Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Conway, because he's super awesome
Just a few pictures to supplement the blog I just wrote a few minutes ago. Pics of Conway and I climbing the Apron on the Stawamus Chief Summer of 2006 and the tattoo he started for me 2 weeks before we did that climb.
Baby Steps
I biked to work again today. My ride home was pretty great! Sunny and warm, but not too warm. It only took me 16min 46sec and my average speed went up to 4.6km/hr.
I think it helped that at the worst part of the hill this other cyclist guy passed me at at least twice my speed... "If he can do that, I can at least try harder", so I pushed myself a bit more than ever and actually saw my speed get up to almost 7km/hr uphill.
I won't be able to bike to work for a while because I might be getting the ink on my leg touched up this evening by my favourite tattoo artist/climbing partner Conway.
It's been a stress-filled few days but I've reached a peaceful state. I'm calm, cool, and mostly collected.
;)
I think it helped that at the worst part of the hill this other cyclist guy passed me at at least twice my speed... "If he can do that, I can at least try harder", so I pushed myself a bit more than ever and actually saw my speed get up to almost 7km/hr uphill.
I won't be able to bike to work for a while because I might be getting the ink on my leg touched up this evening by my favourite tattoo artist/climbing partner Conway.
It's been a stress-filled few days but I've reached a peaceful state. I'm calm, cool, and mostly collected.
;)
Friday, March 14, 2008
Round and round and round she goes...
Rode to work today, it actually went better than last time even though I took such a long break after I hurt my knee on Monday. Feeling pretty good about it, managed to get myself to up a gear after the worst part of the hill so I actually pushed myself a bit and it paid off.
My average speed went up from 3.2km/hr to 4.1km/hr and the trip only took me 17 minutes instead of 20! Pretty psyched about that. I was out of breath this time pretty bad but I didn't overheat and I didn't feel like giving up so I'd say it's an overall improvement.
My average speed went up from 3.2km/hr to 4.1km/hr and the trip only took me 17 minutes instead of 20! Pretty psyched about that. I was out of breath this time pretty bad but I didn't overheat and I didn't feel like giving up so I'd say it's an overall improvement.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Bike Journal 2
Today kinda sucked. As far as biking home goes.
I felt a lot more tired and my muscles got fatigued faster and I started to overheat about halfway home. But I still made it without any breaks!
Weather: sprinkling, around 8 degreesC and no wind.
Distance: Actually only 1.2km according to my little computer but I have my doubts. I'll check the magnets before I ride to work on Wednesday.
Time to get home: 20minutes and 8seconds
Gears used: Front: Middle Back:Lowest
Overall feeling: Shitty and my bum was wet from my seat sitting in the rain all day. I was wary of my waterproof pants because it wasn't raining hard and I knew I'd overheat. I actually wanted to give up about 3 minutes in because I think I started off on too high of a gear and made myself really feel it after the worst part of the hill. I also slipped off of my peddle (damn cocoa butter on the floor at work) when I was balancing on my bike waiting to cross a busy road with no crosswalk and over-extended my knee a bit... at least I didn't land on the bar. That would have sucked. At least I'm not a guy. That would have sucked more.
Cigarettes Smoked: 1 before I left. It's an hour and a half since I got home and I still haven't had a second one :) YAY!
Water drank: A glass of "Emergen-C"... again, YAY!
So now I'm taking at least 1 day off to let my muscles rest up and make sure my knee is ok.
I felt a lot more tired and my muscles got fatigued faster and I started to overheat about halfway home. But I still made it without any breaks!
Weather: sprinkling, around 8 degreesC and no wind.
Distance: Actually only 1.2km according to my little computer but I have my doubts. I'll check the magnets before I ride to work on Wednesday.
Time to get home: 20minutes and 8seconds
Gears used: Front: Middle Back:Lowest
Overall feeling: Shitty and my bum was wet from my seat sitting in the rain all day. I was wary of my waterproof pants because it wasn't raining hard and I knew I'd overheat. I actually wanted to give up about 3 minutes in because I think I started off on too high of a gear and made myself really feel it after the worst part of the hill. I also slipped off of my peddle (damn cocoa butter on the floor at work) when I was balancing on my bike waiting to cross a busy road with no crosswalk and over-extended my knee a bit... at least I didn't land on the bar. That would have sucked. At least I'm not a guy. That would have sucked more.
Cigarettes Smoked: 1 before I left. It's an hour and a half since I got home and I still haven't had a second one :) YAY!
Water drank: A glass of "Emergen-C"... again, YAY!
So now I'm taking at least 1 day off to let my muscles rest up and make sure my knee is ok.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Bike Journal
Today was my first day of biking to work. I'll try to keep track of my progress here.
Not sure of the total km because I forgot to turn on my little computer thing until partway home. The ride to work is completely downhill which is great when you're still half-asleep!
Weather: overcast, threatening rain, cool and breezy
Distance: 28 city blocks (Odometer says 3.5km, I missed 5 minutes or so, I'll guess 4.2km for now)
Time to get home: (I'll call it 20minutes, my odometer said 15minutes)
Gears used: Front: Middle Back:Lowest
Overall feeling: The first 5 minutes I wasn't sure if I'd make it, I got dizzy, all the blood rushed to my face and I was breathing pretty heavy. This was the worst part of the hill. The rest was just steady, staring at the road and telling myself every block I passed "just 5 more blocks". I feel pretty good now that I'm home.
My body feels good, my lungs feel open despite the cig's I smoked before and after and my butt and legs don't hurt, I didn't even break a sweat!
Cigarettes Smoked: 1 before while I talked myself into it, half of one when I got home to distract myself.
Water drank: A sip when I got home. I need to work on this.
YAY!
On my lunch break I ran to Canadian Tire to get nuts and bolts to mount the computer on the handlebar in my office and the rack for my panier when I got home.
Not sure of the total km because I forgot to turn on my little computer thing until partway home. The ride to work is completely downhill which is great when you're still half-asleep!
Weather: overcast, threatening rain, cool and breezy
Distance: 28 city blocks (Odometer says 3.5km, I missed 5 minutes or so, I'll guess 4.2km for now)
Time to get home: (I'll call it 20minutes, my odometer said 15minutes)
Gears used: Front: Middle Back:Lowest
Overall feeling: The first 5 minutes I wasn't sure if I'd make it, I got dizzy, all the blood rushed to my face and I was breathing pretty heavy. This was the worst part of the hill. The rest was just steady, staring at the road and telling myself every block I passed "just 5 more blocks". I feel pretty good now that I'm home.
My body feels good, my lungs feel open despite the cig's I smoked before and after and my butt and legs don't hurt, I didn't even break a sweat!
Cigarettes Smoked: 1 before while I talked myself into it, half of one when I got home to distract myself.
Water drank: A sip when I got home. I need to work on this.
YAY!
On my lunch break I ran to Canadian Tire to get nuts and bolts to mount the computer on the handlebar in my office and the rack for my panier when I got home.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Ch-ch-ch-Changes!
In the last 2 weeks I've made a lot of changes for good. I've switched to a natural deodorant, natural toothpaste and mouthwash, & a Lush shampoo bar (don't even need conditioner with it on my bleached-to-straw hair). I went to MEC last night and spent $100 on bike accessories; that hasn't gone well so far.
I figured that the chain on my bike was falling off so it needed a couple of links taken off. WELL. If you know nothing about bikes don't take them apart. Lesson learned. I've now bought a new chain, haven't put it on yet but I can still ride it just not on the 2 highest gears. The mudflaps the guy at MEC told me to get don't fit mountain bike tires and the rack to mount my panier on both didn't come with enough nuts & the bolts are too short to mount to the rear axle thing.
I'm a bit frustrated right now but grateful for Chris at work who is an awe-inspiring downhill & extreme mountain biker. He brought his tools to work today, overhauled my bike and did maintenance on everyone else's in the parking lot.
If I get up on time tomorrow morning I'll bike to work and I will try to remember to not touch my left gear-shift.
DIY gone bad.
On a good note: the natural deodorant is working. Must say I'm pleasantly surprised.
I figured that the chain on my bike was falling off so it needed a couple of links taken off. WELL. If you know nothing about bikes don't take them apart. Lesson learned. I've now bought a new chain, haven't put it on yet but I can still ride it just not on the 2 highest gears. The mudflaps the guy at MEC told me to get don't fit mountain bike tires and the rack to mount my panier on both didn't come with enough nuts & the bolts are too short to mount to the rear axle thing.
I'm a bit frustrated right now but grateful for Chris at work who is an awe-inspiring downhill & extreme mountain biker. He brought his tools to work today, overhauled my bike and did maintenance on everyone else's in the parking lot.
If I get up on time tomorrow morning I'll bike to work and I will try to remember to not touch my left gear-shift.
DIY gone bad.
On a good note: the natural deodorant is working. Must say I'm pleasantly surprised.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Living Like Ed
So I met Ed Begley Jr. yesterday at the Green Living Show in Vancouver. He is a wonderfully down to earth, humble gentleman. I stepped outside of my comfort zone at the trade show and stood up in front of the crowd of people who were there to sit in awe of this man and listen to him talk and asked him a couple of questions.
To my first question "The people of Vancouver are skeptical about solar panels due to the lack of solar rays available to us. What is a good alternative energy source we can apply instead?" (the crowd giggled at this). He suggested a small vertical access wind turbine.
My second question was just plain cheeky. "Would you sign my book with my non-toxic, recycled marker?" (again, the crowd giggled). He said he'd be more than pleased! So I got mine signed to me and a second one signed for Shelley, the environmental officer for Lush and he told me to come find him after so we could chat some more. So I did.
I walked around the show for about an hour or so after his talk as he had a long, long line-up waiting for him at the Chapters booth. I went back later and had another chat with him about what I do for Lush, how I was honoured to meet him and that I promised to use his book to help Green out the Lush factory more than it already was. I got an opportunity to introduce Shelley to him after as well. I'm not sure why but she used that meeting to embarrass me on purpose in front of Ed... she told him that I was thinking about getting an electric bike for riding to and from work (he's a supporter of electric bikes but she made me look like an ass). I think that's her weird way of motivating me to ride to work, it's a bit ass-backwards if you ask me but whatever. At least it will give me an excuse to email him later when I DO eventually start riding to work.
Another hi-light of my day was seeing Jean-Michel Cousteau give a talk about his recent work in the Amazon and his upcoming projects with our local killer whales. I couldn't stop laughing to myself about the stark comparison to The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Here's a link to his organization The Ocean Futures Society. Something he shared with us was about a recent trip to a secluded Hawaiian Island during his study of the North Western reefs and the sharks that live there. He says he sat on the beach and within reach of where he was on the sand was garbage that represented 52 countries (based on his collection of these items and verifying the country of sale): mascara tubes, toothbrushes, medicine bottles... All had washed up on shore from the deep ocean.
*shudder*
I'm looking forward to watching his new documentary in 3D at the Imax that will be narrated by Daryl Hannah! =)
To my first question "The people of Vancouver are skeptical about solar panels due to the lack of solar rays available to us. What is a good alternative energy source we can apply instead?" (the crowd giggled at this). He suggested a small vertical access wind turbine.
My second question was just plain cheeky. "Would you sign my book with my non-toxic, recycled marker?" (again, the crowd giggled). He said he'd be more than pleased! So I got mine signed to me and a second one signed for Shelley, the environmental officer for Lush and he told me to come find him after so we could chat some more. So I did.
I walked around the show for about an hour or so after his talk as he had a long, long line-up waiting for him at the Chapters booth. I went back later and had another chat with him about what I do for Lush, how I was honoured to meet him and that I promised to use his book to help Green out the Lush factory more than it already was. I got an opportunity to introduce Shelley to him after as well. I'm not sure why but she used that meeting to embarrass me on purpose in front of Ed... she told him that I was thinking about getting an electric bike for riding to and from work (he's a supporter of electric bikes but she made me look like an ass). I think that's her weird way of motivating me to ride to work, it's a bit ass-backwards if you ask me but whatever. At least it will give me an excuse to email him later when I DO eventually start riding to work.
Another hi-light of my day was seeing Jean-Michel Cousteau give a talk about his recent work in the Amazon and his upcoming projects with our local killer whales. I couldn't stop laughing to myself about the stark comparison to The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Here's a link to his organization The Ocean Futures Society. Something he shared with us was about a recent trip to a secluded Hawaiian Island during his study of the North Western reefs and the sharks that live there. He says he sat on the beach and within reach of where he was on the sand was garbage that represented 52 countries (based on his collection of these items and verifying the country of sale): mascara tubes, toothbrushes, medicine bottles... All had washed up on shore from the deep ocean.
*shudder*
I'm looking forward to watching his new documentary in 3D at the Imax that will be narrated by Daryl Hannah! =)
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