Just me and my girl

I am taking a pinata to the party. i wish i could keep her longer.

This is why deer die

New Bike

$$$$$$$

HELICOPTER RIDE

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WEARING YOUR WIFES SHORTS, INSIDE OUT...

PRICELESS

This Photo essay isn't nearly as cool as it was in my mind

Last Sunday I raced in Big Bear at the last Cal State of the season. thank goodness. With temps ranging from 35-50 degrees, i couldn't get back to the car fast enough. That effort, however, put me on the same podium block as usual, 3rd. If i hadn't yard-saled it in the last mile, oh who am i kidding! i still would have been third. Just a little bit closer! i haven't been that cold in months, my body was shaking and my teeth were chattering for three hours!!

With such an event over, the only thing left to do is recover from a long and almost exhausting season.

I kept myself off the bike for 6 days, an ALL TIME RECORD...

Saturday morning, i spun over to the coffee shop (please note the 32 minutes...a bit different than the usual 3+ hours...i had to force myself into the driveway)
to meet up with these work gals and Robert, for Carrie's birthday...(i don't stick out at all...)




Friday found me a bit agro, so i laced up the sneaks and went for a 45 minute trail run. The last time i ran was in.....December. It made my skin itch all over (what's up with that!!!) and i scratched my belly so bad it looks like a Liger got me. Buy me new shoes. My thigh kept bugging me when i was running. And my hip and my knee. Maybe its because they all look like this. Thanks to the non-profit yardsale on the rockiest switchy in the woods last week. Good work...
Back to Saturday. Christie and I went for coffee...my third of the day...
And a Pedicure...
I was even able to go play games with other friends and end up at Thai food with even another group of friends!!

Sunday, i fought the urge to race Cross, and simply watched others race cross. I haven't been that tired in a long time. it's a lot of work to cheer for everyone, and when you lack the adreneline surge, you end up a little flat.


Now, i am at work. About to actually work. This is a new Sunday tradition. I am not sure how i feel about it, but so far i have blogged, checked blogs, made my elbow bleed and drank an entire cup of coffee. It is almost 5pm...time to go home.

I almost turned around...

I am in the midst of creating a photo essay of what one does when they are told to stay off the bike for two weeks due to the conclusion of a season. In the mean time, i went for a bike ride.

Not my usual 3-5 hour Saturday ride, it lasted 45 minutes. MTB on the road, which will be discussed in a later post. But one thing stood out that i just had to yack about.

I was heading home, down Fern, to the spot i fell off my road bike - not to be confused with crashing, (only Matt and Shelli know where that is...) when i saw three road cyclists convened on the side of the road. i always slow when i see this, because in rare occasions i can actually lend a hand.

There was one girl in the mix and she was getting CHEWED OUT by one of the guys. She looked like she was going to cry, I was close enough to see her lip quivering. He was yammering about pedal now, pedal then, hold that line...whatev. It was very apparent that she was not a seasoned cyclist, and i just felt so bad. As i slowly rode by i said "just ride your bike girl" and gave the guy one of my nasty looks (8th grade PE is thinks this is my every day face) and hoped my message would stick.

Who knows if it will. But i wanted to go back and ride with the guys and send out attack after attack and make them suffer. BE NICE!!!! If you want your lady friends to support your habit, at least show them a fun time on the bike. If you want them to join you again, BE NICE!!!!

Anti-Cross no more

I talk a lot of smack. About a lot of different things. One of my favorite smack talk subjects is Cyclocross. I have to take back. All of it.

Last Sunday i decided to roll sorority style with the girls to Costa Mesa for a cross race. Sarah, Christie, Carolyn, Vanessa, Heidi, Tonya, Lisa....you get the picture. It was a who's-who of local racing and riding. Of course some boys were there too, like Steve and Matt and the BVB boys. I am quite a social creature, so i jumped at the option of a short race with lots of talking.

I got a Demo bike from Steve M. Hooked it up! the second time i had ever SEEN a barrier, let alone go over one, was on lap one. No face plants! but i did decide that if there was an option between RUNNING or RIDING...i will ride till the death!!!!!

Hookin it up Coach Gareth style! i told him last year that WHEN i did a cross or road race, i would wear his kit, since he pretty much saved my life. Too bad i didn't do either or those kinds of events, until last sunday.

I also need to give a halla' out to HABERVISION who have HOOKED ME UP!!! Big time this year with racing glasses all the way to fashion ones!! They are the official eyewear for USA cycling you know...

Enough of this madness. OFf to the last XC race on sunday, and perhaps a cross race in the future...

PS Paige is going to Graduate...

And, she says "don't eat the donut unless you want to be a fatty-fat-fat."

Um, i don't. i guess High School worked for YOU!

The Validity of a Pro/Con List

I found this template on the NET in regards to lining out a PRO/CON list. This one is pretty fool proof. But one it is all lined out, whose standing over me forcing me to accept the totals and be on my way?

How many times (if ever), have you made a list? When its done, do you look at it with some sort of epiphany? Probably not. The whole reason you make the list in the first place is because you want to buck the system, go against your intuition. You think that lining out stupid reasons to do something will convince you that the other option sucks.

Example. I want to eat a donut. But i should eat oat bran cereal. You may put on your Pro Donut list that it has pretty colors. This in fact is not a pro. it is stupid fact.

I need to be told which things actually will count on my pro/con list. If i have my mind already set to do one thing, i will add a bunch of mundane things, subconsciously mind you, to the pro list to make it outweigh the cons. Like if it is a jelly donut it has "fruit." it may smell nice, it may be free in the teacher work room. Done, pro list longer, although pointless.

now i have to wonder when in fact is a pro/con list useable?
What bike to buy perhaps.
Where to go to dinner? that depends on whose buying.
what pair of plaid short to wear to work? no, just make sure not to wear a tie-dye shirt.
to race a bike on a specific day or not. legit.
to race a certain bike on a certain day where nothing will really be affected one way or the other, no sleep will be lost, nobody will cry. Perfect.

But i am in a complete deadlock. this system sucks.

When in doubt, post about someone else

"Well dear friends-this is FINALLY the email that says 'We did it'!!!

Carrie and I walked ourselves into Canada yesterday, September 21st at 11:45 am. It was bittersweet and incredibly surreal to have an end to such a grand adventure. My parents and our dear friend Pete met us on the trail, a few miles before the very end and walked the last few moments of the trail with us.

146 days after leaving the Mexican border we are stronger, leaner and hopefully wiser. It was a summer that we will never forget.Thank you to each and every one of you for following along and being our cheerleaders. We would never have made it without all the support, phone calls, emails, care packages and family/friend stops along the way. We don't really have a clue what's next but hopefully that comes together in the next few weeks. We'll keep you posted. You should know that we'll probably be laying around for at least the next few days."