celebration & question

Today: 3 mile run in 36 minutes - YAY! without stopping.
Curious: Does a story (or a life) need conflict in order to be interesting and worthwhile?

mad nostalgic yo

Yerp, so this could be my ONLY entry on this blog *since ages* and *until ages* but let's just enjoy the moment. :) I have this teensy inkling that maybe perhaps maybe I might start blogging again, starting now, but let's not get our hopes up, kay.
Today, something prompted me to look for one of my old blog entries and I spent a few minutes looking at my friends' blogs... yeah 99% of them fall into 2 categories - they either petered out abruptly in 2009/2010 or have been going strong non-stop like the good people at Today's Inspiration and Sasquatch Canyon.
So, what is this? A third category? You (I?) thought this blog petered out abruptly like category #1 but then I hit you with a come-back (maybe?) post? (Do you need more question marks?????)
Anywhoozles, I'm glad I at least visited blogger today because I really enjoyed reading some of my old posts -- they reminded me of QUITE a few stories that I'd completely forgotten... the time we went camping at the beach not even 20 miles from here and our boyfriends turned the trees near the campsite into a ninja training ground... the time I worked in a jungle-themed office environment with one of the cleverest, most captivating young personalities I've ever met... the time I bought my first domain name and entertained the idea of supporting myself with my photography... the time I saw an SUV trapped in the sand at the beach... the times we would party in the woods at the "property" and everything was WAY more dangerous than I would even remotely be slightly comfortable with today...
I know this blog is public, but coming back a few years later and reading my own stories has been a treat for *me*. Makes me want to share what's going on with me today just so I can have a laugh, romantic sigh, or big smile in a few years...
So what is this -- my public diary? Guess we'll see, if I actually come back again anytime soon and write more :)
(Picture chosen based on the fact that it will make me laugh/happy any time I view it in the future) :D

race relations

Yesterday on the way home, a tiny man on a tiny bike with a tiny skintight outfit passed me near Cole's Barbeque. In the most light-hearted of ways, I thought, "ooo, competition!" and picked up the pace for a little race. I could have passed him once or twice, but I didn't want to be too creepy, and it was really all I could do to keep up most of the time.
I thought about giving up when he broke away after Betty Burger, but -- aha! -- the pedestrians on the trestle slowed him down a bit and I caught up. I was stoked to be able stay on his tail until we parted ways at the old funspot. I thought about thanking him for the good workout, but again, I'm sure I was being creepy enough without that on top.
Sometimes you gotta race, I don't know...

bmx dream

I love waking up and recounting my latest crazy dream - just like, "--and then there was poison gas everywhere, and my english teacher showed up and yelled for us to run upstairs, and the second floor was like our apartment, but there was all kinds of plants growing in the bedroom!" and so forth...
But I also love waking up and not even realizing I had a dream. Then going about my business all day until something triggers me to remember it, and say "wait a secondddd..."
Yesterday, Andy and I were riding bikes to the store and he was jumping on & off the sidewalk as usual, hitting the lips of driveways and whatnot, and I thought, "hmm I was doing that yesterday." Except I totally wasn't - I've tried bunny hopping before and was very successful at getting the front tire an inch (or less) off the ground... that's it.
But I had dreamt the night before that I was riding bmx & bunny hopping over everything & it was super-easy. I busted up laughing at the recollection, but Andy said I could probably learn for realsies with a little help.

sweet pea

I've still been riding, just not writing...
I've also been taking photographs! I couldn't resist this sweet pea on my way towards 41st Avenue last week.
In other news, Andy has bought himself a Benz and now my Honda is once again my own. This will test my commitment to riding, as a vehicle is such a convenience... but I know I have the willpower to stay on the bike!
Now, who's with me?!

fabulous ALC riders

Coming up to the State Park & Soquel intersection this morning, I was met by at least a hundred riders waiting in a long line for a green light. I rode with a small group of them for my last mile and wondered what race they were in. We passed some roadies with signs, one of which simply said FABULOUS ALC! and they cheered us on with "You riders look great!"
My lack of spandex gave me away, but they waved at me anyway. Turns out that today is Day 2 of the AIDS Life Cycle 8, which is not a "race" but rather a "ride." A very long ride. Spanning San Francisco to Los Angeles in 7 days, which sounds like more than enough time -- but the shortest day is still more than 60 miles.
I can't talk about an AIDS benefit ride without providing the donate link, that would just be wrong...

camaraderie

I have a friend named Dylan (you may know him as internet sensation and A-list gay, Noodles and Beef. Yes, I know Noodles and Beef! Yes, I can get you on a date with him!) who drives a mini-cooper named Magnus. Magnus is pretty chill; he listens when you talk to him and practically drives himself. When Dylan & Magnus pass by other people driving mini-coopers, Dylan waves excitedly and is usually met with a happy wave back, like "Hey! I love my mini-cooper, too!"

The best is when Dylan waves to mini-cooper drivers when we aren't even in Magnus. We can be cruising in my Honda and then he just gets bewildered stares like, "Do I know this crazy person? Why is he flagging me down?" Their confused faces are pretty funny.

But my point is that there is a sense of camaraderie between Dylan and his fellow cooper-drivers. It's like finding out that someone went to the same college as you, or that they too enjoy... golfing... or something.

The camaraderie flows freely in bike commuting. When you're biking and another bicyclist passes by, there's about a 90% chance that they will positively acknowledge your similarities (aka smile at you). I love this! I haven't stopped to actually meet any of these people, but they all seem friendly enough for that fleeting second. And once you establish a routine, you'll notice the same riders day-in and day-out. You may never know their names, but it's good to know there are kindred spirits out there.

On that note, a very silly and easy game. No one will keep score but you. The goal is to be the first to smile when you pass a fellow cyclist. Scoff if you like, but I happen to know that smiling is very good for your health, so even if you lose a round, you still win in the long run...

give it a rest, ok?

I haven't been riding much the past week or two because work has been awful hectic. I just didn't have the time or energy to commit 2 hours a day to riding. BUT! Our huge project is just about complete and work is slowing down to a normal pace. So, back on the bike!

I think it's very important for people to listen to their bodies and their stress levels. If work is exhausting you too much to ride, save the ride for another day, if you can. On the other hand, exercise helps relieve stress, so perhaps you should in fact ride! What a puzzle. Anyway...

Cindy Godman of the Hartford Courant wrote a piece yesterday about balancing work, family, and exercise. You can read it on the Chicago Tribune site, but in short:

Start small, don't be overly ambitious.
Don't expect to be able to ride every day starting on day one. It's okay to take a day off from the commute here and there until you've built up your stamina.

Relax!
You're not going to feel like you are successfully balancing work, family, and exercise if you're all hopped up on stress. Luckily, bike commuting hits two birds with one stone - you're getting exercise and avoiding the stress of driving. Plus you have time to sort out the day's troubles in your mind. Riding can be a really meditative activity if you can chill out!

Get enough sleep
This was one of the problems keeping me off my bike. Work was taking up more of my day, so the rest of my responsibilities were creeping into my sleep-time. I couldn't face a 10 mile ride on too little sleep! Do yourself and your longevity a favor and get your 7 - 9 hours in each night. Maybe drink a glass of warm milk just before you hit the sack and do a bit of lucid dreaming to keep it interesting!

bike to work day: IN COLOR!

Pictures supplied by a lovely volunteer named Jamie, who was working at Verve that morning with her sister (pictured, at my immediate left). Jamie has yet another sister who organizes all the Bike to Work events! Very cool.

bike to work day

Another "what luck!" moment today--my camera battery died as I was trying to take a picture for Westi at Pictures From A Bike. (She inspired me to begin riding, and I don't think she is participating in Bike to Work Day this year, due to new twin bay-bays.)

Luckily the volunteers at the breakfast site in front of Verve Coffee Roasters on 41st were incredibly friendly (who'd have guessed!) and one will be emailing pictures soon.

I enjoyed the free coffee & breakfast and picked up a complimentary pack of strawberry Clif Bar Shot Bloks out of curiosity. The best part was.... Free Massage! Oh hell yeah, definitely worth being a few minutes late for that!

i see beautiful things

Riding past 7-11, I spotted a mallard with a bright green head just sittin' around in front of some apartments. "A duck!" I exclaimed aloud to no one but myself... as if I was two and had just learned the word, which I thought was funny. His female friend was sitting beside him just behind a tree.

Then passing by Twin Lakes, I was looking out on the water & sunrise as usual and I saw dolphins playing close to shore! I've heard people talk about seeing dolphins but had never seen them myself. They were coming up and out of the water in a pattern that reminded me of what Nessie must look like--you know, like in a serpentine fashion? So, I was enthralled and pedaling really slow and just watching. Then I realized I didn't see any dorsal fins. Turns out they were seals, but beautiful all the same! Guess I will have to keep my eyes open for dolphins.

off to a good start?

This morning was my first ride to work on my pretty new bicycle! 'Cept I didn't make it too far... Luckily I was helped by a kind soul in a truck with some free time on his hands.

What luck to get a flat my first day! Guess I will have to buy that mini-pump a little earlier than I expected. Andy and I are going to Bike Trip after work to see what they think & buy some new tubes!

I hope this isn't the start of Hitchhike to Work Week...

my new best friend

Many thanks to Emily at Bicycle Trip for the outstanding customer service! Not only did she know about everything I needed, she was super-friendly and a great teacher. She also coaches with the Dirt Series program! Very cool.

So, check out my new bike! It's a Giant FCR 3 W - built for ladies' geometry. It's so light I can hold it over my head! Great for living on the second floor. Also, it has these sweet trigger shifters--which I find are a lot cooler than the twist shifters that my old mountain bike had. I can't believe I'm riding something with skinny tires--I've always been anti-skinny tires but this bike felt right. Oh, and I'm also rockin' a helmet now--I figure the odds of me needing it rise with every day that I go out riding (fingers crossed of course).

Oh, and just in time for Bike to Work week, which starts tomorrow!

hilton knows what's up

so much time to think

At times I appreciate that the cruiser makes me go slower than most bike commuters.
Gives me more time to think & see...
Anyway... 5th ride today! 100 miles!