Sunday, January 30, 2011
Well…tonight I am writing my blog while watching the SAG awards here in LA sitting on my comfy couch drinking some Sterling Cab…a favorite wine of mine. Let me just say this…John Ham…..o my is he fine! Looks like beige, light rose and white are in for the women. They all look amazing. Hilary and Eva def get my best dress awards! Does Susan Sarandon EVER age?!

So another week another blog. This was a big spin week. 5 fun classes this week and 1 at a new private club. I am having so much fun with my Monday & Wednesday night classes. I have been getting 35 riders every class so it makes it incredibly fun with a full class! I have also added group sprint competitions and the riders are so loud they make the room shake! Nothing better than that!!

I was actively looking for employment this week as well and let me just say…..it’s both frustrating and disappointing. After being self employed for 20 years…finding my place in today’s work place is difficult. Is there a resume heaven? Does ANYONE actually read my emails when I write these amazing cover letters? Since I’ve had 4 jobs my entire life…well..I’m not sure WHAT employers think of me! But if they would just interview me…well………..I am convinced I would land virtually any job or a position within the company I interviewed for. So is there a secret to getting these companies to call you for an interview? Many of us would like to know!

So I had 1 amazing weekend of riding planned. Let’s talk about the good day first…Saturday! Well…I was meeting my girlfriend at her house to car pool to the trail head. My buddy, her hubby, fixed my bike so I was really looking forward to an amazing ride and everything working on my bike. I needed some mental & physical torture for some relaxation and stress relief so I was ready! I thought I would be too sore to do the scheduled club ride which was Gridley since I taught 5 spin classes, but I was feeling good when I woke up and was ready to put in some miles.

Well when we got to the trail head there was a good size group of all level riders making for a fun XC ride! There are no rest rooms at the trail head….so I needed to take off to the Ranger’s station before the ride to take care of business. I waited for everyone there, and then we started riding towards the fun BB descent. I was immediately into my own zone with some great metal blaring in my IPOD and I was gone. I was feeling really good and just didn’t look back. It was all about pedaling quickly pushing my heart rate but sustaining it and just having a blast!

Well…before I knew it I was at the bottom of the 1st big climb waiting for the group and starting to get cold. My radio was dead, so I thought, well, I’ll just relax, take my time climbing and meet everyone at the top. I usually climb with a playlist that is very relaxing since I always focus on “relaxing into the climb”. It definitely works and I am relaxed, but I just seem to just ride too slow. So I decided to switch it up and use my DH playlist which is only used for descents. Music on my DH playlist includes everything from Metallica, Megadeath, The Who and tons of AC/DC. This music relaxes me AND makes me feel committed at the same time. So it seemed to work great! A few of the switch backs that are a wee bit tight and I always struggle riding up, I rode up smoothly and quickly and was so shocked at the exit of the switchbacks I screamed out WAY 2 GO GIRL! I also moved my position way back on the saddle during the tightest part of the turn and FOCUSED hard on the exit by just staring at it.

Well, I pushed my heart rate 4 times past its max and raised it to 184, but for the most part kept it in check so I could ride longer and stay strong. So…made it to the top and I was still feeling good. I really wanted to keep riding, but since I didn’t have my radio, I didn’t want the others to worry, so I thought I’d better wait, and I was sure others would want to add on to the route.

Well, when everyone got to the top. 2 of my girlfriends were nice enough to work the car and lunch arrangement out so I could continue to ride and still have a way to meet everyone for lunch. Thank you girls…it made my day. (2 very unselfish friends who really allowed me to just do my thang and knew I needed it!)
The only rider I could convince was a rider on a Niner Single Speed who happened to win King of the Hill many, many times. So I had my work cut out for me to try and just keep him in my sight! So we continued to make the amazing, fun descent down back bone and let me tell you it was in AMAZING shape. And no…I didn’t make that darn tight switchback at the very bottom. The day I make that switchback going down…well…..there will be some champagne popping!

At the bottom of Backbone we proceeded to make the ride over to Overlook to start the next climb. As soon as we starting to ride towards the beach it was getting cold and windy. I was starting to regret my decision since this was all open fire road and a steep climb. We started the climb and I dropped in behind the Niner. My goal to keep him in my sight was blown in minutes. Very disappointing, but a quarter way up I was grateful I pushed myself.

The Niner was gone, but he was nice enough to wait a few times for me to make sure I was still on the trail. I stopped a few times to take in the breathtaking views and snap a picture of two. Then we started the second fun descent down Backbone.

I’m about half way down the trail and I hear my name getting called on the radio. I stopped to see what was up and apparantly someone else lost their radio and another rider was riding UP backbone to meet me with the radio. I put my pack back on and met someone climbing up waving at me and asking “are you Wendy?” He had the lost radio which apparently no one knew who it belonged too but I saw it on our North Ranch station and knew it was one of ours.

Well the Niner rider was at the bottom waiting for me to help me get through the tight switchback descent. I tried to follow his EXACT line…but I just stiffened up and ended up dabbing it. O well. I need a lot of practice on switchbacks! Well we continued riding to make the final climb back up the BB. I was really hungry at this point and I just had to stop and have something quick to make this last climb. So we started the final part of the ride and of course the Niner lost me in minutes…but riding up I ran into another girlfriend who had a bit of a disaster of a morning! She ended up riding back DOWN the BB after 20 plus miles looking for…….can you guess?! YES! A RADIO! Mystery of the radio now solved! So we rode back to the parking lot together. When we got back I checked my phone for a text from my girlfriends and they left car keys for me to take a car back to meet everyone for lunch.

So to conclude Saturday’s adventures….it was one amazing day!

Sunday…………..grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! I’m driving to the trail head to meet friends to ride Cheeseboro and it was drizzling pretty hard. Now here in Los Angeles, we are a wee bit of divas about riding in the rain…basically most of us just don’t do it. I didn’t even bother to check the weather because; well…it’s usually sunny out. So needless to say, we didn’t end up riding. I DID run into 2 amazing lady riders at the trail head and I was starting to feel REALLY wimpy not riding when they were! So to make a long story short…I chit chatted with a buddy for a wee bit…then drove home feeling a bit sorry for myself, changed BACK into my jammies and took a nap! Guess I needed it because it’s something I NEVER do! So for the rest of today I did something I also never do………….nothing! I would have liked to spend the evening with friends but everyone has so much going on in their lives right now it’s hard to make time for each other. Think a girls night out/happy hour may be in order!!!

So this week, I would like to recognize another link on my blog. Please check out Eliant Technologies: http://www.elianttech.com/. Even though this is a NON biking company, they are a company that assisted my business MANY times over the years with success and I highly recommend their services.

Have an amazing week everyone! I hope to see you in my spin classes this week and out on the trails! Please be good to yourselves, but be even BETTER to the people around you!

Until next time luvs….Be Absolutely Fabulous!
WE