Never again… December 20, 2005
Posted by Kylie in : Training Thoughts , add a commentSo I will never again do the full ride home from work. At least not until I have some one to ride with, find a better route, and it's staying light later. So let's play a little game called "things that can go wrong on a bike ride"…
- Directions with a road closure: check and check again
- Construction: check
- Traffic jam: check
- Weaving around cars to find the next one is a cop: Check
- Sketchy areas: wayyyyy too many checks here
- Sun going down too fast: check (the directions issues didn't help)
- Random guy yelling "BE CAREFULL!" after you: check
- Thorn puncture: check (and for a bonus in the middle of a really sketchy area! which leads us to the next one…)
- A slow enough leaking flat in a bad enough area that you ride it for 5-7 miles: check
- A pinch flat: check (pothole in the dark and a slow leaking tire = evil)
- Carrying the bike: check (1/2 mile to a gas station with lights and people for changing the thorn punctured and pinch flatted tire)
- Impossible to get off tire: check (finally successful –woo!)
- A light going out: check (good thing I had 3 little front ones)
- Almost getting hit by a car: check (cell phone drivers are still supposed to pay attention to light colors I thought… and use both pedals…)
- Coming to a light where you need the foot you usually leave clipped in out (to reach a crossing signal button) only to have it not come out, and the other one unclip, but the bike falling to the attached side: check (woo cool hip bruises).
- Getting home about 1.5 hours late and missing the start of the BBQ at your own place: check
So yeah… what doesn't kill you makes you stronger… but that doesn't mean dumb risks are worth it! Yeah, I got a 1 mile and then a 10 mile ride to work (to first train station, and from train to work), and then a 40 miler (36 + closed roads) on the way home (basically took Baseline from San Bernardino all the way to Claremont). But from now on, it's a ride buddy or metrolink between San Bernardino and Fontana or Rancho stations. If I want a longer ride, I'll just ride more in the parts I know.
And then the commute today? Well, I get in right at 8:30 and then still have to shower, and with an 8:30 meeting I drove 
Just to get here and find out the meeting was canceled at 8:20ish. Oh well… there is always next year (as I might not come into the office again until then… we shall see).
I had a good six mile run today though. Still need to read the papers from Libor and figure out what HR I should be running at, so I'm not sure if I'm going to count it as starting the schedule yet or not…
initiation day & wonderful weekend December 19, 2005
Posted by Kylie in : Training Thoughts , add a commentI finally did it! Just got the bike gear ready last night, wrote directions from the Metrolink station to work, and hopped on my bike this morning. A mile to the station by home, and then a bit over 9 miles once I reached the near work station 40 min later. Makes the commute longer, but way nicer! Only one bad thing… the whole time on the train I was thinking how I wish I had biked more… so I might bike the whole thing home. I love addictions. But man, this morning the crisp air and the gorgeous sunset were awesome. This also means that I just keep my bike at the foot of my bed instead of in the car. It's so pretty to see as I fall asleep and wake up =)
Oh and I won once I got to work as well! We have showers, and I thought I had left a towel in my office… risked it, and yup, there was one there waiting for me this morning. Which was nice, 'cause as much as I love the hard and unabsorbant papertowels we have here… it just wouldn't have been the same.
This weekend I also joined the Foothill Cyclery crew on their Saturday ride. About 36 miles (out to the Santa Fe Damn and back) with a bit of climbing. They are fun guys, and some even do a run when they get back!! I was the only girl though (*hint hint Lisa hint*).
Also starting soon: the ultra plan from Libor. Gotta figure out the max HR part though… perhaps today… I want to start it on Tuesday. Especially since I know bike training will be interrupted by holidays and travelling, but I can easily take run stuff up to the family's with me.
Wow I can feel so much positive energy. Riding beats driving by a bazillion percent!
*sniff* December 7, 2005
Posted by Kylie in : General , add a commentSo after all the effort of the last week or so and getting back into regular working out, I have cold or something. And it has gotten colder here, so although that doesn't really bother me, my running pants are packed somewhere as I'm half moved, and since I'm already feeling cold from being a bit sick, BLAH!
In good news I parked on the street last night but forgot to call the police station and let them know (you have to call in cars for overnight street parking in that city, and can only do so 3 times a month per car). I was going to call it in, but I fell asleep around 8:30!! And woke up at 5:30 this morning (which was good as I also hadn't set an alarm). But luckily no ticket when I got up.
