The Ice Ride

So, for the past two days I have been stuck in my house. First, there was between 2 and 4 inches of snow and then it iced over (Okay, northern folks...I live in the South, we don't get that much snow or ice!)  So, this morning I decided that I should venture out on my little commuter with cross tires.  Now, if you know me at all, this is amazing because I hate, hate, HATE the cold.  People! I am from Texas where we can have a month of days over 100 degrees and not bat an eye but if there is a drop of snow or ice, we will close the entire state for a week. Anyway, I bundle up and I am SURE I looked ridiculous.  I have bags on my feet - thanks Pat D. for this tip, a goofy hat on and two pair of gloves.  So, out I go.  I can tell I am not the only one who has not ventured out in two days.  The streets are almost completely quiet and the cars are covered in ice and snow.  The road is fine but when I get to the trail...ICE!  Now, I am not a mountain biker but I like to be in the woods and toodle along.  I do think 5 miles of riding in the woods should sometimes equal 20 on the road.   The woods are actually gorgeous with the snow and ice.  The sun is hitting the ice on the trees and glistening, the trail is pretty with the ice and snow in almost pristine condition.  It was almost peaceful even with my tires crunching the snow as I slowly roll along.  Turns were interesting and if I had to dodge a tree, it could have been a disaster.  I make a short circle in the woods and head for home.  As I exit the trails, I see people out scaping ice off their cars and getting ready to head out.  This actually made me sort of sad.  I guess I don't mind when life is a little slower and things are quiet and peaceful and we are not rushing around like crazy people.  Guess this brought me back to the real world.  So, my total ride was a little over 3 miles but I keep thinking in my quest for 10,000 miles this year, 3 miles could make all the difference.

Snow...

Usually in the South, it is pretty mild through the Winter.  We can usually ride with some regularity...this year, not so much.  Today, it is snowing and although 2 inches is forecasted, it looks like it is way more than that and it's still coming down.  Yesterday the high was 38 degrees and usually it is much colder on the bike.  Now, I know there are some really tough folks out there that ride in this weather.  I am from Texas where if it snows the roads literally roll themselves up.  I can take 100 degree days in the sun but cold, ice and snow - H*** to the NO!  So, luckily today I found this article from http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=685&sc=3040+++++ that helps  the weather sensitive folks like me.

12 Quick Workouts for Work or Home

Article By: Megan Gressor

You don't have to "work out" to benefit from exercise. Any activity will improve health and aid weight loss — as long as you keep moving. The human body was designed to move, yet many of us now scarcely stir, spending all day in sedentary jobs and then driving home for an evening of television, surfing the Web or video games.  Our modern entertainment habits and labor-saving devices — from cars to computers to elevators — are having disastrous effects on the national waistline. A quarter of us never engage in physical activity at all, according to the American Heart Association, while 60 percent of adults don't get enough exercise to keep fit. The result of this, combined with poor eating habits? The epidemic of obesity and associated health problems currently gripping the United States.

The good news is that weight gain can often be avoided or reversed with regular physical activity. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week — the U.S. Surgeon General's recommendation, as well as part of the Good Health Guidelines in Weight Watchers PointsPlus™ Program. Any activity that you enjoy and resolve to stick with is fine. "Exercise" doesn't have to mean working out at the gym or engaging in competitive sports: It can be any physical activity, including gardening or housework, that gets you moving and using energy.  It isn't even necessary to pack that 30 minutes of activity into a single burst; it can be achieved in shorter increments — such as three 10-minute sessions — throughout the day. Try to increase your physical activity in as many ways as you can. Below are some tips for doing just that, whether you're at work or at home.

At work
•Walk to work, or at least get off the bus or train a stop early and finish the journey on foot. If you drive, try to park a distance from your office.
•Program regular breaks into your workday to move around the office.
•Take the stairs, not the elevator.
•Go for a 20-minute walk at lunchtime.
•Visit your colleagues in person, rather than calling or e-mailing them.
•Stand whenever possible (while on the phone, for example).
•Time to kill before an appointment? Try walking up and down the hall or doing some calf raises.

At home
•Walk or ride a bike to the store instead of driving.
•Hide the TV remote, and get up to change the channel. Better still, turn off the TV and play with your kids, or take your dog for a run.
•Wash your car manually.
•Recruit an activity buddy: You're more likely to persevere if you exercise with some company.
•Keep comfortable shoes handy in the car; use them whenever an opportunity to exercise arises.
Be sure to reward yourself when you reach your exercise goals.

Build it up
One half hour of moderate activity a day is usually all that's required to maintain adequate physical health. If you want to boost your cardiovascular fitness, gradually add more vigorous activity, like running, in-line skating or jumping rope, to your regimen until you've built up to 30- to 60-minutes sessions, three to four times a week.

10 reasons to get moving
Need an excuse to get active? There are at least 10 that we can think of! Regular moderate exercise...
1.Makes you feel great
2.Helps boost your metabolism
3.Burns off calories, aiding weight loss
4.Tones muscles and improves shape.
5.Helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels
6.Can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers
7.Improves sleep, promotes relaxation and combats depression
8.Increases strength and flexibility
9.Keeps bones healthy and prevents falls in the elderly
10.Helps you maintain your desired weight for a lifetime

Send some motivation????

Winter makes me unmotivated...so, here is some advice for staying motivated on these yucky days...here's hoping it gives me a kick in the pants...

Increasing cycling motivation with these 13 tips

Sometimes any sport can be difficult to motivate yourself to do, even if it is so beautiful a sport as cycling.

You can increase your motivation in many different ways. The methods that motivates you, often depends on what time of year you are at, and the situation you are in right now.

Here we list 13 tips to increase motivation, so you can continue your progress with constant motivation in your baggage.

1. Use objectives to build up a structured training sessions. The training from both long and short-term goals is motivating in itself.

2. Train varied bicycle training. You should alternate between long, short, soft and hard training days.

3. Vary your training. Do a long hill in heavy gear sitting in the saddle all the way to the top. Or try standing all the way up the hill in heavy gear.

4. Train shorter. Many often train to far in relation to the individual level. Even if you think you train exactly the length that match your level, on a day where you're lacking of motivation try to train shorter. Generally, you will end up being more fresh when you get home, and hopefully fresher the next day.

5. Get into your training clothes a.s.a.p. Once the couch is jumped upon your back when you get home from work, it gets even harder for you to get out the door to train.

6. To watch a video with professionals while training at a hometrainer may also be motivating!

7. Try cycle to and from work. It cost valuable time if you need to get home to change clothes before you can cycle. This time can be utilized for training, and get you into your  bike clothes directly after work.

8. Choose a different route. Take a day out of your calendar where you one day cycle on roads that you have never been before. Eg. turn suddenly to the right where you tend to run left.

9. Combine your workout routes. If you have 2-3 solid training routes it can often be motivating combining the routes so you would create a new route.

10. If you have a day where you lack of energy or motivation for training that is planned, try an hour in the swimming pool instead. Swimming will not involve your muscles as hard as that running can do. Even on hot summer days the swimming pool may seem relaxing, though you might train 30-40 min.

11. Cycle a short day, or drop completely bicycle training. Follow this up by going to bed early so you are rested the next day and hopefully more motivated to practice.

12. You can replace your bicycle training by taking a walk in an exercise center. Remember that you do not have to train hard in training equipment, as your muscles in the season is not ready for this kind of training. Indoor cycling is often good in a gym where there is usually television and others to watch training.

13. You should alternate between training in a group and training alone. To train alone for long periods, can reduce motivation. Find training partners or groups you can train with on a regular basis, like eg. two times a week.

http://improvecycling.com/index.php/articles/improve-cycling/motivation/134-increase-cycling-motivation-with-theese-13-tips

New Years' Resolutions

Every year I make this big production of out of my New Years' Resolutions. I have goals and resolutions and post them everywhere! Every year I seem to get disappointed. I plan to revisit the 2010 New Years Resolutions at another time but not today.

Here's what I have learned from this year:
1) Just because someone has labeled you as a runner, cyclist, brat, etc, etc. That doesn't mean that is what you are. I don't mean that badly. I mean you are so many other things. There is no ONE label that defines any of us. Some people would call me crazy (and well, maybe I am) but my mom would call me interesting. Some people would call me a cyclist and others would call me crazy. Whatever your label doesn't mean that is all you are.
2) Sometimes stuff happens. Like the wise Forrest Gump said, "Life's like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get." Truer words have never been spoken. When I was young, I had a vision of my life but my life has turned out completely different. Why? Because stuff happens and you change course.
3) Relationships change. Not always for the bad and not always for the good and sometimes they just change. We could sit for hours and try to figure out why. Sometimes they just change. People change and we change. It doesn't mean you don't love or care about those people any less.
4) Being thankful is really the best way to go. This year I have spent a lot more time being thankful than I can ever remember. I am thankful for so many things, just to name a few - a husband who thinks I'm crazy but loves me more because of it, a mom and stepdadwho love me and support me, an older sister who has had a different life than me but now I feel closer to her than ever, in-loves that I have gotten to know much more this year, and some friends that take wonderful care of me even though sometimes that is a FULL time job!!
5) All those things we optionally put in front of our family sometimes really just are not worth the love of your family and friends.
6) This is not something I have just learned but something I am even more aware of...going to church makes you are Christian just as much as being in the garage makes you a car or Jeep. It's your actions. It's your appreciation for what God has given us. Today, I rode my mountain/cross bike in the snow. I felt closer to God and thought more about the gifts I have been given than I have ever done in church. Now, now, I'm not saying going to church is not important, it is. Often, I refer to my friend, Lee's, bumper sticker, JUST BE NICE and I think that is what God wants for us to do. Be nice. Smile at the salesperson at Target or gate guard, say thank you and please, do the right thing even though you don't want to. Yes, this is super simplistic but I don't think things always have to be as complicated as sometimes I make them.
7) Have BIG goals but make sure they are achieveable even if they take ALOT of work. Here's the thing, I am all about dreaming and having dreams and goals. I'm great at it. I know if someone didn't dream up the car, we would still be running around on horses and stuff. I also know that a dream without a plan is just a wish. What does that mean? To me, it means that have a plan to get to your dream/goal. This sounds negative and I don't mean it that way but sometimes we have these unreasonable dreams and we get so disappointed when we don't achieve them. It actually makes everything worse. So, dream as BIG as you want and then make a plan to get there!!!
8) God allows u-turns, detours, and sometimes speeding and going too slow. In May, I was attacked by a dog. I have several scars from it (inside and out). When this happened, I tried to figure out why and then I felt I was given a second chance at life but I wasn't doing anything with it. I got really really sad and depressed. I couldn't ride my bike as much because I hurt and I couldn't do this or that. Finally, after MONTHS, I figured out yes, God allows detours from what I thought I should be doing. There's some plan but sometimes stuff happens.
9) Change is good. It's hard. It's not always fun but it is good in the end.
10) Finally, the biggest thing I think I have learned this year. Mary J. Blige sings a song called "Just Fine." My favorite line in this song are "So, I like what I see when I'm looking at me when I'm walking by the mirror. " This is for everyone but especially women. Like what you see when you look in the mirror. We can always find flaws in our appearance. My legs are flabby, I spend too much time in the sun, I drink too much wine and eat too many carbs, I need to lift more weights...and on and on and on. Oh, and people love to tell you all about your flaws...you are so slow, your legs are so big, you are such a brat, your time at Ironman was so slow - couldn't you go faster, you are this and that. But if you can look in the mirror and like YOU for who you are then that is what is really important. When I look in the mirror, yes, I still see my flaws but I also see a person who is cute, fun, affectionate, funny, sarcastic, has a bum that looks GOOD in some jeans. I see a person who loves her husband, her mother, stepdad, sister, nieces and nephews, in-loves, friends, family. I even see what people think are my flaws and I turn them into good things like...You're legs are so big...yes, they are. However, those legs have pedaled almost 8000 miles this year, taken me through 6 Ironman races, have carried me when my head would have quit. So, while I would like them to be thinner and more muscular, I am very thankful for those legs. DO IT...look in the mirror and see past what you see as flaws and like you. You are beautiful, sexy, hot, handsome and someone loves you!

Oh, last but not least...RIDE YOUR BIKE! It's good for your mind, body and soul. You don't have to go fast and you don't have to have the most expensive stuff either.

A Name Change...

So...I changed my blog name to RideYourBike. Why? Well, I haven't been Iron Tri Chick in almost 2 years and I am really okay with that. Riding my bike is my thing lately. Maybe I'll go back to be a triathlete or runner or maybe not.

My friend, Ginger, started her blog and that reminded me about my blog and it's fantastic (as she is). I haven't regularly posted in a long time but I think I will start again.

Here is my little tidbit of wisdom...life is about change. Things change every day. We change too. Hopefully for the better! I've changed too in the past few years. Things that used to be SO important to me a few years ago are not now. I have noticed since I am nearing a birthday close to 40 but still a few years away, I am much more philosophical and relaxed. I don't take things so seriously. I think that is good. Some days I wish I was more focused and more determined but most days I am a-okay with being laid back. Here's what I have learned from that...it's much more fulfilling to share something you love with other people and if that means riding at 10 mph and having someone to learn to love cycling then I am all for that. If it means not being so focused that you miss the really important stuff then I am okay with that. If it means it is okay to take a week off to go to Las Vegas with your spouse and favorite friends, I'm okay with that too. If it means being able to change ride plans and not freak out, I'm okay too. If it means smiling more and laughing more...

Another thing I have learned is that people you love are not always here. They might die or they might just be distracted or gone. It doesn't mean you love them any less, it just means they are not here. Here is the thing I will tell you to do today...tell the people you love that you love them. Yes, I'm a softie and super affectionate. Saying the words I love you to a person you care about, whether it is your spouse, family or friend, could be all the difference. I try to hug my friends when I see them. It's important. I'm thankful to my mother for that. She is always affectionate to my sister and me and we never doubt for a second that she loves us. And honestly, I never doubted that my dad loved me either. I'm lucky that way...I have 3 parents that love me and show me affection...my mom, my dad and my step-dad. I am truly blessed.

Today, I realized something else. Being closer to 40 than I would like to be (shut up older people...I know, I'm still young and HOT), I realized that the relationship you have with your spouse is probably the most important relationship you will ever have. No, I am not taking away the relationship you have with your parents, children, or siblings but I am saying that is the person you are connected to, maybe not by blood but by love. This is the person you share your life with, your dreams with, your hopes, your fears...etc, etc. So, here is my advice on that...talk to your spouse and really really really listen to them. Don't ever let them doubt for one iota of a second that you love them. They will teach you about yourself and life and sometimes have a whole different perspective on things that you never thought of. Fortunately, I am lucky...I have the person that is my soul mate but sometimes it takes a few trys.

A friend of mine, Lee, has a bumper sticker on her car...Just Be Nice. Good advice and that's the closing of my infinite wisdom. Just be nice...smile when you don't want to, be nice to the sales clerk when you are tired of waiting in line, if you are in a bad mood then be nicer, don't take stuff so seriously, realize that you have NO idea what other people are going through.

So, in the spirit of change, I hope you change the things you want in 2011 but keep the wonderful person you are because you are indeed wonderful. Merry Christmas. And yes, remember the reason for the season...Jesus.

A Triathlete Converted to...well, still working on that but here's 10 drinking songs that might help me figure it out...

So, ummm, TriIronChick is in retirement...some people say hiatus but she says retired...whatever so I ride my bike a lot these days. In addition, I drink a lot of wine and various other cocktails. TriIronChick is in there somewhere but she has been replaced by the Areallthosethingsyouthoughtweresoimportantreallythatimportantandinthegrandschemeoflifedoesitreally matter girl? But that is not the point of this post...I have been sitting on YouTube tonight trying to research the best drinking songs ever...yours are probably different than mine but since this is my blog here's what I came up with...

1) You Never Even Called Me By My Name, David Allan Coe...I mean how can you beat the lyrics...I was drunk the day my mom got out of prison and I went to pick her up in the rain but before I could get to the station in my pick up truck, she got runned over by a damned ole train...perfect country and western song cause it talks about Momma, trucks, trains and getting drunk...what else is there? Subsitute trucks for bicycles for me...well, I do have a truck. And a few of my friends probably remembering me singing this song as I fell asleep.
2) Margaritaville, Jimmy Buffett...so the more we drink the more some of us figure out it was all our own damn fault but who cares cause we have that frozen concotion that helps us hang on.
3) Friends in Low Places, Garth Brooks...let's face it folks, I was raised in Texas in the 80-90s so it is some law that I have to include Garth Brooks. This is so me too...blame it all on my roots, I showed up in boots and ruined your black tie affair. And trust me I have friends in LOW places where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases my blues away and I'm not big on social graces...oh wait is that me? Oh, I guess I was wrong I just don't belong but I've been there before.
4) Straight Tequila Night, John Anderson...there's lots of thing you can ask me on a White Zinfadel Night but that tequila speaks a different language...
5) It's Five O'Clock Somewhere, Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett...Because it is indeed 5:00 pm somewhere.
6) Two Pina Coladas, Garth Brooks...Yes, really, science has proved that heartaches are healed by the sea. Bring me 2 pina coladas...or whatever...and put me by the ocean and it's all good...
7) Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American), Toby Keith...okay, if you know me...my messy house is decorated in Americana (and beach stuff) and my spouse will hopefully retire relatively soon from some branch of the armed forces so this song is perfect after 2 or 3 or 4 or more cocktails cause somehow you are more patriotic with cocktails and think about your spouse going to war...and really this big dog will fight if you rattle her cage.
8) Not Ready to Make Nice, Dixie Chicks...we are coming to the angry songs...forgive sounds good, forget I'm not sure I could, they say that time heals everything but I'm still waiting...I'm not ready to make nice, I'm not ready to back down, I'm still mad as hell and I don't have time to go round and round and round, it's too late to make it right, I probably wouldn't if I could, Can't bring myself to do what it is you think I should......I know you said why can't you just get over it...it turned my whole world around and I kind of like it, made my bed and I sleep like a baby (do you Ms. Sit in the 2nd row at your own father's funeral, etc, etc...?) Yep, that one thing taught me...ain't no one going to stand up for you except yourself and if you can look yourself in the mirror and be okay, then in reality that is all that really matters. I won't ever do what it is that people think I should...
9) How Do You Like Me Now, Toby Keith...so more Toby Keith...don't you ever just want to say that to someone who treated you like dog crap a long time ago and now...karma is a bitch!!! How do you like me now? You still think I'm crazy standing here today?? ain't it a cruel and funny world????
10) Neon Moon, Brooks and Dunn...Jukebox plays on drink by drink and the words of every sad song seem to say what I think this hurt inside of me ain't ever gonna end. Oh, but I'll be alright as long as there's light from a neon moon. If you lose your one and only, there's always room here for the lonely to watch your broken dreams dance in and out of the beams of a neon moon...gosh, isn't that perfect to end the list of drinking songs...hey, remember I'm from Texas...we did actually dance in and out of the beams of a neon moon. Do you think kids now even know what a jukebox is????

So, there's tons more I could include many more country songs and don't even take me to John Mayer but this is it for this top 10 drinking song list tonight. Hopefully, this might lead me to whatever it is I'm supposed to be...or make more profit for Sutter Home.

Random Acts of Kindness...

We are in Memphis for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl and spent New Year's Eve on Beale Street. Other than the guitar falling to signify the beginning of 2010, one of the most greatest moments was some other ECU fans giving us pins their friends had made for them. My husband commented on the buttons and the man and his daughter took them right off and gave them to us. We forget how small things like that really mean to people. It takes just a few seconds to practice random acts of kindness but people will remember them forever. So, here is my challenge to myself and you, too in 2010...take a few seconds and practice a random act of kindness...everyone feels great about it and some one will remember you for many years to come!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!