Metal Mondays & Other Bike Stuff

Dear friends & family,

This month was full of April showers, but May flowers are blooming all over making for some beautiful bike rides.

• 285.942 miles this month: I travelled a bit this month and I realized that if I was going to get in enough miles, I'd have to take The Rocket with me.  So, The Rocket took a long trip to Temecula and a shorter jaunt to Chico.  The Rocket is an excellent road trip companion.  She never complains, never asks to stop to go to the bathroom, and she is never a back seat driver.  Although I must admit her conversational skills leave a lot to be desired.

• 1 Easter morning ride: Terry and I have adopted a tradition of riding our bikes on Easter.  After church, we met up with my Uncle Jon and Aunt Jill for a beautiful ride through Rainbow Canyon.  The poppies were blooming and the wind was calm, meaning cyclists were out in full force.  As we rode, Uncle Jon kept on pointing out important people.  We saw Floyd Landis' doctor and we saw the father of world champion track cyclist, Sarah Hammer.  That's right, I rode with celebrities.  Ok, not so much with them as behind them.  Way behind them.  But I did talk to them.  Well, they gave me the courtesy cyclist wave and I very eloquently replied "Good (pant, pant, pant) morning (pant, pant, pant)."

• 1 leather seat: As of late, my  bike seat and I have not been getting along.  More accurately, it's bent on making me swim in the deep end of the pain pool.  I was telling my uncle this and he kindly let me borrow one of his seats.  It's made of brown leather and has rivets all around the edge, making it look like an old school bike seat.  Well, it may look vintage, but it makes my tush feel good as new.  It's like riding on a cloud.  If I could marry this seat, I would.

• 1 tube of Udderly Smooth: This is just what it sounds like.  It's udder cream, originally designed for cows, but now used by cyclists to prevent unwanted things from chafing down there.  My uncle hooked me up with a tube and I don't think I'm going too far when I say the cream is splendor in a tube.  My uncle also gave me new pedals, two pairs of cleats for my shoes, and two water bottle cages.  Then he cleaned and oiled my chain.  No, he cannot be your uncle, too.

• 40 MPH: That's right I've hit the big 4-0.  I was seated so far back on my bike that my stomach was on my seat and my tail end was hovering over my wheel as I flew downhill.  It was so much fun!

• 5.1 MPH: I've taken a different approach to hills this season.  Instead of trying to gut it out in the highest gear possible and burning out halfway up the hill, I've decided to drop into my granny gear at the bottom of the hill and ride up at a pace I can maintain.  I'm actually enjoying riding hills.  Shhhh, don't tell.

• 4 spin classes: I hit spin class four times this month and I'm giddy about the fact that my favorite instructor, Greg, is back this season.  Let me tell you why Greg's my favorite.  He always has a good, hard session planned out.  He doesn't yammer through the entire class.  He doesn't look or sound like Barbie.  He NEVER touches the tension on my wheel.  Best of all, Greg has resurrected Metal Mondays.  Greg has a heart pumping, sweat inducing, head banging playlist of 80's heavy metal music.  I've never understood leather pants, big hair or the need to scream into a mic.  Having said all that, I have to tell you I love Metal Mondays.  Nothing makes me stand up in the pedals and push for all I'm worth more than metal.  I can't get enough.  I think it's contagious and I'm terrified the leather pants and big hair might follow.

• 1 flat tire: The day after we returned from Temecula, I went to put the front wheel on The Rocket, I discovered it was flat.  Somehow when cramming 2 bikes and 2 suitcases in the back of my car, I'd pinched the tire.  Go figure.  Well, this seemed the perfect opportunity to finally change a flat by myself.  I grabbed my tire irons, my pump, a fresh tube and went to work.  20 minutes later, sweating and covered in bike grease, I had changed the tire.  All.  By.  Myself.  I did a little dance and used serious willpower to refrain from kissing the tire.

• 58.5 miles: My longest distance this month.  It was about 100 degrees and I headed out with a handful of other cyclists.  It was a scorcher and just a taste of what summer holds.  The ride was good, but the ice cream sandwich at the end was better.

• $920 donated so far: Thanks to Jean P., Amy and Steve P., Tracy H., Jeff W., Anita J., Carmen L., Chris F., Katie L., That Unicycling Guy, Sue H., and the employees of North Valley Bank for buying Easter basket raffle tickets. I appreciate your support and generosity.

• $1,080 until I reach my fundraising goal: Terry has reached 100% of his fundraising goal and has no qualms about pointing out that I am now just approaching 50%.  So, if you'd like to help me out by putting your money where his mouth is, click on the link to the right.  You can also write a check to The Lance Armstrong Foundation and I'll make sure it gets to the right place.

Thanks for your support.  It's another season of great cycling adventures and I'm glad you're along for the ride.

Fondly,

Alicia