it was rainy or windy. (I know I know...I live in Los Angeles and I'm whining about the wind and rain, I just feel like a cat those days and just want to hide!) Today has a slight chance of rain, and I'm just too freaking tired to put up with it, after my friend's wedding this weekend. Tomorrow I shall ride, and either first thing in the AM or when I get home tomorrow I shall again subject myself to the P90Xification.
I also need to get back into my morning run. I used to get up every day and stumble out of the house for a run in the morning. Then I got tendonitis in my foot, and couldn't run for almost 2 years. While that's always going to be there, the Vibrams seem to really help keep the pain at bay. Riding the bike all over the place has really helped with my asthma too. I noticed when I finally did the Tinsel Triathlon again this year, that my athsma was never a factor in my slow running like it always used to be, this time it was just that my legs felt like lead.
One thing at a time though. I'll keep biking, and I'll get my overall fitness up with Tony & Kayla before I start adding the runs in more than once a week with Nick.
Lastly I've been motivated to keep up with my blog once more. I feel like there are lots and lots of things that I wish I could do regularly, and there just simply aren't enough hours in the day. I'd like to post a regular recipe up here once per week, and call it Sunday Dinner. I'll have to invent some other things for me to post regularly about, like...an assignment!
Enough of that, I have a real job to keep up with.
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.
2010-11-24
Long time no See!!!
Sorry I havn't given you an update in a while, things are a little hectic for me. My Babushka is in the hospital, well now she's in convalescent care. She's not doing too well. I spent a few weeks staying with her until late at night.
This past weekend Kiefer and I went with my folks up to Big Bear Lake. It was WONDERFUL. Rained miserably most of Saturday morning, so we stayed in. I got to finish my book, which was nice, and taught Kiefer how to Crochet too! Mid Saturday morning it started to snow a little, and it pretty much never stopped until after we left. Kiefer treated me and my folks to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 1. I REALLY enjoyed that movie. I LOVE the whole series like a crazy fan girl (come on, my cat's name is CROOKSHANKS for goshsakes!).
We skittered around town afterwards and headed to K-Mart to look for snow chains. The skittering was indeed due to the fresh coating of snow over a lovely bed of ice caused by the rain that morning. The chains at K-Mart were the ultra el-cheapo kind but instead of being $50 they were nearly $80! So we went to Napa and got some $140 ones instead. These were not really marked up, and they are much much higher quality, so I was okay with spending the extra dough. I know I go up to Big Bear frequently, and these are VERY easy to apply, so I'd be fine with applying them myself on a solo trip to Yosemite or something. And yes, I do realize that I overpaid by the same % I would have for the K-Mart ones....but the K-Mart ones wouldn't have lasted 5 miles.
Tonight we're getting ready for our annual Stress-Free (aka Family Free) Thanksgiving. Everyone knows it's gonna happen, so they just call to confirm that hey, we're still doing this right? Yup!
Meanwhile my bike is giving me issues. He's started whining on my ride home (Kiefer suspects the bearings need repacking). Also the forward derailleur is not operating correctly. It's very frustrating because I have to shift all the way up in the rear chainrings before the forward chainring will shift in to top gear...which means that now I have a bike in top gear, and I was just getting going. /fail I have some kind of throat tickle as well ahem ahem...HEM!!
Finally I've been practicing my piano again, trying to get the old fingers warmed up for the Holiday Season. I love to play Christmas music on the piano. My favorite thing while in drumline was to get the vibes out and play the Ukranian Bell Carol (no that's NOT me, we didn't have Youtube when I was in High School). Time to go out and buy some music!
This past weekend Kiefer and I went with my folks up to Big Bear Lake. It was WONDERFUL. Rained miserably most of Saturday morning, so we stayed in. I got to finish my book, which was nice, and taught Kiefer how to Crochet too! Mid Saturday morning it started to snow a little, and it pretty much never stopped until after we left. Kiefer treated me and my folks to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 1. I REALLY enjoyed that movie. I LOVE the whole series like a crazy fan girl (come on, my cat's name is CROOKSHANKS for goshsakes!).
We skittered around town afterwards and headed to K-Mart to look for snow chains. The skittering was indeed due to the fresh coating of snow over a lovely bed of ice caused by the rain that morning. The chains at K-Mart were the ultra el-cheapo kind but instead of being $50 they were nearly $80! So we went to Napa and got some $140 ones instead. These were not really marked up, and they are much much higher quality, so I was okay with spending the extra dough. I know I go up to Big Bear frequently, and these are VERY easy to apply, so I'd be fine with applying them myself on a solo trip to Yosemite or something. And yes, I do realize that I overpaid by the same % I would have for the K-Mart ones....but the K-Mart ones wouldn't have lasted 5 miles.
Tonight we're getting ready for our annual Stress-Free (aka Family Free) Thanksgiving. Everyone knows it's gonna happen, so they just call to confirm that hey, we're still doing this right? Yup!
Meanwhile my bike is giving me issues. He's started whining on my ride home (Kiefer suspects the bearings need repacking). Also the forward derailleur is not operating correctly. It's very frustrating because I have to shift all the way up in the rear chainrings before the forward chainring will shift in to top gear...which means that now I have a bike in top gear, and I was just getting going. /fail I have some kind of throat tickle as well ahem ahem...HEM!!
Finally I've been practicing my piano again, trying to get the old fingers warmed up for the Holiday Season. I love to play Christmas music on the piano. My favorite thing while in drumline was to get the vibes out and play the Ukranian Bell Carol (no that's NOT me, we didn't have Youtube when I was in High School). Time to go out and buy some music!
2010-09-20
Fun Weekend of Fun - Part 1: Thursday and Friday
This one is going to come in installments again, because I don't like spamming a tl;dr post to my readers!
Thursday mostly consisted of nothing exciting. Rode to work, rode home....EXCEPT that on my way home some GUY decided to try to run me off the road. This is my first encounter with it, and I was totally taken by surprise. We were at a 4 way stop, and I have a bad habit at this particular intersection of creeping up and passing people. This one guy had his right indicator on, so I figured I'd pass him on the left. I'd done it before, and no one really minds because I turn left right away anyway. Well this guy got SOOOOO mad that he decided to forgo turning right in order to chase me down. REALLY GUY?!?!? REALLY?!!?! So I couldn't make my usual left turn, and had to keep going straight for about a mile (there are a set of culdesacs between that street I wanted to turn on, and the next through street).
Over the course of that mile he tried to pass me on the left 3 times (the lane is VERY narrow, and there were 2 cars in front of me....that I was keeping up with just fine) despite the fact that there was oncoming traffic each time. Then he tried to run me off the road, so I finally blasted past him at a stop sign and made the next possible left while he was still accelerating. he seemed to back off as soon as I made my left turn hand signal, but if he hadn't I would have just taken the next right. CRAZY SOB!
So I get every other Friday off (as I've stated before), and I usually like to stay home and relax, catch up on chores and that kind of thing, then pick up my daughter early from school. Well Kiefer woke up with a "crick" in his neck, so he called in sick. We relaxed in the morning, and then headed to the mall to do some shopping. I have a love for sweaters that I cannot explain, and I have a mighty need to replenish my collection, since my favorite sweater got shrunk in the wash on accident.
Shopping was not exciting, didn't find any good sweaters (too early for southern california), so we decided to go check out some mountain bikes! Kiefer feels very bad for me when I have to use my all steel solid frame (no suspension whatsoever) rim-brakes mountain bike. Here is a poem that I composed about how it makes him feel:
Ryzzie's Mountain Bike Makes Kiefer Sad
It does not want
to go up the hill
so I push it
it is heavy.
He does not like
to see me walk
when everyone else can ride.
It does not want
to stop going down
so I go slow
it is scary.
He does not like
to see me crawl
when everyone else can go.
It does not want
to be picked up
so I struggle
to pick it up
I hit my head.
He does not like
to see me fail
when everyone else can do.
There we go! What a lovely poem! And no, I totally do not take that seriously, but I sure do think it's fun!
So we went to Performance Bikes and REI before we got burnt out on bike shops, then headed home. That was when we found out Kiefer's dad had secured us free tickets to a special event at Knott's Berry Farm!!! How exciting! So we picked up my daughter from school and got ready to go. We totally surprised her with our destination, and were surprised ourselves to discover that it was free parking (always a nice treat).
My daughter got to ride on Montezuma's Revenge and Boomerang (both rides with loops) for the first time, and had a BLAST! I was so glad to have so much fun with her, Kiefer and Kiefer's Dad and sister. We had a great time!
Thursday mostly consisted of nothing exciting. Rode to work, rode home....EXCEPT that on my way home some GUY decided to try to run me off the road. This is my first encounter with it, and I was totally taken by surprise. We were at a 4 way stop, and I have a bad habit at this particular intersection of creeping up and passing people. This one guy had his right indicator on, so I figured I'd pass him on the left. I'd done it before, and no one really minds because I turn left right away anyway. Well this guy got SOOOOO mad that he decided to forgo turning right in order to chase me down. REALLY GUY?!?!? REALLY?!!?! So I couldn't make my usual left turn, and had to keep going straight for about a mile (there are a set of culdesacs between that street I wanted to turn on, and the next through street).
Over the course of that mile he tried to pass me on the left 3 times (the lane is VERY narrow, and there were 2 cars in front of me....that I was keeping up with just fine) despite the fact that there was oncoming traffic each time. Then he tried to run me off the road, so I finally blasted past him at a stop sign and made the next possible left while he was still accelerating. he seemed to back off as soon as I made my left turn hand signal, but if he hadn't I would have just taken the next right. CRAZY SOB!
So I get every other Friday off (as I've stated before), and I usually like to stay home and relax, catch up on chores and that kind of thing, then pick up my daughter early from school. Well Kiefer woke up with a "crick" in his neck, so he called in sick. We relaxed in the morning, and then headed to the mall to do some shopping. I have a love for sweaters that I cannot explain, and I have a mighty need to replenish my collection, since my favorite sweater got shrunk in the wash on accident.
Shopping was not exciting, didn't find any good sweaters (too early for southern california), so we decided to go check out some mountain bikes! Kiefer feels very bad for me when I have to use my all steel solid frame (no suspension whatsoever) rim-brakes mountain bike. Here is a poem that I composed about how it makes him feel:
Ryzzie's Mountain Bike Makes Kiefer Sad
It does not want
to go up the hill
so I push it
it is heavy.
He does not like
to see me walk
when everyone else can ride.
It does not want
to stop going down
so I go slow
it is scary.
He does not like
to see me crawl
when everyone else can go.
It does not want
to be picked up
so I struggle
to pick it up
I hit my head.
He does not like
to see me fail
when everyone else can do.
There we go! What a lovely poem! And no, I totally do not take that seriously, but I sure do think it's fun!
So we went to Performance Bikes and REI before we got burnt out on bike shops, then headed home. That was when we found out Kiefer's dad had secured us free tickets to a special event at Knott's Berry Farm!!! How exciting! So we picked up my daughter from school and got ready to go. We totally surprised her with our destination, and were surprised ourselves to discover that it was free parking (always a nice treat).
My daughter got to ride on Montezuma's Revenge and Boomerang (both rides with loops) for the first time, and had a BLAST! I was so glad to have so much fun with her, Kiefer and Kiefer's Dad and sister. We had a great time!
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!
2010-09-09
Riding in the rain...here I come!
So it drizzled on me a little on my way to work yesterday morning. This got me thinking that I really need to prep for rain. Fortunately for me I got a $50 recognition reward from work (in the form of a giftcertificates.com certificate) which I am going to redeem at REI for rain gear. Rain gear must include some kind of backpack cover to protect my work clothes & shoes in my bag, and preferably something to cover my head so I don't get completely wet hair. I don't really care if I get my workout clothes drenched, that's what plastic bags are for. I'll just have to remember to keep an ultra absorbant towel to roll my clothes in to get out the moisture. laundry rack in the office...not to professional, but hey, it's a CUBICLE...it's not exactly a meeting facility for executives!
We totally skipped pool night last night, in lieu of convincing Chris to just get a membership at 24 hour fitness. $3/week x 4 weeks in a month is $24/mo (for the two of us) and we only get to use the pool 1 day per week. Time to upgrade! One of our local gyms has a lap pool, and membership is WAAAY less per month. I paid about $600 up front for 3 years (That's roughly $17/mo for 3 years) with an annual renewal of $49/year thereafter (that's $4/mo). Ultra cheap! (This means I'm not paying anything right now....except extra fees to go to that other pool, which I'll admit is really nice)
I think we'll check that out sometime this week. Meanwhile I got new upgrades for my bike! Ok, so they weren't NEW but they're new to ME!! I got a 6503 Ultegra groupset. Woot! Triple in the front, 9 in the back, new brakes/pads, grip tape the whole kit & caboodle!! My bike is a nice bike now (before he had Sora parts)! We're going for another ride this weekend on Sunday, and more mountain biking to come on Saturday. I wish I could get Kiefer to blog about his adventures. Yesterday he rode to a bike shop near his work to check out mountain bike rentals for our friend.
Many adventures ahead!
We totally skipped pool night last night, in lieu of convincing Chris to just get a membership at 24 hour fitness. $3/week x 4 weeks in a month is $24/mo (for the two of us) and we only get to use the pool 1 day per week. Time to upgrade! One of our local gyms has a lap pool, and membership is WAAAY less per month. I paid about $600 up front for 3 years (That's roughly $17/mo for 3 years) with an annual renewal of $49/year thereafter (that's $4/mo). Ultra cheap! (This means I'm not paying anything right now....except extra fees to go to that other pool, which I'll admit is really nice)
I think we'll check that out sometime this week. Meanwhile I got new upgrades for my bike! Ok, so they weren't NEW but they're new to ME!! I got a 6503 Ultegra groupset. Woot! Triple in the front, 9 in the back, new brakes/pads, grip tape the whole kit & caboodle!! My bike is a nice bike now (before he had Sora parts)! We're going for another ride this weekend on Sunday, and more mountain biking to come on Saturday. I wish I could get Kiefer to blog about his adventures. Yesterday he rode to a bike shop near his work to check out mountain bike rentals for our friend.
Many adventures ahead!
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!
2010-08-27
Four day weekend...wait...WHAT?!
So today started as a normal day. I got up, and put my cycling clothes on. I packed my work clothes into my backpack along with my tasty lunch (made by Kiefer). I hopped on my bike and cycled in.
All normal...up until the part where the light was out at the intersection by my office. Huh...strange...
So there were traffic cops (motorcycle cops!) directing traffic. This was odd, but whatever, I figured they had some maintenance thing going on. Whatever, wasn't making me any later for work, but I bet all those people on the cross street were unhappy! There was a really big line! So I pulled into the lot, and the security guard that was standing there (extremely unusual) informed me the building power was out, and was my office located in this building. I said yes, and pointed to my group who waved enthusiastically at me from their safe location in the parking lot.
According to witnesses at the scene (aka my coworkers) there was some kind of noisy fiasco that included loud "BOOM"s, shaking the building, and flickering the lights. Very exciting. Eventually they came around and said we could all go home. Great! right??? RIGHT??? Yah, except I just killed myself (as I do every morning) to get to work. My legs were feeling the burn. I ride that 5 miles like I don't have to ride again for 8 more hours...because that's usually true. Now I have to turn around and ride BACK home 5 more miles! Lucky for me home is the OPPOSITE direction of traffic in the morning, so I booked it....well until my legs started burning then I'd take it easy for a while.
Well I got home, and I decided that I had a mighty need to do P90X's YogaX. WOOH was that intense! Maybe it was that I had just ridden 10 miles pushing myself REAL hard, or that I had just ridden 5 miles last night and followed it up with more P90X...I dont know! All I know is it kicked my butt, and I'm okay with that!
I've been making the most of my impromptu day off by doing some housework. Eventually I'll make dinner for me & Kiefer, since we are going to a concert tonight.
ok, i have to go return the house to it's normal, not being mopped state...all the chairs are up on tables, and the sofa is completely unusable since the ottoman and my fitness ball are piled up on it!
All normal...up until the part where the light was out at the intersection by my office. Huh...strange...
So there were traffic cops (motorcycle cops!) directing traffic. This was odd, but whatever, I figured they had some maintenance thing going on. Whatever, wasn't making me any later for work, but I bet all those people on the cross street were unhappy! There was a really big line! So I pulled into the lot, and the security guard that was standing there (extremely unusual) informed me the building power was out, and was my office located in this building. I said yes, and pointed to my group who waved enthusiastically at me from their safe location in the parking lot.
According to witnesses at the scene (aka my coworkers) there was some kind of noisy fiasco that included loud "BOOM"s, shaking the building, and flickering the lights. Very exciting. Eventually they came around and said we could all go home. Great! right??? RIGHT??? Yah, except I just killed myself (as I do every morning) to get to work. My legs were feeling the burn. I ride that 5 miles like I don't have to ride again for 8 more hours...because that's usually true. Now I have to turn around and ride BACK home 5 more miles! Lucky for me home is the OPPOSITE direction of traffic in the morning, so I booked it....well until my legs started burning then I'd take it easy for a while.
Well I got home, and I decided that I had a mighty need to do P90X's YogaX. WOOH was that intense! Maybe it was that I had just ridden 10 miles pushing myself REAL hard, or that I had just ridden 5 miles last night and followed it up with more P90X...I dont know! All I know is it kicked my butt, and I'm okay with that!
I've been making the most of my impromptu day off by doing some housework. Eventually I'll make dinner for me & Kiefer, since we are going to a concert tonight.
ok, i have to go return the house to it's normal, not being mopped state...all the chairs are up on tables, and the sofa is completely unusable since the ottoman and my fitness ball are piled up on it!
2010-08-09
Biking to work
I am fortunate enough to live within 10 miles of my office, so occasionally I choose to bike to work. What made me do it today? Several things: it's a beautiful day (not too hot morning and evening), I always have my best focus when I've worked out in the morning, and finally I'm almost out of gas, and payday is Thursday. I don't want to fill that guzzler up on credit!
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE having my Frontier, but 14 mpg city leaves something to be desired for sure. Yah I don't have to drive that far, but it seems a shame to waste a perfectly good opportunity to Get Out on driving in a car! Now if it rains, or it's really windy, then yah, I'm going to drive. That offshore wind can be very chilly, and pushes me all over the road on that road bike.
Here are some tips on biking to work, so you can Get Out too:
1. Get a decent bike - Road bike you say? Isn't that kindof expensive? It can be, some pro-grade bikes can cost as much as $10,000!! Mine is no pro bike, but what's important is that it fits me pretty well, and the components are decent. You can always upgrade later. Oh and my bike was under $500. The hell you say?!?! It's true! Just check out Bikes Direct. (No, I'm not getting paid ANYTHING to mention them either). you can choose from a selection of small time or big time frame makers, outfitted with name brand components. It comes in a nice box, and you can take it to your local bike shop for a small fee (usually like $50) and they will assemble and tune it for you so it's all set to ride.
I was fortunate enough to have some experienced cyclists to help me put mine together, and I'm rather mechanically inclined so I tinker with it on my own with the help of my cyclist friends/family as well as the Google. Plus since I saved so much on the bike, I was able to go out and get a great deal on some speedplay pedals/cleats, and some triathlon shoes that were last year's model (but still REALLY nice...made my cyclist friend drool) for $200. All in all I geared up for $700.
If you've got a cyclist friend, ask if they will help you get creative. You can find a decent frame from an older bike, and put some REALLY nice components on it. There's all sorts of mix and match out there. You can even get fun colored tires, and bar tape. Get creative, and make it your own.
2. Plan your route - Planning your route is another important step to getting to work safely. Use google maps, and then DRIVE by your route. Make sure the way it tells you to go is ACTUALLY safe. Ride your route on a weekend day when it's not busy to check how long it takes you, and be sure to leave extra time in the morning.
What's that you say? You've got kids? I usually take my daughter to school a little early (their library is open for early drop-off one hour before school starts), then go back home and hop on my bike. You can even get your kids on a bike and bike them to school, then bike on from there. What a great way to teach your kids the importance of getting out and being active!
Also, be sure to scope out your office. Where will you keep your bike? I store mine in my cube, spices up the decor a little. Maybe you have a private office, or there is a bike rack/lockup outside where you can keep it? Get yourself a nice lock for your nice bike. Be sure it is long enough to get the frame and the front tire bare minimum. U-locks are the SAFEST, but I use a cable lock with a combo when I tie my ride up outside.
3. BE SEEN - I cannot stress this enough. Okay so violent yellow isn't really my color, but black, blue and red aren't really either. When you ride consider yourself invisible. Autos won't see you, or they'll get mad at you for being there. Have a headlight and a tail light on your bike. I run mine no matter what (day or night) so I get that extra visibility.
Wear light colored clothing. Stuff with reflective strips is EVEN BETTER. I wear a light colored sweatshirt over whatever I'm wearing, and shorts with reflective strips. My shoes also have reflective strips on them. It may not be dark when you leave in the morning, but it might be when you leave to go home!
4. BE SAFE - please, please, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE wear a helmet. They come in many different styles, colors, shapes and sizes so PLEASE wear one. Don't give me any it messes up my hair, or puts marks on my forehead. SO WHAT! I know several people who have had their noggins saved by wearing a helmet. If you are not sure how to adjust it, take it to ANY bike shop, and the employees will generally be happy to show you how, and help you get it on right. Lance Armstrong wears a helmet, and you should too!
5. Get Out!!!
Don't forget your water, and don't wear your work clothes if you're going to get all sweaty, bring them in a backpack. You'll figure it out!
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE having my Frontier, but 14 mpg city leaves something to be desired for sure. Yah I don't have to drive that far, but it seems a shame to waste a perfectly good opportunity to Get Out on driving in a car! Now if it rains, or it's really windy, then yah, I'm going to drive. That offshore wind can be very chilly, and pushes me all over the road on that road bike.
Here are some tips on biking to work, so you can Get Out too:
1. Get a decent bike - Road bike you say? Isn't that kindof expensive? It can be, some pro-grade bikes can cost as much as $10,000!! Mine is no pro bike, but what's important is that it fits me pretty well, and the components are decent. You can always upgrade later. Oh and my bike was under $500. The hell you say?!?! It's true! Just check out Bikes Direct. (No, I'm not getting paid ANYTHING to mention them either). you can choose from a selection of small time or big time frame makers, outfitted with name brand components. It comes in a nice box, and you can take it to your local bike shop for a small fee (usually like $50) and they will assemble and tune it for you so it's all set to ride.
I was fortunate enough to have some experienced cyclists to help me put mine together, and I'm rather mechanically inclined so I tinker with it on my own with the help of my cyclist friends/family as well as the Google. Plus since I saved so much on the bike, I was able to go out and get a great deal on some speedplay pedals/cleats, and some triathlon shoes that were last year's model (but still REALLY nice...made my cyclist friend drool) for $200. All in all I geared up for $700.
If you've got a cyclist friend, ask if they will help you get creative. You can find a decent frame from an older bike, and put some REALLY nice components on it. There's all sorts of mix and match out there. You can even get fun colored tires, and bar tape. Get creative, and make it your own.
2. Plan your route - Planning your route is another important step to getting to work safely. Use google maps, and then DRIVE by your route. Make sure the way it tells you to go is ACTUALLY safe. Ride your route on a weekend day when it's not busy to check how long it takes you, and be sure to leave extra time in the morning.
What's that you say? You've got kids? I usually take my daughter to school a little early (their library is open for early drop-off one hour before school starts), then go back home and hop on my bike. You can even get your kids on a bike and bike them to school, then bike on from there. What a great way to teach your kids the importance of getting out and being active!
Also, be sure to scope out your office. Where will you keep your bike? I store mine in my cube, spices up the decor a little. Maybe you have a private office, or there is a bike rack/lockup outside where you can keep it? Get yourself a nice lock for your nice bike. Be sure it is long enough to get the frame and the front tire bare minimum. U-locks are the SAFEST, but I use a cable lock with a combo when I tie my ride up outside.
3. BE SEEN - I cannot stress this enough. Okay so violent yellow isn't really my color, but black, blue and red aren't really either. When you ride consider yourself invisible. Autos won't see you, or they'll get mad at you for being there. Have a headlight and a tail light on your bike. I run mine no matter what (day or night) so I get that extra visibility.
Wear light colored clothing. Stuff with reflective strips is EVEN BETTER. I wear a light colored sweatshirt over whatever I'm wearing, and shorts with reflective strips. My shoes also have reflective strips on them. It may not be dark when you leave in the morning, but it might be when you leave to go home!
4. BE SAFE - please, please, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE wear a helmet. They come in many different styles, colors, shapes and sizes so PLEASE wear one. Don't give me any it messes up my hair, or puts marks on my forehead. SO WHAT! I know several people who have had their noggins saved by wearing a helmet. If you are not sure how to adjust it, take it to ANY bike shop, and the employees will generally be happy to show you how, and help you get it on right. Lance Armstrong wears a helmet, and you should too!
5. Get Out!!!
Don't forget your water, and don't wear your work clothes if you're going to get all sweaty, bring them in a backpack. You'll figure it out!
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