Bike seats put back in place, so I got myself upstairs and onto the trainer tonight. Unfortunately, the DVR upstairs has been challenged with recording so I didn't have a CSI episode to watch. Thankfully, Pete had also set a National Geographic program on dolphins, so I had something to watch.
I had a couple of false starts as I needed to adjust the seat again. It's amazing how a slight angle in the seat can cause discomfort. I had to get Pete to use "the tool" to adjust the vertical tilt on the seat as I was struggling with my right elbow. Once that was adjusted, that pain went away.
I didn't plan on pushing myself too much as I haven't been on the bike in a few weeks. I quickly found a happy pace at 73 cadence and stuck to it. On a commercial break I took my water break. I was doing well, so the next commercial/fast forward break became my sprint session. I managed to get my legs up to a cadence of 92. I had to focus to not shift my hips back and forth when I was pedaling that fast, but given a short enough sprint, I could do it.
The program ended. I was tired. I'd been on the bike for 48 minutes of pedaling time and gone a round 10 miles.
Goals
Today's Miles: 10
Total Miles Achieved: 90.3
Financial Investment: $381.25
Total Weight Loss: 0
Monday, May 12, 2008
Time for the Home Scale
I said it was coming. After my doctor's appointment a couple of week's ago, I weighed myself on the home scale. I'm glad I waited. I would have gotten excited about a five pound loss. So... I've not reset the weight loss number and will start from here. It's probably a more accurate number anyway.
The plan is for a Monday and Friday weigh-in. I'll try to hold to that.
Goals
Today's Miles: 0
Total Miles Achieved: 80.3
Financial Investment: $381.25
Total Weight Loss: 0
The plan is for a Monday and Friday weigh-in. I'll try to hold to that.
Goals
Today's Miles: 0
Total Miles Achieved: 80.3
Financial Investment: $381.25
Total Weight Loss: 0
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
A Shopping I Will Go!
First of all, I knew that I needed a sports bra. For a recreational ride, I'm fine with what I have, but to truly get an aerobic workout the sports bra would help. I also have the hope that a sports bra may make those tight bike jerseys look and fit a little better too. I'll leave it at that!
After multiple unsuccessful attempts at finding anything near my size I resorted to online shopping. I found one that I hoped would work. Unfortunately, it was only available in black. Oh well. It is what it is. If it fits and holds me enough, I'll suffer through the outfit faux pas of wearing a black bra under a white shirt.
While I waited for the bra to arrive, we headed to Dallas for the MS 150. As Pete was registered as a rider, he got the usual rider packet complete with coupons for local stores. In Houston, there were lots of coupons, but we had no time to shop. Sadly, in Dallas, we only had two coupons. Pete wanted to go to Richardson Bike Mart (the shop that sponsored Lance Armstrong.) We made it our first stop. Here I tried on shoes, but didn't have much luck. It's tough not knowing what they should feel like and even more tough when you have a wide foot like mine. I'll keep trying shoes on until I find the right ones.
Then we headed to Ft. Worth to go to the Pearl Izumi outlet who had supplied a coupon in the rider packets. Here, I found two jerseys that fit good enough. And they were both in blue! On top of that, they were each under $50 and then I had a 15% off coupon. Can't argue with that deal when a jersey is usually $80-100! So, I walked out of the outlet with two jerseys, another pair of gloves, and another pair of socks. I would have like to get a pair of shorts, but they didn't have any in my size.
All of the above for $164.86 added to my totals below...
Goals
Today's Miles: 0
Total Miles Achieved: 80.3
Financial Investment: $381.25
Total Weight Loss: 0
After multiple unsuccessful attempts at finding anything near my size I resorted to online shopping. I found one that I hoped would work. Unfortunately, it was only available in black. Oh well. It is what it is. If it fits and holds me enough, I'll suffer through the outfit faux pas of wearing a black bra under a white shirt.
While I waited for the bra to arrive, we headed to Dallas for the MS 150. As Pete was registered as a rider, he got the usual rider packet complete with coupons for local stores. In Houston, there were lots of coupons, but we had no time to shop. Sadly, in Dallas, we only had two coupons. Pete wanted to go to Richardson Bike Mart (the shop that sponsored Lance Armstrong.) We made it our first stop. Here I tried on shoes, but didn't have much luck. It's tough not knowing what they should feel like and even more tough when you have a wide foot like mine. I'll keep trying shoes on until I find the right ones.
Then we headed to Ft. Worth to go to the Pearl Izumi outlet who had supplied a coupon in the rider packets. Here, I found two jerseys that fit good enough. And they were both in blue! On top of that, they were each under $50 and then I had a 15% off coupon. Can't argue with that deal when a jersey is usually $80-100! So, I walked out of the outlet with two jerseys, another pair of gloves, and another pair of socks. I would have like to get a pair of shorts, but they didn't have any in my size.
All of the above for $164.86 added to my totals below...
Goals
Today's Miles: 0
Total Miles Achieved: 80.3
Financial Investment: $381.25
Total Weight Loss: 0
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Dallas MS 150 (Sunday)
The alarm went off early this morning. I think Sunday is always the hardest day to get up early, especially after being so exhausted from the first day of the event. Regardless, we managed to get up and get out of the hotel and on our way on schedule. Unfortunately, that schedule was before McDonald's opened for breakfast. We made it to the Speedway as most riders were getting their breakfast.
We headed to the tunnel entrance into the actual track. As riders began to gather, we made arrangements for the ride into the track for the photo opportunity. How many photographers can you pack into the bed of a pick-up truck? We weren't able to answer that question as we needed to get into the track once the gates were opened. Don't want to keep these riders waiting!
As the group assembled in pit row, the volunteers scattered around the track quickly. Pete made his way around to one of the corners of the track and reportedly just got there before the pick-up and bikes made it around. After a couple of false "Are you ready?" we were finally ready and off we went! There wasn't much to do from the back of the pick-up except to keep shooting the riders behind us. Suddenly, I realized I should be taking in the experience too, but then another shot opportunity would come up and back to photographer I went.
Pete got some great shots from his angle! Afterward, I sat in the truck catching more shots of the riders coming out of the Speedway. Meanwhile, the TMS staff picked Pete and the other volunteers up in his truck and took them for a spin around the track at 90-100 mph. He enjoyed that opportunity!
With the riders on the road for the day, we headed back to the Tent Village. Here we had a quick breakfast and told the staff we'd see them in Ft. Worth. We'd decided no one seemed to know of any scenic shots along the route, so we made the decision to head to the finish line at Sundance Square in downtown Ft. Worth.
We found a reasonable parking space and made our way to the actual finish line. After a brief Starbucks run (for us and Tony) and we found our camping spots along the finish line. Pete stationed himself near one of the speakers, but right at the finish line. Here he was able to catch the cheers and excitement as the riders made their way under the banner.
Jamba Juice in hand, I stationed myself half a block away in the bend of the chute as the riders make a turn to get to the bike truck. I had a great angle where the riders came under the banner with the courthouse in background. Although I was in the sun, Pete had fetched the camping chair for me, so I sat and waited for the shots to come in.
In true Ft. Worth style, a rider rode in on the back of a longhorn complete with pink cowboy boots and hat. Friends and family were gathered all along the chute to cheer their riders across the finish line and greet them with hugs and kisses. Most were quickly off once their riders were done. I sat with Doug and some other Feisty Devil friends and family for awhile cheering on the devils as they came in. It sure helped to pass the afternoon.
Finally, we decided we'd captured most of the riders and had plenty of shots to call it a day!
We headed to the tunnel entrance into the actual track. As riders began to gather, we made arrangements for the ride into the track for the photo opportunity. How many photographers can you pack into the bed of a pick-up truck? We weren't able to answer that question as we needed to get into the track once the gates were opened. Don't want to keep these riders waiting!
As the group assembled in pit row, the volunteers scattered around the track quickly. Pete made his way around to one of the corners of the track and reportedly just got there before the pick-up and bikes made it around. After a couple of false "Are you ready?" we were finally ready and off we went! There wasn't much to do from the back of the pick-up except to keep shooting the riders behind us. Suddenly, I realized I should be taking in the experience too, but then another shot opportunity would come up and back to photographer I went.
Pete got some great shots from his angle! Afterward, I sat in the truck catching more shots of the riders coming out of the Speedway. Meanwhile, the TMS staff picked Pete and the other volunteers up in his truck and took them for a spin around the track at 90-100 mph. He enjoyed that opportunity!
With the riders on the road for the day, we headed back to the Tent Village. Here we had a quick breakfast and told the staff we'd see them in Ft. Worth. We'd decided no one seemed to know of any scenic shots along the route, so we made the decision to head to the finish line at Sundance Square in downtown Ft. Worth.
We found a reasonable parking space and made our way to the actual finish line. After a brief Starbucks run (for us and Tony) and we found our camping spots along the finish line. Pete stationed himself near one of the speakers, but right at the finish line. Here he was able to catch the cheers and excitement as the riders made their way under the banner.
Jamba Juice in hand, I stationed myself half a block away in the bend of the chute as the riders make a turn to get to the bike truck. I had a great angle where the riders came under the banner with the courthouse in background. Although I was in the sun, Pete had fetched the camping chair for me, so I sat and waited for the shots to come in.
In true Ft. Worth style, a rider rode in on the back of a longhorn complete with pink cowboy boots and hat. Friends and family were gathered all along the chute to cheer their riders across the finish line and greet them with hugs and kisses. Most were quickly off once their riders were done. I sat with Doug and some other Feisty Devil friends and family for awhile cheering on the devils as they came in. It sure helped to pass the afternoon.
Finally, we decided we'd captured most of the riders and had plenty of shots to call it a day!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Dallas MS 150 (Saturday)
Sure enough, that alarm went off awfully early this morning! But, I managed to get up and into the shower. Somewhere I ended up in a time warp though and we left the hotel a few minutes late. Oh well, that's why I'd built in some spare travel time to the morning schedule. Unfortunately, it was not the best weather for a ride. It was chilly and windy! The flags were already standing straight out and it was going to be a head wind from the start of the ride, for at least half of the day for the riders. Pete was glad for the decision to shoot the event and not ride in the cold and the wind.
I was amazed that the start line was not completely set-up when we arrived. We said our hellos, got some coffee, and started wandering around grabbing photos. The Dallas event has the top ten teams line up in order at the start line. It was nice to see the big team gathered and starting together. The organization of the event is different than what we've experienced at other events. Thankfully, I was able to get answers to questions by going to my contacts to look things up in the "weekend manual". It's so much easier to be in the right place to capture the photo of the moment when you have a heads up of what is happening when and where.
After the dignitaries spoke, we said the Pledge of Allegiance, and sang the national anthem, the ride began. Seeing the teams start together and the teams hanging back to allow their captains to be on the start line was a neat moment. I'm always amazed at the variety of riders at these events. Of particular interest to me was the number of tandem riders. But there are riders of varying skill levels and physical abilities. Plus with the variety of bike types it's just an amazing gathering of so many styles.
Once all the riders were on the road, we headed for the truck. Our first stop was on the shoulder of the highway to capture shots of the riders on the access road. The cyclists were still finding their pace and those matching that pace, so it made for some good shots of bikes taking up multiple lanes.
Then we sat in traffic as the riders made their first left turn. This gave them a bit of a break from the head wind, but simply made it a cross-wind, so they could no longer hide behind a rider in front of them. As we sat at a light, Pete heard the unmistakable sound of a fire engine's Q siren. Sure enough, there came an engine and then an ambulance. We quickly hoped it wasn't a bike accident. Unfortunately, a few blocks later, we arrived at the scene and it was a bike accident. Not only that, it was a Feisty Devil team captain! We learned later that Doug had taken a tumble over a couple of bikes and his shoulder had cushioned his fall. They took him in for x-rays just to ensure nothing was broken.
We stopped at a breakpoint that was in a farmer's front yard. Military personnel were passing out Power Bars and flags were flying in the wind. The riders were in high spirits still and weren't letting the wind get to them. We got back on the road and had a line of riders draft behind us when we couldn't pass on the road. I guess the bus does make a good wind shield!
Then we got to the lake! This was the location I'd been waiting for to get some cyclist shots with scenery. Sadly, the only turnout on the bridge was taken by a Bright Room photographer, so we went to the far end of the bridge. At this point, the need for the shot took over Pete and he pulled out the ladder and climbed on top of the truck before I knew what he was doing! I did my classic dash across the highway and stand on the shoulder for the shot. It was a neat spot. Next year, I'll take a bike and pedal up to the driveway on the bridge and share the spot with Bright Room!
Then we were off to lunch. We still arrived before most of the cyclists. It gave us an opportunity to get some shots of the volunteers getting things set-up for lunch, and of the clients with MS there to greet the riders. We took a brief break to inhale a sandwich and then went back to shooting. The wind was still strong, so it was cold if you weren't in the sun. A cyclist had a wipe out that tore up his jersey, but he was still going, just needed a quick wound cleaning at the medic's tent. We got an update on Doug's shoulder injury, offered to take any team gear they wanted to drop, and then were off.
After a brief detour where we weren't allowed to follow the cyclists on the road, we found the route and were back on our shooting assignment. I was becoming a pro at sitting backwards and hanging out the window for the shot. Pete was great at announcing top fundraisers, Feisty Devil team riders, or other upcoming shots. As we passed Alyse, he hollered hello while I snapped the shot! At the next turn, we blocked the way, allowing the riders to make the right turn without stopping. Cyclists at heart!
As we came through the town of Justin (so much for my boot shopping break) we discovered road construction on the route that had not been announced! This is the point I know Pete would have stopped at and caught a SAG to the overnight. I took a couple shots, but knew that the construction was enough and the riders would not be thrilled about photos with construction in the background anyway.
Finally, we arrived at Texas Motor Speedway. I suddenly understood what Pete meant about how you "can see the speedway a mile away, but it takes you six miles to get there!" Not an exciting end to day one, in my opinion, for the riders. The team village was happening though. Lots of friends and family already at the tents awaiting word on when their loved one would be riding in. We got our shots of the grounds, made ourselves available for team photos, and enjoyed the afternoon.
The team bonding was contagious. The gratitude from the clients with MS was everywhere. The excitement of the achievement of the first day's ride completed through the winds was overwhelming. The friendships, love, and gratitude were everywhere you looked. As we left for the evening to head to the hotel, there were some riders who had still not gotten in from the ride. One friend was sitting along the chute at the finish line holding her sign thanking her rider. This spectator had been there waiting, in the sun, when we arrived at the Texas Motor Speedway this afternoon. That's the dedication and gratitude that surrounds these rides!
I was amazed that the start line was not completely set-up when we arrived. We said our hellos, got some coffee, and started wandering around grabbing photos. The Dallas event has the top ten teams line up in order at the start line. It was nice to see the big team gathered and starting together. The organization of the event is different than what we've experienced at other events. Thankfully, I was able to get answers to questions by going to my contacts to look things up in the "weekend manual". It's so much easier to be in the right place to capture the photo of the moment when you have a heads up of what is happening when and where.
After the dignitaries spoke, we said the Pledge of Allegiance, and sang the national anthem, the ride began. Seeing the teams start together and the teams hanging back to allow their captains to be on the start line was a neat moment. I'm always amazed at the variety of riders at these events. Of particular interest to me was the number of tandem riders. But there are riders of varying skill levels and physical abilities. Plus with the variety of bike types it's just an amazing gathering of so many styles.
Once all the riders were on the road, we headed for the truck. Our first stop was on the shoulder of the highway to capture shots of the riders on the access road. The cyclists were still finding their pace and those matching that pace, so it made for some good shots of bikes taking up multiple lanes.
Then we sat in traffic as the riders made their first left turn. This gave them a bit of a break from the head wind, but simply made it a cross-wind, so they could no longer hide behind a rider in front of them. As we sat at a light, Pete heard the unmistakable sound of a fire engine's Q siren. Sure enough, there came an engine and then an ambulance. We quickly hoped it wasn't a bike accident. Unfortunately, a few blocks later, we arrived at the scene and it was a bike accident. Not only that, it was a Feisty Devil team captain! We learned later that Doug had taken a tumble over a couple of bikes and his shoulder had cushioned his fall. They took him in for x-rays just to ensure nothing was broken.
We stopped at a breakpoint that was in a farmer's front yard. Military personnel were passing out Power Bars and flags were flying in the wind. The riders were in high spirits still and weren't letting the wind get to them. We got back on the road and had a line of riders draft behind us when we couldn't pass on the road. I guess the bus does make a good wind shield!
Then we got to the lake! This was the location I'd been waiting for to get some cyclist shots with scenery. Sadly, the only turnout on the bridge was taken by a Bright Room photographer, so we went to the far end of the bridge. At this point, the need for the shot took over Pete and he pulled out the ladder and climbed on top of the truck before I knew what he was doing! I did my classic dash across the highway and stand on the shoulder for the shot. It was a neat spot. Next year, I'll take a bike and pedal up to the driveway on the bridge and share the spot with Bright Room!
Then we were off to lunch. We still arrived before most of the cyclists. It gave us an opportunity to get some shots of the volunteers getting things set-up for lunch, and of the clients with MS there to greet the riders. We took a brief break to inhale a sandwich and then went back to shooting. The wind was still strong, so it was cold if you weren't in the sun. A cyclist had a wipe out that tore up his jersey, but he was still going, just needed a quick wound cleaning at the medic's tent. We got an update on Doug's shoulder injury, offered to take any team gear they wanted to drop, and then were off.
After a brief detour where we weren't allowed to follow the cyclists on the road, we found the route and were back on our shooting assignment. I was becoming a pro at sitting backwards and hanging out the window for the shot. Pete was great at announcing top fundraisers, Feisty Devil team riders, or other upcoming shots. As we passed Alyse, he hollered hello while I snapped the shot! At the next turn, we blocked the way, allowing the riders to make the right turn without stopping. Cyclists at heart!
As we came through the town of Justin (so much for my boot shopping break) we discovered road construction on the route that had not been announced! This is the point I know Pete would have stopped at and caught a SAG to the overnight. I took a couple shots, but knew that the construction was enough and the riders would not be thrilled about photos with construction in the background anyway.
Finally, we arrived at Texas Motor Speedway. I suddenly understood what Pete meant about how you "can see the speedway a mile away, but it takes you six miles to get there!" Not an exciting end to day one, in my opinion, for the riders. The team village was happening though. Lots of friends and family already at the tents awaiting word on when their loved one would be riding in. We got our shots of the grounds, made ourselves available for team photos, and enjoyed the afternoon.
The team bonding was contagious. The gratitude from the clients with MS was everywhere. The excitement of the achievement of the first day's ride completed through the winds was overwhelming. The friendships, love, and gratitude were everywhere you looked. As we left for the evening to head to the hotel, there were some riders who had still not gotten in from the ride. One friend was sitting along the chute at the finish line holding her sign thanking her rider. This spectator had been there waiting, in the sun, when we arrived at the Texas Motor Speedway this afternoon. That's the dedication and gratitude that surrounds these rides!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Dallas MS 150 (Friday)
We made the drive north to Dallas on Friday. Pete was riding for the Feisty Devils team as the ride goes from Frisco (just north of Dallas) to Ft. Worth, with an overnight at the Texas Motor Speedway. We made our way to the expo. For those that don't know, the expo is the final packet pick-up location, bike inspection, bike compound for Friday night, a mini party, and a spot to purchase those forgotten or last-minute items from the sponsoring bike shops. We got Pete's packet, t-shirt and goodie bag.
The Feisty Devils team is the third largest team of the Dallas MS 150 and the largest friends and family team (the other two are corporate, Sam's Club and Richardson Bike Mart.) As a large team, they organize a team pasta dinner on Friday night. We claimed our table space and started taking photos of the cyclists, friends, and family all enjoying the event. The team had a great presentation of various awards, a summary of their growth over the last eight years, and some reminders of why we ride in the MS Society rides. It's an amazing way to kick-off the weekend and really get you fired up for the ride.
We came out of dinner and bumped into some friends that work in the MS Society office in San Antonio. In our conversation, I learned that the event photographer had canceled at the last minute, so they had a staff member taking some photos. As I stood there with my gear on my back, I asked what I could do to help! I was there, was going to be shooting the event anyway, tell me what you need and I'll capture it as best as I can. A couple phone calls later, I have a needed photo list in hand, have captured shots of the expo, and was hired as the photographer.
Now I had to rethink my plans for the weekend, review maps, pack gear differently, and determine my attack plan. Pete helped me to talk through some of it on the drive to the hotel. Then he put an offer on the table. He was willing to not ride and assist me in shooting the ride. That would be a big help having a second photographer, but he's a rider, planned to ride, packed to ride, ate dinner for the ride, and I don't want to take that away from him, especially when I know he enjoys riding with the Feisty Devils.
I kept running through a list of shot opportunities in my head. Kept in mind my limitations of driving myself around, my inability to be in multiple locations at once, my lack of knowledge of the route and key people for the Dallas ride. I talked Pete through his reasons for making the offer and what he might miss by not riding. His ultimate comment was that the chapter would benefit more from his photography assistance and wouldn't miss one rider on the road.
We decided to photograph the event as a team. Pete could drive the truck and I could shoot the ride. He could be in those other locations I couldn't get to without missing shots at the first location. We re-evaluated camera and lens assignments, re-packed the gear, and tried to get some sleep. I was a bit nervous and excited about the assignment so even though I was tired and knew it would be an early alarm, falling asleep was a challenge!
The Feisty Devils team is the third largest team of the Dallas MS 150 and the largest friends and family team (the other two are corporate, Sam's Club and Richardson Bike Mart.) As a large team, they organize a team pasta dinner on Friday night. We claimed our table space and started taking photos of the cyclists, friends, and family all enjoying the event. The team had a great presentation of various awards, a summary of their growth over the last eight years, and some reminders of why we ride in the MS Society rides. It's an amazing way to kick-off the weekend and really get you fired up for the ride.
We came out of dinner and bumped into some friends that work in the MS Society office in San Antonio. In our conversation, I learned that the event photographer had canceled at the last minute, so they had a staff member taking some photos. As I stood there with my gear on my back, I asked what I could do to help! I was there, was going to be shooting the event anyway, tell me what you need and I'll capture it as best as I can. A couple phone calls later, I have a needed photo list in hand, have captured shots of the expo, and was hired as the photographer.
Now I had to rethink my plans for the weekend, review maps, pack gear differently, and determine my attack plan. Pete helped me to talk through some of it on the drive to the hotel. Then he put an offer on the table. He was willing to not ride and assist me in shooting the ride. That would be a big help having a second photographer, but he's a rider, planned to ride, packed to ride, ate dinner for the ride, and I don't want to take that away from him, especially when I know he enjoys riding with the Feisty Devils.
I kept running through a list of shot opportunities in my head. Kept in mind my limitations of driving myself around, my inability to be in multiple locations at once, my lack of knowledge of the route and key people for the Dallas ride. I talked Pete through his reasons for making the offer and what he might miss by not riding. His ultimate comment was that the chapter would benefit more from his photography assistance and wouldn't miss one rider on the road.
We decided to photograph the event as a team. Pete could drive the truck and I could shoot the ride. He could be in those other locations I couldn't get to without missing shots at the first location. We re-evaluated camera and lens assignments, re-packed the gear, and tried to get some sleep. I was a bit nervous and excited about the assignment so even though I was tired and knew it would be an early alarm, falling asleep was a challenge!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Why Won't the Weather Cooperate?
We've had some nice weather this spring here in Texas. Unfortunately, most of it has been during the week. This weekend was no exception. We planned for two rides this weekend. Then I woke up in middle of the night Saturday morning to a torrential downpour. Guess we'll get to sleep in. The bummer is that you eat a certain way Friday night, skip happy hour, and go to bed early in order to be prepared for an early morning ride on Saturday morning. By noon, you wouldn't know that it had rained all night, but looking at the roads, there were still puddles everywhere.
Saturday afternoon we confirmed the weather forecast for Sunday morning and determined it wasn't possible to ride on Sunday. That ended up being a good decision. The winds were 20+ mph for the day on Sunday. I'm a wimp in the wind!
So another weekend of not riding. Next weekend is the Dallas MS 150. I've offered my services as a team photographer for Pete's team, The Feisty Devils.
Saturday afternoon we confirmed the weather forecast for Sunday morning and determined it wasn't possible to ride on Sunday. That ended up being a good decision. The winds were 20+ mph for the day on Sunday. I'm a wimp in the wind!
So another weekend of not riding. Next weekend is the Dallas MS 150. I've offered my services as a team photographer for Pete's team, The Feisty Devils.
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