poster child for women afflicted with being single

That's a title I've always wanted attached to my name. Go figure!

I was interviewed by San Francisco Chronicle columnist, Chuck Nevius, recently. I get interviewed all the time, but this article has generated a bunch of attention from cycling friends, former Schwab co-workers, and some eligible bachelors, too!

The occassion was the recent release of a study that indicated that single women now comprise the majority (of women) in the United States for the first time in US history. Whoopee! I'm a majority.

The columnist was very pleasant and intelligent. We actually had a great conversation on the phone. We discussed gender dynamics (one of my favorite topics) and the economics of the bike biz (another one of my favorite topics). And the Chronicle sent a photographer out to shoot me riding (and instead used a photo of me standing in the parking lot at Buck's).

But the columnist really wanted me to say that single women are bitter and we hate men and that's why we join women's organizations (like Velo Girls). I knew that's where he was going with it. I even asked him that and he giggled. I referred him to many of my single friends. The fabulous Ms. Moon and the beautiful Teresa Callen were also quoted in the article.

I was mis-quoted a bit, but not as badly as some of the other interviews I've done over the years. You can decide for yourself by reading the article here -- Women See Less Need for Ol Ball and Chain.

But do I really want to be the "model for the new single woman?" Thanks, Chuck!

Seasonal Lust

There's something about trainer workouts that get me H-O-T! I haven't really done intensity in (too long) so last night's Tri-Flow training got me all hot & bothered. I was a bit burnt out from cross and racing 17 months straight, but now I'm chomping at the bit to get back out there for the road season. yee-haw!

for the studio audience -- play along at home

I've been using iTunes for our indoor training workouts and race warm-ups for a few years. It's so much easier than mixing and burning CDs as I used to do for spinning classes. And now, I can publish my classes to iTunes -- how cool is that? So now, you can download and play along at home. Tonight's episode, a little 20 minute TT for your listening pleasure.

life is better when you're skinny

I hate to write this, but we all know it's true. I've been on all sides of the coin here, so I can speak to various points of view.

Life is easier for thin people.

It's easier to climb hills.

It's easier to run.

It's easier to find clothes.

It's easier to flirt.

It's easier to smile and laugh (since you're happy).

It's easier to wear clothes (both finding them and the comfort of them).

It's easier to get a job (many studies show we would hire the most attractive candidate if all other factors are equal).

It's easier to do your job -- folks treat you with more respect (especially in the sports & fitness industry).

It's easier to have sex (on so many levels I won't even list them here).

It's easier to drive, fly, or go to the theatre (you fit in the seat better).

It's easier to have a treat (you don't feel like folks are judging you if you have a latte or an ice cream since you're not fat).

It's easier to go to the gym, pool, tennis court, etc (since folks are judgemental about fat people who exercise).

It's easier to dine out or shop (you get better service).

It's easier to look in the mirror or at photos of yourself.



It's a shame we live in a society where judgement is so freely passed on folks based solely on their appearance. We assume overweight folks are all lazy or overeaters. Of course, the reality is that there are many physiological reasons for folks to be over-weight. I never understood this until I suddenly found myself fat. I hope I never forget.

reason #348 why I love california

it's january. I'm sitting on my sunny patio in 60-something degree weather, wearing a tanktop & shorts and answering email.

I love my job!

the man of my dreams

If you're a single girl and a homeowner, you know who I'm talking about. As independent as we think we are, there are still some things better left to professionals. And in CA, that means finding a good handyman.

I've met a bunch of crazy, drug-addicted, alcoholic, incompetent handymen in my day. There was Paul, the man who would show up two hours late and then ask me to give him lunch. And there was Norm, the man who almost electrocuted me when he installed my outdoor lightening. And there was Thomas, who used a hudson sprayer to paint my ceiling.....while all my furiture was still in the house. And then there was the nutsy contractor (I've blacked out his name) who did my floors and crown moulding.

Needless to say, I'd basically given up on finding Mr. Right.

You may recall my flourescent light quandry a couple of months ago. Long story short, the fixture with a dead, now obsolete ballast, was still sitting on my kitchen counter until this morning. About a month ago, I located the ballast at Royal Electric, but didn't have the opportunity to pick one up until Wednesday.

So, Wednesday I happened into Royal and was pursuaded that changing the entire fixture was the more logical solution.

And that's when I saw him! At the other end of the counter was a charming, clean, sober handyman. Our eyes met briefly and I felt my heart flutter. My hands began sweating. And I knew he was the one! As we chatted, he told me his name was Tom and he was the handyman-of-choice for my condo complex (nice of the complex management to tell us). We exchanged numbers and the rest is history!

I now have lights under my kitchen cabinets again! And we've scheduled time to work on all the other little projects on my to-do list and a few he identified as problems that I didn't even know about. And he's cheap! And nice! And he smells good, too! He's a little chatty while I'm trying to work and he didn't put the seat down, but at my age I can't be too picky, right?

So, girls, if you need Mr. Right in your life, give Tom a ring. He truly is amazing!

can somebody tell me

why does asparagus make your pee smell funny?

crazy eights

I went clothes shopping a couple of weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised to find I'm now a size 8. So, I bought a whole new wardrobe and took 18 bags of old, out-of-style, and unattractive clothes to Goodwill.

The past few days, I've noticed that all the new clothes I bought are starting to feel too big already! I guess this is good & bad. My sexy jeans are just too big. All the cool pants are too big. The funky skirts are too big as well. And we won't even talk about the lucious bras.

Moral of the story....be careful what you ask for.

Then again, there are worse problems in the world.

a perfect day!

I've been super-busy this month. In addition to all the normal beginning-of-the-year stuff, and launching an all-new team, and daydreaming, and having a friend visit for five days, my business has been booming. I'm not sure what happened, but I need to give my marketing person a raise. I've suddenly become the most popular bike fitter, coach, tester in norcal it seems. And suddenly, I've got clients able to meet with me during the day (where typically I only saw clients evenings and weekends).

This is all fine and good, and I should be happy, but it also means that I haven't been able to ride much during the day. I'm starting to feel like I've lost the big fitness I got during my Christmas week ride.

But today made up for all that. It was a fabulous, warm, sunny, no-wind day on the peninsula and I was drooling over the prospect of climbing. So I dragged Kim along for our first trip up Page Mill of 2007.

One of my goals this season is to become a climber (or at least a better climber). Last season I climbed a lot, but my excess weight and lack of fitness held me back. But I'm building on a HUGE base from May 2005 through December 2006 (about 10,000 miles and 900 hours -- in 19 months!) and I'm starting to see some results. And yeah, it sure helps to be back to my fighting weight.

Both Kim and I have been lifting weights, so we were a bit fatigued and had heavy legs, but the climb was awesome -- nine miles of power and feeling the lack of excess weight. Kim is tall and super-skinny and she usually leaves me behind on the climbs. Today I was able to keep up with her and was actually ahead of her for much of the climb.

And the descent on Skyline and 84 was simply incredible. The views of the bay were magically smoggy, but the views of the valley and ocean were breath-taking. I've also been working on my technical descending, and I think today was my best descent of 84 ever.

All in all, just a perfect day!

the stranger in the mirror

for years now, I haven't recognized the face in the mirror. somehow, I still envisioned myself the old "me," -- fit, thin, happy, attractive. I wouldn't let anyone take my photo anymore because I didn't want proof that I had changed.

but just this morning, I caught a glimpse of someone I used to know. there she was again and it's almost as if she was never gone. of course, the years of pain have left a few scars, but underneath the scars is an old familiar friend.

things everyone should know about working at home

If you have a 9:00 appointment, you should arrive at 9:00. 8:55 is okay. 9:05 is okay too.

If you arrive at 8:30, I'll probably still be in my bathrobe. Or I'll miss my breakfast. Missing breakfast makes me cranky and then I won't be very effective working with you.

If you arrive at 9:30, you'll mess up my schedule for the day (and I'll probably miss lunch). Or I'll rush with you and not give you the attention you deserve.

Although you're a welcome guest in my home, there are some things you probably shouldn't do:

• please don't go into the drawers in my bedroom, the cabinets in my bathroom, or the cupboards in my kitchen. if you need something, please ask -- I'll be happy to get it for you.
• please don't feed my dog unless you ask if it's okay.
  
• please take your shoes off when you walk on the carpet in the bathroom or bedroom, especially if your shoes are wet or if you're wearing cleats. yes, the black spots on the carpet are from someone's greasy, dirty cleats.
• please don't stand on my furniture (yes, someone really did this).
  
• please don't put your feet on my furniture to stretch unless you remove your shoes.

Oh, and in case you missed this, if you arrive too early, I'll probably be in my bathrobe, with unbrushed teeth and an empty belly........so just stop at Starbuck's enjoy a latte, get one for me, and come over to my house on-time, okay?

I can't share all the really good stuff

I got tagged a long time ago....before New Years, before Christmas, probably before the end of the cross season. For the life of me I can't remember who tagged me. And I've avoided posting this because I kinda feel like my life is an open book and everyone knows everything about me anyways. Or, at least everything that I would confess on the internet. But what the heck, here's some tagalicious blog fodder for your Thursday viewing pleasure -- completely random and nothing too scandalous. If you want the good dirt, you'll have to buy me a beer.

Things you probably don't know about me (and probably don't care about either):

1. My typing teacher cut my nails during typing class one day. Yes, this was back in the day when you took typing class on a typewriter and learned how to use carbon paper -- no computers in the schools yet. She'd probably be arrested for that today. She also black-balled me from National Honor Society my junior year (even though I graduated 9th in my class of 400). Even though I was a musician and played piano and all the woodwinds, I had super-long nails. I painted them everynight to match the clothes I planned to wear the next day. When I broke one, I would super-glue it back on until it finally fell off.

2. I was in a beauty pageant my senior year in high school. And apparently I was so beautiful that I made it to the state finals. But we were very poor and I didn't have the funds to buy the dresses and costumes and get the hair, makeup, or boob jobs that the other girls did. The pageant was supposedly a scholarship program and beauty didn't matter, but all the girls were very beautiful anyways. My talent was singing and dancing -- I Feel Pretty from West Side Story (gag). I was also awarded the scholastic achievement award. I think I won $150 which seemed like a lot of money at the time. Ironically, I was nominated to participate in the pageant by my typing teacher (see above).

3. I was the only girl in my neighborhood. I grew up under the influence of all the boys and somehow lived to talk about it. Our neighborhood was pretty rough & tumble and we drank and smoked pot and experimented with sex at a very young age. I don't know how my parents (who were super-strict with me) didn't figure it out. Well, eventually they did. To this day, I still relate better to men than to women. I never really had any female friends growing up nor did I have many close female friends during my adult years. My best friends have always been men. Ironic that my company is focused on women, isn't it?

4. I learned to swim when I was only 8 months old. No fancy diaper-dip classes for me. My father simply dropped me in the lake and let me sink or swim. I didn't sink and spent the next 17 years of my life water-logged every summer. But I'm not a very good swimmer and I don't like swimming in lakes because I can't see what's on the bottom. However, I can bait a hook and clean a fish!

5. I've been engaged three times but never married. I think being engaged is cool and romantic, albeit a public display of an intimate relationship. I've got commitment issues and I'm terrible at making decisions. Or maybe I just don't believe in the institution of marriage. I'd rather wake up every morning and make the conscious decision to proclaim my love for my partner than have a piece of paper that reminds me I should be in love. And, no, I didn't keep any of the rings even though I thought about it.

So, is anyone still playing this game? I hereby tag Jackie, Sarah, Funke, Mo, and Andy.

how do you get shin splints from walking

What? Aren't I an athlete? Don't I run? And ride? And race cross?

On Sunday we'd planned to ride Mt. Hamilton but it was so freezing we didn't want to descend again (and our sensible friends cancelled on us). So, after a late morning in bed and a ride to Burlingame with Julie in tow for coffee and croissants at Copenhagen, we decided to go on a hike.

I tried to explain that I don't hike. "It's just a walk," my friend said. "I don't walk either. Are you sure you wouldn't rather mtn bike? I can get you a mtn bike to borrow. Same thing as hiking, just faster."

Off to Arastradero we go, Julie on her leash, running shoes on my feet, and we hike the trails I usually ride. I had no idea how long it would take us to hike, but we did most of the OSP and even lolly-gagged at the look-out, taking photos, admiring the crystal-clear day with views of Diablo and Hamilton, and basically being lazy hiker-people. And we saw three coyotes! Julie had a blast and we did, too.

But on Monday, I had shin splints. Go figure.

ahhhhhhh

(deep sigh)

I bought a pair of jeans today!

Those who know me well and long, know that's a big deal. Yes, jeans. In a single-digit size. And they look so sexy I almost creamed em. And some other pretty clothes too. One of the coolest clothing stores in Burlingame is going out of business, so after I'd already purchased two big shopping bags full at two other stores, I bought some more at the extinct store (at ridiculously cheap prices). And those sexy jeans....give me chills!

cyclocross stage race in 2007

I posted this idea in November and no feedback except Courtenay. Thoughts? I'm seriously thinking about this for next season and want to start planning soon.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


So, I've wanted to promote a cyclocross race for a while. But with all the existing series, it seems the one-off, single-day races aren't very successful. But, I think I've found a little niche that would be unique and a lot of fun.

How about a cyclocross stage race? Yup, a timed stage race. I envision a short time trial or mass-start hill climb on Saturday morning followed by a dirt crit on Saturday afternoon. Ooh! A dirt crit. That would introduce a team element that we don't typically see much of in cross races. Sunday would be a full day of racing on a traditional cross course.

And we'll have to really think about categories, since we probably can't fit 3,000 different men's masters A,B,C,D, and E categories along with everything else in one day unless we combine some fields. Yeah, that's it, we can combine the men the way they combine the women, so we'll have men's A along with junior C all together. Nah! Those juniors would be too brutal on the As. How about a tandem race? Unicycle? I like the tandem idea.

Now how fun would that be? Would you come out to play? Thoughts? Suggestions?

Maybe we'll even throw in a big party on Saturday night! Parties are good. One big bike racing weekend of luv!

it's all relative

I have two sisters. One is dysfunctional and no one in the family has talked to her in many years. The other one lives in San Jose. She's been in CA since the early-80s. We are complete opposites. And she's eleven years older than me, so we don't have the bond (good or bad) of typical sisters. She's more like an aunt or another more-distant relative.

When I first moved to San Jose, I stayed with her for a few weeks until I found an apartment. And we were friends for that first year while I was living in San Jose. We would rollerblade together and drink beer and smoke cigarettes and hike and drink wine and smoke cigarettes and ride bikes and drink cocktails and smoke cigarettes. Then I moved north and she became distant.

She's an extremely successful financial accountant person in corporate America. She makes oodles of money and spends oodles of money (mostly on vacations and spas and stuff like that).

When I started Velo Girls, I tried to encourage my sister to come out, ride with us, and make some friends. She's never really had many friends and was going through a divorce and I thought it would be good for her. She wasn't interested. I've invited her to come see me race. She wasn't interested. I've tried to go visit her. She wasn't interested.

We seemed to get a bit closer after my mother died in 2003, but that's faded now. She does her thing, I do mine, and n'er the twain do meet. I occassionally get an email from her at the holidays or my birthday. At Christmas, she emailed me from Fiji. She's been there a bunch of times and loves it.

I got an email from my sister yesterday telling me she's retiring in April and wants to hire me to coach her (and help her find a bike). In a follow-up email, she told me she's planning to relocate to Fiji.

Since I feel about 30, that would make her 41, right? And she's retiring? Wow! Maybe I'll have to start visiting her for holidays since I don't think I'll ever be able to afford to retire.

stating the obvious

"If you want sexy clothes, you have to stop shopping at Sports Basement." And REI. And LuLu Lemon. And Lucy.

Thanks, Erin!

blog-stalking

I've been syndicated. Is that the correct term? I was googling my name and the term "blog" last night (trying to determine if someone could find my blog if they didn't know the URL) and I found various entries of mine on a cycling blog site. That's a bit scary -- makes me think about what personal information I really want to disclose to the cyber-world.

like a snake in the grass

have you ever had a spontaneous flat tire? my bikes hang on wooden racks in my living room. suddenly, my dog starts wimpering as she lay on the couch -- something's awry! and then I hear it -- pssst! I walk over to the rack with my road bike and hear air slowly escaping from the stem on the front tire. I haven't been on the bike in over 24 hours. it just suddenly decided to go flat. how bizarre! is that an excuse not to get on the trainer tonight?

the suspense is killing.....

.....me!

You guys are all so cute! Thanks for the warm-fuzzies.

So, my "friend" asked me for my street address today. He had some silly-lame reason for wanting it. Before leaving San Diego, we chatted about him coming to visit later this month. When I mentioned it yesterday and today, he changed the topic (in a cute way). But he keeps saying he can't wait to see me. So, why's he want my address? Is he going to surprise me? Or send me a mail bomb?

I feel like a kid on Christmas eve.

And why am I telling you this?

the suspense is killing.....

.....you!

Okay, I'm not sure I can do service to the magic of this experience by putting it into words. The short version is that I met an awesome, sexy man and we had a week-long whirlwind romance -- a vacation fling or something like that. Some of you know how long it's been for me (longer than my BFA). It was an epic week in many ways. I'm still glowing. Unfortunately, he lives in CO.

And no, he doesn't snore.....

impossible.....

.....to focus, concentrate, work, be productive.



can't

stop

daydreaming

romance, mystery, intrigue, and an aching crotch

Wow! I just returned from a six-day bike tour in southern california. 400 miles, ocean, mountains, desert, sun, wind, rain, sleet, hail, snow, slush, 85-degree heat and sub-freezing cold, 25-mile climbs and screaming descents, rainbows and starshine, morning lattes, evening tea, hot tubs, big leather rocking chairs, climbing, stalking, bumps & grinds, cuddling, snoring, sucking wheels, hokey-spokes, tent gymnastics, winning the flat tire changing contest, surpassing the five-a-week quota, and logging about 16,000 bonus feet with my new buddy.

I can't think of a better end to a great year. Double-wow!