My Challenges

How my 65 mile bike marathon changed my perspective

by Courtney on April 13, 2010

After 3 ½ months of early Saturday morning training rides, no Friday night social life, a sore ass, and more McDonald’s than the average person should consume, I’ve finally completed my big 65 mile bike marathon! Yes that’s right people, I did it! And I lived to tell the story!

If you recall in a blog post from a couple months ago, I saw this marathon as my “30th birthday challenge”. But about 35 miles into the training schedule, I was really starting to doubt my sanity! I just couldn’t picture myself being on a bike for six hours! Say whaaaaaat? I mean look – I’m not a cyclist. I had to purchase a bike and all the fixin’s in order to do this. But something clicked in my head when the opportunity presented itself… Like, DING DING DING: I’m going to prove that I can do anything I want to do – and if I don’t? Well then I only have my lazy 30-year old ass to blame.

So for 13 weeks, my riding group and I got out there and reached a new mileage milestone each week. And remember how bad my arse was killing me back around 35 miles? Well it turns out that when I purchased that new, cushier riding seat and had my husband, Jeff, put it on my bike – he put it on backwards!! The little “head” thingy that the seat sits on was turned completely around, causing the narrow front portion of the seat to be facing upward instead of flat. What this means is that for about four weeks all my weight was coming right down on my baby maker and it was KILLIN’ MEEEEE! And to think after that got fixed I could ride 50 miles virtually painless! This gives true meaning to the phrase, “my husband is a royal PAIN IN MY ASS!”

Race day

On the night before the ride I wasn’t nervous for the actual cycling part. I felt confident – I had trained well. My anxiety rested solely on getting up at 5am and being at registration by 6:30am. And sure enough, I set my “weekday” alarm for 4:45am and then turned my “weekend” alarm on. At 5:35am I flew out of bed and proceeded to fly through the shower, makeup application, dressing, bossing Jeff around, etc. all while saying; “shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit” until I was in the car driving to the fairground’s starting point.

As far as the actual ride went – it was rough. It was cold, extremely windy, gloomy, and it even rained on us for about 45 minutes! I’ve experienced a couple rides in 70+ degree weather and blue skies, and I can’t stress how much weather impacts your overall attitude during the ride. Plus, we only trained up to 50 miles, so I could definitely feel my body reacting to the extra 15 miles. It was like; “Mama, get me the FUCK off this bike!”

A new perspective

As we turned onto the street that would be our final mile, my friend and riding partner, Melissa, gleefully said; “We’re almost there! We’re almost there!” and at that moment something caught in my throat. Was that a lump? Was I about to cry? I guess I was. Because all these weeks of hard work and determination was coming to an end. And suddenly I was sad about it. My 3 ½ month journey began to flash before my eyes and I realized it was more than just a bike ride. It was the realization that if I set my mind to something, I can do anything I want to do. That’s a really powerful thought. I’m now a true believer that anything is possible with a little determination and hard work. And I’m not just talking about athletic events either – I’m talking anything in life.

Gimme a break!

So now that this is over, the ladies in my group are talking about a 75 mile bike ride next month and a century ride (100 miles) through Lake Tahoe after that. And I’m thinking; just because I know I CAN DO IT – it doesn’t mean I want to! I’m ready for a new challenge.  But first, I’m ready for a break. Namely, I intend to get drunk this Friday and sleep in on Saturday…

Share

{ 9 comments }

40 days and 40 nights of Lent success!

by Courtney on April 4, 2010

I’m happy to report that I successfully stuck to my Lent sacrifice of 40 days and 40 nights with no Diet Pepsi! I’m such a good little non-Catholic!

Back in February, I vowed to give up my biggest vice, which is drinking way too much diet soda. And honestly, I didn’t think I’d really do it 100%. I just thought it would make a good blog post! But much to my delight – I did it – and I didn’t cheat once!

It really wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be. The first week was almost a piece of cake. But then I went to Cabo San Lucas with my girlfriends in the second weekend and I was practically foaming at the mouth to drink an ice cold Diet Pepsi as I nursed a hangover in the hot sun. From that point on though, it was pretty easy.

Quiting diet soda does not = weight loss!

At first I was thinking if I didn’t drink Diet Pepsi my only other option was water. I even went to the movies that first weekend and had a big tub of buttery, salty popcorn and washed it down with a bottle of water! GA-ROSS! I mean, water so doesn’t compliment movie popcorn – not in the least! I realized quickly though that I had other options besides just water 24/7. I could drink lemonade, iced tea (sweetened), green tea (sweetened), and when I really needed caffeine – Mountain Dew (hey, it’s not diet!). Of course with these other options come added calories! I’ve heard people say you will lose weight when you stop drinking diet soda. That’s horse shit. I guess if you stick with nothing but water you can, but c’mon, that’s such a bland life to lead!

Today after church and Easter brunch, Jeff and I decided we’d have a movie day and make popcorn at home. Suddenly, it popped into my head – I can drink Diet Pepsi today! LENT IS OFFICIALLY O-V-E-R! As I poured my first glass of Diet Pepsi I almost felt guilty. Like, maybe I should just never start up again. But where I’d usually have like two or three on a Sunday afternoon lounging around the house, I only had that one glass.

So I’m not giving up diet soda for good. But if anything, this Lent sacrifice has taught me that if I put my mind to something – I can do it. If I cheated during these past 40 days, I’d only be cheating myself. After all, I already know Jesus loves me no matter what!!

So how about you guys? How did you do with your Lent sacrifices or pledges to be a better person? If you stuck to it, then share your success story! If you didn’t, then consider this your Catholic confessional, and tell me your sins… I’ll forgive you!

Share

{ 6 comments }

Getting in shape for “thirty”

by Courtney on February 23, 2010

A year ago I told myself that I would be in the BEST shape of my life come March 19th, 2010. This monumental date is of course the dreaded 3-0 for me. I say “dreaded” because when I turned 29 I was quite melancholy about exiting my twenties. But these days I’ve grown to see it as a positive thing. I feel like you really come into your own; you know yourself more and you’re more confident. That being said – I still wanna be in the best shape of my life within the next 3 ½ weeks!

And you know what? It ‘aint gonna happen. Like most people, I use the scales as my barometer of how successful my weight loss plan is going. I think back to my wedding day and I want to be that number. But that number is still 6 lbs. away! That might sound doable, but I’ve already lost 6 lbs. since Christmas! And now I’ve hit a plateau.

It’s quite frustrating considering all the exercising I’ve been doing since January. As you know now, I’ve been training for the “Cinderella Classic” 65 mile bike marathon, otherwise known as my “30th birthday challenge”. Since early January we’ve progressed from 17 mile rides to 25, 27, and a couple of 35s.

I even joined a new gym that I consider a “magical place”. It’s the kind of place where people just want to be. I think that’s half the battle – getting you there. And I want to be there like, all the time. During the week I go to the gym three nights and mix it up between jogging on the treadmill, the elliptical, and the stationary bike. I do no less than 45 minutes of cardio and then I lift weights. I also attend an hour long weight lifting class once a week! So shouldn’t fat be sliding off of me like butter on a hot knife? You’d think!

But maybe it is. Maybe the fat isn’t my problem on the scales – maybe it’s the buildup of muscle! You know the saying; “muscle weighs more than fat” and I think that may be why I’ve hit my plateau. All this biking and stuff has bound to be building me some serious quads! I mean, just check out my thighs to the left.

I’m leaning towards this explanation because I’ve had multiple people at work tell me I look like I’ve lost weight, and my clothes have been fitting way better recently. I even went dress shopping for Cabo the other day and I didn’t even flinch at my reflection in the dressing room mirror! I thought I looked pretty good actually! So maybe I’m getting leaner. And you know what; that’s what I’m going for!

So I’ve decided that I’m not going to live and die by the scale. I’m going by how my clothes fit. I’m going by how I look in pictures. If I feel lighter on my feet and firmer to the touch, than I’m happy.

What about you? Do you have any weight loss goals this year and if so, how’s it going? What are you doing? Any good tips to share?

Oh I have a good tip: stop drinking diet soda! Supposedly you’ll lose weight. And if anything, you pee a lot less!!

Share

{ 11 comments }

My BIG Lent sacrifice…

by Courtney on February 18, 2010

Being the good non-Catholic that I am, I’ve given something up for Lent every year since 2008. You see, my husband Jeff is a shopping cart strict Catholic and so I do this for him. Last year I even gave up chocolate and I only cheated a couple of times in 40 days, so that’s not bad for a non-Catholic. But this year I think that it’s time to step it up a notch. It’s time to give up something that’s seriously going to hurt.  After all, it’s not a sacrifice if I’m not bitching about it daily, right? Well my friends, I’m giving up Diet Pepsi. I should say Diet Coke too just to be clear.

This is going to be mucho difficult because I don’t drink coffee. And, I NEED THE CAFFEINE! Hell, I usually go to bed at midnight because I’m constantly up late blogging or screwin’ around online, so what else is going to get me through the AM? I’m just going to have to suck it up and get used to flavored water or something.

To lay it all out there; I have between three and four Diet Pepsis a day. I feel like a total sloth just admitting that. The facilities manager at work told me today that he’s thinking of signing me up for a 12-step program to wean me off of Diet Pepsi. Basically, he’s sick of calling the vending machine guy to refill the damn machine! Oh I’m so embarrassed!

It’s not my fault really. My mom put Pepsi in my baby bottle. JUST KIDDING, MOM! I know she’s going to call me as soon as she reads that. She didn’t put “Pesi” (what I used to call it as a baby!) in my bottle, but I believe I started drinking it around age 3! In fact, around that age I remember begging my Granny to let me have some Pepsi as she stood firm in front of the out-of-my-reach cabinet saying a definitive “N-O!” And then we heard my brother scream bloody murder from outside as he had just stabbed a giant tree trunk with a humongous construction nail causing a pack of bees to come out and swarm his head. Granny raced outside and I raced up the countertop to grab the Pesi. Hmm…victory never tasted so good!

And so the story goes; my name is Courtney Rice and I’ve been a Pepsi-holic my entire life. And I know it’s SO not good for me. I drink diet to avoid the calories but then there’s Aspartame which is supposed to suck for you. Of course we’re always hearing about how researchers are claiming that diet soda intake can be linked to cancer and stuff, etc. etc. But the most compelling reason to quit diet soda is that I hear you can actually lose weight! Imagine that! I guess you eat more when you’re drinking it and you also feel bloated from the carbonation.

So anyway, I’m blogging about this because I feel like if I say it to the world (or my three readers) then I’ll have to stick to it. I’m going to hate it and I might be pissy here and there, but I’ll deal. I like a challenge – never tell me I can’t do something because I’ll show you I can!

So alright all of you Catholics out there, whaddya giving up for Lent? Now come on, it’s got to be something good. No, it’s got be something that’s going to suuuuuuck for you! I don’t want to see anyone cheating and giving up something they never do/use/eat/drink. For example, Jeff told me he was giving up ice cream. He probably eats ice cream like once in a blue moon. What happened to his usual 40-day ban on hard booze? So c’mon, if this non-Catholic can do it, then surely the real ones can! But hey, I encourage all the other “nons” out there to do what I’m doing. Give something up that’s going to be a healthy change for you and just blame it on Lent! The good ‘ole Catholic guilt will pull you through!

It’s going to be a long 40 days and 40 nights, but we can do it people. I’d love to hear what you’re giving up if you are indeed participating in this annual sacrifice!

Share

{ 9 comments }

30th Birthday challenge: 65 mile bike marathon

by Courtney on February 16, 2010

On April 10th, 2010 I’m riding in a 65 mile bike marathon that will take more than six hours to complete. Am I crazy? Or, am I crazy? At this point I can’t really wrap my head around this notion of being on my bike for six hours. So for now I just focus on each Saturday training ride as they come and I’m sure eventually this reality will sink in. But after this past weekend’s 35.6 mile ride my “ass” is begging me to quit.  Oh Lord, how did I get myself into this predicament?

Rewind to three months ago…

One of the things I’ve noticed from day one of living in the San Francisco Bay Area is that bike riding is engrained deep into the culture.  We’ve got the hippie bike riders trying to save the planet from unnecessary car exhaust and we’ve got the avid cyclists who wear the skin tight biking clothes and think they own the road in their riding packs. Up until a few months ago, the former REALLY annoyed me.

So it’s pretty ironic that when a woman from work sent a mass email asking who would be interested in riding in the Cinderella Classic 65 mile bike marathon that I would raise my hand. Being a few weeks after my big milestone birthday I figured it would be a great “30th birthday challenge”. So I ran straight into my girlfriend’s office and begged her to do the ride with me. I reminded her that her 30th b-day was only five days after mine and she needed a challenge too! Much to my delight, she reluctantly agreed to do the ride.

So our journey into the San Francisco cycling culture began. First let me say that this is an extremely expensive hobby. I say “hobby” because I don’t think I’ll ever become a true “cyclist”. I’m a Saturday rider. But it seems that just about every Friday I’m plunking down a hundred bucks at REI on some new gadget for my bike or article of clothing.

Well this past Friday my big purchase was a new – cushier – bike seat. I never knew how taxing bike riding is on your booty! But each week as our training mileage increases from 17 to 25 to 27 my poor little bum has been feeling the burn. But nothing could prepare me for 35 miles.

A beautiful – butt challenging ride

We had the most beautiful ride through the Livermore vineyards with the green rolling hills of the California countryside as our panoramic view. The blue sky 63 degree day and smell of fresh cut grass made for a spectacular ride. But by mile 25 I was gritting my teeth in pure agony! OH MAMA, my ass was grass. By the time we finally completed the ride and were packing our bikes up in our cars three hours later, one of my new riding friends made the comment; “Up until this point I’ve been fine with these rides, but this is the first time I’ve really been like, GET ME THE FUCK OFF THIS BIKE”. I laughed outloud because this was my nonstop chant in my final 7 miles! And to think I’ve got 30 more miles to ride to the actual finish line in April. Unnngh!!!

Two days later I’m still waddling. I have to shift a lot in my chair in order to get comfortable. Now this is freaking me out a bit because I have a 37 mile ride in just five more days. The pain may subside by then, but the memory is burned into my brain! So I ask that you please pray for me that I can get through this insanely crazy 30th birthday challenge schmallenge!

I have an idea for next week though. See pic to the left. You don’t think anyone will say anything do you?

Share

{ 8 comments }