The next street over looks like this. hahaha
Showing posts with label cycling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cycling. Show all posts
The next street over looks like this. hahaha
This patch of grass was like an oasis in the concrete wasteland. It's on San Vicente at Wilshire Blvd.
Factors in my decision were:
finances: I'm losing so much money by living in LA, and if I'm still unemployed at the end of my unemployment insurance, I'm not sure what I will do.
looking for another roommate: I figured my luck of finding another cool roommate was running out, between Duane and Lucas, I was very fortunate.
the rising unemployment rate: the national unemployment rate is 9.8%. I always forget that the beginning of the month starts with bad news.
holidays: most companies don't hire through the holidays (even when the economy is good)
potential jobs: I had three potential jobs and didn't get any of them. This was a definite blow to my confidence.
my car: I've had some recent car problems... I swear, when it rains it pours.
the moon: maybe a little bit of the full moon came into play. :P
stress: each day I'm losing a little bit of myself: my confidence, my sanity, and my happiness.
I was so stressed I worked out 3.5 times (0.5 is the brisk walk): I ran 3 miles in the morning, rode my bike down to Redondo beach, came home had lunch and rode to Bel-air and then around midnight I took a brisk walk to Fairfax and back. The picture above is one I took in the morning: before the meltdown, before I made the decision. The photos below are in Manhattan Beach.
A huge "Thank you" goes out to Mark and Tim for making sure I was ok. I know it must have been scary for you, but thank you for talking to me so late at night. Thank you for being my friends.
I rode up and into Franklin Canyon and then I was crazy enough to hike the Hastain trail. It was freaking hot today, but I did it! Now my legs are tired.
I'm probably the only person in So Cal who enjoys the June Gloom. It gives me the chance to get work done in the morning and workout in the afternoon. This afternoon, I climbed to Griffith Observatory on my bike. I can't believe I did it. There was a couple who said they saw me and were cheering me on. They waited for me at the top and congratulated me. WOW! The ride down is always fun and beautiful.
Bianca and I went to Ventura, well actually Solvang (not planned), to cheer on the cyclists of the AIDS Life Cycle ride. They were scheduled to ride from Solvang to Ventura (84 miles), but an accident on HWY 101 and inclement weather canceled the ride. We planned to station ourselves closer to Ventura, but when we got the call from Brendan, a member of the Sweep crew, informing us of the canceled ride, we drove up to Solvang to pick up some stranded riders. About 1700 cyclists were stranded in Solvang awaiting a bus ride down to Ventura. With a few 50-seat buses circulating the route, transporting cyclists, you could tell that the exhaustion was setting in. ALC had no contingency plan for a canceled ride, but I think the "roadies" handled the situation calmly and efficiently. Although my photos don't include anyone riding a bike, it was amazing day to see the dedicated roadies at work.As I mentioned Brendan is part of the sweep crew along with his partner, Bud. They pick up riders who need assistance. Their theme was LOST: they rented a VW bus and had Darma Initiative outfits. Apparently they were a famous crew. Congratulations to everyone who participated in ALC 8. Closing ceremonies are on Saturday, June 6, 2009.
It's difficult to exercise the day after a night out, unless your friend makes you go. Thanks, Brain, for making me get on my bike today. I would've been a total bum if it wasn't for you.
I had the crazy idea to do this challenge today. I got the idea when I read a comment (somewhere, I think it was Youtube) where someone asked, "I wonder which is harder Sand Dune Park or Santa Monica Stairs."Instead of waiting a week, when I didn't have a race to run, I decided that I would do it this week. Call it impatient or competitive, I couldn't wait. In addition to doing the challenge, I rode my bike to both of the locations. The ride was 42 miles round trip and, of course, was accompanied by two flat tires at about miles 28 and 33. It was due. The first flat tire was fine, it was the front tire. I had one CO2 cartridge, but the second was my back tire. By this time, I had finished two courses of the Santa Monica Stairs and was spent. The physical pumping of the tire was exhausting. Those last 9 miles on my bike were killer.
Ok, so which is harder? I can't quite tell right now. They are both physically challenging. Sand Dune Park: the picture doesn't do the hill justice. It's STEEP and every step I took I would slip down half a step. My calves were on fire. The park was also about 5 blocks in from the beach and a steep hill up from the coast. So my ass was already tired from the long ride and the steep climb. Santa Monica Stairs: 142 steps of pure (ass) hell. My butt/thighs were burning. After the second climb my thighs felt like they were in complete atrophy. hahaha Try it! It was tough, but I'll probably do this challenge again. What can I say, I'm a masochist. haha
wow! I didn't realize how far behind I got on this...partially just being busy and partially because of the heat. I didn't want to be in my apt/oven.
On Saturday, I rode my bike to the beach and ran three miles. I forgot to figure in the ride back. It ended up being a 24 mile ride and 3mile run, needless to say, I took a nap. I did stop at the Farmer's Market in Santa Monica to fill up on some fresh fruit and admire the beautiful flowers.
I'm reminded by my friend, Amy, that bad things happen in threes. one: lost job, two: identity fraud, three: hit & run. I do hope this is the end of it.Today feels like that scene from Benjamin Button, when Daisy was hit by the car. Everything had to happen in order for me to be hit by that red car, accident or design, it had to happen. I don't know the particulars about the other people involved: the guy in the car, the guy in the Dooley truck, the 10-year-old girl on the Razor scooter, or the two EMTs. I know that for me, I had to have an extra cup of tea this morning. I usually only have one cup, but opted for two. Firefox crashed and I had to reopen all the windows again. I forgot to put on sunscreen and ran back upstairs to lather it on. I decided to read one more chapter in my book at the park. Waiting in line at the Post Office, the AC forced me to put on my sweat jacket which protected me from more scrapes. The Dooley Truck that took up most of the road made me slow down. The ambulance had to be stuck in traffic just a few cars back from where the collision occurred. I had to notice the girl on the Razor scooter whisking down the sidewalk as I passed her and that red car had to make that left hand turn as I was about to ride straight.
And if only one thing had happened differently: If that Dooley truck was in the other lane or that girl on the Razor left 2 minutes earlier, I could've been under the car, the little girl could've been hit by that car or the red car could've made a left turn without hitting anyone. "But life being what it is - a series of intersecting lives and incidents, out of anyone's control:" I was hit by that car and fell to the ground with the little girl on the Razor scooter coming to my side and asking if I was ok. The EMTs quickly tending to my scrapes and the that guy in the red car rolling down his window to ask if I was ok, only to drive away without an answer.
It's strange what you think of during an accident. The first thought that came to my mind when the EMTs asked to clean the wound was "I should have shaved my legs this morning." For some reason everything else was a blur, but that thought is vivid.
I rode down to the beach today, it was a beautiful day. I hope the weather stays like this, but I did read a wonderful (inspiring) article today: Why To Start a Startup in a Bad Economy. :)
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