SIgns that Fall is coming

You have to change your ride route so that the North wind is providing a nice resistance at the start and a nice push on your way home :)

Tallahassee

Last weekend we went up to Tallahassee

so I could work on my hill training for Six/Three Gap.
It was a blast.  We rode for three days - I hung on the last/third day of the ride and stayed with the group we had and basically learned how to spin the pain out of my legs and to take it easy and not kill myself.

It was so nice up there - the weather would get hot by the time we were back at Brendan's from the rides in the morning.  But the mornings were perfect and the canopy roads are oh so pretty.
It really made me miss it up there ... and miss the ability to live in a city that I could pretty much ...BIKE anytime during the day if I wanted to.  Unlike here, where I live now - and if I wake up late in the mornings, the opportunity to ride in peace with less traffic and less jerhks is just impossible (unless I bike to St. Pete.  Which I don't mind doing - but the first 5-7 miles to get to St. Pete are just hell).
And the weather down here - still is humid and gross.  I am SO.READY. for the fall months to get here.  I think everyone is.

Goodbye Trek

Sold the Trek Alumunium frame (and fork and seatpost, which were carbon, and seatpost clamp) yesterday for 120.00 via Craig's List.

It actually went to a cycling buddy of D's who found it on there and is making the bike up for his girlfriend.

So it's getting a good home :).  

Tomorrow I ride the carbon frame for the first time ever.  Going to take it out tonight when I get home to make sure everything fits just right.

Back on Track for Team Skinny!

P.S. It's AUGUST now - and while I am shocked that the year is flying by - I am also glad as it makes it closer to cooler/better weather for us here in sweltering Florida.

It's July - and the temp this morning was 73 degrees..with 47% humidity

That is a blessing to us Floridians on days like this.

Even if it gets up to 90 degrees later today (it's actually going to get up to 96), the fact that the humidity is down and there was a slight 'chill' in the air when I was on the bike is just heaven when you're used to sweltering humidity and sun/heat.

The fact that this area is nothing but a concrete jungle only increases the heat when you're own black asphalt. I seriously think I have felt my skin start to burn off my legs when I'm at a red light just WAITING for the light to turn green again.

The bike ride this morning in was nice - the water was peaceful and the chill in the air made for little if no sweating, except where my heart-rate monitor was of course. It felt damn good to be on my bike and not be in my car.

This afternoon will be brutal - the weatherman stated it's going to climb today and fast. The humidity will still stay low (for this time of year) but it's still not going to be a fun day on the bridge over. It never is. I cannot wait for October and the cool days all day long. Will definitely make me want to ride more to work than just once or twice a week - that's for sure :)

Progress of Team Skinny is going well. It's been four days of me waking up at 5am (even my off day I woke up to get used to the schedule). My legs are starting to have muscle soreness from the riding schedule and my brain is starting to become confused due to the sleep schedule and me taking control of it.

The plan was to take Saturday as my next 'Off' day, but that might change due to the weather. Might just not take it off at all. We'll see.

Team Skinny Day #3

Yesterday was my 'off day' for the week.
Weather does not look to be very promising for the next couple of days (something about a cold front...or maybe a hurricane...whatever, it's Florida).
Humidity is terrible right now. If I just STOP on the bike to take a breather, it envelopes me and thus makes it where the sweat doesn't dry up.
Meh.
Luckily, Dimitrios bought us a trainer last year...




One of the best trainers on the market actually.
So he set that up for me last night - in front of the computer.
I can happily watch Hulu now in the mornings and catch up on my TV programs I like to watch while getting my hour in the morning.
And 30 minutes in the afternoons.

Team Skinny Take 1

I did good this past weekend. I had plans to start on a training schedule and was worried that going out of town (I had planned to start it on Monday) would screw with my schedule (meaning I would be lazy and not get my @$$ up and ride the bike that I dragged all the way to Jacksonville/Orange Park). But luckily, my aunt has Banty Roosters who decided that 4:15 was the appointed time to start crowing at the sun (that wasn't out yet) and since I'm not used to them, it woke me up. I could be annoyed/pissed at this, but I actually saw it as a 'Thank you', as I got up and did my hour and a half ride..and got to see the sunrise on my ride (one of my favorite parts of my biking)





Today is my 'off day' but for the rest of the week I have to be on the bike for at least an hour to reach this goal I am attempting. The weather here in Florida, has..for lack of a better term, sucked monkey balls this past week and it sounds like it is going to continue to do so (it's been like Portland down here...meh). So I am going to set up the trainer tonight so I can at least ride in the morning should it be icky/unacceptable...
I am also going to seriously look into doing yoga. Stretching is good, and would probably benefit me by a lot.

Rain Rain - All Week and Today

Forecast actually told the truth for once this week.
I am currently listening to rain pelting my tin roof of my porch enclosure.

Looks like ..the only good riding will be tomorrow (which is the usual day I plan on riding in)...so we'll see.

Rain for the rest of the week....even going into Saturday.

Guess the rainy season is upon us.
Now to just accommodate the biking schedule for it...or just ride the Miyata for the next few weeks and not give a damn if I get wet or not.

2010 - New Year New Motivations

I have one more week of school - ONE.MORE.WEEK - - after that - training is going to be in full force with the biking, dancing, and every other thing that has been compromised while in school.

Got new shifters for the Trek - I have now moved up in the world to Shimano Tiagra's, which also meant a new cassette on the bike as well, so the Trek is now a 9 speed on the back. Woohoo - I got's more gears. That, I never really get to use since we live in FLATLAND (meh) but that will probably change here soon as I have requested that we make the trek out to San Antonio, FL to ride on hills so I can get acclimated to them for when/if we move out of state. If that does happen, it's going to start happening pretty fast.

The biking schedule has increased even though my mapmyride for the last two months hasn't shown it - just stopped logging it and I can't remember what I rode for certain - memory is being retained right now for school stuff and my finals this week. But I'm riding more to work and for errands and driving less and it feels pretty great!

In the market for a heart-rate monitor now. If I want to train and I want to train right, those are key to learning while training. Will update when I have one of those as well.

Need to get my schedule back on track - super cold weather didn't stop me from riding (yes I was riding to work in 35 degree weather - what of it?) but the dance schedule has. Along with my ballroom dancing I am now taking up belly-dance as well and those classes are on certain nights that mess up my early night for bed so I can do my before dawn/work bike ride. I've been waking up late and that's not good. So I think I need to change my schedule around to do the before dawn bike ride on Mondays, Fridays and every other Thursday. We'll see if that works.

This week's ride schedule will be M, W, TH, F - Ballroom is usually on Wednesdays, but I haven't heard anything from Joe/My Instructor...so I'm actually starting to get a little worried.

Welcome to 2010!

SHOOOOM!

Cold Weather
New Wheels
New WheelSet (thanks to Dimitrios - happy birthday to me! The Hubs finally came in and he made my wheelset all last week and this weekend) :D

Makes for a faster/happier ride into work
This weekend - starts the weekend rides again and the training. I'm excited!

"Cold Front" Starts here tomorrow

Which means the biking starts back up to and from work during the work week.
And maybe some group rides with the Skirts, as I do miss them.

Hell - YES

Bike Ride = Sweat Ride in Tampa Bay this time of year

Rode the bike into work.
Rode last week as well, but the heat is making me (and the Greek) pretty lethargic lately.
I haven't done the group ride in forever, I need to ...I miss it and the Ladies.
Work and school have pretty much consumed me.
Work is lessening and school is a new quarter this week, so I'm trying to get back in the swing of things.
Got this book via the paperbackswap . I'm hoping it will give me some ideas on how or what to do to make cycling more of interest to me in this time crunched time of my life. Six hours a week isn't much, but I think I can focus on that and incorporate my daily commute into the plan. I hope anyways.
The Tour is over as well. Yes we were watching it. Dimitrios and I miss it already. There's NOTHING good on television now. I watch all my shows via Hulu so...

On my bike ride in today I was considering what life would be like as a bike messenger. Wondering how people get into that job up in NYC (or Chicago, or any other city that has them) and also wishing that I lived in a city that embraced mass transit and commuting via bike or pedestrain instead of thinking people are insane for having/owning a car. I dislike this area so much because of it.
I think the plan to move to Portland by December 2010 needs to come into play. Or the West Coast. I just gotta figure out how.

We'll be in Denver in two weeks as of today. Not taking the bikes, but I'm sure Dimitrios is going to go with B-Man somewhere while out there.

Heat Index Over the 100's

Really makes me not want to ride.
It rained last night. The heat index is still supposed to be in the upper 100's today...therefore my lazy/heat exhaustion butt did NOT get on the bike this morning as I had planned.
Meh.
Will make up for it tomorrow and Friday...
and there's the King of Evil that's going on this weekend. Maybe we'll attend that on Saturday to give us some riding stuff to do ...
Maybe...

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY....

The Rain has kept the riding down a bit this past week/weekend, it seems to be leveling out, but it's now doing it's 'afternoon thunderstorms' ordeal (what it usually does in Florida this time of year). Which is ruining the riding chances 'The Skirts' are having on Tuesday evenings.
We tried to ride last night, and ended up just getting rained out/on.
It was still nice to see the ladies I ride with (hadn't seen them the week before due to schoolwork and selling the Honda), and I 'engaged'/committed myself to some 'Skirts' events that are coming up so I'm pretty excited about that.
They're also going to start doing training rides on Sunday afternoons @ 5pm. I'm going to try my best to go/attend as many of those as I can. Starting with this Sunday. It will be a 'drop' ride (meaning if I don't keep up, I off the group ride), but that's good too as I need to learn how to properly ride with a group that does that. And get my bearings when I do get lost/learn my way back to..my house or where-ever.

Rode the Miyata into work today. It's the first day I woke up and it wasn't raining in over a week. Forgot how heavy that bike is after riding the Trek during all the non-rain days. Will probably get rained on today on the way home, but that's ok. That's what the rain gear I got is for.

FOGGGGGGG

Ever see Fog roll in while you're on a ride?
It's a pretty amazing thing.
However, riding in it and getting soaked due to the moisture is a little funny feeling.
But man, was it cool to see on my ride to work this morning.

Dear Weatherman:

While we do need the rain, I do need my ride tonight too...can we compromise somehow? Say, you stop ..like RIGHT NOW and let this place dry up a bit so I may ride?

Thanks much,
BikingBettie

Weather...

- Has been great this week. No ridicously cold, no humid/icky warm. I've rode into work three days out of the week (wanted to do four, but not going to beat myself up)...it's been a good week.
- Dimitrios is doing a race this weekend in San Antonio. I'm pretty excited for him.
- I started riding home actually ON East Bay/Roosevelt now. Still a little scared in the mornings to try that (especially as I would have to cross three lanes of traffic in order to get into the turn lane for our street, so I'm still sticking to the sidewalk for now on Roosevelt, but I might actually try and go into the neighborhood behind the building and take the 'back way' ....it would give me more mileage and a change of pace even :-).
- Need to work on getting over my fear of the 'group ride'. Just need to go one afternoon when he goes (or one Saturday morning) and go with the small group. He says I can keep up with them, and that they're ok to ride with. Just gotta give it a try.
- Also considering parking my car where I can no longer see it RIGHT.IN.FRONT. of my door. This way, I'll conclude to ride instead of walking all the way to my car (note - I will need to put it REALLY far) and maybe give me more incentive to do this.

It comes and it goes and it makes riding IMPOSSIBLE

Cold Weather here has made it hard for me to a) get out of bed and b) get motivated to ride all the days that I have planned. I guess that's why in cycling, people consider this the 'off' season as you can't get in as much riding as you would like. I thought maybe, living in central Florida that wouldn't be the case, but I just can't get the willpower to jump on a bike when it's past 55 degrees outside and dark in the morning.
So yea, I know - WIMP. Hopefully I can break this.
In the meantime, I've been trying to ride to everything else when I can. We rode from a friend's house in St. Pete to Downtown St. Pete to check out a Museum Exhibit on Sunday. Total ride was about 13 miles and it was nice. Amazing how more understanding people are towards cyclists in St. Pete than they are in Largo, where I live. Really wish I could move my townhouse or sell it and move to that area of Pinellas.
So, Jan/Feb will probably be the lowest months of riding for me. Actually January came in at 169 miles!!. That's pretty impressive. Hopefully the weather will warm back up so I can get more rides in.
This week looks like Friday will be my only riding in day to work. Saturday, I'm doing some volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity and I think I'm going to ride to the actual work-site depending on where it's located. Sunday morning will be waking up and doing a early morning ride and then, hopefully the weather stays neutral and I can ride to work all next week with the exception of Tuesday (and maybe one other day for lunch with a friend..have to return her house key).
Happy February everyone!

Last Week = FREEZING (aka obstacle)

So last week.
Monday I rode in, no big deal.
Tuesday is the usual drive to work since I have a dance lesson on my lunch.
Wednesday, was COLD.
Temperature dropped here in the Tampa, Florida area to around 20 degrees at night...37 by the time I woke up to get ready for work.
It stayed that way for each day afterward.
Thursday morning, there was even FROST on my windshield I had to scrape off with my work security badge!!
So yes, I drove..everyday except one.

High 40's and 50's...I can do no problem. But when it gets past 45 degrees outside. OUCH!
Plus all the bundling up I have to do just to get to work and unbundle and then rebundle in warm work clothes.
The Hibernation Factor also kicks in as well for this. I would much rather stay in my WARM bed, than get up early, get ready etc.
So - off the wagon for a week. No biggie.
Started back yesterday and will be riding for the rest of the week except Tuesday (as usual).
I will admit though, I need to get over this 'too cold' stuff. Especially if I plan on moving to Portland. Get this, it was WARMER IN PORTLAND LAST WEEK THAN IT WAS HERE IN FLORIDA!!
I'm not sure if we'll have another cold freeze like that again (we usually get one in January/Feb and then we slowly warm up after that for the year), but if we do, I need to try and figure out how to get the WILLPOWER to make myself get up and ride and get used to it. I need the exercise AND need to build up the immunity to it.
This week, starting Wednesday afternoon, I will be cat-sitting for a friend who lives near my work. Gotta check out the maps to figure out a 'safe' way to ride to her house after work so that I can incorporate the ride and get more more miles in as well.

Weekend of Blah..

Thanksgiving Weekend ended up not being to great. We were rained out 3 out of the four days, and were only able to ride about 20 miles. Dimitrios got a flat tire, and the replacement tube was the tube from hell and had two freaking holes in it. Needless to say, we were both pretty on edge this weekend as the plan to ride 80% of the time we were up in Tally, was ruined. Had I known it was going to be like 110% chance of rain EVERYDAY except for Thanksgiving, I would have just suggested that we ride to my grandparents and back...that would have gotten our ride in and been awesome.

HUMPH.
Anyways...
Have rode in 3 out of the five days this week. Thought a doctor's appointment was one day, which it was not. Actually it was the next day. But I did ride to the grocery store and back with Dimitrios on Monday to make up for the missed day.
The '<10>

I have also decided that I have to ride AT LEAST 10 miles a day every day (with the exception of two days a week, not consectutively). Since I cancelled my gym membership, this will help make up for the non-exercise, me thinks and I will also start the hundredpushups challenge this weekend for upper arm strenth (and also do crunches while doing that). Doing all the milage I have done these past two months has been great. It put me back at my weight that I was at when Dimitrios and I started dating (I had gained some weight due to trauma from my two surgeries this year. Not a lot, but enough that I noticed it and it did not make me happy (about 10lbs). If I keep this up, I'll be doing stamina and training rides in no time.

Next week - I won't be riding on Monday, Wednesday (possibly because of the rain chance) ...those will be my off days for the week. If I ride on Wednesday due to no rain chance, then I can take Saturday off if I like. We shall see.

HURRAY for Cycling!

Beginnings of fall are here and my ears are cold to prove it.

Got on the bike this morning for my commute to work!
Man! Was it brisk out! Really makes you look forward to the day!
Hardly any sweating on the entire ride. Awesome.
Hopefully it stays this way! It was fantabulous riding into work this morning.
If this keeps up, I'll only be driving in one day a week (maybe two if I have doctor's appointments. Which - that time of the year is coming up...)
Riding tomorrow too. To make up for the days I didn't ride this week due to a migraine.