Wednesday, April 30, 2008

On the job tri-training...

Wildflower Triathlon... yup... another event I'm not trained for, but want to do this weekend. 

Since the Sea Otter race was a non-race, poorly marked debacle - I might as well do something to feel proud and get my non competitive self off my behind and get training. On the job - at the event, call it a training trip - with a bunch of other nervous ladies!

My husband has been training like a mad man for the Olympic distance, and I am signed on for the Sprint. Seeing as I'm just off my metals cleanse that didn't allow for me to workout 2 days in a row, or more than 2 or 3 days in a week - I'll take this event as a training day! Not sure about the wetsuit thing, the transition thing, but I'm looking forward to the mountain bike. Most likely I'll power walk w/ some jogging moments on the 5k run. All in all - I'm trying to stay motivated to not flake - so wish me luck - and see you at the Wildflower if you are going. I'll try to repeat my own mantra... and see if I can't just feel Strong, Light and/or beautiful!

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Thinking twice about Cement Countertops.

Cement! Another reason to ride on dirt roads and dirt trails! Choose your vendors carefully. We CAN clean up coal plant pollution - or eliminate it as an energy source. There are solutions, like smaller existing companies (Sonoma Cast Stone) that use recycled materials and can process without the kiln and coal. One needs to hear how the majority is being processed though - to seek the better choice - and find the better vendors. Here is some crazy awareness reporting!

A huge problem exists in right in your and my backyard. 

Cement - A Dirty Business  <-- click link to hear Quest podcast

You that have known me, know that I thought someday when we re-do our kitchen, I'd be using cement counter tops made of the "left over fly-ash from cement plants". Well I'm not sure that that "ash" is worth encouraging cement demand. Crazy how bad the processing is. Listen to this podcast please - very interesting, and well reported!

KQED reports on this, turns out Cupertino is the highest polluter of Mercury. 95% of California's airborne Mercury Pollution comes from the Hanson Quarry here. Things that make you go "huh".

Oh... and yes I think my toxic levels of Lead and Mercury are making me go all "Erin Brochovich" on you. Can I choose Sandra Bullock to play me, and exaggerate my beauty ;-)? I think Amy Standen of KQED - the reporter on the Podcast already has the Erin roll though!

Feeling all Strong, Motivated and Beautiful today it seems!  --> SMaB?

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Best Cat in the World!

Our most wonderful 'Little One' is not feeling well. Send her love & energy. L.O. is the most snuggly, lovable ball of soft, pretty, fur you'll meet. 

Slept with her paws around mine last night. She's has been in good hands at Acadia w/ Uncle Charles, Doc Jones & Greisshaber, & Holly.

She's home tonight... heal well L.O.! We Love You!

Tribute to Local Mtn. Biker - Mark Reynolds

Beautiful tribute of local Mountain Bike gem. Wonderful people I know, new him well - and he had an energy I wish I had the honor of being around, but he leaves it as inspiration to us. Thank you Charles for taking care of my cat Little-one, and for sharing your friend Mark with us.

Mark Reynolds died at age 48, while racing at the Sea Otter - April 19

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Sea Otter Images by Alexandra Bijelic

The food was actually pretty good at the venue!


Bev, Justine and Terry

Ryan - great guy helping at GT Demo Van

We are being replaced by Mannequins!



Bev not feeling great-
Somebody feeling worse- we did say it was windy didn't we!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Olympic hopeful Jill Kintner shares secrets

We were so fortunate to have such direct contact with the speed and talent of Jill Kintner. Her attitude and ease on the bike were contagious - and we noticed our skills improve in the 2 hours we rode together. Pumping on the back side? What? Luckily everybody asked her to interpret the foreign language of BMX and Xctry speak - and we learned how to push down before a little hill, jump or gap, and float over the hazard - gaining speed on the opposite side. Felt like a kid with a new bike, we all were giggling like Jill still does - it is so obvious she loves the sport - and still gets a kick out of being on the bike! The picture album, video included, are posted on the PHOTOS page of the iamSLaB website. Enjoy!

Monday, April 21, 2008

Ups and downs and wind all around

Lots to share about the 4 days I spent at Sea Otter. Mostly good "ups" with a couple downs - just like a good ride should be. Poor race trail markings made my race comeback a DNF (did not finish) result - as me and several others did the incorrect course path. But on the incredibly up side - we had a fantastic clinic with the amazing opportunity to ride with Professional mountain bike and bmx rider, Jill Kintner! (photo has clinic attendees and Jill)

Jill Kintner - an incredibly sweet, smart and talented world champion rider - and SLaB got to ride with her! Still fighting a nasty cold, so I will leave you a brief note, and suggest seeing clinic participant and journalist - Karen Kefauver's blog , photos and great observations from today's clinic. 

The wind was a major part of the experience, as exhibitors tents blew over, and Saturday we got literally blown off the trail. Dust everywhere - but unlike historical Sea Otter's, we had SUNSHINE daily!

Wind blown and even more excited to go ride more often with you all - Bev   

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Gear!

Sometimes I worry that I get so excited about new GEAR! My new smokin' pink hot Giro helmet arrived today. Makes me want to go ride! See guys... that's why some of girls are different, pretty stuff makes us want to wear it, use it, and go outside and ride! I just KNOW that this pink flamed E2 will help me ride faster at my race on Friday. I'll also be powered by Sidi Shoes, Enervit Cheerpacks, and my gorgeous GT Zaskar!

I'm excitedly prepping and loading all my gear, as I head to Monterey tomorrow. I'll see if I can post throughout the weekend, should be lots of good sites to see! Wish me luck, as I hope to be STRONG, LIGHT and BEAUTIFUL out there! My race starts at 3 pm Friday, and I think the old lady group will be off around 3:30 - and I expect a 1:45-1:55 time on the course. Stay SLaB!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Ride like the wind! (circa 1980ish)


Not to be outdone by the previous post - thought I'd share this photo of myself. Merging my two loves then, Sailing and Biking. Nice feathered hair and bell bottoms! Yikes! This experiment got me an "Honorable Mention" ribbon at the science fair, and almost killed. Tacking across our neighborhood roads, no visibility, lifting the sail over my helmet-less head - on a flat tire'd 10 speed. Hypothesis was it would propel and work, Conclusion was - yes, but dangerous. Woo Hoo!

Monday, April 14, 2008

Strong, Light and Beautiful...and....

Not sure if I can design a jersey that makes us feel this way on a bike, but I'll try! Can't remember where I got this image, but thought the SLaB community would enjoy it!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Cool down with a SLaB bandana dance-

It is 80 degrees outside, super unusually hot today. So I started thinking about cold places - like glaciers atop Kilimanjaro. Top photo taken from our tent, 18,750ft up. 2nd image is the first STRONG, LIGHT and BEAUTIFUL product made, the bandana. Then the celebration photo, it was an amazing energy, lots of song & dance at our camp the night before the successful summit attempt! We gave the bandanas to 70+ porters, guides and fellow hikers a year ago February. Unu Unguvu Sana, Nepesi, Zuri Sana! Jambo!

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Sea Otter Short Course

13 or so miles. Laguna Seca, Monterey CA
Keep sending this fantastic weather our way. Next weekend should be a lot of fun. Come join our Mountain Bike Riding clinic with Pro- Jill Kintner on Sunday April 20 - 9 a.m.

Friday, April 11, 2008

(more than a) Touch of Gray

<--Image from where I sat in tax-man's office today. He & my husband are speaking in tongues, my mind wanders... "Man that was a hammer fest of a mtn bike ride yesterday...I'm sore." The office is a time capsule from last year, folders strewn about. Faded framed images still off-kilter on wall..."is that really his family? ...WHY DOES HIS BUSINESS CARD HOLDER LOOK LIKE A HEADSTONE? Am I in a Far Side cartoon... when we leave, like the cows that stand after a car passes, does his office turn into a chandelier laden, bright wall-papered brothel?"

I fight the urge to paint the white, dusty walls a bright happy color. Amazed at his ability to zero in on #'s he needs. Clearly I'm in the right career; a visual, pretty one, outside... and him with his brilliant numbers, & ability to read tiny print. "Does he have a big house?" Everything is mono-chromatic. Even him. I want to take him, his wife & daughter for a bike ride, so I offer my pretty pink business card.

Driving away, Grateful Dead is singing "Touch of Gray" on the radio. I smile at the appropriateness of it all. My world includes colors of green grass, pink accents, blue skies. His-- gray, red tape, manila. Paperless? I think not. Happy almost April 15th.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

ON YOUR LEFT on your right

How cool are these Arm Warmers? 
Wear the "On Your Left" on your right arm as you pass folks by, or the "Zero Emissions" to show your greener side, and sense of humor - as under that statement it says.... "except that burrito I had at lunch".

Oh, nice vest and jersey underneath too! Shameless self promotion of the new SLaB gear - available on www.iamSLaB.com (direct iamslabshop.com). Become a SLaB member and save!

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Glow in the Dark Spin Juice

Had enough energy to go to my awesome spin class today. It is so tough, that I go through 2 water bottles. They have "black lights" in the dark spin-room, and my drink, which was a combo of Enervit and Endura... GLOWED IN THE DARK! The bottle to the left is a CLEAR bottle, the safety-vest-yellow was the drink! This is a composite of two images, one w/a flash w/altered colors, the other was in the dark - no flash - to show the neon scary science experiment I was drinking! Great Class Janel! Kicked my butt again! THANKS!

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Rapids in front of my house

Yesterday I asked readers to save some water, and/or electricity - which in turn helps reduce coal powered plants pollution... and in turn - hopefully reduces heavy metal toxicity in our air, water & food. Ironically as I sheepishly partially fill my bathtub - part of my detoxing regime, a neighbor calls & asks if I'm floating away. I look out the front door, and see a river filling storm drains, & running down the entire street. 

A water main broke at the end of the street. Now a bazillion gallons of H2O are wasting away. I mourn the loss of the energy that polluted the air - that brought that water to our street - now goes into the storm drain - on this sunny, dry day. This river continued like this for over an hour, down multiple streets.  ;-(

Monday, April 7, 2008

Riding Clinic w/ Pro Jill Kintner 4/20

The Sea Otter Classic is arriving soon in Monterey, and SLaB is completely stoked to have GT step up the sponsorship with hosting a riding clinic with Jill Kintner - Olympic bound, world champion mountain and bmx riding diva! Additionally I'm coming out of the dark cave of some sort of time warp that happened since '99, and registered to race a cross country mtn bike race. Yes - beginner is the correct category for this 40+ year old. Race is on Friday afternoon. Clinic is on Sunday morning, April 20, 9 a.m., Monterey CA. see www.iamSLaB.com for more information

Taking a Bath with Led Zeppelin

The weeks ups and downs went in a nutshell as follows. Monday I skip my spin class (booo), various reasons including a house guest/friend in town (yay), to my heavy metals cleanse getting supercharged (booo). Get a new bike (yay), then neighbor dies (booo), Pre-ride Sea Otter Course (yay), attend funeral (neither yay or boo).

METALS BE GONE
Turns out I  have more than double the Mercury (darn Tuna rolls), and in the red zone of Lead in my system - who knew?! My honey thinks I need to take a bath with Led Zeppelin blasting, hence, a "Heavy Metals Cleanse".

Well this cleanse is a teeter totter of getting out bad metals - which takes out the good metals also - and trying to re-supply the good - and keep my electrolytes in that perfect place of enough to handle a workout. After 8 weeks of depleting all these metals, my body is, well, depleted! I'm a total space cadet, and the cleanse keeps me... well... L for Light. Many stops to the loo (sp?) change my schedule often. Working-out is inconsistent, often dizzying - if not impossible! 

After 10 weeks (which ends day of Sea Otter race for me), in theory, I should have removed all the bad metals to a safer, acceptable level. How about those coal plants... still think we shouldn't pressure them to pay or upgrade their filtering systems? Oh...maybe try to use less electricity or water today, because that will use less Coal - which powers all these municipal energy sources! Thanks! Our bodies appreciate any efforts you can make to help remove toxins from our air and water - and food sources!

Speaking of heavy metal be-gone'ing. Read next post that starts with my new - non-metal bike!

S for Strange, Sweet and Second Half.

WELCOME CARBON BIKE!
Speaking of light (metals cleansing gone supercharged)... the 2nd day of this week week FedEx delivers this fabulous, top of the line, dream bike from SLaB sponsor GT. Yup, a "Zaskar Team". A hardtail (for those learning the bike ropes, this means it only has a front shock, not rear)... hardcore... top of the line... gorgeous... light bike, to balance out my hard core... light insides.

So far it's balancing out. 
I don't feel the energy to do any training, which I'm feeling the just over 2 weeks before the race jitters or wishing I had or could have prepped more. But I just got the cheating advantage of losing a few pounds off my bike, even though my previous machine was a top of the line gorgeous full suspension number - I am excited to have the advantage of the very latest and greatest for this "coming out of retirement" racing attempt.

STRANGE LOOK
So we've covered "L" in SLaB, or have we? I bribe a mechanic friend into doing the once over on my new bike, and into going for a quick spin up at a favorite trail called "Saratoga Gap". All well and good, fantastic little ride, and I can see some tweaks from a different saddle to handle bar adjustments to perfect the comfort. I arrive back home, and my husband gives me this strange look. "Gary Died" he says. I say "What?". 

GARY
L is for loss. Our next door neighbors are Cathy and Gary. Gary, a dear 50 year old man that only recently I have gotten to know, as we removed some overgrown shrubs that completely shielded our front lawns from each other. Learned he had a stroke this February when we saw Cathy at Whole Foods one night. Trouble fighting her tears as she shared that he has no strength on one side, and that he had fallen the day before, didn't have his phone, and remained on the floor the whole day. 

I asked what I could do to help, I'm working from home, and am RIGHT THERE... and can come visit and help anytime! So I begin 
stopping over at their house randomly. First stop, I hear a thump thump as I walk across our lawns to their door, and he had seen me coming, tried to get off the bed, and come to the door, and fell. Well the comedy resumed from there. Visualize a 5'6" girl, trying to lift a football playing, football coach 50 yr old probably 6 foot man that has no strength - up off the floor. I think we both laughed at the predicament, in his embarrassment and humbled, dear and frustrated world. We made it up, to his walker, and we got him settled in the living room to await the Physical therapist's arrival. The next times I checked in he was not stuck on the floor, and I would quiz him on when he would come riding with me, and that I looked forward to getting him on a bike, and his recovery. He kept saying he was missing football practice, which clearly bummed him out, and that he will come riding with me when he can.

I once went by, and was surprised that the door was locked, as they left it unlocked so I could enter if he couldn't answer it and was stuck somewhere. I went on my merry way, decided they would call if they needed me. As Cathy would call from work if he wasn't answering his phone.

Turns out around Easter he had a seizure and ended up in the Hospital. An infection took over his lungs, and that in this strange week, middle of the week, we lost an incredible inspiring man. He coached multiple sports at the local high-schools, and helped too numerous to mention young souls, to find a better path, keep positive, and not to quit. 

I only new him this winter/spring, and was sorry I didn't know him earlier, as he lived right next door. But I'm so thankful that the Universe introduced us, and that I got some intimate time with this inspiration.

I'm typing this Blog as cars are parked in front of both our houses, post the funeral today. We went to the wake last night, and I went to the funeral/burial today. I saw people trying to be Strong, I saw people praying to the light, I saw a beautiful community of family and students and friends. Huge groups of kids, girls basketball, boys track and football, and more. Dressed with effort, with respect and intent to be respectable to their mentor, their adopted dad, my neighbor. He was for sure smiling upon them, and still inspiring them to do better with their lives. I was overjoyed with the "love you brother" energy - the gospel singing of a The Jackson's song brought on a little portable - of "Good Times" - and Gary's brothers singing arm in arm. I  hesitated to go today, as I was feeling drained, and like I didn't need to be around more strangeness, and boy am I glad I went.

SECOND HALF
Not being of the "religious type", but believing in a higher energy, a power, mother nature - I was so touched by their faith, commitment, and strong love. I cried, I laughed, I wore my sunglasses for him (as he always wore them), and walked away, in the sunshine, with a group of folks wearing black behind me, and green green grass in front of me. Lucky to be alive, pretty darn well, and to have known and been a part of that and this community!

So now I leave you with Gary's motivation, and positive attitude. If his team was down 0-14 at half-time he'd say... you are going to go out and win this game in the 2nd half. Maybe I'll live to be 82, and that means, I need to go out and win this 2nd half! Not that I was losing in the 1st - just I have the opportunity to create my "2nd half". 

Gary, I'm going to plant that watermelon plant we talked about - with Cathy - where those darn shrubs used to be, and will ride my little tail off at the Sea Otter, hearing your positive coaching words.

Oh yeah - S for Sweet, L for Life, and B for Beautiful.