Rambling Revolutions

Thoughts from my first road ride of the year:

Those knee warmers that I wore on my last sweaty ride last fall, the ones that I never washed, they're still dirty. I wonder if I'm dressing right. I'm hot, nope I'm cold, hot, cold, hot. Steer! Not going to make that green light. Those hills I have always disliked, I still don't like. Wow was that a deer in the ditch?... nope only a branch. Damn am I hallucinating already? I guess I need to lower my HR. Here I am mucking again with my bike pulled off to the side and there goes another roadie. Jerk, must be nice to be comfortable. Shit, I'm standing in horse shit! There is horse shit in my cleats! "Kill the Rabbit, Kill the rabbit" I guess it doesn't matter if I pull off to muck with my bike, I can still catch those rabbits! HA! Take that baby! Thank you Eminem. The music on my shuffle will not change on it's own. If I want new songs I'm going to have to sit down and do it. "Body Language" probably isn't the best song to listen to as I climb this hill. Kiss my ass you doctor that called me old this winter! My ass doesn't hurt too bad and my "ahem" is still intact. My feet and pedals are still annoying. Why do I feel so lopsided? I need help. Yup, there is that numb hand again. Damn my neck is bugging me. Sit up, lighten yourself on the handlebars. Relax. Enjoy. Breathe. Slow the breathing and this hill won't hurt too bad. I wonder what Bob would think if he knew I had rap on my shuffle. Ahh I love this song!!! ("Closer" by Nine Inch Nails) People would freak if they knew I listened to that song. Prudes! Screw em. Maybe this saddle is the one. It has some pokies on my hamstrings then again, my "ahem" is still intact. When I leave the house needing to pee, I really should pee. Did I really used to be able to hold 31mph on this flat?...gotta work on that one. Damn I should have been leg pressing 800lbs all winter long. Wow! My new max HR is 222!....oh wait, now I'm dead, I guess I should have changed that HRM battery when I knew it was mucking up last year. Too many numbers! Must ride faster, no, must enjoy ride, no, must keep a good pace, no, enjoy the ride damnit! Screw the avg pace, nobody else will know it. Those last 10lbs really need to come off but at least I've lost 12 so far. Resistance was futile with the Easter candy this year. Stupid chocolate. New week, new battle. Well now, that's way too much cleavage showing. I should have tightened my bra. Gmaps pedometer is never accurate. 14.5 mile ride is the same as 22 miles, right? That was probably 5 miles too long for my butt. Will I have enough hot water to have a really long hot shower this time? Duh, that's a dumb thought. We didn't get the new water heater we were going to get. Dude, I know you want to turn right on this red but my ass is in the way so bite me. What's the deal? New dog here, new dog there. Must have been a spring dog sale to replace all the country dogs that got run over last winter. That's OK, there will be less come fall because they'll just get hit like the rest of the crew. I will race this road and no Scott, I won't slow down. Don't tell Bob my butt didn't hurt too bad, he'll start nagging me. I sure hope he doesn't call me to go to Power today. I mean, I should be good but then again I don't really want to go. I'll go tomorrow. Silly Mike worrying about a faster pace the beginning of the season. I never have a fast pace the first few rides. Damn I'm riding slow. What the fuck is up with this pace! I can't believe how slow I am going. Isn't this a 20mph road? Didn't I just have this conversation with Mike? Yeah but he has mountains and I'm on flats. Shit. Oh screw it! Just don't tell him I am pissed at my pace because the same shit I gave him for advice will slap me back in the face. I'm taking Doug's hook when I get home.

Etc.

Why?

There I stood looking in the mirror, seeing someone that was not me. I saw a very sad, lonely, overweight young woman. You see, I used to weigh more than 260 pounds. Crippled by an eating disorder and severe depression, the only way out was to change my life. That meant eating healthy, exercising and seeking help. My mission began.

I signed up for a gym membership and started working out. My diet changed drastically as well as my approach to life. This was a lifestyle change and I was ready for it. Depression overwhelmed me but I could not let it take over. I was serious about finding inner strength and happiness. The weight started to fall off and I became the motivation for many people around me. It took a long time but I eventually lost over 100lbs. I found freedom through exercise and started to see myself again.

In the fall of 2005 I decided to buy a bike, a beautiful pink Trek 2200 from Rochester Cycling and Fitness. Within weeks of the purchase it started to snow (Minnesota winters start early) so the bike was put away. Spring 2006 blossomed and I went out for my first "real" ride. I came home 46 miles later, beaming with glory! I knew at that time I found my ultimate passion. I could ride wherever my legs and those skinny tires could take me. With the support of my wonderful husband, son, God and friends I had found my calling in life. I decided someday I would be a spokesperson for depression, eating disorders and overall health. Eventually one day I hope to ride across American lecturing on these particular topics as I go.

Unfortunately I crashed that spring (2006) just a couple of rides later. I blew all but a few fragments of my Posterior Cruciate Ligament. How does one rehab a knee? On a bike! Within three days of the crash I was riding my pink Trek on a trainer. With the lovely spring sunshine I would not be kept inside -- I parked my trainer on the sidewalk. I rode my very first century 6 weeks after being released by my physician to train. The week after that, my second century. Endurance riding was is in my blood. The freedom of the road, the smell of the fields, the beauty of the earth, none of that can be taken away from me when I am on my bike.

Season two, 2007. A friend decided I was strong enough to ride one of the nation's hardest rides. I thought he was insane but I said sure and that day I signed up for Colorado's Triple Bypass. The event consists of over 10,000 feet of climbing in 120 miles over three mountain passes. From my crash I developed many fears: heights, speed and groups as well as feeling out of control. Somehow I needed to conquer these fears because I would be riding high and descending at speed along with 3600 fellow riders. I finished 90 out of 120 miles of TBP 2007 including crossing the continental divide. I did not cross the finish line due to dehydration from an illness the prior week but that's OK, I found the magic of the earth and the miracles of life and how those can be brought to me through my bike. I can never drive the mountains again, it must be witnessed on a bike. Absolutely magical.

Season three, 2008. I had overcome my fear of riding with a group and found the passion of riding fast with the guys! Oh my, the freedom to fly! To be a woman riding strong next to men, that was a dream. The dream was worth every drop of sweat put into it. The sound of the wheels, the whirl of the chains, the occasional click of a changing gear and the unity felt within a group of riders, absolutely beautiful. I felt the power a woman can hold. These are feelings I had never experienced before but I found them on my bike. My husband tells me after a group ride I come home glowing. I do glow. When you are working that hard there is no depression, there is no eating disorder, there is only the passion of the wheels. I accomplished a lot that year. May saw my longest ride, a 200k brevet in Colorado and I rodeTBP again, this time to the finish line. The year ended strong.

Season four, 2009. In May I will ride the Great Western Bike Rally in California and I will ride TBP again, this time for speed!

I have lost over 100lbs and have kept it off for seven years. It has been a very long journey in a very short amount of time. I have experienced the magic of the earth and the beauty of friendship through my bike and my hard work. Someday I will spread my story of weight loss along with depression and eating disorder recovery across the nation and let everyone know life is possible no matter what as long as you have faith and never give up. This is something I have wanted to do for a very long time. This is the story of why I ride but it's a story that is incomplete. Why? Because I continue to ride.

Just a Little Touch

Yesterday was my birthday. I turned 29. Yes indeed, 29. I have had a rough week and was hoping that the day wouldn't turn into the rest of the week.

I woke up and sat on my butt. And sat, and sat, and sat. Not a bad way to start a birthday if you ask me. I received a phone call from a friend I haven't talked to in ages. We spent a long time on the phone. Too bad I don't hear from her more often.

I also had two e-cards waiting for me and then later in the day I received two over the seas calls, one from my little brother and one from my big brother. Thanks guys! You had the right day! My blood brother sent me a text message but I didn't know who it was from. It only had a phone number that I was not familiar with. Does that tell you anything? He was shocked to see that I didn't have my only brother's cell phone number in my address list. Well, being that he wouldn't give it to me a year ago, nor have I talked to him in a year (and at that I talk to him only once a year) how would I know who it was. I thought it might be a secret admirer.

I called my coach and discussed some training issues and then some other issues. He's such a great guidance for me. Someone I would also call, friend. He keeps reminding me of a philosophy by Kurt Vonnegut. We are born into the world, into a family. These people may be genetically blood family but our true family may exist elsewhere. My small cell of a family is growing. I had always hoped to have many friends but I think now, in my old age of 29, it's better to have a handful of close friends than a group of people that may not always be there for you in the future.

I believe we are guaranteed in life very little but through each day we are given the opportunity of challenge. The next day isn't just a sunrise and a sunset, it's a day of exploration. Be it exploration of ones inner self, talking to a total stranger, running around the house acting and screaming like monkeys or may it be sitting and watching the snow fall. Whatever it is, it's out there. I need to remind myself of that when the tide is high.

I was slow to respond to my routine yesterday. I did get on the bike for a short bit, a little is better than nothing right? I hurried off for a massage. I had a gift certificate for a 60 min massage that turned into 90 minutes of bliss. I never knew the therapist would find knots in my face. I always knew I was naughty but not...

My family picked me up and we went out to eat. The last minute decision was Green Mill. Low fat chicken pizza, yum!! My son was set up for swim night at the RAC so we dropped him off and hubby and I headed for a movie. He decided on "Twilight". Man I'm telling you Vampires are sexy! :)I am anxious to read the book. Mr Blue Eyes tolerated the movie with a few groans and rolls of his eyes.

We picked up the kid and he managed to manipulate us into going out for "Mommy birthday dessert". HA! More like his own dessert. I already had some candy at the movie therefore I didn't need more sugar. Evil stuff! I did splurge on spinach dip and chips. I had only eaten half a personal low fat chicken pizza for the day and I was feeling funky. Of course we find out that the birthday girl gets a free Sundae. How can I say no to that? So yes, the night ended with guilt trip over dessert and movie candy.

Since there wasn't much family celebration yesterday my son was really wanting to celebrate his mom today. I woke up this morning to breakfast in bed, a pile of presents, homemade cards (and Hallmark as well) and a sign hanging from the hallway saying Happy Birthday Mommy! So far that's pretty much been my day. I have been bombarded by my blood family over Christmas presents. That's been relentless since October. Calgon take me away, Please???

It's early evening and I have a 30 min session on the bike and a hour of lifting at the gym waiting for me. Time for me to head out of this small, cramped dusty house!

For those family members of mine celebrating their birthday today or yesterday, Happy Birthday!

May you all have peace, remember to explore the day and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Painted Glass

Remember Momma said to "Never Judge a Book by it's Cover".

Nothing simply amazes me more than the power of the scale.

Enough said....

The Memoir of the Tablespoon

Many of you know I have decided to battle Ed with a vengeance. As if this isn't hard enough I have placed myself in another's hands, someone I trust. Someone in which I must confide all my little embarrassments, which leads me to vulnerability. This is as if I wasn't already vulnerable enough losing my best friend (Ed). I am also taking the next step up in the world of healthy eating. I have been a healthy eater for many years but now I am stepping into the world of the unknown. Actually I am not stepping, I leaped.

Through much convincing, coaxing and pleading I have decided to try to cut sugar out of my diet, to the best of my ability. This was not and is not easy. I went a week or two with horrible jonesing. I decided that since I am someone that can't delete foods out of my diet (because that just pushes Ed even more) I would treat myself to a little dessert once a week. Every time I do that I end up jonesing for a couple more days.

That's not the only interesting part of the diminished sugar diet. I have found other positives as well. My body seems to hate when I put sugar back in. I feel achy, irritable, moody and very bloated. I feel like I have literally gained 10lbs overnight. When I keep the sugar out, these symptoms happen much less. Unless I go and beat the crap out of my body lifting weights. :)

My quest to relieve PMDD (Pre-Menstural Dysphoric Disorder, something I have had to deal with for years) has been somewhat relieved by the withdrawal of sugar. The results have been pleasing. Of course not every month has been a ball of joy but I can say within the last three months the symptoms are more tolerable. The best part is my breasts don't triple in size and scream in pain when the wind blows. I'm not trying to be graphic, but I hope if anyone else can benefit from hearing my story, they too might get some relief.

This journey has led me to sign up at a recipe a day site. I wake up every morning and have an email waiting with the new "Recipe of the Day". Of course it's usually something I am not interested in, but it's still a great site that offers plenty of recipes I am willing to try. They offer great recipes of all sorts. Diabetic cooking, quick cooking, light cooking, Holiday cooking and many other dinner ideas. My mind says, "no fat, no sugar, no white food" so I have to do a lot of tweaking to my meals. The other day my husband said to me "Who are you and what have you done to my wife? When did you become such a good cook?" My reply, "What do you mean a good cook?" "You know, the last two weeks!" He has been getting meals of all sorts. All new and within those new meals are lots of interesting stories.

We had a rather extravagant meal last night, at least for us. I made Green Beans with caramelized garlic, a carrot salad dish, Pepper and Garlic-Crusted Tenderloin Steaks with Port Sauce, couscous and pineapple slices. Being that I am allergic to red wines I had to figure out another form of "sauce" to put on the steaks. Being that we didn't have any steak I used pork. I believe all recipes are made to be broken. The most interesting dish happened to be the Green beans with caramelized garlic. This recipe came with a bonus, the making of garlic oil to be used in the future.

Garlic Oil stored for the future may be a common thing to some but a new idea for me. You must keep in mind I have ADD in the kitchen. I don't like to cook, I hate the "first time preparation" of a recipe. I can't concentrate enough and get lost within the recipe and if I am not careful I will accidentally skip the most important step. Through my kitchen adventures I have learned to make popcorn rice and I have burned all sorts of dishes that have left battle wounds on my body, but most importantly I've decided I need a new stove and a whole bunch of new cooking utensils.

The recipe begins. You need a saute pan, 1/2 cup of olive oil and an entire garlic bulb. I, of course, held up the garlic and asked my husband "Is this a bulb?" He smiled and told me yes while nervously sitting in the living room waiting oh, so patiently. So I went for it. I started tearing apart the garlic bulb. I could already see this wasn't going to be easy. Peeling garlic is like trying to open up clam shell packaging. Mind you I have a nine year old that loves to help, this just wasn't the time for him to be puttering about the kitchen. Our kitchen is very small and, need I say more?

OK garlic peeled. I threw the garlic into the oil and I started to see it "cook". Boil? Sizzle? FRY? I thought, "hmmmm they didn't tell me anything about this". I mean what was I thinking? I was heating oil! Should it not fry the item that is applied to it?

So I let it be although I did turn the burner down a bit. I set the timer but forgot to turn it on. Another typical "Blue Eyes in the kitchen" moment. I started to panic as I saw the garlic getting darker and Darker and DARKER. OK it was done and I needed to get 2Tbs out of the "sizzling" oil to use for the rest of the recipe and the remaining oil was to be put in the fridge. Easy right? Not so much.

I wasn't prepared for a place to set the oil nor did I have a Tablespoon out. Imagine digging for a TBS in a junk drawer while holding a pan full of hot oil and rapidly burning garlic. Get the picture? Here I am holding the pan of oil as the garlic was continuing to cook, husband and child in the way and I was beginning to panic. I didn't want to start step one with a dismal failure so I was determined to get this right. I decided on a coffee cup for the oil and finally found the Tablespoon. The garlic was a "bit" darker than it should be but eh, what isn't that I cook? Here we go.

I take the Tablespoon and try to get the oil out. I was being very careful to not spill the hot oil and was having difficulty getting a Tablespoon filled. Finally the spoon filled, I pulled it out of the pan and dumped it into the coffee cup. While pouring that in I noticed something out of the ordinary. My Tablespoon was no longer a spoon. It was deformed, mutated and had strings hanging from it. I had also set the spoon I was using to stir the oil in the pan as I was spooning out the oil. If my Tablespoon was that mutated, what was the spoon in the pan going to look like? I quickly dropped the "Tablespoon" and grabbed the stirring spoon. The stirring spoon had molded to the pan and was stuck.

Hmmmmm, is plastic garlic oil healthy?

Yes folks, I was using plastic in hot oil. I announced from the kitchen "It's time for a trip to the kitchen supply store!" I never knew this new adventure would end up in retail therapy. Maybe eating healthy has more benefits than just a healthy body. Maybe it will replace the need for weekly therapy. I chuckled over all of this and continued to make the rest of the meal. Of course my nerves were a bit shaken, then again with kitchen ADD, they always are.

In the end it was a "success". We sat at the dining room table with the candles lit. My husband was grateful and wanted to eat every morsel I made, even the left overs I planned for his lunch. I had to stop him. I can't help my cooking is so good! To top it off, my son tried half of a pineapple slice.YIPPEE!

OH HEY! I just got a text message from my husband saying his lunch is delicious! Indeed a triumph! Oh wait, he just told me that it's time for some metal measuring spoons and thought it would be a great birthday gift for me. Hmph!

A mutated Tablespoon to triumph!

Hidden Treasures

Yesterday was a great day!

I spent a lot of time conversing via emails with a friend. All on various topics. I love being put in a place to think, reflect and share. I really enjoyed these conversations and am very thankful for those moments. I am also thankful that this friend enjoyed talking to me too and found my words interesting.

I have a couple friends that really seem to understand me. One I rarely have to explain myself because he already knows what is ticking in my brain before I can say it. He is patient and gives me time to express my feelings and when I am ready he knows exactly how to talk to me about them. I'm very lucky to have someone understand "me" so easily. Either he has some super natural talents or is my biological long lost twin brother, the kind of brother I never head. None the less, he is there for me.

I have a son who is wonderful to me. Not unlike many women, I dislike many parts of my body. There happens to be one part in particular, my stomach. You all know I have lost over 100lbs and unfortunately I have the scars to show it: loose skin. I hate my stomach. Anyway, I was wrestling around with my son and he put his hand on my stomach and I reacted quickly saying to not touch that. He looked at me oddly. I explained that I dislike my stomach and don’t really like people touching me there. He was understanding but then said to me. "Mommy, why? You are beautiful. You should know that God made you the way you are on purpose, just the way you are. He loves you and you should be thankful for what you have. You are so beautiful. I think you are beautiful, Dad thinks you are beautiful and God thinks you are beautiful, just the way you are". You can imagine how that made me melt and humbled me. An 8 year old should never be belittled, they are very wise and very honest. Their words should be heard just like everyone else.

I have a wonderful husband. He's patient, kind, loving and he cares. I do battle a Warcrack issue but over all the years I need to realize that's pretty minor, or is it? hmmm, I guess should talk to him about that. It does create some pain. Needless to say, he loves me for who I am. His famous quote, "If I wanted to marry someone that would cook and clean, I wouldn't have married you!" Some think that's horrible, I think it's honest and true and am grateful that he has that love for me. I wonder if there would be more love if the house was spotless...na...

I have some incredible talents I take advantage of or just sit on. Recently I was asked to teach a neighbor's child piano. I am not sure what to do. I could start teaching again. I love the little kids and watching them grow. I really should be singing again. I am not boasting here but you know, man can I sing. I thought it was all lost after so many years off but I tried about a month ago to find that of course I am rusty but no where near what I thought I'd be. I had convinced myself I was done, too old, voice gone to pot etc. Not true, I've got the goods!

Recently we had to have a diseased 60 year old tree cut down. It was on the boulevard. This tree was like the "Tree of Life". I used to watch it all summer, I would see it showing signs in the fall and what's coming around the corner. I would see it dead through the winter but then the beautiful signs of life would arrive. Regrowth, hope and renewal. There is nothing better after a long nine month MN winter than to see buds growing on a tree.

Well that tree is gone. A new tree has been planted in it's place. It's small,fragile and vulnerable. I'll never see it as the other tree was but at least I can nurture it and watch it grow. As I look out the window now at the gloomy, rainy and cold day it's standing there saying to me, "Tiff, get to know me, I'll be here for you for many years to come. I'll show you new life just as the other one did."

Being that I am the female cyclist in the house I can put my bike wherever I desire. I don't know how many men can get away with their bikes being placed leaning against the china cabinet all year long, but I can. Anyway, there she is. She looks out the window and knows that I'm not going to take her out today in this weather but she also knows that this last spring and summer she had some great times. I took her to Colorado in May and in July. We kicked some butt up the mountains and hauled ourselves over some great distances. I hated her sometimes. Well actually, I didn't hate I just needed a bit of space on those long rides. My friend laughs at me. There are times on long challenging rides where I just need to get off my bike and walk. It usually happens only once during a long mountain ride. My friend looks at me like "What the heck are you doing?". I just tell him, we need some space and to not worry. I'll get back on my bike and it won't take long. I don't go far because it's harder to push a bike up a mountain than to ride one, but I just need that space, to unclip, to separate. It's not about fatigue, it's about space. It's like stopping an argument and walking away before it begins. Once I'm back on, there is a feeling
of refreshment. So there she sits leaning against the china cabinet. She may be resting now but she knows there is so much opportunity in the future. So many places to explore, good times to be had, memories to be made and new people to meet.

What is this all about? It's about being thankful for what we have. I started this post by saying "Yesterday was a great day!" It was but it wasn't. I was down. I knew all was good in my life but I just couldn't feel happy. I tried to feel happy. I thought of happy things. I kept going even though I just wanted to take a nap. I even got out on a ride, albeit a "Smarties" ride, it was a ride. I breathed fresh air. I did something healthy for myself. Not only was that good for me but a good example for my son. I thought of all the things I had that others do not. I realized how lucky I am but still, not happy.

Maybe in time I'll find that happiness. I don't expect miracles overnight and I expect a lot of hard work in the meantime, but I hope. I especially hope my words can do something for you. Life is full of a lot of little riches. Sometimes we need to stop to see them. They may be hiding behind the door, or they may be staring you in the face, but stop and listen.

What are your little riches? Listen to your heart, look with your eyes and go find your hidden treasures.

"Eternal Sunshine for a Spotless Mind."

I bought a new bike. I had it built and in 4 days I broke it down and packed it up. We, the bike and I, were headed for CO. ( I must name her. I like the name Tangerine. There is a character in a movie I like named Tangerine. She is one determined, eccentric challenging woman that won't let anyone get in her way. Only prob, my bike is orange and black, that makes my name for her rather lame don't you think?)

The CO trip..... I left to do my first brevet, 200k, Horsetooth and Beyond Brevet with Zen. It was put on by RMCC, Rocky Mountain Cycling Club, to which I am now officially a member. That makes me so cool! Don't you want to be just like me?

This brevet was hard! Three months into training I went from 1,200ASL to 7,800ASL with my longest ride of the year being 64 miles or so. This was a 124 mile ride. (Can we say STUPID?) Oh hell, what's another 60 miles and 10k feet of climbing gonna do to me, hurt? HA! It was just another tour de porta potty in CO and a few 18% climbs. Nothing to whine about.

We, Zen and I, made each check point and finished in time. I was very pleased with our ride time but once again very disappointed in total time. You see, I have some "issues" with my intestines. We spent a lot of time off bike and in "bathrooms". Needless to say, we FINISHED in the dark, LAST but we finished.

This flat lander went to elevation and kicked some ass in the mountains. Ya know what? I ALWAYS kick ass in the mountains! My friend claims I climb better than he does. He doesn't know it but he's full of shit. I don't climb better, I just get real mean and want to be done with it. Maybe I ride on because I don't want to hear the huffing and puffing of another hurting cyclist OR maybe I don't want that cyclist hear me hurting. That would make me human wouldn't it? Either way, both of our huffing and puffing is a reminder to me that it's painful and it's just easier to do it alone, I guess.

(Flashback of climbing with someone in town.............

I sit and spin up Genoa and I hear a flippin freight train behind me. Skinny little Blondie stands up and flies by me. She sounds like she is going to die but does she, no, she rocks instead! Her huffing made me realize that this climb sucked and due to my lack of mental toughness with others around, I shoot myself to the ground and I slow down. "Screw it!" I thought to myself. "Everyone can wait for me at the top but dammit, it's not going to be me that's hit puke zone and exhausted when I get there!" :P - end of side story.)

The rest of the CO trip was good and now I am back in the land of wind, rain and gloom. Why the hell do I live here? Three reasons, work, doctors and the bike shop. Maybe lame reasons to some of you readers, HA, that states there are readers.... anyway, don't want to explain.

I've been training hard. I'm exhausted. My LT has dropped therefore my training has sucked. New zones given to me. Next week we will see how performance goes.

This week I raced with the boys, one of which I am positive did not appreciate me being there. F him! To get strong and fast you need to push your limits. Pushing my limits means racing with the boys. Forcing me to do 25plus mph pacelines. Do that after a day before of 1300 cals (also including interval training), that day lifting heavy weights for 2 hours with high reps (also no nutrition) NOT COMPLAINING just stating fact, having a child MIA and looking all over the town for him and then not getting nutrition in, I think I did pretty good on the ride. I knew I was going to end before they did. I knew a bonk was coming but I chose it. I dug my own grave and I was going to bury myself on my own terms. That means, no favors. I didn't ask for favors. I clearly stated that if I dropped, and I knew I would, to let me drop. No sweep! It's not my fault that people decided to help me. I appreciate the help, it was very kind indeed, but their ride was ruined by me. I bonked. I couldn't even call it a "ride" back. I crawled.

First group ride of the year, a success! I was basically told to not join again, to ride in the "right" group. At least that's how I interpreted it. I also interpreted things such as having bought a bike that will soon be sold in Wal-mart.....

Some day my ass won't be as large as it is now. Some day I will kick so many people's asses on the bike and they won't even be able to come close to keeping up. Some day I will enter a race and shock the hell out of myself. Some day I will have the balls to do a town TT because I won't care what others think. Some day I'll get calls because someone will want to ride with me because I am fun to ride with and make them laugh. Some day I will smile again. Some day I will learn to live now, not in the future or the past. But, this is not that "some" day. Today is......

............Yet another happy entry from me.

One last thing, I am a nice person and I can make people laugh. I just wish those people lived here. And I wish I wasn't suck a bitch to them.

"WHATEVER"

Give it to Me Baby

I WANT CHOCOLATE AND I WANT IT NOW!!!!!!!

I am craving chocolate really badly. Ice cream, cookies, carrot cake. You name it. Crap just bring me a pound of pure sugar wait, never mind I want the chocolate.

I have been having a Dove Sugar free chocolate now and then. Don't get me wrong, it's great stuff but it's rotting my gut.

I started craving something sweet a few days before Valentine's Day. I was thinking "hey holiday, I can have chocolate". Well I was a pretty good girl not digging into anything but the craving still exists.

Many people will say if you can get through the craving you are OK or cravings only last a bit. What if the craving lasts for days? What is it called then? I think it's called TORTURE.

I want chocolate now............OR......... I could be persuaded into a hefty slice of carrot cake with loads of cream cheese frosting on top in the middle and throughout.

Um yeah.........

The Answer is Not 42

In light of Valentine's Day I thought I would tell you a story that took place a few days ago.

The other night during dinner I proposed a question to the little Guppy. "What makes a woman happy?" Mind you, guppy is 8 years old,I was still curious how the mind of the innocent would answer such a question.

He looked at me blankly as if to say, "What kind of question is that?" then his eyes lit up and said...."I KNOW I KNOW"....."Let the girl hit you and kick you, then you know she likes you and is happy!"

Trying not to laugh I had a stroll down memory lane looking back at grade school. The old phrase struck me "Boys Tease the girls they like", "Girls hit the boys they like". It's funny, things haven't really changed have they? Does that mean the long lived question "What makes a woman happy?" is still out for debate?

You would have thought with all the self-help books, the millions of dollars people spend on therapy, marriage counseling and the famous book "Women are from Venus, Men are from Mars" the answer would be out there but it appears that it is not.

I don't think there is one simple answer. There are too many different kinds of women with each a unique personality. What one woman finds happy would make another angry. We are a finicky species. Our moods change as the seconds on a clock. I can say personally what might make me happy one day isn't what will make me happy the next. It's no wonder why men would run from this question or search, if anything they run out of pure exhaustion and fatigue.

In reality all this finickiness can appear pretty abusive. Is it fair to a man? Not only that, how are we responding with our mood changes? Are we polite about it or do we get frustrated and eventually explode? I can only answer for myself. There is a particular time of the month I have nicknamed myself Medusa. Need I say more? HEY, at least "I" nicknamed myself that and I AM willing to admit, I AM DIFFICULT! How else do you think Mr. BBB got his nickname, "Saint BBB." (thanks guys, you know who I am talking to here :P )

So I go back to the conversation with the little Guppy. I let him know that the answer of us hitting boys/men isn't really true. There are some very consistent things that make most women happy. I think at such a young age it is very important to teach him the right way to save both him and his future wife a lot of pain and trouble.

So guys, here is a very short list of WHAT WOMEN WANT.........

• To be listened to. That means eyes on her, not the TV or the computer but on her!

• To have you pay attention to her. Note how this is similar to the first one? This is more in-depth. Not only do you listen, you pay attention and hopefully you will remember in the future what she has said. Once again, eyes on her, not the TV or the computer. Have you ever been in a store and the woman you are with is talking about stuff you could care less about? Yeah, that's what I mean. That stuff is the stuff that if you remember in the future she will know you have paid attention to her.

• To be a mind reader. Yes I said it! We want it, we expect it, we demand it. I fully believe if you listen and pay attention you will be able to do this with little practice but it may take 30 years into your marriage to get there. So guys if you aren't there yet keep trying and don't give up. And women, be patient they are doing their best, (I think!)

Now during the discussion with the little Guppy I stated the first two and Mr. BBB stated the last. Actually he told little Guppy that if he could figure out how to read our minds to please share it with him and all the other boys/men out there in the world seeking the answer of what women want.

Guppy sat there with his eyes wide and listening intently. He was also able to tell me a bunch of stuff he has witnessed me pointing out in the stores. That gives me hope. I must be doing something right in his young training. Maybe there is hope for us all in the future but I must say I am a bit skeptical.

I hope this information has been of some benefit to you guys out there. I am a firm believer that too much information is better than not enough.

Finally, I will leave you with a quote by a very wise man that seemed to be in search of the same answer.

"The great question, which I have not been able to answer is, 'What does a woman want?' "

- Sigmund Freud

Wait a minute. How wise was this man? I mean after all, he thought I had Penis Envy!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE! :D

Alive Again

You may all bring my blog out from your inactive file to your active file.

I have recently updated my blog. I was really behind on some entries that I started back in September. To keep things in order I set the date in proper order.

To view these entries you will need to scroll back. Yeah Yeah, I know, sorry to make things so difficult for all of you :)

Here are the new entries for you to read. (That is if you want to read them) WAIT! Of course you do!!

1. September 25th, "Riding With A Pro"
2. September 26th, "Possible Wuss?"
3. September 27th, "A Mapless Journey"
4. October 1, "Dancing With Ed"
5. October 28, "Smelling the Cows"
6. February 11, "Erectile Dysfunction?"

ENJOY! It's a Ride with BBB. Detailed as usual. :D

Erectile Dysfunction?

It has been brought to my attention that there are some questions regarding Ed. Who he or what it is.

ED is NOT Erectile Dysfunction.
Ed is an Eating Disorder.

In my blogs I speak of Ed, not ED.

So when I say I need to "Dance Alone" I can dance with a partner just not Ed. ;)

Hope that has cleared up any confusion out there.

***Disclaimer:
I do not make fun or find fun in Erectile Dysfunction or anyone suffering from it.

Smelling the Cows

Finally at 3:30pm I hauled my butt out of the house to get on the bike. Knowing the winds were 21mph from the NNW with gusts of 27, I knew it was going to hurt.

It was a beautiful sunny day. (well you know MN, it's always overcast with "sun"). The temps were around 52F.

I wanted to ride a metric century but leaving the house so late and since I am riding so slow these days I knew I would end up in the dark and I was very doubtful I could finish a full 62.5 miles.

I have pretty much emptied Rochester Cycling and Fitness clothing inventory (RETAIL THERAPY with EXTENDED GUILT!) so I was anxious to try out the new gear. Maybe I would ride faster with a fuzzy new PI thermal base tank and a very sexy Cannondale Featherweight jersey.

I haven't ridden the Genoa, Zumbrota, Mazeppa loop in ages and I really wanted to visit those sites again. I started out on 19th Ave NW turning North onto Valley High Drive then onto the Douglas Trail head. The winds hit! UGH!!! One thing though, that tank seemed to be cutting it with warmth. :)

I didn't have any speed. It seemed to take forever to get to Douglas but I was hopeful my legs would eventually warm up. I haven't done Genoa much this summer and my riding confidence has pretty much gone to pot since mid August therefore I didn't think it would be a very pretty site riding up Genoa. (I guess it's a good thing nobody took a bite on the WOW ride offer for the weekend.) Unfortunately I get way too nervous about Genoa hill and psych myself out long before I am there.

I made it to Douglas and headed west. UGH the winds! I reached the bottom of Genoa telling myself all sorts of things like "Think of it as a hill repeat, it doesn't last long". "It's not really a hill, it's a disguised flat". "This is what the 200k brevet in CO will feel like so practice the mental skills". NONE of this seemed to help so I settled into the tune of "Whistle while you work" BTW, that's an annoying little diddy when you are climbing.

I once heard someone say about Genoa, "If you have the gears, gear it down and pedal slowly and take as long as you need to get up, it then isn't bad". Well, that's crap. I was in the low gears and I still hurt. My legs didn't hurt but my heart did. Even when I WAS in shape it still hurt although I probably went faster. So I continued my ride, whistling while I worked and staying in a nice state of ANEROBIA.

I reached the top and continued to head West until I hit cty5. Headed North, more winds and turned West again onto cty22 (think that's the one :) I like combining 75th street and 22. With the combination of Genoa and the rollers of the rest of the two roads it makes for a nice challenge especially when you are tired, cold and the winds are hitting you in the face.

At this point on the ride, very few miles into it, I noticed my avg speed sucked! I was getting colder and I had a long way to go. I am way too stubborn to turn and go back home. On went the arm warmers and popped a few shot blocks. I was obviously lacking something.

Few miles go by and I am feeling a bit better. Amazing what a simple 100cals will do to someone. Then chug chug.....those 100 cals gone.......well it's the season to enjoy right? So I watched the cows, looked at the trees and tried to ignore my lack of "speed".

I had to make the decision, turn left and continue on to get the most out of the day or head back to Pine Island. Seeing that daylight was about to end, the decision had to be Pine Island.

When you do stop and smell the roses, or cow manure, it's amazing what one might see. I never had noticed this beautiful rock formation on Cty11. When you swirl down that hill you come upon a quaint farm house with a cute little bridge in the middle of the yard. Minnesota can be quite beautiful when the wind isn't howling down your neck and the snow isn't up to your armpits.

At this point in my ride I was low on liquids, fuel and energy. I was also freezing. I didn't want to stop to layer up because I just wanted to be done with it. I was getting down on myself regarding my pace, my energy and my skill seeming to go to pot.

The only thing that matters is that I was riding. The snow wasn't up to my armpits, the sun was setting and it couldn't be more beautiful.

When you can, go for that ride even if your speed is down or your mind is telling you all sorts of nasty things.

Most importantly, don't forget to stop and smell the cows, it can be quite beautiful.

Spinning Circles

He's pissing me off again.....

Do I or don't I? Can I or can't I? Ride, eat, eat, ride, don't ride, don't eat, don't eat, don't ride. And you wonder why I get absolutely nothing accomplished during the day. The internal struggle is exhausting. I am tired and want to take a nap. I haven't even done anything to deserve a nap.

My head is tired.
My body is tired.
I am tired.

That Folgers Moment!

warning, X rated language ahead......

The dream of sitting, sipping my morning coffee, snuggling with my minnow, starring blankly out the window, having that "Folgers Moment". Peace around the house to start the day off with smiles..... that's all bullshit!

Through many years of guilt I finally decided to get up with the family today. If anyone knows me out there, please remind me to never do that again! It was chaos. One person screaming after another. The little minnow was "in a mood" today. Mr BBB was in his "usual disciplinary mode". The belt, oh the belt, where did the belt go. The boys in my family have a bad habit of losing things. Well maybe better yet said, putting things away in the same spot they are supposed to go. Yes I said supposed to so one could find it the next time one might look for it. Who do they come to? ME. As if I would know where they put things. GRRRRRR!

It seemed to start off well when i was awakened by a cute little shining face looking at me in the bed. He had taken Mr BBB's spot. I was all confused and didn't understand what was going on. I don't remember sleeping. You see, the previous night was a flashback to insomnia so last night I dreaded going to sleep. It was good to wake up and feel as though 6 hours didn't even exist. Even though I am a nine hour girl I'll take a good 6 any day.

After a weekend of PMS eating, GUILT GUILT GUILT, it looks as though my post weekend foraging ride won't take place. It's raining outside. WAAAA! Yeah go ahead, cry for me. I deserve it.

My last two rides KICKED MY ASS! You see I have a little goal of 100 miles a week. I came close last week but needed that ride yesterday, which I didn't take. But anyway, I only got in 3 rides last week but they were killers. I was ignorant about the winds and wow did they hit me in the face. HARD! Struggling to go 10-13mph is really humbling after a very hard summer of training.

I had hoped to do about 60ish miles on Sat but knew that afternoon when I woke up it wasn't going to happen. Yes I DID say afternoon. The Mr said he would go with me. This would be his 2nd time out on his road bike all year. Sure glad he spent a fortune on those road shoes. They are great dust collectors!

I started to prep my bike. Pump the tires, (yes I am a anal retentive tire pumper). 120 in the back and 115 in the front. This is done every time I ride. Bite me if you have a problem with that! The night before, through the lack of sleep I had this premonition that I needed to check my rear wheel for cracks. I just knew that I would find some. Sure enough, cracks ALL around the wheel. UGH!!!!!!! I wasn't aware of any warranty so I was pretty freaked that I would be shelling over some money just for a wheel that couldn't withstand the weight of my large ass. Thoughts of needing a special heavy weight person wheels crossed my mind. (NO I AM NOT feeling very good about myself these days!)

Even though we had a great ride planned out even into the winds I had to make a quick stop at the shop to be told that if I rode my bike the wheel wouldn't explode. The words of wisdom via "Skinny ass racer boy" told me I could ride without fear. It was a nice moment though as I was able to say hi to his beautiful bride who had been helping him all weekend with the garage sale. Moving on...........

We headed out to do the airport loop. I realized I was fucked. One bowl of oatmeal wasn't going to cut it when it was 3:30 in the afternoon and we were going for about 40 miles. Luckily my beloved shop lets me grab a bar and say "charge it" knowing full well I will pay in the future. I guess I should have grabbed 10. I was right, not many miles into the ride I knew there was trouble ahead. Not only were the winds nasty, my legs were not there and my head was fuzzy. I could feel a bonk in the near future. Mr B was having a blast. You see the last ride I took him on I put the hurt on him pretty bad. :) Yes I am evil! This time he knew he would be able to keep up. Another humbling moment on my behalf.

Onto Cty road 1, the winds screamed into our faces. 25mph headwinds with 35 mph gusts. No legs, fuzzy head, no strength, nada. I was screwed. I struggled to get to Simpson with the hopes I could find a Coke. OH how I was craving a Coke. The bar I got didn't help, the gel I was carrying wasn't helping and the Gatorade did absolutely nothing. (Yeah yeah, I don't need to hear it Zen, I know I need to go to the pharmacy and get those glucose tabs.) Sure enough I see a pop machine but only to find out it was abandoned. I wanted to cry. I knew that the airport business district wasn't far but it was far enough that I was frightened about making it there. On top of that the crosswinds kicked my ass.

We made a quick stop at "The Hanger" so I could fill up with some Coke and a half sandwich. Pickle spears, yeah baby, must remember those in the future! I had already gone into the shakes so a good bonk was happening. With some hesitation and much debate I decided against filling my Gatorade bottle with Coke. We finally took off again. The legs were back. just enough to catch a sweet tailwind down Cty 8. Not enough legs though to drop Mr B's ass. That pissed me off! So what should I do? If he could hang with me the entire ride, then make the ride longer :D Somehow I could put the hurt on! Back into the headwinds we went and finally we headed home.

On the last leg of getting home some asshole was pissed that I was riding on the road. He yelled at me "YOU PAY TAXES?!!?? GET OFF THE ROAD YOU STUPID FUCK!" Funny thing, how come only the fat old men yell ignorant things like that? Not that I AM JUDGING! With my mood being as it was, I had hoped since he was paying so much attention to this non-tax paying cyclist, he just might run into the car ahead. Now THAT would have made my day. Nope I am not vindictive at all!

We got home, found the minnow in a pile of leaves. Thankful that the neighbors watched him and let us go on the ride from hell. The day ended eating like shit and starring blankly at the TV.

Back to my cup of Folgers...........

As gun man would say.... "Get your ass back to work!"

Dancing with Ed

Ed and I have been dancing a lot lately. He is my dancing partner.

Sometimes we dance the waltz, a dance that is very smooth and floats across the floor. Other times we are dancing the tango where we move harshly together, forcefully across the floor with very determined motions.

What I need is a new partner. Ed is the lead right now. As a matter of fact I don't need a new partner, I need to dance alone!

Modern dance, that's it!

I can dance towards the refrigerator, to the gym or even to the sofa to sit and enjoy the movie, free of guilt and pressure.

No matter what, my dance can be alone and it's a dance without that weight of Ed pushing me around and dragging me to where he thinks I need to go.

This dance is free of form and Ed. It's my dance.

It's time to go dancing.

A Mapless Journey

9/12/2007

Day five of Zen.

The night of day four I decided I wanted to do something out of the ordinary. I had been taking Zen on routes that I normally ride but I wanted to explore some new territory with him.

Day five....

I hauled my body out of bed once again thinking "What kind of pain I can inflict on Zen today?" Skinny Racer Boy came to mind, he knows his routes, who better to call for a "perfect ride".

Zen awakens from the dead and finds me sitting in the kitchen on the phone with paper and pen in hand and computer to the side. He listens and realizes I am preparing another day of torture.

Zen grabs a cup of coffee and sits down all the time watching me write down one road after another and scanning the computer. He hears me say, "What road again?" over and over again. I repeated routes back to Skinny Racer Boy making sure I had them correct. Then SRB started spouting out different roads messing around and changing already prepared routes. Before you know it I had about four possible planned for the day. The look of horror in Zen's face was priceless. Here I sat with hand written routes and having no clue which one I would take of the four.

You must understand, Zen doesn't work this way nor does he like to. He is a typical Type-A personality, planner, timer, etc. Although I too am Type-A I like to do things on the spur of the moment and much less rigid.

This was pre-breakfast and Zen doesn't operate well without food so I thought that look of fear would be taken care of once his stomach was filled. I was wrong. He continued to watch me write four different map less routes. Yes I said MAP LESS! I then made copies so Zen could have a "map" too.

I am not a fool, I did look at a real map on the computer to see if the coincided with the hand written "maps". I finished and said done! We are going to Wisconsin today. Zen said cool and then asked if I had been there before. I said nope. :) He then said do we know where we are going? I responded "Nope!" :) That look of horror reappeared. Oh it was going to be a beautiful day indeed!

Now, I didn't only not know where we were going on the bike ride, I didn't know how to get to the town where we were going to start the ride. At least Google could help me with that one. I was excited. I love little "journeys".

Zen goes downstairs to dress and I quickly packed the car in my PJ's. He comes upstairs to find me still not dressed to ride but in shock that the car was packed and ready to go. Even Scarlet was in the car. His mouth dropped! I quickly got dressed and we were off.

I get just to the outskirts of town and pulled out a hand written map to direct us to our destination. I handed it to Zen and he rolls his eyes. I told him to shut up and read. Yes a beautiful day indeed.

We somehow arrived in Alma Wisconsin. The bluffs were all around. It was beautiful. The wind was only slightly blowing and the sun was out. It was perfect riding weather.

We both had to go to the bathroom before we got on the bike. We entered the small town cafe and was immediately drowned with eyes all around. We must have looked like aliens in our lycra. With such great land all around had they really never seen a cyclist?

We got a good chuckle out of the cafe incident and hit the road. Well before we hit the road Zen was adamant that we were supposed to go the other direction, I knew otherwise, at least I had hoped. The journey had just begun. :D

Down the road we go. We knew we were in for some pain. You don't ride in and out of the bluffs without pain but I just didn't realize how quickly the pain would begin. We made it maybe a 10th of a mile down the road and I see a truck turn left, I witnessed it going straight UP a hill. I thought to myself, "Please God don't let that be our road." Sure enough, I stuck out my arm and we turned left. I heard a murmur behind me "Ah man this is gonna hurt!" Poor poor Zen. (As if Mountain Boy had ANY right to talk about pain after what he did to me in July. )

We turn and head up the hill at a nice speed of stall. I hadn't gone climbing since July, I knew I was in trouble. I had to prove to MT Boy that I hadn't lost my touch. I started pedaling with Zen behind. I don't know how far I had gone but I was losing it. I thought all the time Zen was right behind so I yelled out STOPPING!!! I stopped and hung my body over my handlebars then I stood up and turned around. I was alone. Where was Zen?

All sorts of thoughts crossed my mind, did he fall, did he have a heart attack, did he get a flat. I debated turning around to go find him but I REALLY did NOT want to go back down, so I waited and waited and waited. I started getting worried but around the bend he came. Mtb was out of the saddle and "walked" right by saying, "What's wrong Pinky, got a problem?" What a BRAT!

We crested that hill and once we both got our breath back we started cracking up. Yes a beautiful day indeed!

Shortly after the cute little flat we had to go back down. I was warned that there might be some gravel to descend on. I really down played this gravel descent in my mind until I saw it. It wasn't gravel nor was it sand. It was a steep descent of freshly graded sand and gravel. Mountain Boy got a bit cocky because he knew he was going to kick my ass here. I don't like descending and I really don't like riding on sand or gravel on a flat let alone this curving steep descent.

We started down. It wasn't long before Zen was out of my sight. I started to panic and I stopped, then rode, then stopped, then rode. I didn't know what to do. He decided to wait for me and when he saw me he saw that I was off my bike walking it. He yelled at me to get back on the bike and ride. My stubborn self told him where to go but I eventually obeyed. He told me to ride faster and that would help with controlling my bike. I decided to leave one foot unclipped so if I fell I was a least prepared. I also knew if I fell it would be a "soft" landing.

I met Zen at the bottom. It was a T-intersection. My head was all over the place. Here we were, we had climbed a steep hill and descended a sandy one and there was one big problem, my "map" didn't have a T-intersection! What do I do? I refused to go back up and I didn't know which way to go so I settled on going left. Zen yells back at me "Which way girlie"? I answered "Left!" with a muttered "I think". He looks down at his map and said, "There isn't a T-intersection so are you sure?" The BRAT was already ahead of me. I shouldn't have given him a map. He knew I had NO CLUE where we were going. BRAT! I looked at him with confidence saying we needed to go left, I was positive it was left. He just gave me a look with an added cocky comment "Please try to steer us away from sandy roads will ya?" BRAT! (as if I knew what we were going to be riding on, he knew that too!)

I started to ride after him and then I was hit with the realization of what we were in for, we had no map and were lost in the middle of nowhere WI. A huge burst of laughter came out of me. Before I knew it I had spewed Gatorade all over my shoes, my handle bars and out my nose. Brat witnessed this and just about fell off his bike.

The journey had just begun. We continued on my route, which was correct by the way, and had a blast. One oddity though, we got stuck in a time warp. We went past the town of "Tell" about six times. What's up with that? At this time I don't think I had ever laughed so hard.

The ride continued with a slight panic of losing daylight. What else is new, Zen was riding with me. There was only some debate to where we were going. More so a debate which way would be the fastest. Zen was completely happy taking the "flat" route back, I on the other hand wanted to climb. So guess which way we went. My way of course. I was the one with the "MAP"!

We wiggled and waggled our way through the bluffs of WI and took the flat road along the Mississippi. It was a great pace line road. We each took our pull into the wonderful head winds and ended back at our original destination, Alma, WI.

One more trip into the cafe bathroom and we packed up. I started the car but couldn't drive. I went into hysterics. I have never had a better ride in my life!

Moral of the story, one does not need a map to get around, one just needs Gatorade!

Thanks dude for trusting in me.

Possible Wuss?

9/11/07

Day four of Zen....

As previously mentioned, Minnesota is rather windy. One really hasn't ridden in Minnesota UNLESS YOU RIDE in the wind.

I was awakened on Tuesday with the howling sounds of wind coming through the roof vents and rattling of the windows. I looked out the bedroom windows and saw my beautiful Maple tree bent in half. Yup, another beautiful day in Minnesota.

I laid in the bed thinking to myself that there was NO way I was going to get Mountain Boy out for a ride today. How could I possibly manipulate him to ride in that wind?

I sat up and got myself out of bed. I walked to the kitchen and was startled to see him actually up first! There he stood in the kitchen, looking out the back window with another look of horror on his face. I went up next to him, both of us stood there blankly staring out the window in silence as we watched my trees leaning halfway over as the wind blew them not only sideways but in circles. Once again I was thinking how I was going to manipulate him to ride in this weather?

I decided to be kind. I told him we would take the day off. You should have seen the look on his face. His body relaxed, he took a huge sigh of relief.

We didn't ride that day we drove around where I would have taken him riding. We went to the mall. We did nothing. But we had fun no matter what.

Is he a Wuss? Na, he's my friend.

A friend that I decided to take it "easy on".

Riding with a Pro.

9/10/07

Day three of Zen..............

Since I know a "Pro" I....yeah I know a "Pro"....I thought I'd call him and see if he wanted to ride with us. Being that I am such a cool chick the "Pro" of course accepted my offer. Well actually he wasn't a "Pro" at the time but soon became one shortly after this ride. http://www.charlytri.blogspot.com/

Zen and I were a bit nervous about the hurt Gunman could put on us. We were told no worries, it was his tempo day and he would ride his mountain bike in the big gear the whole time. (and that he did.) Although I towed him up a hill, who really is the stronger one? :P

It was a chilly evening and we started out at 6ish. The nights are getting shorter and I knew we wouldn't get in much of a ride. Gunman didn't bring his super dooper heavy duty lighting system so we couldn't night ride even though we ended up doing it anyway.

You see, I had a route in mind. I get a bit stubborn and really want to finish things. Well "said Pro" decided that we should change the route. We had been arguing how late it would be if we went my way, so his way would be better. Actually the words were , "Want to go for a cooler ride that has a bit of a nasty part?" Well who isn't up for cooler. We headed off his way.

We came upon a few dogs that the guys couldn't seem to bark off, so I, the meek little woman that I am yelled sternly and left them cowering in the ditch. The dudes just looked at each other. They knew they weren't riding with no wimp anymore!

The cooler ride turned out to be great! This was undiscovered land to me. Of course we were riding into the wind, when aren't you in MN, but we were having a blast. At least I was.

We had smooth peaceful roads in the middle of the corn fields. Zen and Gunman rode off together, oh wait, they rode behind me *wink*, and I pretty much was on my own. "Said Pro" didn't care for a chick being ahead of him so he constantly had to catch up.

I have always enjoyed talking to Gunman. He has listened to me yap on and on and on but there was enlightenment. This man can yap as much as I can if not more! For the first time on a group ride I didn't have to talk if I wanted conversation. I was able to listen to Gunman and Zen yap together and enjoy the beautiful land we were on.

The smooth course ended and we hit the roughest part of Highway 52. Who rides on Hwy. 52 in the first place? Obviously crazy Gunman!

The sun was going down and we could not see, or at least I couldn't see. I tried to catch a wheel as we zig zagged along the narrow shoulder of Hwy. 52 trying to not hit the potholes (future lakes of MN). What made it interesting was that the potholes were not only holes but huge cracks along the road the ran parallel to the road which made it a gutter in itself to ride in, or to not if you could. A few miles down we turned in front of the cars that were flying by us, onto a nice peaceful road again.

Zen was "a bit" low on fuel and we were both tired from the previous days of riding. Gunman was still in his big gear, he's the "Said Pro" right? The light was nearly gone and we were still fairly far out of town. Zen wasn't so pleased about our riding style, lack of light, busy roads and potholes but I know he had a blast.

We turned right onto Cty 1 heading back towards town. This is the best road to pace line on. We started a nice line clipping along at a decent speed. Not a speed that hurt but one that was a blast. There was no need to have the best pace, there was a need to fly. And that we were.

Gunman was pulling, I was in the middle and Zen was sucking off my wheel. :D Gunman started yapping, I mean, to tell a story about a chick in town that is always begging to ride with him. The thing about this chick is that she always sucks off his wheel when she rides with him. I asked him who it was, he explained that she was really cool and a nice person but............. then BAM, I realized this chick he was talking about was me!

I got in front and took the pull. Gunman didn't want to admit but he really did need the break. I guess riding in the big gear was beginning to take a toll on him. I couldn't help but break out into a big smile.

We hit the last hill to descend or shall I say the only one to descend on that particular ride. Yeah, it's MN.

Gunman pulled his competitive side out again and decided to pass me and get in front. Then next came Zen. Men, do they always have compete?

The rest of the ride consisted of quiet town roads where Gunman directed us back to the shop. It was pitch black at this point and all we had were little tail lights. I took the back because Zen didn't bring his light. What was he thinking? Did he honestly think we wouldn't be out doing crazy stuff like riding around town in pitch black without lights?

Seriously, who did Zen come to visit?

Thanks Gunman for the wonderful ride and thanks Zen for you understanding! :D