What's Next in 2009?

Stay tuned for blogs on other events I'll be doing--here's some events that are coming up for me:

June 2009

LA River Ride
Disney Duathlon

July 2009

Giant for Women MTB Ride & Retreat

August 2009

Cool Breeze

October 2009

8-Day Arthritis Foundation’s California Coast Classic (sponsored by Amgen) Goes from SF to LA via the coast.

On-Going in 2009

I have been spending time on the track at the Encino Velodrome with the LOTS program (Ladies Only Track Sessions). It has been a blast. They even had a special race oriented clinic on Memorial Day which was a lot of fun.

I’ve also ramped up our Breakaway Cycling rides. We now have an after work ride during the week and a weekend ride. I hope to soon have an away ride once a month as well. We have a nice core group attending, with more and more people joining each week. We did two nice rides where a few ladies got to accomplish some goals. So it was fun to see the excitement and sense of accomplishment. It reminded me of why I started the group in the first place. We will be training to do the Cool Breeze Century (Ventura to Santa Barbara) together as a group in August. Most of the ladies have never done a century before and it will their first one. It’s be very exciting.

So far we have 56 people sign up for Breakaway Cycling and we have had 14 events. We have approximately 8 regulars that ride consistently.

Catching Up

Well, it’s been a while since I last blogged. You can still follow me on Facebook and Twitter for current updates. I’ve been busy doing some fun stuff. Let me catch you all up.

Tour of California- February
The Tour of California was insanely awesome. I had the opportunity to work at the Giant Booth and in The Rabobank VIP tent during the last four stages. There were so many people there it was crazy. It was so nice to see so many spectators at a US cycling event. The route and expos were jam packed with people. It was really exciting to see Lance, Levi, Floyd & Rabobank (Giant’s the bike sponsor) ride in SoCal. I can’t wait for next year. Rumor has it that the tour is moving to May.

Lots of traveling- March

March was a traveling month for me. I got to go up north to Reno to see family that I haven’t seen in a while. My cousin Ryan got married in Japan last year to an amazing young woman named Naiko. We all loved her and glad that she is now part of our family. It was the first time nearly all my generation was together. The only one missing was by beloved sister. I also traveled to Keystone, CO during their biggest snow storm of the year and then to Tucson, AZ  both being business trips.

Sea Otter-April
Sea Otter was a blast this year. It was only my second time attending this event, but it left another lasting impression. I got to hang out with some friends from Arizona & Reno and watch my cousin Jon race Down Hill. Saw Kelli Emmett and Carl Decker out on course during two of their races. So needless to say, I caught Sea Otter racing fever. Next year I am thinking of competing in the Super D.

Cruisn the Conejo-May
This is by far one of my favorite rides (the other is Solvang Prelude) and it occurs where I usually ride. I was determined to do the century (6,000 feet of climbing) this year, since this is where I believe I first injured my knee two years ago. I didn’t have a lot of time to train, but I knew I had to do it. The morning was nice and overcast—perfect climbing weather. I left and road nice and easy. I was able to conquer a bulk of the climbing before the sun burned off all the fog and clouds. At mile 46 mile body began to question why I was doing this crazy ride, but after some food a chat with a couple fellow Conejo Valley Cyclists (CVCers) I was off and riding. I was feeling great. I finished the ride to the delight of still seeing the Giant booth and people at the finish line eating lunch. I even got to see my friend Beth at the last rest stop. She always makes me laugh and smile. I felt real good that day, and even felt that I could have continued riding.

VeloBetty Clinic- May

The following week after Cruisn the Conejo, I had the opportunity to participate in a VeloBetty clinic lead by Olympic Silver Medalist Mari Holden and Masters World Champion in Track, Road and Mountain, Lisa Jennings. The clinic was held in Ventura on Saturday and Ojai on Sunday. We had such a good time and learned a lot. A few of the Breakaway Cycling ladies were able to participate in the clinic as well. I can’t wait to attend another VeloBetty clinic. I highly recommend it. The go over techniques that aren’t really covered in a lot of clinics I’ve attended like, cornering, bike handling, etc.

Piru Time Trial (My Very First Race) 2-1-09

Well, I did it. My very first Time Trial/ Bike Race. I've never attended or seen a Time Trial so I was a bit thrown off guard when it was announced that I was the first rider to go out for the day. Other riders started behind me in 30 second intervals. It was a gorgeous day, warmer than expected. I learned a lot. I learned that I shouldn't have warm up as hard as I did, I need to hydrate more the day before, and not to take my allergy medication & inhaler before a race as they made my heart rate very high.

Overall, I was pleased with my first one. I finished 2nd in my class (out of 3 people) with a time of 42.45. I really didn't train for this one, I wanted to use it as a base to see how much I could improve. So, now it's time to get serious and properly train to see how much time I can knock off.

I want to give a huge thank you to RaeLynn who gave me lots of advise and road the course with me a couple weeks ago giving me tips here and there. I would not have done as well without her encouragement, support, experience and advise. She rocks!!

I also want to thank my pit crew, my mom and my best friend Jaclyn, who were there for support, holding my stuff/bike, and taking the following photos and video. Seeing them at the finish gave me that extra boost to the end.

Enjoy the pics and video below....

Here is the video of me coming across the finish line....don't blink.. it's a quicky...

Encino Velodrome Meetup 1/17/09

WOW!! I had an incredible experience on the track and I can officially say that I am addicted. I was rather nervous when in the class lecture they informed us that while riding the fixed gear bikes that had to keep a couple things in mind. One- Don't stop pedaling (coasting) and two Don't pedal backwards. Either one can quickly launch you on to the pavement. Did I mention that the bikes do not have brakes? Yup, but I quickly found that stopping wasn't that difficult. Already comfortable with riding on the road my bike handling skills really helped me on the track. I also noticed today that pedaling on the track really helps your road biking. Your pedaling is more efficient and so is your pedal stroke. It looks like both practicing both disciplines will really help my performance in each. Now when will I have time to hit the track? Hmmmmm....

Lady D Ready to Hit the Track...hopefully not literally

Well tomorrow is the day! It will be my very first time on a track with a bicycle. Stay tuned to see if I survive or go splat! The weather is suppose to be absolutely gorgeous. I hope that the winds die down by then.

Tonight I'm attending a nutrition seminar at Simi Cycling Center. I"ll let you know how it goes!!

Breakaway Cycling- Social Cycling Club For Women Launches

I've been busy these days with work. I even got to travel to Tucson, AZ for the Tour de Tucson and did the 109 miler. Had a blast.

I even purchased a new bike and am ready to ride...if only the weather would improve.

Well, I finally did! I launched Breakaway Cycling- Social Cycling Club For Women.

Breakaway Cycling is a social cycling club for women (men are welcome too) and resource center for riders to breakaway from the norm and ride, get fit, help the environment, and learn together. Here you can expect to meet other local Cyclists, gather for weekend ride planning, gear talk, training tips, etc.!

Check out the web site and join us on a ride. http://breakawaycycling.blogspot.com/

Cruisin The Conejo?

Be sure to check back to see if I ride in Cruisin the Conejo on May 10th...also I am working on some other cycling related projects. Stay tuned for new about them....

The Wildflower

For maps and statistics of the ride from my GPS, click on the image below and enjoy:

I survived!! It was such a fun ride!! Jean, Aaron and I left work and headed to Aaron's house to drop my car off and on the road we went. I must say we were a sad group. I have to say Aaron's van is so comfortable. It was a gorgeous ride up the coast to San Luis Obispo, CA. We arrived in Creston, CA at the local elementary school to register for the ride before heading to the hotel. The Wildflower staff gave us some advise. It will be cold in the morning but will be in the low to mid 90's in the afternoon. Jean and I instantly were trying to figure out our wardrobe for the day of the ride. The staff also informed us not to eat a lot at lunch because there is a large hill right after the lunch stop. With all the advise, we headed for a place to eat.

After cruising the main strip in Atescadero, CA (where are hotel is located) we decided on a steak house. The food was good and our tummies were full and we were ready for bed. I had been in touch with Chris Raser, who was on his way up to stay with us in the hotel. I must say we were a sad group. Aaron and Jean were on antibiotics getting over virus' and I wasn't feeling well. I either had really bad allergies or was fighting a cold. I couldn't get in to see the doctor to find out which one I had and Chris was getting over a cold. Jean and I hardly slept that night.

We all were up at 5:30am prepping for the ride and packing the car. The hotel had a continental breakfast and we decided to give it a try. When we went down to the breakfast we saw lots of fellow cyclists including a few faces. My friend RaeLynn (you can visit her blog via my Cycle Buddies page link on the right) and her hubby Robb. They both always put a smile on your face. John, Stephanie's friend was there too. Stephanie came up, but decided not to ride do to an ongoing neck injury that was inflamed. We didn't see the dynamic duo of Patrick and Wendy until we were heading out to the starting line.

We parked on the side of the road and then road to the start area to meet everyone. We decided to meet up at the Long Branch see below from right to left John, Wendy, Patrick, Arron (behind Patrick & Jean), Jean and myself:

We all started together, going slow to warm up our legs. I lead us out at a 12 mph pace and then divided and conquered. Wendy, Patrick and John took off ahead in hopes of completing the century. Aaron, Chris, Jean and myself stuck together with hopes of completing the 75 (which was actually only about 70 miles). In the first 15 miles they would loose me on the hills. I tend to go slower and reserve myself in the early miles until I am completely warmed up when I know that I will be doing a lot of climbing.

We made it up our first climb, and when we were descending and enjoying the sweet S-shape curves down the mountain we were asked to quickly slow down ahead almost to a stop. There were four patrol cars, two fire trucks and one ambulance. There was already a cyclist down. We were instantly reminded in the first few miles how dangerous it cycling can be. We later heard that the injured cyclist had took the turn too fast and crashed. He was knocked out, had nasty road rash and a couple broken bones. We all regrouped at the bottom and continued on to our first rest stop. It is always exciting to hit your first rest stop. For me they each are small goals that I make on these rides and when I reach them I feel well accomplished. We didn't spend too much time and we were off.

The scariest experience I've ever had as a cyclist happened today. I was descending a hill and a guy three times tried to knock me over while on his bike. The first time he almost cut me off. I had to hit my breaks really hard. The second and third time he came into me from the side. I could almost feel his shoulder touching mine as we went into a turn. I thought for sure I was going to go over the cliff as I was on the outside. I kept yelling at him to layoff. The third time I yelled at him really loud and he finally fell back. I was so angry!

We began to spread out over the big rolling hills. I was comfortable with my pace in the back until suddenly I came upon Jean. She wasn't looking to well, but said that she was ok so I passed her and met up with the guys at the 2nd rest stop. I got my picture taken there see below:

We beginning to be concerned about Jean. When she arrived she said she was done. She was not feeling well and attributed it to her being sick this past week. We stayed until she caught a SAG vehicle and then we were off again or so we thought. We hadn't gotten but 500 feet from the rest stop when Chris realized that he had a flat tire. We headed back while he and Aaron changed the tire. Forty minutes had past since we arrived at the rest stop when we left. Next stop lunch. We hit a couple smaller hills but mostly flat farm land. Boy was it windy! I was able to keep up with the guys and even lead a couple times. We stopped and took some pictures.


























Ahhhh...Lunch! We were hungry. We arrived to a spread of make your own deli sandwiches. I was so excited. They had tuna with no mayo, olives (both black and green), carrots, yummy strawberries, etc. I made a wickedly good sandwich and got some pasta salad. When I was about to bit into my sandwich, one of the veteran cycles suggested that I don't eat the bread and just eat what was inside, because of the hill that was coming up. Well, I hadn't been eating much at the rest stops (because I wasn't hungry) and was concerned that I wasn't getting enough to eat so I compromised and only ate one slice and gave my cookie to Chris. It tasted so good!! Aaron was ecstatic that they had matza...here is a pick of him:

After lunch we were back on our bikes ready for this hill everyone was talking about. We all stuck together at a pretty good pace, when suddenly Aaron got an amazing rush of energy and bulleted out ahead of us disappearing into the hills. It must have been the matza bread. I was feeling pretty good when suddenly I felt the heat getting to me. I gued up for the first time on the ride and pored water on my neck and over my head. I told Chris (behind me) that I needed to stop for a moment. I was feeling nauseous and tingly. Once my heart rate lowered I was feeling great and we were back riding and soon found the water stop. I drank lots of water and geared up for the final 10 miles.

A little more climbing up the "big" hill and we were flying down...oh it was such a wonderful feeling flying down the mountain knowing that we were so close to finishing. We caught up with Aaron and all stuck together to the finish where we were greeted by Jean. She was feeling much better and was happy to see us. Aaron had filled up a huge jug of water and we all took sponge baths and changed our clothes at the car on the side of the road. Soon to follow were Wendy, Patrick and John. They bailed out of the 100 (actually 107 miles) and did about 86 miles. That is still darn good...it was hot and windy!! We all got cleaned up and headed over to the BBQ and met Stephanie there. It was delicious and in good time, we were hungry. With our tummies full we said our good byes to everyone and headed home. We arrived at Aaron's house around 7:45pm and I ran in to use his restroom. I had been hydrating all day and it was finally catching up with me. I arrived home around 8:30pm. Chatted with the family, called Jaclyn. I didn't even unpack or shower, I grabbed an ice pack put it on my neck and fell asleep on my bed.

I have to mention that I love the cycling community. I've done so many events that I am starting to recognize and see some familiar faces. There were so many Giant bicycles there, it made me feel proud that I work for them. I have the habit on rides of riding by people who are on a Giant and say, "Nice Bike!"
and they always say Thank you, I love it and then tell me stories about it. Here is one last photo of Aaron riding through the beautiful country side towards the end of the ride:

Coming Soon...

Stay tuned to hear about where I've been riding and whom I've been riding with....

Rides I've Done Since ALC 6

Well, after last years ALC ride, I had was side lined with a knee injury. Which really frustrated me. I was not able to do much until Oct 2008. Thinking that it was a short term injury and that being off of it for a month I did the Cool Breeze Ride in August. That was the last ride I did until the Solvang ride. Which was absolutely gorgeous!! I then took it easy and did the Tour de Foothills with my friend Chris. It was actually the shadow of the Tour de Foothills because once we started (we had a late start) we never saw another person from the ride until the finish line. I also got the opportunity to do my first century ride of the year-- Tour of Palm Springs. It was so much fun. I road with my friends RaeLynn and Heidi. It was so exciting to see them both finish their first century.

Well, now I am training for what they call the most beautiful ride in California--The Wildflower ride in San Louis Obispo. We are heading up on April 25th to rest up and ride bright and early on Apr 26th. Most of us are doing the 75 miler due to our work and training schedules. Next year I will need to do the 100 miler. It has 6500 ft of climbing that is 500 more than I did last year at the Cruisin the Conejo, which I am thinking of doing again this year. We'll see how things go with the Wildflower ride.

I"M BACK!!!!!!!!

After not posting for near a year, (thanks to RaeLynn for motivating me to get back to blogging) I'm back with lots of news, new knowledge of the sport and new cycling groups to share to you.

Stay tuned and I'll bring you up to date of what's been going on this past year.

Day 7 and more

What can I say…after sitting out for 2 ½ days, trying to be smart and an example to others on how to take care of yourself when injured (so not to further injure yourself further), I decided to ride the last day. Thank you to James Ray and Sarah Sypniewski my ALC Cycle Buds for letting me vent, consultations and comforting me with this disappointment.

Saturday, Day 7, my knee was still tender, but at least I could bend it by this point in the trip. I was so excited and nervous about getting back on a bike. I started out slow and then realized that I needed to go my normal speed. I took off. It felt so good; going along a course that I was very familiar with. I was both excited and sad that the event was near the end. The weather was doing me in. I am not a fan of cold, wet & windy. Yet all the months of preparation and the event sort of flew by. I made it in very early to the VA 11:50am to be exact. I stopped at every stop and even sat down to chat with Brian from SF. Ironically I spent the day riding solo and not with my usual group. It was rather fitting. As I rode I was able to process the week.

I got to think about why I did the ride this year. The ride isn’t about me and how many miles I do (even though I felt like I was letting a lot of people down, especially my new coworkers). Yes, it is for the cause (AIDS/ HIV), but I think my work put’s it best with it’s motto. Ride Life, Ride Giant. I’m out there with everyone else Riding Life... I wasn’t there this year only to ride, but to support others experiencing life’s challenges and triumphs that the ride creating for them. ALC is an experience of a lifetime, we all grow and change on the ride it is inevitable and a gift. I was challenged to take my eyes of myself and focus on others who needed my support. Whether it was me cheering up those riders who are struggling to get up those hills, telling stories and singing songs to distract other riders of the many more miles still to come or was there to cheer on that newbie who had never ridden that many miles before and finished their first day, to help instruct new riders of what was to come and see them cross that finish line. To help that cyclist stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire, or to council a fellow cyclist with bad news from home, struggling with a situation or personal issue. A couple people amazed me. Heidi had gotten 8 flat tires (sometime 2 a day), lost a screw from her cleat and couldn’t get her shoe off the peddle, yet she continued to have a smile and continued to conquer each day as if nothing had ever happened. She was a real inspiration.

Since I finished early on Saturday, I got to see most people cross the finish line, for some it was their first time, some that I had lead on training rides and spent time with on the ride, some I had helped up that hill or cheered them on because they were riding a Giant bicycle. It was very humbling to be able to sit there and watch the riders cross the line of victory, not only for the cause, but for themselves. Their elated faces as they had accomplished a life long goal that they didn’t think imaginable, living the memory of ones they had lost. I got to witness firsthand snapshots of their life while they road with them and got to see before my very own eyes life transform in just a week. Who could ask for more…and yes even though I said that this would be my last year with ALC, I came to the conclusion that I need to come back. I still haven’t ridden every mile. I don’t know when but I will do it again.

For now, my knee needs to heal. I went to the doctor and I did tear a tendon (dinged it) and stressed some ligaments. My doctor says 4-6 months for it to fully heal, but by my birthday (beginning of July) I can start riding again, while cross training, but stay on relatively flat ground. I will be aiming to do a ride in August called the “Cool Breeze” Ventura to Santa Barbara. The doctor said I probably would be ready if I take the hills very slow and take very good care of myself. He gave me some medicine to help with the pain and inflammation. He also complimented me for stopping when I did. He noted that if I had continued on I definitely would have done far more damage resulting in the need possibly for surgery. I guess with my getting older I am actually getting smarter. I hope that I don’t loose my new found wisdom.

I also went back over some of my mom’s entries and made a few additions that I forgot to tell her on the phone. So, please re-read when you get a chance. She did an amazing job and everyone is so very impressed by her writing skills and blogging ability. Thank you Mom and thank you for the support via the phone.

Day 6

Today's ride was from Lompoc to Ventura 85.5 miles. Well the good news is San Buena Ventura Beach is almost home. The bad news-Deanne was not able to ride today. She woke up this morning feeling great but was in a lot of pain a little later. Tonight was the candle light vigil to honor those that have died and those that still are living with AIDS/HIV. The vigil takes place on the beach. The riders, roadies, and staff are joined by a tremendous group of families, friends and media. The sight of all those people holding candles is awesome and very moving. Tomorrow will be another emotional day when the cyclists ride into the V.A. facilities in Westwood and the ride comes to an end. Well, my job is done. Deanne will be the next blogger. Good Bye.

Mom

Day 4

Today's ride was from Paso Robles to Santa Maria-94.7 miles. Last night Deanne and her friends were able to enjoy a rootbeer float. It sure tasted good after the long, hot, and windy day. D wasn't able to sleep much last night because of a security light that was shining on the tent all night. Every day when the new camp sites are set up the tents are rotated so no one tent has to experience the lights, traffic to rest rooms and whatever two days in a row. The tent mates are assigned a site and that's where they have to pitch their tent. The tents are always in the same order they just rotate up and down the rows. The weather was very cold this morning and it was really hard to get going. Deanne was able to make it to the halfway marker around 11 am. I told you that it's a tradition to have their picture taken at the sign. What I didn't tell you is that they get their picture taken while holding their bike over their head. Wow, halfway from San Francisco to Westwood and on a bike. The wind was 30 + miles per hour today. At rest stop two, Pismo Beach, the wind was blowing so hard everyone was getting sandblasted and the crew had to take down their canopy. Deanne said it looked like one giant dirt bowl. There were a lot of dead animals on and off the highway today. When the group was climbing a particularly difficult hill today they noticed an extremely large group of hawks circling overhead. Everyone started joking about the hawks anticipating a few, not so tender, bikers for lunch-sorry, not today. In all the comotion to get up the hill in the wind someome noticed that Alison (sp) was missing. Alison is having trouble with her back and so everyone was looking frantically for her. When someone looked up at the hill, that they were having such a difficult time climbing, there was Alison at the top. As they were struggling to ride up Alison got off her bike and walked up to the top-at least she hadn't been carried off. Thanks to Alfred Hitchcock any flock of birds can be intimidating. Deanne's knee was giving her a lot of pain. She said "it felt like someone was stabbing me under my right knee cap with a screw driver". Needless to say, at mile 33 she asked if someone could tape the knee for her. The rest stop crew insisted that she go on the bus to the Santa Maria Camp to see the medics. Deanne thought that she could go back and finish the days ride but the medics had a different idea. D tore a tendon and damaged a ligament. But with massage, manipulation, and some Tylenol she should be able to ride tomorrow. She was upset that she had to SAG -be picked up by the Support and Gear vehicle, but realizes that she probably couldn't pedal up another hill with just one leg. Over 400 cyclists SAGed before lunch today. Heather was the only one of "the group" to make it all the way today-way to go Heather! The food is great and everyone is having a lot of fun. Deanne keeps seeing more and more Giant bikes, mostly guys though. Tomorrow is "red dress" day. Let's hope that tomorrow is a better day and that the wind isn't as brutal.

Mom

Day 3

Today's ride was from King City to Paso Robles-77.3 miles of the worst road in all of California. As I mentioned last night, this section of the ride is known as the "Quad Buster". The weather was very hot and many cyclists (including Deanne) got a little sun burned. Deanne commented on seeing a lot of Giant bikes today. She was wearing her Giant Kit (shirt & matching shorts) and her friends were teasing her about her Giant butt and Giant chest (the word Giant is in very large letters on the back of the shorts and across the bustline) oh well, a little laughter is good for you. Today is the day that the ride goes through the small town that a school in Bradly hosts a BBQ as a fundraiser for their elementary school. This is the only fund raiser the local school conducts and everyone looks forward to the ALC's visit. Obviously, a good time is had by all. D had a double cheeseburger, chips and a coke. A few miles back on the road she started to re-think such a heavy lunch in such hot bumpy conditions, but she was ok. There was a dead mountain lion that kind of made her sad, it hadn't been dead very long and was under a tree on the side of the road. Deanne and Heather were the only two of their group to make it all the way today. A nice shower can rid you of more than the road dirt and Deanne is always glad for those great big trucks with the portable showers and plenty of hot water after a ride. D is feeling pretty good except for a pain under the knee cap. Someone gave her some Bio Freeze and she is feeling better. Tomorrow they will pass the half way marker, where it is a tradition to have your picture taken. Tomorrow the riders will face the "Evil Twins" -two exceptionally difficult hills and end their day in Santa Maria. The mission that they saw yesterday was the Mission Soledad. I think thats pretty much it for today.

Mom

Day 2

Day 2 was a long day-105.4 mile ride, mostly flat, from Santa Cruz to King City. D woke up to a tent drenched with condensation from the fog. Everything was wet. The day's ride included a visit to the "Cookie Lady" (she starts baking cookies in March for the ride and made over 2,600 this year-vegan, raisen, chocolate chip etc.), a peek into a mission, views of strawberry fields (where the workers stopped working to wave to the cyclists), again, amazing views of the ocean and fabulous surroundings. She missed out on the skinny dipping, darn. The weather was cold in the morning but warmed up to the upper 80's /lower 90's. The winds blew from every direction and at times the cyclists were riding slanted to one side just to stay upright. Deanne is feeling pretty good, just has some pains in her shoulders from leaning forward so much-thank goodness for those instant heat packs. At one of the stops today they were handing out "otter pops"- boy did they hit the spot. After a couple of chocolate milks for breakfast and lunch she was ready to tackle anything. D stayed behind to ride in with a newbie so they didn't get into camp until around 7 pm. The girl she was riding with thought that they were the last of the cyclists to get to camp. Deanne had to tell her friend to turn around and look behind her- there were somewhere between 100 and 150 people still coming. Except for running out of bandaids everything is going pretty well. D hasn't been able to reach Gab Cast, there are just too many people trying to leave phone messages. Hope she gets plenty of sleep tonight because tomorrow's ride is known as the "Quad Buster" due to the bad condition of the road.

Mom

Day1

D's group of riders decided to hold back and leave Cow Palace close to the end of the 2333 cyclists. The group consists of 10 riders six of whom are "newbies". At the start of the ride it was very windy and cold, no rain but a lot of dampness and fog. The 10 mile climb to Skyline can be a little challenging and except for dropping her chain at mile 3 everything went smoothly. Her Giant bike was great shifting and made all the difference in climbing those hills. Deanne credits her bike rides at lunch (with her Giant co-workers) for helping her ride in the wind. Since Skyline was in the clouds it was the coldest part of the ride. Once out of the clouds though, everyone was peeling off those extra layers. D enjoyed the beautiful views of a light house and amazing surroundings. Deanne and her tent mate Heather were the only ones (in their group) not to sag today. Way to hang in there D! Deanne did have a mishap when she cut her finger (small cut) on a piece of glass helping someone change a flat tire. Todays ride was 94 miles but all are safely tucked in their tents, "lights out" is 9 pm. Roadie up date- 568 are making complete camp "communities" including security, food, showers, restrooms, hospital and transporting all equipment from one camp site to the next and in some cases transporting the ridders via van to the next camp site, not to mention manning rest stops every 20 or so miles. Wow
Night night, Mom

D and Beth spent several hours Thursday night loading and packing 9 bikes and gear into a U-haul truck. They, along with Keith, left Ventura about 5 am on Friday. The trip fortunately was uneventful and all arrived in San Francisco safe.
Saturday was check in day at the Cow Palace. Again things went fairly well. Bikes get turned in and tent assignments are handed out. All paper work etc. gets sorted taken care of. Lots of people but very well orginized.
This year there are 2,300 cyclists and app. 450 "roadies"(volunteers). The Aids Life Cycle 6 raised 11 million dollars- that is 3 million more than last year's record breaking 8 million. Participants are from 10 countries and 43 states.
The only downer seems to be the dark,cold, and windy weather that is San Francicso. There is a possibility of rain on opening day. Everyone is expecting a colder ride this year.
Opening Ceremonies were to begin at 5 am this morning and the first riders should have left Cow Palace an hour or so later. Since I can't find any information on how the Opening Ceremonies went I must assume that it all went well.
Will the weather be a plus or a hindrance during that tuff climb (biggest climb of the ride) out of the Cow Palace in Daly City (near San Francisco) and on towards the first camp at Harvey West Park in Santa Cruz? I guess we will hear about that later if and when D checks in.
Hope to have more info on day 1 later.

Mom

Listen to D Gab

Click here to listen to me gab about my ride. I will try and leave updates via cell phone when I can. Enjoy!

Giant Training

Well, I am just about all packed and ready to leave for my ride. I did my last training ride today, a quick 15 miler. I have cleaned and oiled my chain and thanks to Lance (one of my co-workers) my bicycle has passed a saftey check. I have fine tuned and am ready to go. The photo attached is of Patrick & Jean two of a few whom I train with at lunch. I can't believe that the ride is already here...

I will leave to a friends house, Beth Parks, on Thursday and will head up to SF on Friday at 5:30am. Saturday is (June 2nd) is Orientation Day and Sunday we ride out early in the morning...I mean early morning. Call time is 5:00 am for Opening Ceremonies. I hope that the alarm goes off this year. Last year my alarm never went off and when I awoke I had 15 minutes to get ready, checked out and over to the Cow Palace. Some how I made it in time. I wish for things to go more smoothly this year. My mom will probably be leaving nightly updates of my daily adventures so be sure to tune in...

My itinerary for AIDS/ LifeCycle 6

Here is my itinerary for AIDS/ LifeCycle 6

June 2 -- Orientation Day: The Cow Palace
Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Ave, Daly City CA 94014

June 3 -- Opening Ceremonies: The Cow Palace
Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Ave Daly City CA 94014 --
DAY ONE Mileage: 89.9

June 3 -- Camp 1: Harvey West Park, Santa Cruz
Harvey West Park, 326 Evergreen Street, Santa Cruz CA 95060

June 4 -- Camp 2: San Lorenzo County Park, King City --
DAY TWO Mileage: 105.4
San Lorenzo County Park, 1160 Broadway, King City CA 93930

June 5 -- Camp 3: Mid State Fairgrounds, Paso Robles --
DAY THREE Mileage: 77.3
Mid State Fairgrounds, 2198 Riverside Ave, Paso Robles CA 93447

June 6 -- Camp 4: Preisker Park, Santa Maria --
DAY FOUR Mileage: 94.7
Preisker Park, 2301 Preisker Ln, Santa Maria CA 93458

June 7 -- Camp 5: River Park, Lompoc --
DAY FIVE Mileage: 45.2
Sweeney Rd & Hwy 246 Lompoc, CA 93436

June 8 -- Camp 6: San Buenaventura State Beach, Ventura
DAY SIX Mileage: 85.5
San Buenaventura State Beach, 901 San Pedro St, Ventura, CA 93001

June 9 -- Closing Ceremonies: VA Center, Los Angeles (near Brentwood)VA Center, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90025 --
DAY SEVEN Mileage: 61.5

*All sites subject to change.* Total Mileage: 556.8

Cruisn the Conejo Century & 6,000 ft of Climbing

Call me crazy, but I survived the 6,000 ft of climbing of the Cuisin the Conejo Century on Saturday May 12th. It was difficult and a mind challenging. After the 45 mile I was pretty much on my own. I gave Larry with Team Ventura the go ahead to go on without me. I didn't want to hold him back. I actually did 104 because I rode to the start line from my grandmother's house and back. I saw some amazing parts of Ventura county. Lake Sherwood and Hidden Valley were so beautiful. The head winds came out in the afternoon and were a little tough in Camarillo & Simi. But what a great feeling when I finsihed. I started at about 7:30am and finished about 4:45pm. Mullholland was very hilly, but beautiful and 60% of the climbing was in the beginning of the day, so that was good. Some of the descents were so steep that my shoulders and hands began to hurt from pushing back on the handle bars. During the end of the ride my left knee and quads were hurting so bad that I had to pull over and stretch them every once in a while. I didn't want to do an damage with ALC6 only a couple weeks away. But all is good. It was actually fun and a huge accomplishment too. I only had a small derailleur issue at mile 75, and was able to make the adjustment on my own :) One of the guys at work showed me how. The boy scouts who supported the ride had some yummy treats (cheese sandwiches, PB&J, strawberries, oranges, a variety of breads, cookies, etc) and held our bikes for us as we got our munchies, filled out water bottles and ran to the rest room. I even saw Thomas Beer (the CEO from IMC--the company I used to work for) as I came out of one of the porta potties on rest stop 2. We chatted a bit. I guess he was doing the 62 miler. It was a pleasant suprise and a joy to see another person who has caught the passion to cycle.

I am off my bike for 2 days then tues-fri I will be riding to work form Jaclyn's house. We have competitions at work for riding to work and my team (Blazing Saddles) is in 3rd place. We were in 5th and last place when I started there. I hope to gain enough points to help bring us up in the standings, plus I get individual points too. I hope that my legs have enough in them for the rest of the week. I have to commute 16 miles each way with a nice climb early on.















Tune in again to see how my week went and as I finalize my things for ALC6. (Click on map of route above to enlarge)

ALC6 Day On The Ride81 miles...I Survived!

Well, I survived the 81 miles from ALC6’s Day On The Ride, but it wasn’t compeltely easly.

With my busy schedule & new job (including a business trip), I have gotten a bit worn down and woke up on Friday with a cold. Today, when I woke up at 5:30am, the thought of riding my bike was painful. But I went ahead and did it anyway. Full of cold medication I loaded the car and headed to Santa Monica. I felt so crappie, my head was in the clouds, my body and head ached, my throat was so soar and I was cold. I had a nice thick jacket on and a Thermal Care heating pad on my shoulders and full tights covered my legs. I was going to do this ride, even though my body and mind weren’t up for it, but my heart was. I met my friend Heather and stuck pretty close to her, not feeling very social with the rest of the group. I can’t tell you though seeing the ALC staff and interacting with them always gives me that extra boost of energy and boy was I needing it. They are awesome!

We rolled out at about 7:30am. I noticed that my computer was not working. I was concerned that if I got separated from Heather that I would have a difficult time finding my way without the mileage. I also depend so much on my computer to keep me motivated by my speed and knowing how many miles I needed to go/ have gone ect. So, I was a bit bummed when I didn’t feel well and my main motivational source was not working. I didn’t have a good feeling about this ride…plus it was cold & windy and many miles were ahead of me.

Funny thing when I compare today’s ride to the Day On The Ride last year I saw many improvements despite my health and technical difficulties. I was able to climb the hills with out stopping or cross training, plus I finished it much earlier than last year. Go figure. All in all today was a huge accomplishment, both in my training for The Ride itself, and mentally and physically as well. I do need to work on those darn headwinds. I am not a fan and struggled with them today as well. This ride has also motivated me to do more rides to work and at lunch time as well. Next weekend I am scheduled to help my friend Beth with her 55 miles training ride. Wish me luck!! Check back to see how it goes.

Earth Day/ Ride Life- Ride Your Bike To Work Day

I never thought that I would work for a company that rewards their employees for riding to work. Wednesday was my first Ride Life- Ride Your Bike To Work Day at Giant. Since it was Earth Day, my company decided to create one. We get points for commuting, riding at lunch and riding at night. At the end of the year they hand out awards. We are also all on teams compiles of employees from different departments. I am on the team called Blazing Saddles. I don’t know anyone on the team yet, but hopefully that will soon change. Check out our company's Ride Life Web Site at www.ridelife.net. You can read about our athletes.

How was my ride, you ask? Well instead of riding the 30 miles, leaving the house at 4 am to ride into work to be there at 7am (my normal starting time), I drove to Simi Valley. I parked at my friend’s house and road 16 miles into work. When I left the house it was pitch dark, and my body was asking me “What the Hell are you doing to me, it is early in the morning on a week day, it is cold, windy and the sun hasn’t even risen yet. I fought the urge to give up and continued into work. I hadn’t ridden the route before so, wasn’t quite sure what I was in for, a little more climbing than I had expected, but it was all good. My computer didn’t work on my way into work, so I hadn’t a clue how many miles or how fast I was riding. My trip back explained a lot.

I also road with a group of co-workers at lunch; we did a 9 mile loop with some hill climbing as well. My co-workers are a lot of fun and challenge me which I need. A few of us are doing Cruisin the Conejo, a ride that our company is helping to sponsor. So far I am the only one signed up for the Century (103 miles). I hope that I can do it, plus it will help me with my training for ALC6. It is suppose to be very challenging. I’ll let you know it is May 12th.

I am off to bed, I have to rest up. Saturday, I am doing ALCs A Day On The Ride the 80 miles option. Wish me luck! I am going to need it. I am exhausted!

Sea Otter Classic

I attended my first Sea Otter Classic with Giant. It was a lot of fun, but it was a busy schedule for us as well. It was fun to see what our competition was doing and my first taste at the cycling industry. Giant was nominated for 4 Editors Choice Awards from Bicycling Magazine—so it was cool to attend the award ceremony. It was cool to see my co-workers work with the media. They were definitely in there element and did us proud.

One of my favorite parts was cheering for our Mountain Bike Team during their competitions. I also got a pleasant surprise. My cousin Jon was there competition also and won too. I was so excited to see him. Unfortunately I was working and didn’t get to see his races, but it was cool knowing that he was there. We ended up missing each other and didn’t get to give a proper goodbye. I was proud to see that he was riding a Giant. Keeping it in the Fam!! Sweet!

Giant Leap

Guess what? I have a new job. After 14 years at IMC, I have ventured off to a new beginning at Giant Bicycle, Inc. Check it out at www.giantbicycle.com. Yup, you read correctly. My passion for cycling has lead me to a job in the cycling industry. I have already completed my second day there and am very excited on the projects and opportunities. I will also be joining the team at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, CA (www.seaotterclassic.com) this weekend. We will have a booth, both for men’s & women’s specific bicycles, bike demos and our Mountain Bike Team will be competing as well. If you are attending, come by and say hi!

60

I had the honor and privilege of riding 60 miles with my Cycle Buddy, Sarah, plus Josie, and Leslie who all 3 road from SF to LA. Heather, Alain (joined them for 2 days) and I joined them on the last day of their incredible journey. It was very humbling, yet exciting.

Cycle Buddy Sarah Rides from SF to LA

Want some inspiration? Check out my Cycle Buddy, Sarah's blog. She is currently riding down the coast from San Francisco to Los Angeles on her bicycle. She had always wanted to do the ALC ride, but never got the opportunity until now. Follow here amazing experience via her blog site as she peddles with just two other people and 2 support staff (this is the same ride I will be doing in June, but with 2500 other people and a full support staff). I plan on riding with her, during her last leg from Ventura to Brentwood on Easter Sunday with a couple other peeps.

Here is the link to her blog site: www.aidslifecycle.org/7

Enjoy!

My First Half Century of the Season

I had a wonderfully lovely day on Sunday 4/1. Heather, who will be my tent mate this year, and I rode all around. We trained together last year and rode a few days on the ride together as well. Again perfect weather was gleaming down on us!! We started at her place in West Hollywood and right off the bat climbed Nichols Canyon. Lovely! Then we coasted down hill into Griffith Park did a loop around and saw some fellow ALCers. We then road further into the Valley and did a little more hill climbing, stopped off at Whole Foods in Sherman Oaks and then it was up and over Sepulveda through the VA. Heather and I had already done a couple hills and figured why not do another, so we climbed Bundy to Mt St Mary’s up top. I was remembering that last year when I climbed Bundy, I ended up walking my bike (cross training) for a portion of it. It was a very pleasant surprise that I was able to climb it after climbing 2 other hills with out a problem. Yay!! We flew down San Vicente and turned around at Ocean, then headed back to West Hollywood via many stop signs and a few rolling hills. I had completed my first half century this season. YAY!! Heather and I spent the day peddling down memory lane, reflecting on last years ride & training. We celebrated by eating a late lunch… it was delish!

From The Valley to The Sea 3/31-Success

Wow!! I led my first "big" training ride on Saturday 3/31, a 43 miler from Lake Balboa in Van Nuys to the Santa Monica Pier and back. There were 14 of us total. I actually had 20 RSVPs. It was the biggest group I’ve had yet! It was exciting. The weather was perfect! The people were a pleasure and there were no mishaps! Amazing!!! It was so much fun to see familiar faces, Katie and Scott were there. I trained and road with them during the ride last year. We had a lot of fun. I can't wait to get out there and do another training ride. It was an awesome group!

What Have I Been Up To?

Sorry for the lack of updates recently. My free time has been very limited these days. If I am not riding, I am scouting out a route, creating a route slip, riding the route to double check the directions and mileage, and then writing and posting it to the ALC website.

I am also attending my first SFVBC (San Fernando Valley Bicycling Club) meeting tonight. I’ve seen them riding around town on the weekends and have visited their web site numerous time. I am very excited to finally meet with them.

Here is what I have been doing for training:
I have been spending a lot of time riding from Porter Ranch to Simi Valley via Santa Susana Pass (29 miles) and have led 2 groups on this route. I have also been scouting and riding a route from Lake Balboa to the Santa Monica Pier as well. I hope to lead a group through there next weekend and possible the weekend after. It is an absolutely amazingly beautiful ride. I’ll fill you all in on more info soon….

Get with the V Baby Team Valley!!

Well, we did it! Team Valley had there first ride today! There were 9 people total including Beth Parks (who came out all the way from Oxnard) who helped TRL (Training Ride Leader) with me. We had the best weather and a great group of people. We did a quick 10 mile beginner ride figure 8 around Lake Balboa. Beth did a quick little bike basics workshop afterwards for a few who stayed. We will be doing the same ride next week. Check out the new Team Valley blog site I created:
www.alc-team-valley.blogspot.com

Back to Back Bike Attack

OMG! Bike Attack did this awesome ride on Saturday, February 10th. It was from Santa Monica to the Valley (SFV) via Sepulveda. Sepulveda is approximately a 3.5 mile climb. It was awesome. Being a person from the Valley, it was so nice to actually have an ALC training ride make a quick visit here. This ride had been the first official ALC training ride I had been on since last November. It was a great feeling! I had been cross-training at the gym during the week on my lunch break and cycling around the neighborhood. Surprisingly it was a very easy ride for me.

Riding with Santa Monica Bike Attack is like coming home to me. I rode with them a few times last year and did one of my mentor TRL rides with David. My cycling buddy Heather is now one of the TRLs there too. It is fun to watch her helping out everyone. Amy a TRL was SF who has moved to LA is a very pleasant and valued addition to the Santa Monica Bike Attack group as well. I rode with them yesterday in unseasonably warm weather. The views are simply gorgeous and we had a great time.

It's Official I'm Riding in ALC 6

I just registered for ALC 6 and in order to be able to ride, I need to raise $2,500. Please visit my ALC6 Web Site to make a donation today. Thank you. http://www.aidslifecycle.org/3103

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.