Well, I did it. I completed a 50-mile bike ride – otherwise known as a half-century. I wasn’t sure if I was going to make the whole 50 miles, but I set that goal and I got there!

This ride was the GroupHealth Inland Empire Century. They had routes for those who wanted to do 25, 50, 75, or 100 miles. When I was riding every weekend last summer, I was doing 25 in about 1.5 hours, so I knew I could do that. I also did 23 miles a few weeks ago here in Seattle. So, I figured I’d shoot for the challenge and go for 50. After all, if I found that I just couldn’t finish, I could always call the help vehicles and get driven back to the start of the ride.

The week before the ride, I still hadn’t decided if I was doing it or not. I’d only done a 23 mile ride, and I had JUST started decreasing the amount I was working out! AND, I hadn’t really been consistent with my cycling at the gym – neither spin class nor my own spinning there. So…I wasn’t all that prepared. But this ride was in the Tri-Cities, and I wasn’t TOTALLY out of shape, so I thought I’d give it a go.

As soon as I signed up, I realized I wasn’t really well-prepared. And I only had a week to prepare. So I decided to do what I could in the week leading up to the ride. I cycled 15 miles (on an indoor spin bike at the gym), did weights, and did a series of core-strengthening moves that I found online specifically for helping cyclists. Then, two days before the ride, still sore from my sudden decision to step my workouts back up, I decided to look online for “how to prepare” tips. Everything I read told me I should actually be taking the week easy, not suddenly going all-out. I figured I was condensing the typically-recommended 12-week training period into, oh, 4 days. BUT, I paid attention to everything that said to rest up the two days before the ride so that the body wasn’t aching at the start! That put a serious kink in my plans (ride 20 miles two days before the ride). But, hey, I figured the people posting those tips had a point…not sense in starting a long ride all sore and achy, right?

All week long, I was nervous.

First, the cycling-related comment. I went riding (FINALLY!) a couple weekends ago – the weather was cool, but not cold. I don’t have cold-weather cycling gear, else it wouldn’t matter what the weather was like (other than rainy). Anyway – I did a 23-mile ride! It felt AWESOME. Loved every minute of it…except for finding out that the famed Burke-Gilman trail was NOT flat. I thought I’d read somewhere online that it was fairly flat…nope…slight incline from Fremont up to Lake Forest Park. I got off my bike twice thinking my brake pads were too close to the tire or something. It wasn’t until I was on my way back down the path that I realized I was breezing through, going FAR faster than I had on the way up, and I finally clued in that no, I wasn’t totally out of shape, I’d been riding nearly 11 miles uphill!

Anyway – that was two weekends ago. Last Saturday, the weather wasn’t fantastic, so no ride. I went for a walk, was comfy in my sweatshirt and jeans, but would have been a little too cold cycling. Today, it’s supposed to reach over 70 degrees (Farenheit) outside, and I WANT TO BE RIDING! Why today (Friday) and not tomorrow? Because tomorrow, it’s supposed to rain and be in the 50’s!!

Seattle – you taunt me with your beautiful weeks and cold Saturdays.

On another note – I was happy to learn from my husband that Barnes and Noble is actually just a couple of blocks away from Borders downtown! I’d walked to B&N before, but it seemed like it was in a completley different part of Seattle than Borders…turns out I was just disoriented. So, yesterday, to test this new knowledge, I went for a walk. I found B&N, walked from there to Borders, saw all sorts of new shops, and then decided to look for shoes. Why? Well, I was wearing shoes that did not match what I was wearing. This bothered me. So I used Goog411 to find the address of a Payless Shoes that sounded like it was in downtown Seattle, and found it one block away from where I was at the time! WOOHOO! (I love it when my personal world map expands!) So, in I walk, and I set about shoe-shopping.

I came back with two pairs of shoes. One is multi-colored…not my usual! I usually get either straight black or straight brown – I’ve always hesitated on other colors. But, about a year ago, I started wanting red shoes. I got red flats, but I never know if I’m wearing them well – do they match, so do I look like a Ronald McDonald impersonator? This has kept me from expanding into other colors for awhile.

But seeing the fashionistas around here has made me a bit daring. Recently, I bought a pair of casual shoes that are bright blue. I love them! Yesterday, I bought a pair of black sandals and a pair of plaid peep-toe shoes. That second pair was a first on two fronts: peep-toe shoes and more than one color on the shoe. Exciting!!

Surprisingly, there were even more shoes I wanted to buy. I’ve never been too much of a shoe-shopper; I often think shoes are cute, but, when I try them on, they hurt/look awful/look dumb. So, having lots of shoes I liked, fit, AND I thought were cute? Well, it was just fun!

I finally bought bike stuff.

Let me re-phrase.

Richard ordered my bike stuff from Amazon, and I now finally have a bike pump, tire levers (and other misc. bike tools I’m unsure how to use), bike shorts (actually, more like padded undershorts to be used with regular shorts over them), and a bicycle maintenance manual since I insist on preparing for a longer bike ride but have no idea how to care for my bike (other than pumping the tires when needed and not riding over thorns).

The two most important items on the list for now: bike shorts (the padding is just weird!) and a bike pump.

When my bike went into storage during the move, the tires deflated. I’m still not sure why. By the time I got my bike out of storage, it was a little too late for cycling outdoors, so the bike has been sitting in the garage with flat tires. In the Tri-Cities, we had an electric air pump, good for any type of tire – car or bicycle – that I had used for my bike. That air pump was my in-laws’, so it didn’t make the move with us. Hence, the need for a pump of my own. I also needed a small pump I could take with me on rides, so that I could at least be prepared to inflate a tire if needed while on a ride.

I read the directions on the cardboard backing for the pump, then headed into the garage to pump the tires on my bike.

An hour later, I finally had both tires pumped.

Why did it take so long, you may ask?

First, I had left my bike hung on the hooks in the garage when taking the valve cap off the first tire. That cap ended up under the car and had to be retrieved. Then I realized my error and took the bike down. Then came figuring out how on earth I was going to get the pump attached. It has a flexible neck and a fold-out piece to hold down with your foot, which, to most normal people, would automatically mean putting the bike so the tire valves were at the bottom of the tire, but I tried attaching the pump with the bike upside-down, and the valves at the top (this rendered the foot piece useless). Once I finally figured out I needed the bike right-side up, I started trying to attach the pump so that it would lock onto the tire. That took me forever. I finally quit hearing hissing from the pump after it locked onto the Presta valve, and I started pumping.

After about 200 pumps, the tire was partially full, I was tired, and ready to move on to the next tire.

The next tire was the front tire, which I took off the bike, thinking this would make my life easier. For some reason, the pump would not lock onto the front tire valve. I finally opened the valve and slime came out (I have slime tubes on my bike), and I suddenly realized why it took 200 pumps on the back tire for it to only partially fill.

I forgot to open the valve for maximum air intake on the back tire.

Feeling REALLY dumb by this point, I wondered what numbskull thing I was doing wrong on the front tire that the dang pump wouldn’t lock on and pump air INTO the tire. I figured out I needed to hold the valve attachment from the pump at a bit of an angle for it to lock onto the front tire, and, magically, after a few pumps, the tire was fully inflated!

Then I re-did the back tire. I think all the pressure from the pumping before did something to the slime, because once I opened the valve, a surprising amount of slime came out. Each time I pressed the nozzle of the pump onto the valve, more slime would come out – finally, amid the slime, I was able to lock the nozzle and pump away. Again, only after a few pumps, the tire was full.

I re-attached the front tire, hung the bike back up, and saw my watch. Irritated, I found my husband and complained about my brainless actions, ending with, “YES, I KNOW, I was the one to choose this hobby!” Images of the bike tires being flat again in the morning (I don’t know if there are leaks in the tires) fueled my ire.

Deciding I was too grumpy, he told me I needed to sing a hymn so I’d be happy. Admittedly, that was not the response I was expecting! I finally sang the hymn he wanted me to sing, “Scatter Sunshine.” And I’ll admit I was laughing by the end of the second verse (which we had to look up online because neither of us really knew the words).

Ah, what a night!

All I needed was an air pump for my bike tires.

I looked online, saw the Joe’s sports had a few, went to their store, and…

Learned my lesson. Next time, try REI, a cycling shop, or even amazon.com.

And the bike still sits in the garage waiting for the day when I will pump up the tires to see if there’s a problem with one of the tubes or if the tires simply went flat from having been in storage for a couple of months.

So, I don’t consider myself a “girly” girl.  I’m the oldest of 3 girls, I had Barbie dolls, and my mother was the kind of woman who didn’t go to the grocery store without having first applied her makeup and generally make sure she looked good before letting the public see her.

The poor woman always had a point of frustration with me.  Why?  Because I didn’t want to take time to do my hair – pulling it into a pony tail was good enough for me most days – and makeup?  Heh.  Only when she got really mad at me for being over 16 and still not caring.

It should come as no surprise, then, that I’ve never really done my nails, either.  Hey, when you play piano, and are taught that “pianists don’t scratch, they nub, so keep your nails short,” you just don’t think to do much more than trim and file.  I never ever understood the girls in high school when they chipped a nail.  Frankly, I didn’t even really know what that MEANT.

For Valentine’s Day this year, my husband told me he wanted me to get a manicure and a pedicure.  He loves it when, once in a blue moon, I actually take time to pretty up my nails.  My problem with doing my nails is the paint always chips off after a day, and, if I go red on the fingernails, I can’t seem to stay in the lines of the nails, so I end up looking like my hands have been through a grinder by the time I’m done.  AND, there’s always ONE nail that gets smudged, so I’m stuck for 30 minutes trying to perfect it.

I don’t think poor Rich realized what he was getting into, though.  See, it took me a month of research before I found a place that seemed to strike a good balance between price and service that was rated excellently.  Curses on the internet and all the people who post reviews of places.  It makes people like me take even longer to decide where to go for things like a manicure.

I finally went for a manicure last week.  Rich laughed when I got back from it because I went for a pale pink – i.e., natural color – on the polish.  Why?  Well, what if the polish chipped the next day again?  Another lady was getting her nails done there and was shocked to learn this was my very first manicure.  I should’ve noted my mom gave us girls manicures – I just wasn’t aware that’s what she was doing when she did our nails.

The polish lasted 6 days – with one extra top coat added by yours truly 3 days after getting the manicure done (I read somewhere that was a great way to help extend the duration of your manicure).  I think a manicure is supposed to last about 2 weeks?  For me, 6 days is practically a record, though.

As I lament my chipped nail (I think this is what girls mean whey they’ve “chipped a nail”? no, I never really learned what it meant), I’m looking forward to a pedicure.  I’m also feeling sorry for whomever will be working on my feet.  See, I’ve only ever done the NAILS on my feet – leaving the rest of my feet calloused and dry.  If the person doing the pedicure can manage to make my feet soft and smooth, I’ll be hooked. 

As Rich and I were in the check-out line at the grocery store, I did my usual, reading headlines of the magazines there. I had to laugh and cringe this week, though, because of the headlines I saw.

That’s not to say I don’t laugh and cringe every week, but these really stood out to me.

First – Jessica Simpson. I haven’t really followed Ms Simpson, but a few weeks ago, she was on the cover of a magazine, wearing some outfit with multiple belts, with a headline that ran something like: “Simpson tells reports to back off – she’s proud to be a normal weight.” I remember thinking, as I looked at the picture of her, “Normal weight? Really? I guess she looks more normal, except for all the belts she has on over that leopard print top. How sad she’d need to tell people she’s not fat – she still looks so skinny!”

Yesterday, there was another picture of Ms Simpson. This time, the headline was: “Jessica Proud to be Back in her Daisy Dukes.”

I thought she was telling people she was proud to have put on a little weight just a few weeks ago?

The next: Oprah. Oh, this one killed me. “Lose weight with Oprah!” and “Oprah’s New Diet to Drop 40 Pounds!”

What happened to the last diet she was on, with that trainer, Greene, I think it was? Does that not work any more? What’s so fancy about this “new” thing she’ll be doing?

And the world wonders why women have such image issues.

So, I haven’t done a work update for quite some time. Here’s the latest:

This job never gets boring. Honestly – there are extremely few dull moments in this program. There are some very long days, but I think every job has those. There are tough moments, but, again, I think every job has those, too. The thing is, things are constantly moving, there is constant room for improvement, so it just doesn’t get boring. And that’s my kind of work environment.

We did a work personality test for the team about a month ago. It’s a variation on Jung’s work – kind of takes things up a notch, if you will. Instead of the letters that Jung’s personality test uses, you have colors. The idea is that everyone has every color in them, but, at work, you might naturally lean towards one over another. The colors: red (fiery red; will make decisions on the fly, plow right through the project); blue (cool blue; needs information to make decisions, analytical); yellow (sunny yellow; always about the team, getting everyone involved); and green (all about the individual relationships, the mentor). As one might imagine (and probably hope – after all, we’re market researchers), there’s a very strong element of blue on our team. I, however, was the only person on the team to be predominantly red. As I read my in-depth review to Rich, he said, “You should tell your manager that they didn’t need to hire someone to tell them that about you – I could have easily come in and tell them that!” Among some of the more descriptive phrases: tends to be argumentative; needs to remember that there are other ways to accomplish a goal than just theirs; needs to stop and smell the roses.

There are phrases on these building blocks we got, too. Red’s? Be brief, be bright, be gone. We all agreed that was a little harsh!

This team is very sugar-powered. That’s part of the reason for so much baking. We have cupcakes about once a month – and will find just about any excuse to get them. We have a team lunch every other week – we just get together and chat. It’s not like we don’t do that anyway, since we work in an open workspace, but it’s nice to have a “formal” get-together time.

The people I work with around the world are amazing. The past six months, I’ve learned a LOT about working with a truly global team, including cultural issues that may affect how you work with people. It’s a fun ride.

So, there you have it – a little update on work life. I can’t believe I’ve only been here for six months – it really feels like it’s been a lot longer, though in this case, that’s a good thing.

For some reason, tonight, I decided to do a BUNCH of baking. We’ve been baking more recently – being on a team of girls who all love chocolate and sweets is lending to that trend. But tonight, what I thought was going to be sweet bread ended up just being…white bread. But, hey, it was in a fancy lookin’ braid. And it was still pretty good. Just…not what I expected, especially when I was already baking my nearly weekly two loaves of whole wheat bread.

I also did something more than just tacos or stir fry for dinner – pork chops with an apple-raspberry sauce on the side and veggies. I started subscribing to Taste of Home’s Healthy Cooking magazine, and I’m finding all sorts of awesome ideas and recipes…and I only have one issue so far!! It’s actually kinda fun to be in the kitchen now – and even grocery shopping is getting to be a bit more enjoyable. It’s not buying the same stuff every week and then staring at the freezer/fridge wondering what on earth to do that’s a little different.

For my cycling friends – I met a nother couple of cycling gals from church the other day! They were talking about rides they might be doing this year, starting this month in the Mt Vernon area. So – one more impetus to my getting back on the road! I’ve been picking up running again, too – did 4 miles total last week (2 miles a day – treadmill). It’s more like a jog, but it felt SO good to run then cycle. It’s making think of duathlons in the future, and it’s given me a new goal. I’m aiming to get up to 3 miles without dying, and within 30 minutes. That’s going to take me awhile, since I’m currently jogging 2 miles in about 24 minutes. I’ve never been fast. Even when my sisters and mom and I would go running 3 times a week, I still didn’t always get 3 miles in half an hour. Now and then, yes, but I had to be in a zone. This time, I’m aiming for consistency.

In that vein, I decided to see how well I could do cycling. I was surprised – I managed to do 5 miles in 20 minutes! Woohoo! Of course, that was indoors, on a spin bike, “flat roads,” but I was still pretty proud of myself. First, for doing it after a 2 mile run; second, for doing it twice during the week!

On a semi-related note…I’m back to tracking my eating and exercising. I’m very frustrated at the fact that, since Christmas time, none of my jeans have fit – every pair is extremely tight. I ended up buying new pairs of jeans that were a size larger. So, now they’re a little loose, but the size smaller won’t fit right. I got even more frustrated this last week when I put on a pair of jeans that were all right just a month ago, had washed them, and they were TIGHT! I mean, seriously people – I’m eating fairly healthy, and a couple of days of sugar (in the month) should really NOT put you over the top like that, especially when you’re burning an average of 800 calories a workout. But I’m trying really hard not to focus on that and just focus on being sure I’m actually eating enough, and eating enough of the right stuff. Though “frustrating” isn’t an adequate word to describe the incredible degree of annoyance I have with the pairs of jeans now waiting until I can fit back into them again (if that ever happens). Oh well – as my doctor back in the Tri-Cities told me, I really shouldn’t care as long as I’m actually in very good health and physical condition, right? Why care that I can’t fit those jeans if I can run 2 miles and do a spin class afterwards, or if I can make it through a Jillian Michaels workout without collapsing? Focus on the positive!

I’ve been kind of avoiding the whole yoga/pilates thing for awhile, even though I hear all sorts of great stuff about how it can actually help flatten the tummy and lengthen the muscles, etc. I did a couple of videos this past week (thanks to streaming Netflix) and I think I’m hooked. Who knows, maybe, at the very least, my posture will start to improve (I slouch at work all the time). Whatever the outcome – it felt great, and I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of muscle toning incorporated into the routines I was doing. The second was a combination yoga/pilates routine – and when you get a good flow going between moves, it’s surprising to me how much of a workout you feel you’re getting. What’s even more surprising to me is how great it feels afterwards – relaxed and stretched while having worked the muscles. I’m thinking of doing some sort of yoga and/or pilates 3 times a week for the next month and seeing what kind of difference it makes in my regular cardio routine.

The other thing I’ve been getting hooked on is Jillian Michaels’ workouts. I bought the 30-Day Shred DVD and have to admit – it’s pretty amazing. I really enjoy the weights + cardio element which she also does in her Maximize workouts, except those use a step, the 30-Day Shred just uses hand weights. I have another DVD of hers to pick up – one of the two new ones that were just released. I’m excited to try it out.

So, there’s my updated workout routine – Jillian Michaels, yoga/pilates, and spin at the gym. It’s making me happy.