Day 20--Blessing In Disguise...

Today I take on TEXAS HILL!!! I have eye balled that hill for years. I've walked up the hill and down the hill, but never rode up or down that hill. I need to go to Target to return somethings and go to Michaels to get the remainder of my Halloween costume. I am wearing all black, sunglasses, boots, hat, black rubber nose...and a sash with bright glow in the dark puffy paint that says "BLESS YOU". My costume--A Blessing In Disguise.... My house to Target is 5 miles. The ride will be easy, but, down that hill will be quite an adventure.

Day 19---5th avenue hill

Well, 5th avenue hill looks good on paper. Most men i date look semi good on paper. Then.....we get to know them, and, well, we all know that story.... 5th avenue---same deal.

Mapmyride AND ridethestreets show that 5th avenue from work is a straight shot. 1.5 miles. This translates for me to be appx. 8 - 10 minutes on my bike--TOPS. I've driven 5th ave before, and walked 5th ave before...but...riding UP---5th ave with a 25 pound satchel of goodness on your back...different story. 5th avenue takes appx. 30 minutes to ride from 5th/L - 5th/Laurel...mostly because of it's classy ginger incline. The other piece is because getting out of Gaslamp with jack ass drivers and all those lights is a real sitch. Thankfully....my date was patient. So...note to self---on paper, 1.5 looks nice, but, once you get to know that journey, a little more of a raw deal. Change into workout clothes next time, and ride over to the park for self induced boot camp to round out the experience next time.

Day 18--Research

I learned alot tonight about being an SD Bike Commuter. The online resources are endless. Although we currently don't have any "Bike Stations"...there are Bike Lockers several places in SD. The 2 that are downtown are in weird locations. Mission this weekend: check out these aforementioned bike lockers....I'm still not convinced.

This is an awesome website: www.icommutesd.com Check it out. You can go on TripTracker and evaluate the difference between 1 person in a car, vs. several carpooling. Also, it shows an entire list of what San Diego top public and private companies to for their employees that supports commuting. There are even financial incentives and tax breaks--links to IRS websites that outline. Something else that blew my mind...the Guarantee Ride Home Policy. If you're stranded somewhere without your bike, or have an emergency that you need to hop in a car...they have a GRH policy that you make a $3.00 co pay and 3 times a year, the GRH service will take you wherever you want to go. San Diego also gives an award to the top San Diego companies that are Best Places to work for Commuters.

Found another cool websiteL www.ridethecity.com Normally I use mapmyride.com to find the best routes. I've found that is not well versed on the 1 way streets, the streets without a bike route, and the streets that have no light. Ridethecity.com actually has 3 route choices: 1. direct route, 2. safe route 3. safer route. I re ran my most frequently traveled routes and still--Island Street--the best one---it's the safest, the quickest, and has a bike lane.

I sent 10 emails tonight to various people in SD Planning in SD local government to get advice on how we can get a Bike Station here...Stay tuned..who knows....maybe we'll email a list of all those HR people listed on the "Best Places to Work for SD Commuters" list....heaven help those people....

All this stuff about things employers are doing to reward their employees for riding safe and being socially responsibile got me to thinking, "What does my employer do for all this?"..So, I sent our HR person an email too. Along with that I posted a question on Facebook tonight. I haven't heard anything back yet..but, am dying to hear what other employers are doing to celebrate commuters....So...what does your employer do?

Night Riding....Lessons Learned...

Day 17, and I rode 7 miles today. Have you ever heard the song by REM called "Night Swimming"? Apparently it's about skinny dipping. This post is not. However, the piano riff in that song is in my mind as I say to myself, "Night Riding" and replace the proper words to the REM song over and over on my ride tonight. Some things I've learned:

1. 3rd gear is the best gear to use when riding on 30th street between north park to south park.
2. Ear buds (basically iPods) are illegal to wear when riding on public streets on your bike.
3. The head light on your bike needs to be able to shine at least 30 feet in front of you.
4. One can not ride a bike on a side walk in a "business zone"..aka--the gaslamp district...
5. Island Street is still my favorite street to ride out of downtown---easy incline into Golden Hill, never many Kamikaze drivers to worry about, and I can cruise straight through...There are several homeless people and questionable "neighborhood-ish" people along that street, but, they are seemingly harmless when you're greased lightning like me on my Baby Blue.

Don't even ask me how I learned all of that in one night, but, let's chalk it up to another, "Trial and Error" moment or 4. So, I had a crappy day at work and decided to meet some friends at Toronado after work for beer and Mac/Cheese. Of course, I am on my bike, so I give the traditional disclaimer--"I think I'll be there in 30 minutes or so, but, give me an hour just to be safe". My friends are so awesome and supportive of this mission, so, they kindly go along.

So, I took Island to 16th to B to 19th to Pershing. The stretch between B, 19th, Pershing was super scary....it's really dark and there's not much of a bike trail. The climb up Pershing is awesome--and semi tough. It's super gradual, but, it's long enough to break a sweat. The cars speed up that hill. My new front headlight and back flashing light were installed earlier today. All it cost me was a box of chocolate chip cookies, and the promise of home made ones by next Monday. I made it to Toronado from downtown in 30 minutes flat...and that Plant to Pint Pizza Port beer was fantastic. The ride home was exhilarating. Brisk air, 10 minutes, totally flat--30th was awesome and Bloc Party was playing in my ear. I know, I know...it's totally illegal, but, it's all about the experience. Nothing could make me happier at that moment than to cruise down the street on a short ride listening to Block Party with the safe light flashing in the back and my 30 foot headlight on the front of my bike. Best part--I looked like a total dork. Picture this: pony tail, glasses, helmet, bike lights---It was a page straight out of Dork City--and I loved it!

Day 16...A New Route....

So, I've been doing full gym workouts on the weekends, and just biking during the week. This week I decided to switch it up. Bike to work--all down hill--4 miles. After work, bike to gym .5 mile, work out at gym, take bus home. The bus system is starting to get super easy. Now that I am a pro at loading my bike onto the bus---it's my new favorite thing to do. After a good workout I hopped on the bus. WOW, what an experience that was. That bus from downtown to Golden Hill sure is weird and crowded at night. I am pretty sure I knocked over people's bags as I got onto the bus. My helmet was hanging out of my satchel, and I was all crammed in the corner. I got home in record time...but...I think i am going to ride home int he dark tomorrow. My new bike lights came in the mail over the weekend, so, I am going to rig those things up tonight, and see how night riding is tomorrow. Tomorrow we'll try--ride to work, ride to gym, do full workout, ride home--with lights... Maybe I can coin a new name--Night Rider...

Overall journey is appx. 10 miles.

Day 15...a ride to SMALL BAR

Well, it's very easy to get from Golden Hill to University Heights. Our long time pal Matt Stringer was in town from Saudi Arabia. We were to meet him for brunch. I decided to ride my bike the whole way there, instead of hopping on the bus. The route is easy---Florida Street goes all the way between Golden Hill to University Heights. So, I glided down Florida, Left on El Cajon, Right on Park--super easy. Great way to get to those great resturaunts/bars...SMALL BAR...EL ZARAPE...LEI LOUNGE...etc. 3.5 miles...easy peezy.

We got there and learned that it was the LIVE WIRE pub crawl with bikes. We were in good fellow biker company.

Kick Gas Festival Was a Bust....

Mid day....Day 14...I hopped on the #2 to meet a gal pal at the trolley stop downtown. While on the #2 bus, I met a fellow Croatian named Marco. He was multi tasking and sweating. He had a dress shirt on a hanger in one hand, holding it high so it wouldn't wrinkle and touch the ground. In the other hand he held his cel phone and profusely told his lady that he loved her and that he had a great day with her. As he hung up, he asked me if his shirt was bothering me. I told him NO. Then...he proceeded to tell me it was his first day at a new restaurant that was opening that night. It's called BICE. It's pronounced, BEACH-AYE. He said he's sure people will butcher the name and call it BITCH. That was pretty funny. Marco had a thick Italian sounding accent, however, he proved to me he was Croatian by showing me his Driver's Licence. You see--a true Croatian's last name ends with a "C"...Marco's last name, ended in a "C"...just like mine. We were Croatian brother and sister. We both got off at the same stop and I wished him good luck on his first night at BICE. He was a pro, and I am sure he did well on his first night. As we parted, Marco the Croatian gave me a proper Croatian farewell--double kiss on either side of the cheek. Check out the restaurant...I am curious about the wines... Marco insisted they were "REMARKABLE" http://bicesandiego.com/
As I waited for Kim I found The Red Zone. It's a sports bar on the corner of 5th & C. Looks like there's a new f/b license that was posted, so, Red Zone's days seem numbered. We met there and waited for the trolley. Took the BLUE LINE from downtown to OLD TOWN, we switched to the GREEN LINE and got to Qualcomm in a jiffy. As the trolley rolled up I could tell the Kick Gas Festival was NOT the place to be. It was on a HUGE piece of land. Barely anyone was there. They had 3 big stages. The stages were as big as the Radiohead stage from their concert in Embarcadero a couple years back. It was embarrassing--big stage--small acts---and loads of college kids. As we walked in, we found "The Ticket Booth". There was literally a hand made sign that said "Ticket Booth". We entered, and found a row of women in Bikini's....what they were selling, we're not sure--but--they were rightfully placed directly next to TONY'S SAUSAGE STAND. We walked further and found LLAMAS. Yes, there were LLAMAS. They were called, SOLAR LLAMAS. One had to be 70 pounds or under to ride the Solar Lama. We walked a bit further and found the beer garden. it was the biggest beer garden i've ever seen in my life. Imagine the La Mesa October Fest Beer Garden x 3...this was the same size. We got a beer and found a tug of war game starting just behind us. We saw a row of college kids grabbing the rope and one side and wondered who would be their worthy opponents. Of course...it's the bikini girls. VOILLA...they appeared out of no where. They had some help from some very kind college fellas...and guess what??? They won! The whole experience was really weird and at best reminded us of a 7th grade science fair. Everything was home made with magic markers, and there was no connection between the vendors, and saving the planet. I was happy that we rode the trolley in. It somehow justified the experience. It also justified us leaving in a huge Toyota Tundra with a cab on the back. Our friends took us home from the event...and we carried on from there. So, the good news---is that, the trolley is very easy to ride--and we learned about a new restaurant in the Gaslamp called BICE. The bad news is that San Diego has a ways to go before they have a fully evolved GREEN FESTIVAL promoting public transportation. I do think the intentions were good..and 5 years from now--Watch Out--KICK GAS FESTIVAL 2014 will be the place to be.

Day 14...Old friends...

What a great morning on the bike. It wasn't even 11 AM and I had already logged 11 miles on my bike. THAT feels fantastic! This was the first day I "ran errands" on Baby Blue. It was so fun. Dry Cleaner, Grocery and Candle Store. My satchel of goodness was very busy today. Along the way, as I rode up Island Street (PS--this is the perfect incline from downtown to southpark---Broadway, and C are killer hills...) anyway, I as rode up Island street, I saw some pop up tents in the distance.... It appeared there was a mini neighborhood festival of sorts. Nothing makes me happier than pop up tents on a sunny Saturday. As I approached the tents, I bumped into 2 old buddies of mine--Ricardo and Gerry. It had been so long since I have seen them, and it was such a fortuitous treat. They both are doing great and just opened a new coffee shop in that hood called: Latte Mi Corazon. www.lattemicorazon.com I am definitely going to check it out next week. Had I never been on my bike, I would have never bumped into 2 of my favorite blasts from the pasts, and never would have heard about the new coffee shop. Another random act of kindness is that Kathy from the bike coalition sent me a helpful book called: "Street Smarts: Riding Confidently, Legally, and Safely". I definitely need to take a gander at that thing. My neighbor friend Angela called me "Kamikaze Mandi" the other day as she referred to my bike riding. I take that as a sign that I am not safe or legal on the bike. Thanks Kathy for the tips.

So, today, we are going to the KICK GAS festival. It is at Qualcomm. We are not riding our bikes there. We are taking the trolley--Blue line to Orange Line--easy peezy.

day 13,,,,

Lucky # 13. WOW, those new tires make me ride so fast. I got to work 7 minutes faster today. So, now it only takes 10 minutest to get there. Riding my bike makes me realize what a horrible driver I am. I am painfully aware of cars that are turning right, or, merging into 3 lanes to the left...or are parked and about to open their door on my face and make me a mashed potatoe bike road mess. Tomorrow is the KICK GAS event. I can't wait. An entire day of Eco Friendly goodness.

"I'm gonna write a letter".....

Have you ever known someone that everytime something goes wrong, they say, "That's It...I'm Writing A Letter". I have known many people to say this, and never do this. Well, I did it. The objective is to get a BIKE STATION in San Diego. I want one of these in San Diego so bad. We need one. I sent a letter to the exectuve team at BikeStation.Mobis Transportation. These people own Bike station. They were featured in last month's FAST COMPANY magazine. Long Beach and Palo Alto have a Bike Station. San Diego is such a "Biker's Paradise" but...we don't have anything like "Bike Station" and we need it. Join my mission to get San Diego a Bike Station. http://www.bikestation.com/ Check out the progress....

Letter--to Bikestation from Me 10/11/09:
Hello Andrea, Bill, Bruckner, Steve, Matthew OR Andrew! How are you today? I am not sure who in your company reads the general inquiries so a proper greeting to all is in order. A couple weeks ago I read Andrea's article in Fast Company mag. I was really intrigued by what she said. 1 week later I went to New Belgium;s Tour De Fat, where the Funeral of the Car was 1 of the many awesome bike enthusiast experiences. It got me to thinking...."What do we need to do to get San Diego a Bike Station?" What is your process of setting them up in Long Beach, Palo Alto-etc? Who do I need to write a letter too or harass a bit about the importance to have one of these in SD proper? I am sure in your business plan, you have key decision makers, and influencers. When you are soliciting cities for new business, who are your targets?
I am a rookie bike rider, but, am on board with helping to get a Bikestation in San Diego. Any advice you can give on who we reach out too in support of your business would be much appreciated.

Mandi


10/14/09: Email from Bike Station--Bill Ewing to Me:

Hi Mandi,
Thank you for your email and your interest in us. We do not currently have plans in San Diego. Bikestation are public infrastructure and it always starts with a few people pushing the system locally. I hope that might be you. The planners and transit authorities are usually the catalyst stakeholders. San Diego is one of the places we should have a few Bikestations.

All the best,
Bill
Bill EwingMobis Transportation Alternatives Bikestationwww.mobisinc.com www.bikestation.comT 562 733 0106 F 562 733 0107E bewing@bikestation.com

10/14/09: Email to Bill from Me:

Hi Bill, great to hear from you. I agree, everything good starts with a few people pushing the system. If I were to do some pushing, which job titles do you normally start with? Is it the city planner? All I need from you is a title of people that have made it happen in your other cities, and I will take it from here. I have plenty of other pushers that will help me too. If you can help me with the specific titles in Palo Alto and Long Beach that have made it happen, that will give me a good starting point. I 'd like to give some examples.
Also, do you have the main contacts from other cities with Bike Stations? If I can call them, and pick their brain, it will give me more ammo when I am speaking to the decision makers in our city.

Mandi

10/15/09: Email to me from Bill:
Each city is different and has their own fragmentation issues. Any title that has Planning, Transportation, Bike or Sustainability is a fantastic place to start. My regards,Bill

Karma Police...

Day 7--Retroactive.... I know I am on day 10, but, I forgot to share something very important from Day 7. On my way home from dinner on Day 7, while on the bus, I checked my voice messages. My coolest neighbor friends ever left me a message. "Mandi, Curtis and I were at dinner and we were thinking your bike may go faster if you had different tires. We went to the store and bought you 2 new road bike tires. The cost is $25.00 and the labor is free. If you don't want to do this, no worries, we'll take the tires back. Curtis likes to tinker with bikes, so, it's no problem for him." What? Are you kidding me? How awesome is that? My neighbor friends are so friggin' cool that they bought 2 new tires for the bike, and installed them on the bike when I got back. All I had to do was give them $25.00. How amazing? I am so lucky to have awesome neighbor friends, and even more lucky that Curtis used to own a bike shop and loves putting fast tires on a slow bike. Guess what??? That 11 mile bike ride on Sunday was fast like greased lightning. It was all because of the random act of kindness from the Coolest Most Awesome Neighbor Friends--Angela and Curtis--on the whole planet!! Anyone reading this--PAY IT FORWARD. Go out and do something nice for someone today. It feels good to do, and it feels good to be on the receiving end of 2 new shiny wheels!

Boards, Bikes and Beer

Day 8. The Boards, Bikes and Beer festival started at 12 noon at the Catamaran. Our friend Andy partnered with Andy to organize the event. Proceeds went to Discover PB, so, of course we volunteered to help the cause. It was Angela's birthday. For her birthday, to support Andy and his PB mission, and to add to the bike adventures....we rode our bikes to the event. 11 miles it would take. The "Johnson" sisters and I met at 10:30 in Golden Hill and made the trek. We took Broadway to Pacific Coast Highway to Sports Arena Blvd to Mission Beach. It took us about an hour, and it was stunning!! Down hill on Broadway through traffic, dodging buses and cars was just a teaser for the 5 lane highway with cars furiously merging onto PCH. I know I've said this before, but, for all you car drivers out there (me included) Cars are soooooooooooo unaware of bike riders on the road. As a driver---you have to watch for bikers on the right, when you're turning right. As a driver, you need to watch for bikers on the left, when your car is parking on the street and you're opening your car door. As a driver, if you're going to make a quick merge over 3 lanes on the road into the left lane....take a look in your rear view mirror--and look for bikers and other cars will you? For the love of Pete...I know I am a horrible driver, but, I never realized how my driving can impact bike riders until I became one. Once we got through PCH and rode over the bridge on the bike trail into Mission Bay--it was stunning. The best part of the ride was over the bridge, over the water and along the bay. Again, the water was super calm and the breeze in SD was perfect on Sunday. It's funny that I rode over the bridge. My family will barely believe me using the word, "bridge" and "happy place" in the same sentence. When I was a little girl, I was petrified of bridges. As a family we were watching Ripley's Believe It Or Not when I was about 7. There was a surge back in the 80's of drivers in HOLLAND that would drive into canals. Apparently, Holland was no good with their "Warning there's a canal 50 feet ahead" signage, and the road would end and cars would drive into them. For some reason that image of the car going under water and people being trapped in it stuck in my head, and I've been afraid of bridges ever since. (thanks Mom/Dad for the scar:) My fear of bridges was conquered when I moved to San Diego 9 years ago and drove over the Coronado Bridge for the first time. Now, I am the biggest fan of bridges. In fact---one of my favorite San Diego Landmarks is the Spruce Street Suspension Bridge. I used to run and ride my bike over it all the time when I used to live in Bankers Hill. It's a historical landmark and was built in 1913ish. Another notable bridge that's been there forever, but, I just found is the Musical Bridge. It's on 25th and Market and goes over the 94 highway in Golden Hill. If you walk over the bridge, grab a stick as you approach. You can run the stick over the "chimes" on the left side of the bridge and it really sounds like a bell or a musical medley of goodness. Apparently, it's another historical San Diego landmark. So, the bridge over the bay into Mission Beach was amazing. The event was amazing also. The "Johnson" sisters and I looked like a band of bike bitches walking with my big red satchel on my back, and our 3 helmets strapped to the back of it. I am sure we scared the very nice and polite brunch patrons at the Catamaran. We drank beer first, then volunteered. Along the way, I learned some things. I met this amazing couple who had just finished a 40 person bike ride from Phoenix to San Diego. They were raising money for Marines that served in the middle east and when they get back, each of them get $1000.00 to do whatever they want for them. They raised $140,000.00 total for the organization. I asked the one woman what her favorite part was, she said, "I was riding with some of the veterans who were injured. They were stronger than I was going up the highest hill, the highest point. When I got to the top, I cried." That was pretty powerful. They gave me their website, I need to check it out: www.therideofsemperfi.com

I also learned about Butt Butter. This is not something I will consider trying, but, apparently, it's most commonly used among the "male riders" for various reasons. I guess it's the best trick out there to protect the "nether regions".

So, 1 long bike ride down, another great event, and loads more info about bike riding.

Eyes Wide Open.....

Yesterday's bus/bike adventure was new in every way. I had to get from work which is downtown up to NorthPark for a quick bite to eat. I was exausted from the work marathon from the previous 48 hours, but, I didn't want to cheat--again. So....I learned if I ride my bike to the 12th/Imperial MTS station, I can hop on the 11 bus to Adams avenue, and that would take me to El Zarape, where I would meet a gal pal for a quick dinner. I've never actually put my bike on the bus rack, but had read horror stories about people stealing bikes off the front of the bus while the bus was stopped. I proceeded with caution. I was more concerned about jumping in front of that big bus to load my bike onto the front of it, and less concerned about the theft. Getting my bike stolen off the bus while I was actually on it, would probably cause some sort of chase scene, which would actually be a good story, so, my concern weighed more heavily on the bike loading sitch. (Sitch - situation in Mandi-speak) I rode over to the 12th/Imperial station, bought my $5.00 day pass which gets me onto any MTS transport anywhere in SD county--trolley, bus, etc. I was to look for the #11. It rolled up, I walked over to the bus driver's window, and said, "Excuse me, I have a bike, I've never done this before, can u help me?" Although she had a crew of new passengers loading the bus, she was very accomodating. She got off the bus, and showed me to pull the rack down, pull down the front lever, load my bike with the front tire, near the front lever, and clasp the lever. VOILLA! We did it. It was so easy. Then I looked at her and said, "Does this bus go to Adams Avenue?" And she said, "NO". You'll take the next #11 that will be here any second. I unlevered my bike, lifted it off the rack and waited for the "next #11". Thank God she was so accomodating and gave me a quick bike loading tutorial. Then..the next #11 came up, I was a pro in the bike load dept. I knew exactly what to do, pull down the rack, load the bike, secure the lever--and VOILLA! This time...we were on our way. I made my way to the back of the bus.. not in a Rosa Parks sorta way--but, in a "i like to sit in the back of the bus" sorta way. It's probably a throw back to being in 4th or 5th grade when all the cool kids sat in the back of the bus. I can't remember being that cool, but, I do remember the back of the bus was cool. Anyway, I ended up sitting next to a gal who seemed to be mildly normal. Anyone who has ridden a bus in any city knows that it represents the city's best and most diverse people. She seemed more like me than anyone else on the bus. She was asking the bus driver about a route, and I went in for the intro. "Excuse me, do you ride the bus because you don't have a car, or for environmental reasons?" Most people are agitated or mortified by my questions--but she was very welcoming. She replied: "Well, my husband is a hippie. We have 1 car, but, whenever possible we don't drive it. In fact, there is a festival next weekend called Kick Gass celebrating not driving your car and only taking public transportation. My husband's band is playing at it. It's sponsored by MTS and it's at Quallcomm stadium". WOW, I was so delighted to hear this. Had I never taken the next #11 bus, and never sat in the back of the bus, I never would have heard about this new event. We carried on a long conversation about various topics when I noticed she had 2 large bags with her. 1 of them was bright pink. So, I asked: "Where are you coming from with those 2 big bags?" She said, "TJ". "TJ??? Did you go shopping for the day?" She went on to tell me that she was in TJ for the week giving a stress relief workshop. She is a psychologist and was speaking to women about ways to reduce stress in their lives. She said exercise--bike riding and walking specifically--are the top ways. She also went on to educate me on Cortizal. She said that women get "grease" around their belly from Cortizal. I asked, "Grease" what do you mean?" She had a heavy accent so as she tried to translate what "grease" was I suggested she was talking about FAT. "Do you mean fat? like fat rolls on your stomach?" She said, "Yes". It was time for her to leave the bus, and as she got off she said, "I will leave a ticket for you next week with your name on it at the Kick Gass event"... I am totally going. Can't wait

I Cheated....ish...

Well, alot has happened in the last 72 hours. Some notables:
1. I made it 1 week without driving my car!--HOORAY!
2. I am incredibly sleep deprived and am writing this with 1 eye open---
3. I've learned alot about bus/bike etiquette--let's just call this one-"trial & error"--mostly error--
4. I already knew my neighbor/friends were the coolest people in the world--but--their random act of kindness tonight, coupled with their endless knowledge of bikes--and the accessories to follow, bumps them into the rock star-a-rama category-for sure.

So, I cheated--I think. You be the judge and let me know. The Harvest Fest was great. The unicorn that scooped me up for the adventure was Kim--(my friend and Bill's girlfriend). She was a great driver. It was the 1st time I was in a car in 5 days. Previous to that--all bike rides. If there's 3 of us in the car, and it's not my car, and I am not driving--we're still saving gas and saving the planet--right? I call this the "little white lie" cheat. Harvest fest was fun, filled with wines o plenty, a dueling chef cook off, and a beer stand. We lost track of time when Bill made us leave in a mad dash realizing he was late to the concert. He forgot his phone in the unicorn's car, and my hands were full with my camera, beer and that weird plastic plate with the hole in the side that also holds your wine glass. Good for networking events--bad for girls with bad balance--like me. Needless to say, I was not looking at my phone--or the time--when we realized it was 9:15--YIKES.. We were suppose to call the unicorn for the pick up so Bill and Unicorn can go to the concert. The next thing I know I was racing outside with Bill. Let's add in that Bill is 6 foot 1 million and I am 5 foot nothing, so, his 1 stride is 7 for me. He was sauntering out the door--I was sprinting. Before I knew it, Bill was trying to give me money for a cab, I declined--I didn't realize until I got in the cab why we was flashing 20 spots at me like I was a Taiwanese Connect 4 Champion, and then I hopped in my own cab. We parted ways... I went home. Unicorn and I caught up on the phone and it seemed like everyone's night ended up OK. This was the 2nd time i cheated... Is taking a cab, with 1 other person--that person being "the driver" cheating? It was a moment of weakness with 20 dollar bills flying at me, and a mad dash was involved. I think I can also let this one slide as "the little white lie that never could?" I am going to pretend like it never happened. So, in 1 day, I had 2 car rides. Next day, I had to do the grand daddy of all packing when I had to prepare for being at work all day long, into the night, and to get myself home that night, somehow without cheating again. So...I rode my bike in--my back pack was so full, it was busting at the seems...literally. I got to work, and realized, I had to do 2 airport pick ups for customers. I had to drive the company car which is a Prius. Again, it's a Prius, and each time I had 2+ passengers---is that cheating?? I think it's an authorized cheat. What was I gonna do, tell my clients to ride on my handle bars?? I think this was an OK exception to the rule. The day and night went by very very fast and furious when I realized it was midnight, and I had to be back at work the next morning at 7:30 AM. All wound up, not being able to sleep, not having my head light for my helmet, and no reflective vest in sight...I cheated for the 4th time--I took a cab!!!! This one was a bad cheat. I could have taken the bus. I got home, laid awake for hours just trying to settle down from my very exciting 2 days at work, and finally fell asleep at 2ish. 530 rolled around the next morning, and I sprung out of bed. My bike is at work, i am at my house, and I can't take a cab in. So....I got ready, gave myself 3o minutes and walked in. It was a nice morning walk. It was a little sprinkly outside, which is weird for San Diego...but, it felt good. I went through my work day, again--very fast and very furious, and ended at 5pmish. So.....do all of these "cheats" really count? Could any of them be "prevented"?? The Unicorn carpool and the client pick up/drop offs in the Company Prius are acceptable. Definitely, hall pass worthy. The cab home from Harvest and from client dinner could have been prevented. I could have taken the bus each time. And....now that I am a near-expert with the bus routes in San Diego, and know how easy it would have been to get a bus from both spots...I should have taken it. To make up for my cheats, and now that I've told on myself....I will add 2 days onto the 30 day trial. It will now end on November 13th. I think it's fair...don't you???

More about the bus etiquette, the errors and the coolest neighbors ever, next time... For now...hitting the hay...all this cheating and fast /ferociousness is exhausting...

Pork Loin--$10.75

This morning I gave my nether regions a break and walked to work. It takes appx. 30 minutes to walk from my house to work. Along the way I noticed many things I would not otherwise notice had I been driving my car. For example, as I walked past The Turf Club--a fantastic local dive bar that has cheap/stiff drinks and specializes in grilling your own food--they had a very small, 8 x 10 flyer posted at eye level that said: "Special Tonight: Pork Loin--$10.75" Who wouldda thunk? And...as I sauntered past Broadway as I entered into downtown at 7:40 AM...I found a new place---well--at least it was new to me....it was called "Wolfy's" yes, "Wolfy's" something about Chicago was on the sign, and a small derby style hat was over the "o" in Wolfy's. I am assuming it's a bar/eating establishment combo--but, still, I'd never seen it before. My normal route takes me down 8th through Petco Park and to the hotel. Although I was on foot...today was the same. I ended up biking home in record time. The nether regions feel tougher than ever and I am ready for my next ride. My friend Andy---who is an avid biker--among many things--invited me to volunteer for the Boards, Bikes and Brews event on Sunday in Pacific Beach. It's Angela, our gal pal's bday, so we decided to volunteer from 12 - 2, then join in the festivities after. As a team, we are going to bike our way there. We agreed--via email--that she would pick the route there, and I will figure out how to get us home. It's likely we'll be tipsy, and in an unrideable condition--so, putting the bike on the front of a bus will be a fun and new experience. Details will follow. Tomorrow is the Harvest Fest. Bill says he has the transportation all worked out. Tonight will be the first night in 4 nights where I don't pack my bag, and pick out my work clothes before I go to bed. No post slumber bag packing strategy---what will I do? I think I'll stay up 20 extra minutes!! It's like when we were kids and it got light later, where we were aloud to stay out until 8 p, instead of 7 p. Very excited.

Getting Creative...

My nether regions still hurt. I need to give them a ride off. So, I rode into work, and walked home today. I rode into work today and got there in 17 minutes. This is 4 minutes longer than my average 13 minute ride in....but, I wasn't speed demoning it down the hill like I normally do. I had to look presentable, so, I coasted in this morning. Worked all day and was suppose to conduct a boot camp class at 6 p, then ride home. We had a long meeting that was very informative and quite nice....but, it took the energy straight out of me. I cancelled boot camp. The ride in front of me seemed daunting, especially since I had to go grocery shopping and carry groceries in my satchel while riding up that god forsaken hill. I decided I'd walk home today. I got my groceries, and began the journey. I talked to a gal pal on the phone as I hauled tofu, bananas, broccoli, chicken, assorted veggies, and my lap top on my satchel. As I was walking up that hill my satchel came loose and my bananas fell out behind me. It ended up jumping at the back of my ankle and I was sure I was getting bit by an animal. Oh no...no animal..just a jumping banana. Since it's dark, and i left my glasses at work, I couldn't see at first that it was my bananas. I stopped, reloaded, adjusted the satchel and headed back up the hill. In a moment of weakness I went to the local liquor store and got nacho chips, cheddar cheese and a 6 pack of beer. Am I emotional eating because I am stressed from the walk? Maybe....but, thank God I have my jumping bananas and Tofu to fall back on. It takes about 35 minutes to walk to work, so, I will leave extra early tomorrow, work for the day, workout at the gym after work, then bike it back home. As long as I don't use my car, I am still honoring the 30 day Trial.....but, my next magic trick will be to figure out how I will get to Balboa Park on Thursday for an event, and to LaJolla on Friday for another...My plus 1 for each is not aloud to drive me according to the rules....so, it's bike, walk or bus for both of us. Let's see if they're willing to play in the 30 day trial sandbox...

The Trip to the Airport......

10/12/09, 7:52 PM...The Airport Ride....Well, I did it. I left my house at 5:15 AM this morning on Baby Blue, made it there by 5:50 for my 6:35 flight to San Fran. Made it back to SD by 6:15 P tonight, and home by 7:00 P sharp. Those are the basics. Here's the meat in between...

It's really dark in October at 5:15 AM. I couldn't find my helmet light, so, I opted for a reflective jacket. (mom, that was your influence..thanks for the idea) There is absolutely nothing on the roads in San Diego in the morning except for buses and homeless people. Buses are very cautious, as was I. The homeless people edge the outline of Harbor Drive. It is so Serene to ride on the bay so early in the morning. The water is so still, and it is so silent, so nice. I was having a moment of serenity on my bike, with my reflective vest, without my helmet light, in the dark, on the way to the airport, without my iPod blaring in my ears when I accidentally ran over a homeless man's hand. He grunted at me. I think it was a man, if not, it was a very masculine grunt from a very broad shouldered homeless woman wearing a Snuggie. You see....the edging of the sidewalk on harbor drive is real rickety. It twists and turns and curves, and frankly, I was too afraid to ride on the street because of the mad dash people were making for the airport. As I approached Harbor Island area, I started riding on the side walk, and discovered buffets of homeless people. In an effort to not fall in the water, and dodge the homeless man to my right, I ran over a homeless hand on the left. I said I was sorry and sped away. He/She seemed OK. If my iPod was blaring, I would not have heard it. Thank the heavens I was enjoying my moments of morning silence, otherwise I would have thought the homeless hand was just another curve, bump in the road. At least I got in an apology. Speaking of curves and bumps in the road.....can we all say a prayer to the bike Gods for my nether regions?? Riding a bike every day is great cardio and great for my quads, but, there has to be a solution to my ailing nether regions. I am not talking about my ass....use your imagination..but, I am sure I look like I have been riding a horse for 4 days. Do you think there is a special seat, or shorts, or padding a girl can find to protect her nether regions? The "nethers" only hurt as soon as I hop on my bike. It goes away minutes later when I have to refocus on the bumps in the road and dodging homeless people...but, the pain is insane. I have learned a recent survival skill which is to stand up off my seat when I go over a big curve. That prevents some of the nether region pain. I arrived at the airport at 5:50 A and found the bike rack in Terminal 1 near the parking lot. The bike parking area is about the same as what you'd see at McDonalds. It's 2 curly red racks. The bike racks at my work are more sophisticated, and secure. I was running late, so, I got through security, made a mad dash for the bathroom, changed out of my ride clothes and into my work clothes then borded the airpolane. I am pretty sure I looked/smelled like sweat at my meetings today. This is something I need to work on..because, it's gross, and not very presentable. I can only get away with the "I rode my bike in...." excuse so many times before I become "that girl" in the office.. Meetings in San Fran were great, I changed back into riding gear at SFO to ensure a comfy ride back, and saddled up my back pack for the ride home. Upon arriving back to SD tonight, there was my Baby Blue. She was all in tact and not stolen off the not-so-safe red rack. I realize....cars do not care if you're on the road. I am just as guilty of a driver as anyone, but, I made a maternal finger wag more than once at an inattentive driver or two when it was my turn to cross. They decided to just keep driving.....Come hell or high water, we'll raise driver awareness, even if I have to run over homeless people and wreck my nether regions...at least there will be better drivers out there.. So, here I am 8.6 miles later...safe and sound. I just ordered a new light for my helmet. (yes mom, I will go 2 or 3 days without my light)...but I will wear my reflective jacket as a decent substitute. My first big challenge is down, next one.....How to go to a fund raiser on Thursday with my friend Bill--without being sweaty when I show up....and not use my car??? I have 2 days to figure it out....any ideas?

Spreading the word....

OK, the more people told about this wacky mission, the more I learn. In speaking with a friend, I learned there's a movie out called: "No Impact Man". Check out the trailer. It's pretty cool. A dude did everything he could for 1 year to make 0 carbon impact on the environment. It looks like a pretty interesting documentary--especially--since his wife seems to be a total gas guzzling, plastic using, SUV driving, energy sucking modern day American woman. Definitely a clash of the titans that I can't wait to see..somehow...some way. Rode home from work today in 25 minutes flat---not-too-shabby for riding all up hill. I'm totally geared up and ready to go for the 25 minute ride to the airport tomorrow. Luckily--it's all down hill, flat, and around the bay. It will be at 5 AM in the morning...but, it sure will wake me up and get me kick started on the day. I spend the day in meetings in San Francisco tomorrow, then, back home late tomorrow night. Bag packed, work outfit picked out...ready to rock it.... I am really loving this bike gig.

Very Humbling Stats

10/11/09, I'm back again. I was researching how long it will take me to get to the airport tomorrow morning. In the process, I learned some very humbling stats.

Home to work: 2.3 miles.
Work to airport: 3.6 miles
Home to airport: 4.3 miles

A serious rider should ride 1 mile in 3 minutes, An average rider, 1 mile in 4 minutes...ME---I ride 1 mile in 5.6 minutes....That really blows. I am going to need to step up my game. So, now, we have a new goal---get to 4 minute miles before the end of the 30 day trial.

Some other interesting info.....The San Diego airport has a bike rack under the elevator in Terminal 1. It does not have a locker/refresh or bike station. Other cities like Long Beach, Seattle and Palo Alto have "Bike stations". Apparently, at a bike station, you can store your bike, get it repaired, buy equipment, and even get a quick refresh. That sure beats the beauty bag. I emailed a great lady at the San Diego Bike Coalition to see if there was anything like that in San Diego... details to follow. In the most recent issue of FAST COMPANY, a CEO named: Andrea White-KJoss is profiled. She is the CEO for Mobis Transportation/Bikestation. She gave some interesting info and stats: "Our existing transportation system has been built around the automobile-parking, service, fuel..." "The biggest reasons people give for not biking to work are fear of theft and inconvenience of showing up to work sweaty..." She goes on to talk about the beauty of the Bikestation, and that for every parking spot for a car, 36 bikes can be stored in the same sized space. It's interesting that in San Diego, such a biker community, that we don't have something like the Bikestation? Perhaps we do, and since I am a "rookie rider" I just don't know it yet. When I find out....I'll report in...

Resources so far:
Mapmyride.com
Fast Company September 09 issue
Good ole, picking up the tele and calling the SD Airport....

Shout Outs and Progress

10/11/09: Day 2. Yesterday was easy peezy. I had to be at work and be all "prettied up" to meet with clients and walk around the hotel. How did I ride my bike to work in bike clothes, then be ready without looking gross for work? Well, I'm glad you asked.
In my satchel of goodness I packed: work outfit, high heels, body spray, lotion, a fresh change of skivvies, and hair clay. I like the hair clay--it tames my wild Croatian mane. I hit the road. iPod on my ears, Cake and Radiohead playing as the awesome SD breeze whisked past me. I was cautious down the big hill, because I forgot my helmet. It only took me 13 minutes to get to work from my house. It takes me that long to drive to work, so, we're seeing that bike vs. car on the way to work is a wash in terms of time. But, I don't normally hang my head out my window while I drive, so, bike gets a +3 for atmosphere on the work commute. Got to work, presto change-o, hopped out of bike clothes, got my beauty bag, into work clothes and ready to go by 5:50 PM for my appt. It was super easy. The key here is that I have a beauty bag in my office. My work mates know it's there and from time to time they enjoy a spritz of my hypoallergenic deodorant or some face lotion too. It's stocked with everything a gal needs for a quick primp. The best part is that it's PINK. All beauty bags should be PINK--don't you think? I'm lucky because my work has bike racks inside the parking garage, so, I locked Baby Blue up and went to work. A gal pal scooped me up to go to another gal pal's Halloween Harvest Party. This is where I learned I made a misstep in yesterday's entry. You see, I was double dared by a stranger at Tour De Fat to sell my car and only ride my bike or transport myself on foot. That was a big concept, that I couldn't quite get my brain around. While at "The Tour" I tossed the idea to my friends, and my fantastic friend BILL recommended I take it slow and try out a "30 Day Trial" with bike only. Then, that night, I went to see Julie & Julia, the movie. Between the blogging about Julia Childs and Bill's brilliant idea of the trial period, a Blog Was Born! Thank you Bill! Speaking of Shout Outs....my friend Kim is campaigning for her own personal Shout Out in the Dedication Page in my book. She gingerly suggested, "Just consider it"... And...I still am....

So, it's 12:17 PM on a Sunday. I am here at my house. My bike and satchel o goodness are down at work. Next step......walk to work, get my bike and satchel, and ride to the airport. I need to test ride how long it will take to get to the airport. Work to the airport and my house to the airport is about the same distance. I need to do some practice timing for tomorrow's adventure. I leave for San Francisco tomorrow on a 6 AM flight. It's a quickie in/out trip...but...I need to tote my laptop, various work items, and a change of clothes in my satchel, all while being at the airport by 5:00 AM. I'm thinking I need to leave by 4:30 A. I get back at 11:00 PM tomorrow night, so, that ride home is going to be interesting. Definitely a flashing light on the helmet moment. Let's see what happens...... More to follow tomorrow...

Score So far: Bike 3, Car 0.

Advice given or quotes so far from people after explaining this mission:
"I hope you don't get hit by a car"--random man in suit at Hammilton's Pub

"I think you need 2 more lights for your ass"--friend Bill. (I did retort with-"have you seen my ass? there is no chance of ANYONE missing that thing"

Day 1: No Car--Bike It or Bust!

10/10/09: I did it! I made the commitment. Day 1, here we go. Last week I went to Tour De Fat, which is a bike and beer festival sponsored by New Belgium Beers. The whole event was inspiring. There were thousands of people riding their bikes, celebrating with beer, and preaching about using only their bike as their mode of transportation. They even had a parade called "The Death of The Car". It was a full on funeral procession of a car. There was a marching band, stilt walkers, people chanting and clapping and singing...all of them celebrating their bikes. So, today, I took my baby blue SCHWINN which my sister bought for me for Christmas last year, got the tire fixed, and began my social experiment. Starting today, I will not use my car for anything. I will transport myself via baby blue SCHWINN, by foot, by bus or piggy back, but, for sure...no car. I will do this for the next 30 days as a trial run. If all goes well, who knows...maybe I'll sell my car. Would that be crazy? I can't imagine what I would do without my car? I love my car. It's a very socially responsible good with gas car--BUT---someone double dog dared me at this festival to not use my car for 30 days....so.....here I go...the challenge is on, and the adventure has begun. Let's see how this goes....