Italian Cross Training

As some of you know, I just got back from spending 2 weeks in Italy. I had a blast and was able to get in plenty of exercise as well. I started out in Rome and roamed up and down the narrow streets, seeing the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Coliseum, and much of Eternal City. I spent a lot of time at the Vatican. St. Peter’s Square is quite large and I had the opportunity to climb 320 steps up to the top of the Coupa to see The Sistine Chapel. I saw the tombs of the Popes and the Chapel as well. Rome by night is amazing. The weather was gorgeous throughout the whole trip.

Many of the cities main transportation was via bicycle. I wish that I had mine, but mine would definitely stick out as there bicycles were quite a bit older than mine and were many different shapes and sizes.














The leaning Tower of Pisa is truly leaning. Climbing up to the top was a bit of a challenge as well. You definitely feel the towe leanning. But what a feeling when you reach the top and see the city from above. The stairways get smaller and smaller as you get to the top of the 293rd step.

Milan was crazy busy and cold. Florence was beautiful and we often found ourselves crisscrossing a lot of the same streets to get from one place to another. It was so beautiful and we wanted to see as much as we can with all the cobble stones. I know I left plenty of foot leather in that city. Lake Maggiore was absolutely breath taking. We hiked around the lake and spent a lot of time staring at the heavenly view of the Swiss Alps (photo is of Claudia, my roomate, and I with the Swiss Alps behind us). A day trip into Lugano, Switzerland granted me the opportunity to see several cycling teams training. Many of the pods flew by us as they were on a very fast pace.

In Verona I saw the homes of Romeo & Juliet and yes the infamous balcony. We trekked up and down the streets on this ancient city. But my favorite city had to be in Venice. OMG!!! It was very magical. We had the opportunity to see it both at night and in the day. The many little islands, canals and shops, kept our curiosity peaked the whole time. Around every corner was something different. It was a gorgeous city, not very crowded this time of year and the weather was very kind to us. It is like being at Disneyland. Everything is big, amazing and elaborate. Very colorful and it didn’t seem real. We didn’t want to get off of the gondola ride.

Assisi, is a medieval castle on the side of a mountain top. We climbed the roads of this very small town that had a Abbey and cute little nuns roaming the streets. It had a very story book feel. Many of the cobblestone roads were very steep and I wondered how the elderly got around.

Pompeii had us in awe. Mt Vesuvius had erupted and wipped out this whole community. Archeologists had uncovered a lot of the city and as we walked the excavated streets it was very clear how advanced the Romans were for their time. It was also very devastating to see all the damage that the volcano had caused.


Sorrento and Capri had breath tasking views along their coasts. We took a chair lift up to the top of Ana Capri and were amazing by the beauty that laid before us. Lots of steps and climbing as well.

Napoli (Naples) held both beauty and poverty. Saw where the first pizza was made and saw castles a midst some very poor communities.

I ate a lot (won’t be having Italian for a while), got a good workout walking the streets of every city we came too. My 23 travel mates plus the driver and tour director were from all over the world. It was fun to hear everyone’s stories. But I am glad to be home and can’t wait to get back on my bike and ride through beautiful Southern California.

Fall Certification

This fall I hit the books again. I earned a Personal Training Certification (I can now legally train people and earn money, yay!), ALC Training Ride Leader Certification and First Aid/ Adult CPR/ AED Certification as well. So we shall see what the future holds for me with my education.

Up and Over 35+ Miles

On Saturday, I rode from my house up and over Santa Susanna Pass (A mountainous road that connects the San Fernando Valley to Simi Valley) to my friend’s house in Simi (a little over 35 miles). She kindly filled my water bottles, visited with me for a bit, gave me a piece of gum and wished me luck on my venture home. I was feeling very strong. First time in a while, I’ve been under the weather lately. It was a really good feeling. However, Sunday I wasn’t feeling very well, so instead of riding the Griffith Park Loop I helped out with Training Ride by cheering them on and sign in and out participants. I even caught a nice workshop on bike fitting before the ride. It was fun to meet new cyclists and see familiar faces.

Riding/ Volunteering in Santa Monica

I continued riding this weekend. I rode with Santa Monica Bike Attack to the VA Center and back for about a 23 mile ride with lots of turns and a couple small hills. I couldn't believe that it was 8 am on a November morning and I had not even a sweater on. The high for the day I think was 86 degrees. Beautiful day! (above left to right: me, Vince, Heather & James)

Sunday I volunteered at the Cannondale/ Helen's Cycle workshop and training ride in Santa Monica. I wasn't feeling well that day so I didn't ride, but it was a blast to watch the riders go out and come in and I hung out at the ALC booth. I learned some new stretches at the stretching clinic. It was another warm, but warm day. I enjoyed chatting with Vince, James & Heather.

I have to mention another interesing product that was introduced to us by a fellow cyclist Stephanie was definately a conversation piece. She was introducing a product calle "P-Mate". It is used to assist women with using the restroom outdoors without discomfort and overexposure. Check it out Steph's web site at www.dontsquat.com. It definately caught some attention. Below is Stephanie modeling the product.

Photo Op

Here is a photo from the ride (ALC5 June 2006), and no those are not my unmentionables hanging from the clothing line. I had just come back from the showers and am being rushing off to dinner by my friends.

Back to Where it All Began

Well, I completed my first back to back ride since The Big Ride in June. After completing 25 miles on Saturday in Griffith Park, I completed another 22 on Sunday riding with Team Ventura. Team Ventura is such a great group of people. It was a beautiful morning. It got surprisingly warm, dry and windy on the way back. It had been a while since I had been in headwinds, so it was good practice for me. At our mid point we stopped off at the Santa Paula Airport restaurant that overlooked the airfield. They were also having an open house and had a couple Military jeeps and such out on display. I rode with Casey Keller most of the day. I learned a lot from him. He serenaded on the way back from Santa Paula singing old TV show theme songs. After the ride we all went to lunch to celebrate Mom & Dad’s 46th Wedding Anniversary. Casey’s wife Vicky was very sweet and brought a cake and balloons for Mom & Dad and all of us to enjoy! Yummy!! This ride is very sentimental to me. It was my first full fledge training ride with the ALC this past February. It was great riding it again.

Back in Gear

I’m back in gear riding more consistently now. Check out some rides I have recently done:

On Saturday, October 21, 2006, I rode with Santa Monica Bike Attack for their first ride of the ALC 6 season. It was a gorgeous day with perfect weather. The 25 mile ride gave me the opportunity to try out a pair of aero bars, which Beth Parks was so kind to let me borrow. It was an exciting ride filled with new faces.

On Saturday, October 28, 2006, I participated in the ALC official Training Ride Kick-Off at Griffith Park. It was an amazing day. Over 300 riders showed up for this event with all different levels of riding. There were three routes to choose from: The 12 mile, 24 mile and the 35/40 mile. I opted for the 24 mile and spent time with Jeff Rabin a Training Ride Leader. He was giving me lots of tips throughout the route.















On Saturday, November 04, 2006, it was back to Griffith Park for me to ride with the Chain Gang as they threw in a hill to their 24 mile ride. There were lots of new faces for me to see. I got to meet lots of great people including some first time riders. I got to spend some time with Tony Zamudio. I learned a lot from him. I loved watching him and seeing how he related to people. He was a blast to ride with. The hill was only a mile, but it was a reminder for me that I had been off from riding for some time, so I have noted that I need to start adding hills back into my training program.

Tomorrow I am planning on riding with Team Ventura from Fillmore to Santa Paula through the gorgeous orange groves. Yay!!

On The Road Again

Great news! My doctor has told me that I can start riding my bike again. I am not 100% but I would say that I am at about 90%. I'm still working to get better. Yay!! See you on the road.

This past weekend I got the opportunity to work with Wolf Adventures, www.wolfadventures.org, helping belay Middle School students up an adventurous climbing wall. The students were amazing, sweet and very well behaved. I was familiar with a lot of the schools that had attended and even saw students from my old Middle School, Sutter! I got to belay them (holding the rope that they are attached to as they climbed) all day long. The students were there as part of a reward program. It was a wonderful experience and the staff was great!

Coming Soon..."Gearing Up" blog site

I am currently developing a new blog site that focuses on people new to cycling or just looking for some sweet cycling tips, techniques, equipement and products to help improve their performance. Stay tuned for the launch date.

2 New Blog Sites I've Created & Launched- Blog Buddies & Cyclovations

Blog Buddies- Visit some of my fellow bloggers sites and read what they have to say..... Enjoy! (http://myblogbuddies.blogspot.com/)

and


















Cyclovations- Having trouble motivating yourself to go cycling? Hit a wall? Don't want to work out? Cyclovations is a site developed to help cyclists get motivated. Re-kindle that fire and enthusiasm to get back on that saddle and peddle on. (http://cyclovations.blogspot.com/)

Check them out.

Jog Around Lake Balboa

Wow, I can’t believe that this time last year I had just climbed Mt Whitney and had never heard of the organization AIDS Lifecycle or about the ride itself. Incredible how time flies and how things can happen so fast.

As many of you know my family has had many loses this year. Two of my great uncles past away in January and just a couple weeks ago one of my great aunts passed away as well. Thankfully they lived full lives and died of natural causes. Also, my friend Emily died in June while I was on the ride. With all of this I have been thinking about life and the gifts that it holds.

Last night I went for a jog with my friend Rachel around Lake Balboa. For those of you who don’t know, Lake Balboa is a man made lake that has a 1.3 mile walking path around it. I often go there kayaking as well. It is only 15 minutes from my house and a very nice escape from city life. At Lake Balboa one often forgets that they are still in the city. As we jogged around the lake it was as if we were jogging around the world. There were many different languages and accents, let alone Rachel’s British accent (she is visiting from the UK) heard. There were people doing many different activities, from fishing, flying a kite, walking their dog, cycling, in-line skating, eating, cuddling, young kids playing, chasing and feeding the ducks. It was nature and human kind at its best. It is amazing how a smile can be contagious. The weather was gorgeous. I’m also reminded of how valuable my friends and family are. A huge thank you to Rachel, the girl has an incredibly busy schedule and was able to take time out to spend with me. Thanks Rach!

This summer, I hurt my shoulders and neck which are affecting my back and so can’t ride my road bike (the position I need to be in on a road back puts strain on my neck and shoulders). I am doing my best to take it easy and cross train in the meantime.

This Saturday there was a neighborhood cycling ride that went through the San Fernando Valley and I couldn’t ride in it. I was there in the morning and ran into a fellow ALCer (always a pleasure to see one—its true it is like seeing family). I wanted to cry when the cyclists were herded and released with a police escort and I wasn’t riding with them….through my own neighborhood. Ahh!!….I was quickly humbled. I am seeing a doctor (chiropractor), Dr. Bob. I love him!! Oh my goodness…he is so good. Hopefully with his talent and the cooperation of my body I will be well again and back on a road bike.

In the meantime I am living through the stories of my fellow cyclists and now my family. My uncle Jeff informed me that my Aunt Maria got a road bike and has been riding all over Carson City and the Lake Tahoe area. I am so proud. Go Aunt Maria!! Her spinning class just got back from a cycling tour in Italy. Wow!! OK, that is not on my list of things to do before I die. Also, huge props to my cousin Jon who has been cycling before many of us were very serious about it. Jon has been an inspiration and was in Canada for a cycling competition. He has been competing for years. In a couple weeks my friend from the ride Katie Barth will have completed her 3rd triathlon this summer. Go Katie! That is all for now. I hope that everyone is well.

New Blog- Yummy Recipes!

Check out my new blog site entitled Yummy Recipes (click title above to view). I'll keep a link to this new blog on this page under "Links" (right side of this page). I hope you enjoy!

Lake Balboa

Well after having a few months off from riding, making some minor changes to my bike, and getting educated on bike maintenance. I re-established the relationship between my booty and my saddle. I rode 16 miles around one of the bike paths by Lake Balboa. It felt good. I had to stop because the park was closing and it was going to get dark. I felt like such a muffin. I thought with it being fall, it would be cooler, so I was baking in my cycling tights.

I got a new saddle and yes, I got my booty measured to ensure it was the right size for me. I also got a new chain and my first tune-up without a mechanic. So, I wanted to stay close to home incase there were any problems. Just a couple saddle adjustments and I was good to go.

I had really missed riding. It is great to be back in the saddle again…

Stretching with Phase IV

I have always been taught that stretching is one of the most important parts of my workout program and I love to stretch. So, today I took the Phase IV interactive Stretch Clinic in Santa Monica, CA. Phase IV is a Scientific Training and Performance Center. The clinic was lead by Kent Moody, a Physical Therapist & Director of Clinical Quality Assurance. Kent too has been an athlete (an avid runner for nearly 40 years), so it was perfect learning from someone who has applied his own teaching to his training. It was nice to see such a variety of stretches that help many different types of athletes, from runners, cyclists, swimmers, etc. Now I have even more stretches to incorporate into my workouts.

*(please note illustrations above are not from the class)

Here are the Benefits of Stretching (from the class handout):

1. Stretching prevents injury: Stretching prepares muscles for workouts. Everyday activities, (i.e. sitting at your desk, driving, and standing) leave your muscles tight and susceptible to injury. Stretching before each and every workout prevents injury to tight muscles.

2. Stretching improves performance: By increasing range of motion of bones around a joint, stretching improves the biomechanics of your body. Muscles stretched to 110% of their resting length will contract more powerfully and allow you to perform better.

3. Stretching aids in the recovery process: Muscles are left short and tight after a workout and if left to recover in that state will become permanently shortened. Stretching muscles after workouts “wrings” out the waste products and allows muscles to recover in a lengthened postion.

Future Rides...

I hope to do more rides this year. Whether they are local, out of state or out of the country I am looking for people who would like to join me. I think it would be so cool to ride though out not just my own state, but my own country and even through parts of the world. So, if you want do a ride or know someone who wants to as well. PLEASE let me know.

I might do the Bay to Bay MS150 Ride in October '06. I believe that it is from Huntington Beach to San Diego, but I am having a little trouble finding people who will commit to doing the ride. Stay tuned to see if I ride...

Cross Training

Chris R. and I have a sport exchange thing happening. I am getting him into cycling and he is getting me into rock climbing/ bouldering. I have incorporated bouldering into my weekly workout program and hope to join him for rock climbing excursions as well. (btw: that is not me in the photo--I wish it were though)

Speaking of working out, I did stop training and riding for about a month or two, but started back into it this week (I currently have a 2 week trial pass to Ballys and have been going every day). I was going to be working out with someone, but they just decided that they will be moving out of California the end of September. So it will be up to me to stay disciplined on my own. I hope to start riding my bike again on the weekends mid-September, beginning October. Fingers crossed.

I am also considering entering the Santa Clarita 5K in November again. Last year I had gotten within a mile from the start and the car I was traveling in got a flat tire and I missed the run. The year before I had a business trip. So, I might try and do it again this year. Maybe the third times a charm.

Since I love cycling so much I did take a “Comprehensive Bike Maintenance” class at REI a couple weeks ago. It was a huge learning experience and hopefully I can now make more adjustments to my bike on my own.

Top 5 Questions Asked When I Got Back From The Ride

Q#5: Are you going to ride again next year?
A: I would love to do the ride again, and would do it in a heartbeat. However, I haven’t registered yet and am currently uncertain what the future holds for me in other aspects of my life. But I am going to train and prepare as if I were going to ride in ALC6.

Q#4 Did you ride all 585 miles?
A:No, I got sick on day 3 and missed about 50 miles and missed Quadbuster (a huge hill). I am still heartbroken about it.

Q#3: What was the scenery like?
A: We rode through farmlands, wine country, freeways, cities & towns, along the coast. It was breath taking.

Q#2 Did you meet anyone special on the ride? Are you dating anyone from the ride?
Aa: I met a lot of special and amazing people, but even with the riders being about 50% gay and 50% straight, I didn’t find anyone special (Although a couple did steal my heart, but not in that way). Besides that is not the reason why I joined ALC5 and decided to ride. I did however find that my passion for the cause grew tremendously.

Ab: I am not currently dating or seeing anyone in that way from the ride. I am young, free and single and am not in any big hurry to date again. It’ll happen when it happens and I’ll let you know when they find me. :)

Q#1. Did you have fun?
A: Yes, I had one of the best times of my life. It was so incredible. Words cannot describe my experience. You have to register and do the ride to find out what I mean (click here to register). :)

I’m Ba-ack—With a new look too!

Wow! I can’t believe that I rode in ALC5 only 3 months ago. It seems like last year. I had family visiting today and they jogged my memories about the ride. My how I miss it. I laughed and nearly cried looking over my past blogs. Funny how at one time when I chipped that bone in my foot, I didn’t think I was going to be able to ride. Thanks to all of you who supported me during that time, especially Julie and Mariann (I miss working out with you guys), Mike E, Chris R and Jaclyn.

Also a HUGE thank you to all of you who supported me both financially and emotionally before, during and after the ride. Thank you also for the emails, flowers, phone calls, cards, etc that you sent me congratulating me on my ride. You all are so awesome!

I’ve spent the summer hanging with friends doing things that I hadn’t gotten a chance to do. I spent my birthday in Monterey and enjoyed riding my bike around the Bay. The summer was also filled with jet skiing, mini reunions with fellow cyclists and occasional visits to the ALC office to visit the amazing ALC staff. I did ride with Team Ventura a few times and even had the pleasure of having my friend and co-worker Chris R join me in my training.

It has been an emotional summer, dealing with the highs of the ride and then the sadness of it being over. It is very true, you change and grow as a person on this ride. I also miss the camaraderie of my fellow cyclists. One of the things I miss most aside from riding, is my tent mate Tsufit. I miss our late night talks and giggling right before lights out. She is such a sweetheart. She is still safe living in Israel. My thoughts have been with her and her family amidst the war going on there. Thank you to those who never met her, but yet still ask how she is doing.

I Did It!

Yup! I made it! I am alive and well. I arrived at the VA Center in Brentwood at approach 1:15pm on Saturday. The views through Ventura and along the Malibu Coast were breath taking. We had lunch at the Malibu Lagoon. It was so cool to be in familiar territory. We were all so excited, but also very sad that it was almost over. I got to ride in with a few of the people that I had trained with Scott, Katie and Steven. It was so incredible. We couldn't believe that it was the last day. It was very surely. We made it up all the hills and even those that we didn't expect. The crowds lines up along the streets as we got closer to the VA Center really pushed us up those last couple of hills.

Closing ceremonies was awesome. The emotions didn't hit me until Chris Cole bid farewell and said that he hoped to see us all next year. The 4 of us just started to cry. It was very sad to realize that this journey we had just done was over. I felt very empty, but yet full of stories and a new knowledge.

As I was riding I was trying to put into words my experience. It was very difficult. The best way I can describe it was being in the Rose Parade for seven days. It was an incredible high. There were school children out cheering us on. People holding up signs as we go by saying things like, "You are my hero", "Because of you I'm alive" and "You've changed my life". School children handing us letters calling us hero's and role models. It was very overwhelming feeling, but a good humbling feeling too. I felt as if I hadn't really done anything, but raise money and got a bike. Towns came out to greet us. I have formed bonds with people and had amazing conversations with people, whom I do not know if they will be alive to see them next year. This experience was definitely a life changing experience and one that I will never forget. I already miss my fellow cyclists and the staff. The most amazing staff I've ever met. Wow!! Words cannot express my compassion and how thankful I am to them all.

The candle light vigil on Friday was very moving. It was incredible to see so many people who affected by someone with Aids.

Many people have asked me if I am going to do the ride again next year. The answer is I would do it in a heartbeat if I could get the time off. I am already experiencing separation anxiety from my fellow cyclists. I miss the giggling of my tent mate Tsufit, the staff cheering us on as we ride in each day, the voice and a hug from my Cycle Buddy- Kerry each night, Sheri (my own personal space heater)-- That girl can radiate!, Andy's (tent neighbor) sweet voice greeting us good morning, Scott's humor--he could make even the worst situation funny, Steven's smile and oh, my god, that boy smelled so good all the time, Katie's smile and the challenge to keep up with her on the route (that girl is like lightening). Kim singing to us and telling us riddles up the hills. Heather and her finding her inner gerbil. I must admit though, I have enjoyed my nice long showers and flushing toilets.

I want to thank everyone for your support both during my training an during the ride. I thought of many of you while riding.Thank you also, for following my little journey. It has been fun and I hope that you enjoyed coming along for the ride. I could not have done it with out you. Thank you again.

I hope to have some pictures for you soon so please check back in a couple days.....

Day 6

The view coming down the coast from camp Lompoc to camp Ventura was gorgeous. Most of the 84 miles were along route 101 that runs parallel to the Pacific Ocean. D was very excited to be in Ventura, finally a beach she recognizes.
Our phone call was very short because of all the things on the agenda for the Night 6 in Ventura's silent candlelight procession on the beach.
Tomorrow's ride will be 61 miles and will end at the Wadsworth Theatre Grounds, Lot #7, at the Department of Veterans Affairs, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, Ca 90025. Closing ceremonies will begin at 4 pm and last about 1 hour. If you are planning to go there will be special parking in lots #6 and #2 and the parking fee will be $7.00 per vehicle.
Deanne's Dad and I will be there to welcome the group to L.A.
Hopefully the next blog on this site will be from Lady D herself.
It's been fun.
D' Mom.

Day 5

Today's ride was 45 miles. There were a lot of hills. One hill had a 2 mile climb. Hills are not Deanne's favorite part of the ride. When I asked how she was doing she said "I'm still alive". That was nice to hear.
Today was the traditional "red dress day" where, as you can imagine, everyone tries to wear some sort of red outfit. I hear that there were some pretty funny get ups.
Tonight's camp is set up in Lompoc where they had a talent show and some guest speakers. The lights out curfew at 9:30 pm makes for a lot of last minute scrambling but everyone is glad to turn in since they have to get up around 4:00 am every day. Tents need to be broken down and luggage needs to be packed and ready to be loaded up for the trip to the next camp site.
The ride consists of somewhere around 1,800 bikers and about 450 roadies. Thats a lot of people, tents, and equipment to coordinate. Sounds like the ALC staff and orginizeers know what they are doing. All the roadies have several jobs. Tsufit, Deanne's tent mate, helps man road stop #2 each day. D says that Tsufit wears a different costume each day. It's all part of the fun attitude everyone seems to have.
I'm sure Deanne will have lots more to share when she gets home on Saturday.
Tomorrow night is a candle light vigil on the beach, in Ventura, to honor those that have died or are suffering from this dreadful disease. It is a very moving and solmen event.
Well, as for tonight, that's all folks.
D's mom

Day 4

Deanne and her friends celebrated crossing the half way point, from San Francisco to LA , at 9:30 this morning. They still had about 56.5 miles to go making the total for today 99 miles. Haven't heard from her since 9:30 am so can't give any more up dates for today. She probably was a little tired after being so sick yesterday. Today's camp should be in Santa Maria. The temperature was supposed to be pretty warm this afternoon.
Until tomorrow...
D's mom.

Day 3

Up early and had breakfast at 4:45 am. Left camp at 6:30 am. Rode 19 miles to the first rest stop, after being sick several times. D got a ride to the medic tent to find out that she, along with several other people, had food poisoning. She spent the entire day in the medic tent (2- I V bags) with lots of other people, many of whom also ate the fruit salad. Deanne was released from the medic tent at 3:30 pm and was glad that she didn't have to go to the hospital like some of the others. She was very grateful to the nurses who were so attentive, especially Marie, one of RNs that was on duty all day. D ate dinner and says she feels fine. She has to be checked out tomorrow morning before she can continue the ride but is anxious to get back on the course.
Hope tomorrw is a better day.
D's mom.

Day 2

Today was a very long day having left the camp (in Santa Cruz) at 7:30 am. The 106 miles, while quite beautiful, were difficult because of several hills and very windy conditions. Deanne managed to stop and have the traditional fried artichokes and visit the cookie person. These vendors set up along the route and as I said it is the tradition.
Deanne was riding with a women that was having difficulties because of a bad leg so they were somewhat behind most of the group. When her friend finally decided to catch a ride back to camp Deanne had to hustle to get to the camp in King City. She rode her bike into camp at
6:50 pm. 7:00 pm is the cut off point where they come looking for you. Thank goodness for her tent mate (Tsufit) who had the tent setup and even went with Deanne to dinner to keep her company while she ate.
Although D's knees are giving her a lot of pain, so far they have been taking turns being sore. Thank goodness for Advil.
9:30 is lights out, hopefully D's pain won't keep her awake too long. The weather was a little cool tonight.
Until tomorrow...

D's mom.

Day 1

Saturday was check in day and bike drop off at the Cow Palace and was a very hectic day.
Not having heard from Deanne yesterday,Saturday, we were getting a little worried, but felt much better after her call tonight.
ALCS Opening Ceremonies check in time was at 5:30 this morning (Sunday). Deanne fell asleep early last night and didn't have a chance to set her alarm. She woke at 5:15 am and had to scramble to get everything together and walk the 2 blocks to the Cow Palace (w/an enormous suitcase in tow) arriving at 5:33 am...well done D.
There were a lot of press, cameras, TV crews and oh ya, a lot of bike riders when the ride began at 6:30 am.
The 1st day's ride was 79 miles and ended in Santa Cruz where a very organized camp had been set up. After showers, a delicious dinner, and a quick birthday party for one of the riders it was lights out at 9:30 pm.
D's having a great time and making new friends. The temperature was already climbing as they rode just a few miles out of San Francisco. They were hoping the heat would hold off until they got further down the coast.
Tomorrow's ride will be 105 miles.
That's all for tonight.
D's mom

Arrived in San Francisco

Arrived in San Francisco about 4:30 p.m. thanks to the fantastic driving of Beth. Beth, Chris and I traveled in a van with 4 bikes and gear.
Was glad to see so many friends from team Long Beach and team Ventura.
Was pleasantly surprised to find my neighbors at the motel are none other than "Mom" and "Dad" from team Ventura.
Left the San Fernando Valley this morning where the temperature was promising to be near 100 and arrived in San Francisco to a cool 68 and overcast. Not clear enough for even a picture of the Cow Palace that is near my motel, Maybe tomorrow.

D's mom.

Opening & Closing Ceremonies

If you are interested in attending Opening or Closing Ceremonies for the AIDS/ Lifecycle 5. Click on the link below for details. Thank you and hope to see you there.
http://www.aidslifecycle.org/ceremonies.html

Site Updates During My Ride

Well, time is ticking away... and it is almost time for me to head up to San Francisco to start my ride down the coast. I am all packed and ready to go. The nerves have kicked in and I am getting very anxious. I have been talking with my fellow cyclists and we are all feeling the same way. The ALC-LA staff have made their trek up to SF today and my tent mate, Tsufit, has left Tel Aviv, Israel and is heading to LAX as I type this. I have met her on IM, but we will meet for the first time face to face in SF (she is a good friend of my Cycle Buddy Kerry). Tsufit, will be a Roadie (she was one last year too). For the rest of us, it is a waiting game, counting down the hours to our departure.

I have good news! I will be able to update my site http://www.go-girl.blogsite.com/ while on my ride. I will try and update it (either via my cell phone, via my Mom or both) each night. You can also follow the event at http://experience.aidslifecycle.org/ . The Experience the Ride link will show written travelogues, audio podcasts, event photos, and other blogs of our event. At this link you can even send me a message as well. So make sure to check back each night starting Saturday, June 3rd to see what is happening on my ride to help end AIDS/ HIV.

Please note that if I use my cell phone the messages will be rather small. I need to conserve battery life, since I will not be able to charge my phone.

Past Ride Photo Update

Check out my Tour of Two Rivers and Simi Ojai Century Ride blogs below. I've added some pictures from those 2 rides. Enjoy!

Santa Monica Bike Attack Celebration 11.? miles

In a week I'll be in San Francisco... Can you believe it? Today I rode the Santa Monica Bike Attack Celebration Ride. It was a celebration of the end of months training. Dave and Sarah, our cycle leaders, were so good to us. We all got little goodie bags that contained some very valuable goodies that we can use on our big ride. A big suprise was my Cycle Buddy Kerry and the ALC Assistant Director Sheri rode along with us as well. It was great to see Scott, Stephen, Keith, Sonia, Kim, Heather and Drew again. Sonia brought her two boys and her oldest Tyler (12yrs) got to ride with us. There were many others that rode that were such a pleasure to meet too. After our quick ride to the marina and back it was off to brunch. We all sat together sharing stories of past training rides, fears about the upcoming ride, where we are staying and how we are getting up to SF. It was so much fun. We really have become like family.





Left, the Bike Attack boys....











Left, Sonia and I

Details on my Departure

My wonderful Cycle Buddy Kerry hooked me up with her Posse and so I will be going up to San Francisco via car on Friday, June 2nd at approximately 8:00 am. Yay!! I can’t believe that the ride is almost here. I have spent the whole of 2006 up to this point preparing for this ride. I am excited, nervous, anxious and scared. I’ll have so many stories to tell and I can’t wait to tell them.

Santa Susanna Pass

Well, today I drove all the way to Ventura to find that the Ventura to Carpentaria was canceled. I didn’t let that stop me from riding. I knew that I needed to practice my hill climbing (hills are by far my weakness). I remember that Bob Mohme, my angel from the Simi Ojai Century Ride, assigned hill climbing for my homework. Well, Bob, mission accomplished. I climbed the Santa Susanna Pass today. The Santa Susanna Pass is a road that goes up, over and cuts through the mountains between Simi Valley and the West San Fernando Valley. Yay, I felt very good after I climbed over, down and then turned around and did it all over again in reverse.

Next week I do plan on doing at least one more ride, then it is off to San Francisco.

Nutrition & Hydration

On Wednesday, May 17 I had my last ALC workshop. I learned and was reminded that I need to take better care of myself with what I put in. I definitely need to drink more water and eat better. Time to start home cooking more again too. The workshop was very motivational and I learned that chocolate milk is a great recovery drink after a hard ride. Who would have thought?

Farewell to ALC Staff…Sniff..sniff

It was a bit of a sad night for me. I took this night as being the last night that I would see the staff this year. They are usually working so diligently behind the scenes during the ride that we never see them the whole week. The “fab” four as they are known, Pam, Kerry, Sheri and Sarah have all made such a difference in my life and my ride. Each one has helped to sculpt me and give me the tools and skills I need in order to successfully do this ride. A huge thank you to them all!

Pam, made me see the true reason for the ride, the cause, how bad the Aids/ HIV epidemic was and her true compassion for it. Her cute cheers and smiles at the holiday and kick off party and her joyful energy and charisma was just so contagious. After being around her and hearing her stories I could wait to get on my bike and ride.

Kerry, my wonderful Cycle Buddy and mentour was my compass. She lead me into the directions that I needed to go and helped to prepare me phyically. She told me where to go for everything from equipment to rides to advice about life. She took me under her wing, showing me what Aids Lifecycle was all about and introduced me to her friends and continued to check in on me weekly to here how my week and training had gone. She taught me never to purchase anything at full price. She also acted as my sound board hearing all of the challenges I was faces both on and off the bike.

Sheri’s, big smile and soft voice was my confirmation when I was in question or in doubt about the ride. She encouraged me and calmed my nerves about the 585 miles that were ahead of me. Just seeing her familiar face was comforting.

Sarah, oddly one of the staff that I had the least contact with had the biggest impact. She taught me the heart and attitude of the ride...by her example. I swear I could listen to her talk all day, and have recently loved reading her blogs (check them out at www.aidslifecycle.org/7). Her heart is so big and she is so genuine. I had given up hope that people like her still existed. Her attitude from the first day I met her, set an example to me of how an ALCers should act and be. She is very knowledgeable and her thirst and compassion for the cause and for people is truly inspiring and has been a huge motivator for me. One of the few regrets that I have had being involved with the ALC, is that I didn’t get to know her better. I feel that there is so much more to learn from her. That is why it was perfect that my last workshop was lead by her.

I'm going to miss the staff tremendously.

Bike Fit

I finally got a proper bike fit, thanks to Jaime at I Martin. Yay!! It was about time. I had my seat raised and had the stem on my handlebars switched out. My handle bars are closer to me now. I now have a better range in my peddle stroke as well.

Night Ride

Just went for a quick little 14 mile night ride with a friend last night (5-15-06) through the valley (on a bike path). I love riding at night. I am starting to wind down from my training so that I can give my body a chance to get stronger for the ride.

A lot of us can’t wait for the ride. We are so excited, nervous, anxious and terrified all at the same time. Only 18 days until I leave for San Francisco. Tonight I have a bike fit with one of our sponsors I Martin. My knees have been hurting me, so hopefully they will make some adjustments to my bike so that there are no more problems. Tomorrow I have a seminar and I’ll be doing another ride on Sunday though…so check back for all the deets.

Tour of Two Rivers – 117.5 miles

I joined team Different Spokes for the Tour of Two Rivers ride on Sunday, May 14th. It was so good to see familiar faces, such as Heather, Tye, Katie and Stephen. There were about 15 of us total. It was suppose to be 97.6 miles. We all met in Azusa and headed out in hopes of seeing Huntington Beach and having lunch at near the pier.

All was well until we got to Fullerton and realized that we could not find a street called Wilshire, so we ended up flagging down a Police Officer to get directions after cycling around for a while in search of the street. We found ourselves back on the correct route, but were realizing that the route map was wrong yet again, when the bike path we were suppose to take the rest of the way towards the ocean ended (I think we were in Anaheim). We flagged down yet another Police Officer where he was attending to a car accident, got directions and were back on the correct path again, until the bike path split into 2 directions. With several people on the phone and others scouting out the options, Timmy (a former Boys Scout) recommended that we following the current of the river which he believed would lead us to the ocean. Ahh, Timmy was correct and we reached PCH. But once on PCH, we did not know which way to turn to find Main Street. Luckily Tye had been in the area before and thought that we should turn right. He was correct and we headed on PCH towards Main Street.

During some indecisive route options we lost a few people from the group, but luckily our tummies think a like (we were starving & there were tons of resturants) and we ran into a few of them at the restaurant that we picked to eat at. We had not seen Katie or Stephen for the longest time and I began to worry. Funny thing as we were putting our bikes on PCH to head back (A different way from the way we came) up came riding Katie and Stephen. I was so happy to see them. We got them some water and we were together on our way back.

We were planning to ride PCH to the bike path and ride it all the way back. Simple right? Wrong! The bike path ended before we came anywhere near our ending point. Again a bunch of us got on the phones, while others scouted out the area. I called my dad (who was in Arizona with a friend who lived in a nearby city) to see if they could help us. They told us to head north and so we did. Just when we thought that we were home free, we had trouble finding the Arrow Hwy exit from the bike path (the bike path ran along a river). We were off by one street but were still able to find the main street that lead to the parking lot that we were all parked at.

When we rolled in, we heard the park ranger announcing that the park was closing in 2 minutes. Talk about cutting it close! We all rushed to get out bikes and gear packed up. What a day, I am calling this ride the Tale of Two Rivers. It was awesome to bond with my fellow cyclists. We had a blast, stuck together, and worked together as a team to get ourselves home, no arguing, no tempers, no drama. It was fun! I hope that I get to ride with these people in June.

ALC 101

On Saturday May 13th I attended ALC 101 at Griffith Park lead by my Cycle Buddy, Kerry Castillo and Assistant Director-LA Sheri Lunn. They answered questions and told us what to bring and what not to pack, information about orientation day (June 3rd), etc. Kerry even showed me some tricks on how to put up and take down a tent. It is amazing how tight she can fold a tent. She makes it look like it just came out of a brand new box. Many notes were made that day.

Back from Florida

I survived my business trip and it was a work hard play hard trip. I had never been to Florida, so when I wasn’t working I was venturing out to many part of Florida. I figured I could sleep when I got back to So Cal. I got to get to know some of my co-workers real well and had a blast. We went to South Beach, Miami, Ft Lauderdale (saw part of an air and sea show & the Blue Angels), Pompano Beach, The Everglades (rode on an air boat), The Keys, including Key West, and lots more. Oh, and we saw Shaquile O’Neal—saw where Madanna, Rosie O’Donnel, P Diddy, Shaq, etc have their houses. One of my co-workers has a boat and took us from South Miami to the heart of Miami. That was so much fun. So now I am trying to catch up on sleep.

Santa Monica Star Map Tours Ride -33 Miles

As if yesterdays Simi/Ojai Century ride wasn't enough, I got up this morning for the Santa Monica Star Map Tours Ride -33 Miles. The ride started in West Hollywood and went through such cities as Beverly Hills, Brentwood and Santa Monica. The ride ended at the Santa Monica Pier. It was a cool and overcast. This ride did have its share of hills. The hardest for me was the hill up Bundy. I was so fatigued from yesterday, that I struggled a bit, but made it up it. The ride from San Vicente to Ocean was amazing. It was amazing to see some of the posh houses on such gorgeous and well groomed streets. It was a blast.

I am going away on a business trip to Florida for a week, so no training rides for this coming weekend.

Simi/ Ojai Century Ride- 100 miles

Yup! I decided to do the Simi/ Ojai Century ride on Saturday 4/29/06 and I've lived to tell about it. Many people have told me that this ride is harder than any day on our ride in June. It was filled with hills, hills and more hills. Four large ones (o.k. 2 but we went up and down them on the way there and on the way back). We met at the Simi Regal movie theater parking lot and headed through simi towards Moorpark. The weather was overcast and cool. Everything was going well until I was almost to the top of Grimmes Canyon, when I noticed I had a flat tire, then another, and another and yet another. Four flat tires within 10 miles. Heather my cycle partner for the day was nice enough to stay back with me and Bob one of our ALC training leaders was amazing. Bob helped me with my tires situation and even knew of a bike shop in Santa Paula which we ended up stopping at to get the tires checked, not to mention new tubes. Then we were back on the path to Ojai.

There were so many breath taking views. Everything was so green and beautiful. The orange groves between Filmore and Santa Paula were gorgeous. We arrived at the Summit a resturant at the top of Ojai Rd before decending into Ojai. Some of the views that we saw coming down into Ojai reminded me of New Zealand's rowling greeen hills. We stopped at a park were Team Venture training leaders Mom & Dad had an amazing picnic set up for us in the park. We filled our water bottles and camelbaks and filled our tummies. Mom & Dad were so sweet and a joy to see.

We took off for the ride home back towards Simi. I was doing well until we hit Grimmes Canyon. I "bonked" "hit a wall" and was so exhausted that I walked my bike up most of the way up the hill--two-thirds from the top I was "SAG'd up to the top by one of the cycle leader's wives who had a mini van and picked me up and drove me to the rest stop at the top of the hill. After refuling, eating and having a little rest, we were back on our way towards home. On our way into Moorpark I noticed a a WWI fighter biplane and a WWII fighter plane were circling about our heads. They were flying really low so we got to see them pretty closely. We then went through old town Moorpark on our way back to Simi. We had finally made it back to the car. (photo is of a turn on Grimmes Canyon)

I have to give big props to Bob and Heather. Bob taught both Heather and I about climbing, decending, proper bike fit, etc during our ride. It was like having our own private instructor on the climb. He was so laid back with all the strange things that happened on our ride and was just amazing. Heather, was my cheerleader and constant support. This was my third ALC training ride with her and she was a huge help and a sweetheart.

One thing that I am noticing with each ride, is that everyone is so laid back. Not competitive and very very giving and helpful. If one ALCer is down 5-10 stop to help. Amazing. I am glad to be a part of this group.

A huge thank you to those of you who were on call for me on Saturday. I am very thankful that you were available for me and I am glad that I did not need to call on you to pick me up on my route.