Shout Out

Totally want to take this moment to give a shout out to my hommies at Redlands Complete Auto. These guys were great. They not only destroyed the jeeps head gaskets but to also dismantle my Air Conditioning Thank you. I have now experienced 108 degrees in southern californias finest gridlock while sitting on black leather. This was a fantastic time. Just let me say that i truly have no love for hoyty-toyty upper class nice-car-driving people with AC that look at me driving with my windows down, in disgust. I hate them. It is also not cool to walk into an important meeting drenched, literally, in sweat. The head guy asked me, seriously, if i had ridden my bike there. I said no and plastered myself against the coolest thing i could find: THe cinder block wall in the well cooled office.

I have been hammering out some fantastic miles these days and trying to beat the heat. Checking out some new Cole Wheels not bad at all. I still miss the whir of my Chris King hubs though. The Santa Anna River Trail is pristine (just keep going through the cut up section) and i was moderatly sad that i did run across any creatures. I had no HRM, no computer, and no iPod. I was truly flying solo and it was awesome!

The Girls
I went to a boarding school in Shenandoah Valley Virginia for High school. By a strike of fait, many of us still hang out, work together or live near each other all the way out here in So Cal!! All of these girls went to my High School and only one was in another class than us! Here is the run-down: back row L-R: Betsy from TENN - Dental Hygenist; Kate TENN Med school; Me duh, woods, PE slacker; Jessica Maryland - Interior Designer; Carrianne MENTONE MOM and massage therapist
Front row: Tiffany Hawaii - Technology teacher and DESIGNER she makes clothes!!!; Rachel Redlands - Graffic Designer

See i even hang out with people that arent bike freaks! Most of them have bikes but have expressed numerous times that they are afraid to ride with me! Like i would hurt them or something. I could only stay at the BBQ for a bit because, well my life is CHAOS!!!

Please dont stalk my friends. I know they are cute, but leave them alone!!

I missed Rim Nordic this past weekend. I just cant do them all. I started out with the plan to go to all the Nationals, we will see though, sometimes things just dont work out!

BASKETBALL

i AM now working at a basketball camp for 4-9th graders. These kids are wild! It makes for a super long day running 8-4pm. The gym has no AC like i need it though. I have to be really carefull not to eat too much lunch or i get this killer Food Coma I really have to start remembering what these kids say. Some of it wouldnt make sense to the general public because it is pretty basketball specific. But none the less, it is pretty funny. This one kid is totally the NarWhal From Elf talks like him and everything! The three guys i am coaching with all coach up north. Two coach at the college that i played basketball at and one used to coach at the high shcool that shared our gym. Pretty funny stuff. One of them even owns Dozers brother Ruger.

Dozer is doing very well, thank you for asking! We have been going on hikes to the post office on the single track, then heading across the road to the creek where we go in the swimming hole and walk up the creek bed all the way home. I got really sunburned doing that.

So if you want to go where it is 20 degress cooler, clean are and delicious artesian well water, let me know and you can go visit someone in Big Bear. I mean we can meet for some fun. Or picking up sticks.

Every Day...

I blog away.

Wedding Registry 101
Totally hit up Bed, Bath and Beyond today. They gave me the whole deal about going to a Bridal Show and planning blah blah blah. Uriah was sitting on the floor or twirling in the chair so i told the guy to get to it.

When you create a registry, and i am far from done by the way, and other stores will be added and probably taken off in the near future, you have to put a little of everything. The under $10 items for those who dont want to pay up, and the over $200 items for those who feel bad about something. There are a few items, however, that are paramount. If i get these (please note the word "I") i will give the giver something grand: THE MAGIC BULLET as seen on TV no i do not have a TV, but when i did, i saw this infomercial a lot and MUST HAVE IT!! Only $49.99!
This one is special! The Single Egg Fry Pan i did buy one awhile back, but it just didnt last. Please note that the egg is frowning.

Probably if you buy me these, i will make you something delicious with them. The Bullet - well you pick. Bean Dip; mixed drink; chocolate mousse; smoothie. The Egg Killer - an egg. Pretty much meets the amount of cash you put towards it.

I will be sure to highlight my favorite items from each registry to insure that i get them. Speaking of INSURE http://ensure.com/ is supposed to be a really good during the race/ride beverage. Also, i have read TWICE that Chocolate OValtine is just as good as our high end recovery drinks, and a lot cheaper. And yes, i do read. Jason thinks i am illiterate, i just cant spell.

I lost some stuff

Man, I lose EVERYTHING! First, i couldnt find the USB thing to put some pictures on this thing, now i cant find the camera to attach to the USB thing that i just found! Oh well. I really didnt take any cool pictures. i think about cool things to take pictures of, but it is just too time consuming. I know, point and shoot, but come on, i am pretty busy.

Today Uriah and I did a million things. We walked on "single track" to the mountain post office to pick up very exciting junk mail. We then took pet Dozer to the creek because he was overheating. We decided to walk up the creek bed for some excellent leg work. We then went to the "city" where it was over 100 degrees for some delightful whole wheat subs and laundry, lots of it. Home Girl Robyn come and hung out with us at the Mentone washette, what a friend. Sure made the time fly!

VT
I forgot about some things in VT. I got a new roommate. Teri and i pretty much did everything together. Stay in a small room in twin beds, talk about food, boys and our pets. This girl is CRAZY about cats (not KITTENS) and i am crazy about Dozer (duh) so most of our conversations vierd in that direction eventially. This was fun, very fun.

The girls laughed "with" me a lot, but when i think about it, they may have been laughing "at" me. hmmm, suspect. I also realized that Greg and i have a lot in common. Sugar, snacks, bagels, food, sitting around! He was excellent to have on the trip and oh so helpful. I felt so bad that he worked on my bike a bit that i gave him my LAST Nerd Rope aka nerds stuck together with gooey goodness for all his efforts. That IS a big deal!

Funny thing on the course: i will select ONE
I slid off of wood bridge, first oh 6 minutes of the race, rear tire first. Fell on my back between the bridge and a tree, bike on top of me. Begin to get up. Girl does the exact same thing and falls on top of me with her bike. hmm. Then the racers coming on the course start yelling to get out of the way. Suspect, very suspect.

GOOD
i LOVED the course marshals! They all talked a bit funny like Canada and Louisinna, must be North East. They were really very nice! Maybe it was because i had been hanging around the course for 3 days doing multiple pre-rides (walks) so they knew me by jersey.

STUPID
I asked if it Snowed in Albany. idiot.
A girl said she liked my jersey (who knows why) and asked where i was from. Said SO Cal, she asked if i ride in Sonoma a lot. No.

I need to go bleach my teeth.

I really don't want to update my blog

I am feeling bland and overwhelmed leaving me with only a slight sense of humor and a slice of angst.

There are many directions i could go for this past weekend: bitter, afraid, excited, hilarious

I could delve into all the nasty things i heard and the attitudes that were copped. I could divulge my new excitement for maybe one day being a team manager and always hanging around in the pro feed zone. (They better have a budget for me though, i dont do all charity work) I could talk about the insane racers on the east side and my new wish to move to Vermont so that i can train there, serious.

But the bottom line is this: I got bit by really large bugs in annoying spots that still really hurt.

Actually, i loved my recent adventure. I have never been mentally tested like this in a race before. I have been pushed physically but not quite like this. I saw the event as a training day to build my descending confidence and skill, which definately happened. I heard people cheer for me and even say my name that i have never met! The top of the expert field still even talked to me and wanted to know how i did and affirmed my efforts. Everyone has developed from somewhere. Everyone has had to be pulled from an event, for some it was last week, for others it was 5 years ago, but the event took place none the less.

I found that just as motivating and exciting as racing is watching the race. I met a tone of people in the feed zone, one being Adam Craigs feeder. i also got to get autographs from all the Luna Chics and chatted a bit with Georgia Gould.

I got back into LAX at 5pm so i just decided to put my bike together in the long-term parking lot instead of getting on the freeway parking lot. Then of course i got lost on the way home, because i dont "do" freeways or LA, then my cell phone battery died so i couldnt call anyone and when i used a pay phone in Fontanait took my 55 cents and said try again.

Next up: some serious bike cleaning, serious training, and non-serious grad school!

Then off to Deer Valley in a few! At least i didnt womit this time!
Oh yes, my rear wheel minus tire, tube, cassette, and maybe spokes, will be racing in the World Cup in Mont Saint Anne this weekend. Go wheel go! Actually go Teri and Christie!!!

Going on an Outing

Today is spent tallying student absences and tardies and averages and totals in an attempt to get out of work early. Once i hit the home turf i must figure out how to dismantle my bike appropriately and place it nicely in its little traveling box.

Christie, Mr. Pleiss and i are on a red eye from LAX to Albany to embarc on my first ever non CA/UT race! I am excited being words, yet terrified! We are heading to Vermont for the NMBS #3.

I hear they have killer single track and delicious Maple Syrup, so if nothing else swings in my favor, i know a great time will be had and excellent food will be eaten. And thats what it is all about!!

I havent had any pics of the nephew for a bit, i think he wears clothes, maybe only when they go to church though! What a nudist!

OCD

This blog entry is dedicated to all the things non-cycling in my life. I would like to prove that i am not completely consumed by the bike and that i indeed lead a well-rounded and multi-faceted life, where biking is merely my means to deal with all things good and bad and to keep me in shape and motivated and to maintain a high quality of life. Ok, so it is pretty important.

There are days that i do not ride my bike, clean it, fix it, or even move it. On these days i enjoy doing the dishes, cleaning my house, petting Dozer and picking up sticks in the yard. I have been known to iron t-shirts and color code all polo shirts in my closet (i have to wear them to work.)These days you may also find me in graduate school learning not all that much about teaching. In the winter these specific days will send me to the High Desert or Desert Desert for various sports contests with a myriad of jr. high or high school students. Usual i drive them and coach them and make them play "name that tune" with the 80's rock station because that is the only way that i consistantly win!

Although most people think i am obsessed with the bike, i am more obsessed with making things clean and tidy and organized, thus the frequent tag of OCD. I really like to cook too - while working at a Bike shop up north, i also worked at a Bed and Breakfast where i learned to make some delightful things! Stuff like Potato Crust Frittata, baked/glazed grapefruit, and french toast souffle. If i had a house larger than 3 parking spots, i would entertain every weekend! I never cook out of a box for sure, and when cooking I turn my head and ignore all signs of carbohydrates, saturated fats, and sugar. Duh.

I am also in the midst of planning a delightful wedding. I have pretty much been putting this off, but now my co-workers have just showed me binders full of floral arrangments, ring designs, table layouts, and up-dos. I am way behind track, but that is ok.


I have parents too. They live smack dab in the middle of Florida, strategily placed so that if you sat on the roof around 9pm, you could see the fireworks from Sea World, Epcot, Disney, and MGM all at the same time! They travel around the world taking pictures and doing neat things! They keep trying to make us kids move to FL, but that is a total no-go!

Uriah and Jason are totally real too. I have a picture, but i can't seem to post it! Uriah is 7 and just finished the first grade. I am totally going to brain wash him and make him race bikes. I think he will give it a go at the next Cal State. He just has a BMX and is arfaid the pegs could hurt another kid, so he wants to take them off. When discussing upgrading with him, he stated that he would not move up to expert until he was consistantly winning the races and beating everyone. good to know!

Jason is a finish-carpenter and has made some quite impressive things like huge decks, ornate window casings, doors that started as trees, and an observatory.

Contrary to popular belief, i do read, magazines. I will let all my Title9, Athleta, and REI catalogs pile up. Then i will go through each one, circle everything i want with a Sharpie, then promplty throw them away.
So things are pretty interesting for me. But now, my bike is sitting on the steps, ready for a washing!

Dude, my shins are sweating!!!

It's been a bit on the warm side these days. My very high quality g-ride no longer has AC, so i created a new one: 2n70 no this is not a new back woods fire ride such as 1E01. This means 2 windows down, drivin 70. However, while traveling to Riverside for grad school, i max out around 15 mph, so basically i sweat a lot. Now driving has become my zen emotional training. Focus, breath deep, relax. This really hasnt helped at all though.

HYDRATE OR DIE: HYDRATE AND DIE!!

Do you remember, i think it was the Power Ade slogan "Hydrate or die?" Well this can be quite deceiving. One day i will write a race report that goes like this: "The race was wonderful. Lovely weather and the competition was really slow, but very nice and sociable. We also had delicious food and felt very relaxed on the ride home. We are all winners...."

However: SANTA BARBARA BIKE FESTIVAL CAL STATE #5

Race time: 2:10pm
Race Temp: 100 degrees, perhaps
Race Length: 4 x 6 miles (this is stupid - my computer got all messed up. I thought we had just raced 32 miles. When i was looking down and it said "24" i was freaking out, because i hit the wall at about 25. I was also in awe of myself because i was climbing steady at 7mph. Actually, that was Kilometers PH STUPID!!!!
The Course: Fantastic if you are a really fast one on the descnets, and if you enjoy crop signs or the movie SIGNS. i felt as if we were creating miniature lines in a corn field, this time it was Annis actually, as we swooped down the single track, around the burms and through the brush. Nothing was taller than a corn stalk, and most of it was not wider than your average single track. Everything was hard packed and at times it looked like you were riding on grape seeds (growing up in the Napa valley exposed me to interesting trail conditions.) You could always see who was 3 turns ahead of you as they pasted through the thicket. Once i thought this girl was right behind me but what i htought was her helmet was a big flower pod, when looked at out of the corner of my eye, appeared much larger than it was...

It was late in the day and hot. I am a compulsive water drinker. Ever since Shelli and i got lost in the San Bernardino mountains, i fear the feeling of dehydration. I do everything in my power to avoid being in that spot. Sometimes i drink a whole bottle of water without even noticing it. So prior to the race, i had A LOT of fluid. Bad, bad, bad. During the race, i was ok. Then i began to get a splitting head ache, like really bad. On the last dirt hill climb out, my right quad started to cramp up super bad. I have never cramped before, i know, rookie. But i just sat back and told myself "so this is what a cramp feels like. Will it pull the muscle off or just twist it around a bit?" I ended up in 2nd place, which was just fine with me. My tan through jersey really did a number to the back. It is like i wasnt even wearing one, too much sun! I had traveled there with Christie and Teri scored her first pro podium with a stellar 3rd place finish, so of course we hung around!

Christie was having bad legs cramps and dizzy and feeling yuck, so i started the drive back. By the time we got to Ventura Chevron i promptly went over to the bushes and womitted, a lot. Poor Christie. You know you really have a friend when they tell you it is ok to puke in there car! I wonder what Mr. Pleiss would think about that one...

This continued for some time. I nicely asked Christie to pull over to the side of the freeway twice to help me with my situation. One of the time James Cross stopped to help out! What a champ! He was feeding us all during the race and was super supporter for the day! I couldn't even rest my head on the seat because the steady bumps in the road, i had to prop my elbow on the window and hold my head in my hand. Poor Christie was becoming quite bored with me while she was trying to stay away. She was so PC it was hilarious. Jeremy from K&N called for the race update and she said "JOY became sick." iF they only knew!!

Now i had to drive from Reldands to Forest Falls at 10:15pm. I really wanted Pedialyte from Staters, so i stopped and zig-zagged in. Once inside, i promptly had to puke. I ran outside and that was that. I found myself slumped on the curb by the planters, wanting to curl up right there for a nap. AS i sat there i wondered what people thought of me: severly sunburned, blurry-eyed, vomiting in a bush, late on a Saturday night. If they only knew...

I got home safely although i had to squint the whole time because my head hurt so bad. I laid down, motionless for about 45 minutes. then sat up, ate some food and pedialyte and was pretty much ok.

So, what happened you ask: HYPOTREMIA hydration intoxication. I had way too much of the good stuff. What this does is totally deplete your body of sodium, which is bad, very bad. It acts just like dehydration with nausea, headache, muscle cramps, dizziness. I read, online, that is can also cause "disorientation, slurred speech, confusion, inappropriate behavior, brain swelling, coma, and death." YIKES!!! I am so glad that all i did was puke my brains out! I think i lost 2 pounds. I also think that i consume so much water, i could stop drinking today, exercise for two days, and not get dehydrated. I need fix that one.

How do you fix the problem? Add extra sodium to your diet 2-3 days prior to events (and become hypertensive) and dont drink more than you sweat. Also, you could createt he same effects by drinking too much water the days prior. If you went to the hospital they would give you super consitrated sodium solution and a diuretic to make you dispell all the extra water.

Good to know!! Since we are getting into the hot super hot nasty oweful season, these things really need to be attained to. Although as i look back, the whole thing was entertaining, but not pleasant at all. Very dangerous too. There is such a fine line on these issues, you have to be careful.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: i KNOW i already asked some of you and you think i am stupid, BUT...you are not supposed to water your lawn mid day because it will get burned and die. The water particles magnify the suns intensity and burn it. So was it bad that these guys were spraying us with hoses and water bottles as we rode by? Could that shock our systems and make me act like a giant blade of grass roaming through the trails, causing me to get over burned and taxed? You have to answer this one, because i really need to know. Scientific proof is highly suggested.