New Bike Fun and Sunday Disappointment

Quicky today. All week I had been waiting for Saturday to get here so I could ride my new bike around the lake. What do I wake up to on Saturday morning? Rain. WTF, right? I felt like I was in Yorkshire, where I'd been seeing cyclists competing in the World Championships in RAIN all week. So I was a little nervous as we headed to the lake that morning, hoping and praying the road would be dry enough that I wouldn't send myself sliding across the pavement on my brand new bike.

Fortunately it was a perfect day for a bike ride. We did 2 hours and I felt like I was FLYING! OMG I LOVE MY NEW BIKE!!!! Wow what a feeling! I was a bit tentative the first lap, but by halfway through the second lap I was having so much fun! And the Blue Angels were flying overhead which was also super fun. After 4 laps, I wasn't ready to stop. But my training partner was. So we stopped, hopeful for another fun ride on Sunday, which would be our first 3-hour ride.

Instead, Sunday's ride became a leisurely family ride around the neighborhood, which is probably what I needed after a very disappointing morning. My world champion cyclist didn't win the road race that morning. So I was just BUMMED. OUT. A LOT. He was by far the strongest rider, and throughout the race CT (Cycling Twitter) was commenting on just how relaxed he looked. So relaxed in fact, that he didn't get into the chase group (a mistake he admitted later), and by the time he attacked, the rainbow jersey had already been claimed. He thought the lead group would be brought back for a sprint, but it never did. Either those guys out front were too strong or the Belgians forgot to work in the peloton to bring them back. (Oopsie, did I just say that? Sorry no offense to Belgium, but I'm not sure what those guys were doing back there to be honest.)  Anyway, although PS attacked in the last 3-4km and rode his heart out, he was still 43 seconds too late...the amazing part about that was he was about 90 seconds back when he started. If only he had another km or two. If only...

Oh well. So what about that 3 hour bike ride? Well, our sitter didn't work out. And by the time I found this out, it was too late to confirm someone else. Oh well.

So we rode around the neighborhood with one very happy little girl on her brand new bike, and me trying to pick up my attitude. Thanks to my awesome husband who tried getting me out of my funk. He's always good at that.

Today is another day. BG is at a gymnastics camp while I work a little, and right now it's time for me to go stretch my legs a little. On my bike! Why not? #SeizeTheRide

When you can't ride the one you love...

Did I mention in my last post about the incredible machine of a bike I test-rode a few weeks ago? Well, of course that bike is not only NOT in our budget but it's not exactly something I deserve at this point in time. I mean, I JUST started riding a bike for real, and I'm NOT some rich person with lots of money to throw away.

Yet I still need a bike for this ride coming up in November since I've just been riding my husband's mountain bike and it's too big for me. So of course the sensible thing to do in the situation is to go find a less expensive bike that FITS your budget, right? Right.

SO last weekend has officially been declared "New Bike Weekend" for our family. BG got a new bike and OMG she is so unbelievably EXCITED about it! I love seeing her so happy! And of course I immediately had bike envy!!! LOL

My amazing husband is so awesome that he made sure my bike envy only lasted 24 hours. We found an AWESOME bike for me, and I was surprised on Sunday afternoon when he said to me, "So. Wanna go get that bike?" WHAT?!! YESSS! I can't wait to ride this thing around the lake this weekend! I have ridden it a couple of times around the neighborhood and I absolutely LOVE IT! And it even (sort of) matches BG's bike :)

Instead of the super brand new, high-end Specialized Roubaix, I found an older model discontinued "women's version" of the Roubaix called the Specialized Ruby, and it is excellent!

So...when you can't ride the one you love, you buy her cheaper, older sister :) And she ain't so bad either! In fact, I may never need to buy another bike ever again...especially since Daddy is next in line for a new bike 😃😃😃

And it was the perfect way to spend the First Day of Autumn in San Diego ;)

Seize the Moment

Wow! Let's resurrect this blog! If anyone tries to tell you "life changes when you have kids" - no matter how much you believe them, you are still NOT prepared for the massive transformation you and your partner's lives will change! Case in point - I had intended on blogging throughout my pregnancy. Nope. Then I thought for sure I'd pick it up after the baby was born. Nope again. Surely once she gets a little older and more independent...? Nuh-uh! Okay, how about those preschool years when she's playing more independently and maybe even going to school for a few hours a week? Big cup o'nope!

I still KNEW that one day I'd post something again...it was only a matter of time. That time is now. But I've gotta keep it short cuz I hear her playing out in the backyard right now and my time is also very short.

So quickly, we had a baby girl (if you don't know that by now, you've been living under a rock, seriously.)! And I went from working from home full time to part time to not at all, transforming overnight into a SAHM (stay at home mom)! I LOVE IT!!! Well, now baby girl (BG) is FOUR! And in PRESCHOOL! AHHH!!!! So I have all kinds of free time now, right? WRONG! Mama had to get a part time "yob" so we can afford the wonderful preschool we wanted BG to attend. And we thought she was teaching us something new everyday just be her mere existence...NOW she's teaching us all kinds of other things I never dreamed of! (Insert incredulous emoji here...sorry not enough time to go find a cool gif or something).

And the sort of biggest thing going on in our lives right now (besides stressful work and super fun times with a 4 yo) is that Mama has started riding a bike!! (Of course BG has a bike...don't all 4 year olds?!) But this mama who has been unable to find the right kind of motivation she needs to lose that "baby weight" (Guess what - it's not called baby weight when your "baby" is FOUR!) and all the other stuff around the middle that's appeared over the last couple of years, has finally found that motivation. In the form of a 150 kilometre bike ride that is happening a mere week before my husband and I celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary.

THAT is what I hope to find time to share about in these next 7 or so weeks. The motivation. The fun. The suffering. The sweat. The suffering. The transformation. Have I mentioned the suffering? Actually, I hope there is more fun than suffering, but I have only just begun to train for the ride of my life. And so it shall be called my "Seize the Ride" experience.

WHY? More on that later. The little one downstairs has become eerily silent...

Will I survive or will it kill me?

Stay tuned

We will see

To be continued...