Friday, July 5, 2013

American Diabetes Association Gold Country Tour de Cure May 4, 2013



So much to spill! Yesterday (May 4th) was the Tour de Cure Century Ride for the America Diabetes Association. I signed up for it in December. I have participated in this event before, the difference this time around is that my friend, the ultimate planner, who planned our training and did all the research when we did it before was not doing it this time around. She definitely did an awesome job because I don’t remember feeling bad at all after the ride. 

I was on my own for this ride. After “training” all winter, I did my test rides, 50 miles - easy, 60 miles - no problem. I did not get to do the 75 mile test. Fast forward.

I tend to stress myself out and back in 2010 I only got about an hour of sleep before the event. My goal this time was to be all prepared in advance and to have a nice relaxing day before the event so that I would sleep well.  I took Friday off from work to sleep in (just in case I couldn’t fall asleep Friday night) and to make it a relaxing day; I scheduled a pedicure, a manicure and a brow shaping.  I had it planned; get all my stuff gathered together before my 11:00 pedicure and then have lunch, lounge around or do some chores, get my manicure and pick up my race packet, come home, have a nice relaxing dinner with Mark, watch a movie... Great plan, unfortunately I have A.D.D. when it comes to doing things.  I guess I should start making strict lists to follow.  I was getting stuff together and then did the dishes, started getting stuff together and started doing something else. Soon it was time to go for my pedicure. I tried a new shop and the gal was ok.  I most likely won’t go back to her, but it was relaxing (in between nervousness attacks, especially when one of the ladies said there was thunderstorms and rain in the forecast for Saturday).  I double checked the weather, no thunderstorms in the forecast, clear and warm.  I came home, made my second attempt to get all my stuff together (really there’s not that much stuff, I just kept getting side tracked) and got hungry, so I made myself lunch which resulted in cleaning the kitchen again.  In the blink of an eye it’s time for my manicure. Ugh, the usual hustle bustle starts!  I head off to my manicure appointment.

I had decided to wear my 2010 Tour de Cure jersey for the ride Saturday, the jersey is a bright orange and yellow and I wanted to have my nails done to match.  They had the perfect color and ironically it is called “Are we there yet!” Really, what are the odds?  My manicurist rushed a bit, but that was fine, not the relaxing manicure I had hoped for, but it was nice.  When I was done with my brows and manicure, I headed to the store for a couple of last minute items.  Then I remembered, I was going to pick up my race packet at Folsom Bike after my manicure, but in true form I forgot to print out my emergency contact form and bring the couple of checks that I needed to turn in, so I had to go  home and get the forgotten items and head back out. Luckily it’s not too far.

My day consisted of calm, extreme nervousness, calm, extreme nervousness. Mark made his dinner and pretty much my dinner and then there was another batch of dishes to do.  So now it’s getting later and later and I ask Mark if he checked my tires for me, we decided to switch the back tire for a newer tire.  So again true to form, late in the evening I got a tire changing lesson (all the while thinking we should have been doing this yesterday), which was good, but since I was stressed, I wasn’t pleased during the lesson, but very thankful after.  I’m so glad he puts up with me!
I have pretty much everything lined up on a towel on the dining room table: shoes, gloves, headband, arm covers, helmet, 2 water bottles, sunscreen, lip balm, Kleenex, ID card, Credit and Debit Cards, Kaiser Card, cash, bag of nuts, craisins, dates and peanut butter filled pretzels, antibacterial gel, change of clothes for after the ride, deodorant, hat, brush, and in the refrigerator I have an apple and orange cut up and 2 almond butter sandwiches with banana, dates, honey and cinnamon, Motrin, electrolyte water tablets, and an empty baggies to squirrel away a couple Oreos that are at the rest stop that I want to enjoy after the ride (they usually have Red Vines and Oreos along with fruit and PB&J sandwiches or bagels at the rest stops but I never feel like eating the junk food during the ride and for some reason they never have it at the finish, so this time I’m going to remember to bring a baggie to take it with me!).  

Really the only things I need to take are: 2 water bottles, electrolyte tablets (and really not even those as the rest stops have Gatorade), my shoes, my helmet, my headband, my gloves, my ID, Kaiser Card, Money and a credit card, sunscreen and lip balm.  I like to take my own snacks, so I prepped an apple, an orange, 2 almond butter-banana-honey-cinnamon-date sandwiches, a bag of peanut butter filled pretzels mixed in with almonds, cashews, craisins and dates and a granola bar.  When I picked up my ride packet they gave me 2 “Gu” packets and 4 mini Luna Bars, so when I got home I nixed the granola bar and added the 2 Gu packets, knowing I wouldn’t eat them since I had no idea what they would do to my stomach (a 100 mile ride is not the place to test new food) and 2 Luna Bars.  The funny thing about all this food is there are rest stops about every 25 miles with food. The Tour de Cure usually has awesome food at the rest stops: PB&J, oranges, bananas and then licorice and sometime trail mix or protein/energy bars, so technically, I didn’t need to pack all this stuff, but I wasn’t taking any chances!

Finally, my food prepped, clothes laid out, ID and money ready, sunscreen, etc, tire changed.  Now it’s time for a shower. It’s only 9:45, so not too late. Shower, watch a little TV and can’t sleep. Not going to get upset about it. Dear Lord, please let me fall asleep… Dear Lord, I am not going to get upset because you know what is right for me, if I don’t need the sleep, I don’t…. Dear Lord, I hand you all my worries, stress and fear for tomorrow. Your will shall be done and I leave it in your hands. Please Lord; let me get some sleep….  I think I dosed off and on until about 1:00 am, then I got up and took a little sip of Nyquil. I must have fallen asleep somewhere between 1:30 and 2:00; the alarm went off at 4:30.

I turn the alarm off and get up and into the shower. No time for A.D.D. this morning (ha!), I want to leave between 5:15 and 5:20.  After I got out of the shower, I put the chamois cream on my shorts and got dressed. Not hungry, but per all the “books” I should eat something so I made some oatmeal, it is 5:10, of course I’m running late! My mom and Mark are dropping me off and so my Mom arrives about 5:30, Mark loads my stuff. I brush my teeth; it’s almost 5:40!  I don’t know how I loose so much time. I get in the Tahoe; I forgot the sunscreen, I run back into the house, back to the truck and we’re off.

I have a prime parking spot because I have awesome friends, family and neighbors and with their help I raised over $1,000! We don’t have to trek to the registration area, it’s right nearby, because, I’m a “Champion” due to the funds raised ($1590 total!!).  We park and my nerves kick into high gear and I need to visit the porta-potty, and luckily they are right by our parking spot!  I go pick up a copy of the route sheet, even though I have it on my Garmin and I already made a print out of it, but it doesn’t have the rest stops. The volunteers are getting breakfast ready for folks, they have KIND nut bars out on the table, I grab 2 and stick them in my back jersey pocket (because I don’t have enough food squirreled away already!) Ok, now I put on my sunscreen, headband, helmet, shoes, put the food and water bottles on the bike and I guess that’s it. Wait, Mom wants to take some pictures. She takes a picture of me and I look totally nervous in it when I look back at it, but it is such an accurate shot. She then took a picture of Mark and me and then he took one of me with her.  Ok, now it’s time to get to the start line.

The announcer is making the announcements and my mom is asking Mark what the red light means on our camera as it’s not taking photos, he doesn’t know. She tries to ask me, I don’t know. I tell her, “Mom, I don’t know, I’m trying to listen to the instructions.” I’m so rude and such a brat, but that happens when I’m nervous and especially when I’m about to ride off on a 100 mile trek all by my lonesome (but really that’ no excuse; again so lucky to have my hubby and mom who put up with me!). 

At the start line I roll in behind the crowd of folks (who appear to be all men) who are there for the official 6:30 start time for the Century ride.  The Metric Century (62 miles) starts at 7:30, the 31 mile ride starts at 9:30 and the 10 miler starts at 10:30.  I overheard on the route that some folks started at 6:00, probably what I should have done. 

I look at my mom who is taking pictures and I ask if she sees any gals in the crowd, she said maybe one. I see some longer hair with curls, but it’s a fella.  Off we go!  I’m the last in the group but I’m with the group.  We head out HP’s driveway and make a right onto Foothills Blvd.  We ride down a ways and then hog the lanes as we all merge across to get in the left turn lane to turn left onto Pleasant Grove.  I hear a car, it’s Mark and Mom, I’m cutting them off!  I let the cyclists around me know it’s my husband and mom, so we’re good to go. They get behind us in the turn lane.  I turn around a couple of times to wave. The light turns green and we’re off and Mark and Mom drive on by, I wave good-bye, it’s just me now. I’m riding behind a younger guy; well, probably younger than me, at least.  I ask him how long he thinks this will take him, he’s not sure, he’s never done a Century before, and soon he zooms off toward the front of the pack.
We weave through a neighborhood and end up behind the Fountains in Roseville on Reserve Drive and then onto Berry Street, where we cross over Galleria/Harding Blvd onto the Humbug bike trail, I’m excited because I recently learned about this trail and have been taking it to work, so I’m familiar with it. You have to be careful though because there are yellow 3’ tall poles in the center entering and exiting the bike path, so if you’re not paying attention, it won’t be good. I overheard at a later rest stop that someone crashed into a pole and caused a chain reaction. Not sure how bad though and it could just be urban legend.

We ride along the bike paths and out into the neighborhoods of Rocklin and weave our way to Midas Ave, then Pacific Street and the back roads until we turn onto English Colony off of Swetzer Rd.  Just before this I catch up to a gentleman who introduces himself as Lauren. He asks if I am riding with anyone and I tell him no, I couldn’t get any of my girlfriends to agree to do it.  I ask about him, he’s with some of the other guys but he is doing the Metric Century as he went out on the course during the planning stages and decided he hadn’t trained well enough for the hills for 100 miles.  We chatted a while and then we separated a little on the English Colony rolling hills. By this time the guys who stopped in the beginning at the first rest stop are already passing us up again. Guys are so dang strong and fast! 

Our first main rest stop is at mile 16 at Trailhead Coffee Shop. I use the potty, fill up my water bottle, notice another gal is here, I smile at her and say hello.  Lauren sees me and tells me I’m stronger than him on the hills, so he won’t be seeing me much.  I laugh and say we’ll see and I leave the rest stop.
I am riding up Taylor Road and a group of cyclists in Team in Training jerseys pass me by, a couple of them ask if I’m the number 2 fundraiser, as my bib number is 2. I tell them, no, just apparently the second person to pick up my bib. Well, as they zoomed past me I couldn’t say, number 2 only because there were 3 different bibs, the regular white bib, the red bib for those riding with diabetes and the yellow/gold bib which means Champion Fundraiser ($1,000+ in donations received).  Then the gal from the rest stop passes me up. I’m not sure if she’s with the Tour de Cure or the Team in Training group or riding by herself.  We ride up Taylor Road and there is construction going on just past the left turn for Lozanos Rd. The route sheet says left on Ophir, I’ve seen Ophir several times, but get thrown off by the construction and miss the Red and Green arrows pointing to go straight ahead and I turn left on Lozanos. I have the route programed in my GPS and shortly after I turn it starts beeping at me and flashing “off course.” Then I see a few guys with bibs coming back towards Taylor Road. I ask if it’s the wrong way and the say yes, so we go back to Taylor Rd and meet up with about 5 others in the group and the gal. Everyone is questioning if going through the construction is correct, and the gal said she saw the arrows that show go straight and I told them my Garmin told me I was off course when I went left, so we all wait and wait for the flag man to turn the stop sign around and let us pass through.

We pass through the construction mess and continue on.  Our first major hurdle is Baxter Grade around mile 25.  I have heard of this hill for a few years now and only rode it for the first time about two months ago.  I am now riding with Maria, the gal from the rest stop; she is doing the Tour de Cure and so we ride along together.  She is from Davis and not used to the Newcastle area.  I warn her Baxter Grade is a challenging hill, but only 1.3 miles.  As we are ascending the hill, a volunteer is waiting at a bend asking if we want to participate in the time trial to the top, there are prizes.  I think he’s insane.  I jest, unless there is a prize for the slowest… He says they are doing different prizes, I said thanks but no thanks.  Getting to the top is prize enough for me.  Another gal caught up to us on Baxter and she decided to stop and sing up for it (I’m sorry but I refuse to stop on the hill, unless it’s an emergency!)  She eventually passes us, huffing and puffing.  We are only at mile 25, no way am I burning all my energy now! 

Shortly after Baxter Grade, we come to the next rest stop.  They are having a BBQ, and they have fruit and peanut butter sandwiches, Red Vines and now, a week later, I can’t remember if there were Oreos!  We use the restroom and grab a couple pieces of fruit, refill the water bottles and head back out.  We are around mile 30.  Lauren is at the rest stop, he is ready to turn around to finish the Metric Century, he says good-bye and we all head out on our courses.
We head out toward Camp Far West.  Maria isn’t eating too much, which amazes me.  I need to fuel up and I’m afraid to get dehydrated because the last time I did the Century in 2010, I got really bad toe cramps and my feet felt like they were on fire.  It could have been partially due to dehydration, so not this time!  I was drinking about one twenty-four ounce bottle of water and one twenty-four ounce bottle of water with a Nuun electrolyte tablet dissolved in it about every 20 miles or so.

The country side is beautiful.  It’s amazing the homes that are out in the “middle of nowhere.”  It makes you wonder, what do these people do for a living and what made them decide to build their homes out here.  We ride past the lake at Camp Far West heading back toward Lincoln.  A lady cyclist passes by on the other side of the street.   We say hello and then a few minutes later she joins us.  She asked if we were on a group ride as she saw some other cyclists pass by earlier.  We told her we are doing the Diabetes ride.  She asks if she can ride with us a while as she lives out there and is on her regular 20 mile loop and would love the company.  We discover she is in her early 50’s, her husband passed away a few years ago, she paddles and cycles and is debating moving back to Folsom or Fair Oaks to be closer to activities, but that it’s a really tough decision for her as it’s so beautiful where she lives.

As we’re riding we come across a mini rest stop, at first we pass it and then turn around.  The rest stop we just came from was 20 miles from here and that’s the next stop.  We go back and they apologize that they have not been brought water.  I’m thinking oh no!  The stop is in the parking lot of a little convenience store, so I go in and buy four big bottles of water.  Maria gave me some money to use as well.  We fill up our bottles and leave the remaining water for the next couple of folks who may stop.  Just then the SAG support truck pulls up with a case of water.  There was a miscommunication; the itinerary shows this to be an unmanned stop.  With our water bottles topped off, we head out again.

The next rest stop is at about mile 70; it’s getting pretty warm out.  We would have been ok if we didn’t stop at the mini rest stop as it wasn’t 20 miles to the next stop.  We arrive at the rest stop pretty quickly after the mini stop.  We pop-in to top off our waters.  I give Maria my GU packets as she still isn’t eating much and we have Ridge Road, a major hill climb coming up in 8 miles.  A few of us are talking about the remainder of the ride, one of the guy’s in the group, say’s “Ridge Road? That’s not a hill.” I ask him if he thought Baxter Grade was a hill and he laughed.  I guess humor makes the mountain seem flatter? I don’t know!  Maria tells me it’s ok if I break away as she knows it’s easier to keep your own pace, especially on this distance of a ride.  I hate to lose the company, but she’s right and I want to try and get back by 2:30.  I notice my stomach is beginning to feel a little out of sorts.  I’ve eaten some fruit, some of my mixed nuts and pretzel mix and some of my sandwiches, I’m not used to the electrolyte tablets, I’m not sure what’s causing the nausea in my tummy and I am also annoyed that my toes keep cramping up. 

We head out, I am again riding solo.  I come to the turn for Ridge Road.  I am not looking forward to this, but I remind myself that after this climb, it’s pretty much all downhill.  I can do it.  It’s getting hotter.  I start my accent.  I see a cyclist pulled of the side of the road cooling off, I keep pedaling.  I look up and coming down the road is Mark and Mom.  I wave and they turn around and end up behind me.  At first I am quite annoyed that they are driving behind me.  But then I am glad to semi have the company and the fact that they are behind me makes me keep my speed up higher than it would have been had they not been there.  After the climb, I cruise down to Taylor Road and make a right and head back toward Trailhead Coffee.  Mark and Mom pass me by. 

I was going to skip the Trailhead rest stop, but I see Mark and Mom are waiting there, so I pull in.  It was probably a good idea to stop as I wasn’t feeling well and I was getting hot.  I unloaded some of my excess gear with them and cooled down a little.  Just as I was getting ready to head off, I saw Maria coming down the road.  She swung into the rest stop and we rode down the hill together.
Detour! There is a train blocking the road.  One guy had been waiting for 5 minutes already; he wasn’t climbing back up to Taylor Road (although it wasn’t that big of a climb, I totally understood where he was coming from).  We road back to Trailhead and found we could pick the route back up by going down Taylor Road.  My Garmin picked the route back up once we were on course, however I noticed it shaved about 2 miles off our ride.  The ride was already only 98 miles, so now I needed to make up 4 more miles.  My stomach was nauseous, my feet were cramping up and I was getting a headache, but I was excited that we were at mile 92!  As we rolled up Foothills Boulevard my feet were on fire, but I was determined to ride a full 100 miles, not 94. 

I tell Maria that I am going to go straight past Hewlett Packard and loop back around so I hit 100 miles.  She said she figured if I can ride with cramps in my feet, she can add a few more miles.  We pass Hewlett Packard, Blue Oaks and the street dead ends; we turn around, make a right onto Blue Oaks and ride to the next signal, make a u-turn and back to Foothills Boulevard.  We turn right back onto Foothills and right into the Hewlett Packard entrance to the finish line.  There is a photographer taking photos of the folks coming across the finish line.  I see Mark, where’s mom?

Mark tells me my mom went to the truck to get something.  When she comes back she has me “recreate” the finish so she can take pictures.  Although I’m feeling awful, the pictures come out like I’m having a ball because I’m laughing because the photographer is taking more photos of me too!
We head over to the BBQ area, there is a raffle going on and I want to see if there are any snacks I can have.  I see a box of bagels and want to dive in but don’t feel like reading the ingredient label.  I still have half a sandwich, but it’s on my bike and Mark put the bike in the truck… I have a KIND nut bar in my back pocket, I inhale that, turned out not to be a good idea as it did not help my stomach. 
I was given a medal for being a Champion for Diabetes because I raised $1590, I got to go up and receive it.  That was pretty cool.  After that, I went to the free massage area as my neck and shoulders were killing me.  The gal did a great job, but I was so tense, I needed about a 2 hour massage and it was supposed to be a 15 minute massage, but she went a little longer.

That’s it, all the training, all the begging for donations, all the worry, all the fear, all the planning, all over, just like that.  I text my girlfriends who I ride with on occasion that I’m done and alive.  I had big plans for my evening after the ride.  Last time my girlfriend had a BBQ party for us and I felt fine, I was thankful that my brother’s Birthday BBQ had been moved to Sunday, as I was not feeling well.

We got home, I laid down on the couch and my head throbbed and my stomach would not let me eat or drink anything.  I was annoyed as I had my dinner feast all planned.  I ended up getting off the couch around 5 and going to bed.  I sent a text to my friend to tell her that I was not feeling well, she texted back with her prescription and with a note saying that she was going to save this text!  I get what we dub as riders amnesia, I forget the pain and suffering, hence I ride again and again.  She has my back; she’ll remind me of the pain!  I texted her back, no need to save, I felt so awful, I wouldn’t forget!  It wasn’t until about midnight that I could actually eat.

I woke up Sunday morning feeling fabulous and excited about the ride.  My appetite was still smaller than normal, but I felt good and was ready to tackle the day!  I texted my friend, “you’d better save the text!”


 My hubby Mark and "Amni"
 Um, yeah, I look nervous!
U
 First few pedal Strokes!
 Before the ride 6:29 am
 Finished
 Finished!
 Berry St
 The real finish!
 Ridge Road
 Ridge Rd
 Finished!
 Finished







Sunday, January 20, 2013

2013 is Cruising Right Along

It’s hard to believe January 2013 is already more than half over.  Time sure does fly.  I always hope to make every moment count, but I’m only human and I get lazy for lack of a better word, or maybe tired… 
This winter has been gorgeous for bike riding.  My only wish is that I could ride mid week, well if you know me, my wish would be that I was able to ride my bike every day.  I don’t know what it is about riding, but it resets my whole body, mind and spirit.  Sometimes it’s really hard to get myself out the door on the bike, but once I’m on the saddle and begin to pedal, I want to kick myself for delaying the ride. 
It’s been several months since I’ve written anything about my rides.  Some have been uneventful and some have had a few grins.  Since I’ve last written, I rode 50 miles from Newcastle to Colfax and 50 miles from Newcastle to Foresthill (what an amazing view). Two gorgeous rides.  I went out for a 30 mile ride Christmas Eve and it turned into a 50 mile ride! Other than those three rides most rides have been between 23-35 miles.
I signed up to ride a Century in May to raise funds for the American Diabetes Association. I have raised $490.00 of my $1000.00 goal (http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/TourdeCure/A2SCR-SacramentoArea?px=5376322&pg=personal&fr_id=8672 ). It’s the Gold Country Tour de Cure.  I stepped out of my comfort zone and went to a “meet up” for a training ride.  It was a nice group of folks; the ride coordinator said there would be about 7,500’ of climbing.  I better start some serious hill climb training.  That ride was in December, there hasn’t been another one yet. I’m a bit nervous as last time I did a Century was 3 years ago and I had a couple of friends along for the ride.
The meet up group had a couple of guys who were doing what they call the “back-to-back” where they are riding the Century in Roseville on Saturday and going down and riding the Napa Century on Sunday!  I’m intrigued, but I don’t think I would make it. I would love to try, but I think I might need to pass.

I guess I’ll start with yesterday’s ride and then as time permits, I will write a little about the past rides if any are of any entertainment or intrigue!
My goal was to get a minimum of 30 miles in yesterday. I have my normal route, but decided I would venture off to a different route.  Background for this decision: My supervisor and I are each making a batch of cupcakes for work and I had taken her the cake mix, but didn’t have the frosting. My hubby bought a can of frosting Friday night, so I thought, I’ll ride the frosting to her place, which is near the office, so I can see how long it will take to get to work and deliver the frosting.

All went well and there was nothing exciting to report on the ride to her house.  I did learn her place is exactly 15 miles from my house!  The route I took was only 14 miles to work and it took me an hour.  My old route is 17 miles and used to take about an hour and 5 to 10 minutes.
Oh, I did get blown past on a hill by a fellow cyclist.  One of these day’s I will learn how to get stronger and faster!

I was debating my route back home, I didn’t really want to go back the way I came, so I decided to go my old route home, cutting off Industrial which is a horrible road and braving the Blue Oaks overpass to see if I would want to go this way in the future if I ride in.  It’s not too gnarly heading home, but I won’t come that way in the morning. 
I got passed on the right (big no-no) by two Davis team cyclists, and then I was back to on my own. The ride was familiar and I still wish there were some bike lanes in some areas, but no close calls.  I was doing pretty well and I have no idea where my mind was, but next thing I knew I was riding past my turn!  I sort of think it was subconscious, because I was not looking forward to riding Oak Avenue home, that is one hilly road on a bike!  Since I couldn’t turn around I decided to be adventurous and go a new way home.

I almost laid my bike down making a left turn when I hit a rock in the road just right, thankfully I recovered and stayed upright!  I kept riding hoping that my memory of how to get home this way was correct.  I was on Old Auburn looking for Roseville Parkway to Barton.  I found Roseville Parkway and was hoping I didn’t have to turn onto another street when another cyclist pulled up beside me. I asked if this road took me out to Barton and he confirmed it did.  He actually stayed at my pace and was chatting a bit, he was talking and pulling ahead on the hill, at this point I was on mile 30 of my “30” mile ride.  I had to tell him I couldn’t keep up with him on the hill climb, so he slowed down.  Seemed like a nice guy, had a nice bike.  I found out he was recently divorced, moved home with his parents and drove a gas truck.  We had a nice visit and once we got to Barton Rd, he vanished as all the guys do with their super leg strength!  Yes, I know it’s wrong to be, but I’m jealous.
I made it home clocking 34.29 miles, not too shabby!  I really need to get a mid week ride in or get on the trainer so that I can keep my pedal power up so I’m not starting over every weekend.

I’m finishing up my breakfast to get ready to head out for a quick 20-25 mile ride. I would love to get 30 miles in, but I have to be home in time for a lunch date, so I’ll only go so far.  If I were faster, I could go farther! It was surprisingly warm yesterday, but I was riding in mid afternoon, I am afraid it’s going to be chilly this morning, hopefully not too bad.  I will hope to get a chance to write about today’s ride later on.  Have a great day!
(Per Cyclemeter: 34.29 miles, Ride time: 2 hrs 10 min, average speed: 15.8 mph, calories burned: 1584.)

Sunday, September 16, 2012

The Cookies Made Me Do It!


It’s been a while.  I’ve been riding, not as much as I would like to, but some is better than none.  I keep thinking I need to write it all down, I’ve had some rides where there wasn’t much to report and I’ve had some rides where I think you would be quite entertained.

On two separate rides I’ve seen full size bucks that didn’t make it across the street; the strange thing is they seem to come to rest in a spot that keeps them from endangering another person and keeping themselves from getting run over again.  One was in the “suicide lane” and the other was in the bike lane.  Strange.

Since I have a million and one things I am supposed to be doing right now, I’ll see if I can keep this brief, but for those of you, who actually know me, yeah, wish me luck!

So, I got up at 4:40 Saturday morning to start on my list of a million things to do.  I started off very productive, I was going to log into work and work about an hour and then head out for my ride so I could be back by 9:30.  A piece of furniture was being delivered and last weekend when they delivered it, it had some damage and I wasn’t home so this time Mark wanted me home to ok the fix.  I figured if I rode out at 6:30 I could be back by 9:30 if I did a long ride, but I got involved in my work and the next thing I knew it was 8.  I jumped in the shower and went to feed the neighbors cat.

The delivery guys showed up and brought in the piece.  It looked good to me.  I didn’t realize how long they would be setting it up and I should have (hind sight is always 20-20) took off at this point as it was about 10 and probably not too hot, but I got involved in vacuuming and laundry and then I started getting hungry and tired, had I left I would have been golden, but nope.

I was picking things up and then they left, Mark still has to adjust it , so I couldn’t move all the stuff that is in the living room back into the other room.  We’re hungry so we fix our lunch around 12.  I’d say I don’t know why I was so hungry, but I have a feeling it was due to my very creative but tiny dinner from the night before, but that’s a story for another time.  I ate and ate and ate, then I wanted desert, so I made cookies and then I ate way too many of those.  I eat when I’m tired and avoiding chores (makes sense right, sure.) 

So with my belly bomb and it now being about 1: 30 or 2, I figure I’d better start cleaning again as I have company coming and a messy unorganized home.  I can’t ride; we have to take the dog to the vet at 3:30.  The glass on the new furniture is all smudged and oily looking so I attempt every single cleaning tip on the web to clean the glass. I don’t know about you, but I can never get the annoying smudges off the mirrors or glass.  I tried my good glass cleaner, nope, I thought, well it seems kind of greasy or oily, so I tried 409, nope.  I got onto Google.  Try straight vinegar, ok, this I’ve done on mirrors before to some success, nope.  Shaving Cream? I’m desperate, I give it a go (folks, do not try this one, it just makes a bigger mess).  Good old hot water, soap and a sponge, ah…. Much better, I just need to check the results in different lighting to make sure the streaks just aren’t hiding.  Who knew?

Ok, so now it’s time to take Nanook to the vet.  That was a long appointment, we got home just before 5:00 with a much lighter wallet and 3 different medications, poor guy, I knew he hadn’t been feeling good.  So as not to leave you hanging, he has an infection and needed antibiotics and his left eardrum is ruptured, so he gets drops and some pain medication.   My poor guy.

So we get home and I’m lying on the couch, I am SO tired, why did I get up at 4:40? Oh yeah, to get stuff done.  Well, at least I accomplished a little, but my cookie and other food item belly bomb is telling me, I should get some movement in.  Mark and I are chatting, it’s getting close to 6, I know the sun is going down earlier; I just haven’t been paying attention to how early.  We both do bad math and say I should be good to go.

Now, had I rolled out the door at 6, I would have been ok, I rolled out at 6:22, ah, tummy not too comfortable, but I can do this, I will just ride to Costco and back, 22 miles about.  I head out, I come to one intersection and I pass a police car parked off the side of the road, ok.  I go a little ways more and pass another police car that just parked and the officer is getting out of the vehicle (he didn’t pull all the way over to the curb either, just an observation).  I think, hmm that’s interesting.  I get to the crossing, I go a little ways and another police officer drives by.  Wow, well, it is Saturday night and I got to thinking, we rarely leave the house on Saturday night, so maybe this is normal!  As I’m heading toward Costco I notice the absence of any other cyclists, I usually see at least one no matter what time I ride.  I also notice it seems to be getting dark, maybe it’s just my sunglasses, should I cut my ride short and not go down to Costco and turn around, nah, I have time, plus I have a bunch of cookie calories to try and counteract.  I go down the Costco hill; it does seem to be getting dark…

As I come up the Costco hill I decide to shave off a little extra loop I do to add miles.  I’m booking it down Empire Ranch.  I blow through a stop sign, but not as fast as I usually do because there are cars there, I slow enough to go through it with the car on my side, as I’m rolling through I notice the police car on the other side, dang it, I hope he has better things to do than give me a ticket for running a stop sign, but I definitely would have no excuse, except, “I’m sorry officer, I live on the other side of the river and it’s getting dark and I don’t have lights with me, so I’m going as fast as I can.” Think he would have bought it? 

I get to my turn to head home where I usually go straight and then come back to add mileage but; I cut off this other addition and start heading home.  Yeah, it’s getting dark.  (Side note, I usually have a flasher and a headlight, but I’ve been riding in the daytime so I took the headlight off and my flasher flew off on another ride when I hit a pot hole and I haven’t replaced it.  Maybe I will add that to my list of things to do today.)  I’m coming up to the street that would take me to my brother-in-law’s house, hmmm, should I stop at his house and call Mark to get me, or keep riding.  I get to the intersection and there is my brother-in-law at the light, so I wave as I pass by (the cookie belly bomb is pressing me on, burn those calories).  I think to myself, he’s thinking, um, it’s getting dark, are you crazy?  I’ll have to ask him what he was thinking, or maybe I just thought it was darker than it was.  I’m pedaling as fast as I can, but I need to be faster.  How I wish I had my headlight and a flasher.  I hope my few reflectors are reflecting.  It’s more like twilight; I take off my glasses so I can see a little easier.

Most of the routes I ride take me by family, so I always have a rescue point.  I have the keys to a few family members’ homes just in case.  Do I have my keys with me today, no, I thought of it as soon as I pulled into the street, but I thought, I’ve yet to need them…

So I am back to the crossing, I play a mental game with myself every time I hit this hill.  I try not to let my speed go less than 9 mph.  Now I busted out the hill coming up which I usually don’t do, so I was hoping my legs had the juice to go back up the hill.  My legs are tired and I just want to get home and my speedometer drops to below 9 mph for a second, no, I have to go faster, pedal!  I get to the top of the crossing.  Ok, there is no denying it, it’s dark, there is some light in the sky, but it’s dark.

I am going across the top of the crossing and I usually go anywhere from 25 -30 mph down the crossing, but since for all intensive purposes I can’t see what lies before me, I need to go slower, which doesn’t help me get home any faster.  I see the one cyclist coming up the crossing (I see him because like a smart man, he has a very bright headlight).  He’s yelling at me and is making a fist with his thumb pointing out and pumping his arm.  Of course I’m thinking he’s yelling, you idiot, don’t you know it’s dark and you’re making cyclists look stupid?  But of course we pass only for a second and he’s obviously trying to point something out to me.  I think I hear something like “ear.”  I focus ahead, “oh shnikey!”  There is a HUGE buck running the trail, oh, he’s saying “deer, deer!”  Thanks dude!

How the heck am I going to get home?!  I start mentally willing the deer to cross the street but not to get hit, cross, but don’t get hit, cross but don’t get hit.  There is no way I’m going anywhere near him, at first I thought it was small until I got a little but not much closer and he turned his head to check out traffic, oh my gosh, he was HUGE and his antlers were quite the rack.  Cross, cross!!! He starts to cross, phew, ok, don’t get hit, don’t get hit.  He makes it across the 5 or 6 lanes and starts running full speed down the other side.  Now I start willing him, “stay over there, stay over there, don’t cross back over, don’t cross back over.”  Of course just this very minute writing this I realize I’m lucky nothing was on the trail to make me crash because I was totally focused on the shadow of the buck running.  He then disappears down the cliff toward the river.  Thank goodness, we both made it down unscathed!  I pull into the gas station under a light.  I call Mark, where are you, did you know it’s dark?  Yeah, we misjudged that.  

I am a mile from Grandma’s and its all neighborhood streets, but of course I don’t have her key and she can’t let me in.  He is just pulling onto our street and has some groceries.  I ask if he wants to come to Grandma’s house, he paused and I realized, he doesn’t have the cookie bomb in his tummy, he’s probably hungry for dinner, and he is.  He asks if he can meet me there, his dinner will take 20 minutes to fix (he’s thinking I have my key so I can visit her, had I had her key, I would have done this.).  I tell him I’ll just come home as I can ride through a neighborhood and there won’t be traffic and that if it’s too dark or scary, I will call him to come get me.

I don’t think the street lights are on the timers for it to get dark so early.  Man is it dark.  I keep thinking to myself, see this is why “you” don’t judge people.  I usually get upset when I see bicycle riders in the dark without lights (especially without reflective gear) and even riding on the wrong side of the street (but I still get annoyed with this.)  Now I’m thinking, maybe they got stuck like I did.  They don’t have a choice, they have to get home.  Me, I had a choice to be rescued, but I chose not to (I blame the cookies, wait, I ate the cookies…).   I’m thinking there’s no way I can’t get hit by a car because the car will hit the plank sticking out of my eye before it ever gets to me! 

I get to the last street before my neighborhood and hop on the sidewalk, I’m being stupid riding in the dark, but I’m not going to be that stupid and ride in the bike lane.  I head up the hill to my house, dang it’s dark, spooky dark, the trees are casting shadows.  I pull into my driveway at 7:58.  Phew, made it. Mark meets me at the door.  I tell him to thank the Lord for getting me home safely (I’ve already done this a few times).  He asks concerned, did you almost get hit by a car?  Surprisingly, no.  I said no, that’s why I said thank the Lord for getting me home.  So, thank you Lord, I will definitely try not to do that again, if it gets dark and I don’t have lights, I will call for a ride.

Moral of the story: Don’t ride unprepared and don’t eat a bunch of cookies, they make you do crazy things! J  A cookie a day keeps the crazy away!

 

 

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Sunday, July 15, 2012 (and Thursday, Friday and Saturday Prior!)

I don’t know why, but I keep thinking today is Saturday and yesterday I kept thinking it was Sunday…
Let’s see, it was Thursday I do believe when I last posted.  Um, yeah, I didn’t do the DVD, the couch sucked me in, and I needed a rest day.  I was bound and determined to ride Friday morning, regardless of the amount of sleep I would have.  I had to make sure to get up early because I needed to get to work early so I could leave early for a baseball game after work. 
The alarm went off and I began to question if this was such a good idea.  The bed makes such a convincing argument, which is why I must remember that when the alarm goes off I must get up, or the bed will win as the couch did Thursday night.  They are so dang persuasive.
Up! I stumble down the hall, oh my goodness, did I drink in my sleep?  Coffee, yes, definitely need coffee.  Start the coffee brewing and put my gear on.  I drink my coffee and grab my bike.  Ok, I’m off to a later start than I planned, so I can’t do the usual ride, plus it’s better to change it up.  I guess I’ll leave my Cyclemeter on ‘new route’ and just ride.  I have a little less than an hour, I need to be home by 7:00 so I can get ready and leave by 8:00, ideally, I’d leave at 7:30, but I can tell you already, that’s not going to happen, and actually since its Sunday, so I can tell you, it didn’t happen!
I head off at 6:05.  Today I take a picture of the sunrise coming over Folsom Dam, it’s a little bright, but I am in a hurry so I can’t worry about the photo opportunity.  I ride on and decide to take a left instead of a right.  I end up on Sophia Parkway and the view of the lake is phenomenal, for a moment I am envious of the homes that are to my right and left who have this as their view, but then I can enjoy the view for free whenever I want, so I change my mind, I’m good!  I snap a couple pictures and keep going.  I’m thinking, I’m getting faster at my 20 mile rides, it’s time to start tacking on some mileage when I do the rides on the days I work at home, I get an extra hour without the commute time plus I don’t have to do my hair or makeup…   I think this route I’m on now would be a good extension, it would add about another 4 miles, I meant to do the math, actually I think I did, I’ve just forgotten. 
I decide to make a U-turn and head back up Sophia Parkway instead of taking Green Valley Road.  Nothing too exciting occurred on this ride, just a “casual” ride before work. I had a squirrel run across the street in front of me, but that was about as interesting as the ride got, which is a good thing.
I roll up to the house at 7:33, oopsie!  I open the front door and Mark confirms the time, with a loving “you’re late.”  Yes, I know, I have 27 minutes to shower and get ready for work.  That’s the problem with cycling for me, once I get on my bike, I have a hard time (most of the time) ending the ride.
I decide it’s a good day for a pony tail since we have the baseball game in the evening and a dress.  I like dresses, no thought and usually no ironing involved.  However, if I had actually thought about it, I could have ironed my Capri’s and a top and then I wouldn’t have had to change after work.  Oh well, way too late to worry about it now, maybe I will remember in the future.. Sure...
Bless Mark’s heart, he made me a breakfast burrito to take into work with me and packed some snacks for me.  Out the door he ushers me at 8:00.  Woo hoo, made it to work by 8:30.  Mission Accomplished! (20.04 miles, 1:22:29 ride time, 922 calories).
Saturday I was supposed to run a 5k with a girlfriend in Davis, it has been on our calendar for months.  I meet her at her place at 5:00 PM (it’s an evening run).  Just as we are about to head out the door her phone rings.  It’s her dad; he tells us to turn on the news because the Yolo Causeway is being shut down due to an armed man on the loose.  Great.  We see the backlog of cars on the freeway… Should we try and go or not?  If we don’t go, will they still let us get our t-shirts?  It’s all about the shirt, you know!  As we are contemplating her husband chimes in with a smart comment, “um, do you think you should go with a man on the loose with an automatic weapon?”  Gotta say, good point. 
I was secretly ok with this as I was exhausted from the lack of sleep all week and my legs were sore!  We are both disappointed yet not so disappointed in the turn of events.  Per the news no one was injured by the “shooter” but there was a manhunt going on.  We decide to take a walk around her neighborhood in lieu of the “run.” 
We have a nice visit, walking our 5k at home and then when we get back to her house, the Cyclemeter map is showing we only walked 2 miles! Oh well, we’re good!  We head in and visit for a while and I head home. 
Today I rode with a group of friends.  We were aiming for a 40 mile ride and ended up with 45 miles, not too shabby!  I’m happy to say that there wasn’t too much excitement, overall a smooth ride, however, one of the gal’s got a flat tire on a hill, no fun, but she got that tired changed in no time flat.  She said it was her 3rd this year which was me last year.  The only good thing about flat after flat after flat is that you get really good at changing them, but then you forget if you don’t have to do it. I’d rather forget and not have flats!
I couldn’t believe it, we were riding, and the friend ahead of me made the light, I had to stop, I get rolling again and there is a little traffic backup from the signal and the cars are getting moving, and a motorcycle rider must have decided that the cars were moving too slow for him because next thing I know he is passing the cars on the right in the bike lane!  I was thinking, oh my gosh, I hope my friend is farther up ahead or else he’s going to be right in the line of fire.   The motorcycle pulled out from behind a SUV, so he wouldn’t have seen the cyclist in the bike lane.  I wished there had been a cop around, but no.  Fortunately my friend was up ahead and out of danger.  It still baffles me the stupid stuff drivers do.  I think it would be beneficial if you had to ride a bike on the streets prior to obtaining your driver’s license so that you can see what your actions can do.  I know riding makes me a much more conscientious driver.
Other than the motorcycle and the flat tire, it all went smoothly.  We swung into the shopping center at mile 40 and a couple of us got a frozen yogurt or coffee.  I have to say, the non-dairy watermelon yogurt was really, really good!  Refreshed, we headed back home to finish the ride. (Cyclemeter: 44.94 miles, 3:23:41 ride time, 1,991 calories)