SEEKING ADVENTURE

I spent the last week riding my bike in a city that is not known for an exercise adventure, the City of Sin. Darin had a conference in Los Vegas and I joined him for 5 days of riding in the Dessert, part of the lure for us was the beauty of the bike course in a triathlon I had done a few years earlier in Lake Mead National Park. We travel with our bikes almost everywhere we go and have found that every city has a handful of bike routes, a cycling community with open group rides, and beauty unique to the city we are in.

So this trip we found ourselves on the famous Los Vegas Strip, staying in the new Aria Hotel, and driving to the outskirts of the city for some amazing riding in 42+ degree heat. We carried water everywhere we could, in pockets, inside jerseys, and stopped at every opportunity to re-fill our bottles. We rode the beautiful Red Rock Canyon (see the picture of Darin), a bike path through Lake Mead National Park (see the video - it rose up to 50 degrees this day and I ended up calling a cab to cover the last 30 km, too hot for me, but not for Darin), and up to a ski resort where the temperature went from 39 degrees at the bottom to 24 degrees at the top in a beautiful forest that offered completely different scenery than the dessert landscape we had been riding in. Other routes were planned, we just ran out of time and decided to spend our last day at the pool instead of on the bike, a welcome change for me as I felt like I had been frying on the BBQ the last few days.


The beauty of riding in different cities is that it provides a completely different view of the place being visited, a peek into another part of the city’s culture, and a way to stay fit while also giving in to taste bud temptations. Traveling with my bike also keeps me motivated to ride, it’s exciting to explore new places on two wheels, to really see, smell, and experience the location at a slower pace and to venture in to places you wouldn’t do in a car or by foot.

I would encourage everyone to plan a bike trip, doesn’t have to be far from home, even an hour or two from the cities we live in offer new experiences when pedaled. As someone who is happiest exploring new place by bike I would love to hear about places that you have enjoyed riding, so let me know about your favourite hometown route, the most beautiful place you have ridden, a memorable vacation destination, and exotic locale, I am excited to read about your recommendations and become motivated in planning my next vacation. petrinat@hotmail.com.

Running Feels so Good ... Until the Next Day!

So it's been awhile since I ran last and had this brilliant idea to enter a running race ... well, really what happened is my teammate e-mailed me and said "we should do this race!" My first reaction was "you're nuts", then felt intrigued by the challenge, then said "count me in!" Truth is I crave running as September comes and figured it might be the boost I need to lose the pesky 5 pounds that have set up shop in my mid-section. So my teammate and I met to talk about things, got all excited, and we decided to sign up. Now, normally I would mention which race and the distance and encourage others to join in, but after suffering through my first training run and waking up two days later almost unable to get out of bed, I'm second guessing my decision.

So after a day off I went for another training run, which still feels awkward. It's like my right side and my left side, and my arms and my legs don't communicate with each other. My left foot turns in and tries to trip the right foot, my right elbow points outward and draws figure eights, and my left arm twitches in all directions. Watching me run is not a pretty sight!

I am persistent though, have a plan in place and am looking forward to getting more efficient and comfortable in my running shoes. Wish me luck!

New Routes, Roads, and Roving

I have been struggling lately to get out and train, I seem to have lost my motivation for getting the heart rate up and pushing my limits. Perhaps it's because there aren't really any races coming up that excite me, I should probably sit down, look at the calendar and really put together a plan, but instead I seem to be drawn to doing new routes, getting out of the monotony of my weekly schedule and go long distances and explore new areas.

One of the things I like best about riding is the distance that you can cover and what you see by bike that you don't see by car. This past Saturday I mapped out a route along roads I had never been on. The goal was to do 130 km; however, due to construction and the slow going on the 10 km of gravel that I found myself on, I ended up completing 107 km in the time I had to ride before getting back to prepare for a dinner party. The wind was blowing on the way out, I wasn't riding very fast, but I enjoyed every second of my ride and would have been quite content to ride all day.

There were no fewer than 5 towns or hamlets that heard my wheels woosh by and saw my pearly whites as I was smiling the entire time. I started in Oakville and rode past a garage sale at the church in Limestone, found myself in Terra Cotta waving at the volunteers for the "Garden Tour", my eyes darted from one cute house to another in Glen Williams and I made a note to return and spend time in the galleries, down Main Street in Georgetown I used all my will power to not stop in the bakery or coffee house where I have spent time enjoying a treat in the past. And the wind was at my back as I headed down the familiar roads on my way home. What a great way to celebrate a Saturday.

Once a month the women's group that I meet on Thursdays meet on Saturday for a long ride. The picture is of the cafe in Glen Williams and the plan is to return on July 31 and stop in to refuel with the gang - I can't wait!

CLEANSE

I'm thinking of doing a cleanse; anyone out there done a cleanse? I know there are lots of options, the Wild Rose one that clears your system of gluten, the lemon juice and chilly pepper one that seems to last forever and quite frankly sounds scary, the juice cleanse that surprised me by tasting better than expected, and a whole slew of others. The only one I've ever actually followed through on from beginning to end is the Wild Rose one as it doesn't limit calories, follows a lot of the Eat Clean philosophies, and can be quite tasty once you get the hang of the foods you can eat.

This is why I'm thinking of doing a cleanse - energy. I am tired of feeling tired; it might be the grey and rainy days we've been having, it might be the salty snacks I've been eating that are contributing to feeling bloated, but whatever it is, I feel I need to "reboot" and a cleanse is a good way of doing it. I don't believe in them for weight loss, but they do help to cleanse and clear the pallet and help end the bad habits, leading to more focused and smarter eating habits.

So, can anyone recommend a cleanse?

PS: The picture is of me buying Banana Bread in Hawaii last year, not recommended for a cleanse, but it is the only picture I could find on my computer with food in it. I do definitely recommend riding in Maui and a stop at this road side stop for warm, fresh out of the oven Banana Bread. It was very yummy and I carried 3/4 of the loaf in my jersey pocket for over 60 km; may not have looked all that appetizing at the end of the ride, but still tasted great!

CALABOGIE CALABOOGIE

I had such a great week-end! After not racing seriously for about 5 years, and having not done a road race in 2 seasons, it was really exciting to get back in the saddle, so to speak. Leigh, her boyfriend Jeff, and I drove the 5 hours to Calabogie for a circuit race on a car race track and it was great!

I liked that my first race of the season involved a road trip and an overnight stay as the packing up of clothing and equipment helped me get more focused about the race, it made the event feel special, and having Leigh to share it with was fantastic. The last time I raced in Ontario I was independent, would travel to races alone, and as much as I like my own time, space, and solitude, it was a bit too lonely for me and lacked the excitement and fun that comes with being part of a team. So I am very excited to be part of the Eat Clean Diet Women's Cycling Team.

Race day morning was chilly, but the sun was out, a welcome sight after driving up in the rain. We did our warm-ups, took to the line with about 20 Master Women, a group of Cat 3s and Junior women, and cadet boys. Our group was about 35 to 40 riders, a pretty good size and I was excited to have lots of places to hide from the wind. Leigh and I did our “Hoo-Ha” cheer to commemorate our sponsor and off we went. The women in the group were friendly, rode confidently, and I felt very comfortable in the pack. (If you are interested in ordering the Hoo Ha Ride Glide Chamois cream made for women, 15% of all orders made with the code: EATCLEAN1015 will go back to the team's fund.)

There were several attacks by Junior Rider Florence Laplante-Lamarche who showed early on that she was the strongest in the group, but she wasn’t able to get away as the group worked well together. The course has 23 turns and it was easy to get disoriented as to where you were in relation to the finish line and which side you wanted to be on to get the best shelter from the wind.

One of the things I was most proud of was being able to move around in the pack, make my way to the top six before the “hill” where someone would attack almost every time around, and ride between riders to fill “holes”. In the past I have been a bit nervous riding between people when I didn’t know them, but I completely trusted this group, and it felt great to be back in the mix. This also allowed for maximum protection from the wind and save energy.

The other thing I was proud of was my gear choices. Bad habits are hard to break and riding in too heavy a gear is something that I have been known to do in the past, but I kept the gear easier than I would normally and cadence high, so I could “dance” up the rollers and keep my legs feeling fresh – which I think helped, but with only 2 weeks of riding leading in the race after being away for a month for work without a bike, my legs weren’t as strong as I would like. That said, I felt way better than I thought would.

There was confusion with 2 laps to go and for some reason our race was cut short. So with 2 km to go they announced that this would be our last lap and the pace quickened as riders tried to get in to a good position for the finish. I got caught near the back and just couldn’t make up enough ground, then we made the final turn in to the finishing straight and in to the headwind. My “sprinters” legs have yet to show themselves and I lost a lot of placings in the last few hundred meters, which was disappointing, but watching Leigh kick it in to high gear, pass riders, and continue to sprint forward was inspiring. At the end of the day, Leigh came second in our category and I was 4th – not bad, but there is still a lot of room for improvement and I am looking forward to getting back in to a training routine.

NIGHT RIDER

I like riding at night. I know that several people are scared of it, not being visible to cars, not being able to see the road clearly, the creepy shadows, but I like it because everything looks different, a route that I have done a thousand times and has become monotonous and routine looks completely different at night. The roads, especially in the suburbs, are quieter too, as most people are home and settled in for the night, so I feel comfortable with the solitude.

The thing is that, I often feel safer riding at night, and more visible. As I mentioned, there aren’t as many cars on the road, I have reflective strips and blinking lights on the back of my bike, which draw attention, and my front light is almost blinding. During the day, drivers are more distractive by the added traffic and depending on the colour of the cyclist’s clothing, they blend in to the surroundings, becoming less visible from a greater distance.

As for front lights, I have two. Once I use when I am riding where there are streetlights and I can see the road clearly, so it is small, light, and very bright to draw attention from divers. The other light I have is brighter than the headlight on my motorbike and allows me to see everything on the road. We used to live in “fox and hound” country, about 45 min. from a major city, surrounded by farms, and no streetlights at all, it was very dark. I would commute to work and the light on my bike was so bright that cars would switch from their high beams before they actually saw me – they would see the glow from the light. It was the most amazing place to ride at night, it would be a busy night if I saw one or two cars, the crickets would be out, and I felt pure joy on my bike.

So the other night I went for a ride at 7:00, later than I wanted as I had to work late, put on my lights, Giro Atmos Helmet, warm clothing, and my Sepcialized Arc-X sunglasses with Adaptalite Technologie. These glasses are great because they really protect from the wind, and since I wear contacts the wind can be an issue. Plus, they are a great shape so that when I shoulder check the frame doesn’t impede my visions. Better still, which I learned on my rider the other night when it was bright when I left and dark when I got home, is the transitional aspect. I kept my glasses on for the whole ride and could see just fine, even in the dark – it was awesome.

Hopefully I’ll see on the road, day or night!

VINYL CAFE

Riding with a group is a great way to get faster, improve skills, and enjoy the social aspect of cycling; however, there are times when it is nice to ride on your own. After spending the better part of the past two months off the bike due to travel for work and some beach time I am getting back in to a training schedule, so on Saturday I squeezed in to my tighter than normal fitting bike shorts (did I mention the time away from the bike?), slipped on a jersey and jacket, fastened my helmet, tightened my shoes, put in my ear buds and placed my iPhone in my pocket. I don’t condone exercising with headphones and am well aware of the safety concerns; however, I like the entertainment and am sure to have the volume at a level where I can still hear the cars … plus, for reasons I’ll go on to explain, it motivates me to get out riding.

A few months ago I was with the National Track Cycling team before they went to the World Cup in Beijing and we got to talking about what they listen to before they race. Some answers were expected, elektronica and rap, but some were surprising, Tina Turner’s “We Don’t Need Another Hero”, Pointer Sisters “Jump”, and “Holding Out for a Hero” from Footloose, plus some other great 80’s hits made up the playlists of this group of 20 year olds. I will admit to having some cheesy songs on my pre-race playlist with “I’m so excited” by the Pointer Sisters at the top of the list, but when I am out for a long endurance ride I don’t listen to music at all.

I have several podcasts on my iPhone and have been known to listen to the news or other informative shows while riding, but more often than not, I listen to Comedy. I like CBC’s “Laugh Out Loud”, but my ultimate favourite, and the one that gets me out the door on days I don’t feel like riding is Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Café. For those not familiar with this Canadian Gem, he is a humourist, story teller, author, and CBC radio personality. He travels the country, visiting small towns, putting on “concerts”, and entertaining and educating us on the history, character, and personality of these towns that make up our Canadian Identity; but what he is better known for are his tales about “Dave and Morley”.

So on Saturday, I was all kitted up, pressed play on the podcast and started riding. I often wonder what others think of me as they see me riding down the street, huge grin on my face and quite often laughing out loud – Stuart McLean is funny, and better yet, his stories of Dave, Morley and the kids are hysterical. After being away for work the last month, I was excited to catch up on the Vinyl Café episodes I had missed and the first one that came to life was the episode from March 27th about Dave’s friend Ted, the cyclist. It is pretty funny, and I think anyone interested in the sport will also find it funny, you can find the Vinyl Café on iTunes Podcasts, or here is the link from CBC if you are interested: http://www.cbc.ca/vinylcafe/listen.php?vLocale=podcast

As I get ready to race next week-end I will be creating a playlist to get me motivated, and help me dig deep as I know the race will hurt. I have not done the preparation that I would have in the past, it is tough to stay on schedule with all the traveling I’ve been doing, but hopefully I’ll get back in to the swing of things and as the season progresses the results will improve. So let me know what you like listening to, maybe there’s a song on your playlist that will do me well!

HARIBO!

It has been a busy and chaotic year as I have now completed the first year at my current job as the Track Coordinator with the Canadian Cycling Association and I can honestly say that it has combined the skills of all of my previous jobs and schooling – and there have been many – as well as my passion and excitement for the sport. There have been many challenges along the way and as the National Track Team prepares for the 2012 Olympics the challenges will keep on coming – those games are coming up fast, and like all Canadian sports, we don’t have the funds that we need to really help the athletes reach their potential, so I will need to tap in to my creative side and see how well I can make a dollar stretch.

One thing that I have not had difficulty stretching this year is the waistband in my pants! Having a job that I love means that I put in a lot of hours that I don’t get paid for and working from home means that the fridge and “party drawer” are just steps away. I am a stress eater, if things aren’t going well I eat, if I get stumped while working on a project I eat, if I get 200 e-mails in 20 minutes and just can’t keep up I eat. This may not be the recommended way to deal with daily stress, but I also know that I am not the only one!

The funny thing is that the more I exercise, the less I crave bad stuff, I stop hearing the cookies in the “party drawer” calling my name and the silky smooth voice of the ice cream becomes muffled. As my body starts to take back control from my head, the no-nutrient items that my spouse just has to buy because “they were selling 6 bags of potato chips for $1.99 each” are left to go stale on the shelf. I have a theory, if you listen to your stomach, and feed it what it wants and craves, you are going to make smart choices. If you listen to your mouth and what it wants to taste, you may be in a spot of bother, the mouth is not your friend. If your stomach and your mouth agree, then chances are you have been living with smart choices.

So how tight are my pants now? Well, I’ve been away for work for the past month and normally will come back lighter as I am so busy that I don’t snack and will often miss meals simply because I forget to eat (I don’t recommend this practice either); however, on this trip to Holland and Denmark I discovered Haribo. Before I go any further I would like to point out that in the picture, Two Time World Champion Tara Whitten is riding past the sign for a sponsor, Haribo, on the velodrome in Ballerup – and I like to do my part to support the athletes. Well, do my part I did! Haribo is a candy manufacturer and they make licorice wheels and gummie bears and wine gums and delicious sugar of all shapes, sizes, textures, and flavours. The choices that they have are so numerous that I failed in my attempt to try all of them, though I did try a new one every day.

So this is where I stand, I’m not going to feel guilty for my indulgence, it happened and it happened with the support and encouragement of my roommate during the month I was away, and I wanted to feel like part of the group who are also Haribo supporters. What’s done is done, and sometimes it’s okay to break away from the monotonous schedule. Now that I am back though, and don’t see much travel in the next few months, it’s about getting back in to routine, cooking the foods that nourish me and please both my stomach and my mouth. The weather is getting nicer and the race season has begun, which I am super excited about, not only for the physical effects, but also the social ones. And I am looking forward to feeling less of a “stretch” on my waistband – time to refocus and get back on track!

Everybody Wants to be Canadian .... don't they?

THE TOUR IS COMING!

One of these days I will remember to bring a camera with me and post pictures of things that are going on in my life. Things have been good, busy and good. I have been traveling to Ottawa once a month and saw not only my first ground hog, but my first 500! They are everywhere in our capital! I left a bike in my office and have been enjoying exploring all the bike paths, they are beautiful and next time I am there I will be sure to take some pictures. Anyone in Ottawa the last week of July?

We are still waiting for the warm weather to come, seems to be taking awhile this year, but I have been getting excited about a few cycling tours. The first is the Second Annual Great Waterfront Trail Adventure. I was involved in organizing this event last year and needless to say, June 2008 was crazy busy. So when the beginning of June arrived this year I started getting excited and antsy and had to figure out a way that I could take part in this years Adventure! So I'll be going to out Niagara-on-the-Lake on July 3rd for the pre-event concert and party - which is open to everyone, and then riding the first day. Best part is I will be joined by 2 girlfriends and my mom and day. It will be a great week-end! Check out details of the Adventure on their website. www.waterfronttrail.org

The second tour that I am excited about is the Tour de France, scheduled to start on the same day, July 4th. This year's Tour will be something special as anything can happen. There are big names on the same team, old favourites, and of course there is always an underdog. This year's Tour also has at least 2 Canadians starting, Michael Barry for Team Columbia and Svein (Swayne) Tuft for Garmin/Slipstream, my personal favourite team, so it will be fun to cheer them on. Levi Leipheimer posted this video on twitter and I thought it was hysterical. Hope you enjoy it too!

CYCLING TIPS

My Friend Wade, who had the good fortune to move from Calgary to Melbourne created a blog called http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/ with great pictures, cycling advice, and motivating stories. He updates it regularly and is worth checking out!

CYCLE BALL IS A BALL!

I was playing around on youtube, a regular occurrence since there is some really neat stuff and it is always good for a giggle and a laugh. In my cycling searches I came across the sport of Cycle Ball! I have played soccer on bikes, and I know that Toronto has a Bike Polo league, but Soccer Ball I had never heard of. It looks like fun - might have to look into setting up some matches, anyone game?

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If you want to see some more impressive bike sports, check out Artistic Cycling, or Bicycle Ballet as well - now this I just might have to try! The video is relatively long, and the second half is more impressive it you're short on time.

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Let me know if you find other impressive skills on bikes.

PAST MEMORIES, POM POMS, AND PLAYOFFS

Those who know me well know that I don't keep a lot of stuff, I'm not a pack rat; but I do have a small box of keepsakes. Inside this box are items that may be found in your memory safe as well - a love note from a special relationship, a picture from a happy memory, souvenirs that were chosen to help us remember special moments, to freeze time, or to act as a time machine to take us back to relive the emotions from times gone by - seashells, rocks, pressed flowers.

One of the prized items in my memory box is a mixed tape, which many of you may have as well; but instead of sappy love songs put together by a previous boyfriend, my mix tape was created by me and contains songs from 1986 and 1989, remakes of songs actually. My mix tape is a tribute of Flames playoff songs, my favourite being the "Flaming C Arena". Tapes and tape players are more or less obsolete now, but they have been replaced with something even better - You Tube. Now, not only can we listen to these tribute songs, but the amateur artists have created videos as well - fantastic! My mom sent me this Flames song via the Calgary Herald, hope you enjoy. GO FLAMES GO!

I am now in Scottsdale, enjoying warmth and sun, or at least that was the plan; but the mornings have been chilly. Turns out my suitcase full of tank tops turned in to an excuse to go shopping!

As it happens, my flight landed the day before the Elton John and Billy Joel concert, imagine that! So I convinced mom to get on eBay and secure tickets as an early birthday present. I have always wanted to see Elton John live and was ecstatic to go. We started with popcorn and 22 oz of beer for dinner, and then the lights dimmed, two pianos appeared on the stage, and the stars came out - what a start!

It was a great show with all the songs I wanted them to play, and although I prefer the Elton John songs, Billy Joel was a more entertaining entertainer. The concert was so much fun!



Other than the concert and some shopping, I've had a pretty lazy week. I've gotten some ridding in and I'm finally starting to feel stronger. Hawaii knocked me on my ass, I hadn't done the work leading up to that trip to do the hills and distance that I did and it has taken me a few weeks to feel "normal" again; but think I'm on a good track.

Darin and his parents arrive tomorrow, so we'll start doing more exciting activities. I'll keep you posted.

iPee

I have always wanted to be able to pee while standing. I don't think it's fair that a guy can so quickly pull it out and relieve himself, anytime, anywhere, with little effort, and no one noticing. We were once in London and I saw a guy in a beautiful business suit, relieving himself on a building on a very busy and public street. A girl could never get away with that, not even if she was commando and wearing a skirt. As a Canadian though, I think I am most jealous of the fact that guys can write their names in the snow, girls just don't have that much control over their hydrated streams.

Here are some solutions to having to go when there is no washroom in sight, or saving time during a road trip by bypassing the rest stops, or being able to avoid the disgusting gas station and/or outhouse alternatives, or saving yourself the effort of cutting a hole in your floor boards, or trying to position yourself to go out a window.

I don't know, these are all a little weird!

www.ipee.com
www.shewee.com
http://www.p-mate.com/eng/intro.html
http://whizbiz.com.au/

FUNNY ANIMALS

I love to laugh and there aren't too many things funnier than animals! Check out these videos.