It wasn't a pipe, but at least it was dead!

Hello all, it's been two days of hard riding. I was told I've been acting like a baby so I thought I'd try and ramp things up a bit. On Saturday we did just shy of 30 miles. mostly flat, rolling hills- and for a time I kept a nice pace, even some sprints. We ended that ride with a nice hill- Harmony Grove Road. you think you are at the top and then you turn the corner and see that it keeps going. As I am told ALL HILLS ARE GOOD. I am trying to adopt this opinion.

TODAY- hmm. well i'm really sore right now. really sore-- We did 57 miles. the first 45 were nice- a couple of decent hills but all pretty manageable. Then Jack gets this devilish look on his face and I know it's all over. We ended up going up this nasaaaaasty hill- i think it's a couple of miles- but that isn't the worst part.-- i'm riding up= barely crawling I might add but just sitting in for the climb and i see a twisted pipe thing in the road-- pretty big too- like it would do a car damage if it ran over it. -- ahh, but it wasn't a pipe (again I'm crawling by at about 5 mph) it was a HUGE HUGE SNAKE. dead= all curled up like a cork screw sideways with a big fat head- i think that thing was like three inches around- big and fat-- needless to say, my heart rate was already up to about 165- well at that point, it rose to about 185. and i kept pumping just trying to get away from that nasty thing.

He's laughing at the top of the hill, knowing i would be freaked about by the snake.

nice grueling ride back- it was only about 10 miles and graciously jack did his best to avoid the worst hills. about 2 miles from home i had a near melt down and almost started crying- again- he's got that grin on his face- telling me we're only a couple of miles away- i was completely sore in a very bad place.-- I did not wear my usual bike shorts and let's just say- i just got back from the store with some special cream b/c it is not good. Made it back-- have to say it was a great ride- except for that ridiculously large snake. i'm tired. i was planning on going running, but I can barely walk. dinner- salmon, asparagus, sweet potatoes and then berries with ginger for dinner. ahh. life is good.

FIVE FAVORITE THINGS:
1. the company that makes this special cream
2. my hair right now- really wild and wavy
3. having nearly 90 miles under my belt from this weekend.
4. maple doughnuts (i'm going to buy some tomorrow morning for the people at work)
5. lying down right now, i'm really very tired.

A good email

I get these daily motivations e-mailed to me and this is a good one.

HAPPINESS LIES IN THE JOY OF ACHIEVEMENT

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Love is the most important ingredient of life.
Your life echoes emptiness without it.
With it, your life vibrates meaning and warmth.
Love will shine through even in hardship.

You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments
that stand out, the moments when you have really lived,
are the moments when you have done things in a spirit of love.

If you have it, you don't need to have anything else,
and if you don't have it, it doesn't much matter what else you have.

Treasure the love you receive above everything else.
It will survive long after your wealth and good health have vanished.


The way is not in the sky.
The way is in the heart.

Life in abundance comes only through great love.

FIVE FAVORITE THINGS:
1. the cool black jacket i am wearing
2. this cobb salad i eat every day for breakfast
3. a nice strong cup of joe
4. thinking about how happy and blessed i am
5. happy little boys eager to start the day (ben was excited about his field trip today)

Cooooooold!

It was 48 degrees in my bedroom this morning. I had all the windows open and was too lazy to get up and close them last night- Needless to say, I got ready for work very quickly this morning. It is very busy at work so I'm going to keep this brief. Lots of scary news in the financial markets, but things always come around- they always do.

This is the second week of my work diet plan which consists of a salad for breakfast and stir-fry vegetables for lunch. I don't eat dinner anymore. Anyway- I sure wish I was out riding today. The good news is I finally found the vintage road bike I've been looking for- 1973 Raleigh Record.-- just like the one I bought in 1973. I'm going to convert it to a single speed and use it as a commuter bike.

FIVE FAVORITE THINGS:
1.looking a bit better in this black dress
2.keeping the coffee consumption down a bit
3.a good hair day
4.stir-fry
5.this and that

Chilly Mornings, Great Ride

I had a great ride yesterday. I headed out when the crazy spud went off to get a massage after enlisting to torture himself the day before on a 75 mile single track mountain bike ride- the Fleeing of the Yams.

It was 22 miles, which is a good distance when it's all hills. although I am told these are "baby hills." They sure didn't feel like it to me. My heart rate averaged 145 but I hit 175 on a number of occasions- I know just where they were. I saw two snakes, one dead and one alive- I really really really do not like wildlife. Any way, it's been a great weekend - I actually headed back this morning from Pennsylvania and am proud of myself that I did not buy any Maple Doughnuts. I really wanted to but I'm on a weight loss role-- I've lost 7.5 lbs in the past two weeks. I'm not in a rush but I'd like to lose 33 more lbs. It would really help my riding and racing for the 2009 season.

Five favorite things:
1. that terrible alarm clock being turned off quickly
2. this cool morning
3. traffic that moves
4. sleeping spuds
5. sleeping spuds

Fleeing of the Yams:Spud Finishes

75 to 80 miles of mostly single track mountain bike rides.- No not me! This insane man who can barely move today. I am inspired to start into this whole mountain bike thing, but I have to deal with the wildlife issue-- I REALLY DO NOT LIKE WILDLIFE OF THE SLITHERY TYPE!!! Even so, something about all the cuts and bruises makes me think this might be something I need to get into. Although I keep getting lectures about needing to get my heart rate up- It will get up.

The sun is shining brigher than ever today. I am going to get out and do a nice ride with a few hills involved. Can't wait. And yes, my heart rate will indeed get up and it will be a bugs in the teeth ride because this smile has been planted on my face for a while. It's all good. And I do have a little secret reward for my efforts. I have to admit, as of late it feels like the sun is shining all the time. This is my favorite time of year.

Five favorite things:
1. the couple of hours of sleep I had (could have used a bit more!)
2. this song I'm listening to on my MP3 player
3. being stronger and likely very much faster than this insane biker.
4. the view i'm looking at right now
5. I could just keep going.

More Pictures

These are some recent pictures I've snapped on my blackberry. Things that grab me, like my favorite farm
beautiful flowers at a farmer's market with Unchle Charles and Cousin Rick.

My friend Nancy, one of the best at Reuters.

Ben selling popcorn, a model cub scout!

Jack eating chips (and my salad)

Ok, It's all VERY good!

I know it's been a while. I'm sorry and certainly there is no way I could tell you about all the things that have happened in my life in one single post, but suffice to say, I am very happy. I left Reuters and I can say It was a great experience to be there for a timem, but things change and the time for new challenges came and I love where I am.

I am now at the Futures Industry Association. It is great there. I love the people I work with, I love what our non-profit organization does and I love the new challenges. People are getting sick of hearing me say "I love my job!"  but I do. Get used to it, because You will hear it for a long, long time.

That being said. I have another love and it comes in the form of a man who rides a bike. I have a big smile on my face right now. In fact, well, I have a smile on my face pretty much all the time. On the subway, strutting down K Street, (yes I am now part of the "K Street Corridor") I've gotten so happy that it's hard to contain. I'm not going to go into details but I can tell you this EVERY experience, even the hard ones are gifts. When the worst of times come there is something to be gained by it.

I hope my two little loves- Ben and little Jack can learn from their mom that life never comes in an expected way but it is full of blessing and joy- and that joy comes from within. The sun shines even when it doesn't!


Five favorite things:
1. knowing all the time that life is indeed excellent
2. seeing, tasting and smelling the good in every thing
3. all the uncertainty and excitement in that new road ahead.
4. this basket of fresh warm clean laundry
5. crisp lovely October and nursing crazy cyclists back to health after doing insane rides!

Oh, and take a good long look at this man, because I'd be a happy woman spending the rest of my life cycling closely behind him!