I Can't Think of a Title

Spotted at the Track, horse track that is.

Weekend is here and now almost gone. Got some good riding in but not the mileage I was hoping for. I guess there's plenty of time for those back-breaking, cramp-inducing rides that I love to hate, or hate to love I don't know which. I've been wearing my new Rapha gear lately and I believe it helps me ride a little faster. It might be because I want to do it justice. I can hear that English guy from the Rapha Gentleman's Race narrating my rides. "Don't stop, don't stop, okay stop for a moment.."

Did something a bit different yesterday, got to go to Santa Anita and bet on the ponies. Ah, not really, I watched the pretty ponies and wished for my ranch in Colorado. Preferably one near a ski resort with good roads in the spring and summer. I didn't bet because I'm done with gambling after all my crappy Vegas experiences. Money is better spent on other things, like the new Fizik saddle bag I got at Incycle on the way home, thanks hubby. I'm pretty impressed with it. It has a tiny bit more room than the old strap version and it looks clean attached to my Fizik saddle. Another plus, I can see the 3T logo on my seat post. I don't know if it was exposure to ponies or what but I found myself saying 'easy girl' to my bike today. Like when there were riders up ahead, I found myself pedaling at a faster clip, like I was trying to keep up with my bike. Maybe Herbie the Love Bug got reincarnated into my bike. Now that would be a good movie.

Time for business. Freebird Velo has a few new shirts. My favorite is the 'Real women love men with shaved legs' tee. I realize this might be taken the wrong way, by like perverts and such, but if you're in the cycling world you know what it means. A new Spring Classics tee is out too. Enjoy and take a look at my shop on Etsy. RIDE, RIDE, RIDE.

Ladies Special

Liz Hatch - Every Single Piece... from Dovydas Augaitis on Vimeo.

Liz Hatch has a new video out. If you don't know about her, she is or was the media darling of women's cycling.

Mine don't look like that, WUWT!

I saw the pictures of her in the Maxim magazine dirty coal miner daughter's spread. I used a picture from that issue up above, but took it off the site because too many perverts were checkin it out, so now you get her crowded melons shot.

Thank God for Evie Stevens, an awesome racer with an even more amazing story. Check out bicycling.com for her whole story. Anyways, like the Bike Snob says, Liz is a professional when it comes to promoting herself, even though the video looks like a student project. I can just hear the little nerds now:

Simon: We should put panthers in it, like, big black panthers on bikes chasing her…

Stewart: No way! panthers are gay, we should put, like…..androids. Wait, storm troopers!

Simon: You're such a spazz, how are they gonna peddle, their knees don't have that range of motion.

Stewart: Okay we'll use zombies then. Fast zombies like Zombieland, not slow ones like Shawn of the Dead.

Simon: Been there done that Stew. Skeletons. Yes I said it, is it blowin your mind yet?

Stewart: AWESOME! They totally have a full range of motion for pedaling! Let's put em on Trek Hybrids.

Simon: We'll work on that tomorrow.

So now you know who produced this amazing video. Answers a lot of questions. And now for something completely different. I made my first latte this morning. It was equivalent to the ones I get at Panera, which means drinkable and semi-enjoyable and gets the job done. It's a 100% better than when I tried to use the french press.

This ones for my hubby, he missed Piper Peribo on the news this morning. I think she looks like a stewardess for Air Japan. I don't think that's a real airline.

Weekend Whatnots

Busy weekend. Unfortunately no riding, my bike was under the weather and I had no desire to ride in 40 degree drizzle or ride the stationary at the gym. I need to invest in a trainer. But alas, look at the 7-day forecast. If you live back east or further on beyond the pond look away. Lets just say I am very thankful for something above 60 degrees. I'm gettin too old for 30 degree rides on wet asphalt giving me what looks like poo-poo shorts.

BELLISSIMA

My bike also became more beautiful and svelte this weekend. Sophia got new shoes (wheels/tires) and a new cassette. I can't even hear her because the freewheel is so quiet. We did have some questions because neither my husband or myself have put on a cassette so we took her down to our LBS to double check I wasn't going to have some sort of catastrophic failure while riding. Walking in I was so proud of her, I expected everyone to fawn over her and tell me how beautiful she was. Nothing, I felt dejected. I still love her.

And finally, I am officially the last cyclist on the planet to own a Moka pot. It was 8:30 Saturday night when my hubby started to play with it so I didn't drink a whole cup. But what I tasted was nummy. We'll see if I can replicate his technique when I make mine in the morning, probably gonna taste like cat piss.

Resolution?

Resolution. Dammit I hate that word. It has become synonymous with failure in our society. Example: I get so pissed seeing new faces at the gym the first week of January, you know the ones you've never seen before and never will again after February. I was planning on using this blog entry to tell you not to make resolutions. You make a resolution on the first of the year, you have a 90% chance of failing. And I've found other people on the Internet writing the same thing, and of course I jump on board and stand right behind them. But a funny thing happened today while looking through my Synonym Finder. I was looking for words other than resolution and I ended up finding some pretty inspiring ones, and they really struck a chord with me.

First of all, the definition for resolution is strong will and determination. Those are pretty good sounding huh? Well, the synonyms for resolution are even better, they are as follows: aim, guts, moxie, perseverance, doggedness, fortitude, sincerity, earnestness, relentlessness, tenacity, heart, steadfastness, and stubbornness. I love all these words, they give me a rumbly in my tumbly, like when I watch Rocky or Breaking Away. I have a burning desire to achieve greatness. Not greatness according the big world but my own personal greatness. I want to grasp onto and conquer something greater than what I believe can be accomplished by my little 'ol self. I want to put my stubbornness to good use, twist it into perseverance. I want to have heart. My hubby says anything is possible if you have the heart. And I believe him.

My Resolution, if I choose to except it is a biggie. I want a full year of good riding. This includes:

1.using the bike for in-town errands

2.do more group rides

3.entering another crit. (I pussed out last season when I got scared riding in the pack)

4.reclaim my title at the Redlands Classic public races (women 35+)

5.riding the San Diego Gran Fondo (50 mile) no matter what the weather

6.mountain bike a lot more this summer

7.prepare/train for and ride my first cyclocross race

I know I could set mighty goals like riding the entire California coast, or at least a century but I know I don't want to end up being one of those newbie faced gym goers I'm going to see tomorrow morning. The length of this resolution is what is really challenging. It's a year's worth. If I get the chance to do a century, that'll just be icing on my cake. And the North to South Cali ride, that's another story, that's bucket list territory.

I do have a few non-bike related things I want to work on this year, I wouldn't call them resolutions but more of a to do list, here ya go:

1.create and sell more Freebird Velo items on Etsy (I know thats bike related)

2.start up Single Fin Gypsy. (shameless plug for my new line)

3.surf more

4.burn enough belly fat to really show my 41/2-pack

5.take my hubby fly-fishing

6.create more art

7.treat people the way they deserve to be treated

8.eat less sugar

9.be happy

Sap city on number 7 and 9 I know, but they are probably the most important ones. They're the ones I want to put the most effort into and make sure I follow through with, which is going to be hard because of number eight. Who knew reading my Synonym Finder could create such feelings in me. Well that's it from my end, take it on people.