This past weekend, a 100 mile training group (of which, I'm a member), had a 75 mile bike ride. Due to a scenic detour, a few of my friends and I made it an 80-81 mile ride. We just aren't satisfied with the minimum, you see.
The weather was nice. Mid/upper 80s for most of the ride, with some cloud cover.
Here, everyone is chillin' at the last SAG stop.
One of my favorite cycling couples. They're still all smiles after 60-something miles!
Best. SAG Ever. They provided ice cold towels! Please refrain from jokes involving towels...thank you.
At one of the stops, this doozy caught my eye. Not the motorcycle - yawn...the helmet. Your eyes are not deceiving you. That is a sweet mohawk you see.
Here's my reaction when the guy wouldn't trade his mohawk helmet for mine. I mean, it goes with my bike and everything!
I know what you're thinking...and I agree. With a face like that, it is amazing that I'm still single.
As some of you are aware, a tragedy occurred in the early hours of Friday morning. Memphian, Chris Davidson was hit by a car, while riding his bike home. The car fled the scene and miraculously, Chris was able to ride his bike to his girlfriend's house a few blocks away, where he died - not long afterward.
Below, is the story from WREG (borrowed from Fix Memphis' site)
The HiTone is holding a benefit for Chris' family tomorrow, Wednesday, August 17th. There is a benefit ride, which will leave from the Peddler Bike Shop on Highland Ave., at 6:30pm, Wednesday and will arrive at the HiTone at 7pm for the benefit show.
This weekend was filled with bicycle rides. Two friends of mine and I woke up before the birds to drive to Rossville, TN and ride the Wolf River Cafe ride. It was hot and muggy (I heard that a few people had to abort the ride, due to becoming overheated), but the miles rolled by as I saw friends along the route. We even managed to meet a few new friends. Honestly, the ride didn't start out so great for me. From the beginning, I felt as though I was struggling to keep up with my friends. It's not a fun thing, playing catch-up. After a while, I just resigned myself to ride my own pace and enjoy the scenery - and not think about my friends having to wait on me to finish...since I drove. It was then, that I started to really enjoy myself. Also, I ended up finishing the 57 mile ride with my friends, after all!
The highlight of my day was Cycle Memphis' second ever ride. I missed the last ride due to being completely toast after a triathlon. Anyway, cyclists came out of the woodwork for an 8pm meet up and casual, 15ish mile ride. People showed up on their polo bikes, cruiser bikes, old school road bikes, mountain bikes, hybrid bikes...you name it, they were there. One of the hosts had a trailer hooked onto his bike with a huge speaker attached to his radio. So, about 80 of us were bopping down the street listening to some sweet tunes.
After the ride, people hung around and danced to the music, still playing. My favorites are they guy in the "wife beater" MFM volunteer shirt and the guy in the background who (I swear) looks like Tommy Chong. I think his actual name is Scott, but to me, he's Tommy Chong, or the Chonger...basically, whatever I fell like. :-) Can yo see him? I wish I had a better picture, with a close up of the Chonger. It's what I get for always using the camera on my phone.
If you're interested, Cycle Memphis meets the first Saturday of each month, at 8pm, around the gazebo at the corner of Cooper & Young.
Ok, who wants to buy this gorgeous leather pannier for me?
My birthday's in T-8 days. I think I'm worth it...I actually wouldn't mind the red Dannebrog cruiser, either. I would look so smashing riding to the Farmer's Market, to work, or a fabulous brunch on that bike. "Big Bertha" (I sported her, here) would be sad, but, well...whatever.
I miss that train wreck. Ok, I know I shouldn't encourage "da crazy," but consider it one of my guilty pleasures. I can't help myself.
So, what have I been doing to occupy my mind since Charlie's disappeared from the headlines and my T.V.? This:
It's called eiffling and during the Tour de France, Radio Shack gave prizes for the best eiffliers. Not to brag, but I won. You don't know about eiffling? I'm sorry. You're probably out there planking and/or owling. I don't want to be the one to tell you it's lame, but here's someone who loves both planking and owling. And we've established that she's an annoying a-hole, haven't we?
This weekend, I raced the Mighty Mite Triathlon with, Cat, a friend of mine. Here we are, before the race, showing our most intimidating, game face. Incidentally, my "game face" very much resembles "straining to poop and scratching myself." What? Isn't that everyone's "game face?"
I wasn't too keen on a point to point triathlon (there were multiple transition areas; you raced from one point, to the next, etc.), nor was I too keen on driving an hour for such a short race. However, I'd heard that the race was a lot of fun, so I thought, why not give it a go. If it's not my cup of tea, I don't have to do it again.
We arrived at the triathlon with plenty of time to spare; set up the second transition area, then went to set up the first transition area. We were told to park our cars in the grass at the bottom of a hill. Me, being the super smart girl I am, decided to leave my flip flops in my car, so I wouldn't have to go back to the transition area at all, after the race ended. As we were following people to the transition area, I asked, "does anyone know where the transition area is?" To which, a girl replied, "it's about a mile away." A mile away? What. The. Crap? Soooo...we walked a mile, uphill, barefoot. Well, at least we had an adequate warm up.
The race was short and sweet. They even had shuttles, near the finish line, to take racers back to the transition areas so that they could gather their belongings. Great, right? Well, in theory. It's not so great when your shuttle driver gets lost. Needless to say, the triathlon took entirely too much of my day to be such a short race. I can't wait to do it again next year. I kid, of course.
Sunday, I had a training ride for the Bluff City Blues Century ride this fall. My plan was to take it easy, since I had a triathlon the day before. There was one major problem with this plan:
1) When it comes to things that I really, really enjoy (cycling), taking it easy does not compute.
Anyway, the "plan" didn't go so well. I decided to grit my teeth and ride with the faster group. They were really nice to let me draft behind them, without sharing much of the workload. It was the fastest 61.5 miles I've ever ridden. Afterward, though, my legs were really mad at me.
Here's our voluntary "ride guide" and a couple of others at the second SAG (service and gear) stop.
Our bikes were magic. They took us back in time. Do you recognize this relic? No? Don't worry, I'll tell you. It's a pay phone. There was a time, before the age of cell (mobile) phones, when people used to use these.
Just for fun, I found some of my favorite photos of the Tour de France, so far:
Of course, I had to include a photo of Johnny Hoogerland in the King of the Mountains gear that he wore for three days. Wonder if he'll don those dots again this tour...I hope so. After watching him buck up and finish the stage after being significantly slashed by barbed wire, I've definitely jumped on his bandwagon. You couldn't tell? I know, I tend to be quite subtle.
Being the cycling enthusiast that I am, I am smitten to watch all of the uber talented pro's see who can make it to Paris first, in the Tour de France. Part of me also thinks that if I watch enough talented people, with impeccable form, maybe I can start to subconsciously, emulate them (here's hoping)! This year, though, has been more like the Tour de Crash. The weather's been really rainy, there are more teams this year, which also beget more team cars. Crashes come with the territory, unfortunately. This year there just seem to be more crashes with more people involved.
In Stage 9, there were two terrible accidents. One, in particular, was a horrible, avoidable accident that involved the breakaway riders. When I was watching this, I absolutely could not believe my eyes. This. In the Tour de France. Where riders ALWAYS take precedence. I heard that the media car didn't want to slow down to let Thomas Voeckler's team car by to give him more water. So what did the media car do? Well, take a look, but be forewarned, it's not pretty.
Flecha and Hoogerland both went down, really, really hard. Miraculously, both riders got up, hopped on their bikes and finished the stage. Hoogerland (my new hero), after getting 30+ stitches in his bum and legs, even managed a ride on his day off, yesterday. If it were me, I'd be tempted to have the biggest pity party you could imagine. Then again, it is the Tour de France...maybe I'd find the strength to dust myself off and ride on, too.
Needless to say, all of these crashes are making me really nervous to ride. Also, this weekend was the first time I was involved in an accident with someone else. Usually, I'll fall because my bike goes the wrong way when I clip out of my pedals. That's right, it's the bike's fault, not mine. The result is mostly embarrassment and maybe a scraped knee, but nothing major. On a ride this weekend, someone lost focus for a second, then found themselves hooked to my rear wheel. They went crashing down; luckily, I was able to "ride out of it." There was a split second when I thought I would go down, too. It was a horribly helpless feeling. There was nothing I could do to keep my friend from kissing asphalt.
Apart from some road rash, no one was hurt, but it gave me a proper shaking up. Then, I went home to watch more serious crashes in the Tour de France. Color me a bit freaked out. I'm sure I'll get over it, but at the moment, I can't get it out of my head.
Here we are, pre-crash.
Yes, these are some of the Cycledelic Girl Gang members and brave fella's who rode with us. Hopefully, we'll soon have our jerseys, so we're all official 'n stuff.
This week, I'm wearing one item that was purchased while thrifting. I've decided, I need to make a donation to my local thrift store...and while there, get a few new items!
...then why is water skiing so hard, all of the sudden?? When I was 20, I could ski all day. Now? Not so much.
My family had their first ever family reunion, recently. During said reunion, we had a day at the lake. One of my brothers took his, new/used, sparkle-tastic boat for it's debut!!!
And he had skis! Lawd, was I excited. I love to ski! At least I used to. I couldn't wait to ski all over the lake. However, I experienced a problem. I kept falling. What the...
It took my brother and two of my cousins, to "show me up" before I was successful on skis. Even then, after a minute, I thought, "I'm already tired. When did this get to be so hard?" This getting older thing is no bueno. After water skiing, I asked my brother (who is now a practicing lawyer), if he could file a Motion, with the Court, against Father Time to make him stop, already.
Exhibit A: Brother "shows me up"
Exhibits B & C: Cousins "show me up"
After the wake up call at the lake, we went to "Live at the Gardens" at the Botanic Gardens. Each year, there are several outdoor concerts at Botanic Gardens...Tickets are reasonable and you can take chairs, food and drinks (of the alcoholic variety)! It's a win/win. Anyway, the Steve Miller Band was playing the night we went.
My brother and cousin, "Lil' Denise." My sister's "Big Denise," 'cuz she's older.
My cousin Marty (Lil Denise's hubby) and me before the show. Two Martys (well, a Martie & a Marty), one huge chair.
Steve Miller Band! I could not stop watching the guy to the right. You can't see his face because my phone takes terrible pictures, but he looked like a black Burt Reynolds. Oh, and his moves...he had so many moves!!
During the show, Steve Miller had several talented kids join him on stage. There were a few singers and a guitarist from Stax Music Acadamy and another guitarist from "Kids Rock," which is a free music school (in California, at the moment - I think). Kids Rock is free to kids who want music lessons, if their parents volunteer 8 hrs of time! What a great deal!! I wanna say that Steve Miller had something to do with starting the program. Anyway, all the kids were super talented! What a great time!
Last year was my first trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. I had such an amazing time, that I seized the opportunity to go again this year. This year, I stayed at a different resort, the Melia Caribe Tropical. It was less expensive (by only about $100.00), so it was a perfect chance to check out another resort and compare the two.
Here's my friend as we exited the plane. The airport had guides who led you to the appropriate part of the airport. I was scolded for holding up the line by taking a picture. Whoopsie...
I loved these palm trees; they reminded me of fans.
Here's our villa. There were 8 rooms to each villa. It looked very European to me. The resort where I stayed last year, Iberostar Bavaro, definitely had a beach-ier look to all of the buildings.
The Melia resort was HUGE. They had trams that ran every 15 minutes, to take guests to different areas of the resort. We lucked out! Our villa was located a minute walk from the beach, pool, beach buffet and fitness center/spa!
Each morning, this was my view from the beach buffet. The food wasn't amazing, but there were plenty of choices. I normally stuck to fresh fruit, then took a cup of yogurt to the beach with me. They had really exotic flavors - guava, passion fruit and other flavors I couldn't read because I didn't recognize the names in Spanish. :-)
Every day, the super tall, athletic Russians would begin a game of beach volleyball. After I went *kayaking, I asked if I could join the game. Ok, so I played volleyball in college. I can hold my own on an indoor court. However, I absolutely cannot move in the sand. So, I did A LOT of diving. I was covered, from head to toe, in sand. And I had crazy beach hair...Exhibit A:
The resort had shows each night. One night, they performed scenes from musicals: Cabaret, Dirty Dancing, West Side Story and several more that I can't remember right now. This was a scene from Cabaret:
I can't believe that I didn't take more pictures of the ginormous pool and its swim up bar. One of my favorite bartenders was Pascual (I probably butchered the spelling of his name). He would usually entice me into drinking mamajuana, though. Mamajuana is mostly, rum, red wine and honey and is supposed to have medicinal qualities. It will make you (err, me) really loopy.
Overall, I had a great time. The staff were all very nice and accomodating. With the exception of the cleaning staff, they all spoke several languages. Even with the cleaning staff, I didn't have a problem communicating my needs to them. However, the Melia wasn't as swanky as Iberostar Bavaro. I would go back to Melia and have a good time (I'm pretty easy to please), however, given a choice, I would pay the extra money for Iberostar Bavaro.
*I rented a kayak paddled around for a few minutes, then began to have a "shark freak out..." "what if the bottom of the boat looks like food to a shark...eek..."
